Dit is het hele album:
7 track album
gandavon.bandcamp.com
En een bespreking die ik deelde in een (internationale, vandaar Engels) groep met Vangelis-liefhebbers. Wat ik zeg zal grotendeels ook wel gelden hier...
Like many here, I make music and consider myself to be inspired/influenced by Vangelis' work and ideas. Together with Jarre, Oldfield and Kitaro, but Vangelis was always the most admirable, imposing and interesting to me. A bit like a musical father, if you follow me.
At his passing I decided, like many here, to make some sort of tribute but I did not want to just copy or cover his work. So, I composed an original album on which I deliberately sought to emulate him as best I could. I have posted a link to it before, but now I'd like to say a few things about each track and show where the ideas came from. This way, it is not simply spamming my own work, but something more. (Winking at the admin here
)
I admire Vangelis' work very much, so talking about him and his music is a joy.
A Joy I share with many of you here, I'm sure.
Beauty:
Movement 1 Beauty 06:26
Movement 2 Wavelengths 05:01
Movement 3 Ages of Eternity 04:57
Movement 4 Fractals 08:29
Movement 5 Ulysses First Pass 06:12
Movement 6 Metropole Sauvage 03:38
Movement 7 Joy of Life 06:32
Movement 1 Beauty
The idea of the opening track was to start off with something reminiscent of "The Unknown Man" and "Conquest of Paradise". There's a little hint of Chariots of Fire in there as well. A little optimistic, upbeat.
Movement 2 Wavelengths 05:01
In the vein of "Antarctica", this is a bit like a song for a movie soundtrack. Some sound-effects remind the listener of Beaubourg. There's definitely some Albedo 0.39 in it too. Played live and then layered with other tracks.
Movement 3 Ages of Eternity 04:57
This is most easily recognized as referring to Mutiny on the Bounty, with that brooding bass sequence. It's one of those typical Vangelis pieces like the Opening Titles, but a bit like Procession, Himalaya and Into Eternity too. Taking you somewhere by pausing through monotony ín the very movement of the music. Amazing how he always managed to do that.
Movement 4 Fractals 08:29
Another track in which I took ideas from Antarctica -you can immediately recognize the distinctive clap with loads of reverb and the staccato strings- but added some different ideas from his earlier work again. There's that trumpet synth sound, the electric piano and a little touch of jazz that go back to the Savage soundtracks.
Movement 5 Ulysses First Pass 06:12
A little hint at Vangelis' second name (Odysséas), but directly named after the space craft (which was originally called Odysseus by the way) and its lonely mission in the vastness of space. It sketches a fly-by of some heavenly object and it brings Rosetta to mind. I'm sure many people will be reminded of Soil Festivities too, come to think of it.
Movement 6 Metropole Sauvage 03:38
Instead of something of a soundtrack for the savage wilderness, as in Vangelis' work for Rossif, I chose to compose this, for a 'savage metropolis'. Perhaps even Bladerunner's Los Angeles. I played this live, like Wavelengths, and did layer with multiple tracks again. I don't have Vangelis' setup, but did want to implement his relying on immediate, flowing inspiration method.
Movement 7 Joy of Life 06:32
Ending on a high note, this track has a bit of a Multitrack Suggestion (on See You Later) kind of beat and a pulsating, driving arpeggio like on the Albedo and Pulstar records. Joyful and optimistic, it hopefully leaves the listener with a bit of a mental smile.
To me, making the music was a fascinating journey into listening to the man's work anew, paying attention to every little detail; his melodies, harmonies, playing and sound programming and sound effects... I'm nowhere near as good -and never will be- but a little spark...perhaps I may carry that on and share it with others.
Thank you for reading and listening!
"What we need more than anything else is to invest in beauty, because beauty is harmony… that comes from chaos. But we invest in chaos… because chaos is more profitable” -Vangelis
. Als Vangelis-fan kan ik dit alleen maar toejuichen. Ik kijk uit naar de enkele snippets en ben zeer benieuwd!
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