Monday, February 2, 2009

New Music Appetizer Week #2 - Duchess of Malfi waves-breath-blood (link works now)

waves-breath-blood
MP3

No score this time. Here's my first draft of one of the sounds I'm creating for Duchess of Malfi. I'm calling this waves-breath-blood. It uses a mixture of found, recorded, synthesized, and (eventually) live sources to create a sort of soundscape.

Now, how do I make this sound cooler and creepier, yet less contrived, artificial, and distractingly intentioned? Thoughts?


The show runs February 12-15 at Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, and is directed by Ryan Whinnem. Check it out!

Okay, your turn. If you're intrigued by what you hear on my New Music Appetizer series, why not let me know by e-mail? Better yet, subscribe to my blog's podcast for automatic updates. (right side of the screen)

4 comments:

  1. It sounds like maybe, MAYBE some of the recorded things have background noise, and if you could get rid of that it would be helpful. Also I don't know exactly how you're going to implement it all but if each part were more drawn out it would have the chance to become creepy, etc. - when it moves through it so quickly the audience doesn't have time to get into the music enough for that to happen. Those are my immediate thoughts, at any rate, and I hope they help!

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  2. Yay, a comment!!!!! I'm so happy. And a very helpful one, too!

    I'll definitely look into the "background noise"... though what you may be hearing is the "wind generator" synth I'm using?

    I suppose creepy wasn't the right word, but moving or unsettling. This is (probably) the very very opening of the show, before Scene I, 1. So it can't be all that long... but that's really good to hear, about the pacing. Thank you again!

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  3. I agree with Candy's comments. It's not really creepy to my ears--maybe you need some eerie organ in the background? I suppose that wouldn't fit with the otherwise seaside feel I get from it. It reminds me of walking along Long Island Sound here--a wide-open, expansive, bit lonely feeling. Is that what you were going for?

    And I hope the show went well! Best of luck with future projects.

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  4. You're both right. Perhaps "creepy" wasn't the right word, but this was supposed to be unsettling at least. It's the first thing you hear in a play with five murders!

    I'll post my slightly revised version soon (the one that made it into the show. It's got some bass to it, which I think helps. Thanks for the feedback!

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