Week 14.2

Context*:  A kitten playing
Emotion*:  Silly and happy
Other:  a meow at the end

The hardest part was getting a cat to meow into the mic.  Usually, it's no problem, screaming over the smallest inconvenience is a daily occurrence.  Sometimes they scream for no reason, then forget they're screaming.  This time I had to go find a sound effect, because they just would not make a sound, like some kind of kitty oath of silence for their monastic order.
This one's simple, ABC sections, I went with some 'playful' sounding instruments, glockenspiel, toy piano, some silly choir bits and a grain synth I made special.

Week 11.2

Context*: Elk herd moving along the Black Canyon

Emotion*: In tune with Nature, then fright as traffic roars by

Other: Maybe some bugling??

I think that the elk's bugle is the most haunting sound ever, so this piece turned into something of an 'in memoriam'. I broke down the elk bugling, and one set of harmonics is pretty clearly do-le-so, or 1 b6 5 or I bVI V, with a fall off. Anyways, I wrote the progression around that sequence. Another one that I'm more or less speechless after writing.  I may have strayed from the submission.  Substantially.

~græy

UPDATE: Well this one lost a lot in the transition to youtube.  Sound quality is super shitty, dunno why it hit this one so hard and not others.  I'll try reupping it tomorrow, hopefully it'll sound NOT like it's being played through a fucking tin can.  ARGH!


UPDATE: 12/15 There.  Re-uploaded a much higher quality version.  youtube still kinda smeared it, but it's much better.  I'll be reuploading all the past week's videos as high quality video/audio over the next few days as well.

Week 9.2

Context*:  Stealing Chickens

Emotion*:  Intensely erotic

Other:  More Jiggling than can be imagined

Secret project, being animated now.  When it's done, it'll go up, so keep your eyes open

My sax chops are a bit rusted, so I didn't feature it too prominently.  I think it keeps the focus on the bassline, which is kinda what I had in mind anyways.

~græy

Week 4

Four!

Context: An amplifier falling apart

Emotion: Certainty

Other: Gentle made abrasive

Another more textural and atmospheric.  Listen with headphones, there's some lower tones that don't really come through on crappy speakers (laptops).  Actually, I'd suggest to always use headphones if you don't have decent speakers.  It really does make a difference.

I used a bitcrusher on a set of drums and a few of the guitar parts.

This one is a lot like week 2 in the way I approach.  Melody wasn't really important, the color of the instruments was.  This one needed to be warm and clangy, unlike the cold detachment of W2.
I decided to do a sus4-major repeated chord progression, and detune it as the song went on.  It gets a little painful.  The synth pad adds a lot to the texture, and there are some crunched drums thrown in.

~græy

Week 3

Context: You've gotta hurry!

Emotion: frenetic

Well, this one didn't feel like it came together.  But it's done.

I tried to use quick runs (in this case, piano and pizzicato violins/violas) to create some more frantic motion.  

I do really like the rhythmic synth

But it's not my best

~græy