Posts tagged: Music
Objects in Space (edit)
While putting the finishing touches on Moments, I’ve been working on some themed generative music that will become my next album. The album is all about astronomy. One of the things I love about astronomy is the humbling notion of being a fragile, non-important object floating around amidst many other inconspicuous objects. I kind of puts you in your place. It shows you that there is nothing incredibly special about your place in the universe and that it’s up to you to make your life special. I’m reminded by something Carl Sagan said in The Pale Blue Dot:
It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.
I’ve been very influenced by Brian Eno’s 77 Million Paintings and taking that approach into my music writing. I’m trying to write a lot of music that isn’t necessarily constrained by time. There’s no defined opening bit or middle bit or ending bit. I want to approach the songs as if they’ve always been playing and I’m just now tuning in. The songs never end. You just sort of tune in from time to time and listen to what they’re doing at that particular moment. I’m very interested in that.
This particular piece is a 4 minute edit of the 12 minute album version of a song for my next album Background Music 2 (Music for Stargazing).
Brian Eno On Evangelical Atheism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2shEwFjhzA4
Missing Someone
When you really miss someone it feels like their essence is blanketing you. Pounding on you from all sides so thick and heavy that you can almost reach out and touch them. but no matter how far you reach, you’re still right there… missing someone.
Five Albums For The Rest Of Your Life
Imagine you’re stranded for the rest of your life and only had five albums to listen to. (And never-ending batteries, I guess.) Which albums would you want them to be?
- Apollo (Atmospheres & Soundtracks) – Brian Eno
- Lifeforms – The Future Sound of London
- The Pavilion of Dreams – Harold Budd
- Neroli – Brian Eno
- Debussy for Daydreaming – Claude Debussy
The first three are obvious. Pleasant ambient atmospheres, melodic movements and layered grooves. If you question their place in this list you should probably be smacked hard on the cranium.
I had to include Neroli because I would have to have some form of background sonics to keep from going insane. You can leave Neroli on repeat for a week and it’s fine. Elegant, simple melodic tones passing through the air.
The final album was a tough decision. I wanted a classical album and it was between Holst’s The Planets and something by Claude Debussy. I love The Planets but, in the end, Debussy’s themes won. I chose a compilation, Debussy for Daydreaming, because it’s a good mix of Debussy’s thematic work with a good combination of piano and full orchestral arrangements throughout. The arrangement and performance of Clair de lune alone is worth the price of this album.
I’ve picked music without lyrics because I think the same words would get old after a while. I’d much rather have the option to simply listen to the music or create my own lyrics and let them evolve over time into a meaningful statement of my situation.
Pamelia Kurstin’s TED Performance
Could she be any cuter?
All crushing aside… that’s really impressive control over a very difficult instrument. I’ve attempted to play a theremin a couple of times and can tell you she makes it look easier than it is by many orders of magnitude. I couldn’t imagine playing music that emotional and keeping that still at the same time. There’s no way I could do it. I move too much just playing single hand melodies.
Via: TED.
Carl Sagan Saw The Stars
He asked what they were and they said, “They’re lights in the sky, kid.” But that wasn’t what he wanted to know. Carl Sagan saw the stars. He found out what they were and then he showed them to me. And my life was never the same again.
