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Organic Silk


by

kristyjo

 Genre: Classical
No artwork

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Description
This is a reworking of 'Silk Brocade' from last week. I've reworked the themes a bit, increased the tempo, and changed instrumentation to be mostly midi representations of Asian instruments. Several Chinese strings & flutes, a Japanese flute and koto, and the Asian drum kit. I kept the bass synth part, because I like it, and there isn't really anything that I could find in that range in the Asian instruments. I hope you enjoy it.
Synth version 'Silk Brocade'
Song Stats
Hits: 1579
Comments: 34
Fans: 12
Plays: 208
Downloads: 88
Votes: 5
Uploaded: May 12, 2007 - 11:13:01 AM
Last Updated: May 12, 2007 - 05:08:21 PM Last Played: Oct 09, 2009 - 07:22:10 PM
Song License
Creative Commons License:
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

Creative Commons

Song Actions
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Hardware:
PowerBook, Edirol controlloer
Software:
GarageBand
Comments
said 910 days ago (May 12th, 2007)
bang a gong
Love when the gongs come in... This sounds realy good for synth instruments.. I am glad I stopped in for a listen. Oh I hope you dont mind me asking is that realy a pcture of you on your artist page. Just curiouse
kristyjo said 909 days ago (May 13th, 2007)
Thanks for stopping by!
The gongs are one of my favorite parts, too. The picture is my school pic from last year (I'm a teacher.) No, it's not some random model posing as me :)
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus
cjhoose said 909 days ago (May 13th, 2007)
I'm finding it amusing...
because I work at an organic apparel store, and come into frequent contact with organic silk. ;)

But, ahem, to the matter at hand! I. Love. Chinese and Japanese instruments. The erhu sounds particularly lovely... but a quarter of the way through everything explodes... and it doesn't matter because it's all sheer musical ecstacy from there on out!
Check out my latest song called Julia
kristyjo said 909 days ago (May 13th, 2007)
Hi cj
It's great that you stopped by. The title really has little to do with silk, other than I am a fabric nut, and this is real sounding Asian instruments on a piece that I'd originally written for synth sounds, thus the idea of organic. Glad I tickled your funny bone with that. I'm also glad you enjoyed listening to it.
Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Doadars Uncle said 909 days ago (May 13th, 2007)
So Cool!
Faved and downloaded! Expressive with clean rhythms. As I listen, it keeps evolving. I love the many facets!

Doug
Check out my latest song called Capitalist's Drag
kristyjo said 906 days ago (May 16th, 2007)
Thanks for commenting!
The various voices are really neat to play with, and really worked well with the number of different themes that this ended up with. My original, Silk Brocade, was a bit smoother and fuller sounding, but the textures in this are closer to (my idea of) Asian music. Glad you enjoyed it!
Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus
said 906 days ago (May 16th, 2007)
I didn't think...
...the original needed re-working...but now that I've listened to this versionI'm glad you did! Exquisite beauty! You really nailed the spirit of this piece Kristy!

Be well!
said 905 days ago (May 17th, 2007)
Dang it!
...Now I've got an uncontollable urge to sit through all twelve episodes of SHOGUN! See what you did?

---
"We are put upon this earth a little space that we might learn to bear the beams of love." (William Blake)
kristyjo said 905 days ago (May 17th, 2007)
Amagi...
Is that anything like having the song 'Tomorrow' running through your head over and over while you're trying to get to sleep? (I just performed that with my 6th grade students for their concerts this week.)
I'm glad you liked this reworking. it really wasn't meant to be a replacement piece. Just a different way to listen to the music. I'm still fascinated with the idea that I can change the way something sounds so easily. When I was in composition classes in college, we were still writing by hand, depending upon other students to play our compositions (but only when they were done working on other stuff.) Totally at the whim of other musicians to actually HEAR our music. I am still in awe of the ability to change voicings at will. Thanks for your positive comments!
Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus
guitapick said 905 days ago (May 17th, 2007)
I love the erhu....
...good friend of mine from a while back played it beautifully. I've always felt it's the closest instrument to the human voice...

You've captured the sound of the region very nicely here, kristyjo. I love this. Very impressive. Was this just with GB...or did you use the World Music JamPack? It's really nice...

bob
Check out my latest song called Outside the Corral
kristyjo said 903 days ago (May 19th, 2007)
Cool...
A friend who actually plays the ehru. I've never heard or seen it played live. This is instruments from the World JamPack. Also, a couple from the original GB and the Symphony Orchestra pack. The only problem is there is no 'strum' on the string instruments, so there isn't a real sustain on those instruments. Thanks for listening and for your always gracious & interesting comments.
Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Peter Bauckham said 903 days ago (May 19th, 2007)
Nice arrangement
I love those instruments - and these midi representations are sounding pretty good to me. I enjoyed this very much. I will have a listen to the other version as well. Thanks for sharing. Peter
Check out my latest song called All The Same (CBGB) (Last Chance Challenge)
kristyjo said 903 days ago (May 20th, 2007)
Thanks for stopping by
I'm glad the midi instruments sound good to your ears. Sometimes when I've been working for awhile on a piece, I can't listen with fresh ears, so it's hard for me to tell. Thank you for listening and for your comments.
Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Feter said 902 days ago (May 21st, 2007)
enjoyed !!
I liked best the flutes ....!!
kristyjo said 901 days ago (May 21st, 2007)
Thanks for listening!
I like the flutes, too. But I also like the string instruments. They all add something important to the whole piece. It was a lot of fun to use instruments that were unfamiliar to me, and make them work together to create a finished piece. I'm glad you stopped by.
Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Feter said 901 days ago (May 21st, 2007)
the new phase
what I m imprtessed with here this is
totaly unfamiliar Orchstration ..and you
manage to arrange them so wonderfull ...
this is awesome my friend !!
Axgrinder said 897 days ago (May 25th, 2007)
Wow!
This is impressive I must say! I enjoyed this. Nice work Kristy. I think you pretty much nailed the asian theme you were obviously going for. Thanks for sharing. Oh yeah, I agree, the gongs are a nice touch at the end!
Check out my latest song called Dark Circus
kristyjo said 896 days ago (May 26th, 2007)
Thanks, Ax!
I guess there are a lot of percussionists at heart here. The gong is the fav instrument of a lot of the folks who've commented. It really does add to the oriental flavor of the piece. I'm looking forward to hearing some new stuff from you in the near future, too.
Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus
peacepiano said 896 days ago (May 26th, 2007)
Very Nice
I like the strings and flutes a lot. The percussion is well placed (something I have a lot of trouble with). Over all a pleasant sonic journey. Thanks for sharing.
Check out my latest song called I Should Have Known
kristyjo said 895 days ago (May 27th, 2007)
Thanks for stopping by
I'm glad you liked those percussion parts. As I noted somewhere above, There are so many choices in both the orchestral and Asian drum kits, that it took me a long time to find what I really wanted, and then a long time to get it all played at the right times. (thank goodness for quantization!) It was a lot of fun to play around with, though! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus
h0ss302 said 896 days ago (May 26th, 2007)
Nice work with the strings
i like what you did with the strings, makes it sound authintic(if thats how you spell it) it almost sounds like something from a documentary
Check out my latest song called Twisted Emotions Extended Cut
kristyjo said 888 days ago (June 3rd, 2007)
Hi h0ss, glad you listened!
I really enjoyed working with the string sounds available in the World Music JamPack. I actually had to look up some of the instruments, as I wasn't familiar with them before. Thanks for your comments.
Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Enrique Gil said 892 days ago (May 31st, 2007)
Hi Kristy!
I think your beautiful song sets the tune for my upcoming trip to China in July! I have always been intigued by the (to me) exotic sounds of Oriental music, so different from Western Classical, yet so beautiful and soothing. If I didn't know better I would say you were born in Jiangsu! Thank you for sharing this piece. I really enjoyed it.
Check out my latest song called Simple Feelings
kristyjo said 888 days ago (June 3rd, 2007)
Wow! a trip...
to China. That sounds so exciting! Hopefully, you'll have a chance to hear some of the real authentic music from that part of the world. I'm sure you'll enjoy your time there. Good luck!
Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus
echoroom said 888 days ago (June 3rd, 2007)
Sothing
This is a lovely piece, Kirstyjo - a really impressive piece of orchestration. It feels very light and natural, and the wash of cymbals adds a nice touch of drama. The whole track has a lovely progression that keeps you hooked right up to the end.

Really nice work, delicate as a butterfly!

Steve
Check out my latest song called Deeper (w/t Racerat)
kristyjo said 875 days ago (June 16th, 2007)
Thanks for listening
I appreciate your comments. I think this has a more delicate sound than the original, and it was interesting getting a legato feel out of so many plucked instruments.
Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Magritte said 880 days ago (June 11th, 2007)
Just beautiful.
Such a rush of emotion when the gongs come in! You did a fantastic job of making the instruments sound acoustic, something I'm always striving for with the JP sounds. This is a really lovely piece, wonderful job!
Check out my latest song called Tango Macabre
paul f. page said 874 days ago (June 17th, 2007)
Organic...
...AND silk! Kristyjo, this has a sustained flavor throughout that is very pleasant, like a little tea garden in the spring. Nice mix of gong and the temple blocks later on. Just the right mix of percussion to accompany that plaintive Japanese flute (sacuhatchi???) I really love the mood you've been able to create here. Wonderfully peaceful.
Paul
Check out my latest song called Dies Irae
timothy devine said 820 days ago (August 10th, 2007)
hey
I just listened to 'Silk Brocade' and then opened this up.
I am more interested in this version. It holds my interest more. You have a great warmth in the overall sound of the piece.
I liked 'Silk Brocade' but i kinda got lost in the overtones of the synth sounds swirling around.

The Asian overtones get lost in 'Silk Brocade' and here they cant be mistaken.
I'd like a mixture of both, like half throtle on each sound, mixed in and out to form a new genre...synthasian...
don't mind me

you are really good
peace

Check out my latest song called Mankind Needs a Change/WoodstockII
kristyjo said 820 days ago (August 11th, 2007)
Synthasian-
Yeah, that's it!
I really would have loved a 'strum' sound on some of the string instruments, because that IS authentic, and necessary to a legato sound, but alas - trying to get a strum through the keyboard is impossible, and trying to draw in a strum with the pencil tool makes a sound like a Chinese machine gun - not good.
Thanks for commenting - it helps me take a fresh listen to the music, too.
Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Estella said 782 days ago (September 17th, 2007)
kristy
this is utterly beautiful.
Check out my latest song called Este Momento
kristyjo said 782 days ago (September 17th, 2007)
Thanks, estelle,
It's been awhile since I've been relaxed enough, with time to do much writing. It's so nice to see that you've come to listen to something I've written. I also enjoyed listening to your offerings here at MJ.
Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus
davisamerica said 742 days ago (October 27th, 2007)
kristy
still catching up on tunes i missed. delicate was used several times in commments and i agree...delicate and beautiful....you bring so much to your work....enjoyed..downloaded and will continue discovering more of your beautiful work
Check out my latest song called No Son(egobandit band)
slumbering said 542 days ago (May 14th, 2008)
Lovely...
I don't know what else to say, this is lovely. It takes me far away to the East. :)
Check out my latest song called Over the Sea
Artist Info
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Name: Kristine Johanek
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I've been performing, composing and teaching music for many years. I enjoy arranging traditional and classic pieces, and also enjoy composing original music. I'll write for whomever will perform my music, so I've written for children's choirs, co... [see more]

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