On the 9th of February 2023 it was 5 years ago that the outstanding Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson passed away, suddenly, only at the age of 48.  This original composition is my dedication, my musical service, to Jóhannsson. With his spheric, minimalistic style, reverent idiom and musical voice  he's still a great inspiration...

0:02 - The Consolation 
3:02 - The Contemplation
5:02 - The Procession

Be well,
Jeff Hijlkema

In Memoriam for Johann Johannsson

Ryan Leach proposed his most recent composition competition July 2023, based on a drawing/picture by David Frasheski; the image is shown above. Due to circumstances I was too late to come up with something before the deadline so this entry is not submitted for the competition. However, I made something after the deadline, within the 90 seconds limit. Is it based on, or is a connection with the drawing? Perhaps, perhaps not. It is not a Bonanza, High Chaparal or Ennio Morricone Western heroic style piece, it is what it is...with some melancholy feeling in it, some farewell-like mood.
(This is a second upload, the first upload had some flaws in the mastered end result.)

TerraCanyon Farewell

Relative long orchestral composition using a lot of libraries from Spitfire Audio and Orchestral Tools, and some others.
I finished it mostly with headphones, and that was satisfying in sound, but listening on the speakers, it is not yet what I aim for talking about the mastering, so this is not yet the final version I imagine in my head.

Dreamed Future

This is my entry for the Ryan Leach competition January 2024. They ask for a composition not longer than 90 seconds, based on an artwork. The artwork is created by Hardy Fowler. The shown image is cropped, the full image can be seen here:
https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/054/964/553/4k/hardy-fowler-7-cyberpunk.jpg?1665777108
In the music I tried to visualize the urban character of a world city conglomerate, the two persons in the center have some kind of intimate conversation, or is it a business conversation? The eastern elements are inspired by the chinese or japanese looking woman.
In the music orchestral settings are combined with eastern instruments, and also with a trance like middle part in which synth sounds play an important role.

Urban Intimacy

For some decades making a Adagio for Strings (Barber) mockup was on my bucket-list and for long string plugins just didn’t match up I experienced. Times have changed and I finally went for it combining BBCSO Pro strings and Appassionata Strings, both Spitfire Audio products. The performance of Leonard Bernstein with the New York Philharmonic string players is my all time favorite cause of it’s intens expression and dynamics. Did my best to ‘conduct’ my digital orchestra with this kinda passion also. I created my mockup using the 1936 original score, with divisé parts.

I used the following mic settings within Appassionata Strings:
Close Ribbon 35%
Tree 80%
Ambient 35%
Outriggers 80%

And these mic settings within BBCSO Pro:
Tree 85%
Outriggers 70%
Leaders 35%
Close Wide 45%
Sides 40%

These 9 mics I rendered seperately per instrument in Cubase Pro, so I got complete control over them in the mix. Leaving me up with 45 mic tracks. On violins 1, violins 2 and the violas I used EQ automation on all mics for low end roll-off, getting rid of the rumble specially in the high climax part.

This mockup stringorchestra is counting 70 players in total:
Violins 1 - 24 players (BBCSO 16 / Appassionata 8)
Violins 2 - 20 players (BBCSO 14 / Appassionata 6)
Violas - 18 players (BBCSO 12 / Appassionata 6)
Cellos - 16 players (BBCSO 10 / Appassionata 6)
Basses - 12 players (BBCSO 8 / Appassionata 4)

Insert chain for both Appassionata bus & BBCSO bus: 
1. FabFilter EQ2 for little low end roll-off, mids pull and high end boost, around 1.5db
2. Manley Massive Passive EQ for character, warming the low end and little presence
3. Avalon VT-737 EQ for sophistication and charachter also. 
All just a little touch.

Send chain for both Appassionata bus & BBCSO bus: 
1. Scoring Stage - Liquid Sonics - Seventh Heaven - 2.20sec (-7db)
2. Amsterdam Classic Hall, FabFilter Pro-R - 3.30sec (-6db)

Mastering Inserts:
1.Fabfilter EQ2 Low end roll off around 20Hz
2. Fabfilter EQ2 Mids pull
3. Manley Massive Passive EQ for little 47hz and 16k boost 
4. Avalon 747 EQ  for a velvety blanket.
5. FabFilter Compressor -1.5db
6. FabFilter Limiter  -11 LUFS

It took me around 50 hours from start to finish to create this mockup.
Where most of the time went into CC automation and tempo automation.


Be well,
Jeff Hijlkema

Samuel Barber - Adagio For Strings - Mockup with BBCSO Pro & Appassionata Strings

Video version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uuWO4Vg1t4

0:00 – Opening up
0:11 – Intervals 1
1:00 – Desert Duet
3:01 – Duduk Hymne
5:21 – Sad Secrecy
6:02 – Antagonist Action
7:00 – The Riddle
8:17 – Intervals 2

Last month I’ve been working on the follow-up of my OASIS. Now introducing OASIS 2. I’m using kind of the same hybrid-orchestral palette as in my original OASIS, but exchanged the featuring Ventus Bansuri for the Ilya Efimov Duduk, that has a breathtaking realistic sound in my opinion. I also added the Spitfire Audio Mercury Solar synth, for background sounddesign-ish purposes, next to some drony pad stuff. 

It doesn’t take much to figure out I was inspired by the music from Dune 1 & 2, composed by Hans Zimmer. Next to his unparalleled hybrid-orchestral atmosphere I even more admire the deep emotive impact of Zimmer’s music in general. 

The music was composed and produced using my trusted Cubase 13 Pro, dressed with the following hybrid-orchestral palette:
- Olafur Arnalds Chamber evolutions; Chamber Waves & Grid.
- BBCSO Core – Vlns 1, Vlns 2, Violas, Celli, Basses.
- BBCSO Core – Horn solo, Horns a4, Trombones a3.
- Albion Iceni – Brass Low.
- Eric Whitacre Choir – Sopranos, Altos and Tutti evolutions.
- Heavyocity Vocalise 3 – Intervals, Vocal scapes, Phrases & Whispers.
- Spitfire Audio – Mercury Solar.
- Albion One -  Soft synth pads; Celestion MW, Fanfare MW, The Menace (!).
- Synapse Audio Software - The Legend HZ soft synth (several tweaked pads and basses).
- Heavyocity - Mosaic Bass.
- Ilya Efimov Production – Duduk.
- Fracture sounds – Zen Drum.
- Spitfire Audio – Cinematic Softpiano.
- Spitfire Audio - Percussion Swarm; Xylophone.
- Orchestral Tools - Time Micro, Alto flute, flutter.
- Spitfire Audio – Hans Zimmer Percussion & Albion Iceni; using the drumsticks only.
- Spitfire Audio – Hammers; Darbuka’s, Rototoms, Toms, Surdo’s, Warped loops.

Featuring Reverbs, used solo and in chains:
Liquid Sonics – Seventh Heaven, Scoring Stage, 2.60 sec.
Cinematic Rooms – Rear Hall, 2.35 sec.
Fabfilter  Pro-R - Vanilla Concert Hall, 2.93 sec.
Cinematic Rooms – Dark Tunnel, 3.27 sec.
Cinematic Rooms – Galaxius, 6.51 sec.
Fabfilter Pro-R – Black Hole, 12.9 sec.

All was mixed and mastered using:
- Cubase Stereo Delay, for the 'Haas-effect'.
- Pulltec EQ. 
- Fabfilter EQ2. 
- Manley Massive Passive EQ (mix and master versions).
- Avalon VT 373 & 747 (EQ & Compressor). 
- Renaissance Axx compressor.
- Manley Variable MU compressor.
- Solid State Logic Fusion Stereo Image (widener). 
- Fabfilter C2 compressor. 
- Fabfilter L2 limiter.

Please use your finest set of speakers or headphones to get the best audio experience.

Be well,
Jeff

OASIS 2

I compose music with the computer (Logic X). Orchestral music, synthesizer music, and the hybrid combination of both.
My other soundcloud accounts are:
www.soundcloud.com/harrypiano
www.soundcloud.com/harry-koopman
There is a lot of music to listen to on these accounts.
Note, on my account image with the green and red earflaps I am some tinybits younger than I am now.
I also give piano lessons (that is my profession, pianoteacher and pianist) in Alkmaar Netherlands. See harrypiano.nl

Urban Intimacy

harrypiano2

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