Obviously l ask this loaded question with intent, but l have been thinking about what styles Renoise is used for most now. It will always be famous for smashing up breakbeats but in my work I find renoise can pretty much do anything. I had some questions for the forum
In 2023 what are we making on this program? Im making electro and house with some really dark vibes atm.
How are people working with streaming technologies now with renoise? Ive seen a couple of twitch users but l think it would be cool to connect that way. Im looking into setting that up.
Also - as someone who is just getting into this forum again for tips and info I want to say what an amazing mine of information it is.
Some types of music excel in Renoise - abstract electronic music, jungle, DnB, breakbeat - all grid-based styles of music excel here. It is not easy, but more fluid styles of music can be made - it’s just a different way of working. I make abstract/ambient/microsound/lowercase with Renoise and LOVE IT - this sequencer is just perfect for weird stuff:
I’m mostly working in dark psychedelic trance styles at various tempos, and making generative ambient and healing music as well. Sometimes some bass music, too. Renoise is great for any electronic style as far as I can tell. I love the efficiency and modularity it brings to the table.
Whether breakcore is over, I can’t say. Every genre/scene seems so niche these days anyway. I’m sure the breakcore heads would say it still lives
Here’s my latest release. All renoise (even the mastering) with I’d say 90%++ native sound design. I did use some plugins here and there. There are even a couple passages that draw from breakcore on this record
Renoise is dependent upon the sound-source - it can be bombastic or it can be used to tickle the ear-drum. It has very few limitations - especially for standard types of sequencing. For most, the fact that it can host VST/AU as well as play back samples and also generate sounds (with user Tools) internally - it’s a really powerful DAW. The hardest part (as you know) is the vertical sequencer. I LOVE Renoise.
Yup, Renoise can do pretty much every type of music. But that’s true for any given DAW. It’s just that somethings are more convenient in certain DAWs than others. When it comes to triggering midi/vst the tracker interface of Renoise isn’t that different from a piano roll. It’s a cosmetic difference, really.
As for breakcore being over? I don’t think so. Though I’m not entirely sure what breakcore is anymore these days. Like @slujr says, genres seem so niche these days.
There are still people making good stuff. Trying something new. A little while ago I picked up this compilation of Asian breakcore that I rather enjoy. Some of those tracks sounded fresh to my ears.
Breakcore is just a silly embarrassing name imo,it really doesn’t matter what genre you work in or what box you are put in,all that matters is if it is satisfying to yourself in some way.Jungle on the other hand,that’s a cool name for a genre!Always loved the sound of it!
Probably so, yes. Though way back when the better CD/music shops in my area always had breakcore in stock. And it wasn’t just one shop either. At least 3 local stores all carried the somewhat bigger breakcore acts from back in the day. Then there were a couple of specialized electronic & experimental music shops in addition to that in my city as as well that carried more obscure stuff. I bought a lot, but I certainly wasn’t the only customer.
Since switching from FL (last year, I think), I do everything in Renoise apart from video sync for SFX. I work making music for videogames, singers and animations and I found the software’s workflow suitable for every genre of music I got hired to do, from organic and loose rock to extremely tight electronic music. Led me to record instruments more and make more use of creative sampling too. Breakcore drum tricks got me to try it out in the form of Redux, but I switched over and stayed for everything else.
Times are changing, of course, and so is the concept of “breakcore”. This is a rather polemic subject, from what I’ve seen - specially when it comes to older producers versus TikTok-era younglings. But, regardless of what “breakcore” means, it’s still out there, closely related to Renoise and tracker culture, just as you said. The genre is actually facing a recent “revival” (although sounding more like jungle than og breakcore, but this debate is kinda useless imo).
I think most people are scattered around YouTube, in small channels, and not so much in streaming. It’s hard to maintain an audience for such a niche software, unless you’re famous enough to get people curious.
By the way, we’re organizing a compilation in the Renoise Breakcore Discord server, which was created in 2021 by @AmaneOG and @Cubeinthebox. Submissions are open until May 1st 2023, by the way (sorry, couldn’t hold myself, had to share!). Come share your stuff!
Cool! What version of Renoise is that? There’s lots of room for improvement and learning, hope to see more of your releases once you get more used to it.
Outside of this forum I don’t know anybody who actually listens to (or makes) breakcore . As others have said above, Renoise can be used to make any kind of music. I mostly make trip hop style beats but just as often create alternative rock, dub, world, synthwave, and lofi boom bap styles.
I respect that a lot of people are here because of the history of tracker music or emulating popular tracker artists like Venetian Snares, but I’m someone who switched from Ableton to Renoise and love the tool on its own merits for the way it lets me see into my music and bang out bars so easily. I don’t make as deep of use of the unique tracker-based features of Renoise as some people probably do, but I do love how it lets me phreak up samples and spice up what could be somewhat conventional-sounding music.
. As others have said above, Renoise can be used to make any kind of music. I mostly make trip hop style beats but just as often create alternative rock, dub, world, synthwave, and lofi boom bap styles.