While Brian is away on tour, we have been exchanging ideas and files through email and Dropbox. The first step in this long-distance stage of our collaboration was to shape the sound world of the first piece in the set, Aquarius. We had already conceived the accompaniment as a sort of calliope music, played by recorders (with some music box mixed in). To this I have added a glockenspiel line with beat-repeat effects in Ableton. For the melody, I decided to use a combination of melodica and violin, which ended up sounding a bit like an accordion (my violin playing evokes in my mind a tipsy fiddler in an old Balkan tavern). These parts will be played live first and then triggered in sample form. Brian came up with the idea of incorporating fleeting soprano saxophone licks, which he wrote out on his tour bus, recorded and sent to me. I think we have arrived at something. A great opener, I think (while the initial “calliope” accompaniment starts up, we will be playing various toy instruments on top). Enjoy!
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