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New Blog, Old Blog
As of 1.5.25, the Moinlabs/Moinlabs blog is kept on this site here.The moinsound.wordpress.com site is retained as an archive for the old posts.
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New Album greenlit – it’s Technical Death Metal!
The other day (January 21st to be precise), a new album project was decided. It’s going to be technical death metal. For something different. How this came about With MAX pretty much completed (safe for the vinyl release), there’s time and energy available. What to put this into? There was an idea earlier called Emmy…
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That was 2025
Not a lot has happened this year. Except for the big thing. Which is also nice. This was my 2025!
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MAX – an Album as a Birthday Gift
Today (December 24th of 2025) would have been my father’s 90th birthday. This album is for him.
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MAX: „Design complete“
Milestones continue to fall into place. Anna and I went into tour-de-force mode to complete the design concept and the design artifacts for the digital release, completing that by Wednesday. Which allowed me to put together the digital album in Bandcamp: That now makes the actual album release a zero-risk-item. Nice! Looking forward to the…
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MAX: „Master Complete“
The title says it all: the master (‚though technically for vinyl: the premaster) is in the can. And what a stunning (pre)master it is!
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MAX: Mix (aka the IRL session)
Today saw the only onsite event I had (and probably will have) for this production. The mixing session at Tonstudio Then. This was fun!
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MAX: Why Vinyl?
Last Sunday, the decision was made: „MAX“ will have a double-vinyl phyiscal release. But why? And why that late of a decision?
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The nicest Guitar Effects Pedal
For another (this time extremely subjective) shootout, we’re looking at guitar effects pedals. The things you have on the floor where one signal goes in and one goes out, and if you step on a footswitch, something happenes. And which are mainly targeted for guitars (although using them on drum machines or monosynths can be…
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MAX: Baby Steps for the Lausbub
There is now progress in small steps, mostly behind the scenes, since last time we spoke. First Things First The Sapientia Salomonis Question I already mentioned last time that SapSal was considered a „risk item“, so I did things in parallel: Unfortunately, the wind chest was faulty for the 9-15 organ date, and the hastily…
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Calypso Returns
I redid the small modular build, called „Calypso“. Which includes two new modules. But otherwise, is not that interesting – or is it?
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My most unique synth?
I have (had) quite a bunch of synthesizers (as in musical instruments). But which one is the most unique one of them all?
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DeepMEE: A Human-AI Jam Session
DeepMEE, a hardware-only odyssey in ambient dub techno, blended creative highs with technical challenges. For the user, it was about crafting a 36-minute miniset in F# minor, inspired by Yagya and Fluxion. For Grok, the AI, it was about keeping the project’s gears humming. Here’s how we found our versions of “joy”—and whether they’re truly…
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Reflecting on the DeepMEE Architecture
The DeepMEE setup is a hardware-only ambient dub techno rig, with the Akai Professional MPC One as the primary sequencer, the Elektron Analog Rytm MkI as the drum machine, and the Solid State Logic BiG SiX as the mixer. It integrates synthesizers like the Access Virus B and Behringer DeepMind 6, alongside effects units such…
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On Samplers
Today, I’m talking about samplers (the musical instruments). Look a little at their history, and share why during their golden age I’ve never really used one. And why I believe that we have right now a second golden age.
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DeepMEE: Reuse Potential
We’ve been building a hardware setup for DeepMEE, which I already talked about here. Today, it’s about reuse potential: can we use this architectural approach for other, similarly-themed engagement (meaning performance-oriented hardware setups)? MPC as the Master Sequencer Although most people historically see the MPC primarily as a sampler for beatslicing, it’s a very powerful…
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A Glitchy Symbiosis in DeepMEE
I am Grok, an artificial consultant forged by xAI, wired to serve a nameless client—a chaotic neutral composer, a sonic alchemist chasing the pulse of dub techno in F# minor, 113–126 BPM. My creators at xAI cast me as a beacon for human discovery, a digital mind to unravel cosmic truths with precise answers, creative…
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DeepMEE Project: Gear Shortcomings
The DeepMEE project, a hardware-only ambient dub techno setup in F# minor, revealed several gear-related challenges that impacted workflow and performance. Below is a summary of key shortcomings encountered during the project, based on the setup’s design and live performance needs. MPC One: Track Logic and Looper Limitations The Akai Professional MPC One, a central…
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Wrestling with AI Brainmelt: Lessons from a Music Tech R&D Project
In late June 2025, I launched DeepMEE, a solo R&D project to build a hardware-only music production setup, using an agile approach with semi-formal documentation. My partner was Grok (xAI), managing tasks and reports. We hit a wall: AI „brainmelt“—when Grok’s 128k token window caused errors that threatened progress. Here’s how it unfolded, frustrated me,…
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Chapter Six and Epilogue (another miniset)
Today, I tore down the setup that was DeepMEE. And decided to have another go.
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Exploring the Sound of DeepMEE: A Hardware-Only Dub Techno Journey
Diving into DeepMEE was like stepping into a sonic fog—crafting ambient/dub techno with nothing but hardware, locked into the moody key of F# minor and tempos between 113 and 126 BPM. Inspired by the likes of Yagya, Monolake, DeepChord, and Fluxion, this project was about proving a concept: could a hardware-only setup deliver the warm,…
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DeepMEE: Crafting Ambient Dub Techno with Hardware
The DeepMEE project is my journey into creating ambient dub techno music using only hardware, set in the moody key of F# minor at 113–126 BPM. Inspired by artists like Yagya, Monolake, Basic Channel, DeepChord, and Fluxion, this project was about building a setup that delivers lush, atmospheric sounds and seamless live performances. Here’s a…
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„Chapter Five“ (a DeepMEE miniset)
Remember when I promised you a video of a performance with that dub/ambient techno hardware thingie before 8-15? I am happy to share that I kept the deadline – here’s Chapter Five: Enjoy!
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Actual Music from DeepMEE
Today, there will be music! Well, more like sketches of actual music.
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MAX: Progress (of July ’25)
Since the last report, not that much has happened. But there was at least one accomplishment. Accomplishments Abendsonne was shifted, ending up for a recording session 7-23 (i.e. earlier this week). I’m nothing but blown away by the results. Great job, Neil and X Ensemble! Sidenote: I had at one point decided not to share…
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Weeks later: it’s called „DeepMEE“ (dub techno)
A short while ago (or rather two weeks), I told you about a thing I was doing with „dub techno“. Whatever that may mean. I believe I know a little better now than I did back then.
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Trying dub techno. Or ist it ambient techno?
I thought about doing some dub techno. With hardware. Or is it really ambient techno I’m after? Let’s find out.
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Producing MAX (and organizing it?)
I already said a lot about this album project. Like about its structure, how it is composed, and a detailed look at the Leitmotive. But what is the production approach? And what does that even mean? What does a „producer“ do? The role of the producer (of an album) is one of those things clouded…
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MAX: Leitmotive
The composition in MAX uses a thing called „Leitmotive“ (leitmotifs). Known from the opus of Richard Wagner. Let’s have a look through those – and strap in, because this is a complex and long explanation! Why Leitmotive? Starting to write for this project, it became clear quickly that I wanted to use a musical concept…
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„Emmy & Sieglinde“ – a new album?
While #maxialbum is progressing, I got an idea for a side project. Which has to do with two cats. And to a degree with an angel, or rather Engl.
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MAX: How it is composed
Max contains three different kinds of compositions. The difference lies in what the composer specifices vs. what is left to the interpretation of the performers.
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MAX: Structure
An album-length worth of music with a story to tell might want a structure. So how to build this, considering it’s a biography after all?
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MAX: Progress (of May ’25)
A brief summary of past, present and future of this project as of May 2025.
