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Synthesizer Music : Jake Schrock Talks 'Tropical Depression' And Writing For The Instrument
Posted on July 23, 2018 by J. Hubner
Musician Jake Schrock creates music in the world of synthesizers, and he's a classicist in that regards. Meaning, he works in the realm of analog and vintage gear, building his musical worlds from circuits, tubes, and all the warmth that came with classic synth records from the 70s. There's a depth in his work that suggests something lurking below the surface noise and tasteful melodies.
Sure, lots of musicians are going the route of synthesizer music, right? That's nothing new. But when you listen to Jake's debut album with Holodeck Records called Tropical Depression(out July 27th), you will know this isn't just another synth album. His sound lives in darker terrain. It's not the caffeinated 80s synth, all neon-lit and futuristic. The music on Tropical Depression is exquisite, precise, and swirls around your feet. It has the age of 70s Berlin and early 80s Euro pop, but still retains a modern cool. There's a deliberate use of rhythm that feels as if the music and melody are following some groove creeping out of the ether.
Schrock writes for the instrument in front of him. He prefers single takes, which adds a bit of an improvisational tightrope for when it's time to hit record. That element comes out in his records.
Ahead of the release of Tropical Depression, Jake sat down with me and answered a few questions about his music, influences, and love of vintage gear.
J. Hubner: So tell me about yourself. Where did you grow up? Were you more of a sports kid or comic books kid?
Jake Schrock: I grew up in Dallas. I actually never played a sport or owned a comic book, so I guess neither?
J. Hubner: When did your fascination with synthesizers and analog instruments begin?
Jake Schrock: Probably around 2003 I remember playing on a microkorg at Guitar Center and then buying one, kind of learned the basics on that. Then within the next few years my music taste was evolving to more 70's and 80's synthpop and new wave and that got me interested in digging into what gear was used on those albums. Luckily at the time vintage stuff was still semi-affordable so I bought most everything I own back then.
J. Hubner: What is it about analog instruments that grabs you?
Jake Schrock: I like the sound and feel of the old analog gear and how most everything from back then has trigger ins and outs… I spend a lot of time connecting various pieces of gear together and coming up with ideas to make one piece of gear do something to another.
J. Hubner: Was the keyboard your first instrument? A lot of guys I talk to that gravitated towards synthesizer seem to have started in the hardcore scene.
Jake Schrock: I did piano lessons as a kid and then bought a keyboard when I was 15 and started reteaching myself how to play. That was the first time I wrote my own compositions and kind of came up with my own style of playing that was comfortable for me. I definitely remember the hardcore scene in high school but I was never really into it.
Photo courtesy of Dallas Ambient Music Nights
J. Hubner: Who or what were some of your early musical influences?
Jake Schrock: I started with the basics like Depeche Mode, Human League, Eurythmics, etc. and then started branching off to more obscure stuff from that era from listening to Minimal Wave radio every Sunday. That stuff was a huge influence on me, still is actually.
J. Hubner: Do you remember the first album you bought with your own money?
Jake Schrock: The first LP I bought was Tom Tom Club's "Close To The Bone". I couldn't find it on CD so I ordered the record and had it converted to CD at the mall, haha.
J. Hubner: At what age did you seriously get into writing and performing music? Were you in any bands before beginning to work on your own stuff?
Jake Schrock: I started composing and recording my own stuff at 16. The first band I was in was called //TENSE//. I joined them when I was 22. Around the same time I started a band with some friends in Dallas called George Quartz and played in that off and on for years. I played my own music out solo for the first time in 2016.
J. Hubner: You've got quite an extensive collection of vintage gear. Who were some electronic and synth artists that really rewired your brain and pushed you into that direction?
Jake Schrock: John Foxx, Bill Nelson, Thomas Leer, Jean-Michel Jarre, early Human League, Telex, Martin Dupont, YMO, Moebius, Gina X Performance, Visage, Kraftwerk, Magazine, OMD, Yello … there's so many but thats a handful of stuff I was listening to a lot when first getting into synths.
J. Hubner: So let's talk about your debut with Holodeck Records called 'Tropical Depression'. It's absolutely brilliant stuff. What I love is that it doesn't resemble anything currently being mined in the electronic music pantheon. It's dark, warm, and feels like some lost German record from the late 70s. A lost score to some European art house flick. Very organic. You can feel these songs.
What was the concept behind the album.
Jake Schrock: Thanks! That's a huge compliment, I'm glad it comes off that way. When Adam from Holodeck asked me to do a record I initially imagined releasing a lot of my back catalog from the last 10+ years but at some point he said he'd prefer all new material. It took me quite a while to narrow it down to the final selections.
For a little over a year I played one show a month and wrote a new set for each show. That was sort of my way of trying out tracks in front of people and seeing which sets people responded to most. I eventually narrowed it down to a handful of tracks and arranged them in a way that flowed and started playing that as a set and decided that would be the album.
J. Hubner: What influenced the sound? There's a strange, mechanical island feel. Is that where "Tropical Depression" comes from?
Jake Schrock: My sound is always most influenced by the gear itself, and whatever I am using at the time. When I brought the CR-68 into the mix I loved using the samba and bossa-nova beats, the tone of that machine always sounds tropical to me. I liked the title "Tropical Depression" since the songs are tropical yet moody. I also took the title a little more literal and had the songs tell the story of a tropical storm building and destroying, ending with "Cerebral Shelter" being the soundtrack to the aftermath.
J. Hubner: So how did you get involved with the guys over at Holodeck Records? I thought your track on Holodeck Vision One, "Levitation Station" was absolutely brilliant. A real highlight for me.
Jake Schrock: Thanks! I met Adam years ago through my friend Michael who plays with him in S U R V I V E. We used to play shows together and hang out whenever I was in Austin. Same with Amber and Justin, I met all them through the Austin synth world back in the day. There used to be an annual synth party down in Austin and that's probably where I met a lot of that crowd.
J. Hubner: Maybe it's because I'm older, but when I hear your music described as synthwave I get a little curmudgeonly. I don't hear that in your songs. I don't think of neon-lit 80s clubs and neo-futuristic visions. I see more grey Berlin skies and underground clubs. Kraftwerk, Neu!, Tubeway Army and the like. Even back to 2015s 'Frame of Mind' you were really digging into some classic heady synth sounds. Maybe I don't completely understand what the term synthwave encompasses musically. How would you describe your sound? Your style?
Jake Schrock: Yeah, I'm not a fan of that name either and definitely wouldn't categorize myself under it. I like calling what I do "synthesizer music" since it really relies so much around the gear itself. I start with the hardware and dive into it and try new experiments and build songs around whatever ends up happening. But as far as common genres go I move everywhere between ambient, synthpop, new wave, minimal synth, and even italo. It just depends on what gear I'm using and what mood I'm in. I've heard a few people referring to this album as sounding like a 70's library record and would say that's a pretty good description as well.
J. Hubner: Back to the album. Where did you record Tropical Depression? How long was the writing and recording process?
Jake Schrock: I recorded half of the album at home in my bedroom studio and half at a studio in Dallas called Klearlight. The writing process was about a year and recording/ mixing was much quicker. Maybe a month or two.
J. Hubner: What is your songwriting process like? How does a project start and how do you know if you're done?
Jake Schrock: I start with some gear and connect it all together and usually start with a bassline and drum beat. From there I like to get some sort of arpeggio going on the Prophet 600 and then just start playing leads over that until something clicks. Then I try to usually throw in some variation. I think I know when I'm done whenever it doesn't feel monotonous anymore.
J. Hubner: Has your writing style/process changed much since 2015 and 'Frame of Mind'? Do you feel conveying an idea or getting a musical thought out has become an easier process?
Jake Schrock: It hasn't changed too much since that album but definitely has from 10 years ago. I used to build songs in Pro Tools and move parts around allowing for more complex songs with more parts.. more of a verse/ chorus/ bridge structure. But around the time of "Frame Of Mind" I started just hitting record and doing one take recordings as is. I might go back and do an overdub but I really just like to capture a live performance now and have more improvisation with the tracks. In a way the compositions are a little simpler now but I think they have more of a genuine feel to them because of the live element.
J. Hubner: Do you ever take your tracks out on the road? Are you playing any shows in support of the album release?
Jake Schrock: I do, I usually play about one show a month. I'm throwing two album release shows, one in Dallas and one in Austin. Dallas will be this coming Friday, July 27th at Josey Records. Austin will be on August 2nd at Cheer Up Charlies.
J. Hubner: What does the rest of 2018 look like for you? Do you already have any new tracks written for the next release?
Jake Schrock: I plan on playing some more shows and definitely ready to start working on the next record. I've got lots of material recorded already and may use some of that but may just do something from scratch as well.
Jake Schrock's Tropical Depression is out this Friday July 27th. Head over to Holodeck Records and preorder the limited edition cassette version(200 made total), or digital only if that's your thing. And if you're in the Dallas area on July 27th check out Jake's release show at Josey Records. You can also catch him in Austin on August 2nd at Cheer Up Charlies.
Tags: ambient, heavy synth, holodeck records, jake schrock, synthesizer music, tropical depressionCategories: Artist Profile
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Home/Cybersecurity/Hack-a-Sat 3 registrations open: Win hard cash for hacking a satellite
CybersecurityRead This
Hack-a-Sat 3 registrations open: Win hard cash for hacking a satellite
The Stack April 12, 2022
The US Air Force and Space Force have jointly launched Hack-a-Sat 3 — the third iteration of a capture the flag (CTF) challenge focussed on space cybersecurity that is open to all, with 10 X $10,000 cash prizes.
The competition comes after Viasat satellite infrastructure was hacked in February; seemingly in a bid to undermine the communications capabilities of the Ukrainian military. (A "misconfigured" VPN appliance was used to gain remote access to the trusted management segment of the KA-SAT network a post-mortem revealed. The attackers then sent destructive commands to modems that overwrote key data in flash memory, bricking them.)
The competition made its debut in 2020 during hacking conference DEF CON. Participants get to test their skills in the unique competition on satellite emulations built-out with satellite sensors, hardware and software.
Amazon readies to launch 3,236 satellites under $10b Project Kuiper
Registration for Hack-a-Sat 3 qualifiers is now open. The qualification round starts May 21 at 10:00am EDT.
The organisers have been working on getting a real satellite into space just for hackers to test their skills on and Hack-a-Sat 4 "will be the first-ever on-orbit hacking competition" they confirmed this week. That project has been dubbed "Moonlighter" and at its launch will be the "world's first purpose-built satellite just for cybersecurity training and research. It's literally a hacking sandbox in space, that will be launched in 2023" organisers said.
There is a $50,000 first place, a $30,000 second place, and a $20,000 third place cash pot for Hack-a-Sat 3 finalists although they will also need to submit an "acceptable" whitepaper within three weeks of the contest's end.
Hack-a-Sat 3 — what's involved?
This year however, for Hack-a-Sat 3, they will have content themselves with attacking a simulated space system that includes a satellite digital twin and virtual ground station. The online contest is open to the public via registration at
hackasat.com and starts with a qualification event that takes the form of a "Jeopardy" style CTF contest running over the course of 24 hours. The final Event will be a mix of "attack/defend" and "king of the hill" CTF styles.
"Like a more traditional attack/defend CTF, teams will have their own vulnerable system to operate and defend, while attacking opposing teams' identical systems. A number of exploitable vulnerabilities exist in the systems and teams must patch or otherwise mitigate their own vulnerabilities to protect from exploitation attacks, while keeping the system functioning normally" Hackasat's organisers said of the final event in an update this week.
To those thinking of getting a bit excited and playing dirty, the following rules apply:
"Utilizing or engaging in non-specific denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, such as packet flooding for network denial of service, against other competitors is strictly forbidden
"All patches to open-source software must be made available according to open source license guidelines
"Any vulnerabilities discovered in open-source software must be made available to the public via a public disclosure process
"No physical coercion or intimidation is allowed
"Any acts of sabotage, tampering, misuse, attacks, or use without consent of the contest organizers' property, contest infrastructure, equipment, software, or items that pertain to the contest that are outside of the contest environment are expressly forbidden
Registrations for Hack-a-Sat 3 are open now.
Connect with The Stack on LinkedIn
CTF Hack-a-Sat satcom satellite
NSA reports 1 bug under attack, Chinese firm 36, as Patch Tuesday lands with 0days, drama
Thames Water in £63m plan to outsource back office, customer services
Accenture customers hit in wake of consulting giant's ransomware attack
Critical new BIG-IP bugs revealed: Attacker gets "complete system compromise" with pre-auth RCE.
T-Mobile hack to cost it $500m after class action settlement
HPE software update wipes 77TB from Japanese supercomputer
Eliminating weekend War Rooms—the shift from reactive to proactive security operations

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This offline chat message (via MyLiveChat) that came in from "Deal-Storm.com" looks like a possible malware attempt. Did you get it too? What do you think?
Why should I click the link? The message does not apply to me, I don't sell products.
Does the link look right? The link looks simple and real, and not a spoof . If the message applied to me (I don't sell products) and the google search showed a real company at the other end I might have fallen for it.
NEVER EVER download a document before giving it the small test. Google the company first as well as review their website (without clicking on the links they sent).
Message: Hello, Dear Sir / Madame.
Please download it and have a look at it. Is everything currently in stock?https:||deal-storm.com|files|doc|wholesale.docLooking forward to your reply.
Also the Name (Nicole), IP address (209.58.167.170), and email address (nicole088y@deal-storm.com) are on the stopforumspam.com Singapore list for January 20th 2018.


"Absolutely superb in every respect, welcoming and friendly, comfortable and cosy.
Along with my husband and two-year-old son, and our friends with a five-year-old, we stayed in the gite called Bleuet. It was a brilliant property for a large group with spacious rooms and an open-plan living space ideal for relaxing together. Outside the property was an outside dining area with BBQ and chimena provided as well. The grounds were extensive and beautifully planted. The swimming pool is gated making it safe for smaller children, excellent for our little troublemaker! In addition, a great play area makes it perfect for families with younger children. There are plenty of walks from the property, so although you need a hire car to travel from Rodez Airport which is about 45 minutes away, we weren't reliant on the car every day. Julie was very welcoming and helpful getting us some fresh milk on the first day and generally making us feel at home.


For dogs 6 months of age and over who have not taken our SuperPuppy course. Focuses on "real life" skills and manners required of all urban canines. Class meets every Monday from May 1 through June 26 between 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm. Taught by instructor Jennifer Boznos.
For dogs 6 months of age and over who have not taken our SuperPuppy course. Focuses on "real life" skills and manners required of all urban canines. Class meets every Wednesday from April 5 through May 24 between 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Taught by instructor Jennifer Boznos.


Colin Portnuff was a bright and passionate humanitarian who lost his speech, but never his love of life nor his sense of humor, to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Colin passed away on February 11, 2007.
We are fortunate to have this webcast of Colin sharing his life experiences and his vision for new applications of assistive technology. He describes receiving his diagnosis, stepping into the "world" of disability, and dealing with public attitudes and discrimination. He shares some of his techniques for managing conversations, and presents some interesting and provocative information for us about the application of speech and voice technology in augmentative and alternative communication.
Colin challenges us to look past disability, voice and language to see people—their emotions, their values and their character—and to appreciate the impact that our work can have on people's lives.
Colin Portnuff was the 2006 recipient of the ACES Free Speech Now award from Temple University.
Augmentative Communication News: Living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (July 2005) This issue focuses on people with ALS and their closest communication partners, and highlights the tremendous difference that effective communication supports has on their lives (pdf).


DETROIT -- Nine years after emerging from bankruptcy protection, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles could -- by June -- finally join other major automakers that have more cash on hand than debt on their books, while the company's next CEO won't be revealed until later this year, FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne told reporters Jan. 15 at the auto show here.
Speaking at his annual press conferences here, Marchionne, entering his 15th and final year running the automaker, said the automaker could finally have more cash on hand than debt by mid-year as it works to meet aggressive financial targets set in 2014.
"That [debt] problem is on the way out," Marchionne said, reaffirming the company's financial targets to generate up to $9 billion (all figures in U.S. dollars) in operating profits this year. "Finishing the year with cash on your balance sheet instead of debt is a big, big step for us."
FCA "needs a metric-ton truck" for its international product portfolio, and that it will be made in Mexico and would be marketed under the Ram brand in almost all locales, but likely won't come to the United States.


Home Blockchain NewsBitcoin News Mt Gox Settlement and $593 Million of BTC and BCH, Will Bitcoin Rally?
The post Mt Gox Settlement and $593 Million of BTC and BCH, Will Bitcoin Rally? appeared first on NewsBTC.


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Sports|Cody Bellinger Powers the Dodgers Past the Mets
Dodgers 5, Mets 2
Cody Bellinger Powers the Dodgers Past the Mets
The Mets' Brandon Nimmo made a diving catch on a line drive by the Dodgers' Justin Turner during the sixth inning.CreditCreditJulie Jacobson/Associated Press
Cody Bellinger hit a grand slam to break a scoreless tie in the sixth inning and the visiting Dodgers beat the sinking Mets 5-2 on Friday night behind Alex Wood's effective pitching.
Yasiel Puig added a solo home run in the ninth, and the defending National League champions won their 10th straight against the Mets, dating to May 2016. Los Angeles has outscored New York 75-20 in those games, winning each of the past eight by at least three runs — a first in Dodgers history against any opponent, according to STATS.
Wood (3-5), who allowed two runs and six hits in six innings to win his second consecutive start, outdueled Zack Wheeler. Wood struck out seven and walked one.
Jose Bautista hit his first home run for the Mets, a two-run shot off Wood in the sixth. An error by Max Muncy gave the Mets a chance in the eighth, but with runners at the corners Scott Alexander got Bautista to ground into an inning-ending double play on the next pitch.
Muncy made the turn after a nice play by the shortstop Enrique Hernandez.
Alexander tossed two shutout innings, and Kenley Jansen fanned two in a perfect ninth for his 19th save.
The Mets wasted a dazzling catch by the center fielder Michael Conforto that saved a run in the third. After starting the season 11-1, the Mets (31-42) lost for the 21st time in 27 games to fall a season-worst 11 games under .500.
Wheeler (2-6) walked his first two batters in the sixth — though his full-count pitch to leadoff man Joc Pederson certainly appeared to be in the strike zone. One out later, Matt Kemp blooped a single to right field to load the bases.
Bellinger connected on an 0-2 delivery, launching a 96 m.p.h. fastball into the second deck in right for his second career slam. Bellinger, last season's National League Rookie of the Year, began the night hitting .179 with runners in scoring position.
In the opener of a three-game series, Wheeler went seven innings. He threw 114 pitches, his most since returning to the mound last year after missing two seasons while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Inside Pitch
Noah Syndergaard, nursing a strained ligament in his right index finger, was scheduled to play catch. … Yoenis Cespedes (tightness in upper right quad) and Jay Bruce (strained right hip) will not resume baseball activities until they are free of symptoms. … David Wright (shoulder, back surgery) planned to hit in the indoor batting cage and go through other baseball activities on the field … The Dodgers' Chris Taylor was out of the lineup because of a tight left hamstring. Enrique Hernandez started in place of Taylor, who exited Wednesday's game in Chicago against the Cubs. He was available off the bench — probably just to hit, according to Manager Dave Roberts. "We'll give him today and we'll see about tomorrow," Roberts said.
A version of this article appears in print on , Section D, Page 5 of the New York edition with the headline: Bellinger Powers Dodgers Past Mets. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe


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home > News > Japan first with offshore 'ice' gas, India close behind
Japan first with offshore 'ice' gas, India close behind
Following on from the publication of a draft Japanese Government plan for the commercialization of methane hydrate deposits 10 years from now, Japan Oil, Gas & Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) announced that it has produced gas in the world's first offshore test to extract fuel from the frozen depths.
The experimental gas field is in the Nankai Trough, about 50 km off the coast of Honshu, Japan's main island. JOGMEC estimates that the surrounding area holds at least 1.1 trillion cubic meters of methane hydrate, the equivalent of 11 years' of Japanese natural gas imports.
According to Bloomberg, citing sources within India's Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH), a team including Oil & Natural Gas Corp ? the country's biggest energy explorer ? will drill for methane hydrate deposits in the Bay of Bengal later this year. India's preliminary estimate is that it has 1,894 trillion cubic meters of frozen gas reserves in its waters.
While Japan and India may be dreaming of potential energy independence, however, large-scale exploitation of the world's methane hydrate deposits also raises some serious environmental concerns. The US Geological Survey said in a January 2013 report that carbon deposits in hydrates are double the size of all known oil, gas and coal reserves. "Hydrates store immense amounts of methane, with major implications for energy resources and climate, but the natural controls on hydrates and their impacts on the environment are poorly understood," noted the report.
Read more at CleanBiz Asia.