The haiku from Naviar Records this week prompted me to record sticks being snapped and add a bassline. It's an approach that I've been meaning to try again, as I did something similar when I recorded stones being knocked together for the stone-cutter story, which worked out sounding good.
The recording of the sticks didn't go to plan, as I forgot to 'arm' the track when recording and had to use the sound from the video. Below is an excerpt.
Within a couple of hours I'd shaped these sticks into a collection of percussive loops and a few notes on a VST synth, as well as one part that I'd treated with a Sinevibes effect to create an upbeat bassline. It added a lot of vibe but wasn't the key I wanted. When I returned to the track the following morning, I knew it had to go. I remember thinking there must be an Oblique Strategy that says to destroy the most obvious element in the track.
I recorded a few takes on the fretless bass and could hear a few different chord progressions. The take used was the second or third, which only needed a couple of edits but I think I could've changed one more note. Then again, it sounds a bit 'broken' at that point, so maybe it works with the theme?
In the computer I layered up the drum parts and looped a bar of bass. As a kind of challenge to myself, I've been recording single-take parts for the Juntos. It was something I found myself questioning when the drum parts drifted apart. Yet it seemed important after I gave up on trying to record a single take on the bass.
Then I used Ableton Live's convert to MIDI function to create harmony and melody parts that were run through Phosphor and Absynth VST instruments.
This six-minute result feels a bit long. I might edit my parts without Beacon... and tidy it up.
The track was a bit of a headfuck. I don't know what the time signature is but I eventually settled on counting four twice and then two as I played bass guitar this morning. Does that make it 5/4?
This bassline was only a few notes but every time I had an idea to add more or try a different bass, I ended up struggling to remember the feel.
Once it was settled, I added a simple drum beat and picked a few notes on the guitar. Then my kids started fighting and I had to stop.
This weekend has been the third spent pulling up carpets, underlay, staples and tacks. Carpet moth has infested my house and drastic action was required.
After calming my kids, I returned to pulling up and hummed melodies to myself while thinking what else to record with 'It'. Conversation turned to reading horror stories, as my youngest insisted we start something scary. My partner pulled out a copy of Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes.
As I read aloud the blurb on the back of the cover, it occurred to me that it would work sung to the melody I'd been humming. My partner encouraged me to record my idea while the inspiration was fresh (love that woman!) and what you hear was my second take.
Wasn't sure about the direction "do not change the source audio," since adding anything is going to cause it to change. I've EQ'd 'It' and turned it down, also edited the beginning by keeping the opening and then fading into a part about a minute later in the original track. To be honest, I probably didn't care much for the direction as I like to use the Junto as a prompt to develop new material.
The haiku by Murakami Koji resonated with me for capturing a sense of heading into one's middle years.
The more I thought about it, the more I thought I should use it as a springboard to explore another sense of paternalism.
The melody on the bass guitar was one I started humming in Easter this year, a time that became associated with the murder of Stephanie Scott. I spent the following weekend thinking about the symbolism of her death at Easter, which in the southern hemisphere marks the start of autumn.
Since then I've been thinking about the feminist argument that the personal is political, so this poem led me to think how a father is a symbol of patriarchy and how governments are patriarchal in claiming to act in the best interests of citizens.
I think governments are influenced by lobbyists, who are largely acting on behalf of corporations. Just look at the TPP and the secrecy in which it was negotiated and signed by governments, making a farce of democracy.
Anyway, the Naviar haiku was a prompt to record a first draft of this idea that I've had in my head for half a year. It's good to have a deadline to realise such ideas and I almost missed this one as various events have kept me busy this week.
Layering up three bass guitar parts is a recipe for a muddy mix, as well as a similar number of vocal parts. I think I can better realise this track but it's good to have made a start.
A milestone for the Disquiet Junto this week as it reaches 200 consecutive weeks of projects. Huzzah!
It's recognised with a special guest in the form of writer Richard Kadrey, whose Sandman Slim books I like a lot.
Using only his recording of a short story, I've created a soundtrack to accompany the first part of seven. A pop near the end was ideal for a kick, while I took the ess in 'piece' to make a high-hat.
Other parts came from 'o' and 'a' vowel sounds, as well as a 't' sound that is kinda percussive. All were manipulated with gates and Live's beatrepeat and Valhalla Shimmer reverb rises through the piece.
Anyway, I immediately turned to recordings of a favourite spot but now I wonder if I could've played on the idea of space cricket -- like, if an Australian astronaut listened to old cricket commentaries.
Or maybe just mixing The 12th Man with some industrial hum?
It's been a little while between Naviar tracks for me, for various reasons that mostly relate to a shortage of free time. Working full-time across two jobs is taking a toll, as well as recent projects like the installations at Trent's and Burning Seed.
Anyway, I'd recorded my lawnmower and a jam a couple of weeks ago for a Junto that didn't get finished and the haiku this week spoke to me. It said "Remember silence?" And I thought 'no' because I have three kids, so my best quiet time is early mornings, bath time and mowing the lawn.
The bassline I'd recorded was simple but still seemed too busy, so I gated it to follow the drums. The drums were also simple, so I multiplied them three times. The guitar was also simple, so I added reverb and delay. The lawnmower I spread wider across the stereo field but mostly left as it was for background noise.
It was great to see instant interest in the installation. This little guy watched the video a couple of times and then discovered the percussion laid on top of the television, which screens sound-activated visuals and is going to Burning Seed this afternoon.
The Junto this week to make a track from a clock was a great prompt to try an idea I'd had. Last week I recorded a drum part that I thought sounded good but my family thought sounded like all my other drum parts.
Undeterred I thought it'd be interesting to make the track into a round. So I duplicated the drum part and staggered their starts by a bar each. Then I got stumped by the idea of composing a melody to also be a round with it.
When the Junto instructions arrived I was disappointed that I haven't recorded this amazing clock at my new workplace. It's a German grandfather clock from the 19th Century that came to Griffith via an auction in Melbourne. It looks amazing with numerous bears carved into the case and large chimes.
Instead I thought of my alarm clock which makes a horrible bleating sound. I've heard a bit of it since starting my new job. It was recorded using my Rode VideoMic. The drums had been recorded using a Rode NT4 stereo mic.
Once I started manipulating the bleating alarm in Ableton Live, I found it sounded keyboard-like when dropped an octave. For a while I played around with different pitches and speeds, then I went back to an early attempt and gated it with the Beat Repeat effect.
A bassline was made using a VST, then Valhalla Shimmer reverb was employed for that octave above and below effect. Then I went to bed.
When I returned to the draft this morning I began thinking of a guitar part. I experimented with a few chords and then, when time allowed in the afternoon, recorded a part and layered it four times to create another round.
Then I added a bassline, which seemed way too murky multiplied by four, and raised the VST bass part an octave to sit behind the alarm clock. The reverb on the drums smoothed out some of the parts which drift out of time, which is something the delay on the guitar does too. I panned the guitar parts from left to right.
If you listen you can hear the round go 'round your head, which is kinda cool given the circular representation of time on an analogue clock face.
A couple of weeks ago I picked up the guitar and spent a while riffing around E7 before settling on the chord progression here, E A# D C. For the parallel part it goes to G.
I recorded the drum part so that I'd have something to keep me in time. Then the guitar part, then the bass but these two were recorded independently of each other with just the drums in my headphones.
Lovely warm day today, it's starting to feel like spring. I've been busy working on a soundtrack, so it was good to be motivated to record this riff although I think I could do it better differently.
Dunno, the timing might need some work yet. And that keyboard during the first verse doesn't quite sit right. I think I'm still to get a definitive version of this song.
I cheated, I think. My result used a MIDI'd chord and sampled instruments but I really liked hearing the chord progress seamlessly through a baker's dozen playing E.
The idea was that the range of the instrument would determine the order. I ended up recording the parts and then arranging them by ear.
After having a break I felt a bit rusty getting back to the Junto but the assignment this week wasn't too demanding.
I decided to record the bass guitar but soon found I had to create very short loops to sustain the tones. The notes were going to be in the key of A but once in Live I dropped the root down six steps.
The rumbling bit was good, I'd like more of that. But, in hindsight, I wish I'd used a different instrument. I think human voice would've been better, as I always enjoy making vocal drones for Juntos -- although I rarely end up using those tracks on the albums I compile.
