Back from Aus, Busy as Hell (and a little bit about psychoacoustics)
28/07/10 00:59 Filed under: Work
I left Matt over there for an additional 2 weeks and I rushed back slightly more burnt out than when I left, back home to a massive pile of projects that have been scheduled for, or put off until, the summer. Which is now. I love it, already I've reverted to vampire hours; I sit in my studio all night long growing paler and in the daytime I sleep while the sane people go out and enjoy sunshine, cavort in parklands, eat BBQ or whatever it is that they do. Take away my 9 to 5 responsibilities and this is what happens every time.
One of these summer projects is a mix and master for a band... something that on the surface seems a bit technical and prescribed, a diversion from all the PhD stuff I should be doing. But I'm finding it very useful as an opportunity to really look closely at timbre and texture in the context of a multitrack stereo mix.
So far the process feels a lot more like traditional music 'arrangement' - choosing colours, combinations of colours, manipulating the dynamics between them. Obviously there are limitations, chief of which is the genre of music and the expected commercial standards that are implied there. Another big one is obviously whatever the client wants. But even within the most rigid brief, there are still opportunities for creativity, I think. There is such an art to the 'act of combining things', after all the depth of a stereo field is just an auditory illusion - the mix engineer/producer is the magician who is conjuring it for the listener.
Moreover, I suspect the mix engineer can affect the listener on a different level to that which the composer (who is working with notes, harmonies and rhythms) can. Once again, these ideas throw back to (what Andrew Brown calls) the "modes of compositional engagement" - the director, the observer, the performer, the selector - basically the composer adopting various roles to facilitate the creativity in various contexts. It's an interesting idea. I certainly don't want to claim that all producers ARE composers (if we define a composer as the writer or AUTHOR of music, then that can't be true). But producers have influence over sound, there are creative choices to be made... in some cases these choices can affect the listener's experience profoundly.
I know that not everyone's ears and brain is like mine. There's even a few good reviews out there for this record where people praise the production. Are there any records out there where the SOUND of the mix affects you? If anyone reading this has the time to test the above record out on their own ears, I would love to know if you have a similar experience. In either case email me!
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Comments
"My first recycling experiment" or "how I hacked up Rob Davidson's String Quartet beyond recognition"
(What I'm talking about is the subject of that last blog of mine - this whole idea of a composition evolving, the recorded artefact becoming the starting point for a new creation.)
So I decided to experiment, to find out how easy it is to chop and manipulate an existing recording in order to create something completely different. My string quartet is not finished, so I stole Rob Davidson's String Quartet - a live recording that had some really interesting room ambience in the mix, and some fun audience sounds (coughing, sneezing, etc).
Here's an excerpt from Rob's recording (the opening):
String Quartet - Rob Davdison (Opening/Example) by LeahExperiments
The following experiments/hack jobs were made purely by recycling bits of the above recording, with bits mostly taken from the first movement. In Logic, I used EQ, scissor, time-stretch, reverse, reverb & flex tools to completely mess it up.
Experiment 1:
Experiment 1 (recycling String Quartet by Rob Davidson) by LeahExperiments
Experiment 2:
Experiment 2 (recycling String Quartet by Rob Davidson) by LeahExperiments
I'm not sure if the results are good enough to play at the seminar, but I think they are interesting all the same. There are some peculiar dissonances that I wasn't expecting, which resulted from combining notes and chords taken from different places where tunings had slightly shifted in the performance. In some places this is pleasing, in others it definitely grates! When I took a short sample and stretched it a long way it produced a rustling guitar-like effect, which I thought was a happy accident. The limitations in my examples are clear with regard to melody/harmony/tonality - this was partly due to the fact that I chose to focus on a short section of the recording to plunder for samples, but mostly due to me being lazy and opting for drone-based harmony layers and glitchy rhythms.
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Evolution (and life after death) for my String Quartet
08/05/10 12:48 Filed under: Study
I’ve been working on this thing on and off for many months now - and I take heart in knowing that Maurice Ravel, whose Quartet in F major is an aspirational model for me with this project, himself took a long time too. Ariella commissioned it back in January 2009, I suspect they think I’ve forgotten about it completely.
The music is pretty much there, the hold up has been in the details - the attention to voice leading, the dynamics, the interior lines. After a spell of being all “Rah, time to get this bitch DONE and DUSTED”, throwing all my notes at the score with a 'that’ll do’ attitude, I’m now actually really enjoying giving it some careful attention. I think it deserves some, and I’m learning so much from the process. An hour spent inside the first movement getting a couple of cadences right, its fun .... not unlike sudoku.
Another aspect that I have been in two minds about has been the final format of the piece. Not wanting to shoehorn technology into it in a desperate bid to make the piece ‘modern’ or to fit in with my PhD research, but at the same time wanting to use the material for experimentation in some way without diminishing the musicality and appeal of the finished work. Then I hit on the solution - recycling! The score that becomes a performance that becomes a recording, and then a recording that becomes fodder for manipulation and restructuring (chopping, splicing, juxtaposing, sampling) that then becomes something completely new.
Then there’s my beloved Aphex Twin and his 26 remixes for cash in which, along with many weird and wonderful things, he gives us a re-imagining of Gavin Bryars’ ‘Sinking of the Titanic’ (he calls it “Raising the Titanic” ) and an eerie mash-up of Philip Glass’ Heroes symphony with the original David Bowie acapella vocal take from 1977. I have always regarded this guy to be a serious composer of new music - I defy anyone who’s actually listened to “drukQs” and his “Selected Ambient Works” to tell me I’m wrong.
I was talking to Rob (my PhD supervisor) recently about the chamber ensemble “Alarm Will Sound’, a group that somehow has the audacious bollocks to attempt to play Aphex Twin’s music live with real instruments. Something people thought was impossible, but they did it! With kettle drums and bassoons! What strikes you when you hear their renditions is how rare the music sounds - no-one would ever compose this stuff from a score, putting notes on a page. It’s a completely different way of composition - made possible by technology - where timbre and texture are king.
In Daniel Levetin’s awesome book “Your Brain on Music”, he reminds us that distinguishing timbre is one of the most sophisticated and important parts of our hearing:
... it is the most important and ecologically relevant feature of auditory events. The timbre of a sound is the principal feature that distinguishes the growl of a lion from the purr of a cat, the crack of thunder from the crash of ocean waves, the voice of a friend from that of a bill collector one is trying to dodge. Timbral discrimination is so acute in humans that most of us can recognize hundreds of different voices. We can even tell whether someone close to us - our mother, our spouse - is happy or sad, healthy or coming down with a cold. ... I believe timbre is at the centre of our appreciation of music”
Traditionally, this aspect was a bit of an unknown to composers who wrote scores. Even though most of us expect violins to have certain timbral qualities, the small differences in sound brought about by various instrument builds, performance idiosyncrasies, effects of spaces on ambience & standing waves, tunings etc are impossible to know. When material is recorded however, then these aspects are known from the outset and very much in the composers control.
I think people are really tuned in to the qualities of sound these days - there’s much talk about the timbral qualities of valve/analogue equipment, the superior listening experience provided by phonograph records or digital audio (depending which side of the fence you sit on) or whatever bit compression your mp3 happens to be to what dithering algorithm you bounce your masters with. Even people who aren’t musicians will comment on a “fat” bass line, a ‘dirty’ synth, a ‘heavy’ guitar part. Beethoven sounds better when played on a Bösendorfer than through a General MIDI module. I’m told that Haydn sounds perfect in the Esterhazy hall.
But back to the quartet... this is where I’m at with it right now - finishing the score, giving my attention to perfecting form, harmony, melodic themes, and all the other details. Once that is done, I eagerly anticipate hearing how Ariella play it, and recording the performance. Then to take that recorded performance apart and build something new with it.
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UPDATE:
Is it wrong that Sibleius' 'REPRISE' music font on my music gives me the horn? (click --->1 score (08-05-10))
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Spruce up
28/04/10 12:40
In feeling the need for a change of scene and a general freshening up, I decided to deck my website out in new wallpaper and a fancy new font at the top. What do you think? Too twee? I hope so. Is my name too big up there? Great.
Also thought I’d put the blog page on the front, that makes sense. In addition to all of this, I finally went and bought leahkardos.com - time to quit messing about! Is it this time of year that makes you want to dye your hair and start again, or is that just me...?
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'My Brother's Keeper' theme cues
Over the easter break I've been working on some theme ideas for the soundtrack to Lee Hutcheon's new fllm 'My Brother's Keeper'. Suffice to say, this John character is a bit of a messed up dude.
"My Brother's Keeper" - Home theme 1 by leahkardos
'My Brother's Keeper' - John Action cue by leahkardos
'My Brother's Keeper' - John's Theme cue 2 by leahkardos
"My Brother's Keeper" - short orchestra cue by leahkardos
"My Brother's Keeper" - Home [piano version] by leahkardos
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Nico Muhly
06/04/10 18:05 Filed under: Fangirl
Just discovered the music of Nico Muhly last week (because obviously I have been living with my head under a rock for the last 5 years). I think this is just beautiful, don’t you?
So I heard this, , my jaw dropped, I looked him
up, I got all his stuff. I followed him on
Twitter, read his blog, tracked him down... I
knew this was the beginning of a whirlwind
romance, right? Funny thing is, all the
breadcrumbs lead me back full circle...
apparently I’d been listening to his music
before, through the arrangements for Grizzly
Bear (whom I <3 forever), through The Reader
OST, Bjork, Antony, even the new Jonsi record.
Worst thing, he’s 28. And that makes this 30
year old lament her wasted life. (I’m just not
used to this whole ‘looking up to people who
are younger than me’ thing)
Beat mapping is Such a Bitch [UPDATE: a Cure is Found! Sorry Logic, I didn't mean it]
02/04/10 15:45 Filed under: Work
Oh Logic Pro, you know I love you.
You make the task of composing and arranging so easy and pleasurable, using your many key commands is like instant gratification for me, making short work of things that would usually take a few seconds longer. I remember days not long ago I would write music by clicking in each single note into Sibelius, you really have changed my life! You’re so smart, its like you know what I’m thinking, understand what I’m composing! Could you be ’the one’? For a while I thought Abelton would steal away my heart, but I should have always known I could never leave you alone. However, we need to sort something out.
Your MIDI beat mapping function sucks so hard .... & my eyes, after 4 hours of this thankless task, they bleed. There has to be a better way!? Your previous version was a little easier - move from left to right, place a marker, marker stayed put. In version 9, it’s all whack. Have you tried to get all clever and contextual or something? Why is it when I place my next marker, all the preceding MIDI info shifts about?
If only there was a way I could tap in a new tempo against the old one to replace the old one (in the case of improvisations that were performed to no click). Work it out for Logic 10, & I’ll gladly keep giving you my money.
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UPDATE 25-05-10
So I was bleating on about this in the office the other day and a colleague and all-round apple-logic--genius-man Mike Watkinson found me a great work around! My vexations are over! Here's how you do it:
- To stop the pesky MIDI notes from jumping about as you beatmap individual notes, you have to lock the SMPTE first. Makes sense.
- To create a new tempo against the old grid, create a new track and tap/play in the new tempo as new MIDI recording. SMPTE lock the original captured performance. Use the 'beats from regions' option in the beatmapping global track to analyse your new tempo track... and... voila! Easy peasy. Can't believe I used to spend whole evenings doing this the hard way. What a mug!
Update (did you know gardening is good for your soul?)
It’s been ages since I have written a blog about my music. I have recently had an epiphany and a bit of a breakthrough in my creative process... I almost don’t want to jinx it by talking about it, but I feel a big blog about it will happen soon. Anyway, feeling refreshed, I’ve starting writing music for saxophonist Lara James - some experimental tech-based things, along with some more traditional lyrical pieces. I’m really enjoying it so far.
Next week is Easter holidays and I have a feature length film I’ve been asked to do the music for. It’s called “My Brother’s Keeper” and it’s by filmmaker Lee Hutcheon. Years ago I contributed some music to his award winning feature “In a Man’s World”, and I’m excited to be working with him again. The film is about a soldier that comes back from Afghanistan a mental case, he ends up taking his brother hostage. Fun fun fun!
Other things I should have blogged about recently that I haven’t mentioned:
• Fitkin’s gig at Kings Place. Awesome gig, really inspiring in many ways. The gorgeous Ruth Wall on harp was absolutely mesmerising. Also, a highlight was hearing the composer perform all three parts of The Cone Gatherers for solo piano. Always a favourite of mine (I was so impressed I decided that I too wanted to play it live, so I ordered the score the next day). The only disappointment was the lack of technology, & the lack of real drum kit.... orchestra snares sound rubbish.
• Les Claypool at Koko. I went to this not knowing what to expect... maybe a bunch of Primus tunes? A nostalgic mosh to Tommy the Cat and My Name is Mud? I went along with Matt and we joked that since I dragged him along to see Fitkin’s show he could drag me out to see this.... In the end, the two shows were actually quite similar. Les is touring with a pair of classical percussionists and a cellist. It was intense... like a fusion of prog, jazz, hillbilly & classical music... heavily improvised around bass grooves, loads of technology on stage (loops, digital effects galore). Fantastic!
• Beach House/ Grizzly Bear at the Roundhouse. I had been looking forward to this gig for a long time, having recently gone crazy for Grizzly Bear’s “Veckatimest” (really, such an awesome record). Beach House I also loved dearly, I’m such a sucker for dreamy shoegaze music. A really magical night. I could write about it, but as always my mate Liz says it better here.
• I have tickets to Phil Glass’s premier of Violin Concerto No. 2 next month. *squeal*
Piano+Laptop ideas
08/03/10 00:07 Filed under: New
Music
These demos were made from the remnants/thoughts/ideas/leftovers from an ill-fated project with pianist Olga Jegunova back in December 09. I remember vividly being extremely ill with a flu, days without sleep, deeply distracted by the Dragon Age: Origins game at the time. I was supposed to be writing a piano solo, but at the time I got carried away with the production and everything fell apart.
In hindsight I really don't care much for the slow movement at all, but the so called "dance" movement was so much fun throwing together it's making me think of putting together a little suite of such things. I think I would like to push it out further, be more obscure and less 'dancy', with more rhythmic complexity. And maybe get my friend, video artist Matt Greasley to edit some footage to go with it. I think it could become a really fun little performance project.
Black Mouth of August III - Slow Movement (demo) by leahkardos
"Black Mouth of August" - II Dance Movement [demo] by leahkardos
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Show us your neuticles
06/03/10 13:00 Filed under: Personal
Expand my vocabulary
28/02/10 15:12 Filed under: Study
...John Stuart Mill once wrote: "I was seriously tormented by the thought of the exhaustibility of musical combinations. The octave consists only of five tones and two semitones, which can be put together in only a limited number of ways of which but a small proportion are beautiful: most of these, it seems to me, must have been already discovered, and there could not be room for a long succession of Mozarts and Webers to strike out, as they have done, entirely new surpassing rich veins of musical beauty. This sort of anxiety, may, perhaps, be thought to resemble that of the philosophers of Laputa, who feared lest the sun be burnt out"...
...There are 479,001,600 possible combinations of the 12 tones of the chromatic scale. With rhythmic variety added to the unbounded universe of melodic patterns, there is no likelihood that new music will die of internal starvation in the next 1000 years.
- Nicols Slonimsky (from the preface to his amazing and insanely exhaustive tome “Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns” from 1947)
Sometimes it’s hard to imagine anything existing beyond the world we know. But I’m going to embrace the things that I am uncomfortable with, and with Rob’s help, try to get inside the music I don’t understand. Its a similar problem to not understanding a set of words you hear someone using - rather than reject the message as meaningless, I should make an effort to understand and expand my vocabulary. Any other action is really just ignorance, right?
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it's little bits of nothing...
23/01/10 18:09 Filed under: New
Music
The songs took a while to record, and even longer to mix. The recording process was veerrrry casual - maybe one or two wine-fuelled evenings a month at best we would get together to spend on it. And we wanted so many layers, despite being only a three-piece band - the attraction of the newly built studio in our house made us want to experiment and see how much we could get away with. Then came the mixing...
At first we struggled with the mix, partly because of the number of layers we had put down, but mostly because we didn’t know what the hell we were doing. Then we stopped mixing because I got a new bit of kit in the studio and I was convinced that we had to start again - I think it was when the Liquid Mix arrived. Then, when Matt had mixed the first three tracks, I decided that I was ‘sick and tired’ of the songs and left it in his hands (his slow, methodical but admittedly consistent hands)... I was all “I don’t wanna know about it, don’t wanna hear those songs again!”. I think I was just frustrated with the slow pace of things.
Then, I started my PhD studies and suddenly all my spare time was gone. Matt was sort of mixing this project on and off, just to get it done and out of the way... and around this time we somehow decided that our old studio monitors were too coloured (which they were...) and we replaced them. Hence the need to start mixing again. Then, shortly after that I bought some sweet mastering plugins, and at this point I was just like “oh hell, give me those mixes, I’ll bang them out in an hour”. Which, after all the previous drama, is exactly what I did in the end!
All said and done, I think I am proud of these songs. They represent a fun time of experimentation and sharing of ideas, and a super steep learning curve in many respects - I learned so much about multitrack recording, and even more about my own creativity and how I can work with others.
The E.P. is available for free from www.helzuki.co.uk, and will be on iTunes and Amazon and everywhere else in a few days. Hoorah!
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