Seeds Mix #3: The First Signs of Spring with Graintable

5 Minute Read

Music

Written by Tia Cousins & Wil Troup

Graintable provides us with Seeds Mix #3, a mixtape to soundtrack the first signs of spring…

Portland-based ambient architect and far afield sound technician Graintable steps up for the next edition of Seeds Mix.

His recent release on Music To Watch Seeds Grow By is an ode to the Blue Flax. ‘Blue Flax’, is the resilient flowering plant celebrated for its delicate blue blooms and medicinal applications, is native to the Pacific Northwest – the region Cooke calls home. This plant has long grown on the ancestral lands of the Wasco, Klickitat, Warm Springs, Cayuse, and Umatilla tribes.

Recorded during the transitional hours of dawn and dusk in his Portland studio, Cooke’s soundscapes capture both the meditative aspects of watching plants grow and the gradual transformation of organic matter into usable forms. The centrepiece of the album Cerulean Fields, reminds of the early morning light, those inspiring hours before the rest of the world wakes and the first shoots break through the soil into the new dawn. It’s a beautiful crystallisation of what is Cooke’s most comprehensive collection of meditative compositions to date.

He’s created a stunning mixtape to soundtrack the first signs of spring, fitting for this time of year…

Listen and read the interview below:

Ransom Note · Seeds Mix #3: The First Signs of Spring with Graintable

Who are you?

Graintable

Why are you here?

I make Music to Watch Seeds Grow By.

When are you happiest?

Right now.

Do you consider the emotional connection humans have with nature when creating music or mixtapes?

Definitely! When I make music I’m trying to create something that captures the feeling or memory of that connection. The Pacific Northwest is home to some really moody landscapes and that plays a huge part in my music.

How do you approach creating music that mirrors the slow, steady rhythm of plant growth?

Look for the patterns.

What role does silence or pauses play in evoking the growth process in your music?

Miles said it’s all about the notes you don’t play. I think it reminds us to slow down and breathe.

What instruments or sounds to you evoke the feeling of nature and growth most effectively?

Tape delay is like a repeating pattern in nature. Each repetition is slightly different and changes over time like the rings of a tree or ripples in the water when you throw a stone into a pond.

How does tempo influence the mood when composing for such a gradual process as growing plants?

It’s all relative to perspective. The tempo varies depending on what you’re focusing on. If you zoom in microscopically on plant growth I bet it looks like some 32nd note arpeggios going on in there. Or like how a seemingly peaceful meadow is also full of really busy pollinators working intensely.

How does your music composition change for day versus night phases in a plant’s life cycle?

I think it’s easier in the morning and there’s coffee. The path is clearer.

How do environmental sounds like water, wind, or birdsong influence your compositions for plants?

Sometimes I’ll put a field recording on just to catch a vibe and start a track out. If you loop a section it gives you something to build on so you’re not just starting from scratch. They don’t always make it to the final composition but they provide a great jumping off point for something new.

What did you grow in your garden this year?

Tomatoes, zucchini, and cucumbers.

Got any growing tips?

Don’t over water (but don’t underwater either).

When’s the last time you brought a plant/seeds & what was it?

Sunflower seeds at the market last week!

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