Moby's Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad Flashcards
What album does this song come from?
Play
When was this song released?
1999
Describe the samples and melody in this song
The songs based on two samples taken from a recording made in 1953 of a gospel choir singing king Jesus will roll all burdens away. Sample A is sung by a make singer and is used for the verses. Sample B is sung by a female singer and is used in the chorus. Both samples have been manipulated to change the meaning of the words. They have a vintage feel cuz moby hasn’t cleaned up the surface noise on the recording. These samples are looped to create the melody which is simple and repetitive.
Describe the structure of this song
The song is base in a verse chorus structure. The samples are looped to create verses and choruses. After the second verse there’s a breakdown-one bar silence.
Describe the texture of this song
The texture is built up as individual tracks are introduced one by one: A1-piano only, A2- voice enters, A3 - drums enter, plus a string-synth countermelody, A4- bass enters, plus held string- synth chords, A5- syncopated piano chords introduced. After the breakdown, texture becomes thinner as piano and drums drop out for Bx2 and re enter for the next 8 bars then drop out again until the end.
How are contrasts in the texture provided?
Varying instrumentation for each 8 bar section. The use if silence. Sections with just static chords for accompaniment.
Describe the tempo and metre of this song
The songs in 4/4 with a steady tempo of 98 bpm.
Describe the use of rhythm in this song
The drum loop is made to if a breakbeat(drum solo) samples from a hip hop track. The bass drum plays on beats 1 and 3 while there are strong accents on the backbeats (2&4) from the snare drum. Repeated semi quavers are played on the shaker. Syncopation is used in the piano, vocal and synthesised string parts. Rhythms are varied between sections to provide contrast. Eg. The piano pattern changes at the end of the first verse becoming more syncopated and static chords appear in the second chorus.
What is a sequencer?
It triggers the sampler and synthesisers
What equipment did moby need to produce this track?
Synthesisers to produce string,bass and piano sounds. Sampler for vocal samples and the breakbeat rhythm on drum track. Drum machine and sequencer.
Why is panning used?
To place sounds in the stereo field. Eg. Panning on the piano
Why is introduction used?
It created a sense if movement from left to right and back
What are electronic ghostings?
It’s on the male vocal sample when it first comes in. These are remnants if the backing singers in the original sample.
What are some effects applied to the music?
Reverb, delay which creates echoes of the voice eg. In A6. The echoes are processed with EQ to remove lower frequencies (sounds like phone voice)
Describe the use of harmony in this song
The harmony is entirely diatonic, made of 3 simple repeated chord progressions which lasts for eight bars. The first sample is set to Am, Em, G, D. The second is harmonised to C, Am, C, Am and then F,C,F,C. We can describe the verses as being in Dorian mode in A and the choruses as being in C major.
