FANTASY BAND PROJECT

FANTASY BAND PROJECT

The rhythm section I chose for my fantasy band goes by the name Stuff. The main members of my band are Steve Gadd on drums and percussion, Gordon Edwards on bass, Eric Gale and Cornell Dupree on guitars, Richard Tee on keyboards and Jerry Harrison from The Talking Heads on keyboards, synthesizers and programing. The main performers will be Bjork and Thom Yorke. The style of music their unique combination of talents would create something revolutionary. I would like to call it euphoric fusion. The album they would create will consist of all original songs. The characteristics or style will be a blend of jazz, rock and electronica. It will also be a very theatrical and experimental opera that tells a story about a mermaid named Nautica that is evolving into a third gender human being due to the polluted ocean caused by humans. It is then faced with having to live in a whole new world with people that are contributing to destroy its original species. My contribution as a producer would be to incorporate the classic style of the rhythm section and get more experimental with the keyboards. Thom Yorke will be very instrumental when it comes to creating an obscure ambience to the music as well. I will also push the limits of Bjorks instrumentation with her ability to play the piano, flute and harp. The name of the band will be called Swimming With Butterflies. The title just came to me and I thought it was intriguing especially with the theme of the opera. When it comes to marketing I believe it would be better on a major label due to the success of all these musicians. Social media would definitely help market the band. I also believe that reaching out to fans of Radiohead and Bjork will also be beneficial.  

"Pareles, Jon. ''The New York Times'' January 24, 2004". New York Times. 2004-01-24. Retrieved 2011-11-04.

Björk – Biophilia". Australian Recording Industry Association. Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2011

PORNOGRAPHY ~ The Cure

PORNOGRAPHY ~ The Cure

The Cure has been one of the most influential bands of all time and is still recording and performing innovative music to this day. Along with bands such as Depeche Mode, The Smiths, Joy Division and Bauhaus, The Cure was no exception to help shape the dark 80’s music and influence the gothic music scene. The Cure created many genius and artistic monument albums that have gained critical success and some that have also been very underrated. The Head on the Door, Disintegration, Bloodflowers, Kiss me, Kiss me, Kiss me and The Top are just a few albums by the band that represent their many forms of art.

Pornography, released in 1982 was the conclusion to the trilogy of Seventeen Seconds and Faith. These three albums really set the stage for the dark side of the 80’s. The Tears for Fears album The Hurting, and Depeche Mode’s Black Celebration are prime examples of classic albums influenced by The Cure. Personally being a huge fan of The Cure for so many years and appreciating all their musical elements, Pornography really stands out for me in so many ways. Lyrically the album is very dark, some of my friends say they appreciate the work but look at it as a movie like Schindler’s List, a classic work of art but something you cant consume on a regular basis. Personally, this album to me speaks volumes and is very therapeutic.

Robert Smith stated regarding the album” I had two choices at the time, which were either completely giving in or making a record of it and getting it out of me”. It was an album so intimate and full of raw emotions, radio airplay or appreciation wasn’t even sought after. Needless to say the album is a “high-water mark for goth’s musical evolution” and “arguably the album that invented goth” according to Spin and NME.

In conclusion, I’m sure everyone has heard The Cure. I’m sure most people own at least one Cure album. If you haven’t heard Pornography in its entirety, please do. And don’t just hear it, really listen to it.

Apter, Jeff (2006). Never Enough: The Story of The Cure. Omnibus Press. ISBN 1844498271.

Beaujon, Andrew (April 2005). "66.6: Greatest Moments in Goth". Spin: 72. Retrieved 27 October 2012.

"Best Albums of the 1980s | Music | Slant Magazine". Slant Magazine. 5 March 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2012.

BLACK SABBATH~PARANOID

BLACK SABBATH ~ PARANOID

Black Sabbath was in the studio four months after they released the majorly successful debut album Black Sabbath. The outcome was the masterpiece album Paranoid. The album not only topped the UK album charts but also sold over four million copies in the United States with no radio airplay. There are many statements on how the album was titled or what it was originally going to be titled but regardless, Paranoid was a staple album at the time and has influenced many artists that have followed.

This album and Black Sabbath in general has made a huge impact on artists up and coming. Ozzy Osbourne, “The Prince of Darkness” has not only made a huge impact on the metal scene but the gothic scene as well. Bands such as Metallica, Slayer, Cradle of Filth etc., would not be what they are without Black Sabbath’s influence. The band has many characteristics that make them unique in their own way and in their own time. Some may consider their sound and image was the introduction to shock rock. Some may consider the lyrical content too controversial, especially in their time. With lyrical imagery labeled as evil by some people, others perceived it as a new rebellious style of rock and roll.

I personally love Black Sabbath, especially their first two albums. I honestly think if both albums were released as a double album, it would have been phenomenal. After all, the single to the song “Paranoid” was released with “The Wizard”. I own five Black Sabbath albums on vinyl but whenever I play their first album, Paranoid must follow. I have also seen Black Sabbath in concert one time and Ozzy in concert three times. I have seen the Ozzfest concerts with many bands performing stating what an influence Black Sabbath and Ozzy has been on them.

I see myself fitting into this this style of music with my own twist, now and five years down the road. I really appreciate the morbid twist to musical art and I naturally apply that to my own music. In my opinion it is freedom of expression. Some people still don’t get the concept of the song “War Pigs” that introduced Black Sabbath’s Paranoid album just as some people will not understand Marilyn Manson’s image or lyrical concepts. In my opinion, I believe it is genius and not necessarily shock rock. The people that are shocked in a negative way by these artists may need to take a look in the mirror and also look in the rearview as well.

"RIAA Gold & Platinum database-Paranoid". Retrieved 22 February 2009.

Black Sabbath Biography at Rolling Stone

Grammy Awards Prezi

http://prezi.com/s8cg0r0rrqr4/edit/#114_24309637

Peer Comments

http://christopherstolle1.wordpress.com/

Hello,

I really enjoyed your Kraftwerk post. You described the style of their music very well by stating that it is very precise, computer like and almost robotic. I appreciated how you analyzed their albums and discussed how the Man Machine album influenced Gary Numan in particular. I’m not sure how familiar you are with their work outside of what we studied for this class but it is insane how ahead of their time they were. I still have some vinyl’s of theirs that I had when I was a kid and it’s nostalgic to put on those records from time to time instead of playing the iPod. If you haven’t heard the Tour de France album yet, check it out. That was the album that introduced me to them.

KRAFTWERK

KRAFTWERK

The first time I was exposed to Kraftwerk was when I was about four years old. I don’t recall how I stumbled upon the record but I remember spinning the black circle of Tour de France Soundtracks on a regular basis. As a child, I was blown away by their sound as it stood out from the majority of the albums I owned. Intrigued to hear more of their work, I remember I had my mother take me to the Peaches record store and she bought the Trans-Europe Express album for me. This was the start of my addiction to electronic music and by the time I was about six or seven years old I was heavily into bands such as Ministry, Depeche Mode, New Order etc.

Kraftwerk, which means “Power Station” was formed by Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider and were pioneers in the field of electronic music. They didn’t just create music, they created art. With their electronic style they brought a whole new meaning to experimental music and paved the way for many artists.

The album Autobahn released in 1974 was way ahead of its time. Its an electronic album that includes violin and flute instrumentation and themed as a soundscape for traveling. Radio-Activity, their follow up album was a concept album dealing with nuclear activity as well as activity on the radio. Radio-Activity brought a whole new sound to the music scene and also bilingual, containing lyrics in English and German. Kraftwerk released Trans-Europe Express in 1977 and didn’t get the initial respect that it deserved but is now perceived as one of the best albums of all time. The main concept of the album was based on train travel across Europe. In 1978 the band released The Man-Machine and was the first album where they linked a sequencer to a drum machine and took on a more robotic feel to their style. Computer World was released in 1981 and the main theme of the album was technology and society.

Kraftwerk has definitely earned the position as one of the biggest influential bands of all time. The art they were creating in the early 70’s was just insane if you think about it. The obscure music and conceptual themes was just a staple in the electronic realm of music. The way they would utilize the vocoder and robotic instrumentation paved the way for many electronic and experimental artists to branch off and create more genres of music. Kraftwerk is simply inspiring. They inspire me as an artist to be creative and not succumb to the mediocrity that many bands fall into these days. Two of my favorite bands of all time are Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails and they wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for the genius of Kraftwerk.

Howard, D. N. (2004). Sonic alchemy: visionary music producers and their maverick recordings. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corp.

TRENT REZNOR

TRENT REZNOR

Trent Reznor is an artist, songwriter, musician and producer and the mastermind behind Nine Inch Nails. Influenced by artists such as David Bowie, Peter Murphy, Robert Smith and many others, Trent put his talents and creativity to use and reached critical success in 1989 with the Nine Inch Nails album Pretty Hate Machine. Following the success of the debut album, Broken was released and won a Grammy in 1993 for the song “Wish”. Reznor set up a studio in the house that the Charles Manson Murders took place and recorded The Downward Spiral. The album remains the highest selling Nine Inch Nails album to date and is probably my favorite album of all time. In 1999 The Fragile was released. It was a double album that experimented deeper into theatrical industrial music. Six years passed before the next Nine Inch Nails album due to personal issues that Trent was facing. When With Teeth released, it was a new beginning for Nine Inch Nails and with the immediate follow up Year Zero, Trent took electronic industrial music to a whole new level. The main themes to the albums were dealing with government corruption, religion and the apocalypse. Trent then released The Slip and Ghosts I-IV independently on his own label. Reznor has not only gained much success with his creations of Nine Inch Nails but also with producing and scoring film. He teamed up with Atticus Ross and scored The Social Network and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He has worked with and produced many bands such as Marilyn Manson, How to Destroy Angels, David Bowie, Saul Williams, etc. All of these artists have been influenced by Trents work as well. One great example is David Bowie, the albums Outside and Earthling are heavily influenced by Trent Reznor.

Trent Reznor has a huge impact on electronic music. Bands such as Linkin Park and Purity Ring really branched off of what Trent was doing in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Trent also continues to grow and get more experimental with his electronics. The album Hesitation Marks is a prime example. As a listener and industry professional, I am blown away by the works of Trent Reznor. He has influenced and inspired me in so many ways since I was a child and continues to impress me with his innovations to this day. I admire that he is pretty much a one-man band and creates and produces most of the music by himself on his albums and then hires a band to play live shows with him. I will conclude with stating, if you have not been to a live show of Nine Inch Nails, do so. I have seen them in concert eleven times and every tour gets better and better.

"Trent Reznor: Timeline". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 2006-12-18.

Ali, Lorraine (1994-03-18). Making Records – Where Manson Murdered Helter Shelter. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2007-11-11.