Draft:Groove Shadows

Groove Shadows are a method of sound design used in music production. The Groove Shadow loops are sourced and crafted from found sounds then programmed into a musical orientation, they can then be implemented to suit a given application. They are used in modern music to alter existing material and especially for the purpose of sonically "stimulating" elements of audio productions. Additionally, Groove Shadows conform to many genre of music production, they can act as their own genre and/or can be used in different stages of the music creation process (for example as a motif). In short, Groove Shadows are sound effects made musical.

History

The idea behind Groove Shadows was inspired by a method of production that involved dubbing sound artifacts to complement music production elements such as drum grooves. Producers such as Trevor Horn, Teddy Riley and others were able to layer sounds in more advanced ways with digital audio workstation technologies providing an initial framework for the idea of sound design oriented loops. This technique of dubbing sound design loops becomes more obvious listening to remixes and alternate mixes of songs where remix producers took liberties with the backing elements bringing them more into the forefront of the production. In remixing songs in this fashion this supplied further evidence these loops could be used in context of other sounds or used as the focus. Additional more advanced sampling and synthesis technologies arising in the 80s provided further capabilities in the design of abstract supporting sample loops in the context of being able to "perform" with unconventional sounds.

The first known use of the term used in a commercial context was for the Groove Shadows sample cd released by Ueberschall Sample Service in 2002. The next commercial release would come in the form of Groove Shadow Elastik which featured a larger supply of the loops as well as an audio engine (Elastik) capable of aiding in the adaptation of the loops to projects. From there, Groove Shadow loops developed a cult following and made their way into countless albums oriented around dance music.

Characteristics

Source sounds (FX) used in the loops cover a vast spectrum of tonal characteristics as well as potential suggestive rhythmic influence. Because of the unique character of the sounds in combination there is the potential to supply unusual new paths to the cultivation of musical design. There are endless methods of styles of Groove Shadow loops and their application destinations can provide an outline for their core design approach. When applying these sonic anomalies to existing material the effect helped to sculpt the resulting identity and nature of the production element being targeted.

The loops have the ability to introduce a controlled chaos (polyrhythm) into the production process or hijack the foundations of the groove. They can aid in "gluing" material both tonally and texturally. It is up to the aspirations of the designers and implementers what level of influence over content the Groove Shadow will play. Natural sounds and synthetic sounds play a role in the source sample creations used to sequence the loop. Machine noises, sounds of nature, foley, "prepared" instruments, circuit bending and high levels of DSP can be involved in the beginning and final stages of design for these loops. Many genres can work well with these loops but the easiest method is to combine them with basic dance rhythms because they will spruce up the groove but not provide interference with more complex styles of rhythm.

Wave Sequencing Synthesis introduced by keyboards like the Korg WaveStation (Advanced Vector Synthesis) provide a similar concept to the Groove Shadow in that instrument presets provide embedded sequencing of source wave forms. The rhythmic quality of the instrument preset can act as a guide for musical patterns inspired by the preset. The song Jam, produced by Teddy Riley features a preset called "Pharaoh's Jig" from the WaveStation which is repeated numerous times throughout the song and it provides an example of how Groove Shadow technique can be used in combination with a larger production.

Platforms

Sounds from this tapestry are not limited to the context of music production. They can be utilized in the soundtrack world for things like "bumpers" in television promos as well as utilized as more traditional underscores. Many synthesizers incorporate technologies that provide this sonic stimulator technique while not yet adopting the segmented concept of Groove Shadows.

Additional potential applications for Groove Shadows

• DJ Consoles
• Video Editing Applications
• Guitar FX Pedals
• Keyboards
• Digital Audio Workstations
• Music Streaming Services
• Production Music
• Virtual Instruments
• Groove Boxes and Drum Machines
• GameAudio

Commercial Music Releases

The original Groove Shadows CD demo was "sampled" along with the voice-over and was used in a few dozen known commercial music releases. One of the original producers of the Groove Shadows concept released a Groove Shadows music album, a first of its kind, featuring only Groove Shadows used as the musical content.