OK. Time to get back on that horse and post something new.
Well, that’s actually a lie. As is often the case with me, something "new" really means something old. And in the case of this particular song, that something is 20 years old.
In 1988, when I was 17, my friend Luke and I recorded an album under the name Isolated Incident (still my favorite of the many names I’ve recorded under). Isolated Incident rates as probably the most experimental musical project I’ve ever been a part of. The self-titled album featured very little in the way of lyrics or traditionally-structured songs, instead relying heavily on improvisation, "found" sounds, and screaming. The results were hit and miss. I mean, if you’re going to try to improvise, it’s better if you really know how to play an instrument lol... and both Luke and I were beginners at the time. However, being as clueless as we were led us to try things that musicians who knew what they were doing would probably never consider, and that did yield some interesting results.
One song that I like to think worked well is called "Drowning". The only instrumentation is an old, beat-up, badly-in-need-of-tuning piano that sat in Luke’s grandparents' basement. The song is played by both Luke and I sitting side by side at said piano, me on the lower keys and Luke on the higher keys. We decided to call it "Drowning" because we felt that the song suggested the imagery of a person struggling to stay afloat before finally succumbing to the sea.
It should be noted that this song has no real form. There is a kind of a motif that comes in around :27, but to a lot of people, it’s just going to sound like noise. It definitely won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but I think at least a few people might dig it. At the very least, it’s a chance for some of my newer watchers, who may not have dug into the back of my gallery, to hear what some of my really old stuff sounds like. You know, crap LOL. Just kidding ^_~ ... but do keep in mind that the source for this is a 20-year-old cassette tape, so don’t expect stellar sound quality, k? I mean, this was recorded when Ronald Reagan was still in office, and look at how he’s aged since then.
Too soon? Oh well. Anyway, I hope you find this listenable.
"Drowning" (3:41)
Written and recorded July 26, 1988
me - piano
Luke H. - piano
Well, that’s actually a lie. As is often the case with me, something "new" really means something old. And in the case of this particular song, that something is 20 years old.
In 1988, when I was 17, my friend Luke and I recorded an album under the name Isolated Incident (still my favorite of the many names I’ve recorded under). Isolated Incident rates as probably the most experimental musical project I’ve ever been a part of. The self-titled album featured very little in the way of lyrics or traditionally-structured songs, instead relying heavily on improvisation, "found" sounds, and screaming. The results were hit and miss. I mean, if you’re going to try to improvise, it’s better if you really know how to play an instrument lol... and both Luke and I were beginners at the time. However, being as clueless as we were led us to try things that musicians who knew what they were doing would probably never consider, and that did yield some interesting results.
One song that I like to think worked well is called "Drowning". The only instrumentation is an old, beat-up, badly-in-need-of-tuning piano that sat in Luke’s grandparents' basement. The song is played by both Luke and I sitting side by side at said piano, me on the lower keys and Luke on the higher keys. We decided to call it "Drowning" because we felt that the song suggested the imagery of a person struggling to stay afloat before finally succumbing to the sea.
It should be noted that this song has no real form. There is a kind of a motif that comes in around :27, but to a lot of people, it’s just going to sound like noise. It definitely won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but I think at least a few people might dig it. At the very least, it’s a chance for some of my newer watchers, who may not have dug into the back of my gallery, to hear what some of my really old stuff sounds like. You know, crap LOL. Just kidding ^_~ ... but do keep in mind that the source for this is a 20-year-old cassette tape, so don’t expect stellar sound quality, k? I mean, this was recorded when Ronald Reagan was still in office, and look at how he’s aged since then.
Too soon? Oh well. Anyway, I hope you find this listenable.
"Drowning" (3:41)
Written and recorded July 26, 1988
me - piano
Luke H. - piano
Category Music / 80s
Species Unspecified / Any
Gender Any
Size 120 x 81px
Listed in Folders
It's very cinematic ^^, but yeah... that piano has definitely been beat to hell. And yes, that Ronald Reagan joke was vicious ;3
Heh heh... there's no telling how long it'd been since that piano had undergone maintenance. Sometimes, you work with what you have. Come to think of it, that's pretty much the philosophy of my entire body of musical work.
Mean jokes aside, I liked Reagan. I kind of had a soft spot for him, because he was born on the same day and year as my grandfather. Ronnie outlived Grampa, though... tenacious ol' bastard LOL.
Mean jokes aside, I liked Reagan. I kind of had a soft spot for him, because he was born on the same day and year as my grandfather. Ronnie outlived Grampa, though... tenacious ol' bastard LOL.
Interesting... very evocative. And I think this is one example where the sound quality actually adds something to the overall effect.
Thanks, Sedge! I happen to feel that way about this one too. :)
this reminds me of old horror movies, like before sound. i am totally loving this a lot!!!!!!
I never thought of it that way before! That's a really cool way to look at it, and I love that that's what you heard in this! Thank you very much for the +fav! ^_^
That is very very creepy, errie, and slightly disturbing Kiffa....I LOVE IT! :)
Thanks, Silver, I'm glad you liked it!
I really have to hand it to my watchers for being open-minded. Every time I post something that I'm a little bit wary about because I think it might be a little 'out there', people respond really well to it-- sometimes even more so than they do with my more 'accessible' stuff. Just goes to show, you never know what'll strike a chord with people. :)
I really have to hand it to my watchers for being open-minded. Every time I post something that I'm a little bit wary about because I think it might be a little 'out there', people respond really well to it-- sometimes even more so than they do with my more 'accessible' stuff. Just goes to show, you never know what'll strike a chord with people. :)
You're welcome Kiffa and I sure did! :)
Well it is true that you never know what epople will like or not like, especailly with music, it's always hard to tell waht will inspire or what your audience will like. Sometimes doing something different makes you go: "Whoa I never expected that from him! "
Well it is true that you never know what epople will like or not like, especailly with music, it's always hard to tell waht will inspire or what your audience will like. Sometimes doing something different makes you go: "Whoa I never expected that from him! "
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