Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, The Broken Cradle 

He sold most of his gear, slimmed down to the essentials and started building a modular synth. The DAW has a role in his setup and he believes it’s an instrument as well.

We get to see his minimal studio and learn how he uses it to tell his stories. 🎶

Read Time: 3 minutes 📰

The Setup

Gear List

• Eurorack System

  • Intellijel - Palette Case 84hp 7u

  • Make Noise - Morphagene

  • Instruo - Arbhar

  • Mutable Instruments - Marbles

  • Mutable Instruments - Rings

  • Mutable Instruments - Beads

  • Nightlife Electronics - Pam's New Workout

• Roland - FP-30 Keyboard

• Arturia Keystep - 37 MIDI Controller

• Martin - OMPA-4

• Motu - M4 Audio Interface

• Audio Technica - M50x Headphones

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

My name is Eric and I release music under the name The Broken Cradle. I'm located in the United States, specifically on the east coast in North Carolina.

I have been playing music for a long time. It started with piano lessons when I was about 8. That led to learning to play the drums, guitar, and a few other instruments along the way, as well as being in a few bands. Most of those bands are very different than the music I release now.

In the past few years, I started releasing music as The Broken Cradle because I was established enough to start building my in-home studio. For many years, I was in school and moved quite a bit. Now we are a little more settled down (I'm married and have 3 kids) and that makes it easier to make music and record at home.

For me, I have a full-time job that isn't related to music. While the idea of doing music full-time sounds appealing, I think it would lose the luster of what I love to do. I'm not particularly interested in playing live music, touring, etc. so for me, making music at home, connecting with people through social media, and then releasing digitally (maybe physical copies in the future) is a dream.

Thankfully, I don't have to live on that income but use whatever I make from Bandcamp sales or streaming to reinvest in my music.

What's the one thing in your studio you can't live without?

This is sort of a two-part answer.

I have a Roland FP-30 keyboard with weighted keys that I absolutely love. While it's not quite like a real piano, it does a very good job of emulating one in how it feels and plays. I usually pair it with the Noire piano plugin that Konakt/Nils Frahm released. It's a stunning piano vst for that felt piano sound.

What's your process?

I am a storyteller at heart.

I studied English in undergrad (creative writing) and am always interested in telling stories and reading or hearing stories. For me, starting an album usually begins with an idea and then the songs come from that. While I go through a lot of drafts, I still try to focus on what I'm trying to convey. Typically I will have 20-30 pieces that are somewhat "written" and will start whittling down the ones that I like the best that fit the theme of the album.

When I start writing a song, it usually begins on the piano with a riff or melody. If it doesn't start there, it starts with just pure sound design. Testing sounds out and recording without much of a direction until something sticks or feels right. There isn't much of a science to it, but it is a process that has worked for me.

And when I'm not feeling inspired, I usually take a break for a few days or fiddle around with sound design. Those are the quickest ways to get back at it for me.

How would you explain your style?

I would say that my musical style is a comfortable space between ambient and experimental electronic music with a healthy dose of felt piano.

I think my music isn't particularly upbeat but I also wouldn't call it sad or depressing. It is...thoughtful. It is a reflection of my own thoughts, feelings, and life. Sometimes the piano works best for that, other times it is a soundscape.

Has this journey of building a hardware setup changed the way you think about music or life in general?

Absolutely.

I sold most of my gear and slimmed down the studio to the essentials because I wanted to build a modular synth a.k.a. eurorack. I'm slowly adding modules and figuring out how to craft my workflow around it. For me, building something that is piece by piece for me is exhilarating and frustrating. It has forced me to slow down and learn how synthesis and sound actually works at a fundamental level and use that knowledge to explore new patterns and techniques.

I don't think I'm reinventing the wheel here, but it is certainly inspiring to me and has helped me approach my music a little differently. It feels like there is this inherent wildness to modular synthesis, partly because I don't always know exactly what I'm doing.

I am still mostly "in the box" and it is incredible the tools that are available within a DAW. I believe your DAW can and should be an instrument that you learn to use and become well versed in. There is a lot of value in that if, like me, you have chosen to go that route.

Integrating hardware into my setup has been incredibly rewarding (and expensive!). I am looking forward to buying some more analog gear in the future, but for the next year or so I will be focused on finishing my eurorack system (if that can ever be finished).

What’s your ONE tip on music-production or creativity?

Keep writing!

I think consistency is the best way to be productive, but don't let that consistency burn you out.

Take breaks. Take your time.

A book/movie/article that fueled your creativity?

There Will Be Blood (music by Johnny Greenwood)

Do you have a question in mind that you think I should have asked? Or anything else you'd like to say?

Thank you for taking the time and energy to do this.

I love seeing into the minds of other artists and how they create. That's why I love sharing on social media--it's a way for me to share what I'm doing and how I'm doing it.

How can people find you?

Twitter

Instagram

Bandcamp

For jams, knob-twists and pad hitting videos go to G.A.S. Instagram

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Gianni @gianni.kampiotis

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