This song was inspired by a female performance group that I saw at the 2013 Bram Stoker International Film Festival ‘vampires Ball’, in which one of the group sang an old victorian lament. It was a very powerful yet simple performance with a single spotlight on the singer, who stood by a gravestone, it sent a chill down everyone’s spine for it’s purity.
I was also influenced by the film ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’ in which the Count loses his love Elizabeta in the opening sequences – a loss which haunts him for his entire immortal life!
Here’s my latest song, together with a short behind the track look at how it was recorded.
This was a bit of a departure from my usual style, however when I’m writing I try to go with the flow, as a song develops I find that there are often key stages that determine which direction a track is going to go and other choices seem to follow on from that point.
In this song I used what I think is a fairly convincing acoustic guitar sound from the Omnisphere synth, I tried to play it in the same style as a guitarist, that being a picky appregio that runs the course of the tune, but has some strummed chords at the end of each chorus.
I experimented with a real Berong (a kind of small drum used in folk music) that I was given as a gift, and using the tapered beater that came with it recorded a rhythm and some rolls on the side and skin of the drum.
staying with the acoustic sounds, I then used a couple of small lengths of wooden curtain pole that for some reason I’d hung onto. Again I recorded a clave type pattern that features through the track, I panned it left in the mix and added some reverb which I panned to the right.
In the instrumental break, I had wanted to record me whistling, however I found that it’s more of an art than one would think to get a perfect take and sound, so I resorted to a harpsichord sound which I think adds a touch of the medievil to the feel.
Finally I put a vocal harmony on the chorus and a glockenspiel appreggio at the end, and the track was complete.
I did toy with beefing up the last verse, but I kind of liked the natural feel, so decided to leave it as it was. The thing is that songs are usually adaptable so there are several takes and genres that can be applied if I later want to re-record the song entirely.
As for the lyrics, well they are of course quite morose as usual, and perhaps a bit of a twist at the end!
Today I’m posting my interpretation of Oscar Wilde’s ‘Picture of Dorian Grey’.
Back in 2009 I wrote a song called ‘A Portrait of You’ which I was inspired to do after seeing the film ‘dorian Grey’ in the same year. Last year I took the lyrics from the song and gave it the Poetryscape treatment, and recording that resulted was used to form part of the soundtrack to the ‘Dark Arts’ exhibition at the 2013 Bram stoker International Film Festival in Whitby.
Chris x
A PORTRAIT OF YOU
Your portrait in the attic
Depicts a different view of you
Here time is not static
It decays like those you slew
You sold your soul many moons ago
In exchange for eternal youth
Guarding dark secrets from those you know
In concealment of the truth
Feelings of insanity begin to show
You destroy those you can’t abide
Rumour and suspicion starts to grow
As vanity chokes your pride
Now you face your final curtain call
Every killing has a price to pay
Shattered illusions around you fall
In the demise of Dorian Gray
Chris Ankin (c) 16/10/09
Based on ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’
By Oscar Wilde
Pleased to report that this evening I’ve begun writing a new story.
‘Objet D’Art’ see’s a couple’s purchase
of a country residence turn from being a dream come true to a living nightmare after they aqquire some new antiques
for their home!
Chris Ankin - Out of the Darkness 