Lymbyc Systym is celebrating the impending release of its new record by making a specially curated mix tape for our loyal MAGNET readers. Brothers Jared and Mike Bell create intricate and danceable instrumental music with a refreshing production atmosphere. Their new record is called Split Stones and will be released October 16. Check out their mix tape below.
Here are a few of our favorite tracks that served as inspiration for Split Stones:
Michael Andrews “Mirror”
Jared: Michael Andrew’s score for Me And You And Everyone We Know is so subtle and thoughtful. The main synth on the soundtrack—a Casio SK-1—is basically a beginner’s keyboard from the late ’80s, but with a simple sampler built in. A major theme on Split Stones is disparate halves coming together to form a unique whole, and I love how this Casio sounds both human and mechanical. I use it all over our new record. On “Mirror,” the keyboard amplifies the breathiness of the sampled voices. It sounds distorted but strangely intimate, like the wind blowing into a cell phone. Video
Drake Featuring Majid Jordan ”Hold On, We’re Going Home”
Mike: I’m not a huge Drake fan, but I love this song! There is an element to the production that reminds me of the ’80s, specifically the beat and the tom fill at the turnaround. I tend to fall back on hip-hop production techniques when I’m making beats. Although not a direct influence on our new LP, I definitely copped the roundhouse tom fill to add to my production repertoire. I also love the snare … I might have subtly snagged that sound, too. Video
Steve Reich “Six Marimbas”
Jared: “Six Marimbas” is one of those rare cases where a very intellectual idea actually results in something beautifully fluid and organic. Though I can’t really speak to the technical aspects of the composition, I really like the overarching idea of a moving texture where the rhythm becomes the melody. The warmth of the pulsating marimbas starts to sound like a synth and is reminiscent of interlocking keyboard arpeggiators. I’m completely hooked on the rhythmic marimba sound, and though heavily processed, you can hear a lot of it throughout Split Stones. Video
Two Door Cinema Club “Sleep Alone”
Mike: I was very inspired by the dance feel on this song, and generally speaking, the whole record, Beacon. This song is super uptempo and danceable. Most of our previous albums have a downtempo, half-time, ambient feel. But when we began work on the new Lymbyc Systym record, the dance influence crept in immediately despite never really discussing it. This Two Door Cinema Club album was on repeat for me during the writing process, so I’m not surprised that its influence naturally seeped in. Video
Tortoise “It’s All Around You”
Jared: This track is built around the premise of trading melodies. One instrument picks up the melody where the other leaves off, and at just the right moments, they play together in unison. It has a very humanizing effect. The vibraphone, electric piano and guitars become sentient entities conversing with each other. This idea directly inspired the bridge section of the title track on Split Stones. Video
Mungolian Jet Set “Smells Like Gasoline”
Mike: I’m totally in love with house music from Scandinavia. Mungolian Jet Set’s take on disco house is wonderful. The bubbly, happy sound vibes right with me. Compared to some of the icy, sterile Berlin techno, the Scandinavians bring a more airy, cartoonish feeling to their productions. Todd Terje is another big influence from up north. These guys really know how to crank out feel-good dance tunes. Video
Brad Fiedel “Main Theme From The Terminator”
Jared: I read that Brad Fiedel was having a hard time harnessing the various percussive loops and synths for this theme. He couldn’t get them to automatically sync together with MIDI, so he triggered them manually. It creates an unintentionally odd time signature that also feels very elastic and natural. I was really inspired by this idea. On our new album, all of the synth arpeggiators were recorded freely with countless variations, then edited together manually. It creates these very dynamic and organic rhythms that defy their clinical nature. Video
Brandy & Monica “The Boy Is Mine”
Mike: I’m not sure who produced this, but there is one particular element to this track that I love: the shaker. I’ve been into programming syncopated shakers for some time now, and this song is a guide into that world. There is something sexy about the shaker. It kind of tugs at the beat. I played live shaker on most of our new record, but thanks to this song, I ended up chopping up the parts and syncopating them against the beat. Video
Phoenix “Rome”
Jared: This and many of the other songs on Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix have these really precise eighth-note guitar chords chugging through the entire track. It’s repetitious and exacting and takes on a synth-like quality. I was inspired to try the reverse—use a precise, chugging synth rhythm throughout a whole song that evokes a guitar. You can hear this on “Pulses.” Video
Purity Ring “Belispeak”
Mike: Basically, this whole record has sweet drum programming. The hi-hat parts in particular have a wonderful sense of rhythm. The side-chain compression on this album speaks to me as well. It gives the song a more epic feeling. I definitely used a lot of this compression technique in my drum production for Split Stones. It really helps to make the beat pop. Video
