"Aparanthesi" - a piece by John Oswald showed that it is possible to create an arrangement using only one note. He was very creative with it and, for example, I got inspired by the way he used a white noise sound and this is what I decided to use in my arrangement as well. Furthermore, he used a lot of samples, changing them so they became to sound very differently, almost unrecognisable. I think, he used a sound of a train and slowed it down and this led me to an idea of a journey which I showed by the use of African percussions, such as marimba.

One Note Piece

This song is very unconventional. Usually, when you record song, you record vocals after the arrangement has been created. Here, I decided to build my arrangement around the vocal, layering the instruments to reflect the voice pattern.

I used the plugins which are normally used to add a realistic feel to the song ( such as reverb which is used to create a real world ambience) to reinforce the unnatural feel of the song.

This kind of music is not what I usually do, but it was VERY interesting to play with the texture and deliberately break the rules such as overdriving the effects in order to create huge distortions so I had a lot of fun :)

I listened to many noise songs to understand such music and eventually I got that noises actually add uniqueness to the composition and this makes it to stand out, sticking in people's mind. However, none of these songs really reflect my aesthetics, so I decided to do something noisy but in my own style- e.g. I played with vocals and backing vocals to create different textures and layers.

Oh and by the way, I was really struggling to identify which genre my song suits... :D

Noise Song

This composition uses ONLY those sounds, that were recorded by me! Nothing, but experimentation with the self- recorded material. Most of all, I followed the Schaeffer's aesthetic which is based on 'reduced listening' - listening to the sound for its own sake. There are 70 tracks in total and all consist of self-recorded samples that went through the various kinds of manipulation.

However, as well as that, when I was writing this composition, I had a clear picture in my head. I got inspired by the idea of a journey through a fairy forest- a place with lots of temptations inside. It looks attractive and creatures that live there seemed to be so nice and friendly, that you don’t want to go out of it. But their goal is to deceive you and if you stay - you loose. Because this is not true. Life is not like that. This ‘test’ is difficult because you have to abandon these pleasures and opt not a perfect, but real life.

Soundscape Composition

I was so shocked by the amount of bullsh... material that is about feminists' "restricted" rights. Oh my god, really??? Women, what's wrong with you? To cut a long story short, here is my Plunderphonic composition about this theme. 

I am new to this kind of "music" and, to be honest, without this task, I would never do something like that. BUT!!! I really enjoyed making it and, because of this experience, I have learned a lot of new techniques, which, I am sure, will be employed in my further compositions.  

Thank you :)

PS: and yes, please, don't take it too seriously. It is just my wierd, Russian sense of humour.

Everything is Sexist (Plunderphonics)

Free composition task 

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500-word commentary 

This song is the result of the whole semester experience. Thanks for the tasks, I learned so many new techniques and lectures were very helpful in terms of learning about contemporary music making. Before that, I sticked mainly with the acoustic music, but the tasks forced me to get out of the familiar, comfort zone.

For example, one note piece task helped me to understand that it is possible to create an entire song, using only one note. Instead of typical methods of music making and music progression, I had to explore non- traditional, alternative ways of varying music, making it sounding interesting and diversified. I learned that using different octaves, different instruments with very different timbers, extreme music processings and else can create music changes. In the free composition task, I employed some of the techniques that I used in the one note piece such as layerings and note shiftings. This can be heard, for example, in the percussion and voice parts.

Furthermore, It was very interesting to learn how noise can be used as a musical tool to create compositions. This inspired me to be braver and more experimental with processings, using extreme reverbs and distortions because, sometimes, what can be seen as a non-musical can make the song unique and special. 

In the soundscape composition we had to do the field recordings and then include them in the song. Using the ordinary sounds of the environment such as water pouring from the tap, I created sounds and even percussions. This experience taught me how extremely sounds can be modified due to the various processing techniques. In the free composition task, I manipulated some vocal parts to make the song to sound more diverse. For example, I used note shifting, speeding up and slowing down to change the voice quality. 

Plunderphonics task was especially useful experience for me because it was something very different to what I used to do before. We had to use only sampled material from the internet and, although, I always try to avoid using the downloaded samples in my music, it was very useful practice in terms of learning new techniques such as stuttering which was also used in the free composition task. Overall, it was the first time when I used the elements from the electronic music in the song because usually I prefer more ambient and acoustic sound. Also, it helped me to become more confident in experimenting with rhythms. For example, in the free composition task, I did not follow a particular time signature, changing it a lot and, sometimes, used big rhythmic leaps. I believe that this kind of an experimental approach to music may make it more special and recognizable. 

Overall, this semester helped me to become more experimental, brave and less scared to mix various elements from different musical styles. All the tasks were very unusual and without them, I would have never learned so many new techniques that I used in the free composition task and will definitely continue to use in my later works. I know that there is a lot to learn, but practice makes perfect and I believe that I will improve and become more capable to actualize what is exactly in my head.

Always The Same (free composition task)

Classical music.
As a child, I was listening to whatever my parents were listening to:

 • Beethoven,
• Mozart,
• Chopin,
• Secret Garden.

Musicals:
I felt in love with these songs because of their emotional vocal delivery and beautiful voice layering. Now, I am trying to include these music characteristics in my own music to make it more soulful.

• Phantom of the Opera, 
• Cats,
• Moulin Rouge,
• Romeo and Juliet,
• Sweeney Todd.

Russian pop

• Luxor,
• Boombox,
• Quest Pistols, 
• Geegun.

Then I discovered Oleg Mityaev who is a Russian chanson musician and bard. He influenced a lot my style of songwriting, for example, how much do lyrics matter. Also, he inspired me to learn how to play the guitar.

I started to listen to the English songwriters, such as Taylor Swift, exploring the english style of singing and music making.

Then, I started to listen to a very different music and every artist opened something new to me: 
• The Extreme,
• James Blunt,
• Jason Mraz,
• Scorpions,
• Nat King Cole,
• The Chemical Romance,
• Staind,
• Thousand Foot Krutch,
• System of a Down,
• Imagine Dragons,
• Nickelback,
• Nomy,
• Oasis,
• Red Hot Chilli Peppers,
• The Beatles,
• Three Days Grace,

• Hollywood Undead influenced my music as it made it less acoustic and sweet. I started to experiment with synthesizers and percussions.

Pop music is not the type of music I want to write, but I am trying to learn how to extrapolate some of its elements into my music to make it more interesting.
• Calvin Harris,
• Carlo’s Dreams, 
• Matthew Koma, 
• LP,
• Rihanna.

Arctic Monkeys helped me to develop a more alternative approach to the music making, especially when it comes to processing. For example, I stated to be braver with delays and reverbs. I learned that they can be used not only to add naturalism, but as individual tools for the creative music making.

Overall, I am not listening to the music a lot, trying to get inspiration from the natural world’s soundscape.

Listening history homage

Is it about to come
Am I supposed to wait 
Is it too late
Or I have time
Maybe it is just my fate

Listen 
Be patient
Do you hear steps 

Soon 
It is coming 
This isn’t the end 

Quiet 
Don’t frighten away
This fragile mistake 
For your sake

Darkness 
But pleasure
Stars not too far 
Wait for this treasure

Textual reflection on Harry's one-note piece

In my composition, I used three contrasting cultural references. In the first one, the main instruments are: a low string section, high pitched bells that represent footsteps and theremin. The melody is in a minor key and its texture and volume are gradually increasing, building up a suspense. This was inspired by the «Building Suspense» melody that I heard on the lesson. I used a shaker and a Capella choir to smooth transition from one theme to another. 

The second theme was inspired by the World Music and, therefore, I used African choir, acoustic guitar, trumpets and marimba. Percussion helps to make it more interesting because even though it is a very cliche melody, it still has to be pleasing.

I used a guitar for the beginning of the third theme in order to soften a transition because the same instrument can be heard in the previous theme. The last theme was influenced by the «Country Style USA» melody. I used the similar drum beat, smooth and slow melody and a major key. I also added a choir to create a link with the second theme and bells to create a link with the first theme. The song ends on tonic in order to create an impression of a finished product. (210 words)

Contrasting Cultural Clichés

This task is about emphasising certain frequencies, particularly 40 Hz (pelvis), 800 Hz (torso), 1000 Hz (throat), 5000 Hz (forehead) and 10,000+Hz (above head). I emphasised 40 Hz in bass, 800 Hz in drums, 1000 Hz in voice, 5000 in flute and 10.000 Hz in bells.

This task helped me to understand that every instrument has a certain frequency range and that there is a conventional approach to it. Before that, I used to simply experiment with the EQ settings without thinking how it affects the sound. I used to just open the ‘Analyzer’ in EQ window (Logic) and look for the certain frequencies that are needed to be either cut or boosted according to the sound that every manipulation was producing.

Moreover, I investigated that using these zones help to create a fuller and a more diverse sound because they really do stimulate the certain parts of our body described above. When I added bells at the end, for example, the whole composition became more interesting and exciting. The result was so fascinating and inspirational that it changed the way I used to compose music, influencing me to start using this approach in my further compositions as well

Little Bird (listening body piece)

Ambient music has a very different approach because it places an emphasis on textural diversity and transparency, rather than on the musical characteristics such as melody, harmony and rhythm. I decided to include voice as the main instrument to create a texture, layering it, adding breaths and, overall, went extreme with processors’ settings (e.g. huge reverb to create a virtual acoustic space, delays with different feedback settings, etc). I also played an extra attention to the stereo field and use creative and extreme panning. Harmonies of the instruments (including voice) were used to create a smooth transition from one instrument to another by continuing the previous instrument’s melody. The ambient music is far more complex than it looks like because although it has to be ‘ignorable’, it still has to be interesting to listen to and all the elements of it have to be perfectly balanced and mixed. I like this style because it is highly experimental and leave plenty of space for improvisation.

Burn (Ambient Piece)

Silent Look (Glitch Piece)

First of all, as usual, I started with writing lyrics. After finishing writing song, I tried to create an arrangement that would fit the song’s aesthetic. Then, using, the ‘latch’ mode in Logic, I changed the parameters almost on every track while playing it (e.g. live). This included processing such as EQ, distortion, pitch shifting, panning, volume, compression, creative gating, reverb, delay, chorus and flange effects and else ( the parameters of these were also changing ‘live’). This arrangement took a great amount of time and effort because, as I investigated, when you change a single setting, it may significantly effect the whole mix, leading to the dissonance.

Я буду  (Live Electronics)

I chose to create a Chicago House influenced song and got inspired by the DJ Frankie Knuckles and this is particularly noticeable because of using the key words from his song «Your Love». I also used lyrics from other famous early Chicago House tracks, such as «Memorabilia» by Soft Cell and «Can You Feel It» by Fingers Inc. This is my first attempt to compose a House track and I found that dance music is very conventional with such typical elements like "four-on-the-floor" beat, synth based sounds, drum machines and overly processed voice with the cut of the low and high frequencies and emphasized mid frequencies to create a ‘telephony’ sound. This was integrated into my arrangement. This song is more conventional and less experimental because, although the house music is very diverse, there are certain rules and guidelines that are needed to be followed in order to please the listener’s expectations.

Your Love (Chicago House)

Here you can hear the full version of the song 
https://soundcloud.com/user-978511393/glitch

Glitch became an independent genre of electronic music that employs electronic musical instruments and technology. There was no glitch in the classical or romantic eras because it is impossible to make glitch using acoustic instruments. This also supports an idea that glitch music can be only conceivable in a world where music has become partly or wholly mechanised. Similarly, glitch genre’s popularity was increasing with the digital technology development. It’s popularity started to increase from the mid-1990s with such artists like BT, Alva Noto and Taylor Deupree.

Glitch is a result of a technical problem that was either unintentionally or intentionally produced by a dysfunction of digital artifacts such as software programs, CD skipping, hardware noise, digital or analog distortion and else. Any kind of electronic data can be used. For example, the album by Matmos «L.A.S.I.K.» consists primarily of samples of medical procedures, including plastic surgery, liposuctions and else.

Initially, glitch music appeared as a result of critique for digital idealization, suggesting that the technology is not perfect and it is indeed prone to errors."The digital revolution is over" Nicholas Negroponte (1998), «Perfection offers no incentive for improvement" Colson Whitehead (1999). Glitch music also suggests that sometimes such digital dysfunction can result in the positive outcomes

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There is a number of programs that can help to create glitch sounds but I decided to experiment with different distortion settings in order to create glitches. The glitch aesthetic is a contrast to what I prefer to do so it was hard for me to find a balance between the distorted sound of glitches and the acoustic, clean and spacy music that I usually produce. Overall, I think that I managed to stay true to myself but to still meet the brief. Several artists, however, showed me that it is possible to mix a distorted, clipped samples with a musical and even instrumental sounds (for example, 12 Fennesz - «The Stone of Impermanence» and Vrioon: a debut collaboration album between Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto). Nevertheless, it is crucial for any musician, to be able to go out of their comfort zone because it may lead to the great results. For example, I investigated that glitch can create a nice contrast between the distortion and the acoustic sound of the voice, making it to appear even more sparkle.

Kristina CMT

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