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brettworks

thinking through music


  • May 27, 2019

    Maximum Musicality With Minimum Intervention

    I have an as yet unreachable goal in mind each time I sit down to produce music: I want to record each part by playing it once and so perfectly that it doesn’t require any further editing or manipulation. My goal is to approximate the kind of interpersonal telepathy and interaction a top flight ensemble… Continue reading

    maximum musicality, minimum interventions, Uncategorized
  • May 24, 2019

    A Nod To The Save Key

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    Uncategorized, workflow
  • May 23, 2019

    Resonant Thought: Edgard Varèse On Rhythm

    “Rhythm is the element in music that gives life to the work and holds it together. It is the element of stability, the generator of form.” – Edgard Varèse, The Liberation Of Sound Continue reading

    rhythm, Uncategorized
  • May 22, 2019

    Brett’s Sound Picks: Rainer Veil’s “Sim Screen” (2019)

      Brett’s Sound Picks 2019 Continue reading

    Brett’s Sound Picks, Uncategorized
  • May 21, 2019

    Art About Music: Gabriël Metsu’s “A Young Woman Composing A Piece Of Music” (c. 1664)

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    art about music, Uncategorized
  • May 20, 2019

    On Musical Shepherding 

    The figure of the shepherd came to mind recently as I was working on music. At first I pictured literally a shepherd—a guy in galoshes shepherding sheep in the countryside somewhere, gently prodding the furry fellows up and over hillsides. Let’s go guys! (Which reminds me of an excellent book about the subject, James Rebanks’… Continue reading

    Creativity, music production, Uncategorized
  • May 16, 2019

    Resonant Thoughts: Thor Magnusson’s “Sonic Writing” (2019)

    “Incarnated as a digital instrument…all your behavior can be redefined using a language of algorithms that can be written and rewritten to change your nature. Indeed you might not feel that you have a nature as such, as a new software upgrade might change your behavior so completely that it does not remind you of… Continue reading

    Resonant Thoughts, Uncategorized
  • May 15, 2019

    Brett’s Sound Picks: Plaid’s “Los” (2019)

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    Brett’s Sound Picks, Uncategorized
  • May 14, 2019

    Art About Music: John Singer Sargent’s “Study for Seated Musicians for ‘El Jaleo’” (c. 1882)

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    art about music, Uncategorized
  • May 13, 2019

    On Musical Manipulation

    manipulate—handle or control typically in a skillful manner If you zoom out far enough from the minutiae of music production, you see that the grand contours of your production moves are made up of unequal parts recording (audio, MIDI) and technology-assisted manipulation. As I practice it, recording is straightforward enough: at an acoustic instrument (yes… Continue reading

    musical manipulation, musical process, musical technique, Uncategorized
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Thomas Brett is a musician and writer who holds a PhD in ethnomusicology from New York University. He is the author of Principles of Electronic Music Production and The Creative Electronic Music Producer, a book described by Sound On Sound magazine as “a deep philosophical analysis of the various creative inspirations, ideas and processes involved in producing electronic music.” His essays have appeared in the journals Popular Music and Popular Music and Society, as well as edited collections by Routledge, Oxford, and Cambridge University presses. Thomas has played percussion on Broadway since 1997 and writes about music at brettworks.com.

Recent Posts

  • Database: Mark Clifford On Squeezing The Life Out Of Equipment
  • Drumming Diaries: Energies of Performance
  • Brett’s Sound Picks: øjeRum’s “I (2026 remaster)”
  • In The Works: 28 April
  • Resonant Thoughts: John Berger’s “Permanent Red: Essays in Seeing” (1960/2025)

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