Train Song: The 4:37
photo by: rebecca ward
When you live alongside the trains, you can either let it get to you, or you can learn to appreciate their musicality. We basically cohabit with trains, so I have chosen the later. Sometimes late at night, distant wheel squeaks can overlap into ethereal trainsong, but mostly, their music is much more visceral (and louder).
The piece of music below started with some field recordings of trains, followed by numerous recordings of rail-side paraphernalia in order to create percussion. The rythm section is entirely made from such objects as poles, pilons, fences, signs, sleepers, gravel (snare-like) and concrete (bass like). These where traced over the field recordings of passing trains to create the grooves (the overlapping percussion and train samples sounded funky, but were later discarded from the piece much to the wreckers dissapointment). I added to the mix a glockenspiel made from discarded rail pins and a few orchestral instruments, to give it sweep.
You might accuse me of being too literal, in basing a piece of music about trains on sounds made from the rail. Buy it does captures the sounds and rythms quite well so I am glad I persued the idea.
Some people have commented that they have trouble listening to the music. If that is you, then I suggest right clicking on the link below and choosing the option 'save target as...', you will then be able to save the mp3 file to your hardrive. The piece is called The 4:37 and here it is:
The 4:37.mp3
click to listen
or right click to save
8 comments:
Very funky. Very train like. Made me think of steam engines for some reason.
I reckon you should publish The wreakers much loved and missing piece, perhaps seperately.
The next question is, can you make music from jewellery...?
Nice work, enjoyed it.
QR should use it :)
Thanks ben! I agree, then we can all vote on it. yes you can make music from jewellery but i'm thinking of starting a new range to block out the music!!
You can't block the music, nobody can block the music...
I think it would be smashing to make music from jewellery. What a great idea, I have begun already...
pj... hmmm.... who is pj...
You can almost pick out the samples. I like the train cruising by at the 1:43 mark :-)
Wayne, have you thought about the "Wall of Sound" approach to this sort of music. Not that my musical theory extends to anything above what I hear :-)
The "theme" at the 2:50 mark is very sweet IHMO.
PS: Mike Oldfield's Amarok is credited with sampling "shoes, spoons, a Hoover vacuum cleaner and "contents of aeromodeller's toolbox" (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarok_%28album%29).
But still very sweet WK, very sweet.
caio
RdO IV
Hi RdO. I have heard of this wall of sound approach to music before. I must admit, I have not seen a good definition of it.
I will have to check out your link.
Fab toooon, i wanted to tie myself to the line but didn't think Mr Keaton would have saved me
Had to use your optional link
Bad music ;-)
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