Moving towards something more recent and not a remix, here's some thoughts on something from the new Flying Lotus. If you have not heard this track or seen the video clip you can click to play it above. In this entry I'd like to talk firstly about the some of the intertwining sounds in this track that create a sound landscape and make for some really beautiful visual/aural experiences.
The music begins and ends in the ocean, symbolized by samples of deep, bubbling water layered with the 'pressurized' sounds of distant whale calls or perhaps just the sound of water currents flowing around your head. The mixing dynamics of beginning the track with predominantly bottom-end features which then support the higher sounds that filter in is something that I've noticed with a few of my listening diary tracks lately. I think the illusion of under-water sounds are great piece of symbolic sound 'imagery' or 'device' for employing this. We can all relate to the difference in sound we experience underwater and hence it's effective in making an intro grow into a larger spectrum with the progression of the piece.
The drone of these layers eventually blend with the barking of dogs, the wind and a static 'interference' drone. From this point the sounds build up further with vocals, clicks and a gunshot among other processed percussive and droning sounds.
The next section is transitioned into with the rhythmic 'flutter' of a helicopter passing overhead. Bringing about the juxtaposition in sound is an acoustic guitar melody underpinned by a choir, bass guitar strings and chopped vocal samples. The result is a very smooth sound and release of tension from the drama that precedes it.
We hear the return of the complex and primary percussive sounds that characterize the Flying Lotus in the next section. The melody set up by the acoustic guitar section is left behind and replaced with the inclusion of a loose and 'wonky' swung groove. The sparkling elements of this section are the focus with bells, cymbals and tambourines occupying a large amount of the mix. The space that this creates is taken advantage of with a couple of bass hits/drops that catch me off-guard (this is good) just before the finale.
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