There's some really lovely textures in here. It does kind of build up like a sunrise... definitely has a cinematic feel. It sounds like ambient or cinematic to me... too aesthetic for 'experimental' :-) I like a lot of the cool little moments throughout this tune.

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Thanks for the comment PV. I didn't know how to categorize this, but I think cinematic is a good choice. I wanted to to do something exclusively electronic with an orchestral feel...but working with Absynth makes you go off in weird directions sonically.

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Graham Metcalfe - Information Architecture and Art Direction<br>Please visit my portfolio site at <a href="http://www.ghmetcalfe.com">www.ghmetcalfe.com</a>.

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Nice to put it something like a mars landing type sound, I know I have a stay with earth dreamy sounds and your interesting me in this soundtrack feel. Of course now I am hearing an oriental feel to it so maybe it's china landing on mars with men? Hope they don't get there first. US's got to:)

Interesting stuff.

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Hey Bill. I actually wasn't thinking SciFi....more like an electronic version of the Engulfed Cathedral by Debussy (hey, is that pretentious or what :)). I was also sort of thinking "The Valley" movie that Pink Floyd did the soundtrack for. Something that's hiddin but is slowly revealed...also like the "Clearing WInter Storm" photo by Ansel Adams: http://masters-of-photography.com/A/adams/adams_clearing_winter_storm.html. Nice thing about music...we can all hace a separate vision of the same tune. Anyway, thanks for the listen, nice to get a comment from such a prolific master!



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Graham Metcalfe - Information Architecture and Art Direction
Please visit my portfolio site at www.ghmetcalfe.com.

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Cinematic Soundtrack is not really something I really dig. But your work here has impressed me. Deep and rich textures, excellent mix, various feelings passing by, from warm to icy. Extremely interesting.

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I'm glad you gave it a shot even though it's outside your normal style. I'll check out your stuff this weekend!

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Graham Metcalfe - Information Architecture and Art Direction
Please visit my portfolio site at www.ghmetcalfe.com.

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Interesting bent synths, a little sprinkle of dissonance here and there, and huge long trailing bass sandworms that shake the subfloor. This reminds me a bit of MissChaos's "Fireflies" piece, except on a macro scale instead of a micro scale... as if I'm witnessing skyscraper-sized alien burrowing and flying creatures waking up and beginning to start their day. Very well-crafted and inventive!
ttfn,
Drakonis

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Absynth has some outrageously cool sounds. They're not always the easiest to work with but Absynth really has a unique sound. I did end up rolling off some upper frequencies to remove some grittiness from the "granular" sounds. It's also cool because the sounds can really change depending on how you play them. The hardest thing was getting a decent solo sound...I ended up modifying an "organ" sound in Absynth and adding a lot of channel filtering to get the final sound. Thanks for the listen. Hopefully it won't be as long before my next tune :)



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Graham Metcalfe - Information Architecture and Art Direction
Please visit my portfolio site at www.ghmetcalfe.com.

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Like the awakening of some hibernating giant - this comes to life. Great sounds, with some real rumble happening. Would be incredible on a good surround system with some serious sub woofer action.
Clever man!
Neil

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Actually a bunch of the patches I used were set up for surround sound...however Logic Express can' t do surround, and I don't have the speaker setup for that anyway. I like the image of the awakening giant...rising from his slumber but somehow he's not nearly as frightening as you think when first seeing him. Thanks for listening and commenting.


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Graham Metcalfe - Information Architecture and Art Direction
Please visit my portfolio site at www.ghmetcalfe.com.

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This piece offers up a full sonic spectrum for enjoyment on a good set of headphones...

The ending sections bust it up into some melodic motion, but there's a sustained brooding quality to the whole piece... Could be 'cinematic' and could also be great background music to an incarnation of 'Myst'....

Or one of those multi-media 'installations' that folks do... Although you really need to be able to hear this loud enough to appreciate the depth of the piece...

Ed

By the way, since I have your attention, I've discovered that the GB 'Celtic Tinwhistle', played chordally, and in the wrong hands, can sound almost like a Mellotron...



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Hi Ed, thanks for the comments. This was something I had to get off my chest...I will now be finally getting back to S.o.t.W! It was fun and challenging to try to work with only one synth...but Absynth has incredible depth; I'v eacually been messing with it for years, but this is the first real piece I've put together with it. I love those subharmonics on some of the sounds, really rattles the windows :-).

I almost felt the synth solo in the final section a little too cliche...going back to my 70s roots, but I thought it also needed a little melodic grounding (just can't get into that total ambient mindset I guess). But I got to layer in a bunch of filters I hadn't used like the Autofillter in Logic to create some additional motion to the sound.

That's cool that you figured out a fake mellotron flute sound. Some of the characteristics of MTs can be reasonable created using strings, choirs etc. The original was always a little warbly and kind of murky which can be easily faked by rolling off the highs with a filter and by adding some broad but shallow pitch modulation and a little chorus. Or save your pennies for M-Tron, the true pathway to mellotron heaven :)!

--G




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Graham Metcalfe - Information Architecture and Art Direction
Please visit my portfolio site at www.ghmetcalfe.com.

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I buy the "Cinematic", as it created many images, relationships, tensions for me (played as early eveningtude reached across the nearby hills).



Superb Soundstage use. Near/Far. Pressing/Passive.



If Logic has anything to do with the resolution and carry of these sounds, Apple owes you a commission!



Cinematic, bordering on Symphonic.

A Fine Listen, Man.



Very Best

Cooper

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One of the nice things about using Logic is that it allows you to work in 24bit audio instead of 16 bit like in GB. This gives you quite a bit of headroom for dynamics. I also put an instance of Ozone 3 mastering plugin on the output bus (master track in Garageband) to boost dynamics and separation. Ozone is really great for mastering effects. Coming from Opcode Vision, Logic wasn't too big of a leap, learing-wise, to get started with.

Thanks for listening!



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Graham Metcalfe - Information Architecture and Art Direction
Please visit my portfolio site at www.ghmetcalfe.com.

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love when it picks up half way through wow what a sound so clear.
ifelt like a flowing robe at dawn. almost when you can see right through a dress that is worn by a beautifull woman and then you turn your head becuase you realize she knows.. call me crazy but thats what i invisioned when listening to this

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Sounds like a good vision to me! :)

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Graham Metcalfe - Information Architecture and Art Direction
Please visit my portfolio site at www.ghmetcalfe.com.

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The textures and the flow between them are very effectively compiled here, Graham. There is no doubt that you have successfully created atmosphere that would be very effective when married to proper visuals.

I found the shifting of mood just after the middle a good decision, bringing the composition to another place while keeping the mood intact, not drastically changing direction, but keeping attention focused.

This is a rich palette of rather otherworldly sounds, and you were able to bring warmth and a human connection regardless.

I hope you get a chance to score something where this type of soundtrack would be appropriate - the producer of the video would be thrilled by a piece like this. Having seen some of Drakonis's work, you two might be able to team up and create something very compelling.

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For the compliments and observaions. I'm happy to impress one of your talents. This started out as an experiment with Absynth, but it took on a life of it's own while working on it. The second half definitely eveolved out of a need to give some forward movement and textural change, so I'm glad it worked out in your mind as well. It was also fun working out of the traditional acoustic sounds I'm more used to working with, and stretching a little sonically.

Thanks again for the comments....I'll have to check in with the Dragon and see what he's up to. The last time I worked in collaboration with another composer/musician was in my college days!





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Graham Metcalfe - Information Architecture and Art Direction
Please visit my portfolio site at www.ghmetcalfe.com.

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I'm hearing the dialog of the two hero's right before the ammased alien invasion.
Cameron: What are they waiting for?
Sgt. Steel: The right time. But I have a little surprise for them when that comes.
Cameron: I like surprises, what's up?
Sgt. Steel: You just sit tight son. And keep you're head down.

Thanks for the trip.

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AMAZING sounds in this song. Seriously, I think you've tested the limits of my monitors here. And everything sounds right in place -- or completely encompassing it. I love the tranquil vs. tense relationship between the sections here. This is seriously amazing. Bravo, Graham!

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You know how much I appreciate your opinion, and your music!


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Graham Metcalfe - Information Architecture and Art Direction
Please visit my portfolio site at www.ghmetcalfe.com.

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I don't think I ever would have been able to create this. You must have had quite a mental image while making this song. I like how much depth there is to this...lots of rich textures. My crappy speakers don't do it justice.

Thanks for sharing.

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some damn amazing sounds, graham. i identify with the front half more than the rear, but what can i say-i'm a noise junkie. :D
really incredible builds & textures, your use of restraint is very effective, very emotive. DL'd/faved

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That brings to mind fantastic and otherworldly images...

Very cool! Ooooh...the colors!!

:)
Thanks for sharing

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Really nice layering of your synths... very clear, makes you want to ponder something deep. Great contrasts, not repetitive in the least. Wonderful work!

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This is the 21st century avant composition defined. Absolute mastery!!

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Thanks for bringing this to my attention; I'm glad you did, as I had missed it. I like the whole spacious feeling of it; feels very big, and definitely cinematic. I like the various panning tricks that happen towards the beginning. I like the pitch uncertainty that some of the instruments have. I think the part about two thirds through where it becomes more rhythmically regular is very attractive, but I personally don't feel that this is where the music wanted to go--I probably would have made two different pieces, one continuing with the free-form expansiveness of the beginning, and another using these more rhthmically-regular ideas. But, I guess if this is a soundtrack, you could argue that the change would accompany some change in the movie. And really, both of the different characters work well.

One final quibble: the sonic quality often feels kind of muted to my ears. Granted, I am listening through computer speakers, which, though reasonably good, are no match for studio monitors. I'm not sure if this is due to the software instruments themselves, or if it's something that is introduced during mixing/mastering... or if it's really not there at all, and it's the fault of my speakers. But I thought I'd mention it in case it was of any value.

All in all, a very satisfying listen that paints a beautiful and expansive musical picture.

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As always your comments are appreciated. There is a transition between the two parts, and I tried to carry over some of the sonic elements...but it is true, the two section are somewhat discreet. This piece pretty much grew out of an improvisation and exporation of Absynth. I have noticed that the piece has grown on me with repeated listens and seems to fit together better now that I've heard it a number of times.

Not sure why it would sound muted, except that there are a lot of sections where there are extremely low sub tones which might be loading your speakers too much. I'm listening with headpones and a pair of Logitech X-230 (2.1 system) speakers and the sound is pretty clean. The solo synth sound in the second half is filtered and muted on purpose to blend better in the overall sonic texture. The basic sound of that synth was a little harsh from granular synthesis and I wanted to smooth it out.

Again, thanks for the listen. I always value your insight.

--G

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Graham Metcalfe - Information Architecture and Art Direction
Please visit my portfolio site at www.ghmetcalfe.com.

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That was power packed! Whatever emerged was much bigger than most things... Some beautiful sounds you've created in this piece - Whatever has come before us, is just as curious as we are...

Man! There are just some wonderful full on moments in this

What a fantastic piece of imagery!

Thanks for sharing!

Macca

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for the Listen. Glad that it brought strange visions for you! :-)

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Graham Metcalfe - Information Architecture and Art Direction
Please visit my portfolio site at www.ghmetcalfe.com.

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got to know this one from the 2006 MacJams Retrospective collection
and have to say it really blew me away. in part because it was so
different from anything else, but also the way it has been so thought-
fully crafted, paced, and strung together.

there's a surreal chain of events occuring, almost in a classical fashion.

a wonderful, chasmic experience! great music!

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I've always been kind of a different thinker, thanks for noticing....many people just don't get that :). Anyway, glad you enjoyed the piece....i really enjoyed making it and working with a new synth and it's incredible textures.

--Graham

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Graham Metcalfe - Information Architecture and Art Direction
Please visit my portfolio site at www.ghmetcalfe.com.

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Expansive and meditative. Ecellent sense for pacing, subtle details and the chords and melodies genuinely fit into the soundscape. Way beyond just playing around with nice sounds! Some of similar sounding music doesn't quite carry enough energy - it's easy to indulge in the synth world and I then consider that kind of music "superflous" - but here I never get that impression. Far from it. Focused and inspired; makes for a mesmerizing, simply gorgeous soundcape with enough detail for a solid listening experience allowing ample space for your own thoughts and feelings.

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...for the wonderful comment. It means a lot coming from someone as talented as yourself (and I'm not just "blowing sunshine").

--Graham

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Graham Metcalfe - Information Architecture and Art Direction
Please visit my portfolio site at www.ghmetcalfe.com.

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Great texture and sense of expanse here. Mastery use of colour. Simple and complex at the same time. Great work!

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First off, that's a gorgeous photo. Graham, I really like how this one builds. The gradual revealing. Wonderful sound choices, very ambient. Cool lighter melodic lines coming in, but with that bit of dissonance so you never quite feel safe and comfortable. Great piece of music you put together here. Thanks!

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