Long Island Sound on Textures, Hardware and the Story Behind 'CV / Gate'
- Undrtone Blog
- Sep 24
- 4 min read
Long Island Sound have built their reputation on sweeping, emotive techno that balances power with nuance. Over the course of a decade, Rob Roche and Tim Nolan have transitioned from Dublin’s underground scene to stages across Europe, while developing a sound that fuses hardware grit with a finely tuned sense of atmosphere.
Their journey has been steady but deliberate. From early shows in Dublin to their appearances in Berlin and festival takeovers, the pair has always pushed their craft forward. Their label, Signs of Space, has become a natural extension of that vision, uniting artwork and music under a tightly curated aesthetic. 2024’s full-length ‘Hydra’ confirmed them as one of Ireland’s most compelling electronic exports, praised for its depth and emotional scope.
This year has only expanded their reach. Long Island Sound have headlined across Europe, from Prague to Dublin to London’s iconic fabric, while hosting Signs of Space takeovers at UK festivals and continuing their celebrated run at Dublin club Tengu. Now they turn their focus back to the label with their new single ‘CV / Gate’.
Underneath its dark, cosmic pulse, ‘CV / Gate’ reveals one of the duo’s most introspective works to date. Razor-sharp basslines and spidery synths collide with brittle hi-hats and swirling melodic fragments, gathering and dispersing like fleeting memories. “Loads of automation, loads of takes,” they explain. “Most of the sounds in ‘CV / Gate’ come from the MS1. Since it’s so tactile, there’s loads of fluidity if you physically control the parameters on the synth while recording, making it sound very expressive. Little intuitive movements give it a human feel. The chord progression also adds an emotional touch, while the energy comes from the grit, drive and repetition.”
That human element is something they have always worked hard to preserve. Their productions carry a dreamy, textured feel that comes less from specific machines and more from their approach to sound design. “Rather than any particular piece of equipment, the techniques we use probably form the backbone of our productions,” they say. “The textured feel comes from our use of FX inside and outside of the box. We like our sounds to be quite wet and dynamic. Through using FX sends and FX racks, we like turning basic sounds into something more complex.”
Still, hardware remains central. The MS1 and Monopoly synths are favourites, the former for its versatility, the latter for its fat, rounded low end and punchy plucks. More recently, they have been experimenting with the Zen Delay. “We’ve been using it non-stop. It’s great for creating weird and wonderful textures,” they add.
Their creative process is fluid, often shifting depending on the spark of the moment. Sometimes it starts with a half-formed idea brought to the studio, often accompanied by a jam session, or sometimes with a simple drum loop. “The first piece is usually rhythmic, whether it’s a simple riff or drum loop,” they explain. “Something with a pulse.”
That pulse feeds directly into their live shows, which have been key in shaping their studio work. “While we were rehearsing for the first live show, we were able to look at some tracks in a different light,” they recall. “For example, the main riff in ‘Tide’ was added with the live show in mind. We’ve also been able to adjust the structure of tracks after getting audience feedback during the live shows. Since then, the way we track synths in the studio has also changed. We just record, record, record, and chop it up.”
Their mixdowns are equally methodical, built on years of trial and error. “Dance music requires tight mixes, so that your tunes can stand on a par with whatever tracks are being played alongside them,” they say. “We’ve always preferred to mix ourselves so that we could learn, which means we run the risk of making mistakes. But mistakes are part of growing.”
That spirit carried into their high-profile remix work, with reimaginings for Kassian and even Depeche Mode. “They’re not totally different to writing originals,” they explain. “We bounced melodic stems to different synths, so we could use the melodies on different instruments. Sometimes we don’t keep a lot of the source material, but we try to keep the feeling of the original tracks.”
With ‘CV / Gate’, Long Island Sound continue their evolution. It is a track that captures everything that makes them distinctive: emotive yet physical, detailed yet raw, human yet designed for the club. Signs of Space remains the perfect vehicle, with the artwork for the release even tied to the gear used to create it. “The frequency of the synth was used to trigger the exposure flicker of the visuals,” they explain, linking sound and vision in a uniquely personal way.
From their early days in Dublin to their current standing in Europe’s techno landscape, Roche and Nolan have remained committed to one thing: creating electronic music that moves both body and mind. With ‘CV / Gate’, they may have found their sharpest balance yet.
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