Deep down in TikTok’s digital abyss lies a treasure trove of strange, unearthly, and brain-tickling sounds; a warped, bizarro realm, populated by alien sonics, otherworldly textures, disembodied vocals and imaginary instruments. Welcome to the weird and whimsical world of producer Galen Tipton, who is pioneering an experimental new sound called ‘brain scratch’.
Tipton’s work explores the phenomenon of ASMR through the lens of experimental electronica, collaging synths, samples, field recordings and MIDI instruments together in music that alloys the aesthetics of hyper pop, IDM and video game soundtracks with the improvisational anarchy of free jazz, the sonic curiosity of musique concrète and a generous sprinkling of cuteness and whimsy. Brain scratch has found an enthusiastic reception on TikTok, where Tipton’s music soundtracks viral clips you might find on the r/oddlysatisfying subreddit and has amassed close to 1.5 million likes. Tipton’s album brain scratch, self-released in May, collects 20 of these songs.
Brain scratch is a wildly imaginative marvel of sound design. Tipton’s Bandcamp page tags the record as ‘fairy grunge’, a phrase which perfectly captures the music’s extraordinary texture: heavy but soft, like a weighted blanket. At times, listening through the album feels like bathing in a hot-tub full of strawberry milkshake; sticky, sweet and slightly overwhelming. Most of the songs on brain scratch are under two minutes, and only a handful stretch above three. These are bite-sized nuggets of sonic satisfaction, capricious curiosities that whizz past your ears before you can even figure out what you’ve just listened to.
This story is from the October 2023 edition of Computer Music.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 2023 edition of Computer Music.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
BLEASS Arpeggiator
Classic synth-based arpeggiators' up-down patterns can be tedious, says Stuart Adams. Can Arpeggiator bring the variability he craves?
Synthogy Ivory 3 German D
One of the most highly regarded piano libraries around gets an update. Does it strike a chord with our reviewer, Herr Roland Schmidt?
MODALICS BITFUZZER
Distortion can be a great effect for enlivening and mashing up sounds, and this month we've got you a plugin that can do both
RADICAL RHYTHMS
From pepping up basic grooves to creating full-on 4/4-flouting madness, learn a multitude of timing tricks with our classic guide
SEDIBUS
Detaching from The Orb mothership, Sedibus is the latest project of core figurehead Alex Paterson, accompanied by former Orb-member and key creative collaborator Andy Falconer. With a studio shorthand and a shared passion for flourishing ambient textures, the pair's second record SETI gazes skyward for its inspiration. We spoke to Andy to learn more...
Sidechain compression
Sidechain compression is an excellent mixing tool and in this tutorial we pick apart this essential process
How to make a rave-style techno track
Prepare to get fists in the air as we learn the tools, tricks and tempos for nailing the basics of rave-ready techno
Make a filter kick bass with BazilleCM
Following our deep-dive into the oscillator section of BazilleCM, we follow the signal flow to create a filter-thumping bass sound
MARIA W HORN
An avid explorer of sound's spectral properties, Maria W Horn's work realises the potential of long-forgotten spaces. Via instrumental textures, room responses, the human voice and a specialised computer language, she synthesises entirely new sonics. We heard more about her processes and the at-times chilling story behind her affecting new album, Panoptikon
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CREATIVE REVERB
Reverb has been relied on for its evocative sonic character ever since the first homo sapien warbled expletives into a dark cave. The transformative power of space is still a vital mix ingredient