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EPONYM


by

Cameron

 Genre: Experimental

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Description
Many apologies for not posting anything for well over a year!

I seriously considered participating in the Macjams Reunion, but I really wanted to submit something new; not re-work a piece from my first year of 2004.

On a recent cold and rainy evening, the GarageBand bug bit me BIG time. You know how that goes!

I've always wanted to play around with the sounds generated by the Crystal soft synth, which I've had as part of GarageBand for many years but hadn't explored til now.

I've also always wanted to do more experimental music, something quite unlike my usual traditional fare. Music of the 21st Century.

So I found three Crystal synth sounds that I liked, and combined them here.

Experimental music is best listened to at least twice. There have been many occasions when I have been "turned off" to such pieces on the first listen, but upon the second listen something shifts -- you're more familiar with the new musical language now, and can relate more easily to the music and "get" what is being communicated.

So I do hope you give this piece that chance. Thanks for listening!
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Song Stats
Hits: 902
Comments: 36
Fans: 17
Plays: 74
Downloads: 56
Votes: 4
Uploaded: Feb 25, 2009 - 09:02:09 PM
Last Updated: Feb 25, 2009 - 09:02:09 PM Last Played: Nov 10, 2009 - 09:27:14 AM
Song License
Creative Commons License:
Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial

Creative Commons

Song Actions
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Hardware:
Macbook, M-audio keystation 49e
Software:
GarageBand 4.1.2, Crystal soft synth
Comments
Feter said 268 days ago (February 25th, 2009)
EPONYM
THis is very interesting ..you are turning the noise into music
with expressions ...experimental but has alot of tense ..and
suspense ..it might be so good for a mistry movie ...very nice
thnx alot for sharin !!!!
Cameron said 268 days ago (February 25th, 2009)
thank YOU
for your very accurate perception that music and noise CAN be one and the same! ;-)
Check out my latest song called EPONYM
iG.STUDiO said 268 days ago (February 25th, 2009)
Acid rain...
...addictively toxic... love it...
Check out my latest song called Le Rêve De Solange
Cameron said 268 days ago (February 25th, 2009)
addictively toxic
PERFECT choice of words. Thanks!
Check out my latest song called EPONYM
Patriotpizzaman said 268 days ago (February 25th, 2009)
Cool
outer limits anyone? this definately gave me the hebee jebees in a couple of spots. Real cool !!
Check out my latest song called Livin' Lastin' Love
Cameron said 268 days ago (February 25th, 2009)
THANKS
for listening, Patriotpizzaman!

"Heebie jeebies" is good. ;-)

Do you make pizzas? I worked in pizza parlors all through college and beyond...still smell like em.
Check out my latest song called EPONYM
Char said 267 days ago (February 26th, 2009)
Got to love a man
who smells like pizza. You are playing these sounds as if they fit into a melody and so they cease to be noise. I am beginning to think that we make music because it communicates thought and emotion without words that need translation. We get it. This was like walking inside an enormous tuning fork, as if I was a molecule that got vibrated. Thanks for the experiment.
Check out my latest song called Break Away (Mark Holbrook & Awigze)
Cameron said 267 days ago (February 26th, 2009)
Thanks Char!
You have a wonderful way with words. I appreciate your comment!
Check out my latest song called EPONYM
Warren Smith said 267 days ago (February 26th, 2009)
Taking time
This is certainly worth listening to twice : )

I'm not only in complete agreement with the need to listen to most any piece of music more then once, but I often have to listen to something multiple times before I feel I have absorbed it enough to make a comment.

I would be interested to hear a little bit about your approach to this experiment. Did you lay down one track ... and then add the second synth sound ... and then the third? Or did you work simultaneously with the three sounds .. building the soundspace as you went along?

It's great you are finding time for composing ... and experimenting ... because it seems there is never enough time.
Check out my latest song called Pushing and Pulling
Cameron said 267 days ago (February 26th, 2009)
thank you warren!
I not only appreciate you stopping by to listen to this piece, I appreciate you asking such a good question!

In this case, I started with the first sound that you hear on the track. I continued with it at least halfway through the piece, then stopped.

I scrolled through the list of sounds in the Crystal synth (plugin in GB) and found one which I thought contrasted well with the first. That's the second sound you hear on the track. I continued with that for the rest of the piece, except for the last few measures.

Then I scrolled down and found the third sound. I played it all the way through.

Then I went back and edited everything. Most of it was fine as is, but I did adjust a few timings and velocities.

That's it. I decided not to further complicate matters by adding more sounds. I wanted to see how just three basic sounds would combine; if they were "enough". It seems that it is. ;-)

Thanks so much for asking this question.
Check out my latest song called EPONYM
davisamerica said 267 days ago (February 26th, 2009)
:-]
downloaded !
Check out my latest song called No Son(egobandit band)
Cameron said 267 days ago (February 26th, 2009)
thank you
for doing what is the highest compliment of all.
Check out my latest song called EPONYM
Rebsie said 267 days ago (February 26th, 2009)
Pink and fluffy it ain't ...
... but it provides a very full experience, all in musical 3D. For me the trick of getting into it is to detach my consciousness from it slightly, so I'm not intently listening to each sound element as I would a more conventional piece of music but going into a more dreamlike state and letting it wash over my peripheral vision (so to speak). It's very rich and deep at that point.
Check out my latest song called Amongst The Colours (w/ Luna Trick)
Cameron said 267 days ago (February 26th, 2009)
very well-put, rebsie!
I warned Caroline that this is not going to be a pink & fluffy piece, when she returns from holiday to listen to it! ;-)

I always look forward to your comments, which are always insightful and take me to an alternate reality!

The way you listened to this piece is exactly the way I created it -- by 'detaching my consciousness slightly' and letting myself go into a dreamlike state. How very interesting (but not altogether surprising) that you would experience LISTENING to this music in the same way!

'Rich and deep'...thank you for that!
Check out my latest song called EPONYM
magnatone said 267 days ago (February 26th, 2009)
EPONYM
cameron - so GREAT to see a new post from you. i've been so excited to hear this, and it is exceedingly interesting - so different from you! i agree with rebsie's comment - it makes a difference to listen in a kind of different way - not intently so much as from that "in between" state. second time around it felt a bit more familiar and less like "outer limits", and more heart. now DON'T GO AWAY cameron - keep uploading!!! terrific to have you back!
Check out my latest song called Symphonic Smackdown
Cameron said 267 days ago (February 26th, 2009)
Karen,
you sure know how to warm my heart! Your enthusiasm and support are greatly appreciated.

I believe that you will help me to stick around awhile, this time. I tend to get overwhelmed and check out. I do hope to post something again in the not-too-distant future. Certainly sooner than a #@*&% year and a half!! ;-)

Thanks!
Check out my latest song called EPONYM
Rocha Malhada said 267 days ago (February 26th, 2009)
So,...

I'm listening on my headphones - surely this must be the way to go with this tune. The foreground synth is very spacey (well all, I guess). There are some bell sounds early on in the mid range that I thought could have had a bit more sustain to tie things together or fill the space in the back/center? Maybe that's not a solution, but what do I know.

I like this experiment, and enjoyed the multiple listens.

. - Harold
Check out my latest song called Kanun Oud Rock (LIOLI9)
Cameron said 267 days ago (February 26th, 2009)
harold, i do agree
that this piece is best experienced with headphones.

I also understand your observation about the bell sounds needing to be more sustained -- I did seriously consider this very issue when I was working on the piece. (Good ears!)

But I ultimately decided to leave it as is, a bit spare, to create more space (ha ha) between the notes.

Thanks so much for listening and I truly appreciate your comment!
Check out my latest song called EPONYM
ic42 said 267 days ago (February 26th, 2009)
it creates a strange sensation
music often creates a sensation, not aural. this creates sensations of curiosity, fear, and mirth. it is a sensational experiment. it is a good choice of synthesizer, and thoughtful notes. 0x0
Check out my latest song called futatsu 0x01
Cameron said 267 days ago (February 26th, 2009)
thanks for stopping by, ic42!
I am always amazed at commenters who can express themselves in a few choice, descriptive words, hitting the nail on the head.

I have always been interested in music for healing and/or shifting the brain -- at least, more than just what ones HEARS on the surface.

Thanks so much for reminding me of this concept. It is inspiring me to be more sharing of my music than I have been of late.
Check out my latest song called EPONYM
Doug Somers said 267 days ago (February 26th, 2009)
Interesting how the sounds
initially are introduced almost as their own distinct themes and then around 1:30 unite to play in time together which really changes their character. I get flashes of different electronic artists being brought to mind but those shift pretty quickly as the piece evolves. There is also a sense of big close bright large forms, smaller more nimble forms, and a few other twisty things floating in this huge expansive space - there is enough room for the sounds that the overall sense is quite minimalist. A cool download!

Thanks Cameron!
Be well,
Doug
Check out my latest song called Desiree (MJ Space Race 2009)
Cameron said 267 days ago (February 26th, 2009)
how thoughtful
how you commented on this piece! I can't tell you how much I appreciate this kind of depth and richness of description -- and of course, the fact that you stopped by to listen in the first place!

I have come to treasure comments like yours. I used to focus on votes to try to "get on the weekly picks" list, but over the past couple years of score inflation I have come to realize that the comments and downloads are TRULY the most important aspects of submitting something to MacJams.

So with this in mind, your comment makes my day!
Check out my latest song called EPONYM
VicDiesel said 267 days ago (February 26th, 2009)
Take your time.
This is rather different from your harp improvs and orchestral pieces. But it's just as interesting, or maybe more.

At first sight, this is just an extremely quiet piece, with somewhat abstract electronic sounds that are intuitively quite appealing. But on second listen, there's more to it. You start out very quietly with some sparse notes and unpitched sounds. Then, around 1:30 we get someting that looks like it has tonality and rhythm. Then around 3:00 all that's left of that is the descending bass line. After the 4:00 mark, the music thins out even further. So, this piece has a clear structure, which reveals itself after listening to it 2 or 3 times.

Of course, I wouldn't have expected you to leave it at just slapping together some sounds.

I've enjoyed this very much.
Check out my latest song called Desert Stars
Cameron said 266 days ago (February 27th, 2009)
Vic, thanks
for listening to this three times! I really appreciate that.

It is indeed much easier to hear the structure if you hear the piece more than once.

Your ears are very sharp and I can always count on excellent feedback from you. I value it greatly -- thanks!
Check out my latest song called EPONYM
edpdx said 267 days ago (February 27th, 2009)
Trapped
in a space ship! The crew tries to find a way out but they are running out of time.... The year 4598 AD, and so it begins!

edpdx

Check out my latest song called Constellation V.2
Cameron said 266 days ago (February 27th, 2009)
It's great
when listeners come up with interesting scenarios as you have done here. Music does take us on SOME sort of journey.

Thanks for listening and commenting!
Check out my latest song called EPONYM
DWL said 267 days ago (February 27th, 2009)
Challenging (sort of)
you need to put on a different head to listen to pieces like this.

Let go of preconceptions, close your eyes and be transported. What I like about this is that I'm not thinking "I wonder what he's playing there?" or "how did he get that sound?".

And it finished all too early. I was completely drawn in and lost track of time.

I have no idea what you did but it worked for me.

Cheers

Dick
Cameron said 266 days ago (February 27th, 2009)
Open Mind & Ears
Experimental music by its very nature requires an open mind, so I am glad that you and many others have demonstrated this openness listening to this piece.

I am finding that creating this kind of music opens my mind as well.

It's amazing that what we think of as simply "noise" can be used as music, if there is some sort of identifiable structure and pacing to the sounds.

This kind of music defies categories, in a way. It's a non-verbal experience. So your not having an idea of what I did makes perfect sense! ;-)

Thanks for stopping by.
Check out my latest song called EPONYM
drakonis said 267 days ago (February 27th, 2009)
Wild new stuff, welcome back!
The initial section alternates between a pulsing rhythm and a solar wind that washes it away, but it keeps regenerating in different forms... and finally grows some oomph, and hints of recognizability in the middle section. But alien silicon life doesn't last long in this harsh environment, and it all then begins to degenerate into sequenced washes of blips near the end, defribrillating slowly, until its last gasp. In a way, I almost wanted to hear the solar wind return and wash away the bones. :-)

Excellent experimental piece Cameron, great choices of synths, and carefully crafted pacing, which I always expect from you. I've missed you, and look forward to seeing you around more! I always learn a great deal from your music and style.

ttfn,
Drakonis
Check out my latest song called Lullaby for the Inner Child
Cameron said 266 days ago (February 27th, 2009)
THANKS DRAK!
I appreciate all your kind words as well as your unfailingly insightful observations. I take what you say seriously, because you have a very well-developed musical ear and know a lot about different kinds of music and composers.

So thank you for commenting, and for your warm welcome.
Check out my latest song called EPONYM
guitapick said 266 days ago (February 27th, 2009)
Now THAT...
...was one hell of an "experimental"...

Put my mind in some very interesting places...thanks...
Check out my latest song called Outside the Corral
Cameron said 265 days ago (February 28th, 2009)
guitapick...
interesting places are good, especially these days!

I appreciate your comment.
Check out my latest song called EPONYM
Dadai.2 said 264 days ago (March 1st, 2009)
slow motion movements...

through the eerie musical mind maze of Cameron's magical mystery tour. Cameron, thanks for the very unusual and enjoyable trip.

Jack
Check out my latest song called The Riverside (with Ed sloparts sitting in)
Cameron said 264 days ago (March 1st, 2009)
Thanks Jack
for your eloquent description of the inside of my head!

I'm glad you enjoyed the ride!
Check out my latest song called EPONYM
caroline said 264 days ago (March 1st, 2009)
cam....
this is like the next phase of that other piece you did that was a space landing - i looked for it but a) i don't think you posted it here and b) i'm still too spacey to do research - it's clever - of course it is and it would make a fabulous performance piece as far as actors are concerned - in fact, you have given me an idea - it doesn't depress me so it doesn't matter that it isn;t pink - it's certainly interesting! i'll get back to you!! btw - your harp playing and the recorder stuff you and james are doing is too good not to be posted here too! sheesh - i have written a lot but i think i deserve the 'cameron' medal for considered comments!! :) big loves bags - henny xox
Check out my latest song called clink that link mjrf
Cameron said 264 days ago (March 1st, 2009)
Caroline!!
Oh
My
God!

This is the longest comment I have *EVER* received from you! You're out-baggying baggy! (translation: you're out-Cameroning Cameron!) I'm glad that you liked this even though it isn't pink. Thanks for your encouragement about posting our harp/recorder stuff!

Yes, you hereby receive the CAMERON MEDAL FOR CONSIDERED COMMENTS. Come pick up your prize in person -- I dare you! ;-)
Check out my latest song called EPONYM
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Name: Cameron Kopf
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After ten years on the road playing horn with the national (USA) touring company of "The Phantom of the Opera", I have recently retired from that organization and moved from Bisbee, Arizona to the Woods of Northern California. In this peaceful, se... [see more]

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Genre Info
Experimental music is any music that challenges the commonly accepted notions of what music is. There is an overlap with avant-garde music. John Cage was a pioneer in experimental music and defined and gave credibility to the form. As with other edge

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