As mentioned, I wanted to demonstrate how the voice can be expanded beyond being just a centrepiece. Below are some examples of how I have manipulated the sound to enhance the listening experience within a track; these examples are referenced within the context of the songs that follow
*1 *2 *3 *4
*5
*6 *7 *8 *9
*10 *11 *12 *13
*14
INFO
For the purpose of the portfolio I have lowered the spoken vocals to pull focus to the music and added subtitles where necessary for context.
Sleep x The Lovely Bones
The Lovely Bones is a story about a teenage girl who was murdered, watching her family navigate grief after a tragic loss beyond the grave. The story blends heartbreak and the concept of staying connected after death, with this scene portraying the realisation of what really happened.
I wrote Sleep to explore tension through sound and atmosphere and how it effects a listeners emotion experience. The initial inspiration behind this song came to me after reading about the Epstein files. Taking the feeling of how disgusting human behaviour can be, I wanted sleep to be a response to how some can only find their own peace through eternal sleep. The use of Vocals in this were manipulated to created uneasy feelings and atmosphere (*6 +*9), as well as a panned vocal phrase recorded slightly out of time from each other(*8). Harmony is the backbone throughout the song, *7 is an example of layered vocals creating a choir like effect driving the song.
I Wont Choke x Severance
Severance is a show that follows a group of employees at a mysterious company. Having gone though a procedure that separates memories of work life to personal life, the group learn unsettling discoveries about their identities and control. The scene shows a character discovering the truth and resorting to violence in an attempt to prove he is right.
I Wont Choke was written focusing on the feeling of slow-releasing stress. It originated from the swinging piano, which drives the song forward with each chord change, creating a disorientating feeling, making you question your sanity. There is a use of robotic, jittery vocals which are also intended to emulate this feeling (*1 + *2). In addition to this, there is intentional lyricism, such as ‘Hell’n Around’ (2:09) in reference to the female character whose name is ‘Helly R’.
Almost Home x Normal People
Normal People is a show that follows the lives of two people. It explores complex relationships and how they evolve over time. It navigates emotional connections, intimacy and the complexity of love. In this scene, the male lead is dealing with the reality of depression and the effect it has on life and personal relationships.
When trying to convey a detachment from the mind to society, I felt as though a cappella was the most raw and emotionally exposed way of expressing feelings of depression. Almost Home is stripped back yet layered, reflecting the complexity and depth of human emotion. With textures (such as *3+*4) being purposely delayed and louder to leave an impression on the audience. While recording harmonies, I sneezed. But this then brought me back to my point of experimenting with vocal sounds and manipulation. *5 demonstrates how I transformed a sneeze into a replicated drum beat. This allowed the track to remain entirely vocal-based while preserving a natural sound.
I Might Just Fall x Heated Rivalry
Heated Rivalry follows the story of two rival hockey players whose complicated relationship slowly develops. The show centres on the vulnerability of accepting your sexuality and the complications that can come with it in the spotlight, as well as the general exploration of love and identity. This clip is a confession of love between two characters, emphasising the importance of not hiding who you love out of fear, ultimately inspiring the two main characters to embrace their love.
I Might Just Fall was written from the feeling of being scared to put yourself out there, and the moment of letting go while embracing the possibility that you ‘might just fall’ into something good. The line ‘How can I keep falling, when I’m stuck on the ground’ reflects the frustration of watching opportunities slip away and feeling unable to do anything about it. I wrote this song and brought it to a friend to help produce it by creating it together. We were able to share ideas and make them come to life in ways I wasn’t able to portray myself. Despite the frustration in the lyrics, the sound lifts to create a hopeful tone that reflects the overall message: let go, it’s okay.
Waiting for You x Arcane
The show Arcane is a blend of the fantasy and steampunk genres. It centres on the conflict between a wealthy city and an oppressed underground society. In this scene, two sisters are forced to fight after picking opposite sides of a growing revolution. The overall emotional themes are to do with trauma, corrupt power and fractured relationships.
I was hired as a session vocalist to sing Waiting for You as well as helping out with production ideas for a composer. The song is intense and cinematic, which is why I felt the universe of Arcane was the most appropriate setting for it. The first sentence, ‘watching in the silence,’ reflects the ‘stalking’ of characters in the scene.
Feels like Home – Alpha Christmas Advert
Feels like Home was an Advert for Alpha, I wanted to include this into my portfolio of work to show off an example of a real life situation and the range of work I am interested in. The difference in this from some of the previous work is intended to show my range. I was hired as a session vocalist to record vocals, and it went live on TV a while later. This was the start of my interest in music for the screen, and knowing that my voice could be what strangers hear was/is exciting.
Looking for You x Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is an emotional journey of love and grief; a consideration if pain is worth preserving or better to be forgotten. It follows a couple who chose to erase their memories of each other after separating in an attempt to ease their pain. During this, the male lead rediscovers the importance of their relationship though fragments of their memories. During the scene, he is trying to chase the memories he longs to keep, trying to find a way to escape the fate he chose for himself.
Looking for You is a ballad made with the intent of addressing conflicting feeling of relationships. The lyrics ‘not everything I do has to turn around and redesign my whole point of view for you’ are an acknowledgement of seeing that your partner wants you to fit into a mould you weren’t designed to fit into. While ‘I’m looking for you’ is the part of you searching for the person you knew before these expectations had been set. By putting myself into the perspective of the song, I was able to convey emotion through harmonies and varied vocal dynamics.
I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire – Long Legs
Interpretive Cover
I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire is originally a song by The Ink Spots, but for this project, I have reworked the song entirely. I have made a version to go over the trailer to horror movie Long Legs. By entirely reimagining the song, I was able to capture a creepy essence of the film. I used vocals to create sound scapes that enhance the feeling of uncomfortableness (*10 + *11 + *14). During 0:41 the title flashes, during this vocals have been correlated to play in time with the flashes (*12). Throughout the song I wanted to harmonise with myself in a way that creates an unsettling atmosphere (*13). At 0:21, there are two vocal layers creating a slight dissonance and tense feeling. This was the most challenging song to produce in this collection due to the nature of the genre.
