blair’s blógado gigante

It’s been quite a while since I blogged…and did the final master of “Keeping The Peace”.  I thought now might be a good time to break the track down and talk about the elements, techniques, and instruments that went into completing this track.

You can hear the original track and the reprise redux on this blog.

I narrate this audio breakdown, as usual. It is on the long side — around 25 minutes.  However, despite the length, I think the music nerds among you will appreciate the “under the hood” peek at the song.  Enjoy!

Dissecting 'Keeping The Peace' [ 26:09 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Oh, hi!  It’s been a terribly long time since I shared any music.  This is a new piece I’m working on that takes on the usual ominous/industrial/haunting vocals sound.  I didn’t want’t to post the preview until I had a chance to properly master it on good studio monitors.  (I had previously been working with headphones, and honestly I did pretty well considering how hard it normally is to work on music with headphones for long periods of time.)

The track, bus, and pre-dub counts are starting to add up, but using Audition 3.0.1 on a quad core with 24 GB of RAM doesn’t slow it down, even with heavy use of effects and VST/DirectX plug-ins.

The next pass will be strings…that is to say, I will be adding some incidental strings along with a solo.  I will probably go with the baritone violin, since I need something edgy and harsh to punch through.  The fog of war (“density”) of this track is already starting to get into the 90th percentile.

Let me know what you think.

Once this track is finished, I will post it in its entirety, along with a podcast of me walking you through how it came to be, and “breaking down” what individual elements have gone into making the final product.

Blair Trosper (ASCAP) - Mere Exposure (Preview) [ 2:34 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

A new track that’s just come off the mastering rack.  Careful, it’s hot like fries from Whataburger at 3 in the morning!

Blair Trosper (ASCAP) - The Oracle Speaks [ 3:10 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If you’ve never read about Hajj, you will no doubt find it interesting and worth your respect, regardless on your feelings of religion in general.  Here’s a cue to go with the trek that people make at least once in their lives — often at the expense of their own life.

Blair Trosper (ASCAP) - The Hajj [ 3:21 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Rolling out lots of masters in the next week.  First up is a piece from 2007 that never got the proper master treatment.  Now, it’s finished.  Enjoy!

Blair Trosper (ASCAP) - The AscentR [ 1:43 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

There were many questions about the original piece “Keeping the Peace”, specifically about the strings and Duduk.  I had more than a few people casually wonder or ask what they sounded like in more isolation.  That is, to say, a bit more prominent.

With that in mind, I began to just…”tinker” is the technical term, I think…and began to do a “backdoor” remix.  You might say I arranged the ending slightly for a reprise, bringing out the strings and the solos (both vocal and woodwind).

So, without further ado, here’s a shorter reprise of the main piece.  Enjoy!

Blair Trosper (ASCAP) - Keeping The Peace (Reprise) [ 2:26 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I’m glad to be done with this one.  I originally started it in October of 2008, and could never quite get the “mix” right.

B Duduk (Center)

I’ve come to learn that Eastern instruments tend to occupy the same sonic range, so when you begin to mix and match them, the mix and master can become total “mush”.  So, it wasn’t until tonight that I had patience in a mastering role to clean up some of the mess.

As with previous posts, a lot of this is inspired on the images, stories, and videos I got from friends in Iraq.  The solo instrument that you may not recognize is the Duduk.  It’s an Armenian instrument, and I employ it in music frequently.  However, unlike all my other tracks, this is a B Duduk, with a slightly more harsh and breathy sound.  I thought it could go head-to-head with the violin solo better.

The percussion consists of many layers, but the one that will likely stick out the most is the tabla ensemble, which has been run through…I can’t even remember what stack of filters…to give it that sharp, electronic sound.  Likewise, all the guitars have been run through many, many iterations of Guitar Rig to get that “distressed” sound that seems to fit in well with the overall vibe of Eastern music.

Enjoy.

Blair Trosper (ASCAP) - Keeping The Peace [ 6:04 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download