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#052 African Secret
The piece of music in this week's episode is called African Secret. It’s a cinematic soundtrack meant to depict suspense and tension without sounding too dark and dangerous. It uses a bright Lydian mode melody to retain a sense of adventure and mystery, and a few of the instruments are African in origin. Let’s break it down!
IN THIS EPISODE
01:52 What’s it influenced by? This piece was primarily influenced by the soundtrack to the Netflix TV show Ozark. The original score by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans features a lot of percussion using (what sounds like) ordinary items. I liked the boldness of using hard percussive sounds in amongst the more typical dark, brooding ambiance in TV dramas.
03:16 How is this African? The choice of computer instrument patches includes mbira, marimba and a selection of percussion instruments labelled as West African. I recorded some basic drumming on a djembe to bring some life to the piece amongst all the samples and software instruments.
05:49 How is this a secret? The classic danger and suspense sound is a dark and brooding low neutral and often arpeggiated bass monotone. I also included congas and a vibraphone-type instrument because a lot of classic spy shows and films use it to convey subterfuge. In the opening passage, EQ is used creatively to ‘open the door’ from a narrow, muffled mix to a more full-sounding mix. This is meant to convey some kind of revelation, in line with the theme of secrecy.
08:31 Why does this feel more like adventure than danger? Unusual time signatures can have an unnerving effect. This piece is in 7/4, so it never quite satisfies like a 4/4 track does. Intentional tension, meant to convey the sense of someone sneaking around, or subtle danger. But it’s not all dark and dangerous. The bright Lydian mode used in the simple melody line is associated with magic and possibility. Perhaps this music conveys a supernatural secret of some sorts!
DOWNLOAD THIS TRACK
SHOW NOTES
* ‘Ozark’ soundtrack composer Danni Bensi https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3737483/
* What is spy music? Good thread https://www.reddit.com/r/musictheory/comments/94xhuw/howdoesspymusicworkwhatisspymusic/
* Universally acclaimed TV show Cowboy Bebop https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0213338/?ref=fnaltt1
SOUNDS & DEVICES USED
* Heavyocity Evolve: Perc Hugeness Combo
* Kontakt 4 Factory Library
* Battery 3: West African Kit (Drums)
SUBSCRIBE
MY BANDS!
CONTACT
ABOUT THIS SHOW
You’re listening to How I Make Music, a soothing narrative experience for the musically curious to go behind the scenes of composition. Every Wednesday, we break apart one of my own compositions and investigate the stories and insights into how it was made and its effect on listening ears. My name is John Bartmann. I’m a music composer from South Africa and this is How I Make Music.
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By John Bartmann
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The piece of music in this week's episode is called African Secret. It’s a cinematic soundtrack meant to depict suspense and tension without sounding too dark and dangerous. It uses a bright Lydian mode melody to retain a sense of adventure and mystery, and a few of the instruments are African in origin. Let’s break it down!
IN THIS EPISODE
01:52 What’s it influenced by? This piece was primarily influenced by the soundtrack to the Netflix TV show Ozark. The original score by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans features a lot of percussion using (what sounds like) ordinary items. I liked the boldness of using hard percussive sounds in amongst the more typical dark, brooding ambiance in TV dramas.
03:16 How is this African? The choice of computer instrument patches includes mbira, marimba and a selection of percussion instruments labelled as West African. I recorded some basic drumming on a djembe to bring some life to the piece amongst all the samples and software instruments.
05:49 How is this a secret? The classic danger and suspense sound is a dark and brooding low neutral and often arpeggiated bass monotone. I also included congas and a vibraphone-type instrument because a lot of classic spy shows and films use it to convey subterfuge. In the opening passage, EQ is used creatively to ‘open the door’ from a narrow, muffled mix to a more full-sounding mix. This is meant to convey some kind of revelation, in line with the theme of secrecy.
08:31 Why does this feel more like adventure than danger? Unusual time signatures can have an unnerving effect. This piece is in 7/4, so it never quite satisfies like a 4/4 track does. Intentional tension, meant to convey the sense of someone sneaking around, or subtle danger. But it’s not all dark and dangerous. The bright Lydian mode used in the simple melody line is associated with magic and possibility. Perhaps this music conveys a supernatural secret of some sorts!
DOWNLOAD THIS TRACK
SHOW NOTES
* ‘Ozark’ soundtrack composer Danni Bensi https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3737483/
* What is spy music? Good thread https://www.reddit.com/r/musictheory/comments/94xhuw/howdoesspymusicworkwhatisspymusic/
* Universally acclaimed TV show Cowboy Bebop https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0213338/?ref=fnaltt1
SOUNDS & DEVICES USED
* Heavyocity Evolve: Perc Hugeness Combo
* Kontakt 4 Factory Library
* Battery 3: West African Kit (Drums)
SUBSCRIBE
MY BANDS!
CONTACT
ABOUT THIS SHOW
You’re listening to How I Make Music, a soothing narrative experience for the musically curious to go behind the scenes of composition. Every Wednesday, we break apart one of my own compositions and investigate the stories and insights into how it was made and its effect on listening ears. My name is John Bartmann. I’m a music composer from South Africa and this is How I Make Music.