Hi,

Im trying to figure out this song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klxai9aaxUw

Are they doing stuff with chromatism, or is it all within a key, with modulation to another key or something?!

They move (modulate) between major and minor versions of the key. The A section with the main melody (Parliament Do That Stuff sample) is major, then it shifts to minor for the B vocoded-vocal section - it's a common trick but I'm a sucker for this kind of modulation, so it's no surprise to me that I love this song.

cool, thank you

do you know other examples with this "composing trick"?

If there's a songwriting technique that works, you can bet your butt the Beatles used it: http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/foth.shtml

Also, do a search on chromatic mediant on Google - basically it's dipping into the other mode for a single chord using either the mediant (III) or submediant (VI). Peggy Sue uses this - occasionally the term "Peggy Sue chord" pops up. Depeche Mode's Enjoy the Silence is another example.

And then there is the evil "wave your lighters in the air" IVm chord in a major key - the power balladeer's chord of choice.

Thank you, I will check that out.

Is the a major part somewhat in mixolydian mode? I think a major second fits more than a minor second between the g and a, no?

"fool on the hill"

"The mode changes abruptly to minor as we enter the refrain, and the effect is quite chilling"

this is cool stuff indeed, I had not heard that track before

I'm guessing it's not in the raised submediant major of C# minor so probably call it Bb not A#.

Cool track.

if you sign up at royksopp.com one of the Tracks Of The Month (free member downloads) is an instrumental version of Happy Up Here

does this use the same technique?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4S4fJ1qQjU