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Electronica
1 -- 2:20 -- mp3
One half of an independent
study project exploring the possibilities of audio software. I recorded small
segments from my keyboard synthesizer and put them all together. A spacious,
atmospheric experience of sound.
Stevie Blues -- 2:00 -- mp3
The second half of
my Independent Study project. Three layers of myself playing acoustic guitar,
looping through a modified 12-bar blues progression three times.
Planetarium -- 2:00 -- mp3
Always liked going to these, so if I was asked to create music for a show this
would be the introduction. Ah, the cosmos...
Space Factory -- 8:10 -- .zip -- 37 MB, password-protected (email me). A mix using material from a larger piece, subjected to some Max processing and filters, layered and mixed.
Session 1 :: 8:45 :: 18 MB WMA file (Surround Sound / 5.1 format, as are all these session examples).
This piece uses a simple modulating sine wave for underlying continuity. I generated this (and most of the other sounds used in the piece) with a Max patch I wrote in early 2006. I added a recording of a brass prayer bowl and layered two versions of this on top of one another to get a "3 against 2" feel by changing the speed of one of the loops (and changing the pitch to match back up). I also recorded a low vocalized "growl" through my microphone and mixer, altered the pitch and added heavy reverb, and got the resulting "groan" or chant-like sound.
The intent is to carry the listener on a rather bizarre journey through some abstract soundscapes, with the pulsating sine tone as a "lifeline" of sorts. Listening to it I would have preferred to have the sine sound separated from its mixes, to be able to mute it at certain points, but it was already included with other material. Next time I'll use more layers and simpler mixes to make my final mix, this will give more flexibility should I want to change things.
Session 2 :: 5:20 :: 16 MB WMA file
I recorded several tracks of a rather intense and dark arpeggio with an old Korg keyboard of mine. I used these tracks to fill the surround sound space, intending for the listener to feel intense, possibly confused, and definitely a bit overwhelmed. Shorter pieces of the recording were heavily modulated by playing bits of them extremely fast, generating a "bubbling" or buzzing effect which I recorded and re-layered back into the mix.
I think the slower (half-time) section in the middle is particularly effective as it breaks up the pace for awhile, then speeds back up somewhat unexpectedly (towards the end of a measure rather than on the downbeat). I added a fast solo at the end to indicate closure and tailed off with a long descending resonant filter effect :: this is one of my favorite effects in atmospheric pieces, as the slow evolution of the resonance becomes an interesting and expansive musical element in itself.
Session 3 :: 6:40 :: 20 MB WMA file
I created the basic sequences with my aging Korg synthesizer and used another early Max patch that has a built-in modulator and filter graphs to alter the layers. The first part of the piece remains fairly tame and predictable; then a bass pedal comes in to bridge the two very different sections.
The second section was intended to push the limits of what my patch could do as far as controlling the speed of looped material. By repeating a short loop and changing the looping speed dynamically I highlighted this technique as the principal tool in making the piece what it is. I also brought in some glide or portamento in the second section, because it's kind of wacky (just what I was looking for) and it (perhaps) prepares the listener for the craziness to come.
Session 4 :: 4:10 :: 11 MB WMA file
Another recorded arpeggio from the Korg provides the background and most of the material for this piece. Not wanting to simply repeat the same material at the same machine-like speed, I added freely improvised solo material on top of the swirling arpeggio tracks. The main tracks are offset from each other quasi-spontaneously, though I tried a number of offset positions before I got one that sounded rhythmically "right".
There's a few parts when things are too busy, but the space of surround sound helps alleviate this somewhat. It can be tough to get a delay / layered sound without sounding busy.
Session 5 :: 1:45 :: 6 MB WMA file
Another of my early Max patches was a spreadsheet-style sequencer that allowed the user to click and drag around the cells to activate the note data contained in each. I also created a means to automate the playback of specific rows or columns, and to scroll through them all (or a subset) if desired. I had the MIDI values turned into frequencies and played them through a truly old-school-sounding square wave generator, which wound up sounding pretty good, almost kind of "epic" (in an early-80's fashion, if that's even possible).
I layered several versions on one another and added a shortened version towards the end, keeping the later part of the sample where the syncopation increases. Not everything locked up quite how I wanted, but the overall effect of craziness and overstimulation is there.
I plan to build a much better spreadsheet-based sequencer soon. This would provide a lot of interesting possibilities for storing, viewing, and intuitively retrieving information in each cell, which getting graphical feedback as to which cell is currently playing.
Session 6 :: 2:15 :: 8 MB WMA file
Unlike most of the pieces in this set, this one does not utilize much in the way of electronically-generated sounds. The bulk of the melody is played through a keyboard using a sampled harp sound and is intended to provide a meandering, relaxing atmosphere. I coupled this melody with another sample I recorded of synthesized "pads" for harmonic support. There's a couple of sour notes as the two keys aren't *quite* precisely matched, but I think the overall pairing works well.
Session 7 :: 4:45 :: 2.5 MB WMA file
The very same old-school Max mixer I used earlier came in handy for this piece too. I was able to generate several slowly-moving arpeggio notes, play them as sine waves with several harmonics, amplitude / ring modulate them, and apply a filter graph, then record the result and gradually build up the sonic layers by adding new tones and modulations to the played-back sample.
For the surround-sound
work, I kept it simple and just used a couple versions of the already relatively-full
(previously-layered) sample and spread them out throughout the space. The
intent is to feel totally enveloped by the evolving electronic sounds. Emphasizing
lots of odd harmonics (particularly the third, fifth, and seventh) helps keep
the feel bright, unlike some electronic works which can sound dark or threatening.