Implementation

            The percussive gesture present throughout the piece is a sample from the Ableton library with reverb. Then, using the MIDI function on Ableton, I arranged a rhythmic and melodic pattern using this sample. This instrument drives the piece as the main theme. 

            The drums also come from the Ableton library. I set up a drum rack and performed the drums on the keyboard. I then refined the rhythmic durations to be consistent to the tempo of the piece. 

            The low-bit bass was made in VCV Rack. I drove a signal using an LFO and VCO connected to a VCA. I used the Simpler function in Ableton to alter the pitch and duration of this signal to create a simple bass.

            The high-pitched chirps were also made in VCV Rack in the same arrangement as described above. The Simpler function in Ableton was also applied to this signal. Additionally, I applied a rhythmic delay to the Simpler for an echoic effect.

            The crackling, beeping, and fast sweeps came from the improvisational oscillator manipulation exhibited in the first draft of this piece. I addressed the critiques given to me and selected sections of the improvisation to be used as transitional tools for the piece.

            The reverse snare came from the Ableton sample library. 

Concept

            This project applies ambient elements in EDM contexts. The crackling is used not only as a drone but also a rhythmic presence during the chorus. The calm, percussive main motif of the piece is meant to function as a soothing signal initially then drives the harmonic component of the piece when the sounds become more active.  

Process

            I approached the composition of this piece using a methodology analogous to that of a software development team making a project. I would synthesize modular gestures using Rack or Ableton’s MIDI feature over the course of a few days, saving each file separately. I would then bring the instruments I had created together in a master file opened in Ableton to integrate them to the final product. I would edit and adjust the instruments separately when I saw a need for change. This would involve changing the signal directly in either Ableton or Rack then remixing the instrument in the context of the master file. This process of refinement and minor adjustments comprised the majority of the time I spent working on the composition. I found the restarting and synthesizing of new gestures unproductive and a waste of time that could be spent fine-tuning. I thus limited myself to one major change in creative direction, which took place after the in-class critiques. I took into consideration the reaction to my initial concept, which was to create an uncomfortable and deliberately stale piece and subvert the listeners’ expectations. I opted instead to have a more cohesive auditory image, using what I considered to be a logical progression from a minimal pattern to a more complex set of rhythms and pitches. 

Future Work 

            This project has helped me gain experience in composition. I also feel more comfortable navigating DAWs such as Ableton. I feel that there is still much room for growth with this project, so I will continue to refine and polish this piece with more deliberation and confidence. I could explore composing purely ambient and dance tracks to acquire a firmer grasp of both genres. Then I could revisit trying to blend the two together for another project.

1. Granular synthesis allows for the production of a wide range of sound. Splitting apart a sound into many pieces can reveal aspects of a sound that are not apparent when observed holistically. Granular synthesis is faster compared to some manual techniques. In terms of cons, granular synthesis can cause odd warping properties to signals when altering time length. Pitch shifting can also have these residual effects.
2. In this project, I used the Hadron module to process the bell halves signal. Certain parts are cut and looped. These serve as background noise that fills the space.

“Abstracted Environments” employs everyday city-situated noises as an instrument. It feels as though the piece tells a story of someone walking in a bustling city, passing cars, buskers, and passersby, accompanied by wind. It reaches a point where there a sinister darker noises and unsettling chirps, suggesting night and a seedier cityscape. It then transitions to a more natural setting with sounds of rain and natural life. This also decays to a darker ambiance. The final environment is a beach with sounds of waves crashing along a coast. A low pad accompanies the environmental sounds as the scene transitions to underwater. 

Bernard Parmegiani’s piece involves a moderately high-pitched pedal point that periodically changes oscillation frequency and timbre. There are miscellaneous noises that interrupt the tone and create a sense of aimlessness. There is very noticeable modulation on the pedal point. The changing panning of the instruments keeps the listener’s attention. The contrast of the percussive tonal elements makes the piece feel very disjoint at times. 

“Windowlicker” begins with a harsh dialogue between two men. The repetitive nature of their conversation creates an almost rhythmic feel to the sound of their voices. When the percussion, scratches, and bass enter, the rhythm of the first man’s voice is made apparent. The rhythmic dialogue continues until the beginning of the piece proper. The pattern of the percussion resembles the pace of the first man’s speech. The piece uses vocals as instruments. They do not form words but only oscillating vocalizations. The halting and repeating used in the piece make an instrument out of the finished piece itself. The later bit destruction applied to the mix helps substantiate this idea.

The Selected Ambient Works Volume II album uses delay in conjunction with traditional electronic noises such as smooth pads and tonal hits with short decay times. Many of the works have a warm timbre to them, with swelling synths and wind-like signals. Some can be darker depending on melodic and harmonic intention. 

Upon review of the reading, it seems that the complete experience of music goes beyond aural sensation. It is carried by the atmosphere of the location of its performance. Performers engage the visual attention of the audience with their instrumentation, either static or dynamic. The more senses involved in the audition of a piece, the more complex the experience and information conveyed. To harness this framework and perform it in the context of electronic music seems to be the main goal of contemporary electronic music artists. Dazzling light shows in large stadiums perhaps speak to the context many electronic music pieces seek to communicate.

Questions:

Is it possible to have too much non-auditory stimulation from a musical performance? When does it become excessive? When does it distract from the music?

Terry Riley’s piece creates a wide space of sound by panning the instruments to locations spanning the far left and right. The instruments are synthesized and seem to make use of this quality, giving a retro feel to the piece overall. The overlapping phrases have cohesion, yet there does not seem to be a distinct melody. This lack of centrality keeps the listener enthralled, shifting focus from instrument to instrument.

Steve Reich’s piece uses recordings and rhythmic hand slapping in a repetitive pattern. The voice recording has some delay that seems to increase in predelay time as the piece continues. This gives the piece a rigid air that slowly loosens and expands. The dancers also seem to mirror the change in the timing of the vocal recording.

Morton Subotnick’s album uses instruments that closely follow the principles of Shaeffer’s sound objects as they are amorphous and unusual. The sounds are disjoint in both location and cohesion. They are all panned to different degrees and vary widely in timbre and ADSR values. As the album progresses, there seems to be a mechanical trend amongst the instruments that helps contextualize them in a common setting. 

Joan La Barbara’s album consists of human-produced sound objects. The degree to which some of the voices are changed is interesting. They almost sound synthesized. The smacks and pips made by the performers seem to mimic the abstract sounds used in early electronic music.

The idea of a sound landscape encompasses more than just the concept or shape of the sound. It holds the qualities of a sound environment that the human mind can parse together as sensible and correct. Musical composition has trended toward the manipulation of this concept, allowing listeners to experience outlandish aural stimuli or convincing representations of real life. The theory behind the seemingly intuitive concept exhibits many complex nuances. There are three dimensions of measure to a sound landscape: the ability for a person to recognize the sound, the context of the sound, and the positional characteristic of the sound in its environment. The creative alteration of these values can create surreal sound images, paralleling abstract visual art. The three measures, when perfectly applied, can likely replicate any sound environment or context. However, the recreation cannot be complete without other demarcating indicators from other senses such as sight and touch. These signals work together with the aural in order to synthesize the complete surrounding environment humans experience, according to Wishart. This powerful concept is a driving force in the production of electronic music with the continuing innovations in the advent of musical technology.

Questions:

Why do we find the accurate representation of life to be so appealing in media, sonic and beyond? Do we find comfort in listening/observing our surroundings through a controlled medium? 

How do we perceive sound landscapes of sounds completely disjoint from reality, such as severely heavy basses with high-pitched stabs and tones?

John Cage’s piece blends sound objects with a woman’s voice. The two aspects often move together in terms of energy and feeling, transitioning from unintelligible garble to more harmonious phrases. The singer seems to change languages according to the context as well. The noise permeating some of the recordings is reflected in the inflection and pacing of the singer’s voice.

“Gandy 3” departs from any relation to human-produced sound and employs solely synthesized instruments. The scratches and tones meander about a reoccurring drone. The inequitable panning of the instruments adds another dimension to the confusion brought on by the highly active, discordant instruments.

“Persepolis” seems to use synthesized sounds that more closely represent analogue instruments. They are still employed in an aimless contour of pitch without melodic or harmonic intention. They do sound like mechanical moaning which adds a haunting element to the piece.

“Guillotine” exhibits a consistent rhythmic pattern. It uses the rapper’s adlib as instruments which contrasts with the other pieces, which use synthesized instruments and recordings. The other elements of the piece reflect the action of the vocal component.

“Water Music II” creates a relaxing ambiance with its static tone that serves to anchor the active instruments to a harmonic context. The more mobile instruments have a lower level than the pedal point, allowing the listener to focus on the center. The instruments are rather homogeneous in timbre, letting the sounds of the piece blend and create a calming atmosphere.