[Ardour-Users] [Music] A couple of prog rock pieces

[Q]

Mark Knecht wrote:
> On Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 4:58 PM, Q <lists at quirq.ukfsn.org> wrote:
>> Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends...
>>
>> This is my first post to the list, I believe, so not really a case of
>> "welcome back", but I couldn't resist. Anyway, hello to everyone and a big
>> hello thank you to any Ardour devs who might be watching!
>>
>> I've just completed a small segment of a piece and I thought I'd share that,
>> plus a larger segment of another piece, which I completed in October last
>> year.
>>
>>
>> The new track is instrumental symphonic prog and just the first section of a
>> longer piece -- this bit is finished and I know very vaguely where it's
>> going next but haven't got around to writing and recording it yet (I work
>> very slowly). It's an old idea from about 12 years ago, which I've finally
>> got around to developing and doing something with.
>>
>> I've been giving Ardour and my PC some abuse with it -- when I totted up
>> late last night I counted 50 active tracks and 28 busses. Even my mixing
>> goes in for prog rock excess! :-P
>>
>> A couple of months ago I finally got around to building Ardour myself -- I
>> think the first time I've compiled anything -- and I have to say it wasn't
>> as scary as I thought it might be! Consequently, these days I use a mixture
>> of LADSPA and LV2 plugins for mixing: the EQ10Q and Invada and Calf
>> compressors have been invaluable for this project.
>>
>> Anyway, I give you the short, and hopefully sweet, Beyond Triple Point (part
>> 1):
>>
>> FLAC (14.6 MB):
>> www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Beyond-Triple-Point_Part1_16-03-10.flac
>>
>> OGG-10 (7.4 MB):
>> www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Beyond-Triple-Point_Part1_16-03-10.ogg
>>
>> MP3 (6.2 MB):
>> www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Beyond-Triple-Point_Part1_16-03-10.mp3
>>
>>
>> The second piece is one I finished in October last year and posted on the
>> Linux Audio User list -- I hadn't subscribed to this list back then.
>>
>> It's four completed sections of what will, hopefully, be a much longer
>> piece. Again, what's presented is finished, give or take a few tweaks here
>> and there when I finally get around to revisiting it, and I have some vague
>> ideas of where it's going next.
>>
>> Again, it's instrumental symphonic progressive rock, but inspired in style
>> to a fair degree by some of my favourite bands, certain moody Scandinavian
>> groups of the past couple of decades.
>>
>> It was tracked in three separate Ardour sessions, bounced down and
>> composited in a fourth. At the time I was only using LADSPA plugins for
>> mixing.
>>
>> It's called Lovatnet (parts 1-4). Caution: it starts off very quietly but
>> gets a fair bit louder in places:
>>
>> FLAC (22.7 MB):
>> www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Lovatnet_pts_1-4_mixdown_26-10-09.flac
>>
>> OGG-7 (6.6 MB):
>> www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Lovatnet_pts_1-4_mixdown_26-10-09_ogg7.ogg
>>
>> MP3 (7.2 MB)
>> www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Lovatnet_pts_1-4_mixdown_26-10-09.mp3
>>
>>
>> Both tracks are just mixed down, no post-processing/mastering, so not
>> incredibly polished. But I hope you might possibly enjoy them nevertheless.
>>
>> Q
> 
> Hi Q,
>    It's sort of wonderful when I'm going through old emails and find
> one with music I meant to listen to, never did, and I suspect missed
> others attention as I see no responses. (At least in my email archives
> - maybe I missed them somehow.) None the less I finally listened this
> morning and quite enjoyed them. They've both got a fairly cool, late
> '60's, early '70's vibe to them. Little bits of influences coming
> through. Very listenable and fun.
> 
>    Well worth a listen for other Ardour users out there who might have
> missed them as I did.
> 
>    And very sorry for such a tardy reply!
> 
> Cheers,
> Mark
> 
Hi Mark

I think there's a lot of truth in the saying "better late than never", 
especially when it's praise from you -- thanks for listening and commenting.

No, you've not missed any responses, I didn't get any here on AU. Mind 
you, there's a fair degree of overlap with LAU and Lovatnet drew a lot 
of comment there when I posted it last October, including from you. 
Beyond Triple Point drew a few comments on LAU, but not many.

As for influences, the immediate ones for Lovatnet were from more recent 
Scandinavian bands like Änglagård, Sinkadus, White Willow and Wobbler, 
hence the Norwegian place-name for a title. They ultimately all draw 
their influences from the golden age of prog in the early 70s and in 
some cases tried for the sound as well, rather than a contemporaneous one.

I'm glad I've managed to capture a little bit of the vibe for the 
relevant era. Whilst I listen to a lot of newer prog, I'm not a big fan 
of the ultra-shiny modern production style that some bands go for; to my 
ears 70s production just sounds right and "natural" or "neutral". Mind 
you, I'm not sure I'd be able to do modern and shiny even if I tried :-)

With Beyond Triple Point I have no idea what I might have been listening 
to, or been influenced by, when the initial ideas formed about 12 years 
ago. Probably lots of Floyd and maybe a bit of Crimson and Genesis; my 
CD collection has expanded a lot since then. When it came to developing 
it properly over Christmas and early this year, I had specific bits of 
pieces in mind for the approach to certain parts, even the ones already 
written: recent Camel and classic Crimson for the electric guitar, 
probably mainly Bruford's work on KC's Starless for the drums, ripping 
off a Genesis riff in a Mellotron part, even Dire Straits for the 
Hammond! and I was getting nowhere with the beginning until I heard some 
Philip Glass on the radio, quite by chance.

It'd be fun to know what influences you heard in both pieces.

By the way, there is a newer version of BTP up, that I neglected to 
update this list with. The mix is very slightly different near the end, 
but the main change is that I succumbed to GAS, bought a classical 
guitar and re-recorded the opening guitar part -- it's now exactly the 
effect I was going for:

www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Beyond-Triple-Point_Part1_04-04-10.flac
www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Beyond-Triple-Point_Part1_04-04-10.ogg
www.quirq.ukfsn.org/Quirq_Beyond-Triple-Point_Part1_04-04-10.mp3

Once again, many thanks for listening and commenting! I really must pull 
my finger out and try to make some progress with the rest of both pieces...

Cheers

Q