Gamma Melt 3
[UPDATE] Shane, et al, see if the updated song works better. I've added a kinder, gentler intro along with a mix change-up at about the 2:30 mark, pulling the percussions out and letting some of the quieter sounds take the forefront before bringing back the percs. I think this works better compositionally without destroying the flavor or pacing at all.[/UPDATE]
Look, I sometimes dabble in sci-fi writing. I was revisiting a 10-year old unfinished novel of mine the other night and was rather impressed how good a start it was. I was particularly tantalized by the effect that faster than light travel has on the novel's characters . . . I tend to like describing means of travel that are handy, but unpleasant. After all, smearing yourself instantly between two points over half the galaxy while simultaneously moving through time should feel like something!
So, if you're familiar with the works I've made available so far here, you will note that this piece deviates drastically from my hitherto standard clean and melodic style. I've done a good bit of this kind of abstract soundworld music in the past and more will certainly be forthcoming . . . this is just the first bit that has burst through my new DAW.
Put on your flux-time hats, and Enjoy!
Previous emdot_ambient tracks:
Aeolian Planes
Tempera Loop
The Bull Of Heaven Pt 1
Behrlinesque
KVR competition Submissions:
May 2005 Free-For-All
April 2005 Alan's Psychedelic Workday
Dark Abstraction -- Gamma Melt 3 **UPDATED**
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- KVRAF
- 6496 posts since 26 Nov, 2004 from Frederick, MD
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- Suspended
- 17889 posts since 14 Jun, 2001 from Somewhere you're not!
Couldn't see the link so I didn't bother.
NOVAkILL : Legion GO, AMD Z1x, 16GB RAM, Win11 | Audient EVO 8 | Lumi Keys | Studio Pro 8
Korg Odyssey, bx-oberhausen, Proxima, PolyMax, GR8, JP6K, Union, Atomika,
Invader 2, Flow Motion, Olga, TRK 01, Thorn, Spire, VG Iron
Korg Odyssey, bx-oberhausen, Proxima, PolyMax, GR8, JP6K, Union, Atomika,
Invader 2, Flow Motion, Olga, TRK 01, Thorn, Spire, VG Iron
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- KVRAF
- 1955 posts since 5 Sep, 2003 from Denmark
Direct link 
Well I listened anyways. It's good! Very envoking. Still quite clean, but this piece got some danger to it. Suspension? The way it never resolves is great. This is - for me at least - a step up and forward! More in this vein, please.
Some production details would be appreciated.
Well I listened anyways. It's good! Very envoking. Still quite clean, but this piece got some danger to it. Suspension? The way it never resolves is great. This is - for me at least - a step up and forward! More in this vein, please.
Some production details would be appreciated.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 6496 posts since 26 Nov, 2004 from Frederick, MD
Unfortunately audioshots now requires you to sign on in order to download. But at least they're sane about their membership sign-up: name/email/username/pword and they don't spam you.BONES wrote:Couldn't see the link so I didn't bother.
I don't have a permanent place on the web yet, so I'm at the mercy of freeby web sites like this and bandwidth is always an issue with them.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 6496 posts since 26 Nov, 2004 from Frederick, MD
Always good to hear the "could be longer" comments, means you really like itSoniccat wrote:Nice piece of atmospheric darkness emdot, wish it was a bit longer but this definately got my attention. Cool
This could be extended, but would definitely have to move into new sonic arenas to make it work.-
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 6496 posts since 26 Nov, 2004 from Frederick, MD
Wow, thanks for the great comments. Forbidden Planet is one of my all time favortie movies and musical scores (I have the DVD and the audio CD and love the both dearly). In fact, I had thought of using some samples that were inspired by the film but the sound field was already dense enough so didn't end up using them....xander wrote:Quite imaginative! I had pictured those big Krelian machine shops from the movie 'Forbidden Planet!
Nice spacial depth with lots of deep mysteries
Thanks for listening!
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 6496 posts since 26 Nov, 2004 from Frederick, MD
Thanks, I thought this would be more to your likingrespirator wrote:...It's good! Very envoking. Still quite clean, but this piece got some danger to it. Suspension? The way it never resolves is great. This is - for me at least - a step up and forward! More in this vein, please.
Some production details would be appreciated.
I suppose the "still quite clean" comment comes from the fact that I use synths almost exclusively and very little in the way of self-recorded audio--that and the fact that I rarely use or like distortion effects. Guess I'm pretty much a clean guy
I usually put all kinds of production notes, thought I'd go a bit spare this time . . . but since you asked, I used:
FM7
Pro-53
VurtBox
EZpoly
Absynth 3
Kontakt running 7 percussion insturments from the ProSamples Vol 52 World Insturments sample library (Angklung, Gongs, Bells&Bowls, Chigong, Gongbesar, Hand Cymbal and Rice Shaker)
FX used:
DFX Transverb (x2)
RetroDelay (x2)
Classic Flanger
GlaceVerb
I actually mixed the whole thing down to audio using RetroDelay and GlaceVerb over the entire mix, imported that mixdown back into the Cubase project, then changed the FX and panning on several of the VST instruments and deleted the FX on the whole mix. So all the insturments are doubled in this mix with different FX, panning and volume. That accounts for what someone called the depth of the piece.
Glad you liked it, respirator, and yes more like this will come along.
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- KVRAF
- 4221 posts since 10 Oct, 2002 from Nashville, TN USA
There are some nice textures going there for sure. If you are still working on this then my comments won't really apply, but I think it starts out at about the same density as it ends. This means that it doesn't have much of a shape or a way to build up. There are some pause gestures toward the middle but this is more like phrasing than compositional shape.
I think you could make a much better piece out of it by starting out with something sparse. A wisp of something. A slight metal clang. Some tiny bursts of noise with delay on them, etc. With those huge reverbs, even small sounds are going to fill the space. Then slowly work up to the density. Then back off the density, giving a bit of denouement from which you can launch into more density and activity.
Of course, this type of analysis only applies if you care about tension/release type compositional shapes. So take my comments with a grain of salt for sure.
I think you could make a much better piece out of it by starting out with something sparse. A wisp of something. A slight metal clang. Some tiny bursts of noise with delay on them, etc. With those huge reverbs, even small sounds are going to fill the space. Then slowly work up to the density. Then back off the density, giving a bit of denouement from which you can launch into more density and activity.
Of course, this type of analysis only applies if you care about tension/release type compositional shapes. So take my comments with a grain of salt for sure.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 6496 posts since 26 Nov, 2004 from Frederick, MD
Thanks for the comments, Shane! I know exactly what you're talking about and you're comments are totally valid . . . I may even use some of them 
If this gets expanded I'll probably do some of what you're talking about but as it was conceived, a musical description of an unpleasant means of space travel, the statis currently in the piece is appropriate. The effects of flux-time are instant on, instant off and so the piece mirrors that. Within the context of a larger, more musically constructed work, then your analysis is perfectly correct.
Never hesitate to do the full analysis, though, it's always good to hear thoughtful and detailed opinions from composers I admire. And I like your work a lot
If this gets expanded I'll probably do some of what you're talking about but as it was conceived, a musical description of an unpleasant means of space travel, the statis currently in the piece is appropriate. The effects of flux-time are instant on, instant off and so the piece mirrors that. Within the context of a larger, more musically constructed work, then your analysis is perfectly correct.
Never hesitate to do the full analysis, though, it's always good to hear thoughtful and detailed opinions from composers I admire. And I like your work a lot
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 6496 posts since 26 Nov, 2004 from Frederick, MD
vtx wrote:...some tension with stuff dripping around ya...
I love that comment! Thanks for the listen.-
- KVRian
- 882 posts since 23 Apr, 2004
Commented at the Auditorium
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 6496 posts since 26 Nov, 2004 from Frederick, MD
Thanks, xerocreep! I admire the fact you try music outside your normal tastes and interests. Glad I could give a pleasant surprise, too!
It's so correct of you to mention both the percussions and the sense of breath in the piece, because it is precisely the percussions that give it breath. Before I added the percussions I had a fairly flat and monochromatically twittering electonic sound field. The percussions were recorded in one live performance using only mild quantization (to give them an even pacing more than to lock them into a rhythm), and were consciously paced to give breath and tension, a quality I've noticed in works very well in abstract music--respirator did the same thing in one of his pieces if I remember correctly.
Thanks for the listen and the comments!
It's so correct of you to mention both the percussions and the sense of breath in the piece, because it is precisely the percussions that give it breath. Before I added the percussions I had a fairly flat and monochromatically twittering electonic sound field. The percussions were recorded in one live performance using only mild quantization (to give them an even pacing more than to lock them into a rhythm), and were consciously paced to give breath and tension, a quality I've noticed in works very well in abstract music--respirator did the same thing in one of his pieces if I remember correctly.
Thanks for the listen and the comments!