In Search of That New Sound
There comes a point in music production where you realise you’re not short of notes…
You’re short of freshness.
As someone who blends science, sailing, video production and music under Philip M Russell Ltd, I’m always asking the same question:
How do you create a sound that feels new — but still musical?
🎛 Layering the Modern Digital Organ & Synth World
In my studio, instruments like the Wersi OAX 800 sit alongside synthesisers and DAWs. The beauty of modern digital systems is flexibility:
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Layering pads under acoustic-style organ tones
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Adding subtle rhythmic pulses for energy
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Using side-chain compression to create movement
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Combining sampled realism with synthetic textures
A new sound rarely comes from a single patch.
It comes from intentional combination.
🔬 Thinking Like a Scientist
Coming from a physics and chemistry teaching background, I often treat sound design like an experiment:
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Change one variable at a time
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Test resonance and harmonics
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Explore waveform shapes
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Analyse frequency spectra
A sawtooth wave feels bright and aggressive.
A sine wave is pure and clean.
Add modulation and suddenly it breathes.
It’s not random creativity — it’s structured exploration.
🎬 Writing for Film & Education
When producing music for:
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Sustainability content
…the sound has to serve the message.
A biology video might need a gentle 6/8 pulse — almost like a heartbeat.
A sailing film needs space, wind, motion.
A physics demo might benefit from a slightly mechanical, rhythmic undertone.
The “new sound” isn’t just different — it’s purposeful.
🎧 Analogue Warmth vs Digital Precision
There’s always the debate:
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Analogue warmth
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Digital clarity
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Human-performed nuance
The truth?
The future is probably hybrid.
Use technology as a tool — not a replacement for musicianship.
🚀 Where Does a New Sound Come From?
In my experience, it comes from:
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Borrowing ideas from science and engineering
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Listening widely
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Experimenting without pressure
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Accepting that 90% of experiments won’t make the final cut
But that 10%?
That’s gold.
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