Upcycling Music Projects
There are moments when it seems impossible to stay creative. It was during pandemic that I noticed I'm more interested in listening and observing, rather than composing, at least for a while! In the relative silence of Covid lockdowns we all experienced a different soundscape than we were used to. We all started to notice once unnoticed!
To stay creative I started recording sounds. Mainly sounds created by found objects that might otherwise be discarded and thrown away.
I started visiting thrift stores, flea markets, and other secondhand shops to find objects that I can use in my compositions. I look for things that have interesting textures, tones, or rhythms. Once I have recorded my sounds, I begin the process of audio montaging. This involves layering and manipulating the sounds to create new sonic landscapes and textures. I might cut and splice the sounds, pitch-shift them, or reverse them to create a sense of continuity in the mix.
Upcycling has become an important part of my compositional process, allowing me to create a sound new to me while also promoting sustainability and resource conservation.
This is not a Christmas Song
(2022) 4 min
Story:
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It's December, I find myself at a thrift store, picking up some random items to make music with as part of an exam. I leave the store with these:
- a Chocolate Santa wrapped in foil
- a tin Christmas-themed gift box
- a Plastic decorative bells
- a light bulb
As I headed to the studio, my mind wandered to thoughts of Home, a rush of mixed emotions overtook me. Anxiety of separation, and excitement for the unknown at the same time...
Collaborating Artist:
Orpheus in the Basement
(2022) 5 min
Story
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Orpheus in the Basement" is a musical experiment. An attempt to make music and tell a story with microsounds (short sound objects with duration less than a second) recorded during pandemic. Here, I'm using various methods of audio montaging to bring these lifeless sound object to life. The main approach is by putting them together and sculpt a seemingly moving sound structure, and then by putting them together with a longer sound objects to create a sense of flow in the mix. Through these chaotic collages, a spectral cohesion emerges, a melody of life flowing through the veins of the once-dead.
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The Story of Orpheus and Eurydice:
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In a world where love knew no bounds, there lived a gifted musician named Orpheus. His heart belonged to the enchanting Eurydice, a woman of grace and beauty. Their love seemed destined to be, but fate had other plans.
Tragedy struck, and Eurydice's life was cut short, leaving Orpheus heartbroken and inconsolable. Unable to accept her loss, he embarked on a daring journey to the Underworld. With his melodious lyre in hand, he bravely ventured into the shadows, determined to reunite with his beloved.
Through the darkness, he encountered daunting trials, but his music held a power that softened the hardest hearts. He collected the scattered fragments of Eurydice's soul, one tender note at a time, piecing her spirit back together.
As they approached the surface, hope and fear wrestled in Orpheus's heart. The weight of doubt proved too much, and he stole a glance back at his love. In that fleeting moment, she slipped away, forever lost to him.
Orpheus returned to the world above, a sorrowful song forever etched in his heart. His journey may not have ended as he had hoped, but his love endured as a timeless melody, a reminder of the beauty and fragility of love's dance with fate.
