Drawing For Sounds

Graphical representations of curious music

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A stable, continuous, all-encompassing bass. As if it was a fish flowing in the currents of the sea, never stopping, glowing with bliss and freedom, letting itself be embraced by the warmth of its own moving body. Letting the melody encircle the stable beat. As the music relaxes my mind, I start painting. The pink flower represents the high pitched synth waves, that give the track a somehow pretty, soft vibe. The red ones directly relate to the title: Love is The Drug. 

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Techno Fish

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From the beginning to the end, pleasantness. As I got lost into her set, I let myself close my eyes to listen closely to its intricate patterns of bass, voices, percussions, drums, synth cords, progressive rhythms and futuristic bleeps...A flawless hour of pure bliss.

Different elements characterize this set: an almost aquatic bass puts forward soothing melodies. I let myself get submersed in sound, I let my pen flow. As energy arises in me, so do the lines on the canvas. The humming of birds echoes in the background, leading the listener somewhere. 

The atmosphere suddenly turns a little jazzy, enticing me to add colors. 

Then the music takes a much darker road. Dub techno takes the lead, but keeps the subtleness of the general atmosphere of the set. Around 33:30, intense low-frequencies inspire the background of my canvas - a submerged realm of mystery.

Futuristic and ambient creations follow the end of the set. That’s the link with the creature of the drawing. She lets her energy flow through her entire body as she listens. She lets the bird carry her thoughts through nature. 

The last part of the set is marvelously soft and groovy, full of interesting elements that form a seamless mélange of sounds.

Complex, curious, original, deep and a bit trippy. A plunging experience into an aquatic land of sounds. 

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Submerged (Click for full size) 

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I hear delicate patterns of metallic synth cords, with soft words beautifully sung by Thom York echoing in the background. Intense low-frequencies envelop us into a nocturnal journey. Waves of darkness and mystery combine with peaceful droplets of melody. I see roofs, chimneys, a city at night, a lone wanderer. I draw Burial, do you see him?

Like the song, I wanted to combine darkness and peace. The light is soothing. Waves of sound gently brush the walls of the buildings. The Ego is stepping down, as people go to sleep. Some stay awake to enjoy the stillness, others to better listen.

 Music at night is sometimes more powerful than silence. 

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Burial on a Roof (click to see full size)

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Wait for it...

Hear that third tempo? Doum doum dududoum. For me, it always makes the bassline better. Less repetitive. More surprising. It adds that groovy vibe that makes you want to move.

But the artist here takes it on another level, distorting the sequence, inserting that third doum at unexpected times, and he does that perfectly through the whole EP.

The first song, “Mathilde”, uplifted my mood surprisingly fast.  I decided I wanted to draw with colors today. I wanted to draw something explosive. Different. That’s how I came up with the Dancing Buddha.

The EP has soft vibes mingled with sad undertones and a strong beat. There’s something melancholic, and something undeniably ecstatic in the melody. 

As the music warmed up my body, with fantastic shivers going down my arms and spine, I began to add details to my Dancing Buddha. Each detail reflects something in the EP. The Buddha’s dance is serene, the skulls reflect the melancholia and techno in general. The colors reflect my inner feelings: red for joy, blue for the shivers, yellow for the warmth. I also decided to draw little dancing Bart from the Simpsons, to embody the wonderful vibes of the EP. Like the Dancing Buddha, he is deeply enjoying the profoundness of the beat and the groovy rhythm. 

A perfect harmony. An explosion of quality bass. A flawless sequence of rhythm. Listen to that third beat. Listen to it...The Dancing Buddha approves. 

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Click here to see The Dancing Buddha in full resolution

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I am immediately surprised by the robust beat interlaced with a soft yet curious melody. The bass is crisp, yet pleasantly profound. I feel transported, carried on a trip into a mystical land, with Mario Karts racing, colors getting warmer, sounds getting sharper, almost hard to match with something known. Flowers flow, eyes open, leaves grow. The race slows down.

And then appears a road, at 1:41, unceasingly spiraling downwards, slowly disappearing into the abysses of the rhythm.

New perceptions arise. The track echoes the word spiritual. It flows perfectly with the beat, transcends with it. Short yet efficient, the track finishes just on time leaving us just like that: satisfied.

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“Lissajous” actually refers to a mathematical formula that describes complex harmonic motion.

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Instantly, my left knee starts moving. My fingers follow. I type to the beat. I press my headphones on my ears to better hear the bass. I hear struggle. Oriental vibes. A battle. A reconciliation. The rhythm or the melody? Which one do you like best? I admire both. 

“Contur” made me recall a design from a tattoo artist I’ve been following, Pale Horse. I pick up my pen and start filling my notebook with black lines.

It’s the “Get Down”. I suddenly feel uplifted. Energy flowing. Lips rising to form a smile. Eyes closing. Knees going up and down. I want to move! The pen flows faster on the paper. I darken the shadows, with strength. I concentrate on the eyes of the warrior: where will the melody go?

“All I Know” inspired the flowers. I hear sensibility, softness, thus the ornaments flowing from the armor of the warrior. But the beat is still going strong; at 0:50, I decide to draw a skull. Symbol of death, sadness, fear perhaps? 

“Night Circles” is the final touch. Slow, soft, perfect, yet still evolving. The snake flows and the warrior fights, but in the end, I could not foresee who could win. You decide.

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