May 15, 2024
by GForce Software
Sanaya Ardeshir, a.k.a Sandunes, is an Indian music producer, composer, and performer. Like her naturally occurring namesake, her world of sound is in constant evolution – ranging from experimental piano music, acoustic-electronic dance music, to experiments in pop, field recordings and synthesis. Her performances reveal an appetite for integrating the worlds of studio and stage, where synthesisers and sound controllers are supported by an ensemble of live musicians against a backdrop of audio-reactive visuals.
Audiences have seen her perform in a variety of formats, playing at major festivals like Lollapalooza, Roskilde, Womad, and Magnetic Fields; and at iconic venues like the National Centre for Performing Arts, Liberty Cinema, and G5A. Notably, she has performed at London’s Barbican Centre under commission from Warp Records and Boiler Room, toured the U.S. supporting Pretty Lights, opened shows for Grammy nominated electronic producer – Bonobo, remixed music from Grammy award nominated Anoushka Shanker, hosted a radio show as part of the BBC Asian Network residency, and released a collaborative album with celebrated UK jazz drummer Richard Spaven.
Sanaya, who contributed to impOSCar3‘s sound design, kindly agreed to answer a few questions.
Do you have any tips for getting great-sounding patches?
Starting from scratch with an open mind and letting go of a clear idea of what you want – I find I come up with the most interesting, sound designing / dynamic patches in this way – kind of like an exploration of the instrument in an iterative way and allowing the process to unfold – I almost always end up with lush pads that contain a lot of movement. If there’s something specific I’m leaning towards like a bass sound or a mono-lead, then I’ll almost always start with the amp envelope and once the transient feels correct, I’ll proceed to shaping timbre using filtering and by choosing the right waveforms etc.
Which of your impOSCar3 patches do you consider your personal favourite?
I really loved Cosmic Organ – and I can see myself using it in music. I have a soft spot for organs, and for distressingly long portamentos that suggest sirens before revealing a simple pad or chord.
Is there anything, in particular, you liked about impOSCar3?
WT Editor! The interface to draw in and edit shapes for both oscillators and LFOs is really intuitive and easy to use – it’s a unique function that yields a lot of experiments and fun results – definitely my favourite thing about this synth!
What’s your favourite synthesiser?
This is a terribly difficult question. Although I’ve never owned one, (and perhaps as a result) the very classic Roland Juno-106 inspires a playing style that I can’t seem to access unless I’m playing that instrument.
Where can readers find out more about you?
Photo Credit: Viktor Sloth