Introduction
This piece, roughly 3:30 in duration, is ambient in nature; it makes use of Max/MSP, and its countless possibilities. Looping, effects and probability all play a part in its creation. The basic idea behind it is the use of my 12-string guitar being looped and improvising melodic runs over the loop and a selection of ambient sounds (rainforest, storm, birds). These sounds then have a series of effects added (flanger, chorus, ring modulation) before the brief appearance of a ‘random’ drum loop. It is noticeable that our final piece is rather different to the project proposal – this is due to feedback we received, self-reflection and the desire to keep the piece simple, avoiding anything that is unnecessarily complex. This led to the removal of the brief ‘chaotic’ section (as it would probably just sound dire and not fit in with the general ambience) and the organ sounds (this would have most likely meant there was too much going on).
Inspiration for this piece was derived from the dream-pop band the Cocteau Twins, and their use of effects to modify relatively simple guitar melodies and chord progressions, giving their songs an ethereal, dreamlike quality. This is evident in songs such as ‘Heaven or Las Vegas’ (Heaven or Las Vegas, 1990, track 4) and ‘Cico Buff’ (Blue Bell Knoll, 1988, track 6). The drums were inspired a very ‘1980s’ type of sound, heard on songs like “Flood I’ (Floodland, 1987, track 2) by the goth-rock band the Sisters of Mercy.
Method/Timeline
Weeks 1-6 weekly homework, plus lectures and tutorials, introduced us to the basics of patching. Outside tutelage was also sought early on. The following few weeks involved experimenting, discussing ideas and researching patches online. Following the mid-semester break in week 9, work really started on the creation of our piece. This involved rehearsals, patch finalising, and receiving feedback from the original proposal and a workshop performance.
Score
This piece relies on improvisation; there is a different outcome every time, as I move up and down my guitar, interacting differently with the samples and effects. This makes the piece somewhat unpredictable, but as the score demonstrates, it is within the confines of a defined structure.
My guitar part is relatively simple. It is based on an Fmaj7-Gmaj6 chord progression, with improvised runs and arpeggios in the key of C Major, with a hint of the Lydian mode; this means the piece avoids straight forward major/minor tonality, which fits in well with the ambient theme.
Audio
Here are audio samples of the two parts that make our piece come together. The first is of the guitar plus effects combining with the audio samples. The second is of the drum loop which will be introduced towards the end of the piece.
Patch
I was particularly impressed with the probability drum machine that Ian Stevenson used in the introductory lecture for Machine Musicianship (week 1). After realising that it would fit in well with what we are trying to achieve, we decided to make use of it in our piece. It has been pared down to the bare essentials to avoid overcomplicating and introducing unnecessary sounds (the bass, toms and different sound have all been removed).
At 45BPM, the kick drum is used on the first beat of every bar, with the snare alternating between the second beat and the third beat. The open and closed hi-hats make use of the probability aspect, mostly on the third and fourth beat. Gradually more ‘random’ snare and hi-hat hits are introduced before a slow fadeout.
Evaluation/Analysis
I am relatively pleased with how our piece has managed to turn out. It is always an enjoyable piece to perform/rehearse, as the unpredictable nature of it makes it different every time, while the collection of effects and ambient sounds are very easy (as a performer) to lose yourself within. I’m glad that the feedback we received and the way we evaluated our piece allowed us to reach the stage we are at; without it, I believe there could have been the danger of biting off more than we can chew. As it is, we have a piece we are pleased with and are very capable of executing relatively well. If I were to take this piece/concept further, it would necessitate becoming more fluent in Max/MSP, and as a more traditional popular/rock performer/composer this looks very unlikely.
Reference List
Cocteau Twins. (1990) Heaven or Las Vegas. On Heaven or Las Vegas. 4AD
Cocteau Twins. (1988). Cico Buff. On Blue Bell Knoll. 4AD
Eldritch, A. (1987). Flood I. On Floodland. Merciful Release/WEA
Stevenson, I. (2014). LectureDemo1-ProbabilityDrums.maxpat. [Max/MSP software patch]. Tutorial material provided in unit 101537 Sound Technologies and Machine Musicianship. Penrith: School of Humanities and Communication Arts, University of Western Sydney
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