Image C/O Debbie Ellis & Black Brunswicker
We interviewed Black Brunswicker and got the inside scoop on how “Down at the Creek” came to be. The Chicago-based artist, known for fusing subtle fingerpicking with ambient textures, explains the tools and techniques that shaped his tracks. From layering tape loops on the Tascam 424 to snarling guitar on the OP-1, this is a deep dive into gear-driven creativity.
The focus of the track is an acoustic guitar, recorded with minimal effort and maximum atmosphere. Brunswicker relies heavily on delay and reverb pedals to create rich, atmospheric swells, and the pedalboard is connected directly to an analog tape loop. result? A mix of organic, raw, refreshing and practical touches. Then, when it came time to piece everything together, Reason handled the mix. There was no frills, just some EQ, compression, and panning to let the tape loops and field recordings breathe.
This interview details each step of the process. Whether you’re a pedal enthusiast, an analog purist, or just looking for ways to keep your music organic, Brunswicker offers some essential gems to help you stay inspired and find your own unique workflow. Masu. Let’s get started!
guitar + pedal board
First and foremost, I’m a guitarist. The acoustic guitar is the primary instrument used for composing and recording all music, including ambient parts with textures beyond the typical guitar sound. My typical workflow is to run my guitar through a pedalboard and use lots of delay and reverb to create refreshing ambient sounds. Volume pedal allows you to cut the attack and create nice ambient swells
I recorded everything using one guitar. My Recording King RO-T16 000 is equipped with a DGDEGD tuned LR Baggs M1 pickup (with a capo on the 4th fret). Everything on this album was recorded using the same guitar setup for a consistent sound and feel.
Acoustic guitars tend to be undervalued and underutilized in the ambient guitar community, and I think that’s a shame. It’s a real shame that more people don’t use acoustic guitars to create this kind of music, because they have so much depth, beauty, and resonance. With acoustics, it can be a little harder to get a good ambient sound with pedals and effects, depending on whether you’re using pickups or miking your guitar. Generally, magnetic pickups tend to sound better when used with effects (and you can hear the difference between using an acoustic guitar with magnetic pickups and a regular electric guitar) Ta).
Tascam 424 (for tape loops and recording)
Since starting Black Brunswicker, Tascam recorders and tape loops have played a huge role in my music production. I use a computer or DAW if I need to, but I prefer to record to tape. I like working with tape and analog equipment. Because I like things that I can touch and physically manipulate. The tape also contains a bit of a chaotic element. The tape may become distorted, warped, or blank. I really came to love the unpredictability of tape.
“Down at the Creek” was, for me, a bit of a throwback to Black Brunswicker’s early days, when they used ambient guitar tape loops as their primary compositional tool. Before creating the track, I recorded some guitar improvisations on some cassette tape loops using a Tascam 424. These loops formed the main ambient texture heard on this track and other tracks on the new album. For this track, I ran a tape loop through my pedalboard and into the OP-1 I was using to record. Four-track faders were controlled to blend into each layer, giving life and movement to the undulations, textures and ambience. From there, I added tape loops and field recording loops. Both “Down at the Creek” and “View from the Lookout Tower” were recorded in the same session using the same tape loop.
Working with tape loops is fun, but it can also be difficult. They’ve gained more attention in recent years with social media influencers sharing their tape loop experiments with thousands of followers. But for me this is an alternative to modern digital methods of working inside a box. I don’t feel inspired by creating music on a screen, so having analog equipment that I can touch and feel while creating means a lot to me.
Teenage Engineering OP-1 Tape Mode (for vocal and trumpet loops)
At first I was a little apprehensive about trying OP-1. I felt that the OP-1 might be too electronic for someone who considers themselves primarily a folk guitar player. But what I’ve discovered is that tape mode shares a lot of similarities with what I love about working with Tascam. It’s pretty limited at 4 tracks and has very few mastering effects. I now think of it as just another effect for a portable tape machine or guitar, rather than a toy that makes incomprehensible beeping noises.
On Down at the Creek and the rest of the new album, I used the OP-1 in two ways. The first step is to compile and mix the music itself, whether it’s acoustic guitar, field recordings, tape loops, or collaborative loops provided by a Manchenian friend. I then also used the OP-1 as a looper of sorts by loading Joel Harries’ trumpet and Emily Mercer vocal loops into the OP-1 and creating playback loops in tape mode. From there, I fed the OP-1’s output back into the pedalboard and used the volume pedal to control the subtle swirling attack within the loop. Forward/reverse playback was also very useful, allowing me to turn two simple vocal loops into a fantastic ocean of sound.
I had a lot of creative constraints on my music, like avoiding DAWs and banning synthesizers, so trying new things like using the OP-1 was a big change for me. Don’t expect to hear synth pop or drum beats from me in the future, but trying something new while staying true to yourself and the creative constraints you’ve set for yourself can be extremely rewarding. I think this could be an initiative. It’s okay to stick to what you know best, but sometimes it’s good to try something new.
mix reason
Now for the boring part. DAWs are generally where music dies for me. I primarily record on tape and have a lot of tapes with music ready to go, but I’m always terrified when I need to digitize it and mix it in my DAW. I know this process can be tedious, but I’ve created a few workflows for myself to make it easier and less painful. I use Reason to mix and Reaper to master my tracks. I learned how to use Reason while taking a music production course at Indiana University and continue to use it. I like the fact that the UI emulates old rackmount equipment and the sound changes in real time as you turn the knobs. Great UX.
The majority of the mixing work I do in Reason is mainly EQ, some compression, and stereo panning of individual tracks. Since there are so many layers and textures to work with, I spend most of my time adjusting the right mix with parametric EQ to make sure everything feels very even. Apply effects and EQ to individual tracks, all instruments, loops, and layers. I don’t know what sidechains, automation, and sending are, and I have no desire to learn. I have a pretty set way of mixing everything, and I find that if I can record and mix well using Tascam and the OP-1, I don’t need to spend as much time working in Reason. Ta.
My music recording workflow leans towards an organic, analog approach with guitar and pedals, and I recognize that it’s not for everyone. I know there’s a lot you can do “in that box” and that there are exciting and creative ways to make interesting music with DAWs and synths, but it just doesn’t resonate with me very much, and the same It’s not even exciting. Test out a new pedal chain or play around with tape loops. Whatever method you use to create music is fine and valid, but I think the key is to find a process that resonates creatively. I found this method after years of tinkering and experimenting, so I don’t think it’s a bad thing to try new things until you find a way to make music that works for you.
Easy tips for making ambient folk
Tip #1: Sell your synthesizer. Buy some guitars and delay pedals. Stack up some fuzz. Let’s fly the drone. (I say this half jokingly)
Tip #2: It’s okay to take time to find the sound and workflow that works for you. Experimenting is part of the fun of making music.
Tip #3: If you’re a guitarist, try open tuning. Finding open tunings that suit my fingerpicking technique has opened so many new doors, especially when combined with lots of delays and reverbs.
