Mt. Saint Michel Mix + St. Michael's Mount

tankefugl

<div class="IPBDescription">Aphex Twin goodness?</div>I'm a bit curious whether other people than me get "moved" by this track on Aphex Twin's Druqs. Basically, it's a fairly standard (if one can say that about Aphex Twin) tune, untill the last two minutes. Then something happens with how he has cut the music which is not immediately apparent unless you use a headset.

It has a very hypnotic effect on me, almost nausiating, and I'm curious whether it has that effect on other people as well. I intend to take a peek into the actual signals of the tune to find out exactly what he has done. Whether it is intentional or not I do not know, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was.

Don't bother finding YouTube videos with the song, the effect is completely lost there. I am not sure if Spotify or similar services have it to a high enough quality that the effect can be captured.

Pipi

Just listened to it.. Which part exactly are you talking about? The last 30 secs Gate or the 2 synths at around 6:30?

tankefugl

Actually, it what starts at the -1:00 mark and builds up to a peak in the final 30 seconds.

DiscoZombie

definitely bizarre. I do see what you mean. I seem to feel it in my chest, listening to that part. sort of like butterflies in the stomach. he does some really neat things with his music.

here is the song, for reference:

<a href="http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/Mt+Saint+Michel+Mix+St+Michaels+Mount/2oQ3kC" target="_blank">http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/Mt+Saint...ls+Mount/2oQ3kC</a>

puzl

it's the song that redeems druqks IMO.. the vocals and bass are swapping dominance with some kind of phase shifting.. not even sure if he's swapping stereo channels.. I don't think so.. first time I heard it I thought the ###### was creating a standing wave in my skull or something.. I was very far from sober at the time though.

<a href="http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/Bucephalus+Bouncing+Ball/3J9LA" target="_blank">Bucephalus Bouncing Ball</a> is another amazing track for different reasons, but it shows how far he can take a simple idea to turn it into a facemelter.

Pipi

It's just a gate...

juice

Phase shifting sounds and creating a visceral response probably has something to do with echolocation, making your middle ears think you're rotating/moving, which disagrees with your inner ears that think you're sitting still. Like car sickness, your eyes disagree with your inner ear. You just need a biological firmware upgrade.

Scythe

You're all imagining things. I feel nothing. Just an annoying discordant series of random sounds.

--Scythe--

Temphage

I refuse to listen to that chaotic garbage any ###### with a computer could whip up, so I'm going to guess it's just <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binaural_tones" target="_blank">this</a>. Nothing new and exciting.

tankefugl

Anyone with a computer can also have an trolling attitude on the Internet, Temphage. It's nothing new and interesting either, it turns out! Amazing, eh? Feel free to draw further parallels with your statement.

And yes, Scythe, it appears to have different effects on different people. I have very much the same response as puzl to it, while you (and others) don't notice much at all. Perhaps this functions as a good example of how the experience of music and sound is dependant on the physiology of a person?

Thanks for the heads up on Echolocation and Binaural beats, I'll check it out.

puzl

I'm not sure it is binaural beats. Listen to the last 70 seconds of the song and give your opinion.

Aphex Twin uses many forms of brainwave entrainment in his music, including binaural beats. In SAW II there is a song 'stone in focus' that is extremely soothing and uses brainwave entrainment to relax the listener. If you are interested in various forms of brainwave entrainment have a look at <a href="http://www.bwgen.com/theory.htm" target="_blank">http://www.bwgen.com/theory.htm</a>


But, with MSMM, I think something different is being done, I just can't put my finger on what, but then again, I'm no expert.


And scythe's reply is exactly the broken leg fallacy - "well my leg works fine so your leg couldn't possibly be broken"

edit: while we're all egasming on the trickery that aphex twin employs in his music, check out the windowlicker wiki page <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windowlicker" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windowlicker</a> for some info on other tricks he uses

That_Annoying_Kid

my friends are both aphex twin junkies


MSMMSMM is an interesting track, as well as bacephalus, Windowlicker is one of his more conventional songs


I would like some milk from the milkman's wife's titts

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sycthe down
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tankefugl

<!--quoteo(post=1768766:date=Apr 26 2010, 05:46 PM:name=puzl)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (puzl @ Apr 26 2010, 05:46 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1768766"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I'm not sure it is binaural beats. Listen to the last 70 seconds of the song and give your opinion.

Aphex Twin uses many forms of brainwave entrainment in his music, including binaural beats. In SAW II there is a song 'stone in focus' that is extremely soothing and uses brainwave entrainment to relax the listener. If you are interested in various forms of brainwave entrainment have a look at <a href="http://www.bwgen.com/theory.htm" target="_blank">http://www.bwgen.com/theory.htm</a>


But, with MSMM, I think something different is being done, I just can't put my finger on what, but then again, I'm no expert.


And scythe's reply is exactly the broken leg fallacy - "well my leg works fine so your leg couldn't possibly be broken"

edit: while we're all egasming on the trickery that aphex twin employs in his music, check out the windowlicker wiki page <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windowlicker" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windowlicker</a> for some info on other tricks he uses, specifically the spiral pattern of L+R separation.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Well, it wouldn't be hard to do a wavelet, chirplet, windowed fourier or similar analysis on the signals to see what he's up to, breaking it down in a time evolution of frequency, phase modulation and intensity for the two stereo channels. (In fact, when I'm done with this thesis I intend to do so.)

The fact that it suddenly ramps up suggests to me that the effect might well be masked in some form of aliasing as well. I would also not be surprised if brainwave entrapment related frequencies turned up in for example the sharp intensity variations.

There might be some echolocation effects, I wouldn't be surprised. You can "feel" the beat from side to side, suggesting that he is playing heavilly on some stereo effects like this.

puzl

If you're planning to do that then start be reading this: <a href="http://www.bastwood.com/aphex.php" target="_blank">http://www.bastwood.com/aphex.php</a>

Pipi

<!--quoteo(post=1768662:date=Apr 25 2010, 09:28 AM:name=tankefugl)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (tankefugl @ Apr 25 2010, 09:28 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1768662"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Actually, it what starts at the -1:00 mark and builds up to a peak in the final 30 seconds.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

It really is just a gate..


<!--quoteo(post=1768766:date=Apr 26 2010, 11:46 AM:name=puzl)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (puzl @ Apr 26 2010, 11:46 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1768766"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->In SAW II there is a song 'stone in focus' that is extremely soothing and uses brainwave entrainment to relax the listener.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Damn it, I intended to use my 60 feet titanium woofer to drive 300dB of 8Hz at the people and take over the world !!



Binaural beats? .. certainly not present in the Saint Michel song.
<!--quoteo(post=1768742:date=Apr 26 2010, 08:12 AM:name=Temphage)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Temphage @ Apr 26 2010, 08:12 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1768742"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Nothing new and exciting.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

tankefugl

Done that a long time ago, puzl ;)

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It really is just a gate..<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I was going to ignore that since it's like replying "it's just a hammer" when the question is related to carpentry. But since you insist:

Then what is it about this gate that is special? What are the actual mechanisms that induces discomfort? Just stating "it's a gate" (assuming you do mean noise gate, correct me if I'm wrong) just describes the the tool to do the job, and does nothing to describe <b>how</b> it's used in this context.

What is the frequency spectrum of the gating? How does it shift with the stero? How does it evolve with time? What effects that are not clearly "visible" are there that might play in?

How can you say with certainty that binaural beats has nothing to do with it? I do not really share this picture; the shifting back and forth between the stereo is easilly around the 2-10Hz range which puts the theory in the "possible" range. I'll need an explanation to dismiss it.

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Nothing new and exciting.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

This is the biggest fallacy of them all; kindly stop that. Assuming knowledge or subjects needs a date stamp to be valid or interesting is both arrogant and highly naïve, in particular when you assume the position of superior knowledge.