Live Collision
ROLE
Sound Programmer
Assignment Brief
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Research and present the background to a significant sample-dominant recording released between 1985 and 2020
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Using techniques developed this Semester, compose and produce a 3-minute original composition incorporating sample elements from the recordings identified in Task 1.
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Using techniques developed this Semester, write and produce a 3min remix for an acapella stem recording.
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Using Ableton Live prepare and deliver a 2-minute nonlinear performance incorporating audio recordings and elements sourced for Tasks 1, 2 and 3.
YEAR
2022
PLATFORM
Powerpoint, Ableton
My Project
The British Rock
Civil War
The lawsuit that shook Brit-pop
I immediately thought of "Bittersweet Symphony" when asked to name a popular song that prominently incorporates a sample into its structure. The orchestral hook that starts the song continues throughout the whole composition and is a Brit-pop standard. No one could have predicted, however, the problems it would generate in the music business owing to its rights and a mistaken claim of its use in the song. The sample was part of a 1965 side project by The Andrew Oldham Orchestra, reimagining "The Last Time" by The Rolling Stones. As you can see, we were required to produce a presentation for the class explaining where the sample came from and how it was used in the new song.
Bitter Sour
Keeping in mind the original tune, I had to create a new song that used the loop utilising Ableton Live. This was the first time I had seen this DAW, and it seemed to be significantly different from Logic at first glance. I constructed my music using a variety of loops and samples from other songs, along with sounds I collected from online videos depicting current events. This was intended to create the impression of a vaporwave-style broadcast that had been disrupted or streamed through, leading the main song to be warped and fragmented, to play on my limited software expertise.
My idea came from 猫 シ Corp. - Sunday Television. This album has a broken transmission style, largely influenced by the nostalgic style and technology of the 1980s, with advertisements and news programs played over distorted sounds. The effect is finished with a mild hiss of white noise to simulate the appearance of a VHS or Betamax recording.
No Sleep Tonight - A cappella Remix
Using Ableton's flexibility to play multiple loops and samples that can be timed as required and do not need to be cut up, I found a Capella melody to build a whole new instrumental track for. Sleep Token's "Fall For Me" is not the most well-known song since the band is still relatively new to the Metal/Alternative music world. Due to the harmonics and phasing on the voice, I was able to utilise other tools, such as Audacity, to concentrate on extracting it cleanly with minimal instrument leakage. I realised however when editing the track that I had selected a song with a ¾ timing, since I had not done sufficient study on the tune. While using a new DAW, I was unable to locate a good drum track to assist me maintain time, presenting me with a problem I deemed too difficult to devote more time to.
I felt compelled to choose another song, concentrating this time on a tune I knew much better and for which I already had the original stems. "No Sleep Tonight" is a song released by Enter Shikari in 2009. The song focuses on climate change and the impact of oil corporations bribing experts to speak out against global warming. To increase the impact of the voices throughout my remix, I amplified them. This was intended to resemble a megaphone. I wanted this song to have a similar feel to the current trending "Lofi" recordings, with a dramatic juxtaposition of vocals to convey that climate change is a worldwide issue that cannot be ignored. To keep the other elements in sync, I used mostly a few loops I had obtained and lowered the tempo from 170bpm to 85bpm on this track. I arranged the break section of the original song backwards using midi in logic before bouncing and manipulating it in Ableton, once again reversing the audio to simulate a guitar played backwards. This was then slightly reverberated to give the break a fragmented quality.
As this performance was taped around 5 a.m., it exemplifies the voices from Enter Shikari's chorus that I utilised within the first half. This is solely due to my efforts to master the timing and placement of the effects, components, and how I wanted the listener to feel the sound. My objective was to produce a soundscape that reflected my journey through the Ableton learning process and current experiences outside of university. How the song's appealing choruses and sharp interjections represented my recent struggle after being diagnosed with ADHD.
Using the bus system on Ableton, I was able to patch my own Akai Professional MPK Mini to interact in a live scenario by adjusting tempo, effect quantity, and the ability to fade out at the end. To do this, I needed to individually connect the returns using the MIDI button in the upper right. Then, to maintain control, I could establish restrictions for their dialling range. In addition, I utilised particular keys to start and stop loops in the middle of a cycle, bypass and apply effects to channels, and key in samples using the pads. Overall, when it came to performing, since I was unable to attend class due to medical concerns, I appreciated having more flexibility and control over what may occur.