Experimental Music Album 2021 - 10 Songs Consecutive

Song List:

0:00 --- My Heart Will Go Back

Do you ever think about this question: To whose heart is the word “heart” in “My Heart Will Go On” referring? And also, why go on if I’d rather go back? The piece pays heavy tribute to the legendary minimalist master Steve Reich, applying his “gradual process” methodology in every track of the tune. Talk about Sophistication.

4:33 --- H.A.P.P.Y.

An EDM and Neo-soul combination that is basically saying “you are so disturbed and I’m so turned on by it”. I always think that acting cold, sad and weird is a great strategy to get laid — I mean, Jerry Seinfeld did that in one of his sitcom episodes — but for me it just never works. I guess this attempt of writing music that transcends simple diatonic scales could be seen as an answer I'd like to hear from that person.

8:12 --- Valkyrie

Depicting a mythical figure with synthesizer and electric guitars has never felt so appropriate and satisfying for me. The LFO-controlled hi-hats and the reversed bells are created to represent the swords and armors of these warriors-to-be-feared. Speaking of Valkyries, one of the transliterations of the word "Valkyrie" in Chinese is "華爾裘蓮". It's not commonly used, but it just looks so cool and I have to write it down.

12:08 --- Lawful Neutral

The title “Lawful Neutral” comes from an alignment name in the Dungeons & Dragons. There really is not a connection between this concept and the piece, except that the harmony and the instruments do sort of depict a lawful neutral consciousness. Not taking sides, Following the laws, but personal principles too.

15:41 --- A Hidden Friend

Who is this “Hidden Friend“ of mine? Well, pay attention to the voice-like sounds in this piece --- They are extracted from purely instrumental music pieces, using Izotope RX’s algorithms. In other words, I created a person (whattttt). Yes, there's polytonality. Yes, there's sample manipulation. Yes, there's keyboard improv... The piece’s got it all, but most importantly, it’s got a buddy I can hang out with from time to time.

26:13 --- I Don't Know Why It's Played

The script roughly translates into:

"Wahhhh... Um... Um... This is so embarrassing. I don't know why it's played but it just came out. I'm really sorry. Keep supporting me PLZ"

Weird.

28:35 --- Bow (As in Rain)

This piece of LOFI pop opens with discontinued noises that capture the moment my car drives through a bridge from below on a rainy day. The rain stops for a split second, and then decides to pour on the car once more. It's a very unique driving experience that I would like to make into a sonic experience.

32:38 --- Muse

A fusion of Bossa nova, Jazz and EDM. In Greek Mythology, Muses are goddess of the arts. Since the word connects my profession "music" with the positive feeling of being "amused", and is the best English word I can find that corresponds to the word "乐" in Chinese, which means music and happiness at the same time.

36:10 --- Pursuit

Yet another interesting combination: Video game music, Orchestral music, and Irish folk music --- all in my compositional repertoire, but I want to experiment with writing in different genres with limited materials, so there are motif revisits everywhere. In addition, the Phrygian key works incredibly in a folk setting. So... awesome!

40:54 --- A Piano in Samplers

I have actually upload the rdperformance video of this piece before --- a composition for Ableton Live and computer music, during which a piano sample is put in one sampler after another to create a complex, generative sonic continuity, while I improvise from another dimension, clicking and dragging my mouse in the piano roll window of that same sample.