Release (Afro Celt Sound System)

Question 1

Performing forces in Afro Celt Sound System.

Answer 1

Afro - West African - African percussion (djembe, kora and talking drum)
Celt - Gaelic style - Uillean pipes, accordions, hurdy-gurdy, low whistles
Sound System - electronic music - synthesiser and drum machine

Transcribed most likely from live performance

Question 2

Structure

Answer 2

Strophic

Intro - verse 1 - verse 2 - solos - verse 3 - build - outro

Question 3

Melody

Answer 3

African - pentatonic + short phrase + repetitive - conjunct + rhythmic - long notes + call and response - African dialect
Celtic - modal + highly decorated (turns/grace notes/mordents) - conjunct + virtuosic - Gaelic language
Dance - repetitive + hooky - short phrases - layered/looped
Vocables - nonsense lyrics
Syllabic - sometimes spoken
Female range 6th while male range 13th
Ornamentation- glissando/acciaccatura

Question 4

Texture

Answer 4

Constantly changing - layering - adding/removing loops
Mainly homophonic - melody (vocal/solo instrument) with accompaniment of sustained chords
Some polyphonic - verse 3 - female vocals + hurdy-gurdy + uilleann pipes
Some heterophonic - build - hurdy-gurdy + uilleann pipes play different versions of same melody at same time

Question 5

Harmony and tonality

Answer 5

Diatonic - in C minor
Aeolian mode - no B naturals so C Natural Minor Scale - loop 12 (7th not raised)
Dorian mode - A naturals instead of A flats - loop 15
Repetitive chord sequences - good for looping
Chord extensions - interest - loop 4 bar 1 (Csus4 chord - C chord with F in bass)
Chromaticism - interest - loop 10 (goes up by semitones)
Slow harmonic rhythm - 1/2 chords per bar
Drone on pedal C - intro - sets key

Question 6

Rhythm, metre, and tempo

Answer 6

Free tempo at start - improvisation
Strays tempo - bodhran + shaker + drum machine enforce
4/4 time - common for dance
Slightly swung semiquavers - relaxed feel
Syncopation - rhythmic interest
Triplets + sextuplets - low whistle solo - rhythmic interest
Ostinati/riffs - common in loops - rhythmic (loop 1,2,3) or melodic (25,26)
Hooky melodies - short - engage listener

Question 7

Technology

Answer 7

Multi tracking - layer loops
Panning - move sound across speakers - like coming from different places
Low pass filter - removes them added highest frequencies - introduction on two tone synth drone
Panning and the Filter - combined at intro - L has high frequencies and R doesn’t, then switch
Reverb - creates artificial sense of space - recorded in studio - sounds like concert though
Delay - when sound recorded then played back after a while