HD Substance returns to SUB_tl with “Sharks” for their second installment of albums centered around the animal kingdom featuring specific hardware from their studio.
Long a fan favorite, HD Substance has paved a trail in the music industry for their gritty direction of sound design. Creating vast, technical layers to their musical explorations, the Spanish producer has long had his toes fully vested in the musical school of thought. From their time teaching at The Bass Valle, to their tenure in journalism and co-founding the SUB_tl imprint, Luis Rozalén has played pivotal roles in furthering the music movement.
His most recent venture on SUB_tl has been focused on singular species alongside a showering of sound design utilizing limited machines in order to curate focused albums. Venturing into both the known and unknown, these sound-scapes have come to be a mainstay in the producer’s historic works.
Beginning back in June of 2023, “Wasp” EP began the journey of this focus on hardware and analog use over the proverbial ‘in the box’ mentality that comes into play when heavy reliance on DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) is the focal point of the studio time.
With this EP “Sharks”, Luis brings the overall process down to a System 55 modular setup coupled with a Roland Alpha Juno to create the sound structures and atmospheres. For the percussive takes, the Roland 909 and Analog Rytm combine forces to create a myriad of powerful kicks and percussive sequencing. The album provides a variety of stylistic choices and ventures into different palettes, including darker, heavier textures all the way to the more calm and serene moments.
With only two of their dedicated albums in the current matrix of public eye, this series shows a prominent influence and teases the masses as they chomp at the proverbial bit for the next edition.
-Colin Cook
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