Originally Posted by YorkeDaddy

Entry 4: Character Development (Tracks 1-3)


Ok, so now you've got the lowdown on where we're coming from, our direction, and the style in which we create our work. Now it's time to dive head-first into the songs themselves! In this entry, the first three songs will observed from conception to recording, with analysis and explanation with respect to the whole album.

As we explained earlier, the first three tracks were as far as the initial planning really went; we needed an attention-getting first track that introduces the protagonist (who is still part of the 'system'), a track in which he becomes aware, and a track that introduces the regime itself. I guess the best place to start is at the first track, so that's where we'll begin!

1. The Fire This Time

Since we knew our biggest literary inspiration would ultimately be '1984,’ we wanted to start off with a tribute to something else. What better for a fiery first track than the cynical 'Fahrenheit 451' for inspiration? The auditory opportunities of depicting the novel's frightening book-burning were too vivid in my mind to pass up. However, the exact nature (or genre) of this depiction was subject to several changes! Prepare yourself for one of the longer song descriptions we'll write!

For a long time I messed around with slap bass licks, trying to find something that would represent the searing swagger of the novel's peace-keeping fire squad. I came up with a couple decent riffs, but it just wasn't feeling right. And, there was the problem that transitioning funky instrumental sections into the indie/alternative verses we would inevitably write might be a disastrous clash of genres! So it was back to the drawing board.

We refused to surrender this song to our niche of dark and pretty indie pop; we wanted to start off with a bang! So I turned to a classic rock/indie mix. The ambitious major chords were powerful enough, I thought, and they offered a better transition to the verses. It was during this period that those verses were actually written: a swooping melody that builds in drama over a chord progression hanging between C major and A harmonic minor. But ultimately the classic intro felt too generic and safe for us. We continued on the search for the appropriate attention-grabbing riff.

The whole time the lyrics were coming along in little chunks, revealing themselves to me in random and spontaneous bursts. They were inspired by, but not derivatives or references to, Bradbury's novel; the perfect balance. The name of the song was also chosen, 'The Fire This Time,' referencing the flames of the novel, as well as an inside joke from my year at Purdue and dealings with a certain organization (but THAT is another story).

The third musical incarnation of the song was the most breathtaking and long-lived. It was a pulsating and driving orchestral attack, created over hours of recording with keyboards and dozens of instrument settings, exact mixing (including panning each instrument to the seating arrangement of an orchestra), and the sound of flames. This neo-classical onslaught was very impressive, but began to bug us as we continued the album. Unfortunately it began to sound more and more absurd when compared to the heartfelt and simple arrangements of some other tracks. In the vein of true artists striving for perfection, we eventually scrapped the style and started again.

Fortunately the fourth version would be the final version. Wanting to keep some of the musical ideas from the orchestral arrangement, we sat down with electric guitars and banged it out. Keeping the same key and notes, but adding syncopation and rhythmic crunch (and a healthy dose of agile synth lead) we created a unique brand of indie pop/rock/dance that hard-presses the listener to avoid bobbing his or her head. We finally knew that we had it, and the slight irritation that the first track did not fit in with the rest disappeared.

2. One Private Moment

As soon as the upbeat and gripping first track ends and the protagonist quits singing about his job with the firemen, something happens. He sees a face, he hears a voice, he suddenly sees things in a new way, for a moment. Something has shaken his rusty heart, and knocked just a little bit of that rust off. As the post-track chaos of air-raid sirens and marching softens into a stately, muted guitar acoustic guitar riff, everything is different.

This track is mostly the work of Bryan; simple acoustic guitar arpeggiation that parallels the simplistic sentiment of the song. The exact tone of the instrument is something perhaps never heard before, as a bizarre combination of factors led up to its sound. It is a muted and thumpy, but very clear tone, and this is a result of the guitar on which it was played. It is the only track on which Bryan's acoustic/electric was used. However, much to my initial irritation, the instrument was strung with years-old strings when we began recording, resulting in a completely dead, floppy sound (the sound that you'll hear on the recording), but with surprising clarity due to the fact that the instrument was plugged in directly.

My contributions include changing the arrangement and adding the first couple of lines to better form the transition from the first track. This track truly feels like the scribblings of a frightened dissenter in a secret diary; it is the same voice as the first track that sings the lines, but with a complete change of emotion.

By the time the track (in typical Bryan fashion) transitions from the interesting verse to the refrain-like coda, the protagonist has made up his mind. He has not decided what action needs to be taken; nothing that major. He's come to a conclusion about something much simpler: he actually feels something, and he refuses to let go of it.

3. Welcome To The Party

So far all we know about the world this album depicts is from the thoughts of the protagonist. It is the job of the third track to be the first time we hear from the other side, the oppressive entity. When brainstorming for this song, we drew a lot of inspiration from ‘1984’ and its infamous ‘party.’ Then the thought hit us: Why not make a double edged song about both the Orwellian regime and a raucous late-night get-together? And on top of that make it in the style of an ominous indie-disco/dance tune? And on top of that, name it ‘Welcome To The Party,’ a painfully ironic dose of wordplay? The prospect of such supreme irony and room for pushing the genre boundary was exciting to us, so we went for it!

As per the character distinction of the album, this song demanded we further experiment and sing it through a creepy vocoder. The result is a song that could easily be very catchy if it didn’t have a strong sense of unease about it. The chirpy syncopated guitar backs the cold voice as it beckons the listener in, leading the ear eventually to a burgeoning synth solo (an instrument that begins to become apparent as a symbol of evil), all backed by a haunting ambient track created by Bryan that only adds to the uneasy feeling of the song.

With an infectious breakdown and some more repetitions of the chorus, our four minute glimpse into the inside of the ‘enemy’ is at its end and the listener gets to hear how the mental state of the protagonist is developing with the next track, a pretty little piece that Bryan will tell you all about in the next entry!

Stay tuned for more; we update twice a week. Also, feel very free to leave your thoughts and feedback and tell us which songs (if any) you most excited about hearing! A mid-August release is probable; we hope some of you are looking forward to it half as much as we are!