Period IX: as Period VIII, and the year, began drawing to a close, I was beginning to feel the first onset of stagnation. Too many tunes were started only to end up sounding like a second-best copy of something else in my repetoir, and had to be abandoned, and I was growing increasingly frustrated with the difficulty of working with the great complexities of tunes such as "VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY". And so I deliberately embarked on a simplification of style and a return to my melody-driven pop/rock roots. But you can never forget the lessons that come from experience, and the variety of results was greater, in hindsight, than I realised at the time, and with more casual depth than was previously the case. # Name (Length) Size Download Links Comments       123 Voyage Of Discovery (12:41) 26K Zipped (263K Unzipped) This tune brings to bear everyrthing that I had learned about songcraft throughout the year of 2001. It took forever to complete, but the basic tune was completed in one sitting - all the time was spent mixing the multiple themes and overdubs and subtexts. There are melody layers on meklody layers, with the interplay between them defining the basic theme of the peice. To my ears, that theme has the sway and rythm of an old-time sailing ship, out there to discover new lands and new trade routes. I remain very proud of this piece. Sadly, the SB-Live's instruments just do not do it justice; the instrument balances are wildly off, as are the sounds of many of them, at least in comparison with the old Awe-32 soundcard. This is another piece that will be extremely difficult to remix, if it's possible at all. 124 Bachelor Nights (7:23) 6 K Zipped (81K Unzipped) As may be gathered from other liner notes on this website, I am currently a bachelor. That fact gave direct rise to this tune, which attempts to capture the bachelor experience in it's totality - both good and bad, uplifting and melancholy. This won't take a huge effort to remix, and when it does, the resulting tune might well sneak into the favorites list, courtesy of the different patches in the SB-Live. 125 Instant Classic (just add water) (6:21) 60K The idea was to create a piece of classical music using modern instruments, in much the way that "Shimmer" (2001, page 1) updated the waltz. In particular, I wanted to use a classical-music arrangement, with all the dynamic range that was implied. Of course, that means that it needs a serious remix to bring it into the realm of the SB-Live. This is another tune that will be competing to re-enter the favorites list when it can take advantage of the SB-Live's strengths instead of being undermined by it's weaknesses. 126 Summer In Pine (9:08) 99K This tune is another of my "tone poem" pieces, trying to capture a place or feeling in music. In this case, the sights and smells of a pine forest in summer, with a cool breeze blowing. On the Awe-32 it came off wonderfully; on the SB-Live, it's not so successful. The delicacy of the instruments, and their mix, are devestated by the differences in sound cards. While it will involve a lot of work, this might be salvageable with a remix. 127 A Friday State Of Mind (9:15) 9K Zipped (118K Unzipped) "TGIF". Everyone - whether working or not - feels a little different on a Firday. As the day progresses, these differences become more pronounced. It's easier to delay major tasks until the new week, spirits and horseplay rise, and the office buzz is all about what you're going to be doing, not so much what you have been doing. And then, come quitting time, there are the first hours of two-and-a-half days of relative freedom from stress and obligation - a weekend no less. So there is definitly a change in state of mind on a Friday. This piece of music attempts, unsuccessfully, to capture that state of mind musically. It's actually not all that bad a tune, and certainly would have been a favorite if the competition weren't so stiff! In terms of soundcard complications, this actually has the opposite problem to "Summer In Pine" (above), in that the SB-Live is imparting a delicacy that did not exist previously. With a bit of effort, the SB-Live version could easily become superior to the original mix - something that's far from unique amongst the tunes on this page. 128 Union Of Two (8:07) 11K Zipped (126K Unzipped) Brash, bright, and slow verses coupled with a rumbling, faster, bass-dominated chorus. This piece just doesn't work for me. I could remix it for the SB-Live without huge difficulty, but I'm not sure that it's worth even the minimal effort - the time would be better spent composing new pieces. 129 Indigo Blues (6:34) 38K This has the spark of inspiration that was so lacking in "Union Of Two". A definitely melancholy tune, very dark in tone, but with some strangely upbeat undercurrents at times. It has a quite unusual arrangement, which definitly enhances the mood. It sounds truly weird on the SB-Live, but won't need huge surgery to repair, and may even emerge stronger for it. 130 pulsebinder (3:49) 54K A rousing sendoff for the year. This piece never failed to get my feet tapping when played on the Awe-32. Alas, all the melody has vanished from it when played on the SB-Live. If that's your Soundcard, PLEASE don't play this piece until I can get it remixed.