Info
Hey, I'm stillawake. I also answer to Barney. I'm an electronic music student at the GSMD, a part-time Max4Live programmer, and a glitch-pop artist. My music is gratuitously lo-fi, switching between heavy, blown out mixes - and moments of true clarity, intricacy, and intimacy.
I'm a member of the psych-rock outfit Caiman Radio. I produce for the band behind the scenes, and I can be found on stage with an Ableton Push and an eclectic assortment of synths. I am lucky to work and produce with a host of talented close collaborators, including livia and Aaron Collins of Fake Fame.
I have been lucky to be involved in several exciting projects over the past couple of years. I provided several orchestral compositions for the widely-praised series of OrchestRAM shows hosted at the Barbican. I was the post-production audio engineer for Olalan No Mita Ko Pah, a Taiwanese Ministry of Culture-funded short film.
Software
I'm excited to start releasing my first set of Max4Live synths, audio effects, and utilities. Follow me on Twitter for more updates!
Papillon coming summer 2025
Papillon is a first-of-its-kind synthesizer, rooted in chaos theory. Rather than traditional oscillators, Papillon generates sound with strange attractors at its core. In essence, Papillon turns three-dimensional chaotic particle simulations into a stereo audio signal. It is possible to rotate the output signal in 3D space: the shape of the attractor appears on a vectorscope visualisation of the output signal, making it well-suited to vectorscope art.
Timbrally, Papillon is exceptionally diverse. It ranges from harsh and digital tones, to warm and analog ones. Some attractors produce natural, harmonically-rich results, leading to 'uncanny valley' natural tones, reminiscent of woodwind or stringed instruments.
With a beautiful, all-custom UI, and full control over each attractor's parameters, Papillon is an innovative sound design tool and an unexpected source of inspiration. Coming this summer.
Contours coming soon
Contours is a wavetable-based LFO. Inspired by the excellent LFO Table in kHs' plugin ecosystem, Contours allows you to modulate parameters with an LFO shape that changes over time.
Boasting a 3D wavetable display - a first in a Max4Live device - and the same base functionality as Live's stock LFO, Contours is an intiutive and inspiring addition to your workflow. And it's completely free!
Contours will be available for free shortly after Live 12.2 is released.
Retina releasing with Contours
Retina is a three-dimensional, highly-customizable audio spectrum visualizer for Max4Live. With color, line thickness, border, speed, and scaling settings, it is the perfect visualizer for your social media content.
fdbk coming summer 2025
fdbk allows you to pass a sample through four feedback loops, with individual control over feedback amount and pitch, as well as an in-depth mod matrix. More info coming soon...
Portfolio
Caiman Radio
Ableton Live is at the heart of Caiman Radio's live shows. Bespoke MaxMSP devices and ClyphX scripting allow for complex routing and semi-automated control. Both vocalists are processed live, with autotune, scale-aware pitch shift, and a host of creative effects. Drum pads, synth keys and vocal effects are combined into one view on the Ableton Push for ease of access. MIDI is fed out to external synths which are also processed through Live.
The setup also handles click and backing tracks, with easily-adjustable IEM channels for different band members, and individual outputs to the stage mixing desk. A (work-in-progress) pilot tone-driven hardware switch ensures there is no loss of signal in the case of Ableton Live - or an audio interface - going down. This innovative approach gives the band access to an electronics setup which would have been previously unattainable due to budget requirements.
OrchestRAM
I orchestrated several fan-favourite tracks from RAM Records' discography for their highly-anticipated set of 30th anniversary shows in the Milton Court Concert Hall in late 2022, and a one-night-only event in the Barbican Concert Hall in spring 2023. OrchestRAM fused stunning compositions performed by a live orchestra with the iconic drum and bass originals fans have grown to love. Attack Magazine described the event as a “rave in a concert hall”.
My compositions for these concerts included:
- Chase & Status - Pieces (feat. Plan B)
- Chase & Status - Take You There [live vocals c/o Aaron Collins]
- Audio - Shatterdome
- Sub Focus - Last Jungle (Camo & Krooked & Mefjus Remix)
Olalan No Mita Ko Pah
I was the post-production audio engineer for this Taiwanese Ministry of Culture-funded short film, now streaming on TaiwanPlus. Guided by her Grandmother Anaw, a former indigenous handicraft teacher, we follow Jade as she reconnects to her indigenous culture. Using rice wine making as a vessel for this, Jade discovers the Amis people's intrinsic connection with the land - transcendent of physical ties.
As this was a short film with a small team, my work encompassed several roles. I was originally tasked with cleaning up the interview recordings, which had been done on-location in rural Taiwan and were not without their fair share of mic rustle, clipping and unwanted or intermittent background noise. I also did foley and sound design for the film, blending atmospheric sounds recorded on-location, traditional Taiwanese folk singing, and my own foley.
Music
stillawake
The first stillawake album is coming this year. While you're waiting, maybe check out my mixtape?
livia
I work closely with livia, having produced her first four singles. Work is currently well underway on her debut EP, **** ******, coming this summer! In the meantime, check out those singles:
Livia's music is available on all streaming platforms, including Apple Music and YouTube.