MacJams.com - Artist: drakonis

drakonis
(Eduard)

Info Music (43) Favorites (0) Fans (168) All

Info

Stats Join Date: 2004-09-24 14:11:00
Last Visit: 2008-11-22 13:31:55
Location:
Homepage: http://www.schwansongs.com/
Comments (given): 4026
Comments (received): 1741
Votes: 204
Forum Posts: 0
Weekly Points: 113.70
Total Points: 24333.67

about Eduard's musical interests span a variety of musical genres, including, classical, world, ambient, electronica, and rock and blues. His venture "SchwanSongs" is where he writes and publishes his own musical compositions, usually classically-based music of sweet longing and hope... music meant to transcend language and cultural differences and stir the soul of the listener. His musical influences come from a lifetime of classical, 60s-80s rock, electronica, and world/folk music from many countries (South America, Russia, Japan, Ireland, ...) A few influential names are: Pink Floyd, Tangerine Dream, Loreena McKennitt, Yamasaki Hako, Tears for Fears, Enigma, J.S. Bach, Tchaikovsky, Berlioz, Beethoven, Haydn, Sibelius, Stravinsky.

Music Videos:
Here's a low-resolution peek at a "Dancy Techno" music video I completed:

The talented Macjammer Reinholt56 wrote a cool ambient piece of music here called "Cosmic Symphony", and when I heard it, these abstract images started floating in my head... so I asked him if it would be OK for me to capture these images as a music video, and he graciously agreed, so here it is:

Here is the high-quality version of the movie: 'control-click' or 'right-click' here to download this as a (QuickTime movie) file, and play locally on your computer. Note that it is 284 MB, which will take quite some time to download. But if you are interested in a crisp movie, this is it. Enjoy!

Here is a peek at the teaser/trailer for my next music video project, "Fractal Serenity":

Here's a video I shot while on Vacataion in Big Sur, California, where we got up-close and personal with at least 15 amazing California Condors!

Collaborations with Macjammers:
Several sets of collaborations with myself and other Macjams artists are listed here:

Between - RSchletty/Magullo, [RSchletty], [Magullo]: This is my "Between" poem, read by the eloquent Richard Schletty, with his and Magullo's amazing music as abackdrop, and Richard then springboarding from there into a related song of his own... this is really quite a beautiful treat!
Am I Being Unfair?, [Daphna], [CJorgensen]: Run the text of this MacJams forum thread through my mythical 'i-Sing' auto-lyrics-generator program, add Daphna's awesome talent for catchy tunage and bouncy vocals, and out pops this! It's probably best to read the first page of that forum's posts first, then listen to the song, it'll make more (or less) sense.
SlimGirlThat, [MacJammersUnited]: I wish Slimmie a fantastic birthday around the 1/3rd mark.

"Ember" Open Collaboration Project (Join in the fun!):
My ambient "Ember" piece is available for you to update/alter/add to, if you are interested. Feel free to drop me a note to get the Mac GarageBand file, MIDI file, or AIFF/WAV file to work from. All I ask in return is that you post your version here on Macjams, let me know when you post it (so I can add it to this list on my page), and that you have fun with it. Here is the original "Rekindled", followed by the growing list of amazing variations, created by other Macjammers here:

Ember-Rekindled, [Drakonis]: This is my original ambient piece.
Ember-Zitified, [Ziti]: Ziti's beautifully relaxing "Jeff Beckian" guitar caressing the flames.
Ember (Haunting Alannah Remix), [Alannah]: Alannah turns Ember into a hauntingly somber poem, with ethereal wispy singing.
Ember-Ablaze, [Avoider]: Ember is "IDM"-ified with Av01der heating up the drums. He also liked the ending I had faded out, so he revived and extended that a bit.
Ember (TaylorMorgan Remix), [taylormorgan?]: Ember gets a new set of dreamy voices and some tasty drums.
Ember (Mungo Mix) *deleted?*, [Mungo-Departed]: This is my "Ember-Rekindled" piece, slowed and deeply twisty-swirled by the great mindscape-artist Mungo (No longer available on Macjams.)
The Legend of Drakonis, [comdotdom]: The hilariously talented Dominic weaves a partly mythical (but definitely whimsical) origin of "Drakonis".
Tongues on Ember, [RSchletty]: This is my Ember-Rekindled backdrop music, with Richard taking us on an amazingly creepy/humorous/twisted journey into a demented mind! Probably one of the most ingenious directions anyone has taken Ember so far. Best played on Halloween or in an old folks home.
Ember in Transition, [RSchletty]: This is my Ember-Rekindled backdrop music, with Richard waxing philosophic about the transition state between dreaming and waking.
Ember imbued by Amboo, [amboo]: Amboo sings her own lyrics over Ember.
Ember and Cherry Blossom, [Mystified]: Mystified swirls a Japanese breath of cherry blossom harmony throughout, and reads an ancient poem of mine.
Ember Poem - Caroline's Reading, [Caroline]: Caroline reads my corresponding poem "Ember", which gives a glimpse of my original thoughts when writing the music.
Ember, [EccentrikAmerika]: This is my "Ember-Rekindled" music, Retro-Spacey-Electro-fied".
DidgeEmber (with Didge-Ache), [Didge-Ache]: Primal and hauntingly trance-inducing drone of the didgeridu, played by Didge-Ache, woven in by Drakonis.
Ember (Estate Mix) *deleted?*, [ElectroEstate] [Didge-Ache]: This is my "DidgeEmber (Didgeridu mix)" music, with Didge-Ache on Didgeridu, and ElectroEstate-swirled Trip-Hoppyness".
Ember (EZamor Mix), [EZamor]: Ember goes on a darker twistier journey with EZamor at the helm.
Yev-Ember, [Roxylee]: Roxylee captivatingly reads a dark Russian Poem (in English).
Electrified Ember, [Electric Lobster]: The Electric Lobster gives Ember a major thumping, sending it spinning off in his dizzyingly delightful directions... intriguing harmony, rhythm, and sound abound.
Cinder, [Obstructions]: The last atoms of Ember speed toward their final quantum decay, with some of Obstructions' signature gritty deconstructive surgery.
Ember (Kigas Mix), [Justbase]: Intriguing twisty blippy schizophrenic paths lead to this Ember.
I rem Ember it well, [SteveWhit]: Ember becomes the deliciously nightmarish backdrop for an Alfred Hitchcock film.
Em2ber, [Michael2]: Deep space planets send indecipherable signals, lost in the cosmos.
Surfing Embers (Woodguy Remix), [Woodguy32]: Ember gets a Totally Tubular Make-over with Woodguy's awesome surf-guitar parts and little Brassy bits added (Hawaii-5-Ember?).
Ember (Woodguy Sunset Surf Remix), [Woodguy32]: Woodguy32 has returned to give Ember another surf-guitar wax polish, this time he wanted to a more true-to-original treatment.
Ember (Salamander Mix), [Lizard*Whistle]: Ember floats back to the isles of Aulde, where Lizard*Whistle plays guitar, lizard-whistle, and sings of moonlit nights on the moor.
Smokey's Embers, [SmokeyVW]: Ember goes Classically Greek, and gets a stately symphonic treatment.
Another Green Ember, [Bud]: Bud's edgy synths and drums give an exotic steamy feel to Ember.
RemEmber 1947, [Skean]: A weary soldier, drawn home by the one he loves.
TranceNation, [Skean]: Spacey Trippy Trancey Sparkly Ember.
Ember-Assed (feat. "Custard"), [APB]: Ember gets fast and silly... just add chicken! (Warning, do not drink anything while listening.)
Hiroshima Remembrance 2002, [rschletty/Skean]: Richard reads a stirring speech by the mayors of Hiroshima & Nagasaki.
Ember-Descent (ic42 Depression Mix), [ic42]: A slow, mysterious descent to the bottom of the ocean, and back?
Ember (Lupiroz Mix), [lupiroz]: Ember goes to Sunday morning Electronic Mass.
Ember (Feat. Morning Light Vox), [Morning Light]: Morning Light sings a gentle improv over Ember.
Ember:DragonQuest, [OuttaOrbit] [DavisAmerica]: Ember reaches across millions of years to find a soulmate...
Ember (Kassia-fied), [Kassia]: Kassia takes Ember on a New (age) direction with her soft touching piano work.
Tumbleweed Ember, [RichardHowardJones]: Ember hits the desert trail, riding off into a beautiful sunset.
Marching Forward to Emberland, [Diviner]: Ember gets a 21st century ElectroIndustrialDarkwave outfit, and struts out in a bold new direction.
Luna Ember 29 w/Drakonis, [LunaTrick]: Ember gets caressed by Daniel's Cello work, so deeply involved in playing this that a string snaps partway through and he plays on, even more soulfully.

Music by Drakonis

musicbackgroundAs a teenager, he built his own electronic and software synthesizers and sound filters, learned to play clarinet, and was sound engineer for a short-lived high school rock & roll band. In college, his interest in computers and synthesizers led him to writing his own music... one note at a time. He stopped writing for a decade while raising his children, but has now returned with a passion. Today, he has a Macintosh-based studio in his den, and has written a number of short pieces of music, from classical, ragtime, and ambient electronica genres. A couple of his pieces have been broadcast on KSVY FM radio in Sonoma, California, and he has collaborated on his music with other musicians around the world via the internet. He has also produced a short computer animated music video, and is working on a second one. Music is hardly his only interest. By profession he is a software engineer, and has written factory automation software, educational software for elementary schools, game software, natural language translation software, and is currently writing income tax software. He has run a home-based Macintosh shareware company for many years, and created the popular Quicktime movie utility "MooVer" which took the coveted 5-mice rating in MacUser magazine. He also wrote and published a 3D computer graphics book called "Ray Tracing for the Mac/CD", and is co-inventor on a couple of patents. Although he's lived in California all his life, he likes traveling, and has been to Japan, Canada, Bavaria, Austria, the UK (and stood within the circle at Stonehenge), France, the Yucatan, and even went to Detroit once. He also loves photography, filming educational/travel movies, drawing, being married and being a dad.

musicskillsexcrutiatingly slow note-by-note composition.

user_computer2x3GHz Dual-core Xeon Mac Pro

music_hardwareFocusrite Saffire audio interface, AKG Perception 200 mic, cheap radio shack MIDI keyboard.

music_softwareMyriad Harmony Assistant (for writing music), GoldBase 1 (sampled GM instrument library), GarageBand 4 & Jampack 4 (and Amadeus) for recording/mixing.

Best Friends (for Magnatone and Waverly)
The Snark - Poem (MJ Coffee House)
Theme for a Poor Man's Wizard (Jampack Drak)
Quixotic Dreams (first draft)
One of These Daisies (Woodstock-MJ)
Trust (by XNovemberX)
Toxic Desire (Drakonis/BorisLuxx/Roxylee)
Andes Off! (sschedra guitar version 3)
Valentine (by XNovemberX)
Andes Off! (Take 2)
Andes Off!
Black Forest Dance, Take 2
Halloween Punch
Black Forest Dance
Dancylvania
Dance of the Technoids
MusiMorphosis
Ember (Woodguy Sunset Surf Mix)
DidgeEmber (with Didge-Ache)
Mosquito Song (Grapefruit antidote)
Grapefruit Song (Sometimes)
Sometimes - Zauberflöte (magic flute) Mix
Sometimes
Fractal Serenity
Rainy March (Jampack 4 version)
Border Merger - Tearing Down the Waltz (new Violin)
Dulce Amor
Caroline's Bear Rag - Calliope
Ember Imbued with Amboo
Surfing Embers (Woodguy Remix)
The Legend of Drakonis
Ember-Poem (Caroline's Reading)
Belle Fugue v2 (JP4)
Caroline's Bear Rag (aka Lickety Split)
Barrell of the Kells-Full
Barrel of the Kells - Intro
Ember (TaylorMorgan Remix)
Ember (Haunting Alannah Remix)
Between
Ember-Zitified
Ember-Rekindled
A Round & Bach Again v3/Final
Rainy March

Username:
Password: