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Reviews for "The Emperor and the Nightingale"

The Emperor and the Nightingale
by Ivan Chew
Recommends (17)
Sun, Nov 7, 2010 @ 1:57 AM
 
debbizo
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permalink   Sun, Nov 7, 2010 @ 2:03 AM
Wow! Really unusual.I like what you’ve done with the Nightingale, especially near the beginning. And the percussion…change of musical phrase / style / pace.
 
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permalink   Ivan Chew Mon, Nov 8, 2010 @ 6:11 AM
I wasn’t sure how this would turn out. Usually I try to create something with a fixed tempo and discernible melody. Tempo-wise, I took the cue from Gurdonark’s samples, so if it worked, it’s largely his credit too! Thanks for listening :)
Abstract Audio
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permalink   Sun, Nov 7, 2010 @ 2:07 AM
Well it certainly gives me the feeling I’m in one of those birdhalls you find at the zoo.
And this soundscape/remix proberbly would fit on one of those cd’s you can by in the giftshop over there.
 
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permalink   Ivan Chew Mon, Nov 8, 2010 @ 6:16 AM
Quote: Abstract AudioAnd this soundscape/remix proberbly would fit on one of those cd’s you can by in the giftshop over there.Thanks! Where I live, there’s a bird park whose factsheet says they are “the largest bird park in the world”. Someday I’ll work up the courage to write in and ask if they’d like to use this track! lol. But seriously, I appreciate your comment. Thanks again.
timberman
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permalink   Sun, Nov 7, 2010 @ 2:22 AM
Absolutely beautiful! For me, a journey into the inner soul of an Asian garden.
 
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permalink   Ivan Chew Mon, Nov 8, 2010 @ 6:17 AM
I’ve been wondering when I’d ever find the opportunity to use your Nightingale sample. Glad it happened with the secret remix. :)
gurdonark
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permalink   Sun, Nov 7, 2010 @ 3:44 AM
from the Hans Christian Anderson story:
“I will sit on a bough outside your window, in the evening, and sing to you, so that you may be happy, and have thoughts full of joy. I will sing to you of those who are happy, and those who suffer; of the good and the evil, who are hidden around you. The little singing bird flies far from you and your court to the home of the fisherman and the peasant’s cot. I love your heart better than your crown; and yet something holy lingers round that also. I will come, I will sing to you; but you must promise me one thing.”
“Everything,” said the emperor, who, having dressed himself in his imperial robes, stood with the hand that held the heavy golden sword pressed to his heart.
“I only ask one thing,” she replied; “let no one know that you have a little bird who tells you everything”.

I love the way you’ve used so many disparate samples to give the song a free and narrative feeling. I think it’s great that remixes allow one to create little cinematic experiences, all in 3 or 4 minutes.

Here the story-telling nature of the piece stands out—and I’m enveloped in a great cloud of artificial birdsong and truth revealed in fantasy.

I also like that you’re taken my simple ideas in songs and fleshed them out with more dynamic mixing choices. I don’t tend to fill out my songs all that well, and it’s fun to hear your additions. Thanks for remixing me! It’s a story well told.
 
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permalink   Ivan Chew Mon, Nov 8, 2010 @ 6:26 AM
It must be true that birds of a feather flock together… ok lame :) Coincidentally, that last line is my favourite from the Hans Christian Anderson version. I’m glad this remix made sense to you. This may sound contradictory but your samples were both easy and hard to remix. “Easy” because your samples leave the remixer lots of room to improvise. And “hard” because all I seem to find (via the search function) were drone samples. I was thinking hard how to get your samples to be WITH the track, rather than as background. I’m glad it seems to work out well. Thanks!!!
Admiral Bob
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permalink   Sun, Nov 7, 2010 @ 3:54 AM
Funny that Gurdonark’s own entry today should be a bird song. :)

I definitely like all the far east touches to this. It adds a definitely melodic and rhythmic note to the atonality, bringing order to the chaos.
 
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permalink   Ivan Chew Mon, Nov 8, 2010 @ 6:47 AM
Heh, I slapped on the “experimental” tag just in case the atonal part didn’t work! And yes, I was surprised that Gurdonark’s own submission was about a bird. Birds of the same feather… (ok, once is bad enough but repeating the quotation twice? hahaha)
Speck
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permalink   Sun, Nov 7, 2010 @ 4:31 AM
Gurdonark times nine. Has a naturalistic flow of elements and yes, very much like a story being told. With enough new developments to keep one intrigued throughout. Really well done.
 
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permalink   Ivan Chew Mon, Nov 8, 2010 @ 6:49 AM
Hey Speck, I’m not ashamed to admit that once I decided that the remix would be a musical version of a story, I asked myself: “Now how would Speck do this?”. And I listened to a few of your uploads to get a feel of how you did your remixes :)
 
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permalink   Speck Mon, Nov 8, 2010 @ 1:02 PM
No way! Do you believe that while I listened to this I briefly allowed myself to wonder if I was an influence? Uncanny.
 
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permalink   Ivan Chew Mon, Nov 8, 2010 @ 7:04 PM
HA!!! I’m sure there’s a way to describe “Speck” as a music genre (this Secret Remix just gets better and better, heh).
Lars J. Brouwer
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permalink   Sun, Nov 7, 2010 @ 7:51 AM
Clean and clear sounding. To me, good choices in variation!
 
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permalink   Ivan Chew Mon, Nov 8, 2010 @ 7:00 AM
Thanks for listening and commenting :)
urmymuse
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permalink   Sun, Nov 7, 2010 @ 8:24 AM
I enjoyed walking through the glitchy garden that you have created Ivan, suprise round every corner … very nice
 
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permalink   Ivan Chew Mon, Nov 8, 2010 @ 7:01 AM
Thanks! I think this remix might be an acquired taste. heh.
Snowflake
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permalink   Sun, Nov 7, 2010 @ 9:08 AM
this is brilliant. you really made excellent use of gurdonark’s samples and sounds. i’m meditating in a zen garden with birds flying around me and clouds moving swiftly overhead.
 
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permalink   Ivan Chew Mon, Nov 8, 2010 @ 7:02 AM
Quote: snowflakei’m meditating in a zen garden with birds flying around me and clouds moving swiftly overhead.I’ll see if I can find public domain or CC licensed video samples to make a MV for this! Thanks for listening!!!
 
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permalink   Snowflake Mon, Nov 8, 2010 @ 7:51 AM
if you do, let me know! that sounds very cool.
Papa_Zulu
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permalink   Sun, Nov 7, 2010 @ 10:55 PM
I really like this Ivan! For me, it did tell a story. Reminded me of a short film I recently saw.
 
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permalink   Ivan Chew Mon, Nov 8, 2010 @ 7:03 AM
Hey, I’m glad it worked for you. You didn’t mean a Pixar short animation, did you? The one with the (what else) birds sitting on a wire? LOL
 
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permalink   Papa_Zulu Mon, Nov 8, 2010 @ 6:34 PM
No, it was an independant film, but computer animated about a cat and mouse living together, only there were no words said but a background track kinda similar to your remix which really brought out what was going on. Ill have to find it again. It won in one of the film festivals.
Revlin
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permalink   Sun, Nov 7, 2010 @ 11:32 PM
This is the cartoon I dream about every night and in the morning all I can remember is that I was being very happy and having lots of fun, but now I’m awake {:( Thanks for making my dream a reality :)
 
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permalink   Ivan Chew Mon, Nov 8, 2010 @ 7:19 AM
Haha, glad I could help. Thanks for listening and commenting!
SackJo22
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permalink   Tue, Nov 9, 2010 @ 8:34 PM
In addition to the splendid narrative aspect of the piece noted above, I love how you created something that sounds like both you and Gurdonark. I really enjoyed listening. You combined the ambient samples with the Asian instruments and birdsong delightfully. Bravo!
 
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permalink   Ivan Chew Wed, Nov 10, 2010 @ 7:08 AM
Thanks Susan. Come to think of it, I have to credit Hans Christian Andersen, for without the story, I wouldn’t have the idea in the first place. And I think the narrative would not have made sense to everyone else. Thanks for your kind words!
Sturzstrom
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permalink   Thu, Dec 23, 2010 @ 9:57 PM
very nice and creative. I might have to have a play with this ! :)
 
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permalink   Ivan Chew Fri, Dec 24, 2010 @ 12:28 AM
thanks! i hope you do. cheers!