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parallel worlds
I created this piece for an ambient/downtempo compilation for the netlabel deep lever which was released in July of 2009. The streaming version that plays here has been optimized for playback on small computer speakers. To download the original mix, right or command click on the song title above.
composition notesThis is a very simple drone tonality based around D and G. Each layer has it's own pulse - either rhythmic or harmonic - which lends the whole piece a wavy, watery feel.
technical notes
This was done using Pro Tools and Reason with plug-ins from Waves, Izotope, Focusrite and others. The main instrument is a bansuri - an Indian bamboo flute. That, the bass and the bells are real, all else is synthetic.
the day before sunday
This grew out of some experiements I was doing with shifting rhythms. It developed in a completely different direction than expected and I have no idea how to describe the style.
composition notesMost times I have a clear sound picture of a piece when I start. This one was different in that I worked on it in pieces, never quite knowing where they would all lead. Harmonically it explores different overtones present in the gongs and bells that I used. Some of the background elements are pitched significantly higher than the 'western' notes they correspond to in order to fit the overtones. Rhythmically the whole piece is based on the juxtaposition of duple and tuple meters - at first implying 12/8 then reverting later to a 4/4 pulse.
technical notes
This was done using Pro Tools, Reason and the MOTU Ethno instrument. The saxophone, bass, temple bowl, and several gongs are live, the rest are samples or synths. There are two trombone notes that I 'borrowed' from Still Life - volume one. This track utilizes some of my 'tricks' - including the use of delayed bass guitar to create the underlying rhythm track, separating elements of a loop so that each part can be manipulated individually and 'RE-reverbing' (or reverb2) which involves taking a snippet of recorded material and passing it through the same reveb many times. This was used to create the texture at the very beginning and owes a certain debt to Alvin Lucier's 'I am sitting in a room'.
Beltane
I woke up with this song in my head shortly after reading 'The Mists of Avalon' which is an interesting re-telling of the Arthurian legends by Marion Zimmer Bradley. There is much made in the book about the celebration and ritual of beltane. I wanted to play upon the imagery of dancing with wild abandon around a fire. I also wanted to refer to something like what might be found in a possession ceremony - the idea that the dancing leads to a trance state and a sense of union with a higher spirit. The piece builds and dies down again implying the arrival and departure of this spirit.
composition notesCompositionally, the piece is rather direct and simple. It came to me in pretty much complete form, so other than finding appropriate sounds I didn't really change anything too much. Obviously rhythm is the most important element. I wanted it to feel natural and also give the impression that the singing and drumming were done by a large group.
technical notes
This is a mix of live and sampled percussion, live vocals, bass, and a variety of wood flutes with layered synth textures. I was hesitant to use the synths fearing that it would ruin the organic character I was striving for. Ultimately, though, they are a good representation to me of an intoxicated sense of heightened awareness. In that state one becomes hyper-aware of sound and even the humming of our blood and nervous system takes on a layered, textural aspect. This was all recorded using Pro Tools and Reason with the MOTU Ethno instrument for some of the drum sounds.
Invocation
This is a short piece that I wrote as an introduction to a recording by trombone virtuoso Jim Pugh and the talented Australian singer Kristin Berardi. The goal of this piece was to introduce the various instruments that we would be using throughout the CD and to 'invoke' a sort of blessing on musicians and listeners alike. It begins as one note, one point in space, then opens up both in width (stereo spectrum) and in height (pitch) in an attempt to 'open up' the ears of the listener to the full sonic field in which the music will take place.
composition notesI used common tones to develop the harmony of this piece and to let it grow with each chord. It starts with a single note (E) over which Kristin sings a four-note melody quoted from her beautiful tune 'Esta' which closes the CD. A second note is added (C) which implies C Major. A lower note (F) is added to these to imply F major. The F becomes the common tone as the vibes and guitar enter and this entire F7sus chord is then suspended over moving roots with the entrance of bass and trombone. This polytonality is continued as more instruments enter with each chord being sustained and superimposed over the next. The last chord incorporates all of the notes heard during the piece (except for the beginning E) and leads seamlessly into the next song harmonically and with the rhythmic pulsing of the held notes implying the new tempo.
technical notes
This was recorded at Clinton Studios in Manhattan by Troy Halderson with Bryan Smith assisting. In addition to Jim and Kristin, it features Nelson on harmonium, Mike Pearce on bass, Gerry Leonard on acoustic guitar and Nick Mancini on vibes. I overdubbed sustained clarinet and duduk notes. We subtly used an extremely long reverb (12 seconds or so) to sustain the notes of each chord to sound over the next. This adds pitch to the sound of the room which lends a 'ghost' harmony effect to the orchestration.
Afterglow
This is a sound cue I created for the Modern Theater of Myth performance of Greg Dinunzi's piece 'The Fourth Wise Man.' Greg's direction to me was that it should sound like 'seeing stars after having just been punched in the face.' I'll leave it up to you to decide if I was successful in capturing that!
composition notesSince this piece had to act as both underscore and the last sound cue of the play I decided to use a drone so it could be both active and subtle. I chose F as it can be relatively bright sounding, then floated a surprising variety of notes over top of that including C, G, Eb, Bb, Ab, D, Db and even B. I chose the tambura as a foundation sound as I felt the ringing overtones helped keep the sound bright and sparkling.
technical notes
This is a combination of live sounds from bass and voice and samples from SampleTank and Reason brought together in Pro Tools. I wanted to create an indistinct blend of processed and real sounds to create a lot of movement and keep the texture interesting. This movement is most apparent on the tambura sample during the fade out. Greg referred to that as my 'DNA spiral' panning trick which is accomplished by placing an auto-pan (in this case the Waves Mondo Mod) on the pre-fader reverb send.
do stuff
This is a bit of tongue-in-cheek techno. It arose out of a little song I sing to myself on the rare occasions when I am 'fired-up' with tons of energy and doing something like cleaning or painting. "I gotta go, go, go. I gotta do stuff, do stuff, do stuff." I always thought it would make a good techno song, so I finally decided to try it. Naturally, I had to use some of the 'genre cliches' for it to be effective, including the obligatory 'dental drill' solo. It was fun to make and maybe it might even inspire someone else to 'do stuff'.
composition notesI don't know what there is to say. I mean, it is what it is. No anaylsis necessary!
technical notes
This was done primarily in Reason, which is a great tool for such things. There is a little bit of real bass guitar and of course the vocals are real (yeah, real BAD!). Otherwise it is all synthetic. Including the dental drill.