Title: Apollo Lee – Hamilton Date: July 24, 2008 Software: Logic Pro 8 Genre: Ambient Timing: 8:48 @ 40 bpm
What I Like About It
The instrument takes a while to float to the note. The way it builds up is gorgeous. It’s also a quiet instrument with overtones that move.
The base harmony is C# minor Rhythm changes. The piece seems to float for a while around flavors of G# and then A, but soars around the tensions gracefully.
The bass notes are big and deep, but don’t wash out the highs of the rest of the notes.
At first, I set the treble harmonies in the octave just below middle C. Just before I recorded this, I tried positioning the non-bass notes an octave higher. That stretched out the piece and helps it to glide.
What I Don’t Like About It
I had to compress the piece to get the volume up without distorting it. I think it may be a bit too quiet, even still.
The transition of the final cadence throws the ear a little bit. I was aiming for a perfect authentic cadence (G#7 -< C#m7). I came close, but maybe it should just have been C#m with a C# on top (instead of B, which is the b7).
3.here’s almost enough dissonance/consonance contrast, but not quite.
Note: These are rough drafts. Constructive criticism is welcomed, of course.
Title: Apollo Lee – Garnet Date: July 17, 2008 Software: Logic Pro 8 Genre: Ambient Timing: 7:42 @ 40 bpm
What I Like About It
The instrument is beautiful. I’ve used it before and I’ll probably use it again.
The harmony is D minor Rhythm Changes. It lets me get creative with dissonance and consonance. Since all the notes are in one scale (except the C# in A7), it’s easy to resolve chords in expected and unexpected ways.
I managed to process most of the distortion out.
What I Don’t Like About It
We keep gravitating toward Bb, for some reason. Everywhere I turned, I was on a Bb chord.
The final chord fades well, but there’s a cut off that’s noticeable.
I’d really like to have a greater note diversity in the future — this one is entirely in the bass clef, hovering around middle C and lower.
Note: These are rough drafts. Constructive criticism is welcomed, of course.
Title: Apollo Lee – Bitterroot Date: June 18, 2008 Software: Logic Pro 8 Genre: Ambient Timing: 7:54 @ 40 bpm
What I Like About It
The structure of the harmony is descending minor seventh chords until the dominant seventh chord (Bm7, Am7, G#m7, F#7). It lends some very interesting harmonic textures.
The instrument is beautiful and I’ve used it a few times before.
The Microphaser I use throughout gives a strange floating back and forth like a snow flurry in the mountains of Northern Idaho.
I successfully equalized the distortion out, mellowed the sound out a little bit, and gave it a little more reverb.
The modulation effect on this instrument is very evocative.
The diversity of notes is good, especially on the low end. The big bass notes give a feeling of vast scale.
What I Don’t Like About It
This drifts aimlessly with no real sense of direction or form.
Some of the consonant chords hold a little too long.
The Microphase had too fast a cycle time.
The modulation effect wasn’t used in a very interesting way and its appearance was too sporadic.
Note: These are rough drafts. Constructive criticism is welcomed, of course.