Sampling maestros Slate and Ash put movement at the forefront of their hotly anticipated fourth release, Choreographs. Hardware synth samples blend with organic sources to create a myriad of pads, sequences, sound design, keys, drums, and plenty more. All of them are dancing to their own beat, be that a slow and subtle waltz, or a lively, melodic cha cha, all the way to frenetic and disjointed raving.

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Checking Out: Choreographs by Slate and Ash

Slate and Ash might not be the most prolific sample library developers out there, but they more than make up for it with the sheer quality and ingenuity of their products. Will Slater, Simon Ashdown, and James Worster have expanded from creating private collections for the likes of the sadly missed Johann Johannsson, Ben Salisbury, and Geoff Barrow, to a commercial collection of four Kontakt sample libraries. Aura focused on shapeshifting textures and pads, Cycles on loops and granular sequencing, and Landforms on new orchestral explorations. To an extent, the Bristol studio’s latest release, Choreographs, has a broader remit and is somewhat of a chameleon, in being a drum machine, granular processor, next-level sampler, key designer, effects machine, and a complex sequencer all in one. It features the guiding principles of the Slate and Ash approach – inventive source material that is beautifully recorded, a complex and malleable Kontakt engine, superbly curated presets, and an overall playfulness that results in inspiring creative serendipity.

Main Interface

Choreographs normally sells for £249 from Slate and Ash

Thoughts

In many ways, Choreographs is a tour de force in what can be accomplished within Kontakt. I’ve seen many aspects of the engine in other libraries, but never so many of them all put together to work so elegantly and harmoniously. There are a number of things, such as the way Sweep controls the speed over time of the arpeggiator, the way randomization is implemented, and the ingenious locking of pitch variations to scale that I have rarely encountered before. Other things, whilst nothing new, are unique in implementation. Here I am mainly thinking about how assigning modulation to a destination automatically displays the source and also the slightly brain-frying programming options for the Euclidean sequencer.

Euclidean Sequencer

The single-page interface belies an extreme level of complexity and until you have dedicated quite some time to it, it can feel a little daunting, especially with no reference manual included (although there is a video tutorial on their website). However, it is a typical synth engine at heart, with additional effects and sequencing, and any slight confusion might simply come down to the rather abstract naming Slate and Ash like to use. For instance, Clone is essentially chorus and Modal is a rather advanced Flanger. One thing about using it, which is less criticism and more an observation, is that there can be quite a lot of clicking involved back and forth across the interface for deeper programming and a keen eye needs to be kept on the light grey box, so you know exactly what it is you are tweaking.

I could wax lyrical for some time about the playability and cleverness of the engine, not forgetting the classy graphics and cool animations, but what really makes Choreographs so special are the source samples. They cover a wealth of hardware synth sounds which are deftly backed up with found sounds, acoustic instruments, and drum machines. I especially liked how, across all source mediums, there are so many atonal and noise samples; they add a layer of gritty ear candy that can be hugely effective. With over 8000 samples and an unbelievable amount of modulation on offer, it’s not difficult to create very bespoke sounds. Of course, for the ultimate individuality, you can simply import your own samples too and get mangling! If programming is not your thing, then the well-curated engine states and extensive presets have much to offer.

Sound Source Menu

With Choreographs, Slate and Ash cement their status as one of the most adventurous samplists out there and arguably the leading boutique developer on the globe. In contrast to their more focused previous releases, this one is more varied in what it can give you. Pads, keys, arps, sound design, atmospheres, basses, drums, and pulses abound. What ties them all together is the pursuit of inspiring new sounds in constant motion that we might well expect from composers that are part of the ever-boundary-pushing Bristol music scene. Choreographs dances across time, pitch, space, and shape, and might also be dancing straight onto your hard drive.

Facts

22 GB of content

8387 samples

427 sample sources – analogue, digital, and modular synthesisers, drum machines, acoustic instruments, and noise layers

661 engine preset patches

122 curated engine states

Kontakt player for VST, AU and AAX

NKS compatible

Sells for £249 plus sales tax. Everything bundle, including Choreographs, is available for £699 plus sales tax

Choreographs normally sells for £249 from Slate and Ash

Demos of Choreographs by Slate and Ash

Videos of Choreographs by Slate and Ash

Contributor Sam Burt reviews Choreographs by Slate and Ash
“Sampling maestros Slate and Ash put movement at the forefront of their hotly anticipated fourth release, Choreographs. Hardware synth samples blend with organic sources to create a myriad of pads, sequences, sound design, keys, drums and plenty more. All of them are dancing to their own beat, be that a slow and subtle waltz, or a lively, melodic cha cha, all the way to frenetic and disjointed raving.”