In Progress: Paper Hearts

I'm currently working on my mix. "Paper Hearts" is the working title of my track. Initially, it was called , Koto R&B. I'm using Adobe Audition for mixing and multi-tracking my session.

In Progress: Paper Hearts

This is the lyrics I've written for my song entitled, Paper Hearts. And I've found my singer.


Chorus//
I'm feeling like a butterfly up in the sky
You gave me hope and make me high
(pause) I'm loving your melody and you never make me cry
And baby some day you'll see, you're the apple of my eye


Verse 1//
I run my fingers through your hair
I wonder if you'll take me there
Why don't you wanna let me stay
Cause I don't want you to go away

Pre-Chorus//
I'm hearing all the voices in my head
I'm thinking about the words you used to say
We make and tear all these paper hearts
We break and wear all these paper hearts

(Chorus)

Verse 2//
And so we're back to where we are
The hugs and kisses, and the caviar
How did we ever...end up this far?
What would it takes for us..to live amongst the stars?

(Bridge)


(Chorus til end)

In Progress: kotorock

Here is the lyrics for my song that (for now), is called kotorock. The song is about a depressed person who has broken up with his girlfriend a long time ago but is still madly in love with her.

Verse 1//
Random thoughts race through my mind
Yet grief is my sole emotion
I’m well aware you’re no longer mine,
Yet I have an unhealthy devotion

Donning my wrist with little lines
Escaping my snags with narcotic sedation
Breaking the laws of nature and science
With pills that boost the imagination

Chorus//
Ah Ah Ah Ahh...

Verse 2//
Picturing you in a satin dress
You’re still the star of my coital fantasy
Your body, perfect; I used to caress
And now I feel like losing my sanity

Knowing you made my life a mess
Or maybe I’m just being silly
I don’t know, can’t make a clever guess
Looks like I’ll be guessing perpetually

(Chorus)

(Solo)

(Chorus) x 2

In Progress: kotorock

Here's the arrangement view of my track (working name: kotorock). It will be an experimental track influenced by rock, trip hop and of course the Japanese Koto. The main arranging tool I am for this track is Ableton Live 7.

Minutes of Meeting: Meeting #9

Date: 25th June 2008
Venue: Kaffe Esplanade
Time: 5pm
Present: Hasif, Sharime, Saifuddin

Agenda:
- first contact with talents
- discuss song idea to talent
- pass instrumental track and/or lyrics for reference

Minutes of Meeting: Meeting #8

Date: 16th June 2008
Venue: Kaffe Esplanade
Time: 5pm
Present: Hasif, Sharime, Saifuddin

Agenda:
- discuss about finding talents for individual tracks
- recording spray can samples for Sharime's track
- recording bass and turntable scratching for Sharime's track
- reviewing team's original compositions and giving feedbacks

Recording Samples

Sharime records samples for his track.

Recording spray can samples.



Recording DJ scratches on the turntables.



Recording live bass.

Minutes of Meeting: Meeting #7

Date: 10th June 2008
Venue: Vista B
Time: 1pm
Present: Hasif, Sharime, Saifuddin

Agenda:
- re-recording Koto instrument
- recording guitar, bass and Kaoss pad for Sai's track
- discuss current progress of team's individual song composition

Minutes of Meeting: Meeting #6

Date: 5th June 2008
Venue: EMP Club Room,
Time: 12pm
Present: Hasif, Sharime, Saifuddin

Agenda:
- reviewing Koto sample recording
- post production of Koto sample recording

Minutes of Meeting: Meeting #5

Date: 4th June 2008
Venue: Vista B
Time: 2pm
Present: Hasif, Sharime, Saifuddin

Agenda:
- re-recording Koto instrument
- discuss about song composition of individual tracks

Minutes of Meeting: Meeting #4

Date: 3rd June 2008
Venue: Synth Lab
Time: 3pm
Present: Hasif, Sharime, Saifuddin and our advisor, Damien

Agenda:
- discuss current FYP progress
- review of trial recording of Koto instrument

Minutes of Meeting: Meeting #3

Date: 2nd June 2088
Venue: Vista B
Time: 2pm
Present: Hasif, Sharime, Saifuddin

Agenda:
- trial recording of Koto instrument
- taking down notes for future reference such as musical notation and tuning system

Recording Koto at Vista

Today, we are doing a trial recording of the Koto instrument. This is to notate down some of the possible problems and for us to ensure that we can get a 'clean' sound during future recordings.

Some of the key issues we will be dealing with today is:

- Mic placement: getting the best possible sound for koto instrument

- Proper mic gain: ensuring that levels are not clipping

- Ensure a high signal-to-noise ratio: high signal output

- Tuning the koto instrument

- Playing to a metronome: playing on time so that we can used samples for our song compositions

Playing the Koto

This is how you should play the koto. Cheers!

Koto Tunings

We found the different tunings for the Japanese Koto from the website http://www.kotonokoto.org/tuning.html. This information will be useful in tuning the Koto for our recording tomorrow. We will be using the Hira Joshi first as it is the basic tuning and then move on to the other tunings later.