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September Composition Competition - THE RESULTS


Skol303
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[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1380534227' post='2226563']
Tracks wont play when soundcloud opens. Only managed to hear Bilbo. Is this a tactic in Bilbo's take over of the BC world - :lol:

Any ideas on how to hear them or resolve the issue

Dave
[/quote]

Hi Dave. I've just tested the links and they all appear to be working fine (i.e. the tracks play without problem). Although Lurksalot had a similar problem a few days ago.

Not sure what to suggest... have you tried the old 'IT crowd' solution of switching everything off/on, clearing out your browser's cache and trying again? it could be an intermittent problem with SoundCloud itself - but like I said, it's working fine for me.

If the problem persists let me know and I'll ask around for a solution.

Paul

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[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1380537130' post='2226622']
it could be an intermittent problem with SoundCloud itself - but like I said, it's working fine for me.
[/quote]

I've had this problem quite a few times... most embarrassingly at a songwriters' playback/critique session when my track refused to play :(

That said, they all played for me, and I've cast my vote. One of my old lecturers used say that all "programme" music needs to work as absolute music, so I made my shortlist without considering the photo - I picked the tracks that engaged me the most as pure music. Of that shortlist, my chosen one does actually relate very well to the photo - but that's not why I chose it!

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It's a shame I can only cast one vote! No easy decision, but I think Bilbo's beautiful cello performance nudges just ahead of the others. Very close seconds for me were lowdown's brooding, atmospheric soundscape, and ambient's wonderfully moody trip-hop-esque piece. Clearly, I should listen to these competitions more often!

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Hugely difficult choice. I thought they all did justice wonderfully to the powerful picture.

In the end I had to go for Skol though. I'm not usually a massive dubstep fan, but I thought it really worked well for this topic. Gives it a melancholy and menacing feel, and together with the arabic music and calls gives a real sense of two worlds coliding.

Great stuff, I am in awe of you all!

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Hard choice, very hard, but the one that "moved" me the most, and for that picture I felt I needed to be moved, was Bilbo's. Stunning cello and captured some beautiful Arabic themes.

Very hard choice though as Skols was magnificently crafted and produced as always and great to hear a 'happy' entry.

But Bilbo took the edge for me this month, stunning in its simplicity (although yet highly skilled).

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SORTED..... went back to original format on Soundcloud and all played perfectly.
My vote is in. Few I really liked but The Boy just seemed to capture a better feel for what I thought the photo represented.
Was a close call between this and Lowdown which again had a very atmospheric feel to it.

Dave

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[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1380565096' post='2227199']...I repeat that it is a VST and was 'typed' in. :) [/quote]

Do you use German grip or French when typing, then..? Can you recommend me rosin for my keyboard..? How do you rate the typing key response..? High tension or low..? :P

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[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1380567222' post='2227238']
Do you use German grip or French when typing, then..? Can you recommend me rosin for my keyboard..? How do you rate the typing key response..? High tension or low..? :P
[/quote]

And you missed....

[i][size=4][color=#000000]"Madam, you have between your legs an instrument capable of giving pleasure to thousands and all you can do is scratch it."[/color][/size][/i]

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[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1380565096' post='2227199']
The language people are using make me think folk think the cello in my piece was 'played'. I repeat that it is a VST and was 'typed' in. :)
[/quote]

Still impressive though. I use the Miroslav VST and it's not easy getting such a natural sounding piece down. Kudos for making us think it was played on a real cello!

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[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1380568856' post='2227287']The secret is in the fermatas![/quote]

"You say fermatas , I say tomatas, let's call the whole thing off..." ;)

And on that note September's competition draws to a close. Thanks to those of you who entered - I genuinely enjoyed listening to each track. Thanks also to everyone who voted. Please come back next month and bring your friends!

Again, I'm chuffed and honoured to have done well amidst such good company. I really didn't think my track would be very popular - it being a newfangled dubstep thing an' all - but I'm happy to have been proved wrong.

I'll post up details of October's challenge around lunchtime today.

Cheers!

Paul

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Well done, Skol, for the win (sorry if the clenched teeth spoil the congratulations... :P ). Sincerely flattered that my effort captured the hearts and minds of 3. I must be doing something right, I suppose..? As mentioned in previous post, I found all entries meritorious, and could easily have voted differently, another day, in a different mood. Class acts from all.
I had offered to 'explain' how I went about this, so, for those of you not yet too groggy, this is the score...
I wanted, from looking at - watching - studying the photo, to tell a story of how we (the fellow..?) got to this point, what had happened, and where, with the grace of whomsoever, we could go to. All starts peacefully, with a market ambience, girls dancing and singing popular songs; an ordinary day in downtown wherever. We become aware of cannons, overbearing the canons in the music. These cumulate rhythmically to become an apparently incessant beat, beating down all else. The confusion and hand-to-hand combat ensuing sweeps away the 'normal' sounds, and disappear in their turn, leaving the guns to echo around the now empty and lifeless streets and walls. Our poor bod is hearing this when the photo is taken, numbed by the throb all around. Is this all there is..? Dreamily, an old song comes to mind (just about the oldest melody known to man, transcribed from annotations found during an archaeological dig...),which slowly puts an end to the thunder, restores the possibility of peaceful life, and enables the market bustle to resume. Can it happen..? I, for one, hope so. I'd like to see that photo taken again in 20 years time, with another population...
There you have it, folks. A couple of sleepless nights and a brand new Mini 32 keyboard, an intriguing addition to Reaper to allow the creation of micro tones (for the false 'oriental' scale...) and a bit of patience with my sampled celestial 'drumkit', and Bob's your uncle. I enjoyed doing it, and learned a lot. Hope you enjoyed listening.
Disclaimer: no recreational drugs were (ab...)used in the making of this composition, nor the making of. It's sad, I know, but I'm always like this. No flowers, please, it won't help. :mellow:
(...[i]but no, clever-clogs Skol gets all the votes, doesn't he..? Just because he's better than us. 'Snot fair. I'll have to come up with a handicap system; no more than 4 notes for him, or limited to using a didgeridoo. I'll think of something to nobble 'im, and then I'll be free to rule the world. Mwhahhaha...![/i] :gas: )

Edited by Dad3353
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Ah OK I didn't really have that depth of story telling in my head with mine Dad , But , the guns were designed to capture the rhythm of my piece , though without great definition , they were to offer a structure which is the both the randomness of the shooting while still offering a progression through it . the 'melody' if you will was played on a midi piano as were the helicopter and sirens , It was great to actually research the arabic scales that it was done with , the bass line was then improvised within the same scale pattern , and I really enjoyed doing it.

Oh and Dad , you had a click from me B) , and I reckon if you hadn't written so much of an explanation of last months , you could have written and recorded Octobers by now :lol:

Well done Skol , a quality piece and thanks for the links to the sounds I will try and pick afew bits out when I remember .

Now to my October entry ...........I fear a vocal on its way again :ph34r:

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[quote name='lurksalot' timestamp='1380664567' post='2228810']... if you hadn't written so much of an explanation of last months , you could have written and recorded Octobers by now :lol:...[/quote]

Look again..! The bottleneck is the upload speed..!

...

Nah, just kidding, of course. I'll be busy (strange, as I retired today..!) this week and next, so no lightning compo this time, I'm afraid (unless I really can't sleep... :unsure: ). Thanks for the click; there are two other [s]poor fools[/s] discerning listeners out there unwilling to reveal their identities. I wonder why..? :huh:
I like to hear how others attack their inspirations and realisations; thanks for yours.

Edited by Dad3353
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^ Cheers Douglas / Lurks! Kinds words... mostly :lol: ... and gratefully received.

Nice 'walkthrough' of your creative process there D. You have to explain more about "the oldest melody known to man, transcribed from annotations found during an archaeological dig..." !! Curious.

My effort was put together very quickly, at least by my usually more obsessive standards. I wanted to get across the idea of calm and chaos - something beautiful (the Adhan chanting) and also aggressive (the dubstep sections). As I think I mentioned, it was inspired by the below video of a guy singing an Adhan during a gunfight in Syria. I'm not religious, but this seemed like a very true show of faith to me - and a real portrait of extremes. Have a gander if you're interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_7Xmzvw3ko

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[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1380665881' post='2228836']...D. You have to explain more about "the oldest melody known to man, transcribed from annotations found during an archaeological dig..." !! Curious...[/quote]

...Curiosity which may be assuaged here...

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurrian_songs"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurrian_songs[/url]

... I came across a transcription by the musicologue Marcelle Duchesne-Guillemin which I adapted and voiced with Miroslav Philharmonik, using a vst which I found, enabling the flattening/sharpening of notes, creating quarter tones. Not a 'real' scale, just enough to sound authentic. Sorry, Ms Marcelle, for the sabotage... :blush:

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1380665881' post='2228836']...Have a gander if you're interested...[/quote]

Redundant phrase. Of course we're interested. :mellow:

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No such story or sleepless nights for me, l just looked at the picture of a miserable git sitting in a chair,
I then sat at the keyboard and pressed record in Cubase...Then cleaned the mess up afterwards... :lol:

[size=4]Good one Skol (well put together), and indeed everyone else.[/size]

It was between Bilbo and Ambient for me (both hit the emotion of the picture really well imo)
Then Dad's epic meandering drew my attention after another listen.

[size=4][font=Arial, sans-serif]In the end I voted for Dad - it intrigued me how it went from an Arabic version of the Hovis theme for the intro,[/font]
[font=Arial, sans-serif]Into some kind of Desert battle action from Lawrence of Arabia, skipped through a scene that vocally mimicked a cue from[/font]
[font=Arial, sans-serif]an Ennio Morricone Spaghetti western without the whip cracks, then finished with a snake charming theme in a market place !,[/font]
[font=Arial, sans-serif]The whole thing was totally bazaar, made little sense of the calm motionless aftermath of the picture (IMO), but was real out of the box thinking.[/font][/size] :D

Garry

Edited by lowdown
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[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1380672033' post='2228898']... I came across a transcription by the musicologue Marcelle Duchesne-Guillemin which I adapted and voiced with Miroslav Philharmonik, using a vst which I found, enabling the flattening/sharpening of notes, creating quarter tones. Not a 'real' scale, just enough to sound authentic.[/quote]

Thanks Douglas. In my ignorance I'd never heard of the Hurrian Songs before. Cheers for the Wiki link - it made for interesting reading. Very clever idea to incorporate this in your track. Well done!

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1380697616' post='2228939'][size=4]Good one Skol (well put together), and indeed everyone else.[/size][/quote]

Cheers mate :) And likewise. Yours was exceptional, as usual.

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[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1380717078' post='2229400']
I wrote mine while walking the dogs and typed it into Sibelius. Made a midi file, transported to Cubase and populated with MP vst cello.
[/quote]

Nice work. 20% of the vote is really something.
If you're counting, that is. :)

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