Electronic Version of O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

March 13th, 2014

o-sacred-head-electronic version

“O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” is an electronic song using some techniques from dubstep and electronica to reset the text to this old hymn. Staying true to the meaning of the text, it has a mournful sound while clearly rejoicing in the fact that our salvation comes through the suffering that Jesus Christ went through for us. Play on YouTube.

O sacred Head, now wounded, With grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded With thorns, Thy only crown,
How art Thou pale with anguish, With sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish Which once was bright as morn!

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered Was all for sinners’ gain:
Mine, mine was the transgression, But Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ‘Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor, Vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

What language shall I borrow To thank Thee, dearest Friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever! And should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never Outlive my love to Thee!

Check out the original.

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O Sacred Head, Now Wounded – Releasing Friday, March 14

March 8th, 2014

On Friday, March 14, my next project will finally be released. “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” is an electronic song using some techniques from dubstep and electronica to reset the text to this old hymn. Staying true to the meaning of the text, it has a mournful sound while clearly rejoicing in the fact that our salvation comes through the suffering that Jesus Christ went through for us. Without giving too much away, here’s a quick sample:
o-sacred-head-now-wounded

This project has been a pleasure to work on. I hope that you and some friends enjoy the song with me next Friday. If you want to be reminded about this, connect to and join the Facebook event.

This Purity Ring song played a role in inspiring “O Sacred Head”:

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A Little Backwards Singing

February 25th, 2014

Backwards singing; it’s as cool as it sounds (wait for it…).

backwards-singing

A cute picture of backwards singing.

I’m currently in the final stages of putting up some new music; my first track that can actually be called a song. (Songs mean singing…and I’m very bashful about my singing…Oh man…I’m coming so far outside of my comfort zone for this new track.) Anyway, I’m resetting the text, “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded,” with some poppy electronica flavors (I mean, really far outside my comfort zone). I’m not using the tune; just the words.

Most songs in this genre use highly processed vocal parts (no words…like scat!…techno scat…) somewhere in the song. The first thing I like to do when messing around with audio files is to play them backwards. I’ve never really listened to backwards singing before. I was stunned by how awesome it sounds!

I don’t want to give too much away about this new track (it’s going to be sweet). But I did want to isolate some backwards singing so that you all could enjoy it with me:

Backwards Singing

Cool, huh? And now I’m sharing this awesome Mutemath video for obvious reasons.

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Is Orchestra Music Generally Movie Music?

February 24th, 2014

No…well it depends on who you ask. Historically it most certainly is not. But here’s the problem: orchestras cost a lot of money. Movies have large budgets. Since music is one of the cheapest parts of a movie, you may as well go big. There aren’t too many things bigger than an orchestra. Now, not many companies can afford to hire an orchestra. There are big cities and there are movies. Movies are popular and symphonic concerts are not. Therefore people associate orchestra music with movies.

orchestra

This used to bother me. Then I realized that it’s really not that important. If people aren’t interested in a certain art form, then we musicians should do something else. Yeah, orchestras are beautiful but so is a lot of other music. We may as well focus on stuff people will like. We’re entertainers, not priests. As artists, we need to swallow our hubris and focus on entertaining. Teaching people about beauty can come after you have an audience to teach.

So, is orchestra music generally movie music? Uhh…sure. Why not? I’m just here to make cool stuff you love. If you love epic movie soundtracks then you like something admirable. If someone says that The Dark Process sounds like movie music, I’ll take it as a compliment. 😀

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A Little on the Creative Process

February 23rd, 2014
Arnold-schoenberg-creativity

Arnold Schoenberg

Every creative person works differently, but no one starts from scratch. Even pioneers who are breaking new ground start from the place from which they were standing. Schoenberg, for example, came up with the idea to eliminate a pitch center (you know how most songs seem to have a home note?) but in order to come up with that he needed hundreds of years of music history. In reality, he simply took what was already going on to its logical conclusion (long story for another post).

The way I compose is a lot like the way I built lego spaceships when I was a kid (and still do every now and then!). I started with the same 4 block 2×4 template, and built onto it until it was something I’d never made before. It’s the same when I write. I start with something I already know, and just keep adding to it. I never try to be original. I’m a strange enough person as it is. I don’t need to try to be different since nothing I’ve ever written has ever really sounded like anyone else (something I’m trying to cut back on, actually). The more you try to sound like a precedent, the better. You will end up sounding different no matter what you do, I promise. Let previous masters pave your road to your own mastery.

C-S-Lewis-Creative

C. S. Lewis on the Creative Process

It really all comes down to this brilliant C. S. Lewis quote: “Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.”

 

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