Open Mic Week 40: Transfixed by Polyradiance (ORIGINAL MUSIC)
This is the first song I wrote in my acoustic polymetric style, by which I mean I'm using a mix of techniques such as odd and mixed meter, additive rhythm, and polymeter. In this song, the wordless refrain is a 5/8 pattern atop a 4/8 bass line; the 5/8 melody is doubled in the vocal melody, but sung in 8/8, creating a rhythmic phasing effect that grows more disjunct over the passage.
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Thematically, the song is about identity, feeling overwhelmed by possibilities, and dissociation from self. In my acoustic music, I try to express emotional intricacy and nuance in mutual complement to the complexity of the music. I'm currently working on an album of 8 tracks of my acoustic music in this style, which is going to be released under the Cold Stars moniker.
This is absolutely beautiful! I'd be very interested to know who your biggest influences are. I reminds me slightly of people like Nick drake, Slapp Happy, Sea and Cake, Kings of Convenience and Debussy, but is very distinct from those too. It deserves to win the contest from what I've heard so far - good luck!
Thanks a lot man! I'm actually not familiar with most of those acts, but Debussy is a huge influence on me and growing more so every day. Post-tonal harmony is almost sort of my default at this point, I get kind of bored when it's easy to pin down what's happening. I just listened to a couple Kings of Convenience songs and really enjoyed them, so I'll have to check more of that out.
I actually don't have a lot of conscious influences for this acoustic stuff, and the things I AM drawing from consciously are more in a conceptual sense than in any sonic aesthetic way. Like, Animals as Leaders and Meshuggah were in my mind, for example hahaha. In general though, I'm very heavily influenced by Time of Orchids, Kayo Dot, and This Town Needs Guns, and I think those show through in this stuff.
I'm afraid your music and art language is a bit beyond me, but I understand the music more clearly! ;) I thought after asking, that I wouldn't easily be able to answer my own question if it was asked either, as music tends to flow out unconsciously for me too. I'll have a listen to those acts... This Town Needs Guns sounds good, but it takes time to know with complex music. I was surprised to hear all of your other music seems very heavy, unless I'm missing some?
Yeah, I mostly work in heavy music lately, but really it's just that I haven't gotten around to recording the acoustic stuff yet haha.
Those bands all have pretty diverse material, but here are the albums I'd recommend most highly by each:
Kayo Dot - Choirs of the Eye
This Town Needs Guns - Animals
Time of Orchids - Namesake Caution
Your song sounds just as good this morning - I've resteemed it.
I'm finding that the open mic here is giving me an excuse to record my music (at least roughly!), and actually start playing more again. I think I read that once you have a reputation of 53 though, you don't get support from the 'curie' account. Maybe that's why this one of yours doesn't have more high value votes, even though it has a lot of votes.
Thanks for the list, I'm liking Animals at the moment.
I wondered if you might like this one by Slapp Happy.
Thanks for the support! Yeah, it's definitely a good motivator for me to start practicing my acoustic stuff again, because I want to properly record it soon. I don't really know about that account, but I see some stuff on there that's from higher rep people than me, so who knows? I've been on here since August last year and spent a lot of time off Steemit, so there's a lot I'm not quite sure about.
Animals was my favorite album for a long time, I've probably listened to it more than any other; well over 200 listens.
I'll give that a listen, thanks.
That's true, there are some 55s and 56s actually, but perhaps those reps are only higher since curie cast their last big votes. I think I read that recently they've started penalising the use of randowhale, so accounts that use that are excluded from their promotions, so maybe that's it instead. So much to learn!
Well jeeze, good to know. I have been using randowhale, but stopped as it seems to actually have not so great odds of netting a profit anymore, and I could see how it would make people avoid voting, since it seems a little controversial.
I enjoyed that song by the way, very unique. I'll probably listen to the rest of the album soon, I love weird stuff like this.
Great video, thank you for sharing this with us :)
Thanks for watching!
Your guitar melody is very nice but the way you sang it <3 <3 <3
Really beautiful!
I'm going to resteem
Ahh, I'm flattered, thank you!
Hows this for flattery, you also have amazing hair, I forgot to add that in my comment :)
Hah, thank you again. I just let it do its own thing lol
This is superb!
Glad you like it!
Fascinating technique. It all sounds really complicated! Upped.
Thanks!
Nice song man! Would love to hear it with more production, kind of has a Grizzly Bear quality to it
Thanks! I like to keep this stuff pretty bare, but I have been considering adding more arrangement when I record it. What kind of stuff were you imagining?
Nothing too complicated, maybe start by recording the guitar and vocals and then experiment with some additional instrumentation to see if you like it. Just hearing the song recorded with close mics would be good though
Beautiful I love it. The melodic progression always turns around when you least expect it. I am a fan starting today.
Ah, glad you enjoyed! I love to write with unusual harmony and disarming structure, so it's cool that you picked up on that.
I'm really digging your style @fungusmonk! Excellent guitar AND vocal work on this one. Thanks for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed, there'll be more soon hopefully haha
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Thanks @juliakponsford!
I had a spare vote, gotta share the love!
Wow, I love polyrhythms! You are a great musician! Following! :)
Thanks a lot! If you like polyrhythms, you'll probably like most of my stuff. I just put out an album recently, perhaps you'd enjoy it: https://steemit.com/music/@fungusmonk/my-first-album-summer-thunder-is-finally-out-instrumental-progressive-experimental-metal
I will definitely check it out! Keep on creating! :)