Techno Beat Production: Honeysmack How I Make Improvised Acid Techno

00:00 Intro - who am I
00:53 How I begin - pairing machines
02:10 Improvised approach - no saving!
02:46 Programming the 909 + 303 + DFAM
05:59 Using sequences
06:23 Mysteryland 2020 performance (excerpt)
11:07 I am not a DJ, how my approach differs to DJing
12:30 Performing in my studio
13:10 Non-traditional approach to music making
14:05 Exploring textural qualities - dub techno with Buchla Easel and Pulsar23
18:50 How I prepare for a live show
22:00 Awesome Soundwave III December 2020 live (excerpt) from Carl Cox's garage
30:36 Outro

Full performances featured in this video can be found here:

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Thanks to Dr. Ryan Ross Smith at SUNY Broome and his students for having me!

#acidtechno
#techno
#livetechno
#technomusic
#tr909
#tb303
#honeysmack
#djmixer
#propertechno
#modularsynth
#eurorack
#moogdfam
#acidhouse

[AngryAsianPunkGirl]

The slow track with the Buchla Easel is georgeous - could listen for hours how it's evolving.

[acdnrg]

I just found my soulmate or should I say philosophy master. Don´t agree on everything and the spaghetti cabling is tickling my OCD senses, but man, you´re an inspiration of how to set things up and not get lost in the details of this or that machine. I´ve been in the "save everything" camp and got lost in endless automation edits in the DAW - but didn´t get happy with that. Your approach otoh, I´m sure you still save - but in your brain. Rhythms and patterns I´d say, method knowledge, hardware abstraction layer. Because this can then be translated to any "machine of the day" that may add offer feature x only to miss feature y. Definition of a much more resilient path to creativity, very inspirational.

I also admire the coexistence of classic OG machines and new gear, even the "evil B" clone right next to the devilfish. This points to a no BS approach, no prejudices, looking at what a machine can do and then use it. Much, much better than being in one of those bubbles like "analog only", "no vintage crap" or "everything in the box". The results speak for themselves.

Thank you for sharing!

[tresporros]

...so there is a HoneySmack and Surgeon doing things in their own way:)... music as creative process, no savings!

[MPCVINYL]

Wow! The Mysteryland performance was something unheared, really enjoyed it.

[ObscureMachines]

Very cool vid! You're an inspiration man! The VR venue I built is centered around you telling me about how you play in the middle of the floor only. We got hardware guys performing every week for Modular Monday. I've taken a lot of things you shared with me to heart about improvising too. Cheers!

[jshkane]

Great video man! Love the idea of not going back to the past or taking anything into the future and just playing in the moment. Your sets are always great to listen to and watch!

[paulbrady]

Keep on feeling and making the groove. Acid house is Jazz through electricity. Sweet.

[technic]

Started getting into drum machines and synths during covid and now I am hooked still not went near a daw and never will I love the way you do it

[bigupz]

Great breakdown. Exactly how I want to perform with my own gear when I one day get it all imtegrated correctly.

[nemanjaacimovic]

Thank's Honeysmack. You are by far the most inspiring musician to me. I appreciate the attitude you have when performing, there is so much to take from that. The overall philosophy you have towards making music resonates in my head, can't stop thinking how right you are !

[Pluppo]

Superb video, so nice to get to get such a clear explanation of your workflow. Loved it!

[obiraf]

Thank you for this grate educational video. I used to listen to you at Filter on Wednesdays at the Lounge in the late 90s. I was always using a PC for music production but in the last few years I went crazy acquiring gear. Been able to transition to hardware production over a year of practice or so. Thanks for all the years of grate music. You have been a grate inspiration.

[MrCowfood]

Yes, this brings me back. Thank you for sharing this and keeping the traditional methods alive. I miss my smoke filled dungeon with 2x303s 909 808 and pro one sessions with nary a daw in sight. We did save to reel to reel and cassette though.

[Mike-mpfj]

Dream gear I wish I could afford on there lol . Great to see another creator of a similar age to me still producing . I like to dj and jam live together making on the fly remixes live . Which I mostly do from software not hardware . Using launchpads and Tablets routed through my decks .

[bigolmemoryhole]

Nothing quite like fresh live cultured acid.
Honeysmack stayed with it from back in the day.
Who else was there performing improv blip & fart in Melbourne, TR Storm, Bubble & Squeak now who else was there....
The ye olde shuffle days weren't conducive to the best memory recall.

[BitSkitsTV]

Walk On Acid is still the greatest fkn track to ever hit the Melbourne club scene. Would kill for it on vinyl in particular one of the cuts, that was on the CD single which is nowhere online. You're a pioneer of acid and a legend Honeysmack

[MSHRadio-djzn]

I absolutely love the way you are playing live! An amazing mastery!

[Mrs_Heyman]

Thanks for making this and explaining - loved the dub techno track with the subtle textures and rhythms

[kadarkanetmediaszolgaltato]

Respect for Your DAWless Workflov! Congrats!

[MattJoyce]

Thank you for sharing this, so very interesting. Lovely to hear from you, how you do it. No headphones either.
I would love to see you live, hope you come to Sydney, and I hear about it

What an absolute talent.