[Techno-Classical?] Orpheus Circuit (mp3)

[mrvegas]

Haven't posted a track in a while so here goes:

http://orkestrasynthetique.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Orpheus-Circuit.291144913.mp3

I started out trying to write a beaty pattern-based sort of thing, but I can't help but make it complicated.  Techno turned classical.  If you can think of a genre for this, let me know.

(I would normally put an .it file up too, but it would be very large, and I used mostly commercial samples.)

[Sam_Zen]

Clever composing. Develops into a quite funny mood, almost grotesk
Got visions of a Tom and Jerry cartoon.

[Harbinger]

Jotting notes as i listen:

Orpheus Circuit: Never liked the video-game sine-wave synth that permeates this piece. Unorthodox chord progression, sounding a bit uneducated. Terrible cadence construction, from a listener's POV. I guess if i were playing my GameBoy it would blend in okay....Hmmmm....

[bvanoudtshoorn]

I have to disagree with some of what you say, Harbinger. Whilst I can certainly hear a lot of Gameboy-ish influences, I think that the cadences (such as they are) aren't 'terrible' - they seem quite conventional - most are perfect or plagal, and there are a few interrupted cadences thrown in here and there. The piece is heavily based on sequences, which gives it a 'classical' (well, more baroque) flair, but the chords fitted on top often just follow the sequence up or down. It's unusual, but not too bad.

Listening to the track again, I think that what it's really missing is a more formalised structure. The piece seems to just meander along from one idea to another. If it were in a more rigid structure, I think that that'd go a long way to addressing some of the concerns Harbinger raises. Personally, I really like some of the work you've done - the interplay between the voices in the left and right channels is particularly good.

I think that in places, there's a lack of unity in style. You mix electronic and 'classical' elements, but, for my money, I think that whilst you may use electronic sounds and techniques, the music itself should stay wholly classical. In other words, given that the music is a combination of sounds and notes, I think that each should be either one or the other. In parts, you've made it almost too electronic, which, I feel, somewhat disturbs the interest of a 'classical' piece in an electronic idiom.

Overall, though, I quite enjoyed listening to this track. As I said, there are some really good points in it. A few things here and there which aren't exactly what I expected, but still enjoyable. Nice work, mrvegas!

[KrazyKatz]

Well the first thing I thought was that Mario has enrolled into Convert Stealth Ops.

As for the above commentary. Not sure how Mr. Harbinger reaches that conclusion. It's musically sound as BV has said. Personally I find it cleverly constructed, and timbrally impressive.

In fact I think it's great .  Another awesome piece to your repertoire.

I think you can afford to take the next daring step and try counterpoint with two different melodies in your next piece .

[uncloned]

progressive rock?

in places it reminds me of some early genesis segues which I think were a twisting of Victorian class warfare sensibilities - does that make sense?

it appeals more on the 2nd listen - which is always good.

mad Calliope progressions?

[mrvegas]

Thanks for the comments.  I wouldn't normally add a reply in here, since I don't like to bump more recent stuff down when people have already commented, but since the discussion turned to music theory I couldn't resist.

Harbinger -- as to its sounding uneducated, I suppose that's fair enough.  I'm not really sure what you mean by the cadence comment, though.  As some of the others noted, there's probably nothing that out of the ordinary from a music theory standpoint, other than a few false resolutions.  (Which also is not really that out of the ordinary.)

Bvanoudtshourn -- the electronic and classical elements are indeed mixed together, and maybe what Harbinger was getting at was that he, and apparently you too, found the mixing of the sort of standard pentatonic/modal electronic style beginning with the contrapuntal elements and occasional chromatic progressions was a little jarring.  For me, that's just having fun, though.

Krazy Katz -- thanks for the kind words.  As to your comment about the counterpoint, you're absolutely right.  Sometimes I will  insert a sort of warped canon into a piece, which really consists mostly of a call\response type pattern modulating through different keys with slight variations.  I'll try something more complicated next time.   I'll have to read up on what a fugue is actually supposed to consist of.

[Harbinger]

There are two ways you can receive melodic and chord progressions (cadences) -- analytically and audially. Many times have i myself composed what should have sounded good on paper (because i followed classic music theory), but when i heard it thru time and timbre it sounded either bad or forced.  My point is, it may be classically defined very well, but listening to it just doesn't pass over the ears right. This is why i made sure i said, "from a listener's POV." I did not analyze it on its theory, but simply how it sounded. I did qualify my opinion by saying that i've never been a fan of that Japanese video game music...

I have heard pieces from mr vegas that pleased my ears, so he definitely has the skill. This one just didn't do it for me, that's all.

However, others have found the music quite stimulating. So while i don't need to stand down, i'm obviously alone in my assessment. No opinion is any more or less valid than another (i guess unless someone's just trying to be ornery). And i definitely respect how others have analyzed it....

To each his own....

[uncloned]

one has to remember, IMHO, that the classical theory was written after the composer composed in an attempt to rationalize why the music worked.

It seems to me inspiration leads and the theorists follow with few exceptions.