Composed: Thom and Emma in Sydney for P1EN3 at AIM. 
Recorded, Mix and Mastered: Alana, Sivert, and Daniel. 
Musicians: Dan, Emma, Aaron, Phillip, Alana, and Shaun.
Producer: Aaron. 




Not Overt Rainbow (L'Arc-en-Ciel)

A2TS5 assignment for uni, received great marks.

Feedback: "Despite this submission going way beyond the brief of exploring how a change in timbre can affect meaning (this is a wholesale re-arrangement of the Chopin) I'm persuaded by your exegesis of the appropriateness of your approach. The general shape of what you've done, and the small ornamentations, both work very well. It sounds like Chopin is drunk coming home from a bar in Chicago in 1952 - you almost hint that you know this, without quite saying so."

Chopin Op 10 No 4 Cover

2014 Sydney, Australia, at the Australian Institute of Music.
Composer: Thomas Harte
Producer: Alan Bodnar
Engineer: Oliver Mowczko
Assistant Engineer: Corey McCrossin

Musicians
Sitar: Corey McCrossin
Hand Claps: Thomas Harte, Elle-May Michael, Corey McCrossin and Alana Bodnar 
Harmonium, Swarmandal (Indian Harp), Male Chanting: Khurram Murtaza
Female Vocals: Elise Arangio
Djembe and Shaker: Chris Haigh

Track written for Recording Ensemble 4 at AIM, Sydney. The concept of heavy rain has been represented in the piece by the use of the Malhar Raga and the increased level of rhythmic density during the Jor section. The hand clapping which uses metric modulation to provide varying levels of rhythmic complexity is juxtaposed against the steady 5/4 time signature (a variation of the jhaptal tala)which is played by the djembe. The piece is divided into months and weeks, represented by the entrance of the tambourine, signifying the beginning of each week, of this 52 (weeks of the year) bar piece. All compositional elements were inspired by the heavy rain fall of the reported wettest place on earth, Mawsynram, North India (thus the genre of Hindustani music was used). 

Mawsynram Malhar

My attempt at Trip Hop. 

Special thanks go to Engineer Sivert, Producer Ben, Cellist Emma, Drummer Chris, Vocalist Tommy, and Executive Producer Luke.

Too Much

Symphony - Movement 1

Symphony  Movement 2

Symphony - Movement 3

Major work at uni.

The first movement was inspired by Daphnis et Chloe-Suite 2 by Ravel, with it’s light textures, and use of twenty century harmony, and somewhat abstract harmonic function. In terms of the concept, I wish to create a musical world representative of freedom and tranquillity, free of human intervention. As the piece progresses the Yoruba seven beat pattern can be heard, representing humans disruption to the world, and the introduction of harmonic dissonance and density of texture. A major motif of the piece is the resting heart beat of an animal, played by the pizzicato strings. 


The Savage - Movement 1

Major work at uni.

The first movement leads into second movement which represents the journey of factory farming and the emotional and psychological torment of animals. The steady heartbeat of the pizz strings is now in the timpani, and is increased tempo due to the heightened anxiety of the situation. This drops out the middle section, which features a lighter texture to create contrast before the whole movement climaxes at the end of the second movement. The use of the xylophony is representative of funeral culture from west Africa. There are numerous references to Jazz Funeral standards such as Nearer My God to Thee and When the Saints Go Marching In. Major influences came from Stravinsky's Rite of Spring and Shostakovich Symphony 10 2nd movement. 


The Savage - Movement 2

Major work at uni.

For the finale - third movement, I choose to use a somewhat atonal world and attempt to lose the sense of meter, representative of death and the afterlife. The heartbeat has been replaced with a non retrograde rhythm heard in the most parts, and features an ambiguous ending representative of eternity and questioning the existence of an afterlife. 


The work as a whole can be used in numerous ways, but I choose to think of the entrance and departure of harmonic consonance and rhythmic stability to be reflective of western classical music, moving through time to a post-modern context where we question the role and function of music and break musical conventions. This is representative of how humans evolved on their positions, and potentially can move towards a more peaceful world where animals are not exploited.

Thom Harte

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