Alex Retsis – Play / A Chillhop Musicdisk

Download the Play musikdisk projects here.

Hi Alex, thanks so much for sharing this project with the community. It is a complete album that anyone can load on the Play or Play+ and listen to or use as a foundation for their own ideas. What was the inspiration behind this project?

Alex: Thank you! It’s awesome to be able to share this. I’m hoping the Play community enjoys the tracks and feels inspired to listen and experiment with them. Even though I haven’t made it to Japan yet (it’s on the list!), I’ve always been deeply inspired by the art and music coming out of there. This album is really an ode to that specific mood of urban commuting—riding trains, walking in the rain, just zoning out. I actually had Japanese commuting videos playing in the background the whole time I was making these beats. Lastly, I just hope the community resonates with the concept. I’d love to see more people start sharing Play musicdisks!

This collection of chill-hop tracks is very different from your productions as Qebo, but still sounds masterfully produced. Do you have any core techniques you carry across genres for your productions? 

Alex: While it is indeed a shift from my usual Qebo work, I’ve always loved hip-hop and artists like Nujabes (which was my main inspiration for the album), so this felt very natural. As for the sound, my process is pretty grounded. I start my mixes with the low frequencies and work my way up. The biggest thing for me is translation—I check the tracks on as many systems as possible. I do work in an acoustically treated studio but I’ll also listen in the car, on headphones, and even on phone speakers just to make sure the vibe carries over, no matter how people are listening.

You used generative features in the loops to add variety for background listening. What is your favorite feature on Play when creating generative loops? 

Alex: I love Play’s whole generative arsenal, but the Texture and Chance functions were my go-tos here. They allow for these organic, subtle shifts that make the beats feel more alive, evolving. Since the goal was to create a vibe you can live in for a long time—something you can just leave running and get lost in for 20 minutes—those features were key to breaking away from a repetitive structure.

You are sharing eight sample-based tracks that the community can download and use for Play or Play+. Any tips for jamming and creating their own tracks from these? 

Alex: I made sure there’s plenty of material in there—melodies, drums, FX—so you aren’t stuck. They are designed to be flexible starting points for remixes or new ideas. I’m really hoping to see people get loose with them; hearing a MC jam over these or a turntablist cut it up or scratching along a Play, would be amazing!

What inspires you about the old-school demoscene vibe of sharing a musicdisk, and how does that translate to these songs? 

Alex: Well, I’ve been a massive fan of the demoscene since the Amiga days. I’ve always been inspired by how hardware limitations can actually spark more creativity. Also, there’s something really magical about those old musicdisks and hearing a polished track coming straight out of the instrument without any post-production or studio tricks. It feels honest, there are no hidden tricks here, just the sound of the instrument. I tried to capture that raw, standalone vibe with this project. Plus, since the Play is portable, it feels like a modern evolution of that concept—you can take the music anywhere.

 
ABOUT ALEX RETSIS

Alex Retsis [Qebo] is an electronic musician and sound designer based in Athens, Greece.

His Qebo project is known for its multi-layered and heavily processed style, combining influences from glitch, contemporary electronic & electroacoustic music. Alex has been releasing music since the early 90s, on labels such as Basic Channel, Detroit Underground, Modular Expansion and others. He has shared stages alongside artists such as Alva Noto, Richard Devine, Ryoji Ikeda, Vladislav Delay, Jamie Lidell, Fennesz, Drumcell, Laurent Garnier and others; has officially remixed music by Ryuichi Sakamoto and collaborated with artists such as William Fields, Qebrus, DEN and Valance Drakes. Alex has performed concerts and designed immersive sound installations in many European countries, including the Greek National Opera, the Institute For Contemporary Art in Berlin, at SNFCC / Greece, at PACE – De Montfort University, Thessaloniki Concert Hall, Berghain & Tresor clubs, and has participated in domestic festivals such as Synch, Bios, Mediaterra and many more.

He has designed multiple Polyend Palettes and the Cellular Spaces LP on Polyend Records.

Alex is contributing sound design and beta-testing services for audio software developers Arturia, Glitchmachines, Unfiltered Audio, Sugar Bytes, Polyend, Audiomodern, Krotos, Twisted Tools and other companies and has designed many signature sample libraries. Additionally, he frequently collaborates with German audio pioneers Native Instruments, where he provides sound design and composition services. He has provided exclusive sound design services for Bezier Animation Studio, Soundsnap and Sounds.com, the audio platform powered by Native Instruments. He recently joined the Helsinki Sound Factory team.Alex is a Lecturer for Linear Sound Design – Sound Art & Mix / Multimedia Art department at Salzburg University Of Applied Sciences and a Guest Lecturer at Berklee College Of Music.

www.alexretsis.com