Awesome observations Pradeep. A thoroughly enjoyable post!!
Thanks for your time !!!
----- Original Message ----
From: Pradeepan R <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2008 2:20:31 PM
Subject: Re: [arr] What trends in ARR's music have you noticed from Roja to now?
Friends,
I've just poured out my mind.
Please don't get bored with it...Would love to hear other's perspectives on ARR
.
Earlier Trends in ARR Music:
1) sad / sombre songs:
Early in his career, most of his sad songs were of typical soul/Blue genre.
he used a repeating pattern .
eg: Tu Hire - Bombay
Oh Vennila - Kadhal Desam.
Roja Jaaneman - Roja.
2) Use of a repeating loop with "plucked-string" instrument.
For many slow placed songs, he used a very simple repeating loop using
guitar/veena/ sitar/etc. ,
eg: Revival - Vande Mataram.
Then Kizhaku cheemayila - Kizhaku Cheemayile
Nila Kaaigiradhu - Indra (Hari Haran version)
3) Lavish use of 'Vocal' support from Backing singers in Interludes:
Many a times he has done entire interludes with just group vocals. (most cases
they words are just gibberish)
eg: Hairaba - jeans (2nd interlude)
Kannum Kannum - Thiruda Thirurda rock song (2nd interlude by Sujatha)
Take it easy Urvasi - Kadhalan (Anupama in interlude)
Kehna hi Kya/Kannalane - Bombay (female chorus for interlude)
Lucky Lucky - Ratchagan (2nd interlude)
4) Use of Cello/Double Bass/Other Low-pitched instruments for Loop:
eg: Dil Se Re - Dil Se
Romeo Aatam Potaal - Mr. Romeo
Ishq Bina - Taal
Anbe Anbe - Jeans.
Hello doctor - Kadhal Desam
More Recent Trends in ARR Music.
5) Use of Guitar/other accoustic with slightly higher pitched sounds as loop :
(Compare with point 4)
eg: Kabhi Kabhi Aditi - JTYJN
New York Nagaram - SOK
Lukka Chupi - RDB
YeH tara - Swades (tonk ta tonk ..tonk ta tonk loop)
Akilan Akilan - Alai Payuthey
6) Declining use of a commercial Synthesizer loops:
This is a well known thing.
eg: Telephone Mani pol - Indian
Of late its his own Loop. SOmtimes additional rythm programmers are hired to do
specific songs.
7) Extravagant usage of Symphonic elements
We can see him preferring more & more symphonic sounding arrangements even to
ordinary present-day time movies.
eg: Increased use of strings as an accompaniment to the main singer throughtout
the song.
8) Declining use of the strange Flute sounds.
Why keep doing it when every other guy is now trying to do it.
So the flute pieces from Ay Rama (Rangeela) are not used much now.
But the flute still rules in ARR's studio.
9) Happier Tunes moving more towards Punjabi/Bhangra style.
Beats moving from Disco style to more Reggae Style.
classic eg:
Compare beats of Chicku Bukku (Gentleman) to latest Taxi Taxi (Sakkarakati)
Having said this, its still impossible to Define ARR or his music.
Every film in every period has had its share of innovation & surprise.
ARR is still a Work in Progress.... .
As I've said before, the last thing that I need is, to take a 5 year break to
Mars, and come back & find no difference in ARR's compositions.
A brilliant artist evolves with time. and ARR is that & much more.
On Wed, Sep 17, 2008 at 9:48 PM, Chord <[EMAIL PROTECTED] com> wrote:
I hope nobody says, "he has lost it......" or something negative and
judgemental. Please try to be objective and focus on the music itself
instead of airing opinions comparing old ARR and new ARR.
One thing I've noticed is the use of more nuanced symphonic
arrnagements in his later soundtracks. ARR has always blended Western
classical elements with traditional Indian music like nobody else
could or ever will probably. However, I have noticed that of late,
his arrnagements have been more crowded and less minimalistic as
compared to his previous works, while being more nuanced at the same
time. With increasing arrnagement density in his latter soundtracks
with more nuanced symphonic undercurrents, it becomes all the more
important to use better sound mixing and mastering techniques to allow
the denser track layerings their own individual crispness and
distinctiveness. A successful example would be Jodha Akbar and Jaane
Tu. A less successful example would be Rang De Basanti and parts of
Swades and Guru, where I did not feel the crystal crispness in sound
production. Post 1997, with improved sound technology, I have noticed
that he did not have to tweak the trebble levels as high as his
previous works, which gave a warmer, more analogue sound to the
recordings.
Overall, I find his music nowadays to be perhaps less radical in its
conceptual format with safer "in the box" creativity, but brilliantly
creative nonetheless. Since his arrival, many others have followed
his path and hence, because of the dominating influence of his own
sound and style in the music industry, ARR himself is victim to his
own revolutionary undertakings in that he does not stand out as much
as he used to. Yet, his music still has his strong signature and
stamp of assured quality that nobody can beat. I also feel that his
sense of melodic composition has improved over time in terms of
smoothness and ear friendlyness, and with more breathing room for the
singer. Yet, this may be at the sacrifice of out of the blue musical
concepts, which dominated his earlier scenes. In other words, he
plays it safer these days, which is not necessarily wrong. And that's
a relative term too. He still belts out incredible songs with
ingenious hooks. This may just be a natural consequence of his aging
and maturing mind and the backdrop of the current music scene.
--
Cheers,
Pradeepan.
"All you need to do is, decide what to do with the time that is given to you !"
