Up, Up High

Sergios - Drums
Giouli - Guitar
Christos - Vocals, Lyrics


"THOUGHTS"
Free in my mind and soul, earned through all my living,
Every sacred message, has a different meaning,
Have i ever thought, what it is just giving,
Every little soul, has a great beginning.
Take it all down fellow, to the point you deal,
Cards that never stop, our brains from what to feel,
Is it thought just travels, or our feelings throttle,
Maybe all together, make us live as a whole.
Fantasy created, fantasy itself,
Thought just gives a feeling, killing death on breath,
Combination ended, realistic zones,
We live through one message, passing through our bones.
Does this means we are bonded, taking down a trip,
Living as created, things don't ever flip,
Everything was always, as has always been,
Get the point geezer, get the light of sin.
My mind travels, my thought disappears,
I live in agony, my heart is full of tears,
My soul evaporates, as it lives in nowhere,
My brain dissolves, i can't believe i am lower.
Open now your eyes, the deal wants your heart,
Maybe what we are made of, is with our brains attached,
Let your soul come out, let your soul see,
Maybe soul and body, spirit and you' re free.
Live with spirit fellow, the light has been reborn,
Let your first thought travel, to your eternal soul,
Maybe what we are, is given all around,
Spin it in your heart, live a second round.
Lyrics by RAGIAS CHRISTOS
Enjoy the trip!!

THOUGHTS (Lyrics on Description)

Contemporary work for String Quartet, Woodwinds and Percussion.

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.

Suite for Chamber Ensemble 2024

Suite For Chamber Ensemble 2024

24 3 17

Idiotic Robin - 13-4-2025

actions/ reactions/ interactions: guitar/ pedal

042725gnoodlin'

Peonies Bloom

photo by i stole it
mixed out of https://soundcloud.com/fr0ggy5/idols-and-role-models

mr spock - role models and idols from tv

noxpox - balla balla

Daylight

Verwandlung

Welcome to my little musical garden of sounds, photos and ideas.

All the visual artwork here is made by me.

You can also visit my YouTube channel, where you can find much more of my music and audiovisual experiments:
https://youtu.be/GpVxuemyL4o

Thank you and happy existing to you all!

Up, Up High

Nothing’s Existing Thought