Music Review: Freematik iMatik – Music Made on an iPhone
So you just got your new iPhone. What’s next? If you’re like the Techno DJ Tom Freeman aka Freematik, you make a new album (iMatik) with beats, synths, and samples generated from the iPhone.
Freematik used apps for the iPhone to create beats and synths, and to collect and manipulate samples. He also found an app to simulate a turntable (Flare) for the scratching effects. However, he was unable to mix all of the funky sounds together on the iPhone due to its inability to run multiple apps at the same time. For that, he had to go into his studio.
Despite the iPhone’s limitations, Freematik is still quite excited about making music with the iPhone. In his “recording process” doc, he explains that he really enjoys making music wherever and whenever he is inspired. While making this album he says, “I had more fun and felt more creative than I have had in a while.”
After the novelty wears off, though, it’s the music that matters. The music on iMatik might make Rhys Fulber and William Leeb proud. Most people might know Fuller and Leeb from Front Line Assembly or Delerium. One of Fulber and Leeb’s projects from the ’90s was a band called Intermix, and iMatik reminds me very much of their self-titled debut.
Like Intermix, iMatik is filled with ethereal and ambient tones over strong synthetic beats with lots of vocal samples. The music will appeal to anyone into electronic or techno music. The samples are interesting, cool, and sometimes funny. Out of context, and over the manufactured ambiance, the sample “fuck you, donuts are awesome!” made me pee my pants (figuratively). iMatik though, is more of a proof of concept album than a full feature album. There are twenty-five songs on the album with an average length of less than a minute. While the songs are expertly mixed and flow together quite well, the thematic links between them are not obvious. “I really had no specific vision for the album, other than wanting to have each song transition from one to the next without breaks or pauses,” he states in his “recording process” doc.
Listen to Is This Your Special Bush (Radio_Edit) – more music available @ Freematik.com
I applaud what Freematik did with the iPhone and its apps. I look forward to what what he does next. Freematik is excited about the possibilities and the ability to make music anywhere. He is looking forward to making music in the most exciting to the most mundane places. Now that the world knows it can be done, perhaps there will be imitators to follow in his footsteps.
Apps Used:
- Intua BeatMaker
- iZotope iDrum
- 5 different iDrum apps
- miniSynth
- NLogFree
- Argon
- Dronestation
- Thereminator
- Soundwarp
- Flare
- Jasuto
- Jasuto Pro
- iSkream
Useful Links:
- Freematik
- Recording Process Doc
- Intermix
- Front Line Assembly
- Delerium
- Rhys Fulber
- William Leeb
- Intermix CDs
- Front Line Assembly MP3 Downloads
- Delerium MP3 Downloads