mechanicalSPIRIT

B.T. Franklin's blog
 

About Ambient Metal

The opposite of discrete music, but not yet approaching the complexity of classical, ambient music creates a harmonic texture and relegates percussion to a background role, letting the phrase lead the change of song structure, key and tempo. An ideal ambient composition takes unchanging rhythm and over it layers phrases, creating harmony from their conjoined effect in the way classical music does, making moods "ad hoc" relative to its starting point. Where discrete music focuses on each piece of a song being a thing unto itself, using a universal set of symbols, ambient music invents symbols specific to each song and as a result gives pieces of a song meaning only when existing in the context of others. In this, selected metal and synthesizer music (synthpop, electronica, ambient) are closer to their classical heritage than the distillation of popular memes that is rock. Not all metal and ambient music fits this description; many artists, figuring that their listening audience would rather have something immediately recognizable and familiar in a "new" form, use rock-styled composition with different instrumentation.
via anus.com

This is an intelligently-written and insightful article, which isn't what I'd expect from a site with a name like that. But then again, expectations are frequently unfair. Be sure to read the entire article by clicking the link. What I've posted is only an excerpt.

Filed under  //   ambient   heavy metal   music   music history  
Posted January 16, 2012
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Music as a Map: Songlines

Songlines, also called Dreaming tracks by Indigenous Australians within the animist indigenous belief system, are paths across the land (or, sometimes the sky[1]) which mark the route followed by localised 'creator-beings' during the Dreaming. The paths of the songlines are recorded in traditional songs, stories, dance, and painting.

A knowledgeable person is able to navigate across the land by repeating the words of the song, which describe the location of landmarks, waterholes, and other natural phenomena. In some cases, the path of the creator-beings are said to be evident from their marks, or petrosomatoglyphs, on the land, such as large depressions in the land which are said to be their footprints.

By singing the songs in the appropriate sequence, Indigenous people could navigate vast distances, often travelling through the deserts of Australia's interior. The continent of Australia contains an extensive system of songlines, some of which are of a few kilometres, whilst others traverse hundreds of kilometres through lands of many different Indigenous peoples — peoples who may speak markedly different languages and have different cultural traditions.

Since a songline can span the lands of several different language groups, different parts of the song are said to be in those different languages. Languages are not a barrier because the melodic contour of the song describes the nature of the land over which the song passes. The rhythm is what is crucial to understanding the song. Listening to the song of the land is the same as walking on this songline and observing the land.

In some cases, a songline has a particular direction, and walking the wrong way along a songline may be a sacrilegious act (e.g. climbing up Uluru where the correct direction is down). Traditional Aboriginal people regard all land as sacred, and the songs must be continually sung to keep the land "alive".

Molyneaux & Vitebsky (2000, p. 30) note that the Dreaming Spirits "also deposited the spirits of unborn children and determined the forms of human society," thereby establishing tribal law and totemic paradigms.

via en.wikipedia.org

This is one of the most incredible concepts I've heard about recently. The notion that music was used, literally, as a type of map for navigating across the massive continent of Australia is inspiring and mind-boggling! It is one of the most impressive examples I've seen of the underlying power and importance of music.

Filed under  //   Australia   Dreamtime   music   music culture  
Posted January 3, 2011
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Month of Music - Day 31

I have decided to make the month of December 2010 my "Month of Music", during which I intend to compose and post a new tune every day. My goal is to demystify the process of composing music, since each tune will be composed on the same day it's posted, with fairly minimal time invested. Composing music shouldn't be scary, and shouldn't seem like a daunting task. I'm also hoping that the discipline of composing music daily will improve my composition skills.

This is the final entry, and represents my successful completion of this project. Thanks so much to everybody who has been supportive of my efforts! Please share the playlist link with your friends!

Filed under  //   composing   found instruments   kitchen music   month of music   music  
Posted December 31, 2010
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Month of Music - Day 30

I have decided to make the month of December 2010 my "Month of Music", during which I intend to compose and post a new tune every day. My goal is to demystify the process of composing music, since each tune will be composed on the same day it's posted, with fairly minimal time invested. Composing music shouldn't be scary, and shouldn't seem like a daunting task. I'm also hoping that the discipline of composing music daily will improve my composition skills.

Special thanks on this entry goes to my friends (and musical powerhouses) Nicholas DiBiase and Krystofer James VanSlyke! You guys rule!

Filed under  //   automobile interior   bamboo flute   bongos   composing   flute   guitar   month of music   music   shakuhachi  
Posted December 30, 2010
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Month of Music - Day 29

I have decided to make the month of December 2010 my "Month of Music", during which I intend to compose and post a new tune every day. My goal is to demystify the process of composing music, since each tune will be composed on the same day it's posted, with fairly minimal time invested. Composing music shouldn't be scary, and shouldn't seem like a daunting task. I'm also hoping that the discipline of composing music daily will improve my composition skills.

Filed under  //   GarageBand   composing   electronica   keyboard   month of music   music   techno  
Posted December 29, 2010
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Month of Music - Day 28

I have decided to make the month of December 2010 my "Month of Music", during which I intend to compose and post a new tune every day. My goal is to demystify the process of composing music, since each tune will be composed on the same day it's posted, with fairly minimal time invested. Composing music shouldn't be scary, and shouldn't seem like a daunting task. I'm also hoping that the discipline of composing music daily will improve my composition skills.

Filed under  //   bamboo flute   composing   flute   month of music   music   shakuhachi  
Posted December 28, 2010
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Month of Music - Day 27

I have decided to make the month of December 2010 my "Month of Music", during which I intend to compose and post a new tune every day. My goal is to demystify the process of composing music, since each tune will be composed on the same day it's posted, with fairly minimal time invested. Composing music shouldn't be scary, and shouldn't seem like a daunting task. I'm also hoping that the discipline of composing music daily will improve my composition skills.

Filed under  //   GarageBand   composing   heavy metal   month of music   mountain dulcimer   music  
Posted December 27, 2010
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Month of Music - Day 26

I have decided to make the month of December 2010 my "Month of Music", during which I intend to compose and post a new tune every day. My goal is to demystify the process of composing music, since each tune will be composed on the same day it's posted, with fairly minimal time invested. Composing music shouldn't be scary, and shouldn't seem like a daunting task. I'm also hoping that the discipline of composing music daily will improve my composition skills.

Filed under  //   bamboo flute   composing   flute   month of music   music   quena  
Posted December 26, 2010
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Month of Music - Day 25

I have decided to make the month of December 2010 my "Month of Music", during which I intend to compose and post a new tune every day. My goal is to demystify the process of composing music, since each tune will be composed on the same day it's posted, with fairly minimal time invested. Composing music shouldn't be scary, and shouldn't seem like a daunting task. I'm also hoping that the discipline of composing music daily will improve my composition skills.

You can learn more about the discovery of this amazing find in this Popular Science article.

Filed under  //   Ice Age flute   bamboo flute   composing   flute   month of music   music  
Posted December 25, 2010
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Month of Music - Day 24

I have decided to make the month of December 2010 my "Month of Music", during which I intend to compose and post a new tune every day. My goal is to demystify the process of composing music, since each tune will be composed on the same day it's posted, with fairly minimal time invested. Composing music shouldn't be scary, and shouldn't seem like a daunting task. I'm also hoping that the discipline of composing music daily will improve my composition skills.

Filed under  //   Tibetan singing bowls   composing   djembe   month of music   music  
Posted December 24, 2010
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