Joe Meek (5 April 1929- 3 February 1967) was an English songwriter/producer who was the pioneer of experimental pop music (in the 50s and 60s). What I found interesting was that although he did not play any instruments, he was still able to produce and write commercial songs by being reliant on musicians to transcribe melodies from his vocal demos. Not to mention that he was the one who pioneered studio tools such as multiple over-dubbing on one and two-track machines, direct input of bass guitars, the compressor, echoes, reverb and sampling.
This is an example of his work in 1962, where it can be heard in the recording that there are effects and sounds that were never heard before(at the time): the song features a Clavioline, a distinctive keyboard sound. It was this that opened up the possibilities of being experimental when it came to creation and producing, the influences can be seen in a producer such as Brian Eno who is the principle innovator of ambient music.
I will be basing my recording around Brian Eno’s methods, he believes in discovering fresh sounds rather than merely remembering the settings that he used on the synth to create it, he also enjoys experimenting with sounds.
This is a popular example of Eno’s work: taken from his 1983 album ‘Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtrack’
Many of the tracks on the album was recorded with soft “attacks” of each note, then played backwards, with multiple heavy echoes and reverb added in both directions to merge the notes into one long flowing sound with each note greatly overlapping each adjacent note, producing the “floating” effects that Eno desired.
A particular texture that he is known to have used is a heterophonic texture where there is one melody but different variations of that melody being played or sung at the same time, these variations can be loops played at different times on top of the initial first melody thus adding different accentuations.
An example of hetrophonic textures can be found in Eno’s ‘Discreet Music’:
Ken Townsend invented ADT (Automatic Double Tracking) Specially for The Beatles during the spring of 1966. He is a well renowned sound engineer and producer who worked at the Abbey Road Studios and has worked on several Beatles album.
He was able to create the world’s first ADT system by taking the signal from the playback, delayed them slightly thus creating 2 sound signals from the original signal.
In the video below, Ken Townsend explains the process from 3 minutes in to 3 minutes 45.
I wish to incorporate the technology that Joe Meek first experimented with eg. Reverb, use of compressors aswell as a more modern spin to the ADT in regards to vocals and loosely experiment with Eno’s Heterophonic texture for my 1st assesment.
The piece that I have produced comprises of 4 notes: A# D# G# F#
I used Logic Pro 9 so that I could comfortably edit and arrange the piece as I see fit. I involved some vocals in the recording but instead of having it in the forefront, I wanted it to emulate a instrument, like a synth.
Sony PCM M10 BLACK Portable Audio Recorder was used to record my vocals
For this I didn’t want to record Straight onto Logic because I felt that it would have added a different overall sound to my voice, I wanted it to sound mono and to not have alot of dynamics to it so that I could freely enhance it on Logic later on. I sang 2 of every harmony in one recording and I then cut each part and aligned it with the root note and the other harmonies as seen below:
Harmonies have been cut and aligned however,I wanted each part to start at a different point so that as I loop them, it slightly different everytime
On each of my vocals I used sample delay, compressor, reverb, pitch correction (to give it a electronic feel), spread and Direction Mix (So that it sounds wide and slightly floaty)
Sample delay used for my vocals
Next I moved onto playing in the synths, I used Fifth moon which is quite warm in sound, I made it the main instrument. I recorded 2 variations of the sequences and then copy and pasted variation 1 under variation 2 which made it sound different each time.
Placed variation 1 at random start points under 2
I then finally laid down synth pads that uses the same notes as said above but in a completely different formation. This particular pad adds a certain coldness and suspense to the piece which I personally liked.
The plug-ins used for this synth pad
Once all the instruments and vocals were laid down, I then went unto the mixing where I made sure that the vocals were not too loud and that it blended well with all the others synths.
Pictured is the vocals gradually increasing in volume and then deceasing towards the end
Mixing Screen
My intentions for this track was to be experimental all while emulating different techniques and ways of producing, ways that I wouldn’t usually do but still keeping to my style of strong use of harmony in the vocals.
Sources:
http://www.allmusic.com/album/apollo-atmospheres-soundtracks-mw0000189935
Brend, Mark (2005). Strange Sounds: Offbeat Instruments and Sonic Experiments in Pop
Tamm, Eric Brian Eno: His Music and the Vertical Color of Sound (Da Capo Press, 1995, first published 1989)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/content/articles/2007/01/05/joe_meek_feature.shtml
Studio Project (2015-16) Aisha Pin 