Pleased to Meet You: Auragraph
The ATH IT Department has a combo. We are sharing the brand new track from Auragraph, a solo project from Hector Carlos Ramirez. Hector has worked with several familiar names; Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein and S U R V I V E, Josh Mills of Missions. He is part of the resurgence in the analog synth sounds that have been so welcomed by myself and many electronic music fans for bringing back a lo-fi honesty to creation of waveforms and beats. We also have a little Q&A for you by following the jump after the video for the song “Polywave” via Outer Limits Records.
ATH: Creative process: What do you find more difficult, getting your way in a group session or knowing you are done in the solo session?
Auragraph: I think both ways of working have pros and cons. I like working on my own sometimes because it’s easy for me to get into my workflow and start writing music. Also I can work on music super early in the morning, or really late at night, and even work on music in my office at work. It’s easy for me to schedule writing sessions for myself. Also my studio is a tiny room in a house in LA so with more than one person that space gets a little uncomfortable. It’s really great to have a checks and balance system when working with a group though. I constantly find myself creating compositions that sound nothing like Auragraph and I feel like it’s easier to stay in check when working with others. Plus, it’s pretty amazing to create with friends using music as a form of communication to express an idea or an emotion.
ATH: I used to seek out label or journalist compilations as a means to expand my synth vocabulary. How did you discover the tones, patterns and devices to create your sound?
Auragraph: A lot of the way I discovered tones and my workflow came from following bands I look up to and seeing what kind of gear they used. My first electronic project, Tapes, pretty much only used samples from records that I would manipulate on Ableton. I learned a lot then about using plugin synthesizers but still wasn’t too thrilled on the tones of the music. I remember having this breakthrough moment visiting Switched On and playing with a Prophet 5 they had on the floor. I ended up going back to record that synth and a few others and slowly figured out that I was really in to analog synths and hardware. The first poly synth I owned was a Juno 106, which was easy to learn on. I later switched to Logic X as my primary DAW, and now use the Prophet 6 and SH 101 as my main workhorses. Lately, I’ve been really into the releases from Holodeck, Ghostly, and Dias Records.
ATH: I’ve read that some electronic artists create songs based on an image in their mind. You are currently working on a Nat Geo show. How does being provided the image or plotline change your process?
Auragraph: I feel like working with images provided or writing to picture is easier for me just because you are forced to work within boundaries and limitations. A lot of times, if I am working on a song, or an album, I can get lost with trying to just work on a vibe. Picture is much more straight forward. Valley Of The Boom was a really fun project to work on because I got to work with Kyle, Michael, Mark, Adam (S U R V I V E) and Josh (Missions) and see what their process is like. I did a lot of the mixes for the cues so I really got to develop that skill. It’s also really fun to watch our music on TV.
ATH: Performing live? What are the plans for 2019?
Auragraph: I am currently performing at SXSW this year. After that, hopefully a few LA shows. It would be awesome to go on a tour or play another festival later this year !
Check out the Missions remix of “Polywave” here.