Sea Changes - my latest album

[Benedict]

Hi All

The Sea Changes album is complete and out in the world.

  
http://benedictroffmarsh.com/2015/06/02 ... formation/

Of course 100% Reason with no external sounds or samples. I feel like this is a bit of a watershed record for me as it is the first time I have ever composed using orchestral samples (The Pirates Ball) and used them in several tracks with the intention of sounding remotely orchestral. Overall I paid a lot more attention to traditional melodies and harmony and while those things may not be popular in music these days it is still a big thing for me (and hopefully other people who still like melody).

Feedback (and pressing of the Buy button) is welcome.



P.S. If you go to my site there is a free bonus Combinator to download.

[Tincture]

Hi Benedict,
Just listened to the 1st track... I'll be back. I thought it matched the mood of the image perfectly, and found it nicely JMJarre. Just wished some of the layers were harmonies rather than just the bass pitched up.

I feel a bit bad running off now but it's late.

Zac

[Julibee]

Just got this dl'd.... I'll be back... (say that in your best "Julianna pretends she's Ahnold" voice, and do it very badly for the best effect)

[Benedict]

Thanks guys

Made my day Ms McDuffie

[xxASMxx]

Sounds great!

[Benedict]

Thanks

[Benedict]

Unrelated but I get up and discover some kids have spray painted badly drawn dicks on two sides of my car :frown:

So sad that people have to do this sort of thing. And angry making that they do it when there is no one there to challenge them and I have to solve something that really should have to be my problem.

Oh well, time to work on seeing if I can clean my car.

UPDATE: with turps and time we got it sorted. Flatmate found a spray can lid with two prints so hopefully there is a match some time.

[Benedict]

Now with added YouTube

[jappe]

Hello Benedict!

Tunes that left impressions after first listen.

Sailing Heavy Seas: Sounds like something Jarré could have had on Oxygene
The clipper ship: sounds pleasant but difficult to grasp. Needs more listening I think.
Paganini on the poop deck: nice sound.
Funk-a-Sea: Beautiful harmony and sound in intro and outro, like Relax music;
Eaux de l'Alizé: wonderful sounds
It feels like some of these tunes would work well as relax music.
Listening to you stylized wind sounds I remember how I used to be fascinated by filtered noise when I became interested in electronic music many years ago.
Hmm... I am a bit inspired to make something with noise now.

[Benedict]

Thanks Jappe

Yes I do tend towards New Age music. With some albums I try to do that more than others. Sound is traditionally where I start with my pieces. This record is a different one for me as using orchestral samples in some tracks, and synths that need to sound passably orchestral, has made me work with notes a lot more. That means tracks like "The Clipper Ship" are me trying to copy the few records I own with "proper" orchestral work like Deep Purple's "Concerto for Band and Orchestra". My orchestration and counter melody would still be somewhat limited.

I picked "The Clipper Ship" simply because it seemed (to me) to be a good snapshot of much of the whole record. It has popped up in Shuffle and I have gone oh, what is that interesting track. I always find it hard to choose "singles" for my work. For other people it is easier as there are some songs that just sound like they are radio songs and others that sound like album tracks. With my work I made it using my mental processes so I can't foresee how others will take to it.

Thanks again.

[Lunesis]

Hey Ben,

I really dig the theme you've gone with here. I love 'water based' music. There is something about it that evokes a journey, or a feeling of being lost in the vast expanses and yet still being in a state of wonderment. The emotions that you elicit are quite varied, from a sense of subtle dread to a sort of meditative peace. The sound effects and swishing white noise are a nice touch too, as it sounds like you are actually in the middle of a setting and creates the mood nicely. I think that you stick the theme very well throughout, as a lot of scales and chords that work for spacey synth music also work just as well for sea music, and the orchestral instruments bring everything back down to the ground (or water if you must). They give it a classical bent which also makes one think of the days of huge wooden ships sailing across the oceans. Everything brought together is sublime, so I will say that this is very nice work and that you have a very wide range of ability when it comes to ideas for different albums.

[Benedict]

Thanks Lunesis

That was a great comment - I popped it on the Bandcamp page.

Thanks

[Tincture]

ok, i'm back... sorry if I came across a bit harsh in my thread Benedict, I know you mean well.

track 2 - song of the tramp steamer (part 1) - very vangelis like, sounded nice and clear. Loved the feel... just wish the theme was a bit more memorable ... but then again one listen is never enough. I've had some albums take 5-10 listens before I've realised their beauty. These days, music is cheap so unless it "hits" you first listen it's doomed. Hence so much shallow music...! ... ? Not here tho'.

track 3 - again nice vibe, glad to hear a hint of beats around the 4 min mark. Nice string (L) and woodwind (R) after that. It does feel very honest and free to me. Kind of like when I first hit the Reason sequencer with all those lovely ideas... only to find that making a song isn't quite as straightforward as that and having to learn some production stuff... which can lead away from the music in our hearts as we get involved with the production game... so fair play Benedict I'm finding it very refreshing. And it sounds good too.

track 4 -

I have to tether my phone for internet and it's 3pm Friday afternoon (when every office worker hits the net) and your stream has just cut out for over a minute ... so once again, I'll be back

[Exowildebeest]

Good stuff man, I feel a lot of thought and emotion in this.

The only technical criticism I have is that the instrumentation isn't always convincing (but I certainly couldn't do it better myself!) - I hope you've learned a lot doing this though, I have no doubt doing convincing orchestral/acoustic stuff has a long and steep learning curve, and this sounds you're already a good way up.

Artistically, I could say all kinds of things about what I like and what I don't like, but that's not that useful. I'll just say I like the more introverted tracks the most, like On The Wing.

[Benedict]

Thanks guys. Yes learning to make synths sound like the, far more complex, subtle and nuanced, real thing is a huge game. I definitely only scratched the surface. It is not a thing I feel driven to do a lot of. I would rather sound like me with my funny take on the way things are done but I expanded my palette in a big way so well worth it.

And thanks Tincture. 

[Majestik Monkey]

Now with added YouTube

Hi Benedict , 

This is a wonderful piece !

it feels natural to follow all the movements that do roll over nicely ' as it would at Sea ! 

[jappe]

Hi again Benedict,

I listened through the record again during a studying session. I found this to be really great music for studying, I was able to focus better than I use to

[Carly(Poohbear)]

Had some work to do this afternoon and had this on as background music (found I stopped work a couple of times as the music was taking me away LOL)

Very nice indeed all flowed well, favourite track is Eaux de l'Alizé followed by Funk-a-sea....

Well done dude....

[Benedict]

Thanks guys

[frog974new]

take time to listen all the album ..
a great journey , as your old works ( album ) , each time its really cool to discover your music . really good sound design for evolving sounds and tracks , never follow a common scheme . Well done

its seems you go with more spherical and additives sounds on your track ..?

[Benedict]

Merci Monsieur le Frog

I find it hard to use the exact same sound twice. That was always one of the things that held me back with samples...

"Gold Rush Travelers" is 100% Additive synth Zvork Oberon (as you know now), Parsec definitely has its moments too. Otherwise Thor and Subtractor mostly. Did you grab the Combi?