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Chronicles of a Dysphoric Translator (Pt. I-III)
by rsorensen

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Song comments: 85
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Plays: 102
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Submitted on: Apr 28, 2008 - 01:17:24 AM
Last Updated: May 29 2008 - 03:36:04 AM
Description This whole thing started off as an experiment in mixing and turned into some epic 3 part saga. I guess it's not for everyone, but I gotta say it's the most fulfilling thing I've ever created musically, and my favorite personal post here so far. I think I may continue with a few more after this.

Chronicles of a Dysphoric Translator:
Part I. numb3rs with1n num83r5
Part II. this cannot be decoded
Part III. ctrl-shift
Lyrics Part I. numb3rs within numb3rs

Part II. this c a n n o t be d3c0d3d

waiting waiting waiting f0r this land to shift i'm sick of this g30graphy this used and ravaged place

i can hear them h3ar them hear them calling me the killers of pain c0mfort they make everything okay

1 am just a figment of imaginat10n I am an ab0mination you should not see m3

1 have spent my days translating words and gestures under pre55ure to give exactly what y0u need

i have met my match with this I can_n0t under/stand this list of numbers within numbers easily

but I must figure out this m a t h before my masters all come back and see that I have failed them miserably

Part III. ctrl-shift-del

I am not afraid
Don't worry I'm OK
I cannot wait
Until I leave this place
These prison walls
Will close in on me
I'll get what I need

I have finally found my peace.
Hardware M-Audio KeyStudio 49i, Gibson Firebird VII, Blue Snowball Mic, Protech Electronic Keyboard, Music Box
Software: Mac Mini, GarageBand, Audacity
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cchaplin

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cchaplin said 255 days ago
Oh man !
This is just my cup of tea. The production is outstanding !

rsorensen said 254 days ago
cc
thanks I'm glad you like it. I spent a long time mixing this. It was especially hard to get a good balance between the quiet part and the loud part at the end. I actually wanted it louder but it started clipping a little.

said 255 days ago
Nice Tune!
Great sounds, the intro sounded killer. Nice vocals over this Hip-Hop-Pop soundbed. Enjoyed!

Take Care
- Yeman A. Al-Rawi

rsorensen said 254 days ago
birdman
thanks a lot, yeman. and thanks for checking out my older stuff as well. appreciated!

lengold said 254 days ago
Loved this from the first post
and the way you have expanded the idea really does work perfectly. Had to look up Dysphoric. I'd also say that your experiment in mixing was a massive success too. Absolutely love this and downloaded. Thanks.
Cheers
Len



rsorensen said 254 days ago
dysphoric
thanks len. yeah i had to look it up too. actually i used a thesaurus and dysphoric is a synonym that came up for 'depressed'. It just sounds cooler hehe.
Anyway I'm glad you think the mix is alright. I threw a lot of neat stuff in there for all the headphone junkies like me.

Pete_NB said 254 days ago
Frickin' Creepy
And beautiful. Very mysterious and wonderfully constructed. The mix is astonishing.

rsorensen said 254 days ago
creepy
thanks pete. i have some ideas for part 4 that are even creepier heheh. even though he's 'found his peace' he's going to start going crazy in prison because he can't stop thinking about decoding the numbers.

bud said 254 days ago
Strange coincidence -
I watched the movie "23" last night and then here come the numbers. I'm really digging this big time - your vocals sound great and the production is perfect. Are you singing the high harmony? Have you ever heard the Conet Project? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Conet_Project

Damn this is good - part three manages to bring Nirvana and Radiohead together in your own vision of heaven/hell? I'm blown away - seriously - this is a masterwork. Way to go - you have a right to be proud of this.

rsorensen said 254 days ago
Conet
ha! Haven't seen 23 yet but I'm intrigued. Any good?
Yeah! I found out about the Conet Project through Wilco. Very cool. Definitely a heavy influence on this, and a sample from it is probably going to turn up somewhere on another song in this story. Good catch!
To answer your other question, yes I did sing the high harmonies.
Thanks for the comments bud. Glad you enjoyed this. More to come!

said 254 days ago
fascinating track!
What a great concept for a tune RS...

Amazing production on this. Spacious with effective placement of the various elements.

Beautifully sung! I LOVE the dark melody of Part II.

Very pro!

Be well friend!

rsorensen said 254 days ago
:)
thanks micheal. been listening to Tunnel Vision all morning!

tokai said 254 days ago
A.1.
Top groove i love it, i especially like the way the vox sound over the track. Great use of looped vocals. Nice and dark.... can't believe you made it sound like that on garage band.

rsorensen said 254 days ago
GB
thanks for checking this out. GarageBand is amazing. The compression/mastering presets offer a lot of different sounds and you can tweak em for hours. there's a few things I wanna go back and adjust, but I'm glad you like it.

magnatone said 254 days ago
Chronicles
Wow Ridd - this is SO COOL! I completely understand why it's your personal fave. This is so creative, it's dripping with great ideas, fully realized! Thanks

rsorensen said 254 days ago
fave
thanks for listening and commenting. it really is my fave. maybe because it was an unexpected kind of improvised thing I didn't really plan out or put a ton of thought into until I was actually recording it. The process was very liberating in that almost everything is one take and I didn't spend hours redoing stuff like I usually do. felt good!

said 254 days ago
Nice Painting
Reminds me of Surreal cinema

rsorensen said 254 days ago
surreal cinema
thanks tom. Ok I'm dumb is surreal cinema a band or a film genre? Whatever it is, it sounds cool. If its not a band it would be a great band name or song title....

said 253 days ago
Film Genre
Mainly during the 30's and 60's

Excellent song

rsorensen said 253 days ago
thanks
i'll have to find some and check it out. any recommendations?

egobandit said 254 days ago
masterful
what a great mix love the intro then the guitar part I like how you mixed the 2 together Thanks for sharing Into the Ipod I say

rsorensen said 254 days ago
ego
cool glad you liked it. And thanks for downloading I appreciate it.

dajama said 254 days ago
This is great
I was hooked by the opening, and the vocal (and the cool bass and drums) just pulled me along. Very intriguing use of sounds, and fascinating lyrics. Excellent production too. Nicely done. Peace.

rsorensen said 254 days ago
lyrics
thanks very much for that. I wrote the lyrics to part IV today on the train and hope to start working it out tonight. Thanks for listening.

ageofthedeathtree said 254 days ago
alls i can say...
is holy frickin crap ridd!!!!!!!! i've loved, and i mean LOVED your other posts....but this is PHENOMENAL! this is AMAZING! this is one of the best pieces of music i have heard for QUITE a while!!! i cannot get over how good this is.......this is perfect man...you just made me feel better after one of the worst weekends of my entire life (everything that could go wrong went wrong). this lil piece of music just made me forget it all and smile.........thank you man!

age
-sons of hypnos

p.s. oh, did i forget to mention THIS FRIGGIN KICKS *SS!!!!!!!!!!

rsorensen said 254 days ago
wow
That is really cool to hear this effected you like that. Thanks a lot for your enthusiasm and support, man. You made my night!

Heightened said 254 days ago
There is something oozing from my
ears: musical bliss!

rsorensen said 254 days ago
gross
somebody get this guy a tissue. Thanks joe.

Tiny_Man_Inside said 254 days ago
cool vibe
for some reason I'm thinking about Portishead when I listen. Like with a male vocalist... definitely got some trip-hop feel, but a lot more "presence" and up front if ya know what I mean.

just eerie. wonderful experiment. Parts of the song actually reminded me of another MacJammer - gregd.

Mason

Tiny_Man_Inside said 254 days ago
just finished a second listen
ok, the verdict is in, one of the freshest, best pieces of music I've heard here.

Very PROFESSIONAL sounding without being too overly commercial.

a huge collision of some very diverse influences here.

Love how the outro works, big big sound, the guitars are so driving and crushing.

Mason

rsorensen said 254 days ago
collision
thanks a lot mason. i hear that huge collision too. funny how all our influences choose to minifest themselves. thanks for checking this out and leaving a comment.

Vic Holman said 254 days ago
it's been a...
.... cool ride through the series! now where's that 'option/shift'

rsorensen said 254 days ago
thanks
hah. he's gotta spend some time going crazy in prison first.

ageofthedeathtree said 254 days ago
ok.....
just had to hop back in and say FAILURE!!! all the way! not saying the song is a failure...it's who it reminds me of. it's been driving me NUTS! those guitars and the music box...fantastic planet...definitely. this is way more inventive though ridd, WAY MORE! still listening to it....over....and over....and over...and over.....and loving every spin!

age

rsorensen said 254 days ago
yeah
hah cool. scott just pointed that out to me too. failure's my favorite band so it's not a surprising reference. the solo at the end in particular is a little reminiscent of the solo in 'The Nurse Who Loved Me'.

davisamerica2 said 254 days ago
I had to pry my earphones off my head
How did you get the Elmer's glue into the wiring? Nice trick. I could never do this, but I wish I could. I have a 7 minute song of my own, but they usually fall to sleep by that time. I stayed awake for this. Very good! Terry

rsorensen said 254 days ago
hah
it's all voodoo trickery. thanks for the listen and feedback.

Nick_Flash said 254 days ago
PartIII
Wow man, Part III is huge! This definitely adds an extra kick. It's been really cool to see how this has progressed from the original sketch.
This is a great example of fine songwriting and creativity.
Well done.

rsorensen said 254 days ago
part 3
Thanks Nick. I really wanted this one to be dark and heavy. glad you think its huge. part 4 is shaping up to be pretty intense so far.
thanks for checking it out. really looking forward to hearing your CBGB tune.


gail60 said 254 days ago
you are so good...
I love your music and you have many styles, which is wonderful to me. This is very unique and certainly it keeps me entertained throughout. Mysterious sounds, a great beat to keep me hooked, Rockin' Guitars! What a cool song. Love your voice as always!! Awesome job!

rsorensen said 254 days ago
ahhh
you're too kind gail! thanks very much for listening. would love to do a collab with you someday.

SystematicFailure said 254 days ago
oh boy!
i'm with ageofdeathtree this is fANTASTIC! my ears are thanking you for gifting them with such stimulation! ok seriously this is great never heard anything like it befor. can wait for more!

rsorensen said 253 days ago
:)
thanks alex. more in the works. the next one might be a bit too nuts for people though lol

lavalamp said 254 days ago
Amazing
You're a genius brother. You're one of the best around. Inventive, great production, and brilliant idea.
LL

rsorensen said 253 days ago
thanks
thanks for the kind words, dave. I really had fun with this. glad you like it.

Skean said 253 days ago
Hove cool is this
4 10s in my book... Super cool track dig it & d-load it.
Thanks for this one.

Cheers
---
Kenta

rsorensen said 253 days ago
:)
hey thanks kenta. really digging your latest too. great job.

BossHook said 253 days ago
Complete sonic uniqueness
Great creative juice here in the writing, performance, mix and production.

rsorensen said 253 days ago
hey
thanks boss. really love your MS tune.

michael2 said 253 days ago
wow
that is intense. i'm liking the development of this a lot. so much cool stuff going on in here. i can hear a little failure in there, but really that's just another way of saying awesome distorted minor chord changes.

totally blown away by this, what an achievement. what did you use for the guitar? is that an amp or software? this is making me angry that I have to leave for the airport and have no time to record. really incredible.

rsorensen said 253 days ago
combo
thanks dude. I don't mind the failure comparison at all. the guitar is actually recorded with an amp and then tweaked out with software. really glad you like it. have a good flight.

DWL said 253 days ago
One word
Staggering

The ending is simply excellent. Radiohead meets Robert Fripp.

A slice of true excellence.

Cheers

Dick

rsorensen said 253 days ago
staggering
hah! i like that. now I gotta go check out robert fripp's stuff. thanks for the listen and comment.

craft said 253 days ago
great
this soundz so good... well done

rsorensen said 253 days ago
:)
thanx craft. glad you liked it.

floppysurprise said 253 days ago
whoa
this is more like a short symphony than a song, its pretty genius. and yes you should definitaly add more parts to it, because at i was disapointed when it ended at 8 minutes. with all the different parts in it, if you get some more parts its probably suitable for 15 or more!

rsorensen said 253 days ago
yeah
thanks man. I was thinking 12-15 mins as well. Thanks for listening.

caroline said 253 days ago
sheesh...
if this is an experiment i can hardly wait to hear what you come up with when you know what you're doing!!! that is some very impressive mixing - i am green with jealousy - i listened all the way through and my ears loved it - thank you

rsorensen said 252 days ago
:)
thanks! i never really know what I'm doing. thanks for checking this out - I appreciate the feedback.

composerclark said 252 days ago
Fantastic
I kept wanting to shout BINGO! during the first part... This is fantastic, and I love the epic scale of this; very ambitious, but you pulled it off beautifully. Very original, and profoundly moving.

rsorensen said 252 days ago
bingo
hah. You're not the first to say that. I think may need to change the computer speech a tiny bit so it doesn't evoke that urge..
Thanks for the comments. Cool that you find it moving. Glad you liked!

kassia said 252 days ago
wow
This is friggin cool! Your vocals are awesome. And I have to agree with everyone else - you definitely succeeded on creating a great mix. Really cool lyrics...this truly is something to be proud of. Keep 'em coming!

kassia said 252 days ago
dude
okay, I just got to part 3 and this just gets cooler and cooler. I LOVED the transition into the acoustic guitar and your voice. Great singing - you have the perfect voice for this. And then the electric guitar comes in. Wow.

rsorensen said 252 days ago
:)
thanks kassia. glad you liked it so much. part 4's in the works right now.

8piscean8 said 252 days ago
Holy Sh!*
This is amazing. I have never left any comments that say "amazing" in them until now. This is spectacular. This is the best song I have ever heard on MacJams.

Lets just pretend that I was your teacher and you were my student (like in painting or something). This is the part where the teacher knows the student is better than them and puts down their brush and walks away knowing that the student is now the master. Mind blowing!

The production is flawless. My only extremely small critique is that I might try and disguise the robot voice (I've heard it elsewhere on this site on other songs), like pitch shift it or distort it slightly or something .

Anyway, again, this is an excellent piece of creativity and you should be stoked.

I'm done gushing now, I think. You are amazing dude!

rsorensen said 252 days ago
wow
thanks for that, and for the feedback. i think you're right on with your suggestion and I was thinking the same. when i put that voice in the original (which was just the intro part) it was meant as just a little experiment, but now that this song has become what it is, the voice needs to be more unique. I already have something in mind to replace it. something way cooler. thanks again, man. really appreciate it. will check out your stuff in the morning. cheers!

Ibstrat said 252 days ago
I agree
with all the above comments.The transition to acoustic in the middle is killer and an awesome guitar solo.This is some great stuff!

rsorensen said 251 days ago
thanks lb.
appreciate you taking the time to check it out.

Henke said 251 days ago
Pretty cool, man!
Thanks for sharing! Fav'd and DL'd of course :-)

/Henke

rsorensen said 251 days ago
cool
thanks for downloading henke. glad you liked this.

yrp said 251 days ago
great
just great, man!
I dont know if the comparison is valid but it reminds me a lot of OK computer ( the voice that teels the number seem to be the same used on "fitter happier") and of course, the multi-part epic "Paranoid Android".
My favorite part is the last one.Very dramatic.
Congratulations!

rsorensen said 251 days ago
ok computer
thanks a lot. yep radiohead is a big influence on this. i'm changing the voice though because it is too much like fitter happier. thanks for the comment

harisahn said 250 days ago
Nice man!
Excellent mix with all the space. Love it. Sounds very 3D.
great conceptual piece. Kudos. I am glad to see you getting at
least Macjams recognition. Hard work pays off. Wow. Great Job.

rsorensen said 250 days ago
:)
thanks a bunch for listening and commenting.

guygrooves said 250 days ago
Outstanding piece of Art!!!
This was phenomenal, I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. It has a Pink Floyd flow to it, although it is all you from a musical standpoint. This is something that makes me want to step outside of my safe little bubble and truly try to do something unique, very very inspiring. Thanks for sharing this. Straight into my Itunes, so I can listen to it while wandering around downtown Calgary and have a live video at the same time lol.

rsorensen said 250 days ago
:)
thanks man. glad you feel inspired by this. that's really cool. oh and try walking around anywhere in NE Calgary. that'll likely give you a proper visual for this haha.

guygrooves said 248 days ago
N.E ???????
We don't go to the N.E part of Calgary anymore lol Can't hear a thing with all the planes landing and it's always a good thing to be able to hear when your walking into the crossfire of a gang war lol. (Not really lol)

Alannah said 250 days ago
I started to listen ....
.. and thought ... "Hey I know this" .. then I realized it must be the continuation of the saga ... now I DO know how it all turns out ... great stuff! Nice RAWKIN at the end ....

rsorensen said 249 days ago
alannah
yeah i posted part I, then part I and II together, then part I,II,and III together, overkill I know but they sound best when all as one. thanks for listening glad you liked it

guitapick said 249 days ago
"Not for everyone..."....
...but I'm plugged right into this. The machine...so unforgiving...nice step outside...

rsorensen said 249 days ago
unforgiving
yeah it is hehe. even more so on the next part.. thanks!

obbster said 244 days ago
Great
Great arrangement and production.

Love everything thats going on in the background of this - the strange sounds/synths and backing vocals. There's a lot going on even though it sounds fairly simple.

Great work.

rsorensen said 238 days ago
simple
thanks, yeah the music itself isn't very complex. but there's a lot of interesting layers in there to mask that fact hehe. thanks for listening.

Roca_Atomica said 232 days ago
One of the best ...
pieces I've heard here at MJ. Minimalist progressive. Haunting. Intriguing theme.

thehansbarstucksband said 207 days ago
:) this is more like it
i love the fact that even though its long it keeps you engaged throughout with all the different sounds and things. its getting harder and harder to keep peoples attention these days but this is a job well done. in fact i love it :) cool guitars, lush production, excellent vocals. any plans to put post all the parts together any time soon?

Artist Profile
rsorensen photo
rsorensen

Artist Bio I'm an illustrator working in Vancouver, Canada. Recently I decided it was time to take writing and performing music to the next level. I recently completed recording my first album called New Beautiful by Satellite Tragedy, and it'll be released by...[more]
Artist Music
Sorry
Christmas Without You
Afraid of Love (w/estellie)
But Now.. (feat Petra Boren)
Ethanol (Acoustic)
Happy (w/michael2)
Clouds (New Edition w/12parsecs)
Your Poison (extended)
Your Poison
Clouds
Uncorruptible
Backslidin' Blues in B
Street Corner Salvation
Street Corner Sermon
Why We're Alone
Away (LIOLI 8)
I'm Comin' Home
This Heart of Mine
Innocence
Dream
Marriage of the Devine
Sitting on the Side of a Mountain
These Odds (w/alfalpha and Jim Bouchard)
hyperboreal (the hamlet machines cover)
These Odds
Amanda (w/michael2)
Nobody Knows (w/michael2)
I'm a Superfriend (acoustic version)
I'm a Superfriend (She's the One)
So Stupid (remix)
So Stupid
900-lb Gorilla in the Room
I Don't Wanna Be a Rock Star
One Last Chorus (You Can Have It All)
If I Only Had a Brain
Decaffeinated Blues (MJ Coffee House Challenge)
Pretend (MJ Coffee House Challenge)
Chronicles of a Dysphoric Translator (Part IV-VI)
The Kind of Man (w/spitlogic)
I Love To Hate You (w/gail60)
Beat Up Comic Books (w/michael2)
Getaway (CBGB's Demo Challenge)
Chronicles of a Dysphoric Translator (Pt. I-III)
this c a n n o t be d3c0d3d
numb3rs within num83r5
Too Long To Wait (w/dlb)
Tonight (w/michael2)
Rest In Me (with Petra Borén)
Off-World Colony (w/Heightened)
War On War (by numb$kull)
Break It (w/dlb)
In My Head Again
So Good To Me
Rest In Me
SP-117/This Unknown
Interference/Goodbye
Ethanol
Goodbye
This Unknown
Gone
Out of My Mind
In My Head
Inside Your Skin
This Course of Treatment Might Be Expensive
Transforming