Memento Mori: The 16th Dance, Featuring Karoryfer Goblinity

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I've been wanting to create an album of faux "Estampie" or medieval dances for a couple of years now.
Karoryfer samples contacted me to see if I'd make a demo for their new medieval fantasy library - Goblinity, and that turned out to be the impetus I needed to get started.
I put fresh peat on the fire, sharpened my quill, poured some mead and got started. (turned on the computer)
A tiny hole in the fabric of space time ripped open and the Goblin orchestra began to arrive and set up - moving chairs around, making coffee and arguing over who gets the solo etc.
One approached me with the EULA to sign - it was written in medieval Polish on what looked like a piece of skin. Introductory price of 59 (illegible) "payable in silver". They also took Paypal, so all good.

My concept was to create music that sounds like a skeletal orchestra playing a medieval dance party - for Kings, Queens, Sultans, Warlords - not knowing they are already dead. Goblins approved (with much smirking and winking) and set to on instruments like płocki, gusli, jouhikko, whole sections of tagelharpa, strakharpa (in various sizes), rebec, "chordofon", zithers, lyres, banjos, a renaissance guitar someone took the frets off of, even a bouzouki.
"What about winds?" I said.
Goblin conductor: "Skellingtons got no lungses". 
I perused the piece of skin - "It says here - 4 sets of bagpipes,4 shawms, kortholt, chalumeau....
even a bird call!" "Fine" he hissed. (hoots of derision from the Goblins)
Eventually we also added percussion and vocals, plus a few instruments from Orcophony, like the ophicleid, and also the lovely lovely flute from Nanfo. (sounds like a bamboo recorder)

So -
here's the first installment, which will actually be the last track of the finished work.
Not sure how that happened - I blame the mead.
Hearty thanks to DSmolken and crew for producing another massive, useful and fun library of instruments to create with.
Artwork for the video mostly by Hieronymus Bosch, Jakob von Wyl, and Anonymous :)
eg


 
Last edited by EdwardGivens on Wed May 24, 2023 12:54 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Instead of saying nice things that could be dismissed as self-interested I'll say this: out of the six demos that were ready on Gobility's release this one is first on the page. It really is good "composerly" music and not just a showcase of some sounds.

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DSmolken wrote: Tue May 23, 2023 7:51 pm not just a showcase of some sounds.
Thanks!
Sounds, instruments are what get the process started for me. And this collection is pretty inspirational, albeit slightly scary. :wink:

Here's a close up from one of the paintings I used in the videos. The instruments are found in the Goblinity collection - I see a hurdy-gurdy, a side drum, an enormous shawm,a trumpet, a badly mistreated harp and lute, a rabbit playing a serpent(?)....
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This is amazing.
great video as well

normally I'd avoid this era even in a dreamscape. I'm sure I was put to the rack in that time.

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jancivil wrote: Wed May 24, 2023 10:20 pm I'm sure I was put to the rack in that time.
wavin' athcha from the next rack over. We'll call it heresy but that might be stretchin' it (cough)
Tarot Cards anyone?
Quite aside from that I like showers, my teeth and living past 30. Love late medieval music though.
However this project will owe about as much to CB deMille soundtracks, Popol Vuh and Dead Can Dance as anything else.
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Trick question: when will the whole album be out?

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https://soundcloud.com/edwardgivens/set ... -16-dances

All tracks are loaded with Karoryfer Samples' instruments - especially obvious on track one. The real human vibe those instruments have was totally inspirational.

Bandcamp page for the album ( I think BC has a better player than SC)
https://edwardgivens.bandcamp.com/album ... -16-dances

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The video spirals the viewer into an infinite funnel that could have been
painted by Hironymus Bosch. It makes you a little dizzy. From about 1:30,
the spiraling dynamics merge into single frames. The theme remains death
- I've never seen so many skeletons in a row. :o

What I like very much: You stick to medieval instruments. The flute - one
might think so - is the main instrument. I really feel like I'm in a medieval
bazaar in the middle of an old town - surrounded by shrill laughter, torture,
plague and pest.. :help:

Really extraordinary and consistent! :clap:
free mp3s + info: andy-enroe.de songs + weird stuff: enroe.de

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Flutes are for elves! But that flute is from Nanfo so it's our flute, so it's OK.

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enroe wrote: Thu Jun 08, 2023 7:08 am The video spirals the viewer into an infinite funnel that could have been
painted by Hironymus Bosch. It makes you a little dizzy. From about 1:30,
the spiraling dynamics merge into single frames. The theme remains death
- I've never seen so many skeletons in a row. :o

What I like very much: You stick to medieval instruments. The flute - one
might think so - is the main instrument. I really feel like I'm in a medieval
bazaar in the middle of an old town - surrounded by shrill laughter, torture,
plague and pest.. :help:

Really extraordinary and consistent! :clap:
thanks!
Most of this video is Hieronymus Bosch - Garden of Earthly Delights - minus the frame :)

The flute is an African fipple flute called the atenteben. (like a bamboo whistle or recorder)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atenteben

It has a more authentic sound than most recorder libraries.
In this video the flute plays the "normative character" amidst all the supernatural madness :)

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