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Alternate Progression

by Epistrophe Smith

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@techbot
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Collin Sherman
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St. Löda
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about

A heavy winding techno/jazz track with broken up distorted piano, an arpeggiated bass line and an improvised sax solo.

My aim for this track is to challenge the listener to throw away preconceptions of any jazz and techno fusion gone before.

The complex, yet free harmonic structure offers little resolution as it winds through the 16 bar progression. The progression rises by an extra semitone with each bar until it resolves back around. This was an interesting concept to work with and the composition was initially penned as a straight ahead jazz tune inspired by John Coltrane’s 1960 classic Giant Steps.

This original version of Alternate Progression was faster, contained II V’s before every chord, and offered a more complex melody. Several attempts to fit this previous version with the electronic instruments at my disposal never felt quite right. I Initially played the chord progression on the piano in a standard manner and the composition immediately felt ‘too full’ for the type of mood I was trying to create. Once I’d played the simple bass line heard on this recording I knew it would become the glue that held the piece together. Shortly after that I arpeggiated the bass line and the piece seemed to come to life.

I knew I wanted to continue to use piano in the piece, but a conventional piano line didn’t ever get me to the point I was trying to go, so I experimented until I achieved the broken up, distorted line on the recording. I feel this gives the listener enough of an insight into the harmonic structure without shoving it down their throat.

In the end the progression offered to the saxophonist Simon Taylor was a series of bass notes with potential, (but not fixed) harmonic content. The actual chord changes I gave him had a series of bass notes with multiple versions of chords scrawled on top. I wanted him to feel free to play the way he was comfortable with, and I believe the desired result was achieved.

Part of the reason I attempted this work was because, although I love both genres dearly, I struggle to find electronic-jazz fusions I think do either genre justice. Whether or not you feel I have succeeded or not with this is up to you, but from my point of view this work is a success and something I’m proud of.

credits

released April 14, 2017
feat: Simon Taylor - sax

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Epistrophe Smith image

Epistrophe Smith Bristol, UK

Modern electronic composition.

Epistrophe Smith understands electronic music. He gets it, and invites the listener to understand too.

He establishes delicate rhythms, mixing samples with synthesised and live beats, building soundscapes that evolve in waves; audial worlds with musical stories accompanying the listener as their narratives merge and we are left realising we have entered new realms ... more

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