Drifting Memories, an electronic symphony

[Brainvoyager]

Empty post.

[Jerome]

I am always commenting on BrainVoyager's music. This time I think someone else who is into EM should comment. Would like to see a different opinion to my own for a change. Anyone???

[Music Head]

I can't do 25 minutes
I tried a few, not my thing

[Jerome]

As much as can I understand your message/question, as curious I still am about your opinion about this track. Your reviews have always been very useful to me. :nod:

OK going to sit through the whole thing today - BTW busy composing my own electronic suite - long way to go but it's coming together. Will post once I am done.

Update: at the 8 minute mark at the moment. The improvised melody part that has just finished lacks one thing. I think I have mentioned before about the importance of melody and I think what you understand by me saying that is that there has to be a melodic line on top of the pads/background and this is partially correct. What I really mean is that the melodic line has to have a 'hook' - an instantly recognizable line that someone could whistle from memory. If you have a melodic line that just meanders around all over the place, people will not relate to it because they cannot remember it (subconciously). I would like to see an electronic piece from you that has a similar structure to a 'pop' song - verse chorus verse chorus bridge chorus - but without the lyrics. It must have a recognizable melodic line - think of Oxygene 4 by JMJ. I can whistle that line from memory. Then once you have that add the pads, arpeggiators and syn perc to blend that with another electronic 'pop' piece later on. It will give the piece some definition and direction. The changes in tempo and instrumentation/effects are fine but it still lacks a hook melody. I would say for a piece this length you will need about 3 or 4 'hooks' to hang the entire work on. And where you are improvising with a lead key, leave some spaces inbetween the notes from time to time. The spaces between the notes are as important as the notes themselves. Recording quality is fine. Chords/harmony section is fine. Transitions are fine. It's missing a definitive melodic line. It's like a canvas, where the colours and shapes are all blurring into one. I am trying to see the prominent figure in the painting but I cannot find it. Seeing as you are from Holland, I am sure you will have plenty of opportunity to look at the old masters artworks (Vermeer/Rembrandt etc.). Your music is like the background or the ambient light in those portraits. What you need is the dominant figure in the centre of the frame. When synthesizers first emerged there was a silly but very effective piece called 'Popcorn' - give it a listen. That is a classic example of a hook line. I'm not saying you must ALWAYS have a hook line - sometimes just plain ambience is fine, but you need to diversify between the two. An example of short ambient pieces is Brian Eno's 'Music for Films'. Give it a try. Even though there are no real hook lines there is still a sense of a hidden melody. And this is just my opinion - it does not mean that it's right!

[Jerome]

OK going to sit through the whole thing today - BTW busy composing my own electronic suite - long way to go but it's coming together. Will post once I am done.

Update: at the 8 minute mark at the moment. The improvised melody part that has just finished lacks one thing. I think I have mentioned before about the importance of melody and I think what you understand by me saying that is that there has to be a melodic line on top of the pads/background and this is partially correct. What I really mean is that the melodic line has to have a 'hook' - an instantly recognizable line that someone could whistle from memory. If you have a melodic line that just meanders around all over the place, people will not relate to it because they cannot remember it (subconciously). I would like to see an electronic piece from you that has a similar structure to a 'pop' song - verse chorus verse chorus bridge chorus - but without the lyrics. It must have a recognizable melodic line - think of Oxygene 4 by JMJ. I can whistle that line from memory. Then once you have that add the pads, arpeggiators and syn perc to blend that with another electronic 'pop' piece later on. It will give the piece some definition and direction. The changes in tempo and instrumentation/effects are fine but it still lacks a hook melody. I would say for a piece this length you will need about 3 or 4 'hooks' to hang the entire work on. And where you are improvising with a lead key, leave some spaces inbetween the notes from time to time. The spaces between the notes are as important as the notes themselves. Recording quality is fine. Chords/harmony section is fine. Transitions are fine. It's missing a definitive melodic line. It's like a canvas, where the colours and shapes are all blurring into one. I am trying to see the prominent figure in the painting but I cannot find it. Seeing as you are from Holland, I am sure you will have plenty of opportunity to look at the old masters artworks (Vermeer/Rembrandt etc.). Your music is like the background or the ambient light in those portraits. What you need is the dominant figure in the centre of the frame. When synthesizers first emerged there was a silly but very effective piece called 'Popcorn' - give it a listen. That is a classic example of a hook line. I'm not saying you must ALWAYS have a hook line - sometimes just plain ambience is fine, but you need to diversify between the two. An example of short ambient pieces is Brian Eno's 'Music for Films'. Give it a try. Even though there are no real hook lines there is still a sense of a hidden melody. And this is just my opinion - it does not mean that it's right!

BTW - do you play any other instruments apart form keyboards/synths? What equipment are you using? If you are using arps to create the rhythmic element, try creating a uptempo piece without them.

[Brainvoyager]

Jerome, thank you very much. I will try to respond soon. The flue has got me. I'm feeling terrible right now.

[Brainvoyager]

BTW - do you play any other instruments apart form keyboards/synths? What equipment are you using? If you are using arps to create the rhythmic element, try creating a uptempo piece without them.

Sorry that it took so long write a comment, but better late than never. I have been in the hospital. Everything is fine right now, though. I only play software instruments. I'm using Ableton Live 8.5 as my daw and host for ReFX Nexus, since 8 weeks also Spectrasonics Omnisphere, Spectrasonics Trilian and Spectrasonics Stylus RMX. What you said about melodies is something I recognize. But my inspiration mainly comes from musicians like Steve Roach, Klaus Schulze, Robert Rich. Of course I know musicians like Jean Michel Jarre. Unlike Klaus Schulze or the others I just mentioned, Jarre is a musician who creates music on a more commercial base. Jarre's music has much more melody than Klaus Schulze's music. Compared to the latter I would call the music of Jarre 'music for the millions'. Of course I don't have the slightest intention to sound disrespectul as far as it Jarre's music concerns. He's just a good example to describe what I mean. I like Jarre's music very much. By the way, I attendend the concerts of Jean Michel Jarre in The Royal Victoria Dock in 1987 and in 1990 Paris La Defense. My all time favorite was, is and will be Klaus Schulze. I hope this answer of mine was helpful to you. Sorry for the bad lay-out of my text but this site refuses to let me use my return key in order to jump to a new line. I just released my latest track 'Awake In Swirling Dreams'. I will post the link in a moment in a new thread. Thank you very much for your efforts and your time to comment on my tracks. They are highly appreciated!

[Jerome]

Sorry that it took so long write a comment, but better late than never. I have been in the hospital. Everything is fine right now, though. I only play software instruments. I'm using Ableton Live 8.5 as my daw and host for ReFX Nexus, since 8 weeks also Spectrasonics Omnisphere, Spectrasonics Trilian and Spectrasonics Stylus RMX. What you said about melodies is something I recognize. But my inspiration mainly comes from musicians like Steve Roach, Klaus Schulze, Robert Rich. Of course I know musicians like Jean Michel Jarre. Unlike Klaus Schulze or the others I just mentioned, Jarre is a musician who creates music on a more commercial base. Jarre's music has much more melody than Klaus Schulze's music. Compared to the latter I would call the music of Jarre 'music for the millions'. Of course I don't have the slightest intention to sound disrespectul as far as it Jarre's music concerns. He's just a good example to describe what I mean. I like Jarre's music very much. By the way, I attendend the concerts of Jean Michel Jarre in The Royal Victoria Dock in 1987 and in 1990 Paris La Defense. My all time favorite was, is and will be Klaus Schulze. I hope this answer of mine was helpful to you. Sorry for the bad lay-out of my text but this site refuses to let me use my return key in order to jump to a new line. I just released my latest track 'Awake In Swirling Dreams'. I will post the link in a moment in a new thread. Thank you very much for your efforts and your time to comment on my tracks. They are highly appreciated!

Thx for the update. The minute you mentioned Steve Roach I knew I had got it wrong. I now understand what you are trying to achieve. BTW I also use the Spectrasonics stuff but my DAW is Samplitude 11. You are right about JMJ - he is commercially orientated. Will give your new track a listen soon and comment in an 'ambient' frame of mind. My gut feeling is that you are making good progress but not quite 'there' yet. Or maybe it is just my perception of what electronic music should be. Just a matter of personal taste.