Toad Hall (the return) by Jim Bouchard [Email]
Genre: Ambient
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Description:
Well, I returned to this recent piece armed with the comments that many people made, and so that's why I titled this mix this way. I added the mandolin and guitar real instrument track and a really great pump organ soundfont, as well as an ambient track of some neighbors talking late at night on their back porch. I opened the window to get some air in my studio, and I had a live mic near the window and captured some random conversation. It's pretty quiet but you can hear it at the end, if you can just manage to listen through for the full 8:40+ you'll hear "at the end of the day". This uses most of the original Toad Hall, but because I got rid of the cow and added more marshy sounds and the acoustic instruments, I think it's really pretty different. Again it's meant to be like The Books. There's a guy that posts over at MacIdol called Dion Lee who has been an inspiration with a lot of my ambient stuff. And it was again really fun to put this together.Hardware:
Taylor GA3 acoustic guitar, Michael Kelly Legacy Plus mandolin, Sterling Audio ST-66 mic, Apogee Duet, Kurzweil KME-61Software:
Logic Pro 8 |
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Peter Greenstone
I really like the changes you made. It's more melodic yet retains that atmospheric texture with all those little delicate earthy sounds. It's more cohesive I think. Really quite beautiful and so very peaceful.
Jim Bouchard
The idea you had for a wheezy instrument playing melodically in commenting on the other version was a big influence in this new one. I tried my old concertina but it's really out of tune and there's not much you can do about that. I tried pitch correcting it but it was just awful. This pump organ sf2 sound is pretty good. I have some friends that have a band that uses a pump organ and it's really a cool instrument, so this version was built around the melody I added on the pump organ. Thanks a lot!
jiguma
The guitar and mandolin add a lot to this - and I sure am glad that the cow couldn't make it to this session!
A very enjoyable post - I imagine it's been a lot of fun to develop this one.
It's rare these days to hear original ideas, and you seem to be full of them in some of your recent posts.
Cheers,
Neil
Jim Bouchard
I guess this is mighty noodle-y, but I got the late night vibe going and just went with it. I meant it to be more minimal in the guitar and mando interaction, but I kept finding little melodic things that I liked. It's going to take me a little while to get my head out of this groove, but thanks for noticing the new stuff I keep experimenting with! You're so supportive and I REALLY appreciate it.
Mystified
It really pays off in this lovely composition.
I love the ambient sounds--the conversations, marshland warblings and the rest. And the 'noodling around' is just what it needs to keep it at a leisurely pace. Really nice. This is the kind of music I could write or draw to.
Perfect!
Jim Bouchard
I sometimes feel like I experiment a bit just to cover my deteriorating musical skills... oh well, time passes, some things erode and the landscape takes a new shape. I guess that's a form of evolution. Or is it devolution? Are we not men? hahaha, I made myself laugh at my downbeat vision of myself!
Rebsie
Seriously impressed with this, Jim. Sounds great in headphones with your skilful use of the full breadth of aural space, so everything sits nicely in its own spot in the mix. So the parts are all separate and all connected at the same time. I love the range of sounds you've used, it's very creative and imaginative. And very evocative too. A really fine piece of work.
I would never have thought of combining mandolins with marshy squelches and distorted Tibetan singing bowls. And even if I had I'd never have been able to pull it off. This is masterly stuff.
I love the casual way you say "... because I got rid of the cow ..." in the song description.
damiengh
This is the just the kind of creative excitement that makes one proud to be a member of this music community.
Totally awed by this work or memory exciter. It conjures up many boyhood images of our youth, nudging us with little hints of sounds from early memories in such a delicate way.
Like that of a summer afternoon sitting in a grandparent's backyard acerage, sipping a lemonade listening to the breeze through the trees, insects in the woods chirping away, staring up at a bird in the sky; a place where time is not thought of.
Just beautiful.
Ibstrat
heard the 1st one but this is great.Definitely brings up pleasant images.I love the mandolin track.This is creative stuff.
IbotenicParadigm
Simon Jeffes. Maybe a Penguin Cafe warm up (or down) track. Even though I don't do much of it myself, I'm very sympathetic to music that doesn't 'go anywhere'. A journey is great, but there's a lot of magic in any one moment drawn out a bit.
Good sounds used well.
Jim Bouchard
I have always loved Penguin Cafe Orchestra, and though I wasn't specifically thinking of them in regards to this piece, I can see what you mean. Thanks for the comparison, I'm very flattered. I could probably make this go somewhere with some more editing and/or focused development, but I think I got the idea that people are responding to this pretty well the way it is.
well, that was very relaxing....
Not to set you to task - but I thought a didge drone could fit in there somewhere as well
thanks for this...
. - Harold
Epileptic Gibbon
and had to make do with the rubbishy speakers on my work PC but still this definitely worked well for me. I haven't heard the original so cannot compare the two but I like that there is a lot going on. I usually like ambient music to be quite busy, if that makes sense. Anyway, would you be up for letting me play this on my music podcast show?
Jim Bouchard
Please feel free to play this on your music podcast. When do you think that might be? I can make an edit of this if you like as it is really pretty long.
Thanks so much for your consideration!
pablatone
that is very nice. the guitar sounds fantastic. I didn't hear the original either, so I missed the cow, but it's really good without the cow. I think there's a "pop" at around 7:24 I'm not sure what it is. may just be my lame speakers.
Very impressive stuff, thanks for sharin' it.
VicDiesel
I haven't heard the original, but this version is pretty cool. Gentle picking on that mandolin, with gentle bursts of field recording (?) throughout.
I'll have to play this for the little frog/toad who sits under my window at night. I'm sure he'll love it.
guitapick
...the pump organ's very cool...takes me to lots of places...real sweet, Jim...