Exploring Post-Rock Ambience with Pathways Reverb & Tremolo

In the two weeks since its release, we've heard many musicians use Pathways' vast sonic range across a broad spectrum of styles, from the beautiful to the bombastic. Can Pathways do rock, metal, jazz, country? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. But there are still plenty of genres left to explore, including the soaring, ambient textures of post-rock.

Let's explore how Pathways can be an excellent tool for the expansive and modulating tones of the post-rock genre. It's a primarily instrumental genre that finds its origins from some of rock's more experimental acts. Post-rock musicians often site the extended jams of bands like The Velvet Underground, Can, Public Image Ltd., Slint, and Talk Talk as early influences. Today acts like Sigur Ros, Explosions in the Sky, Caspian, and Mogwai continue the journey into vast cinematic soundscapes that often more dramatically from quiet ambience to explosive overdriven guitar.

Reverb is, of course, an essential building block within the genre. Pathways Reverbs like Hall, Plate, and Room provide perfect atmospheric backdrops for the dark, brooding guitar lines. For added texture, Pathways' Harmonic Tremolo is an excellent effect for creating a slow moving modulation effect over lingering chord pads. 

Recently, three outstanding YouTube demo artists joined forces to create a sprawling post-rock anthem using Pathways. Guitarists Mark Johnston, Andrew Schibilla (a.k.a. Ambient Endeavors), and John Bleeker (a.k.a. Signal Path) tapped into the pedal's wide range of reverb and tremolo effects to record a beautiful track that floats effortlessly between celestial ambience and fuzz-drenched aggression. The recording pairs Pathways with several different instruments, including guitar, bass, vocals, and even pedal steel.

All three of these guitarists have their own YouTube channels where they create fantastic pedal demos that lean in an ambient direction. Mark Johnston has demoed multiple Source Audio pedals in the past, including the Artifakt Lo-Fi Elements and Encounter Ambient Delay + Reverb.

Andrew Schibilla produces a series that focuses on "5 Inspiring Sounds" with any particular pedal. His demos of the Pathways and Encounter Ambient Delay + Reverb are excellent.

John Bleeker goes by the moniker of "Signal Path." His Pathways Reverb & Tremolo demo is a fabulous exploration of the pedal's "ethereal ambience."

The trio of musicians are also the hosts of an excellent new podcast called AZZC. The show focuses on a topic near and dear to our hearts: guitars and effects pedals. In episode 6 Mark, Andrew, and John talk at length about their individual experiences with Pathways and much more. Enjoy.