I love all the colours and the cool sonic details in this soundscape.
Beautifully atmospheric. Great feel; wonderful job!

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Thank you Clark! Can't tell you how much I appreciate your opinion. I'm also grateful for explaining "Steppin' Stones" to me in your latest post. What a blessing to have an accomplished composer like you be part of this community, thanks again!

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There is a fantastic groove throughout and excellent percussion breaks.
The orchestra and choir are used to great effect to create drama. Very
slick production with a lot of attention to detail to lift this way beyond the
ordinary.

KK

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Very generous of you! Happy you picked up on the "details". I just got new headphones and really enjoyed playing around adding a few subtle elements to the mix, which I wouldn't usually pay attention to. Thanks a lot, Komrade!

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Very relaxing, almost trance like. Jam pack 5 im guessing?

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Yep. Gotta love it...

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I liked this piece alot. It made me sit back, and forget about everything
else
Kudos on everything...I thought the percussion on it was especially well
done
Great job...you have a very creative piece

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Thanks, Steve. Welcome to MacJams!

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Oh yes, I dig this very very much. Everything is so neatly in balance. A pallette full of sound colours, painted sensitively and with grand artistry by a very talented composer. Really great work!

Walter

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What a generous comment...especially coming from you. Thanks a lot for stopping by!

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I didn't even have to read your description to already feel like I was taking a journey into the rain forest.

And kudos for writing a song in the Cinematic Soundtrack genre without resorting to loops. Not many are bold enough to try that, but you've really pulled it off well.

Once again, excellent job.

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Thanks, Sam! I'm glad you liked it, and although I think loops are fun to use and are a great help if you only play a solo instrument or want to experiment with different sounds and rhythms, I just feel music is much more personal and expressive when it's done from scratch...just like your music, really!

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Your music always has an organic flow that I really enjoy. It seems almost
effortless which we know is far from the truth. The colors are amazing.
The themes glide through this piece never overwhelming but subtly
woven in. Beautiful work.


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Very generous and encouraging comment, thanks so much!

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I first became aquainted with the erhu this year when I visited China. I
have to say your erhu stylings are more sumptuous than I had
previously heard. There are wonderful textures thru out. Great job on
an ambient masterpiece

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It's the "Western" approach, I guess. Take a haunting, beautifully "ascetic" sounding instrument with more than a thousand of years of history, then disregard all of that, mix it with simple but bold chord structure and add sugar to it...oh well, glad you still seemed like it! Did you actually hear any traditional Chinese music when you were in China? When I visited a few years ago, I didn't get to experience much of the musical culture for some reason...Thanks for your comment, though!

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yes, I was fortunate enuf on several occasions to hear some tradiitonal music.
Some situations were formal and others more like street performers. Liked it
all

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i like the blend very cool i think i hear birds

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...if you hear birds AND see stars make sure you turn the volume down! Just kidding, thanks for stopping by!

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Imitation and Emulation---the sincerest form of flattery. I wish I could
look at your GB tracks to see how you create some of these sounds and
rhythms. I would love to learn from you. Do you use a pedal with your
keyboard to control sustain and/or pitch bend? How much time did it
take you to compose this piece?

This is beautiful, absolutely gorgeous. What kind of headphones did
you purchase?

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So happy you took your time to listen, Rick. Regarding the screenshot, I'd obviously be more than happy to send you even the GB file, but don't have any way of doing that as the email function has been disabled...any ideas, let me know! To answer your questions, I don't use a sustain pedal (would like to, but haven't got one). Usually use the modulation wheel though, mostly for solo instruments, in this case for the erhu. This piece, I started working on a few days ago some time late evening and pretty much finished all the musical ideas by early a.m. (that's the only time I have for music these days). Next evening I worked on the structure figuring out what's essential and adding character to the song. In a third session, with a day or two in between (helps to have some "distance"), I adjusted the levels and overall mix which I recently learned more about from a conversation with a sound engineer friend of mine - the importance of adjusting the volume of the individual instruments and soundscapes, so as to not overwhelm the listener with too many layers, trying to keep the overall mix "clean" and crisp...until this song I pretty much kept all the layers at the same volume from beginning to end. Interesting stuff for a self-taught musician like me, go figure.

The headphones I got are Akg 271, but would recommend the standard k240s as they seem to be more neutral and less forward in the treble. I'm a fan of Akg headphones as in my opinion they have the most "neutral" and flat sound, which is what I like for mixing. Anyways, thanks for your interest. Can't wait to listen to your next post!

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Wow, I just loved listening to this. I'm going to have to check out more of your tunes. Had a bit of a Planet Drum vibe in places. Really excellent!

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...Okay Para. You are now officially my absolute favorite macjammer, period!

That erhu, I gotta get me some of that. Is that on one of the new Jam Packs? Absolutely positively amazing. This was beautiful, it would fit perfectly in an IMAX presentation of a rain forest expedition. Wow. WOW!!! hahahahaha, brilliant, nuff said!

B.

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This is ethereal.. I can honestly say you have some of the most wonderful
and goosebump-inducing music I have heard in all of Macjams. Love the
ethnic feel of this music.. makes me think of a spirit flowing through a
mystical forest in some parts of the world...

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This is ethereal.. I can honestly say you have some of the most wonderful
and goosebump-inducing music I have heard in all of Macjams. Love the
ethnic feel of this music.. makes me think of a spirit flowing through a
mystical forest in some parts of the world...

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Your stuff is really inspiring...I can't get enough of this!!

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...and every hit a smash!

Seriously, though - I just love this.
All of this.
I love all of your songs, for that matter!
They just appeal to me in some way.

Please - continue to please me with your compositions!

Oh, and sorry for the belated comment :)

-E

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Wow! I can only wish to produce something this powerful sometime. You
certainly gave the rest of us something to reach for! Wonderful!
Keep this stuff coming! Definite download! Rp

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I really enjoyed this textured tapistry... and your changes really take
me on a ride... lots of emotion... Thomas Dolbyesque in rich texture

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You are an extremely talented fellow. You should consider a full-time
career in music. Don't let all this talent go unheard to the rest of the
world. I enjoyed this immensely

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Much enjoyed! Clear & full of colors.
Fine composition & mix.

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I'm off to Scotland soon and this will be going with me. Spacious and
pulsing it reminded me of Deep Forest (God I love that first album). Your
fab production makes me wince at my own!

Jon

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I felt like I was in China. Man, this is just wonderful. Awesome
production.

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I agree__fantastic!

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Great music.....I really enjoy the percussion sounds...
You´re a great musician...Wow...

Best
Thomas

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Put my headphones on and forgot I was sitting here in the house. I
think I need to go outdoors and get a real fix of nature now. You have
definitey captured the rain forest here. I'm going to listen to this all
winter when I'm snowed in. :-)

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Ok Electric Lobster told me you were good, now its obvios beautiful song, I dig that you do world music, God bless!

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Wow! I am really amazed at the complexity of this piece and the evocative nature it imparts. (I have decided to NOT read other's comments before making my own because I want to give you an honest reaction) ... What a great soundtrack for a movie--maybe a nature film or something about a little-known tribe somewhere in the Rainforest in South America. Really interesting orchestration and most relaxing. ... Are the drums live or synthesized? If the latter, how do you do that? ...Oh, beautiful crescendo 1/2 way through. This is terrific stuff and I am anxious to listen to more. I think I'm going to learn a lot from you.
Paul

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YOWZA!

Wonderful work, P.

Man, you get the most out of GB. You should be on the road with Steve Jobs promoting it!

I really admire your midi percussion work. NOW, THIS IS HOW ITS DONE!

Awesome.

Scorp:)

Cool Artwork slide show :)

I'm curious to see which pic downloads and shows up in my iTunes.



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It's all impressive stuff. Thanks for sharing all this.

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It all flows along perfectly. Choirs, everything. Wonderful Job.

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Heroes made me look for other erhu compositions - and lo - you've been here before! i too am very attracted to the erhu expressiveness...

thanks

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It takes me into a part of the world where i'd like to be...

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a million windchimes - loved it - thank you

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