Death And The Violin: Revenge of the Busker

[ChamMusic]

https://soundcloud.com/chameleon-music/ ... the-violin

Cities and Memory - Italy Project (Launching August 2018)

All the music in my composition was created directly from fragments of the original field recording:

https://soundcloud.com/chameleon-music/ ... lin-busker

Nothing new has been added. Various snippets of bowed and pizzicato violin were used alongside tiny grains of crowd noise that formed the percussive groove in the central section.

To my ears, the original field recording gave the impression of everyone walking past and ignoring this highly talented busker. What if the musician decided to exact revenge in a warped, hypnotic, death-dealing twist to the performance? First of all, my distorted version creates an appropriately dark, disturbing ambience before sliding into a 1990s Warp Record Label ‘Dance of Death’ section.

I used a new editing environment for this one – the synthesis capabilities of Omnisphere 2. I’ve owned and used it for a few years now, but this project gave me the chance to delve more deeply into its sound design side.

Given time, I would've liked to develop this one even further, but all that detailed sound design is seriously time-consuming! :0)

The violin, of course has often been associated with Death / the Devil in music - Danse Macabre, and many more compositions.

In folk tales, the Devil enjoys wagers - betting his own gold fiddle against the souls of his opponents. He may also bestow musical talent in exchange for a soul - a prominent part of the myth surrounding Tartini’s “Devil’s Trill” Sonata.

The great Italian virtuoso Niccolò Paganini was the subject of vicarious rumours that he had sold his soul, and worse: Theosophy founder Madame Helena Blavatsky included Paganini in her story The Ensouled Violin suggesting that the strings of Paganini’s violin were made from human intestine, and that his uncanny ability to mimic the human voice with his playing actually came from a spirit trapped within the instrument.

[wagtunes]

My Feedback

Music - 8.5
Instruments - 9.5
Performance - 9.5
Mix - 10

Overall - 9.375

Comments: I expected this to be very good (just reading your very informed comments on others' works) and I wasn't disappointed. Did you or do you ever do soundtrack work? Just curious. Musically, it's not my personal cup of tea (I'm sure you've figured that out from all the cheesy pop stuff I do) but I do recognize what went into the sounds, performance and mix of the piece. You know, it's funny. I don't know how and when I became this pop tart (cause I used to listen to Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk) but I have. I hardly listen to any experimental music anymore. It just doesn't do what it used to do for me when I could spend hours turning knobs on my Moog.

Oh to be 21 again.

[ChamMusic]

Did you or do you ever do soundtrack work?

3 days each week I teach music and music technology up to under graduate level - everything, but especially compositional techniques of all sorts.

2 / 3 days each week, (since 1994) I've worked as a professional composer and sound designer:

Mainly low level local projects and live theatre tours nowadays, but I've done work in the past for Castrol, BBC, Chevrolet etc etc....great fun over the years, but never a regular enough income to consider doing it full time! :0)

[ChamMusic]

I used to listen to Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk

I still have very eclectic music tastes...both listening and composing, but I also struggle to listen to both those bands nowadays! :0)

it's not my personal cup of tea

Ha! I suspect you won't be the only one! :0)

Thanks very much for the feedback.

[Frantz]

Given how accomplished your orchestral works are, I guess you are using field recordings as source material to give yourself a challenge.

The intro and outro are kind of similar. To be honest, I don't find them appealing. They remind me of putting sounds through my ART MultiVerb processor in the early 90s. The sounds are harsh, thin, and metallic. In my opinion, the sound quality unfortunately overshadows the composition. Although given the strict limitations you put on yourself of using only the field recordings, I can see how you came up with this.

The middle section has an appealing groove which grounds the piece as the weird ghostly violin flies around and scares the listener. This section, which is the highlight, could be a lot longer.

I think if you reworked the piece with different sounds instead of limiting yourself to the field recording, it would be a lot more accessible. On the other hand, if you replaced broccoli with ice cream, children would like it more but you would risk losing the essence of the meal.

[wagtunes]

Did you or do you ever do soundtrack work?

3 days each week I teach music and music technology up to under graduate level - everything, but especially compositional techniques of all sorts.

2 / 3 days each week, (since 1994) I've worked as a professional composer and sound designer:

Mainly low level local projects and live theatre tours nowadays, but I've done work in the past for Castrol, BBC, Chevrolet etc etc....great fun over the years, but never a regular enough income to consider doing it full time! :0)

See, I knew I recognized talent. It's talented folks like you who SHOULD make me feel ashamed about the "music" that I make.

My defense? It's more fun than watching the crappy television.

[experimental.crow]

inventive , and eminently listenable ...
quite enjoyed ...

[jancivil]

Fascinating. I like it.

It would be great if you could get into what you did to transform the field recording material...
I'm amazed to see that.

[Eauson]

This is very interesting, would really like an extension of the middle section. The beginning and end sections remind me of the old paulstretch, slowed then sped back up. Overall very good √

[ChamMusic]

Given how accomplished your orchestral works are, I guess you are using field recordings as source material to give yourself a challenge.

The intro and outro are kind of similar. To be honest, I don't find them appealing. They remind me of putting sounds through my ART MultiVerb processor in the early 90s. The sounds are harsh, thin, and metallic. In my opinion, the sound quality unfortunately overshadows the composition. Although given the strict limitations you put on yourself of using only the field recordings, I can see how you came up with this.

The middle section has an appealing groove which grounds the piece as the weird ghostly violin flies around and scares the listener. This section, which is the highlight, could be a lot longer.

I think if you reworked the piece with different sounds instead of limiting yourself to the field recording, it would be a lot more accessible. On the other hand, if you replaced broccoli with ice cream, children would like it more but you would risk losing the essence of the meal.

Thanks for all this Frantz...much appreciated.

FIELD RECORDINGS - This project, (my 14th) for the Cities and Memories website required that only audio from the original field recording was used.

"The intro and outro are kind of similar" - actually identical, but in reverse!

"Intro - The sounds are harsh, thin, and metallic." Harsh edge and metallic...yes, intentionally as it's meant to be disturbing and unsettling...maybe a little overdone?...I agree that it's not easy listening! :0) "Thin" I disagree with.

"This section, which is the highlight, could be a lot longer." I agree, but time got in the way...I set myself a single day MAX to get this all done and dusted and the Sound Design alone took 3 hours +

"I think if you reworked the piece with different sounds instead of limiting yourself to the field recording, it would be a lot more accessible."

See above comment with regard to project limitations...If I did rework the concept it would be totally different...a hybrid electronic / orchestral work! :0)

[ChamMusic]

Did you or do you ever do soundtrack work?

3 days each week I teach music and music technology up to under graduate level - everything, but especially compositional techniques of all sorts.

2 / 3 days each week, (since 1994) I've worked as a professional composer and sound designer:

Mainly low level local projects and live theatre tours nowadays, but I've done work in the past for Castrol, BBC, Chevrolet etc etc....great fun over the years, but never a regular enough income to consider doing it full time! :0)

See, I knew I recognized talent. It's talented folks like you who SHOULD make me feel ashamed about the "music" that I make.

My defense? It's more fun than watching the crappy television.

NEVER feel ashamed about making music! :0)

Anyway there are a lot of 'Pop Tarts' over the years who've sold a lot of records and made a lot of money! :0)

[ChamMusic]

Fascinating. I like it.

It would be great if you could get into what you did to transform the field recording material...
I'm amazed to see that.

Thanks Jan.

I will revisit exactly what I did and report back...couple of weeks probably as I have moved onto another project now that has a tight deadline...and, frankly, the director's a fuckin' MUPPET who's doing my head in with constant changes and stupid suggestions!

Overview though - everything was done in OMNISPHERE 2 and basically involved lots of fragments taken from the FR and treated with various forms of synthesis etc.

[ChamMusic]

inventive , and eminently listenable ...
quite enjoyed ...

Thank you!

I'm not sure how many more are going to use the words eminently listenable for this one! :0)

[jancivil]

For me the intro and its reverse 'outro' are the best parts. Intro sounded rather large.
hated the groove, always hate that kind of thing, with a too-loud bass on every beat. Actually it's that IDM kind of, isn't it. Sort of. Gee Wally.
I never say these things but I'm in a humorous mood atm.

In my world the most innovative music tends to be the least accessible. Sometimes there is trouble.


Frank Zappa in the notes on the compositions, liner notes, Freak Out (Any Way the Wind Blows):

If I had never gotten divorced, this piece of trivial nonsense would never have been recorded. It is included in this collection because, in a nutshell, kids, it is…how shall I say it?…it is intellectually and emotionally ACCESSIBLE for you. Hah! Maybe it is even right down your alley!

[Allomerus]

This is fabulous. Love your ideas and technique.
Very cool!