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Ambient/Post-Rock/Textural bass playing thread

#22,021
steubig said:
i’m interested in this quote.

you highlight his “facility,” but say his time and execution are lacking. to me that gets directly to facility.
Click to expand...

By "facility" I meant: He Can Move His Fingers Fast & Still Hit The Notes He Was Aiming For.
i.e., it's purely the physical action of "execution" that he seemed adept at.

When I said his "execution doesn't always match the aspiration" I was referring to the musical execution, the intrinsic components of a composition or recording that are separate from the physical actions required to perform them. E.g., I think his Renaissance Man album contains a few strong thematic motifs that could have been developed into compelling pieces of music ...but they are hampered by his imprecise time, his thin doinky tone, and his seemingly remedial understanding of how to be true to the Harmolodic concept while still allowing a composition to develop (rather than just be a litany of motifs pushed around chromatically).
 
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#22,023
monsterthompson said:
I feel attacked.

Click to expand...

Often for me the sound design is the music. I feel like most of the time I'm trying to just come up with sounds I want to listen to, with melody/chords/rhythm taking a backseat or just serving as the framework for the sounds themselves.

(And yeah I know that video really shouldn't be taken so seriously. But it touches on some things I've been thinking about recently, including whether I can even call myself a "musician.")
 
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#22,024
Bob_Ross said:
By "facility" I meant: He Can Move His Fingers Fast & Still Hit The Notes He Was Aiming For.
i.e., it's purely the physical action of "execution" that he seemed adept at.

When I said his "execution doesn't always match the aspiration" I was referring to the musical execution, the intrinsic components of a composition or recording that are separate from the physical actions required to perform them. E.g., I think his Renaissance Man album contains a few strong thematic motifs that could have been developed into compelling pieces of music ...but they are hampered by his imprecise time, his thin doinky tone, and his seemingly remedial understanding of how to be true to the Harmolodic concept while still allowing a composition to develop (rather than just be a litany of motifs pushed around chromatically).
Click to expand...

got it. thanks for the clarification.

still, fast but bad time is not good facility to me, but that’s my problem.
 
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#22,026
lucas303 said:
Often for me the sound design is the music. I feel like most of the time I'm trying to just come up with sounds I want to listen to, with melody/chords/rhythm taking a backseat or just serving as the framework for the sounds themselves.

(And yeah I know that video really shouldn't be taken so seriously. But it touches on some things I've been thinking about recently, including whether I can even call myself a "musician.")
Click to expand...

music adjacent. ;)

i think the 20th and and 21st centuries (and possibly before) have taught us that timbre is a (*the* for some folks) critical part of music.

harmony can create overtone rubs that are more timbre than they are “normal chords.” works for me.

now organizing that into something that works for *you* (or the hypothetical listener) is all whole other thing.
 
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#22,028
Yep I agree with that…
I mean that IS why we are all in the effects forum yes? :)

Ages ago I was all about the using the effects to do stuff as just playing notes seemed “boring”. (Mostly listening to top 40 on radio, hard rock and thrash) After expanding my music categories and looking at electronic music from time to time obviously this doesn’t take effect so much but I still lust for the sounds.
 
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#22,029
I am all about timbres. But obviously if I’m writing a traditional song maybe that’s not the time for timbre

lucas303 said:
So how in the world is anyone getting a "physical experience" from these magical "tones well below the range of human hearing"?? I'm calling BS, and it immediately puts me off to this artist.
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No offence taken at all. One of the great things about this thread is people are cool liking different things. I’m with you on the hype around artists. Everyone needs publicity blurb but pick up an issue of The Wire, go to the back and hear about “delicate textures” “improvisation” and field recordings, and it tells me nothing.

On the records, I don’t hear anything below 20hz. But from reading about him, apparently at shows there were subwoofers that did go lower, and so audiences couple feel it. Would I enjoy a couple 16hz sine waves beating against each other as part of an electronic music show? Probably. Do I think the silences on the records are pointless? Yes I do.

But I like the parts of the music I can hear.
 
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#22,030
JES said:
I am all about timbres. But obviously if I’m writing a traditional song maybe that’s not the time for timbre



No offence taken at all. One of the great things about this thread is people are cool liking different things. I’m with you on the hype around artists. Everyone needs publicity blurb but pick up an issue of The Wire, go to the back and hear about “delicate textures” “improvisation” and field recordings, and it tells me nothing.

On the records, I don’t hear anything below 20hz. But from reading about him, apparently at shows there were subwoofers that did go lower, and so audiences couple feel it. Would I enjoy a couple 16hz sine waves beating against each other as part of an electronic music show? Probably. Do I think the silences on the records are pointless? Yes I do.

But I like the parts of the music I can hear.
Click to expand...

to be fair most “metal core” bands I listen to everyone is way down tuned these days. I can’t remember what the guitars are at but the bass is usually a fifth or an octave below the usual low B. So realistically all you are hearing is 90% of the overtones / distortion and it sounds powerful on the album but I imagine live at a gig you would get a punch to the chest?
 
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#22,031
theunknowndude said:
to be fair most “metal core” bands I listen to everyone is way down tuned these days. I can’t remember what the guitars are at but the bass is usually a fifth or an octave below the usual low B. So realistically all you are hearing is 90% of the overtones / distortion and it sounds powerful on the album but I imagine live at a gig you would get a punch to the chest?
Click to expand...
 
#22,033
steubig said:
the volume needed to do that can be really unpleasant.

i saw a gig (or was on a double bill?) where something (either by famous female composer or inspired her) with super low notes was played. i liked the feeling, but ears were in danger—especially when the high end kicked in.
Click to expand...
Yeah I hear you…
It’s what ear plugs are for… but that still doesn’t stop the sucker punch of sub low bass feeling like it’s going to make your heart stop beating properly. Only real time I had that bad was when tool played a small enclosed arena and I was right up the front on the rails. Felt like I was going to be sick from the bass and kick drums… was kinda cool but kinda not!
(Saw northlane a few times in even smaller areas but stuck right to the back hah :) )
 
#22,034
Yeah, it really depends on the situation. I found the bass at a Mutek venue a few years back kind of oppressive. The whole vibe was "you go see live electronic music for the sound quality" but it didn't sound as good as my living room.

Today I did my first experiment with the piano. I can barely play, but I know enough music theory to sort of lead my fingers. I really need a few lessons, and a few of the keys rattle. BUT it is really cool to put the iPad on the stand for sheet music, load up AUM and a few granular plugins, and then improvise.

 
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#22,035
Yet another track made using the Volca Bass. The video clips for this were shot probably a year ago and the music recorded not too long after, probably Nov or Dec 2021, For some reason I never uploaded it, and I also don't remember the details of what effects and how many overdubs were used. It's possible the delay/reverb was all from the Korg SR-1 recorder's built-in effects, but equally possible I used a Boss DD-7 delay, I just don't remember. I still have the main sequence programmed into my Volca Bass, which is what reminded me to revisit this track.

 
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