This soundscape/landscape piece is a perfect blend of an auditory narrative without reciting the story. It is possible that the integrity of the piece as a soundscape can be questioned to tamper with a combination of recordings. This is a conscious effort to cater to the composition consideration that instructs us to transport the listener to a unique moment of time and space. This could be a memory of being there or a desire to be there again. Regardless, I proceeded with the concept of keeping both these moments in the composition by overlapping the two in the form of one being the conscious moment and the other being a constant subconscious memory.

Memory Lane

The rock section with guitars playing the melody and rhythm, follow throughout in A Minor. However, the majority of the piece relies on modal interchange based on the Raga, Maqam that influence the verses. These influenced scales coincide with the modes we use in Western Classical music with marginal difference in quartertones in Middle Eastern modes.

Fusion Rock

The track is an orchestral work inspired by the studies in sleep music pertaining to the sample used in the beginning. The voice of the lullaby is process to sound dissonant to signify disassociation with reality and the beginning of a journey through the different colours of my style of composition. The key initially applied to the piece is D Major in its Aeolian mode. The priority in this movement is the instrumentation and the use of NRT in the movement with a specific cyclic system as well. There are 10 instruments used conservatively, except for the piano, which is my virtuosic instrument in compositions, due to my fluency with improvisatory performance in piano.

Rangeela

The movement begins with the Celesta establishing the key of G Major (Sub-Dominant of D Major). The key is fully realized when the sitar plays the G, which is generally observed in Shruti and Raga performances. The piece then continues with the Raga ‘Neelambari’ played on the sitar, which is known to be the Raga for calm and sleep. This raga can be translated in western classical music as the Ionian Mode of G Major, which also is known to the base of most of the lullabies and nursery rhymes sung all over the world. The table (Indian drums) are then introduced to set the tempo right out of metric dissonance.

Rangrooted

As a pianist, the composition was melodically and harmonically steered to a piano piece with an upright bass and a standard drum sections added to the piano alto voice and baritone chord progression. My major influences were ‘A FOGGY DAY’ by Gershwin, ISN’T THIS A LOVELY DAY by Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong and essentially, MEAN OL’ MOON by Amanda Seyfried.

Ridmic Changes

The sound of the ticking clock with the heartbeat racing and baby crying encapsulates the moment of birth. This sound piece sets the tone of the entire EP when the racing heartbeat eventually stabilises to 60bpm. The key throughout remains on A (major/minor) besides the modulation taking place in this Section. The melody begins with a hook on the piano overlaying the clock and heartbeat. The introduction of an ensemble of strings set the chord progression and the bassline.

Spoken Creation

There is a very strong underlying concept when I formulate the style and appeal of the piece. My thought process generally begins from a hook, a key or a hymn that follows some emotional strata of the concept and then peal the layers into different sections of the piece. This piece is a continuous one, more like a background score with a contemporary flair. The composition is treated in 3 different ways but the continuity lies in the emotional link and the keys continuing the subsequent piece making it sound seamless.

Strings Attached

The basic realization of this composition hung between romanticism and orchestral jazz era in the influence of Duke Ellington which inclined me to producing a piano piece which could be enhanced to a track for a jazz band considering its versatility. The compositional process began with placing the basic circle of fifths progression (secondary dominant chain) which is observed in Bars 1-8.

Romancity

The realisation of this word is the crux of every element required to concoct a piece that can compile the context above and combine the flavours of the connections (inspirations). The freedom to how “surreal” can be envisaged caters to the liberty listeners get as they create their own story and space. Curiosity of listeners is the performer and uncertainty, the grip to engage them through the piece, which is the first obstacle for a production thirty to forty minutes long. It is important to know that the piece is recorded from the protagonist’s (victim) ears (binaural).

The Surreal - Audioplay

Bandook Meri Laila - A Gentleman 
Music Director : Sachin-Jigar
Bring the Trumpets (Original Mix)
Artist : Lady Bee

RiMix3

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