Making simple, minimal music is one of those things that looks like it would be really easy, but totally isn’t. Whether we’re talking bleepy minimal techno, droning ambient music, stripped-back post rock or the seemingly simplistic 20th century classical of Phillip Glass or Steve Reich, music that sounds simple is often anything but that. Generally speaking, the fewer elements you have going on in your tracks, the fewer places you have to hide.
It’s this side of music making we’re digging into in this issue’s cover feature - electronic composition at its most loopy, experimental and subtle. Join us on page 28 as we dive into the minutiae of minimal, and explore how some of the best producers in the game manage to make the most out of a few minimal elements.