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What is the fundamental task of a DJ?

The idea for this sound project began with that question. My answer? Creating an experience tailored specifically to the context. Different contexts should equal entirely different listening experiences. More often than not DJs create mixes that are a mirror of what they’ve been doing in the club. That can be interesting and I’ve done it myself but I wanted to do something more suited to the solitary listener.

So in exploring the extremes of what I believed a headphone listening experience demanded I created something entirely different from what I’d done in the past.

So what is this? A mix? A mixtape? A sound collage? It’s not exactly a mix because I don’t actually beat match any songs together. It’s not a mixtape because it’s more than just a collection of songs played one after the other. And it’s not a sound collage because it’s more than just a collection of sounds.

I’m calling it a narrative mix. It’s music as we find it most of the time, out in the world and thoroughly situated in a context: a hospital, in a car driving down the road with the windows down, in a bar, through an MP3 player whilst walking down the street, etc. And often it is the context that gives the music it’s magical quality. That’s what I’ve tried to do here.

There's a story to be found in the sounds if you let your imagination go, but each section stands on it's own as a vignette designed to impress wonder, curiosity, surprise and a sense of voyeuristic beauty.

This is the first movement of three.

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You can listen to it here.

https://soundcloud.com/mr_wise/narrative-mixing-first-movement-land
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Thanks to all the users below. This is the first of 3 movements so if you don't hear your sound, (listen harder haha), or wait a bit and it'll be in the next one.

Would love to hear what you all think.

S: TestTones.mp3 by acclivity | License: Attribution Noncommercial
S: Computer Beep SFX for Videogames by qubodup | License: Creative Commons 0
S: Car Power windows - electric windows .wav by Gutek | License: Creative Commons 0
S: Walking outside metro station.wav by LG | License: Attribution
S: Footsteps - concrete - OD - B.wav by FreqMan | License: Attribution
S: RBH_Household_refridgerator.wav by RHumphries | License: Attribution
S: On a Train by unfa | License: Attribution
S: Passing a Guitar Player out.aif by happyband | License: Sampling+
S: Security Door 2 by ultradust | License: Attribution
S: Footsteps on wooden flooring.wav by Rickmk2 | License: Creative Commons 0
S: 110728_CitySoundScape_SusukinoSapporoHokkaido.wav by snotch | License: Attribution
S: Cologne Station.WAV by inchadney | License: Attribution
S: binaural station.WAV by inchadney | License: Attribution
S: trainjourney from Wuerzburg.WAV by inchadney | License: Attribution
S: crowded train.WAV by inchadney | License: Creative Commons 0
S: On board an ICE train in Germany.wav by inchadney | License: Attribution
S: Railway platform Frankfurt station pt1.WAV by inchadney | License: Attribution
S: Munich station platform 22.WAV by inchadney | License: Attribution
S: train leaving.WAV by inchadney | License: Attribution
S: lunch_college_street.wav by sagetyrtle | License: Creative Commons 0
S: 20091216.going.wav by dobroide | License: Attribution
S: Kobe-train-announcement-and-arrival.wav by xserra | License: Attribution
S: trein-coupe-stop-wait-start.wav by klankschap | License: Attribution Noncommercial
S: slurping_then_an_ah.mp3 by morgantj | License: Attribution
S: belch_sample.wav by jppi_Stu | License: Attribution
S: cansound.wav by BranRainey | License: Creative Commons 0
S: shaken.not.stirred.wav by dobroide | License: Attribution
S: Swallowing Water.wav by Razzvio | License: Attribution
S: trainride.wav by sagetyrtle | License: Creative Commons 0
S: beepbeep.wav by leviclaassen | License: Attribution
S: from_train_to_street.aif by bulldozia | License: Attribution Noncommercial
S: Footsteps Wooden Stairs Squeaking 1.wav by RutgerMuller | License: Creative Commons 0
S: Steps on a wooden floor by jop9798 | License: Creative Commons 0
S: Door 16.wav by LG | License: Attribution
S: queen_street.flac by Corsica_S | License: Attribution
S: Opening & Closing Regular Sized Umbrella -- Slight Pause In-between.WAV by Ndheger | License: Attribution
S: Footsteps - concrete - OD - A.wav by FreqMan | License: Attribution
S: open and close front door and lock.wav by rockstar_not | License: Sampling+
S: apartment-building outdoors 01.wav by klankbeeld | License: Attribution
S: Bar ambience 2.flac by sdfalk | License: Attribution
S: barNoisyAmbience.wav by oniwe | License: Attribution Noncommercial
S: Guy retching water and gasping for air.wav by Tonsofpaperbrokenpen | License: Creative Commons 0
S: chair_sitting_4.wav by FreqMan | License: Attribution
S: 01659 underwater sinking.wav by Robinhood76 | License: Attribution Noncommercial
S: Bubbles.wav by erkanozan | License: Creative Commons 0
S: scuba_dive_underwater_01.wav by m_O_m | License: Attribution Noncommercial
S: Water1.aif by pushtobreak | License: Attribution Noncommercial
S: South-Florida - suburbs - night.WAV by eric5335 | License: Attribution Noncommercial
S: whippoorwill3.wav by imonacan | License: Attribution Noncommercial
S: Bedroom_Windows Unlock, Open, Close, Lock Sequence.mp3 by CGEffex | License: Attribution
S: Door Opens and Closes by ultradust | License: Attribution
S: Door-Wooden-Squeak-0007.wav by D W | License: Attribution
S: door.wav by sagetyrtle | License: Creative Commons 0
S: Man Sniffling by SteveOShore | License: Creative Commons 0
S: Match lighting 3.wav by Adam_N | License: Creative Commons 0
S: Charles Street Bus Station 10.03.2012(24-bit 44.1kHz).wav by LeicesterSoundmap | License: Creative Commons 0
S: Traffic.wav by inchadney | License: Attribution
S: NYC_street leve02l.wav by gezortenplotz | License: Attribution
S: Footsteps on Wet Pavement_1-2.aif by SteveMannella | License: Sampling+
S: raindrops.umbrella.flac by dobroide | License: Attribution
S: umbrella.wav by Corsica_S | License: Attribution
S: cardoor.wav by jessestephens | License: Sampling+
S: Explosion.mp3 by Omar Alvarado | License: Attribution
S: USAT BOMB.wav by sandyrb | License: Attribution
S: 20061105.gunshot.01.wav by dobroide | License: Attribution
S: Driving in Streamwood IL with the windows down (05-04-2009).mp3 by audible-edge | License: Attribution
S: Bee on flower, some background talking.wav by lolamadeus | License: Creative Commons 0
S: FootSteps in a Concrete Corridor 1 by cris | License: Creative Commons 0
S: ekg.wav by guitarguy1985 | License: Creative Commons 0
S: Hospital sounds 2.wav by ERH | License: Attribution
S: baby_laugh1.wav by reinsamba | License: Attribution
S: Small-Jet-Flyover.wav by rickbuzzin | License: Creative Commons 0
S: hospital_lobby.flac by Corsica_S | License: Attribution
S: MMP-300906-014.wav by martypinso | License: Creative Commons 0
S: CarArriveAndStop.wav by jmdh | License: Creative Commons 0
S: windshieldwipers_no_rain.wav by morgantj | License: Attribution
S: tg_on windshield from inside car.wav by Tristan | License: Creative Commons 0
S: driving_in_rain.03.22.2009.MP3 by vhsvhs | License: Sampling+
S: bm_carongravel.wav by cmusounddesign | License: Attribution
S: click02.wav by fonogeno | License: Attribution Noncommercial
S: small_radio.flac by lorenzosu | License: Attribution Noncommercial
S: hospital_tv_channel_change.wav by gezortenplotz | License: Attribution
S: Hospital sounds 3.wav by ERH | License: Attribution
S: TVonoff.aif by orehek | License: Creative Commons 0
S: citystreet3.wav by sagetyrtle | License: Creative Commons 0
S: Breath_Woman.wav by audione | License: Creative Commons 0
S: Caropeningclosing.wav by mikaelfernstrom | License: Attribution
S: 011 Door opens and shuts.wav by FreqMan | License: Attribution
S: footstep on wood foley.wav by martian | License: Creative Commons 0
S: gravel walking.aif by tigersound | License: Attribution Noncommercial
S: elevator trip .wav by Zbyhek | License: Attribution
S: Security Door 3 by ultradust | License: Attribution
S: Town amb - summer, day.WAV by eric5335 | License: Attribution Noncommercial
S: Town or suburbs amb - spring, day.WAV by eric5335 | License: Attribution Noncommercial
S: Car start and drive.mp3 by han1 | License: Attribution

Cool project, congrats. 200 hours of work you say?

Okay, so - what was the most difficult (time consuming) thing related to sound selection? I ask, because your reflections could maybe help to improve sound connections on freesound in some future.

Thanks.

Yeah somewhere there abouts. A lot of time was spent just sorting through the sounds and music trying to find things that would fit together and/or had the right sort of vibe.

Thinking along those lines it might be helpful to have a section on each page for users to add tags they think appropriate and then give the ability to other users to vote on the appropriateness of each user submitted tag (seen this done on other sites).

Might help add a layer of organization.

This is astonishingly creative work. You sir have my respect, congrats, you created something beautiful.

Thanks Erokia. Your kind words of support are appreciated. See you around soundcloud.

Please tell whose tune slips into the last eight minutes of your mix. Enjoyed listening. Over all the first and last 10 minutes were best.

Who are all the piano pieces done by? They are really amazing and would like to know.

lescarlson Thanks for taking the time to listen and give me some feedback.

I'm leaving the tracklist below for you and Erokia.

Nest - The Twelve
Tchad Blake - Document Zimbabwe - Mr. Green Speaks
Nest - Charlotte
Trus’me - Can We Pretend
Nils Frahm - Less
Headphone Commute - For Nils
Erik Satie - Gymnopédies Lent Et Douloureux
Rhye - The Fall
(Cover) Guitar Crusher - When a Man Loves a Woman
(Cover) Sing Wei - Latch
Erik Satie - Gymnopédies Lent Et Triste
Todd Terje - Inspector Norse

Also just in case it isn't clear which are the piano tracks they are as follows:

Nest
Nils Frahm
Headphone Commute
Erik Satie
Rhye - The Fall (the bit right before he walks out of the house is the live version from their EP and then it's the studio version when our character switches to the MP3 player outside the house)
Sing Wei: this is a guy from Australia he does piano covers. This is the song that comes in towards the end on the train station platform. It's a cover of a song by Disclosure called Latch (official disclosure vid here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93ASUImTedo)

lescarlson the offical vid for that Todd Terje song is diatomite check it out if you've got a minute: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHiqPG0526U

PS The Rhye video is also really cool too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6yfFWvoygY

Thanks again guys.

Thank you so much, I really love all the piano pieces you used.

Thanks again. All this support is encouraging.

If any of you know of any blogs or sites that you think might want to feature or write about this project let me know.

I'm very actively trying to get as much exposure for it as I can.

Another idea it would be helpful to be able to follow people you really liked. so that you'd be updated when they posted something new.

brettwise wrote:
... I'm very actively trying to get as much exposure for it as I can.

If you want more public exposure maybe post it on YouTube.

Adding an oscilloscope and/or spectrogram display would provide some neutral animation for the YouTube version which wouldn’t distract the YouTuber from mentally visualizing the scenes the sound-scape suggests.

But be warned there’s a lot of trolling on YouTube comments.

Thanks for the suggestion. It was something I had been thinking about.

So I went ahead and did it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Inu7zjY0I6E

Also I received the first review of my project from a critic in the UK. You can check it out here.

http://contactlight.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/mr-wie-narrative-mixing-first-movement-land/

I'm not sure the world is ready for soul-singers who can move silently at superhuman speed ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Inu7zjY0I6E#t=29m45s

Barry White certainly couldn't do that :¬)

IMO shifting him about in the stereo-field within the limits of what is humanly possible would be preferable, i.e. the listener can't tell it's a post-production effect : they just get the impression he's moving about on stage. For me the immersive experience collapses when the singer does a superman impression, (but I'm nit-picking)

Timbre. Funnily enough that's one of the bits in the project that I didn't tinker with. It came straight off the CD. The CD in question was a binaural sample CD. So supposedly all the tracks were recorded on a dummy head.

Really haven't been able to find too much out about the CD more than it was recorded in Germany somewhere around 1987. So maybe they faked it? I wouldn't think so, but odder things have happened.

http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Stax-Space-Sound-Recording/sim/B000LAUDHY/2

brettwise wrote:
So maybe they faked it? I wouldn't think so, but odder things have happened.

The effect is consistent with randomly swinging a pair of microphones on a dummy head, (that would look weird : I'm surprised no-none in the audience laughed at a decapitated head wandering about). If the dummy head quickly did a 180 degree turn at one point that would explain the singer apparently jumping from one side to the other.

I did an interview on about Narrative Mixing on Solipsistic nation, a podcast/radio show. Check it out below. Very excited to be featured.

http://solipsisticnation.com/solipsistic-nation-no-302-narrative-mixing-%C2%B7-first-movement-%C2%B7-land/

I can't even begin to describe what I feel listening to this. This is the type of environment I want to learn to create. I love this to no end. Thank you, sir, for this inspiration.