Prologue/ The Burial of the Dead

Movement/track 1 of my new, MeFiMusic Challenge-inspired concept piece/album based upon The Wasteland.

Yes, when I say mixing bowls, I mean the ones from my kitchen, held up and struck with a timpani mallet. That's what the low, bell-like sounds are.

INSTRUMENTATION:
Timbill Corder (me) - Whamola, Theremin, Mixing Bowl, Sung Vocals (German and French lines), Composer, Arranger, Engineer, Producer
Trey Beauregard - Mixing Bowls, Cymbals (Bowed and struck), Section II Narrator Cameo ("Those are the pearls...")
Kerry Folsom - Mixing Bowls, Cymbals (Bowed and struck), Gong (Bowed and struck), Miscellaneous Percussion
Tommy Scheurich - Prologue Narrator ("Nam Sybillam...")
Jason Seitz - Section I Male Narrator/The Archduke ("April is the cruelest month...")
Dani Miller - Section I Female Narrator/Marie ("And when we were children...")
Shawn Garmon - Madame Sosostris

Just a couple of quick program notes, then I'll try to get out of the way.

While the recordings and album feature, among others, all active members of Demons of Gyrophonia, this is not set to be released as a Gyrophonia album. It is my own composition, and wasn't ever really planned to be a Gyrophonic effort. While there are many others involved, this is a very personal work. The approach has also been very different, in many ways, from our group releases.

It included a cast (7 speakers and 3 instrumentalists), and was recorded at 6 different locations (none of which were the Rotatable Tremulant Studio). The instrumental and sung sections, while still fully improvised, were tracked, rather than performed and recorded as a series of live group improvisations. The instrumentation for each track would, in fact, be impossible for us to accomplish live, as each movement involves someone performing at least double duty, if not more.

So, with all of this in mind, with all of the engineering, composition, arrangement, and production being done on my end, as well as the very different feel in the methods and resultant material, I will be publishing this as my first solo album.

There's more behind why I decided to do this--a much more personal reason--beyond "there was a challenge, and I decided to overdo it," but there's already more text here than most people are going to bother reading.

• play
• pause
• min volume
• max volume

posted by askmeaboutLOOM (7 comments total)

Oh, I forgot to mention, the theremin loop at the end is supposed to overlap into the beginning of Section II. It'll be absent from the post here, but will be present when the whole thing goes on Bandcamp, inevitably.
posted by askmeaboutLOOM at 10:46 PM on April 29, 2012

This is very cool. And good. And wise. *slow clap*

Can't wait to hear more. Will there be a pressing, or maybe a bandcamp release?
posted by Doleful Creature at 11:08 PM on April 29, 2012

There will certainly be a Bandcamp release, and I'd like to do at least a limited physical pressing, though it's never terribly practical. The final tally for the album/piece is 6 tracks, at around 45 minutes (including an interlude after section II, called Death by Waterphone). I'm planning to post everything here, too. I have the mix finished on all but Sections II and V. They should be finished tomorrow, or Tuesday at the very latest. Hopefully tomorrow.

I'm glad you enjoyed this one! Each track is quite a bit different from every other one, so keep an eye out for the others.
posted by askmeaboutLOOM at 11:29 PM on April 29, 2012

those mixing bowls sound pretty good: I keep thinking I should record mine, every time I'm washing dishes and accidentally bump one. Thanks for the reminder.

What's the looped bit that sounds like strings?
posted by dubold at 4:05 AM on April 30, 2012

We discovered the bowls by way of preparing for a concert with an improv group, with whom man vs sun and I used to play, and with whom we recently performed a concert, consisting of sounds of the kitchen. I also use wine glasses (well, technically iced tea goblets, but they're functionally the same) in the second section.

As far as the watery, string-like bit, it's actually my a loop I made using my theremin.
posted by askmeaboutLOOM at 6:54 AM on April 30, 2012

A great way to open. The shivery strings as it fades out open the door nicely for the next peice.
posted by marienbad at 6:03 PM on May 6, 2012

The full album is now up for purchase/streaming on Bandcamp.

If anyone would like a physical copy, I'm doing a limited pressing (one for everyone involved, and can make extras for anyone who wants one). So far, there are only about 8 physical discs/booklets planned, but more can certainly be made. Enjoy!
posted by askmeaboutLOOM at 12:29 AM on May 14, 2012