|
|
|
New: ADCF |
Listen to my MusicFrom this page, users can download and listen to full length examples of my work. All the music featured here has been composed, executed and recorded by me, Nicholas Hender; please visit the About page for more information. The work available from this page is getting old. For my latest work (2012), go to the page Anomalous Divergences in the Course of Fate. It's new and different, and needs it's own space. Files downloaded from this site are not to be altered in any way, or used for any commercial purpose, without full permission from their copyright owner (me, Nicholas Hender). To obtain permission, please visit the Contact page. Files downloaded from this site may be used for educational and artistic purposes where no commercial activity is involved, although full credit to Nicholas Hender must be explicated. The below music files have been arranged into "collections". The works in each collection are similar or related in style and/or function, although any collection may differ distinctly from most other collections. To find each collection, follow the links on the left, or simply scroll downwards. Collection 1► Lost Part 1 (mp3, 735KB, 2004) ► Lost Part 2 (mp3, 1.35MB, 2004) ► Nail Gun Movement 1 (mp3, 1.83MB, 2005) ► Nail Gun Movement 2 (mp3, 3.13MB, 2005) ► Dynamicality (mp3, 1.62MB, 2006) Going is the second of my attempts to extend myself towards a new personal direction in musical composition. It was created using software that digitally emulates analogue modular synthesis, although the purpose, for me, was to achieve a denser polyphony, and to explore more diverse timbral combinations and variation than in my recent previous works. As in Lost Part 1 and Lost Part 2 (below), Going is also an attempt to relinquish some of my compositional control to less calculated, and more chaotic (or perhaps intuitive) influences. Parts 1 and 2 of Lost are my first reasonable efforts at creating music through the process of "granular" synthesis. These pieces were a challenge for me, as their construction required me to surrender (to a considerable extent for me) the idea of absolute predictability. These works are also an attempt to compose music of less duration, by only using the material that's most meaningful. Movements 1 and 2 of Nail Gun are very simple and quickly composed works, created within the confines of relatively cheap "off-the-shelf" hardware (although the raw recordings were later subtly processed for "sweetening" purposes). Titled due to the use of what I naively thought was the thumb-piano program of a drum machine (thumb-pianos are made from nails), the program was later found in the manual to be called "Agogo-Gamelan", but I was already happy with the title by this stage. Both movements are constructed from pitch material chosen intuitively, minimalist in nature, and involved some degree of "real-time" performance control. Composed as an example demonstrating to my students the concept of dynamics, Dynamicality is an attempt at musical creativity with extreme restrictions of melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, and textural motion. Interest is hopefully achieved only through organised variation of dynamics. Collection 2► Harpsichordance Movement 1 (mp3, 8.32MB, 2003) ► Harpsichordance Movement 2 (mp3, 8.46MB, 2003) Movements 1 and 2 of Harpsichordance complement each other as studies of tempo variation, harmonic development and form, executed by sequencing MIDI data to control my own synthesis of a harpsichord. This synthesis was performed from absolute scratch; there are no recorded samples, so the sound of the harpsichord you hear has never been through a microphone or mixing desk, as it has never existed outside of the digital realm before reaching the digital to analogue conversion circuitry at the output of a computerís soundcard. As a consequence, it is a theoretically perfect or an "ideal" representation of a harpsichord, lacking many of the idiosyncratic qualities apparent in its acoustic guise, but gaining a new side to its character. In each sub-section of Movement 1, the value of the tempo rises and falls. The difference between the maximum and minimum tempo in each subsection increases as the piece approaches the middle main section, to the extent that the durational difference between sequential notes may be perceived as different rhythmic sub-divisions. In Movement 1, at the beginning of each sub-section, the pitch structures are symmetrical. Of course, by being symmetrical, thereís a central pitch to each structure. Therefore the work should not be considered as Atonal, although thereís little resemblance to conventional harmonic construction. Throughout each sub-section, the pitch material moves part by part. When the listenerís sense of interpretation has adjusted to the symmetrical structures, this gives the effect of harmonic anticipation near the beginning of each sub-section (from where a symmetrical structure initiates), and of harmonic suspension near the end of each sub-section (where a new symmetrical structure is approached). In Movement 2, the tempo of each of the two parts varies inversely, and is calculated such that each phrase within each sub-section begins and ends at the same point in time. This provides for the effect being given that the tempo of each part is actually varying independently of the other. The effect of rubato and imitation is also achieved through this method of tempo variation. The pitch structures, harmonic motion, and the basic processes by which tempo is varied, are similar to Movement 1, except in that theyíre practically reversed. Collection 3► Bell Balls (mp3, 5.48MB, 2001) ► Show Me a Sine (mp3, 5.62MB, 2003) ► Harpestry 1 (mp3, 8.77MB, 2001) ► Harpestry 2 (mp3, 5.24MB, 2003) Bell Balls was created using the sound of two Chinese "health-giving" balls. A recording of each ball was looped, and then layered at different pitches. The pitch, and as a consequence the "jingling" rate, of each layer is dynamically controlled throughout the piece. This produces an assortment of varied rhythmic and harmonic textures, interspersed by smooth transition sections. Loch represents a movement in sonic experimentation as a means of exploring the specific areas of tuning and texture in music. This is done through the use of creative synthesis: a source signal, generated by frequency modulation, is passed through a bank of bandpass filters, the centre frequency of each oscillating at a sub-audio rate (<20Hz). The bandwidth of each filter is such that only one component frequency (or partial) of the original source signal can pass through, resulting in each bandpass filter gliding back and forth across groups of sequential pitches. This constitutes the audible deconstruction of a single complex tone. As the modulation ratio of the original source signal is a whole number at only the beginning and ending of the piece, every other section of the piece is inharmonic, with the groups of sequential pitches naturally changing their tuning to reflect this. All sound, and hence all music, is essentially constructed from sine tones, but Show Me a Sine is more obviously constructed from sine tones. I chose to use a simple timbre (an enveloped sine tone) for the sonification of the melody and harmony of Show Me a Sine because no component frequencies occur with the event of each note. This means that nearly any tuning structure can be utilised effectively, without any thought given to the relationship between a note's fundamental pitch and its component frequencies (as there are no component frequencies). Inevitably, the effect of complex tones occur within Show Me a Sine anyway, as the result of polyphony. The introductory section of Show me a Sine implements the expansion of the melody and harmony towards a 16 pitch equal division of 3 octaves. The middle section expands and contracts the tuning between 16 pitch divisions of 1, 5, and 7 octaves. The final section contains more complex harmonic polyphony, gliding transposition, and rhythmic interest achieved through constantly varying the tempo across subdivisions of the beat. Created from my synthesis of a Troubadour Harp, Harpestry 1 is a study of melodic and rhythmic development, from a somewhat minimalist approach. Nearly two years separates the pieces Harpestry 1, and Harpestry 2, and there are significant stylistic differences, so I donít consider these pieces as a complementary pair, although the pitch material for each was developed at the same time. Considerable improvements were made to my troubadour harp synthesis for Harpestry 2; this synthesis is similar in nature to the one used in the Harpsichordance movements (Collection 2). Itís much more a study of gradual but constant textural change, than of melodic development. Composed just prior to Harpsichordance Movement 1, the effects of Harpestry 2 are somewhat similar, due to a common compositional approach, despite different processes and devices being used. Whatís not really noticeable (which doesnít matter, as it shouldnít be), but interesting, are the tempo differences between the two parts, necessary for the equality of the phrase durations, and hence for the textural changes to occur at consistent points in time. Collection 4► Rocket Launcher (mp3, 5.95MB, 1997) ► Sexamajig (mp3, 2.50MB, 1996) Rocket Launcher is designed to be performed on a Yamaha Diskclavier, which is a real piano that can be controlled by MIDI data streamed from a sequencing computer. Therefore, Rocket Launcher represents a means of realising electronically composed music on an acoustic instrument. Writing (and sequencing) music for the Yamaha Diskclavier allows the composer to creatively go far beyond the restrictive limitations of even the most virtuosic human performer. Rocket Launcher also represents a beginning of an exploration into this allowance. Sexamajig and Damo are experimental synthetic pieces. They were created for the purpose of showing how electronic music can be expressive. They were also created for the sake of exploring alternative methods of composition, such as putting the creative emphasis on timbral manipulation and rhythmic texture, rather than just melody and harmony. Collection 5► Study Number 1 (mp3, 1.32MB, 1997) ► Study Number 2a (mp3, 1.36MB, 1997) ► Study Number 2b (mp3, 1.38MB, 1997) ► Study Number 2c (mp3, 1.38MB, 1997) ► Study Number 2d (mp3, 1.38MB, 1997) Study Number 1, as referred to in my Honours Thesis of 1997 (1.07MB ZIP file), is a demonstration of the audible differences between "harmonic" timbres, and various kinds of "non-harmonic" timbres. A recurring rhythm changes gradually from timbre to timbre as it plays, all the while remaining on the same pitch. The other studies, also referred to in my Honours Thesis (1.07MB), are demonstrations of the effect of gradually changing tuning systems to accommodate gradually changing timbres, in order to maintain consonance throughout. Rhythmically and melodically, they are all the same piece of music, differing in that: • in 2a, there is no change in tuning system as the timbre changes. Collection 6► Dozen Matter, Movement 1 (mp3, 1.41MB, 1996) ► Dozen Matter, Movement 2 (mp3, 562KB, 1996) ► Dozen Matter, Movement 3 (mp3, 942KB, 1996) ► Unstable Ground (mp3, 1.43MB, 1996) These are all atonal, 12-tone pieces for the piano. They utilise the extent of conventional 12-tone theory, and are also designed to push the limit of virtuosic playing ability. Collection 7► Bacon Fumes (mp3, 1.46MB, 1994) ► Pig Swill (mp3, 2.76MB, 1996) Bacon Fumes was composed as an historic exercise, using traditional editing methods with 1/4 inch reel-to-reel tape machines. Although sounding equally as experimental, DUH was the first piece that I produced purely through the use of direct digital synthesis. Pig Swill is improvised by a computer, under conditions specified through an object oriented programming language named Max. It is intended to sound like a free improvisation occurring between a bass guitar and a drum kit, in the location of a barn on a farm. Only the form of the piece has been completely predetermined. Collection 8► ESX Trombones (mp3, 1.9MB, 2008) ► RT123 Funk (mp3, 3.1MB, 2006) ► Buying versus Renting (mp3, 2.29MB, 2004) ► More or Less (mp3, 1.53MB, 2002) Subjectively the composition of Sprong allowed the exploration of some downloaded VST plug-ins, the timbral capabilities of my keyboard synth, a symmetrical (symmetric?) scale and the idea of a rhythmic pattern that's as complex as possible within the limit of being accessible from the perspective of conventional/popular music. Nothing particularly special (but it's okay, I guess; too bassy perhaps, with little variation of rhythm, harmony or melody, but avoiding being boring by being short). Constructed quickly, mostly for the purpose of checking that my studio equipment still operates properly (as I don't get the chance to use it with much regularity anymore). ESX Trombones demonstrates my mediocre ability as an instrumentalist (on the trombone). All the sounds, including the percussive ones, have originally come from my trombone. The work was constructed with a Korg ESX "Music Production Sampler", which is basically a drum machine with sampling and processing functions. These machines are designed to be used by techno producers, and allow the creation of music to be a very efficient, easy and fun experience. I made this piece to learn how to use the machine in order to teach others. It's rough around the edges, but serves its purpose. RT123 Funk was initially created using a Zoom RT123 "Rhythm Track" drum machine. I hadn't uploaded it before because I wasn't happy with the mix and couldn't fix it (due to the RT123's limitations). I liked the groove a lot though, so ran it through some compression, EQ and stereo spread. I could have gone "the whole hog" and filled some of the space with keyboard parts, but I also wanted to retain the value of the work having been produced almost completely with only a small and relatively cheap device. Buying versus Renting was composed as an exercise for my students. Individual tracks were recorded, and then presented to students to be mixed-down (equalized, compressed if necessary, routed through effects according to taste, and relative levels adjusted). More recently I completed my own version of a mix, to be used as an example. Other mixes may, of course, eventuate to sound completely different. It's titled Buying versus Renting because at the time of composition I was considering buying a home. More or Less was originally written as the instrumental accompaniment to the melody and lyric of someone else. The melody and lyric do not appear here (due to stylistic disagreement and copyright), which accounts for the somewhat sparse texture, odd phrasing, and chord progression. The purpose of the piece as a whole was to contribute to a communally written and performed musical production. Often, people seem to be competitive, and try to show-off or outdo everyone else when communal creative activities occur, which severely detracts from the ìbig pictureî with regards to constructing a coherent artwork worthy of recognition. The melody and lyric with which I was provided were intended to be in the style of a Classical Aria. I chose to mock this, and the approaches of my colleagues, by composing a Hard Rock, ìStick it to the manî, accompaniment, consisting of little more than power-chords in unison with a bass line, and consistent and strongly accentuated rhythms. Collection 9► In Training (mp3, 1.75MB, 1999) ► A Big Future in Small Goods (mp3, 3.43MB, 1998) ► Bodyworld (mp3, 1.77MB, 2004) This was created mainly in order to be accessible from most levels of musical appreciation, and for the purpose of demonstrating my skills as a synthesist. All sounds have been synthesised by myself; most of them from absolute scratch. In Training was originally created as the soundtrack for a short film, and has since been "touched up" to make it more interesting as a piece of music on its own. The sound textures are derived from an impressionistic interpretation of recordings made on location around railway lines. A Pink Floyd / Peter Gabriel inspiration, A Big Future in Small Goods was originally intended to accompany a slide show comprising pictures of internal organs. The heart beat that can be heard here is a recording of my own. Sonar is an exercise in using a stereo delay as an echo generator, for the purpose of rhythmic texture. It also represents an effort to fuse "ambient" and "trance" styles, and makes use of some basic sounds that I intend to use more in the future. Body World is the soundtrack to the short film / media installation piece of the same title, by Linda Tegg (known also for her photography). The location for the video is in the female change-rooms of two public swimming pools. The video contains scenes depicting the attitudes of variously shaped women to their own, and each other's, naked bodies. The narrative climaxes with a young girl being trapped and squeezed between the ample and sagging bodies of two older women. The video was originally intended to be silent, so there was no dialogue or sound effects around which the music was required to fit. This allowed me to construct the music from a collage of sounds that I recorded in my own bathroom, which enabled me to support the narrative and location with a reasonably specific and literal interpretation. Some sounds have been pitch shifted, enveloped, and slightly filtered to make them more musically useful. Sonically, this was a fun and interesting project to do, as it led me to use sounds that I otherwise never considered. I'm hoping for a sequel to be made, so I can use all the sounds that wouldn't fit into the final mix! Collection 10► Salvage 1 (mp3, 2.27MB, 1998) ► Salvage 2 (mp3, 1.57MB, 1998) ► Obscenity Music (mp3, 1.52MB, 2001) Salvage 1 and Salvage 2 are demonstrations of how much can be done by editing. I made a multitrack recording of a band playing their best song, but the band broke up before the mixdown was complete. Not wanting to waste the session, I cut the tracks into riffs, the riffs into beats, and the beats into sub-divisions of beats, and then shuffled these sub-divisions around so as create new beats and riffs, from which I was able to assemble two new pieces of music; neither of which is recognisable as the song that was originally recorded. These Salvage pieces are intended to give the listener the impression that they are hearing a live band jamming in a rehearsal room. Obscenity Music is in no way intended to actually be obscene, and is unlikely to have an obscene effect. The title is merely a play on words of the original working title, which was no longer unsuitable by the time the work was complete. It was initially intended as a series of disconnected 2 bar loops to accompany pages from a website (now defunct). I came across the old files and felt they contained some neat, clean and tight grooves, so I sequenced them together and polished up the audio quality to create a final product. SCP stands for "Single Cycle Pop", which I thought was a silly title and henceforth abbreviated it. Another older work finished more recently with a lot of audio sweetening (it was originally recorded on hardware with poor high frequency response). Years ago, for the purpose of establishing complete copyright ownership of my efforts, when I was creating backing tracks for singer/songwriters I was very careful to reharmonise the songs and not include the songwriter's melodic material in my arrangements. This is one of those backing tracks; an absence of strong melodic material is probably quite noticeable, but I think this functions alright on its own as an "instrumental" work. All of the synth sounds in this work are actually single cycle waveforms sampled from the vocalist, which were then looped, tuned and processed. Collection 11► Searching for an Answer (mp3, 266KB, 1998) ► 8 seconds of DUH (mp3, 128KB, 1995) ► 15 seconds of DUH (mp3, 200KB, 1995) Searching for an Answer was originally produced as my answering machine message. 8 seconds of DUH was originally produced as source material for demolition in the piece DUH (Collection 7). 15 seconds of DUH is the piece that's dissected in DUH. Collection 12► Hard as a Rock (mp3, 732KB, 1998) ► Short Fusion (mp3, 868KB, 1998) ► Dictatorship (mp3, 738KB, 1998) ► Testiconda (mp3, 536KB, 1998) ► Music to the Clap (mp3, 940KB, 1998) The intention of these 5 pieces is merely to demonstrate my ability to compose and produce music in a range of popular and conventional styles. Collection 13► In the Beginning (mp3, 548KB, 1993) ► Take the Plunge (mp3, 724KB, 1993) ► Schizo Scherzo (mp3, 948KB, 1993) ► Walk as Fast as You Can... (mp3, 2.81MB, 1993) These are my first efforts at realising my compositions through the use of a well featured electronic music studio. Russell Oxley, saxrox@hotmail.com, plays the tenor saxophone in Take the Plunge. Collection 14► Indecision (mp3, 138KB, 1994) ► Rotting Meat (mp3, 346KB, 1994) ► A Very Clever Elephant (mp3, 564KB, 1994) These are atonal and semi-tonal piano pieces composed during my first year of university. They were only ever recorded to cassette, and have not been properly mastered. Collection 15► You Don't Know What I'm Thinking (mp3, 1.25MB, 1993) ► Stupidity (mp3, 1.47MB, 1993) ► Learning (mp3, 1.41MB, 1996) The works in this collection were only ever recorded to cassette, and have not been properly mastered. You Don't Know What I'm Thinking and Stupidity were created with only the on-board sequencer of a lone multi-timbral keyboard synthesizer. Physix was composed for the purpose of demonstrating a particular piece of MIDI sequencing software, but with the same multi-timbral keyboard synthesizer. These three pieces are examples of inspiration by Frank Zappa's Synclavier work from the mid-1980s. Learning was produced purely as a method of learning to use new sequencing software. © 2000 - 2012, Nicholas Hender / Terasonic, ABN 55 077 342 706. |
