CD-ROM Data: 610 MegaBytes, 100 WAV Files,
ranging in length from 18 seconds to 60+ seconds.
One special track, "Saturday Morning Mosaic"
runs 5:51 minutes and offers a complete
composition of found-sounds. This piece
was created for a found-sound, international
artists compilation release. All clips are
WAV PCM signed 16 bit, 44100 Hz, 1141 kbps,
stereo except for "Saturday Morning Mosaic"
which is 11025 Hz, 352 kbps, stereo as the
source was a mono file converted to stereo.
(Please scroll down page for demo mp3 files.)
Specially crafted analogue synthesis WAV samples:
Yeah, I know, you're thinking, "Nyaaa,
I can make this stuff myself when I
need it." Well, probably so -- but
there's the time issue. I have
spent dozens of hours creating each of
these waveforms and then massaging them
into perfection. You wanna sit down and
figure out how to make your own -- and
after many hours you might get close to
re-creating maybe 3 or 4 of the files I
offer? Okay. And do you really wanna
then try and make another 97 of them?
Your call. These babies are ready to go
straight into your own audio editing
program and synthesizer sampling systems.
Similar concept discs exist -- like this
one I offer -- yet many are filled with a
mish-mash of off-the-hip glurps and drones
and cheesoid-lame FX.They sell for $75 to $200.
That is ludicrous. Save lots of dough here.
If this Alien Ambient CD sells well --
I will create more for those interested.
Alien Ambience offers:
Synth Sequences, Ambient Space Drone-scapes,
specially processed Synths FX & Atmospheric
Weirdness. Deep Bass Drones offer Machine-like
Metallic Dread or Echoes of the Ethereal Void.
Sample Distorted and Warped Vocals / Dialogue
& Wav-chimeric Animals. Alien Ambience's
Found-sound snippets, Devolved everyday
ambience FX, and other one-of-a-kind Sci-Fi /
Fantasy / Horror / Dark Alien Ambient Sounds
promise a truly unique and handcrafted,
endlessly tweaked & knob twiddled,
ultra-creative sample library. Use these
files for synthesizers that have sampling
functions like the Korg Triton. (I wish I
owned one myself!)
All these synth samples, wavs, loop FX are
ROYALTY-FREE but NOT FOR RESALE.
Once you own this disc, it is yours to do
what you want with it. Use it for segues,
loops, grab a fav piece of a Wav file for a
chill-out filler, or you soundtrack folks can
use my ideas in their scores. Consider these
WAV files as 100 sonic shades of color on
your aural palette to then mix, overlap, loop,
mesh, crunch, warp, twist & so create your
own masterpiece and thus answer to the Muse
inside you. And for you cyborgs out there --
you may just find this CD as a way to relax
and remember your source. All I ask is that
you please only use portions of my
"Saturday Morning Mosaic" track. Do not use
it as an entire piece and then call it your
own composition. If you care to, please let
me know how these samples helped your specific
project. Thanks. SO GO FOR IT!
About the creator of Alien Ambience:
SourceCodeX aka John W. Patterson, is a veteran
music reviewer, webmaster of www.EER-MUSIC.com,
multi-instrumentalist, independent recording artist,
composer & distributor. His 2004 debut ambient
synth release, Codex Hypnos, is enjoying
robust global sales and very positive reviews
from critics everywhere. Hear the sonic puzzle
pieces used for his recommended Codex Hypnos
release when you purchase this CD-ROM.
Alien Ambience:
Synth FX Loops WAV Samples CD-ROM 610MB
I INITIALLY CREATED THESE WAVS FOR MY OWN
ENJOYMENT DISTILLING IDEAS OF MY OWN AND PAYING
TRIBUTE TO THE MASTERS OF SYNTHESIZER MUSIC.
CD-ROM File list:
(Scroll down and Click on Bold-Face WAVs
to hear lower-bitrate, 11025Hz 32kbps
mp3 demo files.
Actual wav files are much better CD quality.)
http://www.cdbaby.com/sourcecodex/from/eermusic
and have a listen.
Latest reviews just in:
SourceCodeX is a project by EER-Music.com editor John W. Patterson.
His self-released album entitled Codex Hypnos is a droning atmospheric
recording wrapped in a semblance of gloom. In Greek mythology Hypnos
is the personification of sleep and also the twin brother of Thanatos
who is the personification of death. While a lot of music with darker
themes often seems pretentious and overdone Codex Hypnos doesn’t
forcefully try to sound creepy or morbid. No blood, gore, or anything
of that sort is conveyed with this album. Rather what we have is a
work of contemplative exploration of death, dying and natural decay
which is transmitted by deep, elongated drones and timbres that
create a seemingly gravitational downward pull or suction like a
massive vacuum. The music is solid yet abstract and colorless
evoking grainy, gray-filled images. I would liken the experience of
listening to Codex Hypnos to viewing the chaos and destruction of
a tornado but safely from afar. There is a certain quality of beauty
contained within these frightful passages like the barren lifeless
beauty of the winter season.
Liner notes state this album was “done on a computer only” but many
of the pieces consists of tonalities that sound like extended,
manipulated brass and string instruments. In some parts the nearly
orchestral elements remind me of an old black and white movie score
and one track in particular, “DreamingHyperSleepDawn,” is almost
hymnal and evocative of ancient cathedral ruins.
This recording almost has a supernatural feel and although I can
appreciate it -- I certainly have to be in just the right mood for
its (sometimes overwhelmingly) oppressive vibes. However I recommend
it to those seeking a more finely executed dark ambient work and
look forward to any further output from this artist.
~Reviewed by Candi Brammer
Read review here: Codex Hypnos Ambient Musings review
SourceCodeX
Codex Hypnos
John W. Patterson is a respected, honorable
and talented music reviewer. His strongest asset as
a reviewer – and editor – is his integrity. His
opinions – and those of his staff – cannot be purchased
at any price! (I can vouch for that. I submitted
some reviews to him that absolutely slammed the discs.
Despite protestations from at least one of the artists,
John published the reviews as written with only a small
disclaimer.) He runs a rather large website – www.eer-music.com
– that publishes reviews of a diverse collection of styles
and genres.
John is also a talented musician. His original instrument
is the guitar but his heart is with the synth. He records
as SourceCodeX and his debut CD is Codex Hypnos.
It is a journey – in eight movements – through the inner
and outer psychescapes of consciousness, unconsciousness
and conscience. John created these deep drones and warm
atmospheres entirely with software synths and music editing
programs. John’s love for this style of music shimmers as
he delivers a refined package with raw power. His minimalist
approach defines the drones. The drones define the atmospheres.
The atmospheres define the psychescapes. The psychescapes
define his minimalist approach.
Throughout the entire adventure, the music evokes and provokes
on several emotional and spiritual planes. This is a great CD
from a true musician’s friend! ~ Jim Brenholts
" I may write a great deal about electronic music,
but I'm fairly clueless about the technology that
goes into creating it. So it blows my mind to hear
something that sounds as beautiful as the music on
Codex Hypnos and realize that it was created
completely on John's computer without the use of
external hardware.
. . . I got a real sense of thematic development
and could easily see this as the backdrop for the
sci fi flick scene in which the ship has lost all
power and is now just floating aimlessly through
space. Very image inducing stuff indeed. And John
keeps the music interesting by gradually and subtly
changing course and presenting the listener with a
continually evolving vantage point.
Overall I have to say there is some top notch
space-ambient and soundscape music to be heard
on this set. Bring along a little imagination
and John will do the rest.
~ Jerry Kranitz of Aural-Innovations.com
Read full review here: Codex Hypnos review
" . . . the pieces are very well composed and constructed.
The intensity buildups are slow but constantly evolving.
The moods of the songs are well felt by the listener and
there are no wasted segments. The performance is excellent
and the production is quite good for a limited budget project.
This to me sounds like a pretty good album and clocking at
78 minutes, you get a lot of music to digest.
So, if you are into dark (or even depressing) ambient music,
"Codex Hypnos" is an album to check out . . . so give this
stuff a listen. What have you got to lose?
Except maybe YOUR SANITY!!!"
And from ElectronicShadows.com
http://www.hyperionwebs.com/electronicshadows/reviews.htm
SourceCodex: Codex Hypnos
Reviewed by Loren Bacon
Playing time: 77:41 (8 tracks) Label: Private release
Release date: 2004 Availability: Online
One thing that technology has done for us is make
it easier to make music. That doesn't necessarily
mean instant "good" music, of course, but it opens
the door for amateur musicians to express themselves.
It's still up to the artist to make or break a song.
That's why I watch the net with both excitement and
apprehension for newcomers. That contradictory attitude
brought me to SourceCodex's first release.
SourceCodex is the working name of John W. Patterson
whose fondness for sci-fi, fantasy, and horror is
obvious in his song titles like HALsleep, ForbiddenAmbientPlanet,
and Nazgul Caves. In terms of genre, this recording
is electronic ambient with leanings toward the darker
side. Ambient is a difficult genre in terms of making it
interesting and yet not breaking out of the genre into
some other form. The terms "drones" and "interesting"
don't seem like they would often mix, yet that's what
the ambient artist is up against.
The press release indicated that these songs had
evolved of the past two years which was good to see
that they were not rushed onto CD. Far too often a
newcomer to soft synths slams together a few loops
and thinks that's all there is to making music.
Patterson has obviously spent his time adding various
textures and allowing the pieces to evolve, sometimes
on their own, as he notes.
One criticism of this first effort was that some of
the songs were, for my money, overextended. Ambient
tunes can go on for hours (at least for Rich or Namlook)
provided that they shift and grow, but there are a
couple of songs on this disc that it might have been
better to wrap up sooner. All told, however, I found
his CD well worth the time and a fine beginning work.
CODEX HYPNOS
by "SourceCodeX" (John Patterson)
Privately published, 2004
Available from eermusic@nc.rr.com
John Patterson (code name SourceCodeX) is the founder of the ASMID
forum, and his Website http://eer-music.com/ publishes my reviews, so
I'd better not say anything bad about his first album of "dark
ambient" music. Well, there isn't anything really bad to say, so
relax, John. Through the Marvels of Modern Technology it is now
possible for anyone with a few bucks' worth of equipment to turn out
the music of their choice. John has been a dedicated musical amateur
for a long time, and now that he has enough gear he's emboldened
himself to share his sonic fantasies with us.
Well, you can tell from the titles alone that SourceCodeX is
a horror/fantasy writer and major s.f. film fan. Track 2 is
named "HALSleep," track 4 "Dark Star Voids," track 6 "Forbidden
Ambient Planet." You get the (moving) picture. The sound is certainly
appropriate. CodeX relies on closely spaced, dissonant tone clusters
and stacked-up layers of electronic drones to convey a sense of
ominous dread. There is little or no melodic element and not much
range of loud or soft, which puts this into the realm of "drone"
ambient. (Stephen Philips and DarkDuck, take notice.)
CodeX knows how to set a mood, even if it's not a pleasant
one. No one would mistake "CODEX HYPNOS" for the pretty ambient
dreams of some of the artists represented by the "Hypnos" label.
CodeX knows how to make an emotional impact with his restricted sound-
spectrum. In some tracks, such as the aforementioned "Dark Star
Voids," the sense of darkness is truly oppressive and almost
suffocating. In "Arrival and Fly-By," you get a vision of a huge,
insectoid spacecraft which is definitely not here on a friendly
basis. CodeX's filmic influence is evident in the last two tracks,
number 7 "Nazgul Caves" and number 8, "InnerWorldStopTime," which has
dialogue samples (presumably copyright-free?) from films like "Blade
Runner" and "The Matrix." He runs some of the voices backwards to
reveal their satanic content.
Honestly, some of this is Really Scary Stuff. You shouldn't
listen to this while using Substance, or while eating dinner, or
before you go to sleep. Some of its pulsing vibrations can have
almost a physical effect on you. It is also very long, almost 78
minutes, and perhaps best listened to in sections. If you are a
Lovecraft or horror fan, as CodeX is, then this is just for you. I
put CODEX HYPNOS in the "Not for the Faint-Hearted" category.
I have to add some criticism, not aesthetic but technical.
Some of CodeX's effects do not flow into each other with smooth
transitions, the way I'm used to hearing in ambient of all kinds.
They kind of cut off abruptly and change quickly, and I'm not sure
that this is what CodeX intended. The cut-offs tend to interrupt the
flow of dread, even if they are not immediately apparent. The second
technical point is that neither of two copies of this album would
play on my desktop stereo, which is a simple but otherwise reliable
piece of popular equipment. I could only listen to it in its entirety
on my computer's CD player. CODEX HYPNOS is privately printed on home
equipment, to save costs, but this may limit its accessibility.
However, Mr. CodeX has assured me that his CD's play fine on everyone
else's machines but my own.
~ Hannah M.G. Shapero
3/7/04
SourceCodeX replies:
Thanks mucho for taking time to review Codex Hypnos! I believe what
happened in those burns sent to you is possibly due one or all of the
following reasons.
1)Some CD-Rs can and do have defects originating in the disc itself.
(I am now trying to only use the best "TY's" instead of what was
already available at home.)
2)I am reducing my burn speeds as this can introduce errors.
3)The CD label itself can cause probs in some players.
4)The other variable is that some CD players just do not like all CD-Rs
we feed them. PCs usually enjoy all CD-Rs but I have come across
several CD players that burped on CD-Rs but every other player I put
the CD-R in loved it.
Lastly, when and if demand reaches an economically feasible level
Codex Hypnos will visit the printers but for now it is CD-Rs of best
quality at optimum burn technique.
"John has created a stimulating work with
some intriguing textures and sounds. There
is a nice variety and flow that makes this
an enjoyable album, recommended for fans of
darker deep space ambient. It certainly is
a very promising debut. As John's craft
grows and he fleshes out his work further,
SourceCodeX is definitely one to watch!"
~ Dodds of Ambient.us
Read full review here: Codex Hypnos review
"This release is a treat for fans of experimental
electronica and dark ambient music . . . a very
interesting release. It's beautiful in spots,
haunting in others, and occasionally disturbing. "
~ Jim of Synthtopia.com
Read full review here: Codex Hypnos review
". . . the results, as gathered on this freshman effort,
make for a workable piece of dark listening . . .
carries the listener through tense, beatless soundscapes
that are unrelenting in their grimness. The drones are
soothing in a disturibing kind of way . . . layered his
sounds very well. There's a lot going on below the
surface . . . I rather expect to hear more and better
from SourceCodeX.
~ John Shanahan of Hypnagogue: Ambient Music News and Reviews
Read full review here: Codex Hypnos review
" . . . from light emanations to dark murky cracks in space
this cacophony of sonic states propels you into strange
new worlds . . . "
~ Diatonis, (notable ambient music recording artist)
"Codex Hypnos is a stunning musical paradox:
both haunting and beautiful, energizing and relaxing,
inner music and outer music for the soul.
John Patterson/SourceCodeX's interwoven electronic
soundscapes are emotionally moving and highly visual.
Congrats to John!" ~ Chuck Wild of Liquid Mind
"Excellent SCI-FX Ambient work. Could easily have been part of the
filmscore to 2001 or 2010. Kudos." ~ Stephanie Sante
Albums: Ambient Space Music CodeX Hypnos is available now!
Artist signed and numbered copies are only
$14.25 US
Get yours now before the event horizon collapses!
Background info on the CodeX Hypnos release by the SourceCodeX project . . .
Though a guitarist (since 1967) I have always had a
strong fetish for synth musicks. I have been kicking
around since the very first synth musicks appeared
on the scene and have loved every blip and bleep. The
New Age era fostered the arrival of drones and
atmospheric and ethereal space music -- some being
void of rhythms. This form of amorphous synth musick
naturally pulled me in as it had profound effects
on my inner worlds and shifted my psyche. I recognized
a "power" in this genre to evoke altered consciousness.
In 2002 I began experimenting with various software-based
synths and sound editing programs. As a music reviewer,
I have the pleasure of hearing musicks many will never
have the chance to enjoy. In this deep sea of blissful
inspiration I was destined to "give back" my own twisted
echoes of the genre. CodeX Hypnos is the results of
decades of listening and a few months of learning the
right software.
No external hardware was used! This music's origin is 99%
from the silicon cities of a very basic, outdated, personal
computer. I was inspired to go full throttle with finishing
this "soft-synths" project after brief e-discussions with
synth composer James Johnson and recording software
authority Scott Garrigus.
Most of CodeX Hypnos was created and finalized
between November 2003 and January 2004. Only two
pieces were first envisioned and created in their
"virgin" states back in 2002 and then lost their
"innocence" in late 2003.
I wrote these eight pieces in isolation from, being
unrelated to any theme and then upon listening to them
-- a theme was clearly evoked. Tracks 1 through 8 are
arranged now as a "journey" by an introspective voyager
into unknown outer and inner realms of consciousness.
This "psyche-naut" encounters regions of placid
lightscapes, formless voids, ominous darker and
threatening regions, and then a final wasteland where
the death of Time and a time of Death is experienced.
Track notes:
"Sleep Til . . ." sets a certain tone for the CD,
a strong opening track, letting listener know they
aren't in Kansas anymore. I love how this evolved
into its own lifeform.
"HALsleep" is a simple otherworldly drone
establishing a space theme, especially for
those of us who know about HAL9000 of
2001: A Space Odyssey
"DreamingHyperSleepDawn" is a gentle piece
based a voyager in suspended animation dreaming
of the dawn on another world.
"Dark Star Voids" reflects the immensity of the
Cosmos where time and space become mere thought
without essence, concepts lost in vast regions
of nothingness.
"Arrival and Fly-by" is an experimentation that
went very well and got itself so named as it
brings to mind images of great machines in flight
with some alien surprises.
"ForbiddenAmbientPlanet" is another experiment
based on SimSynth loops with other sounds added
for theme and overall impact. You are in a bad
place now.
"Nazgul Caves" was created after seeing the final
movie in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and reflects
such. This is a very dark piece and almost was too
creepy to be kept in this release. Yet it was such
fun to create -- so it survived the cut. Think
Lustmord and Rich.
"InnerWorldStopTime" is yet another SimSynth loops
project re-worked endlessly and then overlaid sparsely
with samples from favorite movies of mine to create
a disturbingly unique outro/finale to the CD. Listen
for brief samples from The Fifth Element, The Highlander,
BladeRunner, and The Matrix.html_banner
Some SourceCodeX Bio background:
My ambient/space/synth/analog listening experience . . .
Being a child of the 60's and a music/sounds junkie I was always
looking past TOP 40 for the fringe, the radical, the under-
appreciated musicks. I sadly had a Top 40/Radio brainwashing but
somewhere along the line my twistedness prevailed (thank God) and I
soon came across progressive rock, art rock, and fusion. Progressive
rock even drove me on to discover the richness of classical music.
One thing art rockers loved was forging new ground sonically
speaking -- and when Moogs, mellotrons, and the like came into the
studio, it seemed every band worth its salt had some synth somewhere.
Of course there were folks like T Dream, Klaus Schulze, Larry Fast,
Wendy Carlos, Tonto's Expanding Head Band, Keith Emerson,
Patrick Moraz, Jean-Michel Jarre, Tomita, Vangelis, Tim Blake and
oodles more that relied 100% on synths to make music and all their
works made it to my collection. I attended one of Maryland's very first
Moog synth demonstrations and recorded the event. Yet -- being a
guitarist predominately -- I set aside most keyboard-driven interests
many times to focus on axe work, specifically fusion but I found
myself getting burned out on incessant riffage and overwhelming
in-your-face virtuosity. I needed "down time" for my soul.
So along comes the new age blitzkrieg. Most of that music was pretty --
how you say -- blandly predictable and easy-listening-ish but a few
folks stood out in the movement. I won't list them all here. Those
that remain of interest to me these days and really pulled me deeply
back into atmospheric and ambient space music were folks like Steve
Roach, Jonn Serrie, Robert Rich, Kit Watkins and early works by Don
Slepian. Since then, many superb ambient/space music artists have
come to light. I have discussed/promoted these in many newsgroups, e-
groups, and at EER-MUSIC.com and in my ambient article at
AllAboutJazz.com when I started the Ambient Space area there.
I am also a published sci-fi, fantasy and horror writer and an
avid fan of all things related to these pursuits of speculative
fiction and entertainment. CodeX Hypnos is my introspective
soundscape of varied ambience now to be shared with all those
dreamers of similar eclectic visions and vices.
If at times it seems raw electronics versus music then I have
achieved exactly what I set out to do. What I find odd after
repeated listens to this CD is that you will begin to notice
the "musicality" and pleasing sounds that exist all around you
that you formerly ignored. CodeX Hypnos is a CD that keeps on
playing in your head, long after the music ceases externally. You
come to realize the musicks of SourceCodeX echo an everyday and
everywhere ambience. CodeX Hypnos is but a reworking, a warping
of reality.
Contact Info:
John W. Patterson
P.O. Box 1797
Wake Forest, NC 27588-1797 USA
eermusic @ nc. rr. com
Webhomes:
http://www.EER-MUSIC.com
Soundfiles and info:
http://www.SoundClick.com/SourceCodeX
Itza real head trip to get into --
truly consciouness-shifting . . .
I am a very critical guy and a pefectionist
and after years of hearing and reviewing the
best and the worst of many genres I sorta
know what is cool vs sonic-doo-doo --
So . . . I wrote this stuff for my own
pleasure to get off on and zone out /
chemical-free trip on and it works! Some stuff
is relaxing, some is very creepy, and other
stuff is just fun to experience like a sci-fi
flick for yer ears. I hope other folks find
it a novel experience too.
Codex Hypnos is a semi-thematic creation
beginning with a deep-space / deep-consciousness
explorer being "put under" and "tripping the light
fantastic" of other realms. As life itself presents
us, our cosmick voyager encounters placid zones of
light as well as disturbing circles of discontent
and darkness. The outro piece is an unsettling trip
towards the death of Time and what lies beyond all we
believe . . . enjoy the trip. I did.
Pass on the word about this Codex Hypnos
release to yer buds.
Early Reviews of Codex Hypnos:
"John! Very cool ambient music, very cool!"
~ Jim Brenholts, All Music Guide writer/reviewer
and published author on ambient musicks
" . . . what pleasure to hear you enjoying your creativity.
I can feel the love you have for this music and the great
digital tools you are using. Keep the music coming, keep
creating John, it's already good and it's only going to get
better. Glad to welcome you as a fellow artist."
~ Don Slepian, (synth music pioneer)
"Like Jeff Greinke's work, dark, brooding, and really tasteful.
A fantastic mix of quiet ambience AND motion . . . a great,
balanced work. Not too mellow, not too active, just great stuff
I highly recommend. Mature and confident, yet creative and
exploratory, this shows us all what an experienced person can
do when he puts his mind to it." ~ Gayle Ellett of Djam Karet
"Gorgeous!! Deep, and dark, and full of energy ... this is
really really good music my friend! The structure is fantastic
... and very adventurous. Not the typical gooshy ambient
space music ear candy we so often hear. Very well done!!!!"
~ Palancar (ambient composer and recording artist)
"Thanks for sharing your music. It sounds very good.
Keep up the good work!"
~ Dino Pacifici, synth music composer and artist
"Just to say how much I like your music. Its great! keep it up.
I have a band called Wood, and we do the same sort of thing.
Its really nice to hear music that is going in the same direction
as we are." ~ Wood
"'innerworldstoptime' is cool: I like the shifting speeds
of the drone-- almost race car-in-outerspace sounding...."
~ Gears of Sand
Please e-mail SourceCodeX with your valued opinions. I humbly await your verdict. All critiques will be added on this page as they come in SourceCodeX You prefer not to be quoted here? Just tell me so. I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK!
You tell me YOUR ideas for a tune and SourceCodex will try to create it!
Ciao!
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