KVR Audio

herodotus · Post by **herodotus** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:26 am

This is probably the thing I have written that comes closest to reaching a few of my musical goals.

It has a very complex rhythmic and metrical structure. Explaining it would be tiresome, but the essence of it is that it is a series of exact musical mirrors: a series of polyrhythmic cycles, expressed both with pitch and rhythm. Blah, blah.

But when I say exact, I mean exact. Like:

This was originally written for string quartet, but I have discovered that it works much better with tuned percussion. Which makes sense, as it was written when I was really listening a great deal to the Balinese Gender Wajang recordings made by Mantle Hood (long since lost)

.

Anyway:

http://www.realmusicmedia.com/a_fearful_symmetry.mp3

shamann · Post by **shamann** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:50 am

The interweaving rhythms are mesmerizing. Kind of the musical equivalent of getting stuck in the thickets.

The gamelan-like sound reminds me a lot of some of Danny Elfman's score work, which isn't bad, but maybe too remindful. Did you try it out on piano at all? Or maybe a different pitched percussive, like marimbas?

All in all a really lovely piece, John. I've become a big fan of your fast-paced rhythm pieces like this.

TotcProductions · Post by **TotcProductions** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:50 am

Very impressive.

Almost as impressed as everyone is going to be when I start using the word "Labrynthine" tomorrow.

Seriously though, very well played. Extremely tight rhythm going there.

Only problem I have with it is that I now feel a little uncomfortable, dazed, and confused....like i just did some hallucinagenic drug or something.

shamann · Post by **shamann** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 2:23 pm

Listened again. Still mesmerized.

herodotus · Post by **herodotus** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 3:21 pm

TotcProductions wrote:Very impressive.

Thanks for listening!

shamann wrote:Listened again. Still mesmerized.

Thanks much, Steve.

respirator · Post by **respirator** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 3:23 pm

Very, very interesting John! I love this kind of formalistic stuff. I would love to hear this played by a couple of good percussionists on real instruments (I take it that this is sampled stuff - if not I'm sorry and impressed).

Thomas

DWb · Post by **DWb** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 3:31 pm

That's cool! Sounds a bit like one of the John Cage prepared piano pieces that I can't remember the name of.

vurt · Post by **vurt** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 3:31 pm

nice work,very crisp sounds.
gettin some distortion tho?is anyone else or have i blown something

TotcProductions · Post by **TotcProductions** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 7:17 pm

vurt wrote:nice work,very crisp sounds.
gettin some distortion tho?is anyone else or have i blown something

Leave it to vurt to turn a perfectly good thread into a dirty subliminal reference.

or was it me that just did that by stating such...

herodotus · Post by **herodotus** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:07 pm

respirator wrote:Very, very interesting John! I love this kind of formalistic stuff. I would love to hear this played by a couple of good percussionists on real instruments (I take it that this is sampled stuff - if not I'm sorry and impressed).

Thomas

Yes those are samples (plugsound free in fact).

I might be able to play the parts (though it has been years since I have touched any tuned percussion) but I certainly don't have a Marimba, a Celesta, and a xylophone.

Thanks for listening!

DWb wrote:That's cool! Sounds a bit like one of the John Cage prepared piano pieces that I can't remember the name of.

Thanks!

vurt wrote:nice work,very crisp sounds.
gettin some distortion tho?is anyone else or have i blown something

I don't think there is any distortion per se, but there is a horrendous buildup in the high mids with tuned percussion of this sort.

Some patient eqing is probably in order.

Thanks for listening!

respirator · Post by **respirator** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:09 pm

herodotus wrote:I might be able to play the parts (though it has been years since I have touched any tuned percussion) but I certainly don't have a Marimba, a Celesta, and a xylophone.

I think you'd be more than able. And you need those instruments! Know I WANT to hear this live...

herodotus · Post by **herodotus** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 12:54 am

respirator wrote: Know I WANT to hear this live...

Me too!!

ugo · Post by **ugo** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 3:30 am

wow, that was very, very cool.

-ugo

herodotus · Post by **herodotus** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:20 pm

ugo wrote:wow, that was very, very cool.

-ugo

Thanks, Ugo!

runagate · Post by **runagate** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:25 pm

A gong performance J.L.Borges would love.
I'm impressed that it has the mesmerizing effect without the microntonal shimmer of gamelan.
I really really like this song!

polyrhythmic percussion piece