Very soundtracky. Nice work on the koto - it sounds pretty darn cool!
Really like the reverb effects on it.
Nice drum beats as well.
Good, clean production and an interesting sound of the whole piece.
Very cool.

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This has a really different sound...it's perfect for a soundtrack! Nice on the koto...it's very interesting, that's for sure. Sounds like a lot of hard work putting together the effects and the strings. Cool song

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Koto dance. Yummy. Writing and production is mouthwateringly good.

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This is really a great tune. I might call it experimental but who cares-I dig
it. Keep up the good work!

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nice track. some really cool sounds.
drums are a bit weak in my opinion. nice composition.

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. . . this is cool !

this is the first i've heard of your work . . .

sounds fantastic ! . .

like incredibly new and unique . . . yet kinda established ? . .

know what i mean ?

safe

cj

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Awesome, I'm glad you like my work Country John.
As far as being unique, in most parts of my life I strive to be different (being
6"5' with red hair means its gonna be hard to blend in anyway) so I'm always
looking for ways to satisfy my musicial rebellion as such.

And as far as sounding established? I'd like to be completely un-modest and
say that being exceptionally fantastic is just how I am... but if you read my
bio, I'm studying composition at university, so I've got some really harsh
critics other than myself to live up to.... not to mention 1st class assistance.

---
The Composer, previously known as The Pianist who hasn't played the piano in a while...

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You brought the future and past together here very nicely.
Its organic and electronic .
Well done , I am downloading this one .


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Cool electronic tune...I like the mix of sounds a lot. Nice squelchy bass
going on there.
Cool!
Steve

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usage of the Koto. I have tapes of classical koto and some of your
opening was right in that genre. And then, inversely, with the effects it
would be great for callling wild turkieys too. Good score, you should
do pretty well with this on your project.

Would though enjoy earing some piece in a quzi trational work as well,
may be in the future. Thanks for the treat.

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...this is like an epic ninja movie set in a kind of retro-futuristic
world. I love the way this piece develops, changes, moves along...
there are a lot of great parts. I will have to listen to this one a few
more times to let it sink in. I just noticed a few others here made
the soundtrack association, too. I must...download...

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I received the impact.
Attack of KOTO.
This KOTO is exactly arms of the West.
We orientals are at a loss.

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Inspirational combination of past and future Bryan. Lots of interesting
things happening here - a real tour de force in the genre. Really look
forward to hearing more.

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Intriguing merging of styles. I liked the overall composition, nice intro,
fun dancy main techno middle with weird effected instruments, and
great bass synth line. I have a minor nit-pick on the koto playing
however... specifically in the intro, where you are giving a feel for real
koto playing. In the classical koto-playing that I've heard (not a LOT,
but a fair amount of recordings and live performances), the player only
occasionally bends notes. And usually the koto player will either bend
a note up and then right back down, by pushing & releasing the string
behind the bridge, OR more rarely, they will permanently bend the note
one way (up, or down) by physically sliding the little bridge when the
string is plucked. So when I heard the intro, where many many notes
were being permanently bent up, but never back down, it didn't sound
right to my ears... in fact, I envisioned the bridges marching slowly
higher and higher on the koto :-) Anyway, this is pretty minor, unless
you ask a real koto player to play this live :-) Again, overall, I really
liked the atmosphere and dancy energy you evoked in this, fun!
ttfn,
Drakonis

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Actually this is a live recording of the Koto. When this was recorded, the
composition student that was in charge opted to suggest various techniques
or sounds to the player who would then improvise over them.

When writing this piece, I was rather pressed for time and only need to have a
oriental feel to the piece (unlike the next piece I shall upload where I
specifically wanted a traditional indian sound, I researched Ragas, tabla
compositions and listened to a lot of music) and just carefully selected about
3 samples out of the hour or so of material.

Any future koto compositions I shall likely have more time to work on them,
so a more authentic sound may be achieved.

---
The Composer, previously known as The Pianist who hasn't played the piano in a while...

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It never ceases to amaze me what come from Mj!

Cool sounds, love all the wild ideas here. Cool panning in the right places.
Intense Koto, creative Koto, rocking Koto, jazzy kott, fast koto.
I'm not sure I've heard a koto here at MJ. But I am glad I have now!

Thanks for sharing!

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Yep,

I could imagine some Tokyo/Sydney night club belting this out in the
year 2468....

The overall orchestration & harmonic language is simple & effective,
without becoming 'boring' over the piece's duration, thanks to your
terrific sense of structure.

Perhaps the drums could be raised (& spaced..) in the mix; after all it's
a nightclub scene being portrayed here...

Actually I've had an idea for some time now about utilising taiko drums
for a genre like this.

Maybe that'd be too Takemitsu al la 'Rising Sun...'

Anyways, me likes very much, great stuff dude!

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well I was listening to this and considering the problem of context, ie
where would you hear this and who would it be played for, then i read
your description and it makes perfect sense. In fact it is possible to
imagine this track being played in a quasi asian future somewhere in
melbourne, everyone wearing komodo's and dancing freakily. Not a
song I could listen to much but an excellent resolution of a visual
problem, and to that extent a sign of your ability to create 'space' or
'place' in an auditory context.

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Really enjoyed the textures and feels of this piece. It's lots of fun.

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A few things: Love the modulation on the buzzy bass line. Fantastic
panning effects; Almost disorienting. I'm stuck in the panning whirlwind,
and then you bring me down; flatlining. You obviously have a great sense
of dynamics. I'd like to hear more of those piano licks, but that's just a
personal preference. I'd also like to hear some of those percussive hits
brought up a bit as well, just to drive it home. This never gets boring; you
introduce more and more texture during the progression. This resolves
itself really nicely. Very, very nice.

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What can I say?
Great to see (and hear) a Wodonga musician doing something,the
production was good and the sounds and concept fantastic can't wait
to hear more.
p.s. I'm originally a Victorian myself.

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This is a very nice piece!

Energetic, liquid!

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the range of musical styles that you are interested in/able to work with... is staggering. And yet you seem to do a good job of shifting between genres and ideas without a hitch. I like the breakdown with the heavy repetitive bass - it provides a nice contrast to the manic introduction.

In a way, this song reminds me of something that would fit over a Chow-Yung-Fat movie, especially with the melancholy outro.

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