release- Afro celt sound system Flashcards
What is the structure of this piece?
introduction
verse 1
break
verse 2
solos
verse 3
drum break and build
outro.
Release has a collection of 28
loops that are all eight bars long. Not all of the loops play at the same time.
What is the key of the piece?
C minor, but without the usual raised seventh tone.
What singers are there in this piece?
Male vox - maninka (guinea) lyrics.
Female vox- English lyrics
Male vox- gaelic lyrics.
What happens from 0.00-1.38?
Panning used.
Free time- no clear pulse.
Drone note- C
The piece is in the key of aeolian mode on c.
Synth pad drone with filter sweeps.
The bodhrán performs a syncopated and swung ostinato
that starts on the strong beat but is syncopated on beat 4.
How do the vocals sing?
There is a sense if improvisation.
There is heavy reverb.
What is the melody of the piece like?
Has a limited note range.
Is repetitive- 2 bar phrases.
The instrumental solo melodies are influenced by Irish
folk - demonstrated in the semiquaver rhythms.
The uilleann pipes
and low whistle solos have a mixture of conjunct and disjunct
movement, but the low whistle solo includes shorter rhythms -including triplets.
The hurdy gurdy solo includes much wider leaps -
octaves in the melody.
Who wrote this piece?
is an example of the band’s collaborative ethos - Sinead O’Connor was invited to write and record the song with them.
When was this piece written?
1999
Features of EDM in this piece.
Synthesiser/etc
Drum machinetambourine
Bass guitar
sampler
Keyboard/electric piano
English lyrics
Shaker
Free time- no clear pulse
Drone
Steady tempo- 100 BPM
Reverb
Panning and panned central
Shaker- continuous semiquavers
Static/slow harmonic rhythm
No modulation
Fade out
Delay FX
Loops
Samples
Structure
Drum break+ build- drop
Key features of African influence in this piece.
Talking drum
Kora
Maninka language in vocalsFemale vocalisations
Spoken vocals at the beginning- Griot storytelling style
Short vocal phrases
Polyrhythmic texture
Heterophonic texture
Call and response
Key features of Celtic influence.
Bodrhansyncopated ostinatos
Hurdy gurdy
Uilleann pipes
accordion
fiddle
whistle
Gaelic vocals
Decorative figures in the melodic line
Drone note on c
Instruments doubling each other in solos eg. Whistle and uilleann pipes.
rhythms
Closely related to strophic form
Not major or minor-modal which is in line with many folk pieces
how long is each phrase
Mostly 8 bar phrases
what mode is this piece based around?
C aeolian mode
During the uillian pipe solo it is c Dorian mode
MELODY key features to write about.
There is a female and male singer.
The vocal melody is repetitive.
There are some spoken parts, including vocal samples.
The singers sometimes sing vocables (nonsense lyrics) like oooh and aaah.
The melody lines are all short phrases.
At the start (before the first verse) the female vocal part sounds like it is improvising.
Solos are taken by the Uilleann pipe, whistle and hurdy gurdy.
The female vocal part has a limited range (a 6th).
The male vocal part has a bigger range (a 13th).
The vocals use glissando (slides) and ornamentation (acciaccatura).
The fiddle melody uses double stopping.
HARMONY key features to write about.
The piece is in c minor.
It uses repeating chords sequences alot.
The harmony is mostly diatonic.
There are some extended chords (such as 7ths and 9ths)
The harmonic rhythm is slow.
RHYTHM AND METRE key features to write about.
Simple 4/4 key signature.
There are lots of repeating rhythmic riffs/ostinato patterns in the song- short phrases that are looped (repeated over and over).
There is syncopation used throughout.
There are 2 and 4 bar loops.
The semiquavers are slightly swung- gives it a relaxed feel.
Some notes are accented.
TEXTURE key features to write about.
The piece is homophonic.
There is lots of layers of loops.
There is a heterophonic texture during the outro, with solo instruments playing the same thing, with slight variations.
The very start of the piece is monophonic.
TEMPO key features to write about.
the start of the piece is in free tempo.
When the bodrhan comes in a steady tempo is set.
The piece is at a steady pulse of 100bpm.
