(no subject)

Entirely gratuitous cute.

I am happy. :D

Electronical Elgar forthcoming, at some point.

Music

Szamár Madár by the Venetian Snares.

This is a weird piece of music, temporally dislocated; it's Elgar's cello concerto in large part, mixed with Aphex Twin/Squarepusher style drums and Amon Tobin layers of atmosphere. It sounds - it sounds like a ghost story set on a space station, or a soundtrack to trinityofone's Something Wicked. It's strange and I think it's beautiful, although I'm not sure which of you will agree.


Jazz Suite no. 2 - Waltz 2 by Dmitri Shostakovich.

I saw what they were trying to do with the music in Mirrormask, but it never quite worked for me. This, the first time I heard it on Classic FM at work and almost asleep with the dull of it, was what I thought it ought to have sounded like. More than anything, it reminded me of the circus I went to, NoFit State Circus.


Tempest: Beethoven.

This piece has my lasting adoration for the way it was used in Wilby Wonderful. I can't, I couldn't convey required emotion in my piano playing; I never practised enough, so the technicalities were a challenge enough without any added layers. This is lovely.


Mendelssohn: Concerto In E Minor, Op. 64 - Allegro Molto Appassionato.

This fic by toft_froggy was what got me into Stargate: Atlantis, before I had any idea what the show was about, who the characters were, anything. And when I read it again later, when I knew the show backwards and forwards, it was - if anything - even more perfect. The music still brings a lump to my throat, and it's gorgeous.


Beskhu3epnm and Nanou 2 by Aphex Twin.

The aforementioned Aphex, who does strange and aggressive mixes of drums and voices and noise, bizarre and threatening soundscapes which can be difficult to listen to sometimes and downright disturbing (especially when paired with Chris Cunningham videos - find Rubber Johnny on youtube if you're not easily distressed). And then you get pieces like these which illustrate in a way that people find easier to understand the fact that he's a genuinely talented musician who can make easily recognisably beautiful as well as challenging music.


Finally, one more by the Venetian Snares: Hiszékeny.

This comes directly after the first track I posted on the album, and serves as a kind of antidote, I suppose. It's a strange structure, layered into an odd simplicity that has far more going on behind the scenes than is noticeable at first. It makes me think of bright brass clockwork inside a glass case; sometimes my mental images and associations can be a little bizarre, I'll admit.


Anyway, I hope you find something to enjoy. I'd really appreciate hearing any opinions of this music; I'll probably post more once I've actually had time to think about it. These were just the first that came to mind as those that people ought to hear.