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INTRODUCTION
 In
the last year of the previous century, I found myself in
an English Pub, drinking from an orange juice while
listening to the techno music in the background. I was
basically enjoying this situation, kind of exotic. The
music was tight, as computer music should be. And
someone told me, how several Techno producers were using
software called "Rebirth" to create their
tunes. And getting quite good at it, too!
The company that made Rebirth, Propellerhead
Software, was obviously aware of what they were doing.
They had made a software version of the infamous TR808
and TB303 machines. These machines were originally
created by Roland and out of sale for a long time. But
they were sought after by almost every self respecting
Techno producer.
Rebirth was basically a little studio. There was a
rack with two drum computers and two monophonic
synthesizers as well as two basic effects: echo and
distortion. This could be connected with other programs
but it worked quite good as a stand-alone too.
When I listened to the music, it became clear to me.
Indeed, I recognized the sounds. In my mind, I went
further and imagined how Rebirth was expanded, how this
could become a whole virtual studio. And when it would,
computer based DUB producing would definitely reach a
next phase
DUB music, or actually Reggae Music, was born on
Jamaica. Before there were any sequencers, drumcomputers
and midifiles. Well, perhaps they were there, but the
Jamaicans were not usually part of that global upper
class which could afford these technologies.
When King Tubby first released his
"versions" and perfectionized the Art Of DUB,
the mixing board became an instrument. The engineer
became an artist, too. Using effects, while the riddim
plays: who says a studio is for fine-tuning and a mixing
board for mixing everything together?
Reggae, because of its rhythmic structure, is perfect
for sequencing. Even stronger, Reggae is predominantly a
studio music. It has been developed in the many Jamaican
Studio's who all had their bands playing one riddim
after another into the multitrack recorder. We would
call these recordings "Midifiles".
In the 1980's we saw the first drum machines entering
the studios, and by the mid 1990's computer based music
was here to stay indefinitely. Everywhere, everytime. A
new generation of artists and listeners was born, free
from the very same prejudice that made many protest the
electric guitar in the 1940's.
Music "from a box"? Only preterists would
now consider that to be "no music". Most
people dance to the rhythm because they can feel it. And
so it was not too shocking to find out that by the end
of the first "Digital Decade", computer based
music was filling the dance charts and the speakers of
an average English pub. But it was shocking to realize
that this little company called Propellerhead were the
first to create a stand alone software that would enable
the producer to create music, which appeals to a wide
audience.
So here we are, in 2005. Rebirth has already reached
the same classic status as the hardware it simulated.
And the virtual studio that I imagined that UK Pub? It's
called REASON. And Propellerhead has just released
version 3.0!
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