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Kristian Day
Education: College Years

Album 2009 on Left Hand Records label
Electronic (Abstract, Musique Concrète, Ambient)

This is vol. 2 of Kristian Day’s “Education” series. These are works that created during his time at the University of Colorado at Denver 2004-2007. The first two tracks were lab projects for his D.M.T. (Digital Music Techniques) class were he was instructed by composer Dr. Sigmund Rothschild. “Music for time travel” was created during the course study of musique concrète. The project goal was to create a piece of music with out any melody, harmony, rhythm, meter, etc. There also could not be any use of midi. However the piece had to include three different parts that were significantly different from the other. The students also had to use the free audio manipulation program “Soundhack” at least once. “I ate them all Mr. Sandman” was created during the course study of remix. The project had to include samples from some type of pre-recorded material and had include midi programming. “Carry” was recorded in 2005 right before Kristian started recording Denver’s metal act, Preferred Member. It was the first cover song he had ever reworked. Originally recorded by Skinny Puppy back in the early 1980’s, “Carry” had originally been recorded on a Tascam 4 track with a Yamaha DX7, drum machine, and samples from the film “1984”. Kristian’s new version included an African thumb piano, Native Instruments FM7, Hammond rhythm box, and also the original samples from “1984”. “Remote Island” Kristian learned early on who John Cage was and the effect he had on the philosophy and engineering of music. “Remote Island” was made using the same techniques as John Cage’s “William’s Mix”. Here is an excerpt from John Cage: “This is a score (192 pages) for making music on magnetic tape. Each page has two systems comprising eight lines each. These eight lines are eight tracks of tape and they are pictured full-size so that the score constitutes a pattern for the cutting of tape and its splicing. All recorded sounds are placed in six categories … Approximately 600 recordings are necessary to make a version of this piece. The composing means were chance operations derived from the I-Ching.»” “Behind the Sun” An experiment with a bass guitar, Sunn Amplifier, and filters. “A Growing Void” When it comes down to the different types of synthesis, whether it be Monophonic, Polyphonic, FM Synthesis, etc nothing is more preferred by Kristian than the technique of granular synthesis. To be able to re order the individual grains of sound and create something new leave the door open to endless compositions. This was on the first pieces he recorded using granular synthesis. “Bed of Oblivion” Slow, doom-filled composition done on the micro korg with filtering. “A Very Cold Session” was early attempt at classical arrangement. A soundtrack to a rainy night in Paris. In “Paints and a Mirage”, Kristian began using prepared and treated electric guitars. Very early attempt and relied on loops. “Delerium Memory” Another composition using John Cage’s “William’s Mix” technique. Three copies of the same source piece. The original source composition was recorded poorly and included a lot flaws, however Kristian didn’t want to see the piece go to waste and reused it for this new recording. “Haunted” (extended) Before Kristian made his original demo reel to advertise himself as a film composer, he created this as example of his scoring style. Strings, noise, voices, ethnic instruments, everything is in this piece. This extended version includes a longer ending with various tribal instruments. “Jitters” A granular experiment created from drum delay feedback. Available for free download at Last.fm http://www.last.fm/music/Kristian+Day/Education%3A+College+Years

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