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Bells by SmokeyVW [Email]
Genre: Experimental

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SONG STATS:
Hits: 981
Comments: 6
Votes:
Plays: 77
Last Played: Nov 19, 2008 - 10:37:29 AM
Downloads: 35
Fans: 2
Uploaded: Jul 13, 2006 - 06:11:09 PM
Last Updated: Sep 19, 2008 - 12:13:46 PM



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Description:
album: Wombat
track 1: 1:08 lasreversal
track 2: 3:40 Dervish
track 3: 3:56 anyone lived
track 4: 1:12 Bells
track 5: 2:33 Kitty Cat
track 6: 5:44 Three In January
track 7: 5:18 Shattered Glass
track 8: 8:45 Perhaps She's Channeling
track 9: 6:27 History
track 10: 4:13 The Stars Nearly Blind Us
track 11: 1:27 Sam
track 12: 2:53 Runnin Through My Mind
track 13: 3:04 Hey Midi
track 14: 4:34 Cerebral Core Test
track 15: 1:08 lasreversal
...more albums...

Song Description

Mathematics. Five bells from a pentatonic scale (Gb, Ab, Bb, Db, Eb). Each bell repeats at a different rate. The longest repeat rate is 3 3/4 beats. The others are progressively shorter: 3 1/2, 3 1/4, 3, and 2 3/4. I set the phase angle of the bells so that they nearly coincide at the end, forming a sweeping chord effect. The bells are faded in one at a time. And an attempt to make it sound like an ambient recording of church bells.

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Genius concept! &mdash 07/14/06 - 07:26:39 AM
I really think you're on to something with this idea. I was hoping to hear a little bit more variety in the bells, different sizes contrasting the higher pitched ones. When I read the description I was hoping for a 10 minute long sonic experiment, but the idea to use bells for an ambient track is excellent.
A few years back I heard an original Gamelon band in Indonesia and was absolutely fascinated by the "gong" sounds they incorporate into their traditional music, especially a very large gong they use to finish off a musical segment before starting a new one. When listening to this I was reminded of that, thinking that there is so much in Western music we don't even explore for lack of knowing about it. Your recording certainly gave me ideas for trying something new in my own music! Don't know if my comment makes any sense, but here it is! Thanks for sharing.

[ Reply to This ]
Genius concept! &mdash 07/14/06 - 07:50:07 AM
when i discovered MacJams i was psyched about being to hear examples by
other musicians and learn from them. it never even occurred to me that the
information could flow the other way: it's humbling to think that i might
influence a few MacJammers too.

about the bell sounds, i should explain this song is part of a sequence on the
Wombat album. it immediately follows song/22486 'anyone lived' and it needed
to suggest the somber mood of funeral bells... or at least, that was my intent.

thanks for your comments!

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B^)

[ Reply to This ]
Genius concept! &mdash 07/14/06 - 08:04:42 AM
oh, also, i first heard of gamelan on that classic Wendy Carlos 'Beauty in the
Beast.' since then, i've occasionally come across this style. i agree it's very
interesting and intricate. i have never seen a technical analysis of what goes
on in gamelan.

on another listen to 'Bells', i can hear that final bell sweep being a gamelan
'riff' all right! that must be what you meant.

if you listen carefully, you can hear the same sweep just before that, but
playing at half speed. if you draw out a chart, you can see that a third sweep
precedes even that slow sweep with an even slower sweep, but i can't
convince myself i can hear that. other notes are encroaching on it i guess.

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B^)

[ Reply to This ]
loved it! &mdash 07/14/06 - 11:24:21 AM
Great mood and sound... the bells are great against the "white noise" backdrop. Once again, I wished it were longer! Hey... maybe this could be adapted as the A section of your palindrome tune...? Or maybe not... just a thought.

[ Reply to This ]
loved it! &mdash 07/23/06 - 08:45:58 PM
hey thanks! this kind of thing appeals to me because of the yin and yang of it. i
used mathematical ideas to create it, yet it has some emotional aspect to it as
well...

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B^)

[ Reply to This ]
,-) &mdash 09/15/06 - 10:43:41 AM
DinDonDan =)

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