The third video documenting my musical process is up! Pairing down my setup to a single focus and piece of gear has been liberating, allowing me to experiment. I hit some limitations, which is also what I was looking for. Digging in, we find interesting things at the edges. As well as why we work in different ways with different tools.

This month, I’ve focused on generative sequencing in Eurorack. TB-3P0 on O_C worked pretty well for this! So has Grids and S&H to get different harmony and rhythms out of the same pitch source. I would have reached for another voice if I had one, but the focus kept me honest to the target. After last month, I had all the controls I was missing, and it’s been fun.

The month long container is serving its function well. Enough time to ideate, and a clear enough target that I can share something. Stripping out the complexity upfront is taking some discipline. Next, I want to keep working in hands-on way, stepping up the complexity one notch. But only one.

Elsewhere, I’ve returned to The Pomodoro Technique. That’s a complete practice; pick a task, start a time, make meaningful progress for 25 minutes. Take a break. Check your expectations. Reorient. Go again. I’m returning to a focus on process, and making the practice complete; so you can pick it up, put it down, and know where you stand at all times.

Meditation is a complete practice; you pick a time, sit, observe and allow the state of mind to shift. And, when you’re done you get on with the rest of the day. You don’t multitask. A wandering mind reveals itself, sharing how elusive that focus can be.

If you don’t have time to clean, you don’t have time to cook. Focus on the core of the task, and work right up until its edges. Don’t walk away feeling incomplete. Taking this approach I’m feeling far more centred. I’ve got some big projects coming up, not least related to moving. I’m going to need to find that practice here; working on it, then waiting (so much waiting!), without the worrying.

In the meantime, looking forward to next week. Off to Roadburn for some heavy music. This week has been a good warm-up week seeing James Holden, and going to We All Play Synths.