Oberheim DMX Classic 80's Tracks part 3 - Harlem Nights Musi

[Harlem Nights]

Alisha, Madonna, Colonel Abrams, Steve Allen.. Tribute and exercise in that mid 80's disco sound, based on the Oberheim DMX drummachine:



As always, selected and recreated by ear only. None of the original tracks were sampled. See electrongate for DMX samples (like for Beat Box).

Tracklist:
Art of Noise - Beat Box
Madonna - Holiday
Madonna - Get into the Groove
Alisha - Baby Talk
Colonel Abrams - Trapped
Steve Allen - Letter from my Heart
Dazz Band - Let it all Blow
Rockers Revenge - Walkin' on Sunshine
Ray Parker Jr - Ghostbusters

See part 1 for faster Disco, part 2 for Oldschool Hip Hop. Part 4 coming soon.

Gear used:
Korg Electribe SX (Oberheim DMX sounds, bass sequencing, staccato fx)
Moog MG1, Roland Juno 106 (basses, stabs)
Roland Juno 60, Korg Polysix, Sequential Prophet VS, Crumar Performer

Enjoy
HN

[NovationLover]

Veeery nice work!!!

[Micke]

Very nice indeed!

As you might already know the drum machine on Colonel Abrams' Trapped was a Linndrum (LM-2), not DMX. The
bass synth was a Juno-106 (or Juno-60) though. Richard James Burgess (of Landscape fame) produced and played
the synths on this song.

[Harlem Nights]

Thanks, but I don't believe that an LM2 can have produced the sounds of "Trapped" though.. Unless having DMX EPROMs. All drum sounds are typical DMX sounding, with a live bongo to fatten it up. There's a lot of bad info on the net about these old tracks, even in interviews, it's generally better to use your ears I think

Didn't try my 106 for the bass of Trapped, interesting.. Do you know about the other synths used?

[Micke]

My info comes directly from Richard Burgess so it should be correct I think.
Says Richard: "I had just moved to NYC and I had nothing except a brand new DX7, a Juno 106 and a LinnDrum II so the whole record is just those three things."

He did have a Juno-60 before he got the 106 so there's a possibility he could have used that one for the bassline.

EDIT: maybe he just forgot to mention for me that he used DMX EPROMs with the Linndrum.

[moog-lover]

hey, did you program the song in Song Mode? Instance by instance?

[Harlem Nights]

Actually I always use pattern mode on the ESX, for a track just doing a few variations, I like more to switch live between those instead of song mode

As for DMX/ Linn in Trapped, getting curious now.. I found the great interview mentioning this (yours?), played back my old 12" dub versions, but I just don't think it's the full story about the track... 'Not gonna let' is clearly a Linn to me indeed, but not Trapped.. The sidestick percussion throughout is default DMX stick. The other sounds seem DMX but are harder to be sure, as the track was so well produced towards early house sound... The main reason I doubt now is that linn-like swing... Maybe indeed a LInn with several DMX EPROMS..

Also wondering if there were Prophet 5 overdubs in some pads on Trapped? Any chance of finding out?

[Micke]

As I said previously, any polyphonic parts on "Trapped" would be either from the Juno-60 (or 106) or DX-7.
Those were the only synths Burgess had during the recording sessions, that's what he told me anyway.

I remember that I asked him what he used for the stringy stuff in the second half of the song - his recollection
was that it was the DX-7, possibly layered with the 106.

Btw, what interview are you referring to, this one?
http://www.electricity-club.co.uk/html/int_burgess.html

I belive this interview is from last year.

[themilford]

Sorry to derail any. But did I surmise correctly that Micke writes or interviews in print or the web somewhere? Micke, are you writing for a blog, zine or mag? If so which and where?

BTW: great track!

[Micke]

Nope, I don't write or interview in print or on the web.

[themilford]

Nope, I don't write or interview in print or on the web.

So do you just contact these folks personally?

You should write a book.

[Micke]

Yes I do!

[Harlem Nights]

Thanks again Fricke, yes I meant that 2010 interview, so that had the same info as your personal contact

Didn't even try that bass on my 106, I just assumed a Moog and used the MG1 (as my Source went crazy together with my 106 at that time ), I'm sure it's a 106 indeed as it can do it.. Better than J60 on bass

The moogy riff (similar to Madonna / Holiday) I imitated on the MG1 too - but this must have been a DX7 then as the 106 or J60 can' t do dual osc 5th interval.. Doesn't sound like it..

Reason I ask about the prophet is because of the filtered pad before first verse and high synth in second verse, my VS comes closer to this than 106.. That pad was hard to make sound big. Maybe it's the layering of digital DX7 / analog 106 that's the trick here?

[Micke]

Thanks again Fricke, yes I meant that 2010 interview, so that had the same info as your personal contact

Yes, that interview contains some of the info I got from Richard Burgess personally back in '07. I've got more interesting info from him that hasn't been published elsewhere though.
Btw, my name is Micke not Fricke.

Reason I ask about the prophet is because of the filtered pad before first verse and high synth in second verse, my VS comes closer to this than 106.. That pad was hard to make sound big. Maybe it's the layering of digital DX7 / analog 106 that's the trick here?

Yes, it's most likely the layering of digital DX7 / analog 106 that's the trick here. Afaik Richard never used a Prophet 5, at least not
before the mid '80s.

[Harlem Nights]

Great Micke , thanks! Love to learn! Still wondering about that riff sound, can't imagine it's DX7 somehow but the whole track was so well produced it's harder to tell than usual