I did miss a portion of class this week, being most of Thursday and all of Friday, both due to jazz, but what I did try to work on this week was music. Music was the main component that convinced to continue on my e-Communication journey, so I look forward to whenever I able to indulge in it. I hope by the end of the school year I can have an EP or album completed, as well as the long-awaited mixtape Senioritis 2.
Usually when I start worked on a song I do not set out with a predetermined goal; instead, I usually experiment with different sounds until I find a direction I want to go with them. This time, however, I knew I wanted a pop-sounding song, and that I would take it as a solo song or give it to someone else as a producer. So far, what I have is sounding more 80s than I expected, but still sounds solid and somewhat modern thanks to Logic drum loops (I will probably reprogram drums soon, but I like to put that off). Both synths besides the bass are presets that I tweaked in a VST called Dexed, which is supposed to replicate the Yamaha DX7, a classic 80s synth. I added some reverb to the lead and to the keys I added warp and wear effects to make it sound more worn out and detuned, as if being played on an old record. Right now there is not much structure as I was mainly ironing out some kinks in the mixing, but it sounds very lively and funky. I am planning to add more depth to the song, possibly by automating some filters, adding more sound effects, and woodshedding the songwriting with more chords, variability, and movement.
For most of all of this week, I mostly split my class time doing two things: either working on the lip dub by preparing audio edits and participating in planning the filming, and finishing up on watching the second season of Stranger Things (because I got behind and spoilers were shutting me off from many conversations.) However, when watching I wasn't just focusing on the story but the music that evolves with it.
One of the main reasons I fell in love with the first season was the soundtrack. Being a huge synth junkie, having a cool, mainstream TV use a score composed entirely with retro synthesizers made me geek out. All of the synthesizers used in the soundtrack are from the 70s or 80s, using in particular an ARP Odyssey, KORG Mono/Poly, and a Roland SH-101. Many of the components of the synths they use together, such as signaling other synths into the ARP Odyssey filter or syncing all of the arpeggiators with the SH-101. Arpeggiation, which is a repeated sequence of notes, plays a large role in their compositions, especially in the main theme where it is the center piece. Delay is also heavily used in S U R V I V E's work, whenever they want to create more atmosphere or darkness. LFOs, which modulate the sound and give it shape, are used to give notes more texture than normal, such as the track Kids. Listening to the soundtrack is my favorite part of watching Stranger Things not just because of the synths, but how they play into the overall show.
The use of synths is not just a callback to the 80s, but a reach into another reality. A score with typical strings or brass instruments convey a sense of normalcy and reality, which is not the tone the show embodies. So, instead, the synths invoke both nostalgia in a way that recalls the feeling synths gave at that time: a sense of future and unfamiliarity. When the Demogorgon is shown, the music turns grizzly and alien. When a moment is quiet and intense, the pads swell and the lead is a thin squeal. In the Upside Down, the detuner is turned up, giving an edge of dissonance and unwelcomeness. These tones would not be possible with traditional instruments. A symphony of synthesizers gives Stranger Things a strong identity, and is a welcome change in the film world (I for one welcome our new synth overlords).
The album begins with a loud rattling, which segues into a chanting choir. The choir was sampled from a commissioned film piece by an amateur Japanese choir comprised of people from many backgrounds. This unity of people backs up Noah Lennox/Panda Bear's lead vocals in "Comfy in Nautica". Lennox sings of living life and making music how you want to do it, emphasized with his chorus line "Try to remember always/Always to have a good time". The track perfectly presents the album's sampling nature and the themes of living life and dealing with the situations it presents you.
The next track, "Take Pills", starts off with what sounds like multiples skateboards rolling around, giving a sense of traffic and moving. The track is split into two sections, the first being a downtempo, guitar-sprinkled ode to his mother, describing the difficulties she had gone through since Lennox's father passed away (All her children left the house and left her all alone/But like she'd tell me it gets better). The second-half pick ups the tempo, leading the previously muffled vocals into a Beach Boys-esque sing-a-long about the concerns of a reliance on anti-depressants (I don't want for us to take pills anymore/Not that it's bad; Because we're stronger and we don't need them).
"Bros", a twelve-minute song, chronicles Lennox's feelings over his brother following the death of their father. It begins with an owl hooting, which proceeds into a tumbling sample overlaid with demands for more distance. "I'm not trying to forget you/I just like to be alone" states Lennox, as he pleads with his brother that too much attachment is ruining their relationship, and that he doesn't want to abandon his brother but lead separate lives. Lennox's self-assertion grows as the song's layers grow more complex, which leads into the second part of the song, where samples switch and his vocals are more distorted with added delay. Lennox accuses his brother of hypocrisy, but ultimately states that he will always love him. The sound of fireworks exploding echoes as it fades out, a satisfying end for a rollercoaster of brotherhood.
"I'm Not" involves a ghostly, chopped-up sample of a Gothic choir, sounding almost like a baby crying. The theme of this song is about the uncertainties of becoming a parent and the terrifying transition from childhood to adulthood. Lennox makes the point that while he isn't ready to take on this challenge, no one is ever ready for parenthood. Life can be uncertain, and all we can do is take it head on. As a breather track, it encapsulates the themes of this album.
"Good Girl/Carrots" is a two-parter, with the first being a chaotic reflection over his partner and how she is a perfect fit for him. Accompanied by a sample of Indian folk music, there are samples of yells and bleeps and what seems like pouring sand. All of this reflects that idea that while he loves her, his love is not focused but wild, unsure but exhilarating. This transitions into the lighter "Carrots", the most accessible part of the album. Led by the catchy melodies of Lennox's vocals, he sings about the rise of pretension in his fanbase. He rants about those who use his music as a one-up, only listening to brag to their friends that they're cultured because they listen to Panda Bear and Animal Collective, saying "It's so lame that you could take my feelings/And make yourself feel like you're better than anyone else who hasn't heard." As the bouncy groove changes to a wave of air, similar to wind chimes, Lennox advises to "Take a risk for yourself and wade into the deep end of the ocean." The lyrics give a well-intentioned message and let you laugh in a fun song.
"Search for Delicious" is the peak of the album's theme of uncertainty, a five-minute ambient track that swells with time-shifted delay vocals and a bubbling bass-line similar to the sounds of a whale, all cloaked with unintelligible radio chatter. The search is portrayed as a dive into an endless sea, swimming in the dark to an unknown shore. The combination of uncertainty and yet the willingness to venture forwards reveals the message that the record has hinted at throughout.
The album closes with "Ponytail", a two-minute guitar-driven track about continuing to grow. In contrast to the rest of the album, the song has a simplistic structure and instrumentation, only having Lennox's vocals and a guitar, symbolizing an optimistic and harmonized path towards a better life. Lennox sings about his soul growing, and he "never will stop caring". Although life can be a mess of consequential moments, it is a journey that is worth undertaking.
