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Purple Modal Strobe Ecstasy: Song Analysis

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The music Purple Modal Strobe Ecstasy with the Daughters of Destruction from All Night Flight composed by Terry Riley is entirely based on drone. The base sounds continue until the end of the song. The same low sounds are repeated and fixed during about 45 minutes long. In the beginning of the song, the piece seems like there in no definite change. Therefore, the unusual and confusing sounds make audience focus on the music waiting for the change. However, as song ends the introduction, the other instruments and sounds present. In this minimalistic music, electric organ, saxophone, and time log accumulator are used to layer the sounds and to create the unusual sounds. Although the duration of the song is somewhat long, discovering unusual and unanticipated …show more content…

The base music holds other features and the sounds make harmony. The music becomes diverse and varied. I guess that the composer’s intention is to explain that in the world, there are various sounds and any sounds can be the music and there is no limit to create musical sounds. Furthermore, he describes the emotional features through the sounds. Sound itself can be regard as a person. As different people live with their own personality and experience, the composer uses the sounds to express the emotion that the composer might experience in the world. Every musical features and mix of the details cause the change in the work. Sometimes the transitions are unusual or unanticipated when those come out while the music. For instance, in the middle of the song, unfamiliar sounds are rapidly played. The several different single tones oscillate and increase the tension on the music. When sharp sounds appear, the tension gets the highest. At the end of the work, the rousing finale presents, and then only a few single notes are played consistently. The sounds let the audiences know that the song goes to the end. Generally, this song’s atmosphere is not bright or

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