The song is introduced by a DJ, which is layered over racing paced harmonics. As we transition from the DJ to the song, the last word of the DJ, “brown Phil,” starts skipping and the words begin to twist and contort so “brown” becomes “round.” A quick ascending percussion sequence with a slight hiss hijacks the beat. Different pitches, notes, and tones coalesce to create an interchanging musical dialogue. Blunt beats sizzle against open syllables. A sped up, high pitched voice that can only be described as “expressing shock” intersects with the back beat. The interplay between notes and beats is fused together by the DJ’s scratches. Having different durations and speeds, these tonal sutures give the song a degree of cohesion. The DJ changes the tempo and a baritone voice slowed down acts as a foil to sharp harmonics. Ephemeral breaks and loops texture the beat, while choruses of different vocal harmonies frame it. They increase speed, building toward anticipation—a hanging climax. Then an audible voice becomes the figure, in a figure/ground like configuration. The grain of the voice is lucid. It is played over a synthesized, sharp sound that punctuates the words. The beat cites rhythms introduced in the beginning of the song and mixes them with a cornucopia of new clips and loops. Words are deconstructed, reduced to their parts. The DJ fixates at the oration of a sound—he makes the words stutter. The DJ lets the record go and the song slows down. The tempo and beat quickly changes, a new set of samples is introduced laid against a new voice, slow enough to hear his words. The DJ then transitions to the earlier constellation of loops, as the song slows down again. The song start to speed up, the audible voice is being supplemented by sharp horns. Buffalo Gals is a sonic collage, gesturing and citing a number of different listening experiences. I wonder how many different songs (and sounds) were listened too in order to produce this one song? That is, this composition is the sedimentation many layers of noise, what was the invention process?
2 comments:
That was supposed to be buffalo gals
So, I am unsure how to edit my post. But I did change the question. It is below:
uffalo Gals is a sonic collage, gesturing and citing a number of different listening experiences. I wonder how many different songs (and sounds) were listened too in order to produce this one song? How did the author know or, rather, feel that these tones and harmonies worked so well together? It is almost as if you could hear the other sounds whispering like ghosts in the machine. For me, the mystery is in the production, the argument with his muse.
Post a Comment