Adelaide’s Avalon Kane doesn’t separate emotion from method – as a substitute, she makes use of instruments that assist her bypass one and floor the opposite. Her new single, “The Solely One Who Is aware of Me Is Me,” launches the Dissension LP, the second half of a conceptual double album that started with 2024’s ambient and introspective Solace. The place that album was weightless and meditative, Dissension is uncooked and scorched, with industrial percussion, vocal manipulation, and grinding synth textures that not often let up.
Kane’s strategy to songwriting on this undertaking shifted with the instruments. She turned to Playbox: an experimental instrument for Kontakt constructed round randomized chord technology and layered pattern triggering and to not write typical melodic techno or ambient electronica, however to translate intestine emotions into full compositions with no need harmonic fluency. The result’s a file that’s musically daring however emotionally rapid.
This interview focuses on how Kane used Playbox throughout Dissension, what it taught her about construction and intuition, and the way it helped her write from a spot of discomfort with out dropping management. She additionally discusses how instruments like this may empower non-traditional composers to dig deeper into emotional storytelling with out counting on concept or conference.
Soar to those sections:
- Why Playbox turned the spark behind Dissension’s heaviest moments
- The way it helped Avalon step outdoors of harmonic guidelines
- The hyperlink between emotional honesty and randomization
- Her evolving relationship with music tech and manufacturing
- How experimental instruments can information – and mirror – creative identification
Her tackle working this fashion doesn’t purpose to sound intelligent and it seems like survival. Right here’s how she did it.
Are you able to stroll me via what a typical writing session with Playbox seems to be like for you?
When I’m writing and recording in my studio, I exploit Logic Professional. Playbox has been my preliminary instrument on any new undertaking and concept for the previous few years, because it takes a variety of the guesswork out of chord matching and permits you to concentrate on the sounds and feeling greater than the technical aspect of issues.
Playbox is loaded into my session, I scroll from head to toe via all the worldwide grasp sounds. You’ll be able to filter them, however I like to listen to each as a result of, though I’ve heard all of them earlier than, the context is new, they usually can tackle a brand new that means in a brand new music. In a typical session, one will stick immediately. One can even have just a little little bit of what you might be after, and the fantastic thing about Playbox is you may modify a lot that in case you hear a touch of what you want, you may construct and develop from that to get the sound you want.
For this occasion, we’ll go together with my favourite preset out of the 322 – Genesis. That sound is from one other world. Thanks to whoever designed that sound – I’ll adore it perpetually! Haha. The three settings which might be key for altering up the sounds are the Chords, Samples, and FX areas.
More often than not, I discover that when writing, these settings don’t must be modified, however like most artists, you wish to put your individual stamp on it to make it distinctive to your individual sound. My favourite factor to play with is the pattern space. I actually can spend hours altering settings and discovering sounds, however when one strikes me, I’m going with it immediately. The fantastic thing about Playbox is that you’re solely coping with 8 keys. As an digital artist constructing beats and melodies, 8 keys are a lot simpler to work with when making patterns and chord sequences.
The chord settings in Playbox actually are a sport changer for artists who aren’t historically sheet music-based. I can learn music, however I don’t actually get pleasure from it. I desire to go by ear, and I haven’t studied sufficient for a protracted sufficient interval to know my chord progressions effectively. So Playbox is my little gem. The chord settings are grouped collectively in patterns that work. When I’m writing, I’ll discover my sound, finalize the pattern settings and the FX, after which transfer to the chord part. I’ll simply improvise via the chord patterns till I discover the sound. It actually writes songs for you, particularly when you could have been caught on a music for a very long time. It makes it pleasurable once more!
As soon as all my alternatives are in, the recording course of is easy. You should utilize all of your regular extras on Logic for modifying – I like so as to add ARPs to the sounds too typically and additional filters from NI simply to alter it up.
Professional tip from Avalon Kane: Playbox is the final word chord finder and creator. It will possibly additional improve your music research, or you may simply depend on it to simplify the chord constructing course of for a fast observe turnaround. You’ll be able to even take all of the chords out of the settings and put in your individual in order for you a easy 8-key dwell setup with out the stress of memorizing chord patterns – it is going to run it for you after getting loaded it up, and all you must do is press a key and the chord will play. Set it up and it’ll do the remainder!
Do you ever attempt to reverse-engineer what Playbox is doing – determine the speculation – or do you favor to remain in really feel mode?
I’m completely a really feel individual. Music concept isn’t my factor.
If I can keep away from any sort of concept and simply get to the feels, that’s what I do. That’s the reason Playbox is such an necessary instrument for me, as I don’t have to unpack tech and navigate a world that’s overseas to me. I’d discover some artists, and most undoubtedly producers, would love to interrupt it down to know the cogs and gears; nevertheless, most creatives wish to shadow what’s of their heads rapidly. Within the earlier days of my profession, I had tried to convey to individuals within the studio what I needed to listen to, do, and prepare – nevertheless, it by no means mirrored my imaginative and prescient as solely I do know what I need.
I didn’t have the technical abilities to navigate that world. Playbox has given me a lot extra confidence. I do know if I put the work in with it, I’ll get the outcomes I need.
Professional tip from Avalon Kane: A trick is to have enjoyable attempting to make bass beats out of any of the preset sounds in Playbox, not simply the drum devices. That’s what I did with “Acid Etch.” I like my drums to have a sound impact vibe and be just a little odd. Add arp from Logic to the sound results and mess around with the mod settings within the FX space. You by no means know what may pop off and fire up some hassle in a great way! evolving-relationship-with-music-tech
Are there particular moments on Dissension the place you may level to Playbox because the harmonic spine?
There are a number of truly! One I’ll at all times bear in mind. I had written the lyrics to “Crimson” and had been combating arranging the music to it. I even went to a studio and spent a while with a producer to work on it, but it surely simply went backward. The extra I pushed to get it achieved, the more severe it went. I hadn’t been utilizing Playbox very lengthy, however I made a decision to have a session on it in my studio to see if I might crack it. I had been working for an hour or so with samples and chords, after which it hit. I heard the chords to “Crimson,” and I used to be achieved. The arp was on for some motive too, and that cemented it.
I used six layered Playbox presets on “Crimson.” They sound so magical. My favourite, Genesis, was utilized in 4 layers. I blended it in a different way in each layer to create a distinct, but bonding tie. It’s such a sound. I shuffled (the little cube icon subsequent to the instruments) the sounds and instrument kinds in chord layers to create every distinctive layer. I used “Immediate Pop” for the bottom arp beat layer. That was an on the spot sure and probably the most pivotal second for the introduction to the music. After I heard that sound I knew it was good, and the creativity simply rolled from there. “Kinda Blu” added a detuned ghostly piano impact which made it a contact supernatural.
Like the entire theme of “Crimson.”
Professional tip from Avalon Kane: The very best factor about Playbox is that once you discover your set of chords and sounds, you may then hold the chords and construct on the sounds by altering the samples and the FX. “Acid Etch” was constructed solely with Playbox, as have been “Sever” and “The Solely One Who Is aware of Me Is Me” on my newest album, Dissension.
Are there any misconceptions you’d like to clear up about what it means to be self-taught in 2025?
Self-taught can have a variety of branches. Many people who find themselves self-taught dwell and breathe music and have a strong work ethic and need to study. They are going to do the whole lot they will to make that occur. They may not at all times be musically gifted, however the creativity is there. That innate emotion for sound.
For me, I’m utterly self-taught on the synth, which then translated to the piano. Nevertheless, I did take guitar classes from age 10 till I used to be an adolescent and discovered how one can learn easy sheet music. I struggled with sheet music. I might do it, however there was a variety of strain to at all times get it proper. I didn’t actually get pleasure from enjoying different individuals’s songs. In hindsight, now, I perceive why I’m a songwriter and solely actually like to play my very own songs. I understood that once I took classes later in life as a interest, my trainer on the time had just a little music studio, and I used to be extra involved in that!
To be utterly sincere, I’d have cherished to have studied music in highschool; nevertheless, I used to be informed that senior music concerned enjoying sheet music completely and there was not a variety of room for improvisation, so I felt deterred from it after 12 months 9 as I didn’t wish to embarrass myself. As an alternative, I made a decision to go the enjoyable route, and I bought just a little keyboard synth and performed my very own preparations and sounds at residence once I felt prefer it. Nobody informed me what to play. If I needed to play a loud, lengthy drone up at full pitch, then I might. I wasn’t going to fail a category as a result of I couldn’t play a music completely.
I actually want there have been extra avenues for individuals simply to experiment and never have this regimented music system. It actually was the identical for my vogue design profession too! I couldn’t draw, so I knew I wouldn’t be accepted to vogue faculty both. It appears foolish that artistic pursuits have to be certain in a manner that stops considering outdoors the field.
Now I do each careers in my very own manner. I’m a vogue stylist for the choice underground scene – doing issues my manner. I’m an avant-garde musician – self-taught on the piano and synth – realizing that there’s a place for me amongst the numerous gifted artists on the earth.
What mindset do you attempt to maintain onto once you’re exploring new instruments like this – particularly when it feels overwhelming?
It takes time to make it work your manner. Somebody, or a bunch of individuals, have developed this unbelievable instrument the best way they see match. They’ll’t make it work completely to suit everybody. When you view each instrument like that then you may adapt and discover your move with it. I nonetheless discover new issues to discover with Playbox simply once I suppose I do know most of it! That’s what I really like about it.
As artists, we develop and study repeatedly, so what we might not have been competent with 12 months in the past abruptly will open in entrance of us as one thing usable and related in our new work. That’s the reason it’s necessary to maintain going again to instruments and exploring them additional as you progress in your profession. It’s additionally about taking a danger, attempting one thing a distinct manner with a toolkit, that may typically be a treasure.
Professional tip from Avalon Kane: One huge tip when utilizing a number of layers of a Playbox preset sound is to ensure Playbox is closed when you’re copying traces. Open Playboxes can change earlier traces, and I’ve had a little bit of chaos simply being lazy and never sticking to my routine of copy, shut, and reopen within the new line in Logic earlier than altering settings to fluctuate them for a brand new sound of the identical instrument.
Additionally, in case you discover an experiment you want when shuffling cube in your sound areas, reserve it! It’s exhausting to search out once more in case you lose it, as there are literally thousands of variables. Save your sounds.
What’s the most important artistic unlock Playbox has given you that you simply wouldn’t have discovered some other manner?
The chord patterns and the flexibility to transcribe the chord patterns to my upright piano. It looks like a easy factor that many artists would take as a right, however I depend on Playbox to take my music additional. When I’ve completed a chord sample, I’ll pay attention to every chord line from those I’ve utilized in my observe. I then can break them down and create solo components with lead keys individually. You’ll be able to load your individual separate keys into the chord keys too, which is one other main perform of the Playbox toolkit. It then takes me to the piano.
I at all times attempt to create a stripped-back piano model of the music only for future reference or recording. Playbox has enabled me easier chord cross-referencing – it cuts a lot outing of fiddling round with pointless chord patterns – I simply am capable of get on with my undertaking rapidly and effectively. Plus, I’m a lot happier when issues come collectively. This system will assist me construct a observe in the best way I need, and I don’t get pissed off by losing time. The way in which I write, the best way my songs sound, Playbox is the final word instrument that can by no means let me down.
Thanks a lot for having me. Playbox has been an absolute sport changer for me, and I’m so grateful that it exists!
Wrapping all of it up
Massive because of Avalon Kane for breaking down how Playbox turned a artistic companion all through Dissension. The instrument formed her total course of. In a undertaking pushed by emotional extremes, Avalon leaned on Playbox not for technical accuracy, however for honesty. And in doing so, she discovered a technique that permit the chaos converse clearly.
As extra artists search methods to bypass inflexible constructions and comply with their instincts, Playbox stays one of many uncommon instruments constructed for that actual objective.
The put up Avalon Kane explains how Playbox unlocked the sound of Dissension first appeared on Native Devices Weblog.
