Robert Haigh: In
each case here the piano is a sample of a chord. That sample/chord is then laid
out across the keyboard and triggered (simply with one finger) at various
positions (so it’s always the same chord but played at various pitches.)
On
Landlord, we have a sample of a minor chord which is triggered at four points
giving us the effect of G+m - D+m - F+m then C+minor.
With "Vamp", which sounds like the very same sample (maybe eq’d a little differently),
the sample is triggered at five points giving the effect of C+m - D+m - Em -
F+m then G+minor.
The
sound (which I agree is wonderful) appears to be doubled up and highly
compressed and clipped - I suspect all this was in the original sampled chord
(probably from a Deep House or Techno track - it’s got a bit of a Kevin
Saunderson feel.)
Same
deal with 2 Bad Mice. This sounds like a maj 7 chord and again the
sample been laid across the keyboard and triggered at various pitches.
Maybe
it’s the artificially quantised nature of the notes/chords which give it the
player piano quality.
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sadmanbarty from Dissensus offers a further thought:
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sadmanbarty from Dissensus offers a further thought:
"there
are only 3 minor chords in any key, so the fact that these vamps have 4 or 5
minor chords means that they’re modulating (changing key).
In
pop, modulations tend to be used in choruses or at the end of the song to reach
a climax. They’re euphoric and up lifting.
The
fact that in hardcore these modulations are constantly happening lends itself
to your idea of hardcore as a non-narrative, endless succession of NOWs. It
contrasts with the way pop uses them sparingly to delineate structure."
I've seen a lot of people try to figure out stabs and vamps via 'proper' music theory over the years, but I finally got an answer I was satisfied with after taking some theory / piano lessons myself...
ReplyDeleteComposers like Debussy and Ravel used a technique called Parallel harmony (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_harmony) which is moving a chord around by intervals. It's effectively the same thing when you play a sampled chord on a sampler and go up and down the keys. It doesn't actually change the key you're playing in, though --- if you look at the transcriptions on that wikipedia page, there's a ton of accidentals, but no modulation. It still sounds like the same key, it's just weird, surprising chords that my piano teacher once described as "shocking to your ear". Sort of like rave's 'blue note'.