Release by Afro Celt Sound System Flashcards
african forces
- talking drum
- kora
- male vocals - maninka (guinea) lyrics
maninka vocalist
- n’faly kouyate
celtic forces
- hurdy-gurdy
- uilleann pipes
- bodhran
- fiddle
- whistle
- accordian
- male vocals - gaelic lyrics
gaelic vocalist
- iarla o lionaird
western forces
- synthesiser
- sampler
- electric keyboard
- drum machine
- shaker
- tambourine
- bass guitar
- female vocals - english lyrics
english vocalist
- sinead o’connor
introduction time stamp
0:00 - 1:38
(0:00-0:19)introduction - tempo, tonality, effects
- free time : no clear pulse
- in the key of aeolian mode on c - 3b’s
- panning used
- synth pad drone with filter sweeps establishes the key
introduction - what is the drone note on?
c
(0:19 - 0:27) introduction - which instruments enter and the effect of them?
- talking drum and synths drone
- used to create an effect rather than to provide a steady pulse
(0:27-0:41) introduction - what is introduced?
- shaker begins to introduce rhythm (loop 2)
loop 2
- shaker begins to introduce rhythm
(0:41-0:48) introduction - what is introduced?
- spoken male vocal samples added
- in griot storytelling style
(0:48-1:18) introduction - time sig, loops, tempo, instrumentation
- 4/4
- loop 3 - 12 bars of drum machine and bodhran establishing a steady tempo (100BPM)
loop 3 - the effect of the bodhran
- backbone of the piece
- syncopated and generally remains the same with only some places of elaboration
(1:18-1:38) introduction - what is introduced + instrumentation?
- loop 4: additional synth strings
- loop 5: drum loops added
- female vocalisations enter
- kora - plays a simple riff which is heard twice over the loops
female vocalisations
- heavy reverb
- central panning
- sense of improv
verse 1 - time stamps + loops
- 1:38 - 2:55
- loops 6-13
(1:38-1:56) v.1 - instrumentation, loops 6+7
- female vox
- loop 6 - drums
- loop 7 - tambourine takes over from shaker
melody - v.1
- limited note range (6th)
(1:56-2:16) v.1 - texture, melodic setting, structure, melody + loop 8
- texture, dynamics and tension begins to build
- syllabic with very even 2 bar phrases
- repetitive melody - split into 2 bar phrases
- 8 bar sections
- loop 8: talking drum provides fills at the end of the 4 bar phrases
function of the talking drum
- provides fills at the end of the 4 bar phrases
(2:16-2:35) v.1 - loop 9+10
- loop 9 - kora is panned left and has a new riff
- loop 10 - synth strings - synth has an ascending chromatic line
(2:35-2:55) v.1 - structure, loop 11,12 and 13 and effects
- 8 bar instrumental break
- loop 11 - soft synth pad
- loop 12 - bass
- bass part uses C + Bb which gives a modal feel
- texture thins out so that the bass guitar entrance is more dramatic
- short flute effect uses delay FX - echoes
- loop 13 - breath samples and syncopation
verse 2 - time stamps
2:55-3:51
(2:55-3:32) v.2 - instrumentation, structure, loop 14
- male vox - gaelic
- phrasing less even than female vocalist
- loop 14 - drums
- more complex drum pattern added
(3:32-3:51) v.2 - instrumentation, melody, structure, vocals, loop 13
- male vox
- 8 bars with ascending chromatic line and bass part drops out
- vocal line anticipates the beat and soars over the other parts
- loop 13 - fiddle
- fiddle plays an accompaniment using double stopping, accents and triplets and sextuplets
solo 1 - timestamp
3:51-4:11
(3:51-4:01) - s.1 - instrumentation, loop 17, role of accordion, loop 16
- uilleann pipes solo
- bass returns
- loop 17 - accordion
- accordion accompanies solo + rhythmic interest is created by use of accents in different parts of the beat
- loop 16 - synth
(4:02-4:11)- s.1 - instrumentation
- whistle joins in an octave higher and adds occasional glissando
solo 2 - timestamp
4:11-4:30
(4:11-4:30)- s.2 - instrumentation, texture
- low whistle solo
- lighter texture
- bass drops out
- low whistle takes over solo, accompanied by synth accordion (syncopated 1/16s) and strings
- bodhran part is much simpler and sparser
- glissando
break - timestamp
- 4:30-4:34
(4:30-4:34)break - loop 19, 17 and structure
- loop 19 - male vox
- loop 17 - accordion
- breakdown
- 2 bars of repeated vocal sample with the accordion rhythm as the main driving force while most of the other parts drop out
solo 3 - timestamp
4:34-4:55
(4:34-4:55) - s.3 - melody and loop 20 + 12
- short vocal phrases
- hurdy-gurdy solo -loop 20
- loop 12 - bass
verse 3 - timestamps
4:55-5:52
(4:55-5:13) - v.3 - texture, instrumentation and loop 22
- female vox and previous texture continues
- new synth loop 22 plays static chords
(5:13-5:32) - v.3 - texture, solos
- polyphonic texture
- uilleann pipe and hurdy-gurdy play solos underneath vocals
(5:32-5:52) - v.3 - atmosphere, vocals, melody, bass, instrumentation and loop 15
- repeat of end section of v.2
- increase of emotion, higher pitch and louder dynamics in the vocals creates a sense of climax
- male vox, gaelic
- 8 bars with ascending chromatic line
- the bass part, drums and bodhran drop out, creating a sense of suspense as the vocal line soars over the other parts
- loop 15 - fiddle plays an accompaniment using double stopping, accents and triplets
double stopping
- when a string instrument plays two notes at the same time
drum break and build time stamps
5:52-6:59
(5:52-6:01) drum break and build - loop 12 and loop 24
- loop 12 - bass
- loop 24 - more complex drum pattern added
(6:01-6:11) drum break and build - loop 25+26, melody
- two layered electric piano loops are added - 25 and 26
- syncopated 2 note melody on F + G
(6:11-6:20) drum break and build - loop 12 and loop 24 and loop 25
- two layered electric piano loops are added - 25 and 26
- syncopated 2 note melody on F + G
- oscillating pattern of 2 notes on Eb and F
(6:20-6:59) drum break and build - vocals, texture, loop 27 and loop 28
- female vocal samples interject
- electric piano loops drop out
- loop 27 - hurdy gurdy
- heterophonic texture
- loop 28 - new uilleann pipes solo
(6:59-7:34) - outro - vocals, loop 25, instrumentation, FX
- female vox
- loop 25 - electric piano + loop 26 - electric piano 2
- two layered electric piano loops enter as all the other loops drop out
- fade out to end
