TLDR: Improvised high vibe DJ session with a pumping nu-disco groove. Some new tracks in the set including PEACE by Joe Turner, Kiki by Crusy, and All Times Disco by Angelo Ferreri. It was Eurovision weekend and Benidorm was packed.
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Listen to the mix
The DJ session is ready for your streaming pleasure over on Mixcloud. It was a two-hour set, so Traktor cut it into two halves. I used Ableton Live to paste them together, and exported an MP3.
The Neuromusic of a DJ Session
Music affects the human brain in many different ways, most of them positive. I play uplifting, uptempo songs with catchy melodies, and lots of groove. After studying Neuromusic, I adapted my DJ style to my newly acquired knowledge.
We have a need to have fun! Sharing smiles, moving in synchrony, feeling emotions stirred by harmony and words…this is the gift that music gives. A DJ has to understand the crowd’s need to feel free, feel happy, and forget about their worries for a few moments.
Emotion and tempo
Uptempo, uplifting music of 120 BPM is associated with movement, activity, and strong emotions. Most dance music is between 120-136BPM. I love playing at 124 BPM and at 128 BPM.
I hope that by sharing these sets, I may grab the attention of a promoter who wants a dance floor DJ for their event. All DJs love a shimmying crowd of groovers to vibe with, and I am no exception! Sending it out to the Universe…
Lyrical content and feelings
The lyrical content of deep house and nu-disco is often aspirational, loving, inclusive, and hopeful. This is one of the main reasons I play these genres, and also one of the main criteria I used when selecting. What does the song transmit? Happiness, joy, hope…CHECK!
“Research has shown that the tempo of music can significantly affect human emotions. Fast-tempo music is commonly associated with excitement, liveliness, happiness, joy, and pleasure, ” SOURCE: Nature
DJ Session Arrangement
Although the set was completely improvised, I had decided to focus on the arrangement of the set. The only thing I planned was to have a peak at the one hour mark, and at the end.
As usual, I was mixing in key. I spent the first few tracks down at 120 BPM, nice and easy, longer mixes. I then climbed up to a peak at the one-hour mark (126BPM).
I have another track that is nearly finished. If you sign up to my mailing list, you can get a free MP3 copy the week before it gets released. Also, you will get an email about the DJ session exports that I upload to streaming platforms. Here is the sign-up form:
Biography: Miss Rachel Rose
Miss Rachel Rose is a DJ and producer based near Benidorm, Spain. She is a self-taught singer-songwriter with a long-standing passion for music and the music business. Rachel holds a Masters in Neuromusic, and is currently studying solfège, music theory, and composition.
TLDR: I’m on a sobriety mission and learning about how booze affects the breast health. Drinking alcohol can raise oestrogen levels in the blood. Breast tissue is sensitive to hormone fluctuations; some types of breast cancer are oestrogen dependent. Beer and wine both contain various non-alcoholic substances, as well as ethanol. Women working in the nightlife industry need to be especially vigilant about our mental and physical health.
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Sobriety: 4 accurate facts about Breast Health & Booze 7
Alcohol and breast cancer
Let’s start off by stating the facts: when talking about breast heath and booze, we are really talking about breast cancer (BC). Statistically, BC is the big one when it comes to boobs. Of course there are other breast pathologies, but BC is the momma.
“Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer type in the WHO European Region, with 1579 women diagnosed every day. Alcohol consumption is one of the major modifiable risk factors for the disease, causing 7 of every 100 new breast cancer cases in the Region.” source: World Health Organization
Breast Health and Booze – The Four Fiends
Ethanol
Ethanol (CH3-CH2-OH or ethOH) is the molecule that makes it all happen. Ethanol is produced in the brewing process via the controlled fermentation of grains, grapes, roots, honey, or other sugar sources.
Alcohol Metabolism
When alcohol enters the digestive system, it is absorbed in the stomach and small intestine, then sent to the liver. An enzymatic reaction in the liver breaks down ethanol, forming a molecule called “acetaldehyde” (CH3-CH=O) Notice that the last Hydrogen has been taken away by the reaction? That is what the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase does.
Acetaldehyde, the breakdown product of ethanol, is carcinogenic. Acetaldehyde must be quickly broken down to another molecule, acetate, which is not carcinogenic.
Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)
The liver can handle about one “UNIT” of alcohol per hour. Drink any faster than that, and you elevate your Blood Alcohol Concentration. The BAC affects the degree to which alcohol enters different cells and tissues of the body.
BAC and breast health
This 2023 study of benign breast tissues in post-menopausal women found that increased alcohol use is associated with less connective tissue and milk duct tissue, and more fatty tissue. Fatty tissue in the breast can produce oestrogen. When oestrogen levels are high, the chance of getting breast cancer is raised. This also explains moobs and Bavarian barmaids.
Conclusion
Ethanol is a Grade-1 carcinogen and I now understand more clearly how drinking more than one unit in an hour affects breast health specifically. Yikes.
There is a “general consensus” that a unit of alcohol per day is safe. I have tried to stick to a unit a day on many occasions, but I always fail myself. In my case, being abstemious for a time seems the only “sure” option. Having said that, it is nice to think I can have a drink if I am out one evening and fancy it. After all, I am not a raging alcoholic (thank goodness). I just want to upgrade my life and make sure that I don’t lose focus for my creative projects.
Phytoestrogens
Phytoestrogens are oestrogen-like molecules that come from plants. Beer and wine both contain phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are close enough in shape to our own endogenous oestrogen to mimc some of it’s biological function. they can bind to specialised cell receptors and by binding to the receptors on the cell, change the behaviour of the cell.
Breast tissue has two types of oestrogen receptors: ER⍺ and ERß. ER⍺ receptors are more associated with BC. So, if a phytoestrogen binds to either ⍺ or ß receptors, it will have a different biological effect.
Ginestein vs. 8-Prenylnaringenin
Some phytoestrogens are considered to be beneficial to women. Famously, Asian women have a lower prevalence of BC. We attribute this is to diet, signalling their traditionally high consumption of soy products.
Soy products contain a phytoestrogen called genistein. Our understanding of genistein is that is mainly binsd to the ERß receptors. It is also anti-inflammatory and being investigated as an anti-proliferative.
Hops, the flower that is used in beer brewing, contains a phytoestrogen called 8-Prenylnaringenin. It is said to be the most estrogenic phytoestrogen known, and is used in herbal medicine to help menopausal women cope with hot flashes and maintain bone density.
8-PN binds to ER⍺ receptors, which are the receptors associated with BC.
If 8-PN is good for bone density and vasomotor flushing, then a source of hops is a good thing, right? But, if it binds to the ER⍺ receptor, that could be bad. I am not totally clear on this point yet.
Non-alcoholic compounds in beer
Beer, and wine, contain a number of molecules apart from phytoestrogens that have the potential to support breast health. I knew this, but was not clear on what those molecules are. Now, I have a better idea, but will have to dig a bit deeper in coming posts.
“Clinical and pre-clinical evidence for the protective effects of moderate beer consumption against cardiovascular disease and other diseases has been accumulating since the 1990s, and the non-alcoholic compounds of beer likely exert most of the observed beneficial effects.” source: PubMed
Conclusion
I love the taste of beer! There are plenty of great non-alcoholic beers available. So, I will try to get the good stuff and avoid the bad. In an earlier period of abstinence, I discovered that NA beers in bottles or on tap taste way better than their canned brethren.
Alcohol is more calorie dense than sugars, but a little less calorie dense than fat. It delivers 7 kilojoules (units of energy) per gram.
A “caña” here in Spain is about 200mL, and contains about 90 calories. If you drink two cañas, and eat some bar snacks, you can easily add a quarter of your daily caloric consumption. This can lead to weight gain.
Metabolic rate and alcohol use
Alcohol breakdown in the liver gets priority over everything else. So, when you are drinking, you are not breaking down fats or sugars. This can affect metabolism and over time contribute to the famous “beer belly” and podginess associated with heavy drinkers.
Beer or ice cream? It comes down to how strict you want to be, or you need to be. if you are active, and have a good body mass index, then a few treats are fine. If you’re overweight, or unable to move due to health or circumstance, I would probably try to avoid hyper-caloric anything and focus on foods with strong nutrient to calorie ratios.
Folate
Alcohol use leads to loss of folate, vitamin B9. BAC affects both folate absorption in the liver, and folate retention in the kidneys.
Supplementing with folic acid is not the answer. It seems like taking supplements may actually increase the risk of cancer!
Conclusion:
In the UK, Berocca is a widely used hangover remedy. It contains quite high doses of B-vitamins. I guess that, in light of the research about folic acid supplementations and breast health, a better option is to avoid a hangover in the first place!
Summing up
Breast health is important! I worked in breast cancer rehabilitation for a number of years. Although this disease is highly prevalent in European populations, it is also highly treatable. Nowadays, over 80% of breast cancer patients survive ten years after treatment. However, I saw with my own eyes the physical and psychological effects of the treatments and I prefer to prevent rather than cure.
Nightlife, drinking, and health
In the nightlife industry, drinking is the norm. Look at poor old Avicii whose pancreas damn near exploded.
Anyone interested in the link between music, mind, and brain (neuromusic) should consider carefully the costs and benefits of imbibing.
Men and women process alcohol at different rates. Women using hormonal contraception may metabolize alcohol more slowly, leading to higher BAC and the tissue and cellular damage that potentially entails.
Women working in the nightlife industry must be especially careful of our physical and mental health. It is a very male-dominated industry. Drinking too much, too often, and trying to keep up with the boys can take its toll on a woman’s body and mind.
If you work in nightlife, you will be on the road in the middle of the night along with every other lunatic on rum and coke. You need to keep your wits about you. Summer season is around the corner and one of my reasons to stop drinking is road safety. Hey, if I am squashed beneath a jackknifed lorry, I think my breast health might suffer. 😉
Are you are DJ and you’re wondering about sobriety? Drop me a line via my socials and let’s compare notes. 🩵💙
TLDR: Here in Spain, drinking is normalised and sobriety is not. Working as a DJ, I am in an environment where drinking on the job is accepted. I exert control over what and how much I drink, but it is time to bid adieu to the beer. For my own self-respect, I am taking an extended break from alcohol, starting this May Day. I will blog the journey, starting with the health consequences of drinking on the eyes, the brain, the heart, the breasts, and the liver.
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Sobriety top 5: Finally ditching beer forever 12
Sobriety, power, and the changing of the season
Calling back my power
On this eve of Beltane, I am calling my power back to me. Beltane is the Celtic festival of the beginning of Summer. It is a liminal time, when the veil between the worlds is thin. If I lived in community, I might celebrate this night with ritual and a bonfire. As I am alone in my explorations, I offer these words as my gift to the Universe whose magnitude is incomprehensible, whose wisdom is boundless, and whose timing is impeccable.
My words are my promise to myself
My words are my promise to myself. The intention was already set many moons ago. Now is the time. I promise that, one day at a time, my life will be one of sobriety.
Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a common excuse for drinking more than we would like to. I have lived in Spain for twenty years, and it is a great place. But, living in a holiday town means a certain lack of mental stimulation. And if there is one thing that booze does well it is to make boring things seem fun 🤣.
So, my dearest here friends are mostly gay men. Which is fun, and frolicky. But the gay scene is notoriously substance heavy, we all know that. In fact, “About one-fourth of the LGBTQ+ community has moderate alcohol dependency, compared to 5%-10% of the general population…” says this article from the Baltimore Banner.
If I go teetotal will I lose my social life? Probably a little.
Soulful and Sober
We are mind, body, and soul. The mind is changeable, the body is mortal, but the soul is eternal. Connecting with the soul is the goal.
Sobriety is a vow I make to myself. I use my mind to unite my body and my soul.
The brain is a physical organ that is the seat of the mind. After studying the brain in my Neuromusic Masters, I have grown increasingly uncomfortable with my own mistreatment of this wondrous mass of neuron and synapse. Understanding one’s own mind brings a person closer to the soul.
My mind asks for alcohol. Not my body. I need to turn my mind to the matter or not drinking I must use ingenuity, willpower and creative thinking to catch my mind playing dirty tricks on me, lest I unwittingly find a glass of beer in my hand!
In good spirits
When the “Spirit” of (alcoholic) spirits takes hold, it can be either playful or mean. I am a happy drinker. But I am tired of the mean thoughts the next day. It stretches the limits of the mental and emotional control to have to constantly firefight the effects of “just one more”, always waking to think “did I drink two, or three? Or perhaps more…”
I want to awaken each morning “in better spirits”.
Video: The Spiritual Consequences of Alcohol Consumption
Periods of Sobriety
I have enjoyed three important periods of sobriety.
Straight edge
I had had a three-month “straight edge” period when I was 16. I was dating a SHARP skinhead, listening to Minor Threat and learning about anarchy. Being straightedge just came with the territory! We broke up and I thought “fuck it”, and started drinking at parties and nights out. I had a lot of fun.
Yoga
In 1999, the teachings of Sivananda yoga found me and supported me in my second period of abstinence. I was sober for about two years, until mid-2001. My mother was taken from us quite suddenly, by a devastating and untreatable brain tumour. This unleashed in me a “fuck it” avalanche, which led to meeting a charming Irish alcoholic who proceeded to make my life hell for four years. Did I drink? You betcha.
Motherhood
Motherhood gave me my third temperate period. I had the occasional drink, but was studying to be a yoga teacher, raising a child, and didn’t have many friends to tempt me 😉
And now…
It was menopause that made me drink again. I lost a lot of weight; beer was the best (and most entertaining) way to keep the weight on. This valedictory guzzle has lasted 8 years. I “only drank beer”, and I “never got drunk”. Which is true, but…
I noticed that days when I would say “night off” started to give way to the “fuck its” again. and soon enough I was only drinking beer and never getting drunk practically every night. Which is not the objective at all!
So the crossroads where I now stand is here: if I can’t control my drinking, why let my drinking control me? It is time to knock it on the head.
Blogging my sobriety journey
To support my journey, I am going to blog. I don’t mind making a TikTok or two, but I like the headspace of writing. I like to pause and think, conjure up nice sentences, and avoid repetitive vocabulary. In short, I like to write.
In the coming days and weeks, I am going to research, and write about, the effects of over-enthusiastic ethanol use. M questions are:
How does drinking alcohol affect the…
Eyes
Brain
Heart
Breasts
Liver
Sobriety top 5: Finally ditching beer forever 13
See you soon
I hope. If you’re not some unhinged Internet looney, and you’re curious about the sobriety journey, say hi or join in the conversation on social media.
TLDR: Fractals are repeating patterns that are found in Nature. They can be described mathematically. I wondered if this could be applied to music, so decided to investigate. Conclusion: interesting, but not sure.
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Fractals, music & mind: 4 fascinating facts 18
Introduction: your sonic accompaniment:
While you read, I invite you to listen to this gem of an album: Charanjit Sing’s “Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat”. Absolutely mind-blowing fractal aesthetic chills.
Fractals
The word “fractal” was coined in the year 1978. Robert Wolfe Brooks and J. Peter Matelski studied photographs of fractals found in nature and derived a mathematical equation. Two years later, Polish-born mathematician, Benoit Mandelbrot, used IBM computers to visualise the output of the algorithm. This is known as the “Mandelbrot Set”.
The central concept is that fractals “iterate” upon themselves. That is, the output of one “turn” of the algorithm becomes input for the next “turn.”
Four facts about fractals
They are everywhere
Fractals, music & mind: 4 fascinating facts 19
These fascinating repeating motifs are found almost everywhere in nature; they are infinitely reproducing and iterating patterns. Anyone who has ever used psychedelic substances will surely have seen the patterns. Mountain ranges and succulent plants, conch shells and vegetables (see left)…all allow us to marvel at the intricacy of their design and in so doing ponder whether there really is some higher rational order to this hot mess of the human Universe.
2. They are never-ending patterns
Fractals are self-similar. What that means is they are alike within themselves. What that means is that you can take a tiny part of a fractal, and it will be the same as a large part of the same fractal. Therefore, they are never-ending arrangements, no matter how big or how small they get.
To explain the mathematics simply, let’s consider compound interest: You invest €100 and earn €1. The next time interest is calculated, it’s based on the new balance of €101. So it increments a little more, because the initial input is now €101, not €100. Fractals work a bit like this.
3. They are algorithms that iterate.
If you use an algorithm to get an output “x,” and then use “x” as the starting value for the same algorithm, you have iterated. Let’s say the result is “y”. Another iteration using “y” as the starting point will give you the next result. Plug these results into something that can model them (like a computer program) and you may see the fractal pattern.
4. They are present in music.
Patterns of all sorts are present in music. Composers routinely create melodic motifs that repeat in different voices (instruments), velocities, and intensities. The leitmotif (guiding theme) is a recurring musical phrase or theme in a piece of music. The leitmotif iterates upon itself to build up a musical piece. This is especially noticeable in loop-based electronic music, and DJing, where repeating patterns are layered and filtered to create a track.
In the case of visual fractal patterns, the tools are 2-D or 3-D space (dimension) and color. In the case of music, the tools are sequences, rhythms, pitches and velocities.
Mandelbrot suggested that there exists a type of sound that remains unchanged in quality regardless of variations in playback speed. He referred to this sound as “scaling noise.”
Math, Music, Mind…
The mathematical basis of music is well established. When tuning to equal temperament, music frequencies inherently exhibit a binary nature. On a piano, if middle A is tuned at 440 Hz, then one octave down, the frequency of A is 220. One octave up, it’s 880 Hz. And so on. There is no deviation from this rule. Another frequency is either dissonant, or another note.
Except, there is a deviation. If you tune by octaves, you double or divide the note frequency by two to get the octave. But if you tune by fifths, the pattern is not so clear. The Pythagorean idea of “Music of the Spheres” , or Musica Universalis, says that the notes on a musical scale increase each time they go up an octave. So, in fact, there is a kind of mathematical iteration here.
Fractal Patterns in Music – Exploration and Experiment
This video gives a very complete description of how fractal patterns can be used in Ableton Live, or any DAW. Fractal theory perfectly complements electronic music. The magic of electronic music is in the precision of editing, both sounds and patterns. Iterations are only limited by your patience and the RAM in your workstation! However, artistic value and aesthetic cannot, and must not, be sacrificed for the sake of some mathematical concept!
By applying fractal tools in the study of music, researchers were surprised to discover that the self-similarity property, which is ubiquitous in nature, also exists in music. Such an observation may be regarded as the first step toward a further understanding of what music is and explaining how music simulates the harmony of nature.
My question is: how does this relate to Neuromusic?
In earlier posts about Neuromusic I have explored the many and various powers of music. There is something mysterious about music, and about our relationship to music. The fact that there isn’t even an agreed definition of music is mind-blowing.
Music affects the brain in so many different ways. Music, and sound, are everywhere. Fractal patterns are everywhere. Gentle music with repeating, overlapping patterns could be used to entrain the brain for meditation, a neuromusical application par excellence.
Many genres of electronic music (especially psy-trance and trance) use repetitive iterating motifs. Dancing and music are known to change mood very quickly; this is another neuromusical application of this concept.
Binaural beats can be accompanied by fractal imagery to create surreal, seemingly deep and complex tools to focus the mind. The objective: cognitive enhancement.
Conclusion
It is interesting to research topics like this, and imagine how they might affect us in real life. I am not sure if fractals and neuromusic have a particularly tight relationship. But, there is surely some overlap. What do you think?
Wellness practices are no longer niche. Fully integrated into everyday life, most people practice, or know that they ought to practice, some form of self-care such as movement, mindfulness, or self-motivation.
I have practiced and studied yoga and wellness for decades. All that time, I longed for creative fulfilment. I often felt like I was hitting a roadblock around creativity, especially around music production. Let me explain my wellness to creativity in this post. I will unpack my 12-step experience of finding a way to cue (activate) my creativity using my wellness practices.
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Cue Creativity: transform to your true self in 12 steps 25
Creativity: The Cornerstone of Self Realisation
The deep work of yoga, meditation, and self-help is both wonderful and challenging. But, it is only a means to an end. The final purpose is: self-realisation.
The Why Behind the Wellness: find what you have inside
Why practice wellness?
People get to yoga when they are tired of suffering. This old adage is found in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, and in Buddhism’s Four Noble Truths. These traditions teach that it is the ignorance of one’s true nature (“avidya”) that is the true source of suffering. Their solution is spiritual: “vidya” (knowledge) that allows a person to unite with “Atman”, which is higher consciousness.
What’s your wellness goal?
This question is highly relevant given today’s global society and the preponderance of cultural appropriation. The conflict around embracing another culture’s spiritual traditions has antagonised me for decades. I don’t have the definitive answer. But, I am part of the cohort of yoga and meditation practitioners who do not feel the need to pray to anyone’s God, and whose only faith is the belief in the flow of the Energy. I am spiritual, but not a believer. Faith is believing in something without having proof. Spirituality is about feeling the energy of all that surrounds you and realising that it is feeling your energy, too.
If not faith, then what? Creative expression.
In the absence of faith, we have creativity. Creative endeavour is the “tao” (path) of non religious self-knowledge. It is unhindered by doctrine, and untethered from ritual. But, it is a powerful tool for the knowledge and manifestation of the Higher Self. It may appear individualistic, but creative pursuit is so hard, and so humbling, and takes so damn long, that it it connects artists to our souls via our striving and our failure. The highest form of self-realisation is creativity; the highest form of creativity is self-realisation.
The highest form of self-realisation is creativity.
The highest form of creativity is self-realisation.
Cue Creativity: transform to your true self in 12 steps 26
Finding your creative outlet
Childhood dreams
You were there all along, you know. All the dreams you held in your childhood heart; they never went away. Your childhood dreams may have lain hidden for decades while you ran a business, climbed the corporate ladder, and raised a family. They probably showed up in your dreams, your home decor, and your hobbies. But they were never given centre stage.
When working with clients, these childhood memories are some of the most important. Before we are schooled and moulded, we are timeless dreamers, experimenters and boundary pushers. We can become disconnected from this creative little kid during our householders years, but as we age, we can choose to reconnect with our inner artist and make manifest what we hold inside.
Glimpses and glimmers
Glimmers are little events that unexpectedly bring joy into daily life. When we engage, even lightly, in consciousness raising activities (silent meditation, deep breathing, contact with nature, emotional self-regulation), we are gifted with little glimmers. Life is constantly bestowing us with miracles, if only we remember to look-.
You may have been blessed with some moments of clarity during a yoga class, meditation, or ecstatic dance. And certainly those insights would have whispered to you from a deeper part of you. But, life didn’t leave you room for those frivolous artistic pursuits. Now, you are at the point where you want to integrate those glimmers and create something from them. Welcome!
The big reveal
And then, right on cue, and if you are lucky, you reach the age of 50. The brutal realisation that you have fewer years ahead of you than behind you shocks you awake.
That inner voice no longer accepts being silenced. It starts to talk to you in louder tones. It keeps you awake at night, it whispers that maybe there is indeed more to all this.
Eventually, you listen. And then, you start to create. You create FROM you, FOR you, and BECAUSE of you. You create to leave a trace. You create to leave a legacy. You create because it is just what you do. If you don’t create, you consume, and overconsumption leads us down a very different path, one that I won’t even talk about here.
The Late Bloomer
Capitalism tells us “time is money.” This is an outright lie. Time is not money. Time is life.
Rigidly believing in milestones and linear timelines can rob us of the time that we need to bloom as creatives. If we think that we are too old, or that we missed our one and only chance way back when we were seventeen, then we will never achieve our creativity peak.
Late bloomers are myriad in the arts and elsewhere. Late blooming women, freed from fertility, are almost duty-bound to create. The womb that is no longer preparing for procreation becomes a fertile guide and voice for wise women.
It took me 12 years to learn to produce music using Ableton Live. But I got there in the end!
As if on cue, you find you
The brutality of the midlife crisis is an energy that can be harnessed in order to live your best life. You either sink or swim. If you have been doing the deep work already, dive deeper. Put order to your story and connect the dots. As Bob Marley sang in Buffalo Soldier“If you know your history, then you will know where you are coming from, then you would not have to ask me, who the hell do I think I am.”
Creativity Coaching – the program I am working on – is my method to help you work out who the hell you think you are, using creativity. Stay tuned and sign up to my newsletter if you are curious to know more about Creativity Coaching.
My 12 steps
Each person will have their version of the events, decisions, and twists of fate that get them from where they were to where they are now. My twelve steps were:
Living through a series of hard to process life events which left me with powerful feelings that were hard to express, and yet which sabotaged me at unexpected and unwelcome moments.
A need to put order to my intrusive thoughts and feelings so that I could feel calmer and have the world make sense. Finding yoga. Finding mind-body wellness work
Words and music flooded through me, at random times, unbidden. It could not be turned off even if I wanted to. I consistently wrote poetry, prose, and songs.
Feeling more frustration at NOT making music than making music, but without recognition or recompense. Keep going even if my music got no applause and no pay. Resilience.
Through the deep work of yoga, slowly overcoming shyness, self criticism, and self-doubt.
Shaking, breathing, and humming trauma out of my body.
Learning to set healthy boundaries.
Valuing my time and focusing my efforts in order to improve all areas of my life, including my art.
“Music maker, any way” – recognising that manypaths lead to the same goal. If the singer-songwriter thing wasn’t going to fly, then DJing could. Climbing down from preconceived ideas about what music to make and how.
Furthering my formal education in order to give myself a sense of sturdiness and knowledgeability. Overcomingimpostersyndrome. Studying music theory. Studying Neuromusic.
Finally having a breakthrough by consistently dedicating time to music production, asking for (and paying for) help with mixing and mastering, investing in the distribution platforms and subscriptions necessary to market my craft.
Recognising that I have, effectively, achieved the goal that I set out to conquer, so many years ago, and feeling so elated that I want to share it with anyone else who is longing for creative expression and not sure how to get there.
Your 12 steps
Your journey may be 12 steps long, or it may be 20. It is totally personal and completely unique. Believe in yourself, in your pursuit of purpose, and the power of your creative vision. If my words resonate with you, and you feel like connecting, drop me a line or give me a follow. If you think that you might like some help defining your purpose, of getting clarity about your journey, let me know. Take care, Rachel
Here to Dance - Latest Dose of Good Vibes for 2025 31
Here to Dance – Miss Rachel Rose
Here to Dance is a cheeky slice of dance floor silliness designed to make you shimmy and giggle at the same time. Check it out! (This is the club mix, which includes the obligatory 60 seconds of DJ-friendly kick-hi hat lead in. If you want to listen to the Radio Edit (which gets right in there straight away, you can stream it here on Spotify).
Listen to the Club Mix here
Here to Dance by Miss Rachel Rose. Released April 1, 2025. Genre: Deep House, House. Produced and composed by Miss Rachel Rose., Mixed and mastered by Planeta Libre Music. Distributed by DistroKid. ISWC T3314457659
Stream “Here to Dance” on all major streaming services
I use Distrokid, and register my works with the Spanish Intellectual Property collective, SGAE. If you want to stream Here to Dance and risk the tech platforms having to pay me out 10 cents 😉, then go ahead and click through to my LinkTree where all the platforms are listed.
About The Track
Genre
This is a House and Deep House track. There is a gritty little Juno synth lead that would sound massive in a club space. Also, the middle drop is tense and full of delay and movement. When the vocal cuts in, there is a build-up, and a surprise.
Vibe
The concept behind this track is both gender-bending and time-warping.
The gender bend comes because it is a female voice that relates seeing this fine dancer across the room, shimmying up beside, only to be rejected by a gruff male tone who is only there to dance. Women can hunt, too ;-).
The time warp comes in the words. The phrasing “beats are giving…” is very 2024 onwards. We didn’t say that in “Y2K France”. But hell, throwing shade and dirty glances are timeless, and brings it all home in the end!
Where does it fit in the mix?
At 124 BPM, this is not peak-time by today’s standards. I would put this about mid-set, when the vibes are high, but the tension is still building. I would definitely let the vocal drop sit on its own, teasing the intellect of anyone focused enough to listen to the words.
I composed and produced this track using Ableton Live 12. I used software synths (u-He Diva, Arturia Jun 6-V and Ableton Wavetable). The kick is a self-created Kick 2 sound. I did all the sound design myself, apart from the claps which are a sample.
There is a lot of synth arping and delay in the main part of the track. I took a lot of care and time to make the arps work together to shimmer without clashing. I used some altered consciousness tools during this production, and the trippy vibe shines through 😉.
Voices
The female voice is mine. I did a bunch of overdubs using different vocal pitches and formants and microphone positions. I sent the dry vocals to the mixing engineer, and he dealt with reverbs and all that.
The male voice is my Austrian friend Rouven. He really speaks like that ! When I first imagined the track, we were out having a beer and talking about music. I could simply “hear” his voice dropping the main vocal hook. As he was away for most of the winter, he eventually sent me a WhatsApp voice message with a huge array of “I’m here to dance” variations on it. I AirDropped it to the iMac, chopped it up, then used some slicing to get the stutter effect on some of the samples. It was also dry when sent for mixing.
What’s Next?
I have another tune that is nearly finished. If you sign up to my mailing list, you can get a free MP3 copy the week before it gets released. Here is the sign-up form:
Biography: Miss Rachel Rose
Miss Rachel Rose is a DJ and producer based near Benidorm, Spain. She is a self-taught singer-songwriter with a long-standing passion for music and the music business. Rachel holds a Masters in Neuromusic, and is currently studying solfège, music theory, and composition.
This trippy, labile, shimmering walkabout on the waves of synthetic sound is my latest gift to an unsuspecting world. It hatched from my brain and tickled my neurons to the extent that I just had to share it with the world. I hope that it scratches that aural itch and gives you the feels when you listen to it.
Listen to the Radio Edit here:
Check Your Dreams by Miss Rachel Rose.
Released: 8 March 2025
Genre: Deep House, Minimal House, Trippy, Electronic
Produced and composed by Miss Rachel Rose
Distribution by Distrokid
ISWC: T3311337841
Stream “Check Your Dreams” on all major streaming services
I use Distrokid, and have finally become a member of SGAE. So, if you want to stream Check Your Dreams and risk the tech platforms having to pay me out 12 cents 😉, then go ahead and listen on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube.
About The Track
Genre
Check Your Dreams keywords: deep house, trippy electronica, minimal house. The kick cuts through quite heftily and gives the track a bit more pump. The BPM is a chirpy 124, my favorite BPM to mix, so it is a mid-energy track.
Where does it fit in the mix?
In a mix, I ease this tune in at one of two points: It would fit at the tail end of a warm up section of a longer mix – just when the fluff turns to puff. Otherwise, it could roll gently in the wee hours of a chill out afters, when things are all sparkly and you are in love with your life, and your friends. 💚💙🩵🫂
Just like Groove Machine, my first release of the year, this new track’s overall genre is deep house.
Production Babble
I composed, arranged, and produced Check Your Dreams using Ableton Live 12. I used various plugins to craft a unique sound design, but I didn’t use hardware synths. I have a few, and I really long to use them. But right now, time is very tight, and I have to streamline my production.
Voice Sample
This song came to me in the middle of the night. I recorded the voice sample, and went back to sleep.
When I went to produce a few days later, I thought about re-recording the voice. But I decided to keep it.
I like the breathiness of the voice. I also like that it is just a little bit off- kilter. I keeps it organic, as I did it without a click track. I AirDropped the sample from my phone to my iMac, imported it as a .wav into Ableton with warping OFF, checked its key with Spectrum, and EQ’d it. For some parts, I chopped the voice sample up to get interesting rhythmic elements and ear candy. I tidied it some basic reverb and de-essing, but left everything else to the mix engineer.
Mixing and Mastering
I am lucky to have a collaborator who mixes and masters my tracks for me. I trust his ear completely. Plus, he brushes up the arrangements for me. Usually it’s just the intro and outro, which are important only to DJ’s. But, for anyone who mixes, you KNOW that the intros and outros are super important. So, thanks you-know-who.
Time saving production tip: use a template
My default template when I open Live has four tracks. The template key is set to D minor.
Track 1 is MIDI and loads with Kick2 . I leave the default kick on, but have a bunch of User presets that are all tuned in the key of D. Deep house tracks usually have a warm, bouncy kick sound, so I tend to go for that vibe.
There are another two midi tracks for my hats and bongos, and an audio track. The drum racks are made of samples tuned to D and A.
I put a limiter and Spectrum on the Master track, so when I need to tune samples or instruments, I can just solo the track that I am working with, and watch Spectrum on the master.
What’s Next?
I have another tune that is nearly finished. If you sign up to my mailing list, you can get a free MP3 copy the week before it gets released. Here is the sign-up form:
Biography: Miss Rachel Rose
Miss Rachel Rose is a DJ and producer based near Benidorm, Spain. She is a self-taught singer-songwriter with a long-standing passion for music and the music business. Rachel holds a Masters in Neuromusic, and is currently studying solfège, music theory, and composition.
I am super excited to report that I have just released my new deep house track “Groove Machine”! I used DistroKid, so it’s on all your favourite streaming platforms. Here is the YouTube music clip:
DAW – Ableton Live
I used Ableton Live for all the production. I used onboard and plug-in sounds.
I always use Sonic Academy Kick 2 because it offers so many options to choose, tune, and fine-tune the all-important kick sound.
I don’t tend to over-elaborate my tracks. I have a hi-hat drum rack that I usually use. The hats are all tuned to D- and A-, and it loads in my default template. This is just to save time, and keep me motivated when I open up the workstation. I also have a bongo rack that is tuned to D- and A- and loads in the default template.
Groove Machine does not have bongo sounds – but a sampled clap. yes. I use spectrum to analyse the frequencies of any samples that I may use, and am careful to keep everything in tune. Last night, thinking about production, I decided to put spectrum on the Master track of the template, and then solo the tracks to analyse them. Every little RAM saving helps!
Sound design
The lead synth sound in Groove Machine is all mine. I am proud that I did my own sound design for this song. It is tempting – and perfectly fine – to use samples and loops in production. But, since I am a singer-songwriter and from the DIY era, I love to do it myself.
In this case, I listened carefully to the reference track lead sound, then I messed around with a Wavetable preset, and then finally added a guitar amp plug-in, which I tweaked until I got the sound that I used on the track.
Vocal
The voice on the track is mine. I did a bunch of takes, using different microphone techniques (distance, angle). I equalised and de-essed the samples, and left the rest to the mixing and mastering engineer.
Reference Track
This is the first time I have ever produced a song using a reference track. I enjoyed the experience, and it gave me a new tool for my kit. For example: when I was trying to get a similar hi-hat sound, I worked out that you have to use some reverb on the hi-hats. I now apply this knowledge to every production.
Here is the reference track:
Mixing and Mastering
I outsourced the mixing and mastering of Groove Machine to a friend with whom I collaborate frequently. It is not the first time that I have used mixing and mastering services. But, it is the first time that I exported stems and sent them for treatment. I am really happy with how it turned out. It goes to show that two pairs of ears are better than one!
Graphic Design – Adobe Express
I use Adobe Express for almost everything, including the cover art for Groove Machine.
This is the first time that I used a template of theirs, and I am really happy with the ease and speed of creation, as well as the finished product.
Groove Machine: 1st release of 2025! 40
What’s Next?
I have another tune already in the can – finished, mixed and mastered. If you sign up to my mailing list, you can get a free MP3 copy the week before it gets released. Here is the sign-up form:
When it comes to music, however, Altea lags behind.
I think it’s about time that changed! But, it’s not going to happen by accident. Maybe I can be the one to move such a project forward?
Not one to sit on my laurels, and ever a dreamer and schemer, I decided that a visit to the TIIM Musical Tourism Days would be a chance to learn, and to network. I was right on both counts! I found out about the Music Cities Network and other music tech initiatives that assist musicians, promoters, travel agencies, and ticketing agencies in enhancing their business profits and viability.
Altea is not that big, so I was inspired by the smaller music cities (like Aarhus in Denmark).
As the main talks were live-streamed, you can watch the replay of TIIM 2023 on YouTube. Here, I will give you a run-down of some of the people I met and the cool projects I encountered.
Being a Music City is a concept For example, it can be… : A community of any size with a vibrant music economy Beginning with artists and musicians A home to a broad range of professionals who support artist- and music entrepreneurs in their career development. Offering spaces for education, rehearsal, recording and performance Fostering a live scene with an engaged and passionate audience that provides artists with a fertile ground for developing their craft.
Who’s Who in MCN
The network was founded in 2016 by various members. I was honored to meet a few:
Lena Ingwersen
Hailing from Hamburg, Lena is a DJ as well as founding member and Managing Director of Music Cities Network. She collaborates with Keychange, a movement fighting for a sustainable music industry, supporting underrepresented artists and urging organizations to pledge for gender equality. Lena and I chatted quite a few times. She seems super focused but really personable. I would love to hear her mix a set.
Debra King
This cool lady is the Director of Brighter Sound, a music development organization based in Manchester, Sector Lead at Manchester Music City, and wearer of some very funky boots.
Jesper Mardahl
Aardhus-based Jesper is a MCN founding member and was in attendance at the TIIM event. He is the Managing Director of Promus, the community and networking center for the music industry and musicians in Denmark. Jesper seems like the kind of guy who has seen it all and still gets a kick out of it.
Sjoerd Vriesma
Sjoerd, an artist development professional, collaborates in running Lake Woozoo studios in the Netherlands. Groningen is a member of the Music Cities Network. He seemed like a super cool dude, even though we only had a brief conversation. He invited me to join their team supper. Sadly I could not accept as I already had arrangements with my talented friend, Ana Higueras. Thanks anyway, Sjoerd! Next time.
The Valencia Team
There were a number of presenters and members of the public from our own backyard. Here are the ones that I was lucky enough to meet in person.
Speakers
Paula Simó, PhD
Dr. Paula Simó is an expert in communication and strategy. She teaches at the University of Valencia in their Department of Tourism Studies. Her extensive research on the music city ecosystem in Valencia is evidenced by her numerous published academic papers. Congratulations to Paula! She played a vital role in making Valencia known as a music city and gaining recognition for its music ecosystem.
Beatriu Traver
The fabulous Beatriu Traver is a musicologist and art historian, and journalist and studio manager. She presented the final talk, about AI and the future of the music business. Beatriu is the manager of Banjo Soundscapes, a studio that excels in sonic branding and sonic strategy.
Colleagues
Oscar Carrió
Oscar is from Pedreguer. He has just launched Huming Pro, a Spanish-language SAAS program for the music industry. The app has loads of functionality and could bring real benefits to both artists and bookers. Oscar and I are meeting up next week, so watch out as there is more to follow.
Xavi Aspenbass
Xavi runs a music representation and booking agency called Xavi Aspenbass Produccions. We had a long and lovely talk about Neuromusic, my current focus.
Summing up
Was it a good way to spend two days? Yes! Was it well-organized and informative? Yes! Would I return next year? Absolutely.
What was the main takeaway: treat music like a business, not a charity. Far too many people see things like booking bands as an expense.
Music events and ecosystems must be seen as an investment. Investment in art and culture can yield big returns. As Felix Barros from Evento Medido demonstrated with his amazing event measurement technology, music events have more than a monetary impact. They influence travel, overnight stays, food sales for attendees, environment and sociocultural concerns.
Music Cities are urban areas that support and nurture music, music venues, and musicians. This is done through the cooperation of both the private sector and public sector.
What do you think: if your city became a Music City, would you feel a sense of pride?
Post Script
Design Elements for this post
Peach Fuzz – does it scream “Musical tourism”?
Pantone has designated the color “Peach Fuzz” as the color of the year 2024. Its HEX code is #FFBE98. As a soft pastel tone, I don’t immediately get a rock and roll vibe from it. Peach fuzz suggests a downtempo, warm, cuddly kind of music. Trigger Hippie by Morcheeba sounds a bit Peach Fuzz to me.
Staying contemporary, I decided to use some peach fuzz in the header image for this post. I chose some complementary colors from this “Muzli” color palette. #B38A6A is the light brown of the shadow, while #6AA7B3 is the outline.
I struggled, initially, to integrate this color into my design. As you can see from my blog, I tend to use popping colors, strong tones of purple and pink and black. After a while, I noticed that the gradient I used in my logo actually has a peachy tone. So, I am right on point for some serious branding this year! haha, 😛
Musical tourism: 2 truly fantastic days at TIIM (Music Tourism & Industry) 43
Sound Design for Electric Cars: 5 Powerful Pitches to Electrify Your Drive 48
Sound Design for Electric Cars
What does your car sound like?
Electric and hybrid car sales are on the rise. More drivers are using cleaner technologies in their vehicles to help meet climate change goals and reduce pollution in cities. There are major differences between the old and the new cars. An important one that could be overlooked is how they sound.
Continuing from my previous post on sonic branding, I decided to explore the sound design of electric vehicles (EV). I have discovered that it’s not only about audio branding, which helps connect a brand to its users’ feelings. The noise of electric vehicles is important for safety. It affects both the drivers of these vehicles and the pedestrians they encounter.
There is a sonic familiarity with driving cars with internal combustion engines (ICE). The rumble of tires on the road, the whoosh of air beyond the windows, and the vibration of the engine. It is almost comforting, such is its intimacy and involvement in our everyday lives. I can still recall the sound and feel of my father’s Oldsmobile as it crushed ice and sand on the frozen streets of Canada.
Electric models have none of the roar and reverb of ICE cars. The earliest electric cars were found to be hazardous to pedestrians precisely because of their silence. As a result, car manufacturers have turned to sound designers to help them solve this problem.
Nissan prototyped EV way back in 1947! They have been making different models ever since.
Nissan was a pioneer in creating electric cars for modern living. From our first EV in 1947 to the new Nissan Ariya, from ice cream vans to robot co-pilots, our electric-powered lineup has changed with the times and drivers’ needs.
Jean Michel Jarre created the sound design behind Renault’s electric vehicles. Here is a video that gives us a glimpse behind the scenes.
Renault is the European EV market leader. In 2021, their electric vehicles were the most popular in Europe, accounting for almost 15% of all electric vehicles sold. With this being the case, the way those vehicles sound is vitally important! (https://www.renaultgroup.com/en/innovation-2/electric-vehicle/)
According to some bloggers, Toyota is lagging in the EV game. The Prius was an early hybrid EV, with the first models hitting the Japanese market way back in 1997. They are, however, working on fuel-cell cars instead of battery-electric vehicles. All Toyota’s EV have sound design.
Lexus makes three types of luxury EV. They have been building EVs since 2015. Given their expertise in the luxury automotive industry, it comes as no surprise that their sound design follows suit, embodying the same level of refinement and excellence.
Lexus sound design was done by Man Made Music, as was Nissan’s. Lexus engineers created in-cabin sounds to convey the exhilaration of driving. Engineers matched sound frequencies to the vehicle’s speed and sound levels during dynamic actions such as acceleration. The underfloor battery reduces noise and the hood opening is sealed to prevent turbulent airflow noise.
The Lexus sonic logo, affectionately named The Open Door, brings together these two elements (Takumi Craft and Omotenashi) to express the highest level of luxury and hospitality through unique,organic instrumentation & breath
Driving requires a great presence of mind and continual evaluation of everything going on around you. My driving instructor used to say “busy, busy eyes”. I think it could just as well be “busy, busy ears”!
Auditory Spatial Perception
The ears can locate sounds in three dimensions. Our ears provide information about the distance, direction, and movement of a sound source. This is called Auditory Spatial Perception. This takes place in the middle part of the encephalic trunk, or brain stem, the pons.
When we are driving, we are constantly listening to our surroundings. I am continuously aware of changes in the road surface, the wind direction and strength, and, of course, approaching vehicles. At the same time, ICE vehicles make characteristic sounds when accelerating, changing gears and braking. Creating a sound bank for EVs mimics familiar sounds for drivers and keeps them aware of the car’s operation.
Exhilaration
As the Lexus case study points out, there is an emotion associated with driving: exhilaration. Car manufacturers aim to focus on positive emotions such as joy and excitement, although negative emotions like fear and anxiety may also be present. The excitement of a road trip, the feeling of freedom, the happiness of driving…all these emotions are combined in the sound of the car. EVs will have to work with drivers’ historical emotional baggage to be fully accepted.
Sound and the perception of “work”
One of my pet theories is:
We perceive work via the noise it makes. We unconsciously associate silence with a lack of productivity.
Rachel Rose
Sound Design for Electric Cars: 5 Powerful Pitches to Electrify Your Drive 49
Industrial Noise
I developed this theory in the mid-1990s while working as a Quality Control Inspector at an industrial bakery. We produced 10,000 loaves an hour. When those loaves left the ovens, they were at about 450º. The loaves would travel around the upper levels of the factory on rolling metal conveyor racks to cool them before slicing and bagging. Every wheel and every chain clanked and clattered.
The noise in that place was deafening. I wore ear protection, but most of the older workers were completely deaf. There was a silo for the flour. To keep it from caking to the inner edge of the silo, a huge metal hammer would hit the silo once every 45 seconds. I was offered well-paid work after that stint, but I refused. The noise made me crazy.
Office Noise
Later, when I was working in tech. I noticed that digital devices that were too silent were often assumed to be non-functioning. The buzzing sound of a cooling fan is interesting. Although it can be annoying in a crowded office where everyone is using computers, it also indicates that work is being done. If you have ever visited a server farm, you will have been stunned by the racket. Not only the servers but the Air Conditioning!
Take, also, the sound of typing. Hark back and remember what old keyboards sounded like. Travel even farther back in time, to the sound of typewriters and carriage returns. Those mechanical noises were an essential and fundamental part of office culture. That has all changed now. I am writing this post on a MacBook Pro. It is a stupendously quiet machine. The only sound I hear is my fingers typing, and I could probably adjust my typing style to make it quieter.
The “work ethic” and noise
The Industrial Revolution made machines a part of our lives. My family is from Yorkshire where steam engines installed in cotton and woolen mills generated huge prosperity. Before the steam loom was invented, weaving was done by hand in cottages. The pieces were then sold to the mills one by one. To house the huge coal-fired steam looms, great glowering red-brick mills were built, and weavers began to work in centralized factories. Can you imagine the noise??
Goodbye industrial noise!
Too quiet cars confound our perception of work. We need our EVs to make noise. But, we need noises that serve a purpose – like protecting pedestrians and confirming that a trunk is closed. What we don’t need is more machine noise! It is a blessedly creative stroke of luck that this noise can be created, calibrated, and filtered. What a joy that industrial noise is finally being eliminated!
As cars become self-driving, passengers stuck in traffic could make music. “In terms of health and well-being, making music is documented to trigger more areas of our brain than any other known stimulus, because it requires coordination but also excites our reward centres,” Santambroglio says. “Such an approach would be revolutionary for traffic, a typical source of stress.”
She partnered with Delhi musicians to create library of local music samples from Indian instruments like the tabla and the shehani, a type of flute. She envisions adding these samples to each vehicle on the road, creating the possibility for on-street jamming.
Continuing my studies in Neuromusic constantly ignites my curiosity to explore every corner and crevice of the vast realm of music and sound. What do you think about sound design for EV? Do you have an EV, and if so, do you like how it sounds?
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