Anything about IR found on the net - Vol 3

It is sad that IR had to work with jokers like SPM. These guys went onto replace slowly the Mahendrans and the Balu Mahendras as the 80s went by and naturally both the films as well as the music paid a price for it.

How many songs can you name which is as richly orchestrated as ilamai itho itho or vaanam keezhe?

Name a Rajini album that is as audacious as Kazhugu?

ராஜா வஞ்சனை இல்லாம எல்லாருக்கும் வாரி வழங்கியிருக்கார்.. The film's content has hardly mattered.

SPM started his journey with IR with "Kaatrinil varum geedham" (Kandaen Engum, Chittirai chevaanam - All the songs were classics).  He was associated with IR for more than 30 films with "Pandian" being the last.  I think he has the record for working in most number of films with IR.  No one can ignore his neat / good films like Aarilirundhu Arubhadhuvarai, Engeyo Keata Kural, Bhuvana oru Kelvikuri, Rishi Moolam, Kavari Maan, etc.  For IR, whether it is KB or SPM or Steven Spielberg - They are one and the same for him..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdfpiRiG9W8
Psychological Exploration of Ilayaraja Songs -Uchi vagundheduthu

SPM under AVM banner might have compromised class for mass.
But as far as IR music is concerned, I relish all his "patti thotti" hits like "murattu kALai" or "mallavanukku nallavan" with the same enthusiasm as his arty works like in "sindhubhairavi" or "uthiripookkaL" or a "nandu". This only proves IR's enviable versatility .Otherwise our film industry would have slotted IR as an art film MD or grAmathu "folk" IR. Looking back. I am just glad that IR made a huge mark as a commercially viable MD and thank SPM , Panchu for this.

Sakalakala Vallavar wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdfpiRiG9W8
Psychological Exploration of Ilayaraja Songs -Uchi vagundheduthu

nanRi SKV, for sharing this video

While his language may prompt one to ridicule (தலைவன் தலைவி stuff  ), this is a commendable attempt.

Personally, however, most of the time I don't approach IR songs with the "appropriateness" of movie situation / director's vision / picturization etc, to get the whole emotional impact / connect  

The song in discussion itself is a "personally applicable" example for my approach.

When I first heard the song / loved it / felt for the person singing with strong pathos feeling etc, I was still a teen not knowing much about kalavi and absolutely nothing about kaLLakkalavi etc   

That way, even with zero understanding of the words / situation / story and stuff like that,  the song could have such a strong emotional impact on me. 

Since I watched no movies between sometime in 1975 & Oct 1981, also in a no-TV realm, my early intro / infatuation / love etc with IR's music was devoid of ANY visuals / movie situation / story / direction / actors' performance etc   

Which may be the reason for me to approach his music always as "simbly musical". 

However, I don't deny that each person approaches his music in his / her preferred way and there's no "best approach" thingy in art appreciation anyways

app, for most times i just play the youtube vid in background and listen songs. this one i have lazily watched much long back. i didnt even remember the vid. but when i saw this explanation, he explained even simple things nicely! like that உடுக்கை music, and sivakumar's expressions there! and the heroine deepa listening to gramfone and not his song... and that தாலாட்டு in 1st interlude! thats why i posted here! we need more vids like this!

I have few tweets on memory gain (after amnesia or a previous birth situations) involving Raaja's music.
While I thought there would be just a few, I am collecting quite a few.. How do i compile them here?

https://twitter.com/JVazhkudai/status/744181498153078784

 ராசாவிடமிருந்து எப்போது யாருக்கு என்ன கிடைக்கும் என்று யார் சொல்ல முடியும்?



Look at Malathi's kuzhappam:

The perplexing part is the submission that the concept is inspired by Ilaiyaraja’s sound track, ‘Growl,’ from the album, ‘Onaaiyum Aatukuttiyum’!

Sadha Sir......  oru thani Show nadathalam.................

andha time.. sound ellam romba different aga irundhadhu.. ipavum dhane....

Veenai sound.. Guitaril......... mudiyadhu nu solla mudiyadhu..... avare oru Guitarist........ 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ykJ84Hv3gY&feature=youtu.be

Guitar Prasanna....

https://www.facebook.com/Prasanna-7536103955/

Thanks Usha for the link.

I went into Prasanna's FB and found this interesting interview which is a must read for all music fans.

http://www.chandrantattvaraj.com/guru-intellect-guitar-prasanna/

However, harmonizing ICM - he talks around it and does not exactly nail it.

Usha, can you find out what CSR's view on this is?

ravinat,
  Welcome........ ungalin kelviku CSR reply... 

from CSR

The following summary bullet points are, and remain, as my understanding/interpretation of IR in a crude theoretical way, since early seventies.
-------------------------
Chords are fundamental building block and integral part of Harmony construction.
The chords are made of notes that are integral part of that particular Scale being used.
WCM having only two ragas (major and minor), that also having all 7 notes
But, ICM have hundreds of ragas, if not thousands, having notes 4 to 7, with millions of combinations.
So, it is obvious, forming chords for ICM, will certainly dis-obey, WCM rules.
Because, from WCM point of view, almost all other notes combinations, other than those two ragas, are dissonant notes hence theICM  harmonisation will be forming almost many dissonant chords or rare complex chords. WCM wants such “dis-sonant things” to be “treated” carefully (what they call resolution)
Having said that, for ICM listeners, ICM ragas are more pleasing and perfectly making sense (unlike the WCM listener)
So, these so called dissonant chords also might have made better sense to our ICM people. (unless they totally rule out the harmonisation itself as the alien/un-touchable concept)
But what Raja brilliantly does, is almost vast majority of the percentage of chords and their progression he uses, follow those WCM rules and are mostly make sense to WCM pundits, and even the few exceptions makes brilliant pleasant surprise to them, the way it is treated.
These are treated in such a way, (from individual melody line notes point of view, which are deeply rooted in ICM ), that few alien notes of ragas coming in the chords are brilliantly suppressed (given a miss) or treated with a kind of passing notes, which many times appearing as chromatic touch and go to the WCM listener. Or, it is never so far used complex chords and “how the hell he is using “
------------

For us the TFM listeners, he has enhanced the common shaded area of ICM Vs WCM circles, in such a way, now-a-days, there are no two different circles with “vettuganam” area  almost spread and completely occupied both circles.

Muthulingam's appreciation for IR

இலக்கண புலமையும் இலக்கிய புலமையும் இருக்கும் ஒரே இசையமைப்பாளர் இளையராஜா மட்டும்தான். ‘விருமாண்டி' படத்துக்காக பாட்டு எழுதும்போது என்னிடம் "மண்ணுக்கும் மணலுக்கும் என்னய்யா வித்தியாசம்' என்று கேட்டார். நான் ‘மண் இரண்டெழுத்து, மணல் மூன்றெழுத்து' என்றேன். ‘என்னய்யா சின்ன பையன் மாதிரி பதில் சொல்ற' என்று கோபப்பட்டார். ராஜா. 'மண் என்றால் உலகம், இடம், திருமண், செல்வம்' என்று பல அர்த்தங்கள் இருக்கிறது என்றேன். "வேறு ஒன்றும் தெரியவில்லையா' என்றார். ‘எனக்கு வேறு எதுவும் தெரியவில்லை' என்றேன். 

அப்புறம்தான் அவர் சொன்னார் "மண் ஒட்டும் தன்மை உள்ளது. மணல் ஒட்டாத தன்மை உடையது. மணல் என்பது காரணப் பெயர்' என்றார் இளையராஜா. நன்னூலில்கூட மரம், மண் என்பது இடுகுறி பெயர் என்றுதான் சொல்லப்பட்டிருக்கிறது. இளையராஜா ஒருவர்தான் அது காரணப்பெயர் என்று முதன் முதலில் சொல்லியிருக்கிறார். இதை தமிழறிஞர்களிடம் சொன்னால் ஏற்றுக் கொள்ள மாட்டார்கள்.

Usha wrote:ravinat,
  Welcome........ ungalin kelviku CSR reply... 

from CSR

The following summary bullet points are, and remain, as my understanding/interpretation of IR in a crude theoretical way, since early seventies.
-------------------------
Chords are fundamental building block and integral part of Harmony construction.
The chords are made of notes that are integral part of that particular Scale being used.
WCM having only two ragas (major and minor), that also having all 7 notes
But, ICM have hundreds of ragas, if not thousands, having notes 4 to 7, with millions of combinations.
So, it is obvious, forming chords for ICM, will certainly dis-obey, WCM rules.
Because, from WCM point of view, almost all other notes combinations, other than those two ragas, are dissonant notes hence theICM  harmonisation will be forming almost many dissonant chords or rare complex chords. WCM wants such “dis-sonant things” to be “treated” carefully (what they call resolution)
Having said that, for ICM listeners, ICM ragas are more pleasing and perfectly making sense (unlike the WCM listener)
So, these so called dissonant chords also might have made better sense to our ICM people. (unless they totally rule out the harmonisation itself as the alien/un-touchable concept)
But what Raja brilliantly does, is almost vast majority of the percentage of chords and their progression he uses, follow those WCM rules and are mostly make sense to WCM pundits, and even the few exceptions makes brilliant pleasant surprise to them, the way it is treated.
These are treated in such a way, (from individual melody line notes point of view, which are deeply rooted in ICM ), that few alien notes of ragas coming in the chords are brilliantly suppressed (given a miss) or treated with a kind of passing notes, which many times appearing as chromatic touch and go to the WCM listener. Or, it is never so far used complex chords and “how the hell he is using “
------------

For us the TFM listeners, he has enhanced the common shaded area of ICM Vs WCM circles, in such a way, now-a-days, there are no two different circles with “vettuganam” area  almost spread and completely occupied both circles.

Thanks Usha for sending me CSR's reply. This is a fantastic explanation that adds more to what he did with his blog. Million thanks for that.

While CSR articulates this very well, I have been using this approach as my yardstick, ever since I read his work.


However, dissonant chords become hard to figure out in Raja's work post 1990 with his heavy use of synthesized music. For example, Mandarapoo MooLi is set to Kaylani (not a sampoorna ragam) or Meetatha Oru Veenai set to Reethigowlai , a janya of karaharapriya, which is a sampoorana ragam.  Now, it will be great to understand how Raja deals with his synthesized notes in harmonizing both these ragas. If there is an illustration of how he works with the rules and does the treatment of these ragams in these compositions, by chord suppression this will make it an interesting illustration. Not sure, if CSR wants to get any deeper in this forum. We can take it offline, if he is fine with that.

Sharreth gets ecstatic as he talks on Raja . Explains about his music, re recording and many other interesting facts during his interactions with raja. The sound quality is not that great,however the discussion in Malayalam should be more or less self explanatory for the forum to digest :--)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R04dv1p5Ts

ravinat,
 CSRai kaetu solren...........

from Violin Vicky

 Ponvanam panneer thuvudhu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f8_tbICuK0


Dense and speedy Orchestration.........  Timings and the sound of the notes..... Soulful.............. Great one from VV........

Ella Nyanamum irundhal matumae ipadi vasika mudiyum..................... We are Gifted...............

one more song ........ Heavy orchestration......... Guruvayurappa...... amazing  orchestration. evergreen song..

Bhavam from violin vicky..............

Beautiful  one......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqwxPfZVO8c

Usha wrote:ravinat,
  Welcome........ ungalin kelviku CSR reply... 

from CSR

The following summary bullet points are, and remain, as my understanding/interpretation of IR in a crude theoretical way, since early seventies.
-------------------------
Chords are fundamental building block and integral part of Harmony construction.
The chords are made of notes that are integral part of that particular Scale being used.
WCM having only two ragas (major and minor), that also having all 7 notes
But, ICM have hundreds of ragas, if not thousands, having notes 4 to 7, with millions of combinations.
So, it is obvious, forming chords for ICM, will certainly dis-obey, WCM rules.
Because, from WCM point of view, almost all other notes combinations, other than those two ragas, are dissonant notes hence theICM  harmonisation will be forming almost many dissonant chords or rare complex chords. WCM wants such “dis-sonant things” to be “treated” carefully (what they call resolution)
Having said that, for ICM listeners, ICM ragas are more pleasing and perfectly making sense (unlike the WCM listener)
So, these so called dissonant chords also might have made better sense to our ICM people. (unless they totally rule out the harmonisation itself as the alien/un-touchable concept)
But what Raja brilliantly does, is almost vast majority of the percentage of chords and their progression he uses, follow those WCM rules and are mostly make sense to WCM pundits, and even the few exceptions makes brilliant pleasant surprise to them, the way it is treated.
These are treated in such a way, (from individual melody line notes point of view, which are deeply rooted in ICM ), that few alien notes of ragas coming in the chords are brilliantly suppressed (given a miss) or treated with a kind of passing notes, which many times appearing as chromatic touch and go to the WCM listener. Or, it is never so far used complex chords and “how the hell he is using “
------------

For us the TFM listeners, he has enhanced the common shaded area of ICM Vs WCM circles, in such a way, now-a-days, there are no two different circles with “vettuganam” area  almost spread and completely occupied both circles.

That's a great analysis.  One point though: from a 20th century and onwards classical perspective, dissonance would not be considered as 'against the rules'. Secondly, with the advent of blues, using 'wrong' notes (as per old classical theory) became the norm.  In my view, Pani Vizhum Malarvanam is really an excellent amalgam of blues/rock and Carnatic.  It suits our usually pretentious critics to name drop big classical composers to Raja (recall the John Cage joke) but it would be great if some interviewer could engage him as to his non classical Western influences.  His music is so up to date it is impossible he does not listen to those.  The larger point in CSR's analysis is bang on though: that is that IR has a way of innovating within the framework of rules of all the various Western and Indian genres he decides to blend.  This is why, yet again, in BRangan's blog discussion, people opined that they saw IR as in the same vein as the older Hindi composers or MSV/KV when his work is in fact so seminal.  He experiments boldly in concept while superficially not dragging listeners too far out of their comfort zone.

AbhiMusiq wrote:Sharreth gets ecstatic as he talks on Raja . Explains about his music, re recording and many other interesting facts during his interactions with raja. The sound quality is not that great,however the discussion in Malayalam should be more or less self explanatory for the forum to digest :--)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R04dv1p5Ts

Fantastic!

Thank you so much AbhiMusiq for sharing it here!

makkaLE, don't miss this - it's a treasure!  

What a flow - unadulterated, highly vocal & musically knowledgeable fan! 

When he talked about IR's gift to him - kaNgaL pongi vittana!

crimson king wrote:

Usha wrote:ravinat,
  Welcome........ ungalin kelviku CSR reply... 

from CSR

The following summary bullet points are, and remain, as my understanding/interpretation of IR in a crude theoretical way, since early seventies.
-------------------------
Chords are fundamental building block and integral part of Harmony construction.
The chords are made of notes that are integral part of that particular Scale being used.
WCM having only two ragas (major and minor), that also having all 7 notes
But, ICM have hundreds of ragas, if not thousands, having notes 4 to 7, with millions of combinations.
So, it is obvious, forming chords for ICM, will certainly dis-obey, WCM rules.
Because, from WCM point of view, almost all other notes combinations, other than those two ragas, are dissonant notes hence theICM  harmonisation will be forming almost many dissonant chords or rare complex chords. WCM wants such “dis-sonant things” to be “treated” carefully (what they call resolution)
Having said that, for ICM listeners, ICM ragas are more pleasing and perfectly making sense (unlike the WCM listener)
So, these so called dissonant chords also might have made better sense to our ICM people. (unless they totally rule out the harmonisation itself as the alien/un-touchable concept)
But what Raja brilliantly does, is almost vast majority of the percentage of chords and their progression he uses, follow those WCM rules and are mostly make sense to WCM pundits, and even the few exceptions makes brilliant pleasant surprise to them, the way it is treated.
These are treated in such a way, (from individual melody line notes point of view, which are deeply rooted in ICM ), that few alien notes of ragas coming in the chords are brilliantly suppressed (given a miss) or treated with a kind of passing notes, which many times appearing as chromatic touch and go to the WCM listener. Or, it is never so far used complex chords and “how the hell he is using “
------------

For us the TFM listeners, he has enhanced the common shaded area of ICM Vs WCM circles, in such a way, now-a-days, there are no two different circles with “vettuganam” area  almost spread and completely occupied both circles.

That's a great analysis.  One point though: from a 20th century and onwards classical perspective, dissonance would not be considered as 'against the rules'. Secondly, with the advent of blues, using 'wrong' notes (as per old classical theory) became the norm.  In my view, Pani Vizhum Malarvanam is really an excellent amalgam of blues/rock and Carnatic.  It suits our usually pretentious critics to name drop big classical composers to Raja (recall the John Cage joke) but it would be great if some interviewer could engage him as to his non classical Western influences.  His music is so up to date it is impossible he does not listen to those.  The larger point in CSR's analysis is bang on though: that is that IR has a way of innovating within the framework of rules of all the various Western and Indian genres he decides to blend.  This is why, yet again, in BRangan's blog discussion, people opined that they saw IR as in the same vein as the older Hindi composers or MSV/KV when his work is in fact so seminal.  He experiments boldly in concept while superficially not dragging listeners too far out of their comfort zone.

CK

  Can't agree more. However, BRangan blog is all for popularity and there is no sincere attempt to understand what Raja does. Let us not go there. I will not drag CSR's name unnecessarily unless it is a serious question that he needs to respond. He has written all basics already in his blog and every serious Raja fan must read it. My point was more about Prasanna skating around the question of harmonizing ICM. This is serious stuff and I will be glad to hear counter points to Raja's methodology. However, there has not been one worthwhile composer who can talk or walk the talk.

  Even Raja's 21st century work is shrouded in mystery and it takes a few solid experts to analyze this and get our heads around. We started to understand a lot of Raja's 80s work only after late 90s. Even today, most analysis (including some of mine) are focused on his 80s work. He is so freaking ahead of time that only the chasm is widening.

  In the interest of transparency, when I traced his synth work, at times he applies his 80s ideas and in other occasions, he throws a curve ball that I completely miss. There are tons of such misses and we need to seriously make some mistakes, fall down, get up and walk so that we will understand it eventually. I do not think, I am even armed with the right arsenal to take on such a combat.

  Have we understood the way he has been creating the NEPV style work? (I called it another indescribable Raja genre) - you cannot apply your good old harmony rules as he is breaking it while following it. Most of us pass things off as his use of syncopation and clever rhythm arrangement. There is more to it.  In his Rudramadevi and Abhaiyetho Ammaiyi, he uses techniques that appear to me that is a further refinement of his NEPV genre. We are so far behind that it will take us ages to catch up.

  The other day, I was hearing 'Thatharam' from Guru (Malayalam 1995). How many of us have figured this composition? He starts off with a clever rhythm and you try to follow it only to find that he throws a typical light melody and when you are trying to almost dismiss it as another typical film song, he throws in a Western choir and when you try to catch that, he will complete that with a female folk chorus. When all this is going on, he will change the rhythm and throw you off base. This is a magnum opus composition that we have not figured out fully till date.

  I only wish I get all 12 hours of my wakeup time to listen, analyze and understand the mind of this rare genius. The desire may be there, but one needs to have very deep training in understanding music at the atomic level like he does to figure out everything he does.

  Sorry for the long post. The BRangan type of reference set me off on what should be the pure pursuit of any Raja fan.

Ravi,

It is a bit late now so only posting a few observations. More tomorrow

1. WCM has multiple modes or scales which are equivalent to our sampoorna ragas. The major and minor are the most popular but they are not the only two. Even in minor they have two minor scales, Harmonic Minor and Melodic Minor. One mapping to Natabhairavi and another to Keeravani. They have the Dorian mode which is equivalent to Karaharapriya and the Lydian mode which is equivalent to Kalyani and so on. 

2. Chords are also known as triads. They are the basic type of chords. if you sound three notes together it is a chord. There are very strict rules on which three notes can be sounded together

3. If you take a scale, we can derive different chords starting from its tonic node or Shadjam. You can either get all chords which are within the scale or you will have to get some chords which are not in the scale. That will cause a bit of dissonance

4. Getting chords for some carnatic ragas is very challenging especially the vivadi ragas and vakra ragas. Here is where Raja excels. He does magic to ensure he has the harmony, he is following the grammar and still sounds so good

5. Kalyani is a sampoorna ragam. 

More later

Raaga_Suresh wrote:Ravi,

It is a bit late now so only posting a few observations. More tomorrow

1. WCM has multiple modes or scales which are equivalent to our sampoorna ragas. The major and minor are the most popular but they are not the only two. Even in minor they have two minor scales, Harmonic Minor and Melodic Minor. One mapping to Natabhairavi and another to Keeravani. They have the Dorian mode which is equivalent to Karaharapriya and the Lydian mode which is equivalent to Kalyani and so on. 

2. Chords are also known as triads. They are the basic type of chords. if you sound three notes together it is a chord. There are very strict rules on which three notes can be sounded together

3. If you take a scale, we can derive different chords starting from its tonic node or Shadjam. You can either get all chords which are within the scale or you will have to get some chords which are not in the scale. That will cause a bit of dissonance

4. Getting chords for some carnatic ragas is very challenging especially the vivadi ragas and vakra ragas. Here is where Raja excels. He does magic to ensure he has the harmony, he is following the grammar and still sounds so good

5. Kalyani is a sampoorna ragam. 

More later

Suresh

   I know you are not done with your post and will follow it with more posts.


   All the info that you have provided is already there in CSR's work.


  Technically, the issue is this: When Raja chooses a ragam - main or janyam, he needs to work the chords for the chosen ragam. Now Raja also does several things - a simple case where he turns this into chords following the driver - example, Raathiriyil poothirukkum - the driver for this composition is the Carnatic ragam of Hamsanandhi and he goes through the process you described. This is vintage 1980s style.


  A slightly more complex case is one where he does all that for the vocal parts and writes fully Western parts for his interludes and manages them seamlessly - example, Poonkathave Thaazthiravaai in MMG or Ananda Ragam in Brindavana Saranga or Manjal Veyyil in Kalyani. It is hard to define what drives what. All the three songs I have listed here are super hits where 99% of the listeners simply do not care about the orchestration.


  The next level of complexity is when he modulates his Western scales and he builds his vocal melodies based on a mix of ragams or stuff that you cannot ICM identify. Example, Ilampani Thuli vizhum neram. Try dissecting this old 1981 number or a song like Deva Sangeetham where the main song is very Indian in melodic structure (don't know the ragam) but he fuses it with his harmony in the interludes seamlessly. While Deva sangeetham is simple western harmony, it is very hard to put your finger on the interludes of Ilam pani.


  Even more complex case are his 21st century work such as Swasanthin thaalam or Punnami Puvvai - it is easier to understand some parts but not the whole. I have blogged about Swaasathin Thaalam purely from a synthesized arrangement PoV and I tried to state that it uses his staple western harmony but it is much more than that.


  This is the reason for my asking CSR to walk me through some of his recent work as most theories are from the 80s.


  It will be great if we can explore these compositions and get slightly below the surface.

Ravinat, Suresh:

Enjoying your technical discussions.  I am a musical novice - the only thing I know is that, as IR pointed out, whatever he tunes it somehow captivates me.  I was listening to Garjanai songs today - typically I would listen to may favorites Enna Sugamana and Varuvai Anbe - today I listened to all the songs like Oru Ooril, Vandhdhu - I was just blown away by the guitar work and the multiple layers of orchestration.  IR composed for Kazhugu and Garjanai in succession and for those two movies he suddenly changed to a more funkier mode.  It will be great to hear your technical analysis as you typically do for those 2 albums.  My favorites in Kazhugu are Ponnoviyam and Kadhal Ennum Theril.  (when I hear the younger generation who go ga ga over Rajni's songs with ARR and now this one with Kabali, it  is sad that they dont realize that IR has done much more than what these guys offer much earlier and the songs they go ga ga over pales in comparison with the variety and the depth of the songs IR had given Rajni)

It will also be great to read your analysis on Ir's guitar work.  Typically the discussion goes to Ilaiya Nila but there are so many, many songs that have brilliant guitar work - sometimes unexpected songs like Poonthendrale from Bhuvana Oru Kelvikuri.

Suresh

   I always end up screwing up a few things on CCM, when I do it without reference. Some day, I need to get better at this.

   However, my questions to CSR were based on a thorough understanding of Raja's scale shifts or modulations he does in many of his compositions. However, these modulations have become increasingly difficult with modern electronics and that has been my complaint. 

http://csr-wcmlessons-2.blogspot.ca/

  Read CSR's lessons 41 to 48, where he walks you through the IR thinking process. As someone, who understands WCM, I found this to be the best interpretation of Raja's work and has always served as a reference on anything I write on Raja.

  Raja is no boy composer who gets enamored by new toys. He definitely has a technique and most likely he is either simulating his older technique with electronics (unlikely) or found new ways to write and conduct music with the electronics. I am interested in knowing more about what he does exactly. Some of his compositions have several things going on, it gets hard to figure things out.

  As a throwback, I was writing a blogpost yesterday for a small clip from one of the interludes of O Butterfly (1992). I was able to extract a pattern that I was looking for. However, in order to be doubly sure, I play the composition in slow speed. To my surprise, I found that within 17 seconds, there was 25 melodies that were playing out in 3 layers. 

  I hope I am starting on a new process of learning something about what he does with his layers. There are several ideas that are part of the 25 melodies that I am talking about and it is not a serial arrangement of rapid fire melodies.