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Tuesday, 27 December 2005
Running order ::
Christoffer mixed Artifacts and Fantasies last week. 8 down, 1 to go. We were both thrilled with the way this one came out. I’d been concerned about how well the ambitious arrangement had been executed in the performances; it gets very complex, especially towards the end. And it must have been quite a mixing challenge. I count at least 23 parts, some recorded with 4 or more microphones. Over the course of 8 minutes, the piece goes through 6 or 7 fairly large-scale changes. There might be some rough edges, but my critical mind collapsed during the first listen; I started crying at about 3 minutes and didn’t stop until the end. Christoffer’s really outdone himself on this one.
Christoffer also nudged me to think some more about the album running order. In September I’d sketched one out based on an idea of how the pieces told a story about what was happening in my life over the 18 months I wrote the songs. But Christoffer suggested splitting the 56 minutes of music across two CD’s, each with its own running order, of course. But he didn’t go into how he thought they might be divided or why and I didn’t press him; he was busy mixing!
I considered this and realized that there is a natural way to divide the songs among two CD’s: four have more or less steady 4/4 drum feels and tend more towards pop/rock, four are more ambient/classical, and the ninth is very strong, contains aspects of both worlds, and is probably the opener. I sketched out an order for a single disc splitting the songs along those lines into two “acts” (I haven’t yet grasped why putting the two acts on two discs when they will fit on one might be better.)
This might be the way to go; the problem I had with the September running order was that it had the effect of a sandwich: drums / ambient / drums / ambient. The transitions from track to track were too drastic. But when the songs are separated into two groups, there is still plenty of variation from track to track, while the transitions are more subtle.
I suspect this isn’t the last idea that will inspire a new approach to the running order. There are 362,880 ways to sequence 9 songs. Even if we decide for sure on the first and last songs (I’m leaning that way), there are 5,040 ways to arrange the other 7 in between. We shall see.
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2 comments
Well, can you post the questionable mathematics please? I find your data... questionable - over 5,000 ways to throw 11 songs on disc?
( Um, Christopher might mean Vinyl Record! Analog lovers swear it’s better...otherwise, yeah, why use two discs under 1/2 full...?? )
Glad you have another Mix!
Guns & Roses ( Maybe not our favorite ;-) Had a “Guns” side, and all pop ballad on a “Roses” side.... nothing remarkable.....
Usually, the artist doesn’t pick, an objective Producer ( Who listens like a regular person - no bias from playing/writing - often the Worst, last choice is the 1st track. Why? Novelty, is the only constant in a hit.... On some level, some way, novelty - 100%.
( I am speechless on 2 CD’s - wait till that last track is mixed! )
However; Since ADD folks are people too.... we usually like to give them 30 seconds of “What this IS” - so, Agents is my vote... ( Hearing NONE of them! )
Perhaps divide Artifact - 4, Fantasy 4 - and that which is both.... intro/outro or the unified conclusion.... understanding they are not separate - Not two...
Prelude / Artifantasia/ balance/ “NotTwo"/ Naturally Harmonious ? Epilogue -- include titles consistent with this is both.... I dunno brain storming...
So, it made you weep.... That’s because you thought it would never come!!! LOL!!! Awesome! ( OK, now where can we steal MP3's??)
Yes, I cry when I hear your music too.... KIDDING! ;-) Alright, last track in what, a year??? Soon?
Thanks for making the earth better, in art.... ( Have your marketing/ PR team work w/ producer on these matters.... You can do everything, but I am unsure you can even wrap your head around selling “Art”, YOURS.... Glad that made the Mix great.... good good good....
The suspense is killin me...
( Delete this comment & I’ll spread rumors of you mating with a badger... You know I will.... ;-)
Rock ON!
– Egan, Thursday, 29 December 2005, 10:19 PST
Ways to sequence 9 songs:
There are 9 possible first tracks. Choose 1, then there 8 left. Choose 1, then there are 7 left... 9 x 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 362880
If we know the beginning and know the end, then we’re just choosing 7 songs for 7 slots... 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 5040
Christoffer says the last one will be mixed sometime early in January.
Thanks for the encouragement :-)
– Doug, Thursday, 29 December 2005, 11:21 PST
This discussion has been closed. Thanks to those who participated.