The soundtrack in this week's episode is called Mad Heights. It’s a fast-tempo, hyperactive and energetic podcast theme with an eclectic sound palette, including violin, LFOs and beats. It was originally written as an experiment in unusual audio production techniques. The instrumentation includes a multi-tracked violin, piano stabs (played on drum pads), voice, guitar and a bunch of other stuff. The track is suitable for mood-lifting moments and depictions of cheerful insanity, partying, offbeat games, and all sorts of hyperactive comedy.
* Automation can be either drawn in as a straight line, or contain a human touch. The more human, the more organic (and slower) the process is because you actually have to listen back while ‘playing’ your controller. Before computers, this was the only way.
* To convey hyperactivity or even nervous anticipation, I aimed for a jerky, twitchy sound throughout the piece. To achieve this, I used quick muting of the bass and glitch tracks, and also converted the piano chords from MIDI to audio, and played them on a drum pads as if they were drums. Violin pizzicato also helped.
* Opening up a highpass filter always raises the energy. It has the same effect of opening a door to walk into a noisy, energetic room.
* Piano is first played as normal, then chopped into parts and played as rhythmically as a set of drums. This is a breakbeat take on jazz piano!
* Violin is multi-tracked with three distinct articulations: arco, tremelo and pizzicato. I wanted to express all the different sounds of the violin in one crazy track. Software strings layer some of the more important parts to thicken them up.
* Some of my music starts with the guitar, but this track was an example of adding the guitar later to reinforce the rhythm. Acoustic guitar is a great rhythm instrument, allowing you to do anything from muted stabs or flowy strumming.
* Layered a two part vocal harmony during the track break. I was having fun and wanted to go all the way with the cheerful tone of the track.
* The sawtooth bass synth and basic glitchy beat in this track are simple, repetitive and solid. There was already so much going on that anything else would have been overkill. At the end of each 16-bar passage, they join synchronize and join forces to fill the gap left by the other instruments - a small moment to shine!
The whole track is two chords, but a special two chords: C major to A7. This is a jazz progression which has been used countless times in standards like Ain’t Misbehavin’
* The internet is attracted to the weird. Don’t hold back on your uniqueness!
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* Spitfire LABS - Strings Long
* Juno VST (bass)
* Acoustic guitar, violin, voice
* Circle of Fifths explained https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1aJ6HixSe0
* Lasse Gjertsen - Hyperactive https://youtu.be/v6A0VbwMXrA
* The wacky Mad Heights music video for this track https://youtu.be/3_unE6Xan0E
* Max For Live Ganz Graf visualizer patch https://maxforlive.com/library/device/1530/ganz-graf-mod-x
You’re listening to How I Make Music, a weekly podcast for the musically curious to go behind the scenes of composition for audio storytelling. Hey, I'm John Bartmann. I’m a composer from South Africa. My soundtracks, moods and themes have been used in podcasts, audio dramas, and also in commercial film, TV and radio. 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. How I Make Music helps you better understand how to make, select and use music to create gripping storytelling.
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