Sometimes the best music comes from the most unexpected constraints. When Alex Rodriguez (known online as "SynthWave Alex") pulled up ComposerDeck on a rainy Tuesday evening, he had no idea that a random challenge would lead to his biggest hit yet. "Neon Memories," the track that emerged from that session, has now garnered over 2 million streams and landed him a record deal. Here's the complete story of how creative constraints became creative freedom.
The Challenge That Started It All
ComposerDeck Challenge #47291
Musical Constraints:
- • Key: F# Minor
- • Tempo: 85 BPM
- • Time Signature: 7/8
- • Must include: Arpeggiated synth
- • Forbidden: Traditional drums
Creative Prompt:
"Create a track that sounds like driving through a cyberpunk city at 3 AM, but the city is slowly being reclaimed by nature."
"I almost skipped this one. 7/8 time? 85 BPM? It felt impossible for synthwave. But something about that prompt—the image of nature reclaiming a cyberpunk city—it just stuck with me."
Meet the Artist
Alex Rodriguez (@SynthWaveAlex)
Based in Portland, Oregon, Alex has been producing electronic music for eight years. What started as bedroom production has evolved into a unique sound that blends classic synthwave with experimental elements. Before "Neon Memories," his tracks typically garnered 10,000-50,000 streams.
Setup
- • Ableton Live 11
- • Novation Bass Station II
- • Arturia MicroFreak
- • Various VSTs
Influences
- • Carpenter Brut
- • Perturbator
- • Boards of Canada
- • Aphex Twin
"I'd been in a creative rut for months. Everything I made sounded like everything else I'd made. ComposerDeck forced me out of my comfort zone in the best possible way."
SynthWave Alex
Portland, OR
By the Numbers
The Creative Process: From Constraint to Hit
Hour 1: Wrestling with 7/8
"My first instinct was to ignore the 7/8 time signature. I spent 45 minutes trying to make it work in 4/4, but it felt forced. Then I remembered something my music theory teacher said: 'Constraints aren't limitations—they're creative catalysts.'"
The Breakthrough Moment
Alex started counting in 7/8 while walking around his studio: "1-2-3-4-5-6-7, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7." Suddenly, he heard it—not as a broken 4/4, but as its own unique rhythm.
Pattern: KICK-hat-SNARE-hat-kick-HAT-rest
Hours 2-3: Building the Foundation
The Arpeggio
Using his MicroFreak, Alex created a haunting F# minor arpeggio that seemed to "breathe" with the 7/8 rhythm. The constraint of including an arpeggiated synth became the track's emotional core.
The "No Drums" Solution
Instead of traditional drums, Alex layered organic percussion: finger snaps, pencil taps on his desk, and the sound of rain from his window—perfectly fitting the "nature reclaiming the city" theme.
Hours 4-6: The Magic Happens
"This is where the track really came alive. I started layering textures that represented both the cyberpunk city and the encroaching nature."
Cyberpunk Elements
- • Gated reverb synths
- • Distorted bass
- • Glitchy effects
- • Neon-bright leads
Nature Elements
- • Field recordings
- • Organic percussion
- • Filtered bird sounds
- • Wind textures
The Blend
- • Pitch-shifted vocals
- • Granular synthesis
- • Convolution reverb
- • Spectral filtering
The Breakthrough: When Everything Clicked
"Around hour 5, I was layering this field recording of wind through trees over the main synth line. I pitched it down an octave and suddenly it sounded like the city itself was breathing. That's when I knew I had something special."
The "Breathing City" Effect
Alex discovered that by sidechaining the wind texture to the kick pattern, he could make the entire track pulse like a living organism. The 7/8 time signature, initially a constraint, became the track's unique "heartbeat."
The Emotional Core
The F# minor arpeggio, processed through multiple delay lines, created a sense of nostalgia and melancholy that perfectly captured the "memories" aspect of the eventual title.
Technical Breakdown: How It's Made
Track Structure
Key Production Techniques
-
1
Polyrhythmic LayeringDifferent elements in different subdivisions of 7/8
-
2
Spectral MorphingGradual transformation from synthetic to organic
-
3
Dynamic SidechainingCreating the "breathing" effect
Sound Design Elements
From Bedroom to Billboard
The Release Strategy
Alex initially uploaded "Neon Memories" to SoundCloud with minimal expectations. He tagged it with #ComposerDeckChallenge and shared the story of how the constraints led to the creation.
"I almost didn't release it. It was so different from my usual stuff. But my girlfriend convinced me to share the story behind it."
The Viral Moment
A popular synthwave YouTube channel discovered the track and featured it in a "Hidden Gems" playlist. The unique 7/8 time signature and the story behind its creation caught listeners' attention.
Success Metrics
Lessons from Alex's Journey
Embrace the Weird
"The constraints that seem most limiting often lead to the most innovative solutions. 7/8 time felt impossible until it became the track's signature."
Story Matters
"People connected with the story of how the track was made almost as much as the music itself. The creative process became part of the art."
Constraints = Freedom
"Having boundaries actually freed me to explore. Instead of infinite possibilities paralyzing me, the constraints gave me a clear direction."
What's Next for Alex
Current Projects
- • Full album based on ComposerDeck challenges
- • Collaboration with other constraint-based artists
- • Live performances featuring the 7/8 material
- • YouTube series on creative constraints
Advice for Producers
"Don't skip the challenges that seem impossible. Those are often the ones that will teach you the most and lead to your most unique work. ComposerDeck didn't just give me a hit—it gave me a new way of thinking about music."
Ready to Find Your Own "Neon Memories"?
Alex's story proves that the most unexpected constraints can lead to the most extraordinary music. What will your next ComposerDeck challenge inspire?