Suite: Darker Side of Nowhere

Cameron

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Description

Sub-title: "A Halloween Symphony". There are three sections (movements) totalling fifteen minutes. This is my longest upload ever, but I think that you will enjoy it.

This piece was actually inspired by Alimar, although he won't know it until he reads this! It all started when I installed the latest version of GarageBand (from iLife '08) as well as the new JamPack, "Voices" last week. Al was interested in hearing some of the voices before buying the JamPack, and I offered to make him a short demo piece.

But it quickly took on a life of its own and I was off and running on a major musical undertaking.

I am always amazed at the creative process; how each piece assumes a definite personality seemingly independent of me.

I wanted to have music for Halloween to share in time for this special "holiday", so perhaps you will find it appropriate to download and play for the trick-or-treaters, or at a party. Anyway, I hope this brings a shiver to your spine!

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Song Stats

Hits: 1484
Comments: 48
Fans: 21
Plays: 153
Downloads: 43
Votes: 11
Uploaded: Oct 24, 2007 - 01:05:55 PM
Last Updated: Oct 25, 2007 - 08:12:13 PM Last Played: Nov 03, 2009 - 07:32:11 PM

Song License

Creative Commons License:
Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial

Song Actions

Hardware:

MacBook

Software:

GarageBand 4

Comments

Feter	Feter said 764 days ago (October 24th, 2007)
	Suite: Darker Side of Nowhere This is a huge work , very much scenary its like a film score .my fav parts are sure the pipe organ parts .just Incredible work there with the Organ Creepy Impressive work Cameron !! Check out my latest song called A Night With Feter feat'(Roxylee sloparts crissew johnwhitehead and Yamin AL Yamani )

Cameron	Cameron said 764 days ago (October 24th, 2007)
	Feter... I'm glad you liked the organ! It was especially fun to combine it with the voices for a "creepy" effect. Check out my latest song called EPONYM

apb

apb said 764 days ago (October 24th, 2007)

Woooooo .. :o)

Excellent ..

First movement is like the nightmare (marked at the end
by the alarm clock waking)?
The screams therein really caught me by surprise ..
gonna no do that!! ;o) lol ...

Second movement is more sci-fi, alien style horror ..
much more atmostpheric ..literally ..billowing smoke
etc ..very nice sounds/voices chosen there ..cinematic in that it could be used as the intrepid explorers
enter the unknown .. unware of the danger .. type
scenes... the choir always gives a sense of 'soon
to meet yer maker' ..:o) fading off nicely into ..

3rd movement (my personal fav): classic phantom of the opera here ..brilliant!!! Gothic horror .. with pyscho cello/strings/stabs .. perhaps a little clich�d ..
but heck .. I love that stuff... nice use of
dissonance/dischord ..(I know what that is now .. I think ..from talking to mysti & Bryn ..lol) .. it
gets a nice life of it's own .. and fabulous ending.

Well, you certainly spring-boarded ..I can relate ..
sometimes one thing/idea just leads to another .. and
before u know it ..it's 03:00am .. lol.

Kudos- perfect for Halloween, definite download.

Check out my latest song called Misplaced

Cameron

Cameron said 764 days ago (October 24th, 2007)

alan!
Thank you for your detailed "blow-by-blow" comments!

Your descriptions were very vivid and your reactions were just what I was hoping, for this suite.

By its nature, Halloween *IS* a bit "cliched" -- this was intentional -- I wanted scary music that was easily identified as "Halloween", something that people might download and play on the 31st (or Nov. 1st or whatever!)

Check out my latest song called EPONYM

gail60

gail60 said 764 days ago (October 24th, 2007)

excellent!
You did a great job! We go all out each year on Halloween for the kids by putting up a spook tunnel in the front yard and adding all the ghouls and goblins galore. We have a blast every year scaring the crap outta kids and watching their parents chuckle about it. (that sounded terrible but honest, it's all in fun) Anyway, thanks for giving me something to add to the terror of the night. This is perfect for it. :)

Check out my latest song called Sweet September

Cameron	Cameron said 764 days ago (October 24th, 2007)
	gail60... I truly appreciate your comments and I'm happy that you like this music enough to play at your upcoming Halloween "event"! That's exactly what I'm hoping for. Check out my latest song called EPONYM

Macaudion	Macaudion said 764 days ago (October 24th, 2007)
	Wow! A whole audio movie, of sorts! This may take awhile, Cameron - I'll get back to you on it w/ a comment a little later. Great work! Thanks! Macca Check out my latest song called 123 iGetU

Cameron	Cameron said 764 days ago (October 24th, 2007)
	Macca! So good to see you here! I'll look forward to your comments later. Check out my latest song called EPONYM

composerclark

composerclark said 764 days ago (October 24th, 2007)

More, more!
Well, I have been a stranger at MJ's for a few months, but I had to hear this... It's the most ambitious piece of yours that I've heard, and I congratulate you for both it's ambition (always a good thing, IMO) and for it's execution. It is instantly captivating... if there were no description, we'd still discover very quickly that this is spooky music. Bravo!

There are moments in each movement that are nothing short of spectacular.

I hope you write more!

Check out my latest song called Scarlet Nightfall

Cameron	Cameron said 764 days ago (October 24th, 2007)
	clark! How lucky for me that you came back to visit MJ on this song page! As always, I appreciate your comments and observations. I value them highly as you are an actual, WORKING composer. If I can summon up even a fraction of your musical talent in my own compositions, I would be fortunate indeed. Check out my latest song called EPONYM

Reinholt56

Reinholt56 said 764 days ago (October 25th, 2007)

Hi Cameron...
I enjoyed your take on the Halloween theme. Very effective, and the variety of sounds made for a pleasant, scary tour into the edge of the unknown.

Excellent work.

It's a real treat to have your music and ideas more often. The tapestries you weave always add color and decor to the general environment here on MJ's.

Take care.

Paul.

Check out my latest song called Ambient Soundscape #1

Cameron	Cameron said 763 days ago (October 25th, 2007)
	Paul... You always express yourself so well in your comments -- thank you -- I appreciate them. Check out my latest song called EPONYM

said 764 days ago (October 25th, 2007)

Take a bow...
Cam,

I'm tickled that what started out being a demo of JamPack Voices turned out to be this wonderful homage to Halloween.

The captivating chord structure and suspenseful modulations work well. The voices used have certainly caught my ear. I must get that JamPack! Tell me you were not under the influence... yeah, right. LOL.

You have outdone yourself here. Cinematic. Soundtrack. Score. Emotion. Evoking several subtle nuances of hidden psyche. Each little phrase stands alone yet works as a whole in the grander scheme.

Subtle my ass! Hee Hee. This grabs me from the beginning... and keeps me there. Your choice of instrumentation, voices and effects is well thought out.

You continue to amaze and inspire me to no end. I kid you about being a "backwoods country dude" now, but I envy your ability to adapt to your surroundings. Making the move from the "road touring" to the "house at the end of the dirt road" is surely an undertaking.

Of course, you HAD to use a church organ! I picture your face lit from below, as you play. This actually moves fast, considering the overall time. Bravo tour "Mad Scientist" instinct.

The "Phantom" ain't got nothin' on you! In more ways than one.

Whatever you're doing... keep it up.

Thanks,
Alimar

Cameron

Cameron said 763 days ago (October 25th, 2007)

Alimar!
One of the MOST positive aspects of MacJams is that its members can stimulate and inspire one another to make better music.

I have always felt that way about my association with you. It's a "win-win" situation.

I have seen many members make similarly good connections here and produce better music -- together and separately -- as a result.

Thanks for your lengthy, detailed comments. I appreciate the time you took to write them! Just like the old days, eh? When people seemed to have more time to do that...

;-)

Check out my latest song called EPONYM

francescasongspirit

francescasongspirit said 763 days ago (October 25th, 2007)

download fer sure
Cameron,

This is classy and great. As you said, Halloween is a bit of a cliche in and of itself, but it is a delicious cliche and my fave holiday.

The only Halloween CD we have is a cheapy I got at wishing well with people screaming and chains clanking. It is so bad. This is 180 degrees the other direction.

This took a lot of work. Sounds like you just started creating and playing with the voices the whole thing took on a life of its own, aaaahhhhhhhhhhh!

Great stuff -

Francesca

Cameron

Cameron said 763 days ago (October 25th, 2007)

Francesca...
I always look forward to your comments on my pieces, because you hit the nail on the head!

Yes, this piece DID take off on its own journey.

By the way, I encourage you to post some of YOUR music on this site, because people would enjoy it. I've been impressed with your musical ability (in various areas such as guitar, vocals and Native American flute) for many years.

Check out my latest song called EPONYM

Doug Somers

Doug Somers said 762 days ago (October 26th, 2007)

This is a wonderful
composition that pushes so many buttons - eliciting that creepy-something-over-the-shoulder feeling, dread, wonder, anticipation, alienation,... I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wonder if we would react to these sounds in the same way whether we had been conditioned by other music tied to a macabre theme or not (such as being exposed to the music in horror movies). I think there may be a more primal response going on.

In any case, I think your piece is brilliant in its ability to bring forth the images and feelings of a nightmare.

Thanks for sharing!
Keep well,
Doug

PS - funny how these compositions take on a life of their own!
PPS - do you like JP Voices? I have seen a lot of very negative reviews.

Check out my latest song called Desiree (MJ Space Race 2009)

Cameron

Cameron said 760 days ago (October 28th, 2007)

Doug...
Thank you so much for your comments!

I'm not sure what the complaints are about JamPack Voices, but they may be partly due to a certain lack of vocal loop and sound choices. They don't seem to encompass a great variety of genres. They focus mostly on hip-hop, soul, some gospel.

I haven't explored them completely yet so maybe I'm missing something.

I did enjoy working with the various choral sound sets.

Check out my latest song called EPONYM

drakonis

drakonis said 761 days ago (October 27th, 2007)

What the Samhain is this?
Funny, my wife and I are about to head to the symphony tonight to hear Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique and (Rimsky-Korsikov's remake of) Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain"... so it was perfect timing to descend into your pit-of-souls here and see what you cooked up... very glad I did!

Fun over-the-top horror-flick section 1 (some choir harmonies reminded me of later parts of Strauss's "Auch Sprach Zarathustra"), descending into the can't-wake-up distorted nightmare realm of Mungo in section 2, finishing with a bit of horror film organ/strings/chorus-writing... good edgy dissonances, and you definitely show that the choir voices *can* be used effectively with some (uh, a lot?) of tweaking... they actually sound rather good here. Very nice scoring too, definitely evokes a smooth movie-score-like story feel. Hehehe, and the final meltdown ending was a nice surprise... is the pitch-bend something from Garageband (are there pitch-curves now) or is that a MIDI effect, or post-processed in another app, or a secret? Very crisp mix, even with the chorus and organ going.
ttfn,
Drakonis

Check out my latest song called Lullaby for the Inner Child

Cameron

Cameron said 760 days ago (October 28th, 2007)

Drak!
I appreciate your detailed comments very much. Your knowledge of classical music is extensive, so I particularly enjoy your perspectives about my more symphonic pieces.

As for the voices, I didn't really tweak them much except to adjust the attack time (less, for realism) and increase the reverb slightly.

I did the pitch-bend using the wheel of my m-audio 88e keyboard, then adjusted the "line" of contact-points in GarageBand (modulation setting) to smooth it out.

Thanks again for stopping by!

(By the way, I listened to your piece last night and will listen again before commenting.)

Check out my latest song called EPONYM

caroline

caroline said 761 days ago (October 28th, 2007)

ooooooo cameron....
i am very glad i listened to this in the morning - 'tis too scary for nite time for this chicken! you have captured the terror brilliantly and i noticed the flavour of that 'dah, dah, dah, dah, dah dadadada' thing too - clever!! the whole thing must have taken you ages - if only i had your patience and skill - *sighs. big loves my talented friend xoxoxoxo (ps - it wasn't what i was expecting at all)

Check out my latest song called clink that link mjrf

Cameron

Cameron said 760 days ago (October 28th, 2007)

caroline!
Thank you, Miss Pink & Fluffy for listening to this very NOT p&f piece!

I think that you have plenty of patience -- just in different areas, such as teaching and coaching, and listening to people's problems.

Truth be told, this piece took only about a week to put together. Not bad considering its length! ...more evidence that some sort of possession took place, just in time for Halloween.

Check out my latest song called EPONYM

craft	craft said 760 days ago (October 28th, 2007)
	this one is creepy This stands for a vampire's dream... Well done... I love the way the organ plays... Check out my latest song called Blue Lights (feat. Spleenveil)

Cameron	Cameron said 760 days ago (October 28th, 2007)
	craft! Thanks for stopping by -- it's been such a long time! (I hope all is well with you.) I enjoyed playing the organ on this. A little TOO close to Phantom of the Opera, though. Oh well, it will take some time to recover from ten years of touring with that show! Check out my latest song called EPONYM

J.A.Stewart	J.A.Stewart said 760 days ago (October 28th, 2007)
	Boo-tiful... So... this is what it's like to be a REAL musician, eh? ;) Filled with varied paces, Gothic moods, subtlety and restraint... all those elements I seem to manage to avoid. LOL Deliciously spooky... and haunting. Thanks for the Halloween treat! ;) --- Joe Check out my latest song called A Night @ Neverland

guitapick	guitapick said 759 days ago (October 29th, 2007)
	The Fall of the House of Usher... ...scared the bejeezus outta me as a kid... ...what're you tryin' to DO to me, anyway? I come looking for some nice harp music and now I'm hiding under the covers!!! Very cool piece. Love this side of you... Check out my latest song called Outside the Corral

DWL

DWL said 758 days ago (October 30th, 2007)

I'm in awe!
I'm almost lost for words. Quality just shines through this and the professionalism is so evident.

A beautiful use of the voices. I was distinctly underwhelmed by the Voices JP but you've shown it can be used to good effect.

Is that a GB organ as I can't get my organ sounding like that? (oo er missus)

Not only have you scored a very an impressive piece of work (didn't feel like 15 minutes to me) you've also done a stonking job on performance and production.

Excellent!

Cheers

Dick

Check out my latest song called A Good Night's Sleep with Macferret, Sir Dennis Crowther and Pete Young

damiengh	damiengh said 757 days ago (October 31st, 2007)
	Made my..... .....Halloween You still got your youth in you. Glad you made the time to make something as creative as this for this special day. Those of us that refuse to become another brick in the wall and let their creative juices flow, can come up with this fun stuff. Thanks for expressing this side of yourself. Check out my latest song called Tea and Scones

Moviz	Moviz said 757 days ago (October 31st, 2007)
	A most enjoyable 15 mins in anyone's book. Talk about 'Tales From the Crypt' phew!!! There's nothing I can add that others haven't said except it's a fantastic piece of work and so descriptive and atmospheric. Loved the discords on the organ towards the end and the voices too, regards M Check out my latest song called Come Back Billie

davisamerica	davisamerica said 751 days ago (November 6th, 2007)
	what a vast and wonderfully textured soundscape. dark and forbidding but pulls u along time the end. wonderful work! Check out my latest song called No Son(egobandit band)

Mystified	Mystified said 737 days ago (November 21st, 2007)
	this is an amazing soundscape! :) ...I'm so glad that you pointed me in this direction--I had missed this one. Better late than never?.... Most definitely, with this piece! Epic and chilling! Very very well done! :) Check out my latest song called For the Beauty of the Earth

legato

legato said 730 days ago (November 27th, 2007)

Sunday morning Monster fest on channel 5
Cameron I enjoyed this piece on a Tuesday afternoon while home from my daily routine, kicking back with a smoke. Thanks for the story (in my mind)!

I feel like on a ride through a scary haunted mansion, each turn is a different fright and each fright has its own theme. Each section has its own story whether it be Jason, Freddie or my favorite %u201CTales from the Crypt%u201D you just can%u2019t wait to see what happens next.

Composition was wonderful, a trip down classic lane. One minor note%u2026 I would have liked to hear the textures synthesized on a better system (more realism) imho. Awesome job, and again thanks for the story.

Peace out
Legato

Check out my latest song called The Hour - Knossos (Live Practice)

Cameron

Cameron said 663 days ago (February 2nd, 2008)

Legato...
Thanks so much for listening and commenting.

Sorry it's taken me several MONTHS to respond! After songs disappear after the initial week, I don't check back on their pages very often.

I totally agree with you about the recording quality. I was not entirely happy with it either, but decided to post anyway, as it would have required a lot more adjustment and then it would have been CHRISTMAS!

Thanks again.

Check out my latest song called EPONYM

thetiler

thetiler said 666 days ago (January 30th, 2008)

You really seem
to tell a story, I enjoyed how you have the walking and the screaming which seem are just in the right places. Then it gets even more intense with multiple screaming. Enjoy the use of the deeper orchestral sounds especially like cello etc. But then you really combine them terrificly with the combination of everyhing. Love how you do the classic scary theme and convert it to your own style - brilliant. Adding doors and bells is a nice bonus to. The peeping sounds are interesting, adding a complete new dimension as well as the pitch bend. You are really using a vast array of interesting sounds, I think your professional experience really shines here, has a pro creative feeling and not just willy nilly put together.

I enjoy the though process of the tune, cause it tells a scary story, I usually don't get much into scary stuff, but you do such a thorough job and knowing how articulate you are in music I had to jump in for the ride.

Thanks for sharing such a well thought out piece of music!

Check out my latest song called Little Drummer Boy Variations

Cameron	Cameron said 663 days ago (February 2nd, 2008)
	Bill... It was with great surprise that I noticed that this piece received a comment a couple days ago, several months after its posting. Thanks so much for your very kind -- and detailed -- comments! Check out my latest song called EPONYM

dynoMYSTIC	dynoMYSTIC said 650 days ago (February 15th, 2008)
	* Very ambitious and truly awesome work! Ingenious chord structures really take the listener down a dark misty road. Beautifully written and recorded; a masterpiece! Check out my latest song called Gravity

Cameron	Cameron said 649 days ago (February 16th, 2008)
	dynoMYSTIC! What an unexpected pleasant surprise to find your comments here. They demonstrate that one can say a lot in just a few words, very effectively. THANK YOU! Check out my latest song called EPONYM

	said 648 days ago (February 17th, 2008)
	Great This is art... More than just playing,.... I really like the sounds, coming in and out, in this song.... There's so many things happening in this tune... Great work....

droop

droop said 647 days ago (February 18th, 2008)

Well now
as soon as I saw the pic you posted I knew I had better fasten my seatbelt! You certainly created a frightful piece of music here.....very effective.
Sounds like you put a lot of work into this, and I love all the scary details. I like having the different movements also. As a matter of fact I'm gonna tighten my seatbelt and have another listen!

Excellent work Cam
paul

Check out my latest song called Last Teardrop

	said 632 days ago (March 4th, 2008)
	Great! Scary but great, KUDOS for the work. Really impressive choice of sounds here Mr. Cameron. I'm sorry for being late ... WOW! Take Care - Yeman A. Al-Rawi

Monkaton

Monkaton said 574 days ago (May 2nd, 2008)

Excellent
I came by your site since you were kind enough to comment on the brass section of one of my songs.

What a great piece. Where you exorcising your Phantom of the Opera performances? I actually think this is better than ALW.

The thing I liked about this piece is that even though it changes, it stays in character. You stay balanced and interesting with your melodies, harmonies and arrangement and don't find a need to go beyond where the music unfolded.

I liked it very much.

Check out my latest song called Darkness of the Night

Warren Smith

Warren Smith said 568 days ago (May 7th, 2008)

following the lead
Obviously, this is what comes to pass when you spend too many nights with "Phantom of the Opera" : >

Rather than scarey, my response was laughter - meaning I found it comic, from that first scream onward. I assuming all of those musical cliches were meant to be tongue-and-cheek humor. I like how the alarm clock awakes the sleeper from his bad dream ... only to have the nightmare continue.

I liked hearing the backstory - how what was meant to be a little demo of the new jam pack turned into a major creative effort. You have to follow where the music leads - no matter where it takes you!

Check out my latest song called Pushing and Pulling

richardhowardjones	richardhowardjones said 541 days ago (June 3rd, 2008)
	CREEEEAK! It's a scream, Cameron. Is that your crazy laugh at the beginning? Very atmospheric piece and nice sounds,too. We're only missing Vincent Price telling us something ghoulish. Check out my latest song called STANDIN' IN THE RAIN

leemiguel2004

leemiguel2004 said 531 days ago (June 13th, 2008)

A real journey
Cameron, I really enjoyed this work. I think people' comment say it all.

The first movement took me on a bit of a journey. I was travelling in the dark through dark dungeons, looking into various vaults. Water was dripping down the walls and shadows of plants growing from the ceiling looked like one's worst nightmares. Each time I heard a scream I looked around only to find the fear was in my mind not eh dungeon. Greatly imaginative.

The second movement made me feel as if i was floating but upwards thru an endless void filled with fascinating objects I did not understand. It was quite amazing. Eventually i arrived at the top which was just black space full of stars.

The third movement i decended into the church where I used to be the organist, it always did frighten me there especially when I had to lock up late at night after practising!!! I imagined the choir to be the dead singing from their graves though! I remember at our church the names from the graves were gone because of the acid rain. I imagined them singing about how angry they were about this!

I think this work is fab. Before any one asks i am not on drugs! lol I am just very expressive and have a wild imagination! Please write more Cameron!

Check out my latest song called Andalusian Vision - Orchestral version

	said 501 days ago (July 13th, 2008)
	Suite Darker Side of Nowhere Incredible ! Great production. Thanks for the download. reminds me of a Peter Cushing Horror film. Peace Dee

Char	Char said 452 days ago (August 31st, 2008)
	Sorry, I just found this today. The full on, organ and choir are duking it out, now. This is a great piece of music to set an audience on alert. In a dark theater or in your room with your eyes closed, you can imagine wandering down endless dark hallways, descending treacherous stairways...looking for a way out. Thank you. Check out my latest song called Break Away (Mark Holbrook & Awigze)

Enrique Gil	Enrique Gil said 426 days ago (September 27th, 2008)
	This is unique! pretty cool too.....I am impressed! Check out my latest song called Simple Feelings

thetiler	thetiler said 411 days ago (October 11th, 2008)
	enjoyed reading the Alimar post!!!!! Check out my latest song called Little Drummer Boy Variations

Cameron	Cameron said 406 days ago (October 16th, 2008)
	??? Thanks for stopping by, Bill, although I don't quite understand the connection of Alimar with this piece. Check out my latest song called EPONYM

Cameron	Cameron said 406 days ago (October 16th, 2008)
	p.s. ...except for the inspiration! ;-) Check out my latest song called EPONYM

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apb

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Artist Info

Name: Cameron Kopf

After ten years on the road playing horn with the national (USA) touring company of "The Phantom of the Opera", I have recently retired from that organization and moved from Bisbee, Arizona to the Woods of Northern California. In this peaceful, se... [see more]

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