Uploaded May 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
My submission for the Hardware Jams “Hammer Time!” Weekend Challenge.
I took a lot of inspiration from the slow booming sound of drop hammers and added various other mechanical noises and came up with this “Industrial Chillout” jam (can you chill out to those sounds? Who knows?). I tried a few slightly experimental techniques, including hitting my eurorack case with a tiny hammer as I have a contact microphone module to pick up the sounds created. A lot of fun, I hope you enjoy it.
This week’s challenge prompt:
WEEKEND CHALLENGE - “HAMMER TIME!”
The mighty KLF once claimed “It’s grim up north” - but we beg to differ! Our beloved city of Sheffield has a long history of steel-making. One of the machines used in this process was known as the “drop hammer” - an enormous multi-ton hammer that stamped out the steel when it was still soft. The booms of the hammers dropping, that ran 24/7, would echo through the valleys and could be heard many miles away. This sound was hugely influential on the electronic music that has emerged from here, dating back over 50 years.
Legendary electronic music from our city that you may have heard of includes Cabaret Voltaire, Heaven 17, The Human League, Clock DVA, WARP Records, I Monster and Sweet Exorcist. Clearly many genres, not just “industrial techno”!
We challenge you to imagine that you can hear the drop hammers in the middle of the night, permeating your consciousness as you make your music, whatever it may be, and make us a jam that reflects this.
Always Learning
════════════
I'm a strong believer in continuous improvement and always trying to learn something new. In this video I tried a few new video techniques and shot some footage from different angles to switch to for added interest in the video. I also made lots of use of my ring modulator to shape sounds and learnt a lot about what signals work best with that unit.
My DIY Synth Rules
════════════
I aim to meet the following criteria when adding modules to my synth:
◦ I must have constructed it.
This can be a kit or from scratch but I must have soldered it
◦ The audio signal path should be analog.
I'm trying to avoid digital modules so I can learn more about analog electronics
◦ Learn something new
Try to learn something while constructing the module. Learn about the circuits, experiment with different signal processing options. Be creative.
◦ Have fun
My submission for the Hardware Jams “Hammer Time!” Weekend Challenge.
I took a lot of inspiration from the slow booming sound of drop hammers and added various other mechanical noises and came up with this “Industrial Chillout” jam (can you chill out to those sounds? Who knows?). I tried a few slightly experimental techniques, including hitting my eurorack case with a tiny hammer as I have a contact microphone module to pick up the sounds created. A lot of fun, I hope you enjoy it.
This week’s challenge prompt:
WEEKEND CHALLENGE - “HAMMER TIME!”
The mighty KLF once claimed “It’s grim up north” - but we beg to differ! Our beloved city of Sheffield has a long history of steel-making. One of the machines used in this process was known as the “drop hammer” - an enormous multi-ton hammer that stamped out the steel when it was still soft. The booms of the hammers dropping, that ran 24/7, would echo through the valleys and could be heard many miles away. This sound was hugely influential on the electronic music that has emerged from here, dating back over 50 years.
Legendary electronic music from our city that you may have heard of includes Cabaret Voltaire, Heaven 17, The Human League, Clock DVA, WARP Records, I Monster and Sweet Exorcist. Clearly many genres, not just “industrial techno”!
We challenge you to imagine that you can hear the drop hammers in the middle of the night, permeating your consciousness as you make your music, whatever it may be, and make us a jam that reflects this.
Always Learning
════════════
I'm a strong believer in continuous improvement and always trying to learn something new. In this video I tried a few new video techniques and shot some footage from different angles to switch to for added interest in the video. I also made lots of use of my ring modulator to shape sounds and learnt a lot about what signals work best with that unit.
My DIY Synth Rules
════════════
I aim to meet the following criteria when adding modules to my synth:
◦ I must have constructed it.
This can be a kit or from scratch but I must have soldered it
◦ The audio signal path should be analog.
I'm trying to avoid digital modules so I can learn more about analog electronics
◦ Learn something new
Try to learn something while constructing the module. Learn about the circuits, experiment with different signal processing options. Be creative.
◦ Have fun
