RPM 2013: The Orton Road Suite & Ten Failed Photographs

by Sam Grinsell

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Two of the tracks from Ten Failed Photographs are only available as album bonus items, in addition to these you will receive hi-quality copies of the pictures that inspired the music. Lossless file types are 24 bit at 48kHz

I do think that this album is best heard as a complete set, I have made individual tracks available for download because I know some people prefer that way of listening. Bear in mind that you will only get the photos with the album download.

If you enjoy this album, please consider paying for it. I do not wish to exclude people by setting a price, but if you would like me to continue making music, there is no better way to encourage me than by buying my work! Even small donations are really very much appreciated. ... more

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1.	The Orton Road Suite: Prelude 03:46	buy track
2.	The Orton Road Suite: Expansion 04:19	buy track
3.	The Orton Road Suite: Empty Space 04:22	buy track
4.	The Orton Road Suite: Contraction 05:17	buy track
5.	The Orton Road Suite: Farewell 04:50	buy track
6.	smeared colours over black 02:22	buy track
7.	reflections in a dark pool 01:54	buy track
8.	three red berries 02:31	buy track
9.	red truck driveway 03:01	buy track
10.	faint lights in darkness 00:55	buy track
11.	barely visible trees 02:27	buy track
12.	distant bridge with trees 01:22	buy track
13.	a sign in darkness 02:11	buy track

about

Recorded on the 21st and 22nd February 2013 as part of RPM Challenge, where musicians around the world record and release an album in one month. This is my first purely acoustic album, played on my beautiful baritone Weissenborn made by Ermanno Pasqualato. Some notes on the music:

The Orton Road Suite
This grew from techniques of melodic improvisation I've been exploring for a few months. One starts with a pentatonic scale and adds notes as the performance goes on, ultimately reaching twelve-tone improvisation. This suite is structured around this approach, although it uses two different pentatonic scales, and the central section is largely 'free', and not melodically related to the rest.

Ten Failed Photographs
I recently became interested in analogue photography, which has resulted (among other things) in me possessing a collection of pictures that didn't turn out how I'd hoped. Those which had turned out too dark struck me as forming rather a nice set, and inspired these pieces. If you download the album, you'll get copies of all the photos. Musically, these pieces are loosely influenced by minimalism, and build on various ideas I've developed through improvisation. As I've tended toward longer pieces as time has gone on, it was pleasing to work in miniature again. Other than the subject matter, there is not a lot binding these pieces together, they are perhaps more of a collection than a suite.

For guitarists: this was all recorded on a baritone Weissenborn using a Tribotone slide. The Orton Road Suite was played in open A (AEAC#EA), Ten Failed Photographs was played in AEADEA. These are equivalent to DADF#AD and DADGAD respectively

credits

released February 25, 2013

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about

Sam Grinsell Whyteleafe, UK

I am a guitarist, field-recordist and composer interested in improvisation and alternative sound sources. I’m based in South London and have been spreading my music over the Internet since 2010.

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