https://soundcloud.com/chameleon-music/ ... n-daydream
‘Subterranean Daydreams’ is based on Stuart Fowkes's field recording of an S- bahn journey from Reeperbahn to Stadthausbrucke.
The music is meant to portray the imaginary adventure taking place inside the head of one of the travellers.
Stuart's field Recording:
audioboom.com/boos/2591323-s-bah…reeperbahn-hamburg
It was composed as one of two tracks I contributed to the HAMBURG SOUND MAP project on the 'Cities and Memory' site.
More here:
citiesandmemory.com/2014/10/hamburg-sound-map/
Subterranean Daydreams
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- KVRian
- 1181 posts since 6 Jun, 2002 from Southern Germany
the title of the thread interested me. and I was not disappointed as I listened.
very well done. what you have described is very well executed. a good connection of ambient sounds and Musical elements. I felt the rush.
cheers
wolf
very well done. what you have described is very well executed. a good connection of ambient sounds and Musical elements. I felt the rush.
cheers
wolf
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- KVRAF
- 11504 posts since 13 Mar, 2009 from UK
It all seems to fit together quite seamlessly. It's got a rhythmic urgency, as if a deadline needs to be met at the end of the journey. I thought the wub bass worked very well in this context, and the Rhodes "jam" section was very effective.
Good work
Good work
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 893 posts since 12 Jun, 2006
@Seismic1:
Thanks for that feedback - very useful and very much appreciated.
Trying to enhance someone else's field recording with my music was an unusual and challenging task and the fact that you thought it all fit together seamlessly // had rhythmic urgency // and you understood the end of the journey bit of the story is seriously great!
Mark
Thanks for that feedback - very useful and very much appreciated.
Trying to enhance someone else's field recording with my music was an unusual and challenging task and the fact that you thought it all fit together seamlessly // had rhythmic urgency // and you understood the end of the journey bit of the story is seriously great!
Mark
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- KVRAF
- 6322 posts since 18 Jul, 2008 from New York
Overall this is a strong piece. The notion of speed is conveyed very effectively. Maybe the sound design could be improved.
That techno loop is kind of noisy making this a little harsh sounding. I'm not convinced that the 70s style Rhodes blends well with the 90s style techno loop. Maybe a more synthy lead would have fit better. The keyboard playing is quite good.
I am not crazy about the cinematic sci-fi hits throughout since they are a cliche. I realize they signify dramatic changes but I would have preferred a different, less familiar sound.
That techno loop is kind of noisy making this a little harsh sounding. I'm not convinced that the 70s style Rhodes blends well with the 90s style techno loop. Maybe a more synthy lead would have fit better. The keyboard playing is quite good.
I am not crazy about the cinematic sci-fi hits throughout since they are a cliche. I realize they signify dramatic changes but I would have preferred a different, less familiar sound.
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 893 posts since 12 Jun, 2006
Hello Frantz - as always your feedback is very useful.
'Techno Loop Kind of Noisy' -
I hear your point and agree with it to some extent as that was the idea...harsh, rattly, invasive, impossible to ignore...just like the noise and movement of a typical underground train. Maybe I overdid it a little? Possibly.
The 'techno loop' by the way is actually 12 separate musical ideas blended together - many of which were guitar-based originally.
'I'm not convinced that the 70s style Rhodes blends well with the 90s style techno loop' -
Actually neither was I at first!!! I tried a wide variety of timbres for this and found that many different styles of synth lead simply failed to cut through the hectic backdrop in the way I wanted...the Rhodes did it brilliantly, but as you say it is from a different world in some ways! After a few listens and tweaks to the Rhodes sound, it really grew on me and the general reaction from a number of early 'beta - test' listeners has been along similar lines:
First listen: "Is that a Rhodes - wasn't expecting that...weird; totally different, not sure" and then on a second or third listen: " You know that Rhodes really works in a strange way."
My eldest son absolutely hated the Rhodes on first listen, but has now admitted that he thinks it works pretty well. Me - I like it, but still have a sneaky suspicion that there's an even better solution out there?!
"The keyboard playing is quite good. "
I'll take that - I'm a classically trained trumpet player, but totally self-taught on the piano - dodgy technique at the best of times.
"I am not crazy about the cinematic sci-fi hits throughout since they are a cliche." -
Cliche - guilty as charged and awaiting sentence! :0) As you realized, they are there to signify the big change from STATION to MOVING THROUGH THE TUNNELS...DOORS CLOSED / FEELING TRAPPED to DOORS OPEN etc etc. I wanted a reasonably familiar, but dramatic sound of some sort for that 'release of tension'; maybe in hindsight I could've had a less familiar sound for the 'increase of tension' as the doors close and movement begins?
Thanks for all that - other people's views are important, especially when I'm working mainly on my own - perspective is easily lost!
'Techno Loop Kind of Noisy' -
I hear your point and agree with it to some extent as that was the idea...harsh, rattly, invasive, impossible to ignore...just like the noise and movement of a typical underground train. Maybe I overdid it a little? Possibly.
The 'techno loop' by the way is actually 12 separate musical ideas blended together - many of which were guitar-based originally.
'I'm not convinced that the 70s style Rhodes blends well with the 90s style techno loop' -
Actually neither was I at first!!! I tried a wide variety of timbres for this and found that many different styles of synth lead simply failed to cut through the hectic backdrop in the way I wanted...the Rhodes did it brilliantly, but as you say it is from a different world in some ways! After a few listens and tweaks to the Rhodes sound, it really grew on me and the general reaction from a number of early 'beta - test' listeners has been along similar lines:
First listen: "Is that a Rhodes - wasn't expecting that...weird; totally different, not sure" and then on a second or third listen: " You know that Rhodes really works in a strange way."
My eldest son absolutely hated the Rhodes on first listen, but has now admitted that he thinks it works pretty well. Me - I like it, but still have a sneaky suspicion that there's an even better solution out there?!
"The keyboard playing is quite good. "
I'll take that - I'm a classically trained trumpet player, but totally self-taught on the piano - dodgy technique at the best of times.
"I am not crazy about the cinematic sci-fi hits throughout since they are a cliche." -
Cliche - guilty as charged and awaiting sentence! :0) As you realized, they are there to signify the big change from STATION to MOVING THROUGH THE TUNNELS...DOORS CLOSED / FEELING TRAPPED to DOORS OPEN etc etc. I wanted a reasonably familiar, but dramatic sound of some sort for that 'release of tension'; maybe in hindsight I could've had a less familiar sound for the 'increase of tension' as the doors close and movement begins?
Thanks for all that - other people's views are important, especially when I'm working mainly on my own - perspective is easily lost!
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- KVRAF
- 6322 posts since 18 Jul, 2008 from New York
Getting parts to work together in the mix is a constant struggle for all of us. With a few more listens, I could also get used to the Rhodes. It does have a certain idiosyncratic charm popping in unexpectedly like that.ChamMusic wrote:I tried a wide variety of timbres for this and found that many different styles of synth lead simply failed to cut through the hectic backdrop in the way I wanted.
Another option would have been to use softer sounds for the "techno loop" in this section or push it back in the mix with a phaser or flanger. In which case, the keyboard solo would not have to cut through the mix in order to be heard.
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 893 posts since 12 Jun, 2006
Softer sounds - just didn't work for me with the ideas in my head, although I do admit that the rhythmic backdrop is very much full on and not to everyone's taste.
Touch of phaser / flanger - I should've thought of trying that - yes that might've taken the edge off just a little / pushed it back in the mix maybe...I still might NOT have liked it of course! :0)
Thanks for that - ideas stored, (hopefully), for next time.
Mark
Touch of phaser / flanger - I should've thought of trying that - yes that might've taken the edge off just a little / pushed it back in the mix maybe...I still might NOT have liked it of course! :0)
Thanks for that - ideas stored, (hopefully), for next time.
Mark
