If there is a place called heaven, it would be here!

Southern Island

Southern Island (南の島)

Video;
https://youtu.be/ie6jkV7FPbY

Made in #Ableton (February 2024)

Also available at;
https://hega.bandcamp.com/album/finding-balance

Genres;
#Electronic
#Pop
#Rock

Finding Balance

Temptation

Work for philharmonic orchestra in three movements.

"The moon's my constant mistress,
And the lonely owl my marrow;
The flaming drake and the night crow make
Me music to my sorrow."

 - from an anonymous folk song called "Tom O'Bedlam"

Orchestral Suite 2024 No. 1

Orchestral Suite 2024 No. 1 mvt-1

Smoke patterns

06/19/2024

You'd Rather Be Dead Than Alive

'perhaps, the best...'

Baby, unfortunately you have gave me
no choice but to leave you,
'cause you're crazy.
Indeed, at once it was 'maybe.'
But, now it is definitely 'no.'
Although I am sad to see you go.
And wish you all the best.
I still love you.
And always will for what you've been to me.
Eternally. 

I pushed you through your spare room window
and never left.
You made me poutine, burned your arm and had sex. Perhaps the best...

perhaps, the best

original instrumental " Funky Trip   " ,  genereously offered by the talented Paul Paploviante, who has his SC page Paploviante and friends, among other projects. 
Paploviante: Bass, Composing, Arrangement, Mix
BPM 120 / Chord E

https://soundcloud.com/paploviante-and-friends/funky-trip-paploviante-open-collab-offer?si=db045d028604416aacf9cc1d1464ae1c&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
My part: songline, vocals, lyrics

++++
Invisible  lyrics

I still exist
But I am changed 
I’m no longer who I used to be
You look at me but don’t see me
Invisible
I’m just like glass

And now and then
You hurt yourself
We clash and crash, don’t notice me
I wished there was a softer me
A pitie, I’m as hard as glass

and still I’m useful
cause I protect
against the Wind 
against the Rain
I wished there was a warmer me
but touch me
 I’m as cold as glass

If i could choose I liked to be
The person who I used to be
Sweet and gentle as mothersmilk
Hot as the sun
As soft as silk

Invisible  (collab with paploviante)

Skies

'Windrush' An intended soundtrack for a yet to be made documentary on the Imigration, (which was often "forced" or "coerced") by the British govenment of the mainly Jamaican population over to England after the 2nd world war in 1948.
The HMT Empire Windrush was the ship used to carry these 1027 West Indians, who were later housed in often abominable conditions, including unused underground stations. They were sent out to service type jobs for a pittance in pay and more or less used as "slave" labour.
This is my tribute to these extremely proud people, many of whom I have met over the years, whilst living in London. All of them I remember with fondness.

A Cupboardful Of Hats

Windrush

Music for piano and string quartet.

Strings: leos-strings.com brookspearemusic.com

Artwork by Kalle Saarikko: https://www.kallesaarikko.com


Follow:

Links: hoo.be/stevengutheinz

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Web: www.stevengutheinz.com

Expressions and Abstractions

I am a composer and producer of instrumental music in several genres, including ambient soundscapes, electronica, orchestral and chamber music.  

Musical influences include John Coltrane, Igor Stravinsky, Gustav Holst, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Tangerine Dream, Robert Prince, Frank Zappa, Brian Eno, Heinrich Ignaz, Franz von Biber.

My Method of Composing and Producing
------------------------------------------
I'm sharing my method of composing and producing music recordings in case other composer-producers like me might find ideas worth exploring in their own work. I use this method for Classical, Avant-Pop or Neo-Folk Instrumental genres, not for Ambient and Soundscape pieces. Non-composers might find this explanation interesting, but having a bit of music theory background will definitely help. I consider myself a humble learner when it comes to music theory. 

I owe a debt of gratitude to British musician and educator Gareth Green, whose Music Matters online courses and free YouTube lessons have taught me so much over the past few years. Thanks to his instruction, I’ve moved from struggling to compose music by trial and error to something more enjoyable and productive. The knowledge I've gained has taken my work in new and expanding directions. As the saying goes, “Theory is not a cage — it’s a map. It doesn’t make the journey for you, but it keeps you from getting lost.” 

When I start a new piece, I begin by choosing a key, and picking a scale drawn from one of these sources:
 
1) Western Tonal / Functional Harmony - major or minor chords I II III IV V VI VII
2) Modal Harmony - Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, etc.
3) Slonimsky's "Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns" 
4) Messiaen’s "Seven Modes of Limited Transposition" 

For many pieces, I also decide on a progression, one as a simple as I IV V, or something more elaborate.  

Next I create a "scales and progressions" piano track in my DAW (digital audio workstation software) and enter the chords I to VII in my chosen key. These harmonized scales serve as a basis for writing multipart harmonies and finding pivot chords for key modulations. 

At the start, I know what instruments I want to use, making adjustments along the way. I tend to write chord parts first, then melodies created through a mix of improvisation and direct input in the DAW. Sometimes I start with a melody.

I develop melodies and variations of a phrase by some combination of: a) passing it from one instrument to another, transposing it by an interval that sounds pleasing, b) reversing it, c) inverting it around the tonic (first) note of the scale. These are well-known methods. 

After completing a section, I choose another scale and maybe a new key and repeat the process until I have a draft of the entire piece. Then I export a recording and listen to it “offline”, take notes of errors and new ideas, and incorporate them back into the piece. Often this “compose / listen / compose” cycle is repeated many times. These iterative cycles include adding new ideas, polishing transitions between sections, changing the arrangement, and incorporating expressive details like accents, and articulations (staccato, sustain, portato etc.). I’m often working several different pieces at once. 

Last is mixing and mastering: balancing the loudness between instruments and adjusting elements like reverb, compression, and equalization. I tend to mix as I compose, even though many producers frown on that approach. I find mixing as I go helps me envision the completed piece and make adjustments to the choice of instruments; it self-inspires me when the piece is starting to sound good.  At the end I do a final mix, but as the saying goes, “A mix is never finished — it’s surrendered.”

In the end, this method gives me a basis for exploration and creativity and helps me stay focused. The goal is always to make a piece of music that feels expressive, cohesive, and emotionally resonant.

Orchestral Suite 2024 No. 1 mvt-1

Jim Lynch