In The Branches is a project for ambient guitar and space music made from "live-looping" improvisations. Most ITB songs are made with one guitar at a time, and most are recorded in a single take. Some ITB songs also utilize synthesizers, voices, flutes, field recordings, and various sound design experiments. In The Branches is musician/producer Shane Cotee's most contemplative guitar-based music.
In The Branches and the related synth-based project Quiet Sector both focus on texture, atmosphere, and mood above all. There are no strict tempos or click tracks in the studio for these recordings. These are not outlets for shredding. Layers are improvised and recorded in a live manner that is often impossible to replicate (though it can be fun to try). Headphones are recommended for the most immersive stereo experience.
For more, please visit inthebranches.com or theadaptive.bandcamp.com.
Thanks a lot! Every ITB song starts with one melody (almost always improvised on the spot), then I continue live-looping and layering, with the hope that I don't destroy the layering with a catastrophic mistake (lol). Glad you're enjoying it!
I've collected a large number of pedals over the years, but the heart of ITB is two pedals: Strymon TimeLine (stereo delay) and Strymon Big Sky (stereo reverb). The day I finally had both of those pedals together was the day it all clicked into place. I also have a "secret weapon" or two, such as the Eventide PitchFactor and the Hologram Infinite Jets, which add some (often unpredictable) pitch effects and unique textures. When the mood strikes, I'll load the live guitar loops into Cakewalk Sonar (powerful, free Windows DAW) and use synths & samples for layering (such as the first two songs on Expanse Sessions III and most songs on Expanse Sessions II, Particles Collide, Vivid Memories, etc.). Hope that helps. Thanks for listening and supporting my music 🌌
Always glad to have your support, Matty (assuming I remember your name correctly). Most coworkers and random people look at me like I'm crazy when I show them these albums. The contrast between fans who "get it" and everyone else is pretty jarring and makes me self-conscious about my art. I'm sure many other artists can relate, but it's a strange feeling that occasionally gets relieved by a positive RU-vid comment (like yours) or a Bandcamp purchase. Thank you for your encouragement and your reminders that the hard work of recording & releasing albums is not for nothing.
1. We Saw the World (The Adaptive Remix) 00:00 2. Midnight In Featherville 04:59 3. Sunshine and the CMB 10:52 4. Darker Skies 16:25 5. The Perfect Storm (How Can I Not Miss You) 20:07 6. There Will Always Be Fire 28:30 7. The Lonely Station 38:56 8. Sky Patterns 44:49 9. Rise and Fall 51:42
Yes, I've been meaning to re-make this video as a 4K version without red flashes. It was a bug in the Red Giant video effects I used at the time. One of these days, you'll get a nice new version :)
The digital version comes with ultra-high-resolution cover artwork and three other variations of the cover design, but no digital booklet. theadaptive.bandcamp.com/album/wilderness-time-2021-edition
Thank you. "The Celestial Source" is my favorite, too. It's a live recording made only from one guitar, a loop pedal, and a few effects pedals. I don't know if it can be re-created! That would be a big challenge. A new album (Carpathian Dreams) has been released, and I'm working on the full-album video for it. Two new singles are also out on Bandcamp: theadaptive.bandcamp.com/
Wow. So calming and peaceful. Haven’t heard since last May 2022. And I just read your Channel description now, definitely gotta try with headphones on. This music is a trip 🤯🔭🌲🎸It feels super nice coming back to this stuff!!
I haven't cried for so long, but when listening to the album, I cried like a child. This is the saddest and most impressive thing I've discovered lately. Thank you, you're a wizard.
Thank you very much. I often write my (subjectively) saddest songs without realizing it at all, just playing the notes and following instincts, not consciously trying to convey a specific feeling and not thinking much about it during the process. The song's meaning usually reveals its true self to me later, after I've forgotten about the process of making it. Sadness is the main quality that makes music meaningful and beautiful to me, so I really appreciate the comment.
Thank you! I call this style of music at least a few names: Ambient Guitar, Instrumental Ambient, Ambient Post-Rock. You may also enjoy Hammock, Robin Guthrie, Jeff Pearce, Billow Observatory, Stars of the Lid, A Winged Victory for the Sullen, Hotel Neon, The Sound of Rescue, Sigur Ros
Returning once again to make a comment, I absolutely love love love your work I am a musician, very high caliber. What I’m trying to say by that is not that it takes a lot for me to be pleased but it’s nice to be pleased by somebody who is a master what they do these are expertly crafted pieces better than a lot of junk. That’s out there and there is junk, I mean it’s all relaxing and stuff but this is just a craft that requires intelligence in an understanding of the equipment and everything and just love your work my brother would love to work with you one day, but either way I still love your work
Big thanks for the comment, my friend. I've always been shy and hesitant about sharing my music, but feedback like that reminds me why I do all the hard work of finishing and releasing albums to the public. From a quick look at your videos, a collaboration between our styles could be something very special indeed. Keep in touch!
Discovered you this morning... there are many more albums by this artist on Spotify, now on replay echoing throughout the halls in my home. ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFULLY HAUNTING ENCHANTING MYSTERIOUS JOYFUL... MUSIC 🎶
Shane I’m a professional musician and I love to get knocked out by other people and you do that. I really respect your work and your ability to make it not sound like a keyboard or a guitar orchestra. It’s just, well, your music just sounds it’s there. It takes me away from the analytical. It takes me to a beautiful place where I can actually enjoy sound and not think about how somebody’s doing it, what they’re doing or whatever I like to be taken away and I know it’s always a great complement one. Another position can be taken away and I give you that but I am interested in your set up on Guitar. You must have 1 million pedals is there a particular one or particular ones that you really like?
Thank you for the generous comment, Martin! I'm finishing up a new album and can't wait to share it (Soundcloud first, then Bandcamp, then RU-vid + globally). To answer your question, the main pedals that unlocked In The Branches for me were two specific types of effects: 1) A stereo delay pedal with a looper (Strymon TimeLine) and 2) A lush stereo reverb (Strymon Big Sky). When I found out the TimeLine looper had no tempo sync, I was disappointed for a moment. Then I tried it out, and found a nearly unlimited source of musical inspiration, drawing on decades of self-teaching and freely playing guitar for countless hours over many years. I've been investing into VST plugins like the SoundToys collection, many Waves plugins, and 2-C Audio Aether (top-notch software reverb, recommended). On my upcoming album "Carpathian Dreams", you'll hear the result of these new combinations of effects.
@@martinespinomusic I've been taking a break from performing live, but may get back to it soon. There's still a ton of unreleased In The Branches material waiting to be mastered and released, so that keeps me occupied outside of the day job. Stay tuned for a new release tomorrow :)
I've been meaning to do that for ages, but have been holding back since I wanted to remaster the album with new studio equipment. Perfectionism strikes again, hmm. I'll try to get it on Spotify this month. Thanks for the reminder!
Thanks a lot, I'm glad you're enjoying it. Erik Wollo once said something like, "Making a song 100% perfect takes away its humanity. I try to stop at 98%." I keep that in mind while editing these live improvisations into albums.
@In The Branches I agree. In an age of AI and perceived perfection, a little bit of real human touch is refreshing. Listening to your works has inspired me to take a look again at music I have written and left in the hard disk for ages. Back then, I was merely using keyboards and sounds on Garageband. I recently purchased a Neuneber Immerse MK 2 and have since resumed work on my compositions. Thank you for the nudge. ✌️
As a metal head, metal music has come to a pause. Ambient music changed a part of me and my daily routine. I so want to play this kind of music now. Let’s see if I can one day get all the instruments I need to perform such masterpiece
Same here! There's just something about going from one extreme to the other. I feel like it balances me out. Stupid I know but it's the only way I can describe it.
Go grab a volume pedal, a versatile looper. The timeline is great because it’s a delay and looper and then grab yourself a big sky reverb. Just those pedals alone will work wonders. Also a preamp pedal upfront. Strymon Makes a great pedal called the iridium Strymon, big sky, Strymon timeline, iridium, volume pedal I’m telling you. And you’re off Throwing the VST synthesizer Something simple for pads
Light music like this influences metal music. No reason to confine yourself to one thing only but we will never not be a part of the music community we love
Moodiest chords as someone said before in a comment, describe it perfectly “this music makes you yearn for a place you’ve never been”. Said so perfectly.
