PaprTape
The gentle side
of a Freak
Having worked on projects in New York, Taiwan, and Beijing, Tony Yang AKA PaprTape weaves pads and sounds of the urban environment into a kaleidoscope of soothing yet powerful ambience.
We caught up with him to talk about how he utilized MicroFreak’s capabilities for Burberry’s sensual ad campaign.
A teleporting soul
Sound and music have a huge power to move and transport us to different places.
”I think sound and music have a very intimate relationship with each other, together with the moving picture. That’s where they manifest into an expressive art form, which can take the audience to another world.”
PaprTape’s soundscapes create a future nostalgia of the present moment that aches in a beautiful way.
Bringing out visions
The producer’s music portfolio teems with visionary fashion brands and audio experts, including brands like Marshall.
”I got this project through my friend Jerry. One day, he just started doing videos for Burberry. Burberry’s a prestigious brand, and they’re constantly pushing boundaries.”
For a revolutionary synth like MicroFreak to accompany such a groundbreaking, elegant brand, it was a match made in heaven.
With MicroFreak’s diverse sound palette ready to be exploited, artistic exchange becomes a joyful ride:
”We worked back and forth with different concepts, different ideas, different musical genres, until we came up with something that we both are satisfied with, and feel that fits Burberry’s image.”
Inner states
Finding a sound that appropriately reflects an inner state can become a daunting journey, but when sonic exploration is that easy, the right solution is always around the corner.
”During the scene, where the actress was in a state of confusion and coming to a realization, that’s where I used MicroFreak to create scratch-like sound effects.”
Thanks to its versatile digital oscillator, rare sounds are easy to discover. Plus, you can virtually rewire and reconfigure its signal chain and controls with the 5x7 modulation matrix, opening the way to even bigger sonic dreams.
”Because MicroFreak has four voices, I find that it’s also very easy to create pads. That can blend very well in the environment.”
The dreamy and omniscient nature of the sound in the Burberry’s Olympia Bag campaign is what mesmerizes its audience. With 16 Oscillator modes including 5 bespoke Arturia engines, 7 modes from Mutable Instruments, and 3 Oscillator modes designed with Noise Engineering, MicroFreak is sure to bring out any artistic vision to life.
A seeker’s
”For me, sound is a form of expression and something that, for some reason, I’m just obsessed with.”
The hardware synth rewards the curious - that’s why we included modes like Wavetable, KarplusStrong, Harmonic Oscillator, and Superwave.
But starting simple is what can often lead to magic.
”The luxury of having so many tools and technology - we can really get lost. Sometimes, it could be just easier to find something you’re comfortable with, and just go from there.”
An easy-to-use compact tool is perfect for moments when producers feel overwhelmed, and the innovative Spice and Dice sequencer serves to get any producer out of a stagnant funk.
”Having an instrument that is easy to carry around and it’s easy to use really allows me to connect and work with other people. And it helps us to share ideas with the rest of the world.”