# Sailin' Tuns!



## Crudblud

Well, I thought it was about time I conformed and starting plugging my music more actively.

Sailin' Tuns was originally released at the end of May this year. As a release, it is an EP comprising a book of 17 original pieces for detuned solo bandoneon, and features "studio enhancements". Note that much of the music is either probably or definitely unplayable by a single person, and even a group of players would be faced with considerable issues in terms of coordination during quite a few passages. Personally I would advise downloading over streaming, as the liner notes add to the atmosphere of the proceedings, and of course it features split tracks, something not possible with the lack of gapless playback on Soundcloud.

Whichever you choose, I hope you enjoy it.

Download (with fanciful liner notes)

Stream

P.S.: It was produced by my good friend Steve, and I think he did a fantastic job.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Pretentious garbage with all the charm and likeability of a parasite.


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## Crudblud

It's a hit!


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## juergen

Cool! Normally I'm not a fan of such peculiar stuff, but this one I really enjoyed.


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## BurningDesire

O_O I love accordion! Did you play the parts? Is the bandoneon specifically de-tuned, or did you compose with one that was out of tune as is? How do you notate for accordions? Where can I buy an accordion? 

Also I like the music


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## Crudblud

@juergen: Thanks for listening!

@BD: I love accordion too!

1. No, but my computer happens to be exceptionally skilled. I'm glad it sounds realistic!
2. Each note is displaced one way or the other by about a quarter tone.
3. I don't know.
4. Second hand shops would probably be your best bet, they're like the pawn shops in the US. The amount of interesting stuff you can get for relatively low cost at those places is remarkable.


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## BurningDesire

Crudblud said:


> @juergen: Thanks for listening!
> 
> @BD: I love accordion too!
> 
> 1. No, but my computer happens to be exceptionally skilled. I'm glad it sounds realistic!
> 2. Each note is displaced one way or the other by about a quarter tone.
> 3. I don't know.
> 4. Second hand shops would probably be your best bet, they're like the pawn shops in the US. The amount of interesting stuff you can get for relatively low cost at those places is remarkable.


Cool  did you compose this by ear then? Or did you notate it at all?


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## Crudblud

Well, I use piano roll notation. It's a simple system of dots and lines arranged over a keyboard matrix. Some people would say that it isn't proper or that it lessens a composer's worth if they can't draw squiggles on a staff, but I've never really let it bother me.


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## BurningDesire

Crudblud said:


> Well, I use piano roll notation. It's a simple system of dots and lines arranged over a keyboard matrix. Some people would say that it isn't proper or that it lessens a composer's worth if they can't draw squiggles on a staff, but I've never really let it bother me.


I'd never say that. Though I do think it is a good skill to have, as another way to preserve your work, and to have a way to have others perform it, if it is music that you'd like performed.


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## Crudblud

Some of my ideas are performance based, but for the most part I'm happy to have an accurate if less realistic account of my work available to listen to at home.


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## BurningDesire

Crudblud said:


> Some of my ideas are performance based, but for the most part I'm happy to have an accurate if less realistic account of my work available to listen to at home.


Reminds me of Zappa after he got his Synclavier, and also Conlon Nancarrow. I like having the option of both. I like that you can do things physically impossible with sequencers, and I love the colors of real instruments performing live and the element of interpretation of the score, and I also love the timbral possibilities in sequencers and synths, and things that can only be done with music that is performed live, like improvisation, and spacial and theatrical elements.


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## Crudblud

Then I think we basically have the same idea as regards the pros and cons of real performance and sequencer rendering.


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## StevenOBrien

I like it! Sounds like the soundtrack to a slave ship from hell.

EDIT:


Crudblud said:


> 1. No, but my computer happens to be exceptionally skilled. I'm glad it sounds realistic!


WHAT?! What virtual instrument are you using for it?


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## Crudblud

Thanks for listening, Mr. O'Brien.

I used the Bandoneon from the BestService Accordions pack for Kontakt. I'm not sure which version it was originally made for, but I have Kontakt 4 and it works fine. Unusually for BestService it actually takes a quality over quantity approach, and features round robin, release noise, sforzato control via velocity (with a controllable limit, i.e.: 100+ = sfz), simulated bellows control via modulation and a micro tuning feature. The micro tuning is uniform in octaves, so C2 and C3 on the keyboard will play the same note. I was slightly disappointed as I had originally wanted to use it to create music in just intonation, but no such luck.


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## juergen

Crudblud said:


> The micro tuning is uniform in octaves, so C2 and C3 on the keyboard will play the same note. I was slightly disappointed as I had originally wanted to use it to create music in just intonation, but no such luck.


You could load multiple instances of the VSTi, one for each octave, then you should be able to detune the octaves separately. But you would need to map the MIDI data for each octave to the corresponding VSTi instances. It certainly needs some fiddling but seems to be doable.


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## Crudblud

juergen said:


> You could load multiple instances of the VSTi, one for each octave, then you should be able to detune the octaves separately. But you would need to map the MIDI data for each octave to the corresponding VSTi instances. It certainly needs some fiddling but seems to be doable.


Aha, very interesting, I'll remember that for next time!


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## Billy

This is a nice sounding instrument, good playing and composition. I am enjoying listening to it, never heard anything like it.


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## Crudblud

Thanks Billy, I much appreciate your taking the time to listen.


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