Paradiso: how it started
by July 24, 2023Paradiso How It Started
for me, an idea for a tune can be inspired in many ways. some of these include:
– a particular sound or preset
– a sound with tweaked parameters or added fx
– blending of sounds or instruments
– a chord progression
– a melody, hook, iterations on a theme, variations
and sometimes, i find that the sound I’m playing with inspires a unique movement, sequence of notes, or a chord progression.
that was the case with Paradiso
as with all ideas, I recorded this as a voice memo into my phone.
and as with many ideas (still), it sat there for a long while as i was busy working on other projects.
this embryonic progression eventually became what is now the start of Paradiso.
it was November 2020.
I was in the midst of scoring a feature film (called DASHCAM).
while playing around with different sounds, I came across what sounded like a hyper effected rhodes.
I subsequently improvised a new chord progression.
On the track, the section that follows the trumpet solo has an interesting back story. In 2020, I went to Cold Spring with Doron Lev to visit our friend Matt Dickey, an awesome guitarist, composer and musical director. We started jamming, and as often happens, we happened to fall into a deep pocket on an inspired progression. I always thought this idea could turn into something bigger, whether it was a lo-fi beat or as part of a bigger tune. It sat on my iphone for 14 months. Then while writing Paradiso in late 2021, listening back to the demos and figuring out where to go after the trumpet solo section, I suddenly heard this jam as fitting in as a bridge. It had sat on my iphone fro 14 months. Finally I found a home for it.
Layers and textures are integral to orchestrating and arranging the track.
These help to expand the energy, create a hybrid/surreal atmosphere, as well as serve as a bridge between sections
I do this with sections, instrumental combos, mono synth leads, poly pads, bass sounds, drum samples, fx, automation and more
The way I test if a part is integral: if I take a part away, do I miss it? If yes, then it stays. Sometimes even a very small part can make a big difference. If I don’t miss it, it goes
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