Listened to Rahman's Chinese soundtrack

Mr Soh SG

Bought the CD yesterday

well... i have to sheepishly admit that i never listened to "warriors of heaven and earth" soundtrack .
all this time. i always wondered the true nature of ARR a genius. but this album seems to elevate him far beyond that "genius" status as well... i dont know.. i m just speechless. For an Indian , to have been able to compose this kind of music that is so much intune with native chinese musical traditions... that really gives us an image of china and mongolia... is above brilliance, intelligence and genius... i dont know what to call him now...

an "elementary" reproduction of feelings that i had when listening to the album....

"blue light" - ethereal as the name suggests... same chorus towards the end as that of "horses"
"buddhas remains" -- it makes you feel a great awakening inside you.. fills you with a feeling like the soul being stirred... maybe fill with buddha's spirit!
"horses" - awesome chorus, i just kept on listening to it on a forever loop
"lai chi theme" gives a huge power surge deep inside..
"monk" - close ur eyes... and u would really see monks sitting atop rocky ledges and meditating in the thin mountain air.. reminds me of a program about Monastries of Wudang Mountain....you will fully agree how well the song picturises monks meditating upon various truths of life.
"escape" -- makes you imagine people really running away, hiding from prying eyes, just managing things in the nick of time.. & now.. one of these was the theme song? ..

i kinda really appreciate that jolin tsai's song. considering the above, this pop song was the best .... and so was that "lords..." song.

Add on more about ARR

I have listened to Yanni and recently ARR.Since both Yanni and Rahman are heavily into ambient, new age music.

There was something different about ARR....improves his instruments , sound effects , SYNTH usage, recording and sound engineering and ... instruments of AR Rahman ..he uses heavy sound effects...space age effects.s that of the digital age....His compositions are an intriguing cocktail of musical pieces that literally blow your mind. His music is unique in its offbeat instrumental interludes, unconventional harmonies, and use of distinct perfect voices and thumping rhythms

It (sound engineering) is certainly a science. ARR is a good technician behind it who determines the right variables for a particular effect. (I say this not becos I am a sound engineer, but I attended some recording sessions in my friends studio). If it were some science with fixed formulae, u and I can learn them and use it all the time,ARR's strength lies not only in his perfect sense of melody and rhythm but also in his immaculate sound engineering...Very intelligent, smart and creative...

For research purposes i bought his old CDs from Serangoon at discount prices

TAAL -
Rangeela -
Daud
Bombay Dreams
Vande Mataram
Warrir of heaven and earth

I think he is an all rounder, I mean his grounding is very very solid. He knows Indian classical music, he is in touch with Indian folk music, he knows about western music and he has really studied western classical also. He knows about Middle Eastern music. And electonic types of pop and techno So there is no wonder you see different colours in his songs.... His range of imagination is expansive.

Rahmania SG

Good review there Exclamation ....nice one for that fugue

A first i was pretty amazed ARR could pull such a stunt..For someone not even from the culture. The last time ARR pulled off such a stunt was in 1997 with a little known experimental soundtrack called "daud", a fully synthesised music with lot of space age effects....But it was poorly received as it was deemd too advanced for its time...As ARR described it that it was purely experimental to test if his listeners were ready for the kind of music....U can catch parts of it music in vasantham central promo of Deepacali movies...The fast bangra type of music featured in the promo...

my review it is here :

http://www.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=155752

Mr Soh SG

Cool

[email protected] SG

2 things.

are u verbal diahrroeaing lyrical about his music here to prove a point to others here or because u like his music?

if his music is so good why do the 2 of u have to try so hard and put in so much effort to get some people to like it?

fugue dun like, u say until how much, he's not going to start liking it. understand that simple logic.

also, maybe u dun understand that people are so sick of seeing the 2 of u verbal diahrroea bout how good his music is and yada yada that now we just instinctively hate the name ARR, much less his music.

Mr Fugue SG

I predict ARR has clones all over the net............ Laughing

Mr Soh SG

hate for whaaaaaat?..... Laughing it is the 2 of u insisting bach and mozart still same rite?

Anywae i made a ARR demo DVD using the music bits...Converted it DVD quality. audio and it is even better in the sound ..Showed it to my friend he agreed,.Still getting more music from the fans group. if any good outstanding ones i will post here.

renorenal SG

Ever thought of that he tells you that it is nice (because you think it is so nice) so that he will not put you down since you are his friend?

Not everyone who says something is nice, is definitely nice, sometimes they are compelled to do so, so as not to create an unfriendly atmosphere to live in.

Mr Soh SG

Nothing of that sort, I sincerely buy into his music. ARR had brought synthesiser music to a new level previously unknown to me. In fact long tme back, I was in Serangoon when i heard some piece of techno music and was wondering who did it. Now i knew it was ARR.

He does music in "layers". Which means he does a basic draft and beat then systematically adds effects to enhance it. Then repeats the procedure: a tedious work which needs a lot of concentration and technolgical know how.I admit e's brilliant as I could not find any shortcomings in the recording timings. Everything seems smooth and perfect. The mark of a good sound technologist. It is a priviledge to listen to his technological concept and a boon to understand what he's trying to convey.

The part of ARR which grabs me is the intense creativity in his works. At times he does a Kenny G, another is a John Williams or a futuristic Matrix music

Mr Soh SG

please do listen to the earlier arr made symphonic composition bt it's not from Warriors of Heaven and Earth.Something with a similar style:

[email protected] SG

fugue's the one insisting mozart n bach is better. im just insisting i dun like ARR. 2 different things, dun get confused ok? Laughing

so easy get confused, no wonder u cannot under our simple logic.

anyways, u can say as much as u want. i dun like means i dun like, what u wanna do about that huh?

Burgerking SG

Rolling Eyes

vito_corleone SG

we dont like rahman, what are you gonna do about it, poussy? Laughing

icegir SG

who is Rahmann

vito_corleone SG

someone who works at a construction site near you. Laughing

Rahmania SG

Popular electro accoustic musician from India gaining worldwide recognition now....is known to fiddle with technology and sound engineering in a grand way..

sexiest_studin_world SG

But Mr Soh you're a black Indian oredi why you listen to chinese soundtrack? summore why black man ar rahman compose chinese track one wah lau?

[email protected] SG

yea. I dun like ARR's music. so sue me. Laughing

signup SG

clearly WOHE is not Arr's best work, more classical as i would call it but good starting point for non indians to be introed to his music.The pop song found there is the clear indication of arr's typical work in the indian scene.

signup SG

Mr Soh had made keen observations. Feel free come over here to know more. There will be a wide variety of exposure for audiopiles

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/

SMAPLionHeart SG

why people just don't learn

Laughing