Some improvisations using Doepfer A100. I like the charm that it's versatile. And the fact that it doesn't store any presets, every use and patching is a unique experience and a lot more precious. I will be updating here for more A100 improvisations in the future.


MICROBES:


MAYHEM:


INSOMNIA:

I'll dedicate one entry for all future guitar explorations...

First up is my virgin attempt at creating drones, achieved using Alesis Ineko Space Reverb, setting the decay and tone at high parameters. For more description of the track visit HERE.
GD 01: PeRiPhERaLs


I've also added the previous entry here. which is the self-rejected improvisation/compostion (my first ever guitar improvisation), since it was another guitar improvistion. Hope that over time I'll see improvements in my guitar tracks, though I have no idea how to play them proper... well, in the heart of explorations. For more info and photos visit HERE.
GD 02: wkwDREAM[rejected]


Another droney track for COMMONTONES employing Alesis Ineko to create the drones; plus processing the recorded materials via pitching and reversing to create the ringing backgrounds. The clicking digital tones were created using Reaktor 5 on the guitar samples I recorded.
GD 03: STASIS


More to be updated in time...

Compositions I did for a play by Action Theatre called "EVERY THING BUT THE BRAIN". These are just some of it from the 80 cues I have designed (but my effort wasted as they are all either cut or badly treated, anyway I've detached from the show; don't like the compromise). For more info of the description of each track plus photos taken during the composition and design process, do visit HERE.

Here are the three songs:
EVER AFTER
BEDTIME STORIES
EINSTEIN'S BRAIN

These are the music compositions (less sound design) for Victric's short film - THE MOLE. The music were kept simple, variations based on the theme music. I composed and arranged all these in a night so apologies if it sounded inferior. Tight deadlines again obviously. Also there's a story teller VO on top (Daniel Jenkins) which I cannot load up as the literature was written by Ying Sien and I have no prior permission to use them, but these greatly influenced the arrangement choices... The music was composed to frame and actions in the film to background the VO story telling and also to support the visuals...

UPDATES: I left the opening sequence out as it's abstract playing, much like counteracting the spoken text and movements of animations... it would sound meaningless to add that in without sound design as well so left that out.

For more photos taken on set do visit HERE.

TRACK I: Synth Mantra I

You can refer HERE for the description of the improvisation, the set up, what you are hearing, what basically is happening and the gears involved.

TRACK II: Funking Sherman

You can refer to HERE for a description of the process and where are the sources of the sounds.

TRACK III: Digital Cicadas

Here's the newest improvisation using mainly only Zebranalogic stuffs. Keeping it here for longevity. Do visit THIS POST for a detailed discription of the improvisation as well as photos of the set...

TRACK IV: SyNtHiMoRpHoSiS

"...All is metamorphosis in life, from plants to animals and man, yes, even in the latter," Goethe wrote to Sulpiz Boisseree in 1815... Utilizing emptiness releases the intensity of the introspective experience - "Architecture of Silence" by Tadao Ando. This track was inspired by a research email sent my way via a friend. Visit THIS POST for a detailed description of the process...

TRACK V: CoNvErSaTiOnS

Ran an old mini transistor radio into a Moogerfooger MF105 MurF; did some patchings here and there and knobbed through the session with the frequecy band of the radio swept. Recorded one take with no effects or EQ added post or during. For more muck shots do visit HERE.

TRACK VI: SyNtH MaNtRa II

Using the ideology of Cocktail Party Effect, Synth Mantra II is a multi-tracked improvisation in the world of synths, filters and effects, melting the boundaries between analogue and digital as they fuse. For more pictures of the the session do visit HERE

TRACK VII: W.K.W Dream[reject] (Click title below at download table)
Ok, so what happen when someone who doesn't know how to play the guitar and picked up an electric guitar for the first time and wanted to cut a track for an upcoming production? THIS.
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Basically, my idea is to cut tracks spontaneously, no multi-tracking, no post editing (except for boosting levels and general reverb)... everything was done live and recorded in one take. All kbobbings, filtering, manipulations and stuffs are all done intuitively... all based on impulses.

So these are tracks from those entries. If you have already heard them before then feel free to ignore this post :)

This is the music compositions for the Aussie short film. Went simple as I only had one night to compose all the music to time frame. So the tough part was composing to the time of the scenes and actions... minimalistic. Not great... just what I could try to muster in a night...

Well, still works from the past... [Turn up the bass and listen with a headphone!] Enjoy

DISCLAIMER: "Many have asked if these are my styles. Well, no... they are compositions done to the preference of my clients and production houses... some more commercial some avant gardish... Guess for a musician to survive we must be able to do many styles... but my own personal style is more avant gardish and experimental" [Track 1 & 2 are closer to what I am comfortable with - sound art]

1. METAMORPHOSIS 2006 Mecedes Benz Asia Fashion Award @ zouk; Multitracked and performed with a Theremin; Ending bit for main title splash page

2.NLB opening 2005; avant gardish; not for the faint hearted [LIVE recording]

3. ONETONcinema [HongKong Movie Trailer] 2005

4. Moment In Time; a last minute track composed and mixed for Rochester Park Live Gig 2006 [not a very good mix] and its only a base track that Gani sings over and i play live over...

5. DevilsSceneChange; TFP Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea 2005; music done purely out of sounds and percussion

6. MIKOISHI advertisement [USA](?) 2005; sorry dun have the clip so you'll have to imagine the robot animation fight scene transiting to gambling and then to cutesy petzap game =p And just to make it more fun, all the voice samples are my own voices :S lol coz it was an overnight assignment and i cun get VO artist in the middle of the night and has to submit the work next morning... rest is history. Yes, yes the women voices and the irritating animal is me as well... Have fun!

7. A Piano Medley... Recorded live and composed impromtu, one take... was an honest moment so remained one of my favourite tracks. Abit too loud though so turn ur volume down abit...

8. A song from my latest album SonicBrat: HI.A.TUS entitled Synaesthesia...

All music copyright of Darren Ng

DISCLAIMER: "Many have asked if these are my styles. Well, no... they are compositions done to the preference of my clients and production houses... some more commercial some avant gardish... Guess for a musician to survive we must be able to do many styles... but my own personal style is more avant gardish and experimental"

Didn't have much on my laptop so here are just some of the music i composed and arranged in 2005. No really great songs in laptop so enjoy what u can, Cheerios.

Copyright of Darren Ng 2005