PH on Music Theory Print

Phase music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins#

In 1965, influenced by Terry Riley’s use of tape looping and delay, the American composer Steve Reich started experimenting with looping techniques and accidentally discovered the potential of gradual phase shifting as a compositional resource. In discussing the technicalities of what has been termed a “phase shifting process” Reich has stated that it is related to infinite canon or rounds in medieval music. The difference between phase music and traditional rounds, where two or more identical melodies are played with one starting after the other, is that the melodic phrases are generally short repeating patterns with the imitation being variable instead of fixed.

Philadelphia punk scene

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

1980s#

Because of its location, Philadelphia was an easy place for bands from New York City and Washington, D.C. to play concerts. Venues such as the Elk’s Center, Love Hall, Long March, Community Education Center (CEC) and Abe’s Steaks, a small hoagie shop, regularly held hardcore punk shows during the 1980s. WEL Records played a role with their relentless promotion. Other notable sites such as the Starlite Ballroom, BYO Hall, East Side Club, West Side Club, which was actually Jeff Jenkins’ basement in West Philadelphia, The Kennel Club, and Buff Hall were hosts of shows by well known hardcore bands. Together these venues hosted shows not only by local hardcore punk bands but also more well known bands like Bad Brains, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Flipper, Minor Threat, SS Decontrol, and others. The local hardcore scene drew from Philadelphia as well as Delaware County, Pennsylvania; South Jersey, Reading, Allentown, Delaware, and other surrounding suburbs in the Philadelphia metropolitan area and Lehigh Valley. An important source of exposing the Philadelphia region to this music were the DJs Jeff Jenkins and Steve Lukshides at WKDU, Stockton University’s radio station 91.7 FM WLFR, Drexel University’s radio station and Eddie “Hacksaw” at University of Pennsylvania’s WXPN, 88.5 FM. Music by some of the early Philadelphia hardcore bands were included on the 1983 compilation LP Get Off My Back. South Street served as the center of the Philadelphia punk scene since the mid to late 1970s, and bars and music venues on the street featured hardcore punk acts in the 1980s. Important bands in the early Philadelphia punk scene include The Dead Milkmen, a band that played an often sarcastic and humorous variant of hardcore punk. Though formed in Los Angeles, the hardcore punk band Fear had considerable connections to Philadelphia during the band’s heyday; Fear’s frontman Lee Ving was a Philadelphia native, and he notably referenced the Philadelphia South Street punk scene in the 1983 song “I Don’t Care About You”.

Philadelphia soul

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Style#

Due to the emphasis on sound and arrangement and the relative anonymity of many of its artists, Philadelphia soul is often considered a producers’ genre. Songwriters and producers Bunny Sigler, Kenny Gamble, and Leon Huff are credited with developing the genre. Other notable Philadelphia soul songwriters and producers included Bobby Martin, Thom Bell, Linda Creed, Norman Harris, Dexter Wansel, and McFadden & Whitehead of Gamble and Huff’s Philadelphia International Records, who worked with a stable of studio musicians to develop the unique Philadelphia sound. Many of these musicians would also record as MFSB, which had a hit with the seminal Philadelphia soul song “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)” in 1974. Written and produced by Gamble and Huff, “TSOP” also became the theme song for the musical variety show Soul Train. Notable session musicians of the Philadelphia sound were bassist Ronald Baker, guitarist Norman Harris and drummer Earl Young (B-H-Y), who also worked as a songwriting and production team and recorded as the Trammps. These three were the base rhythm section for MFSB and created a sub-label of Philadelphia International Records called Golden Fleece, distributed by CBS Records (now Sony Music). Soon after, Harris created the Gold Mind label in conjunction with Salsoul Records. Gold Mind’s roster included First Choice, Loleatta Holloway, and Love Committee, all of whom would feature Baker/Harris/Young productions of their material. Their 1976 hit by Double Exposure, “Ten Percent”, was the first commercial 12-inch single. Philadelphia soul was popular throughout the 1970s, and it set the stage for the styles of disco and R&B that would emerge later in the decade. The style also influenced many other Philadelphia acts, such as Hall and Oates, the Roots, Vivian Green, Jill Scott, and Musiq Soulchild. David Bowie’s 1975 album Young Americans was partially recorded at Philadelphia’s Sigma Sound Studios and influenced by Philadelphia soul.

Philippine folk music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Classification#

Traditional Filipino music is reflective of the country’s history as a melting pot of different cultures, both western and eastern. Among the dominant cultural strains noticeable today are Hispanic, American and to some extent Chinese, Indian and Islamic. It is thus difficult to strictly classify the whole corpus of Philippine music. A frequently used system is to classify it according to ethno-linguistic or cultural divisions: for example, traditional Tagalog music, which is somewhat more Hispanic in flavour, differs from Ifugao music and Maranao kulintang music. Ethnomusicologists such as Ramon Santos and Corazon Canave-Dioquino typically identify three distinct traditions or “repertoires” of traditional Filipino music: # Indigenous traditions, also referred to as “Asiatic traditions” and as “Indigenous Philippine music”; # Spanish-European Influenced Traditions also referred to as “Westernized folk traditions” or “lowland Christianized folk traditions”; and # American Influenced Traditions, including western-influenced art and popular music, and semi classical music. Forms Traditional Filipino music is also sometimes categorized according to form, with one categorization being: *Strophic/unitary form *Binary form *Ternary form *Rondo form

Phleng phuea chiwit

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The philosophical roots of phleng pheua chiwit was in the Art for Life movement led by Marxist thinker Chit Phumisak in 1957. Phleng phuea chiwit originated from the events of 14 October 1973, when student and popular protests drove off the “three tyrants.” The earliest phleng phuea chiwit band was called Caravan, which was formed after the 1973 student massacre. In the 1980s, after the return of Caravan and their comrades, the band signed a contract with EMI Thailand and recorded an album. The songs on the album were drawn from the era of phleng phuea chiwit and “Phleng Patiwat” (Revolutionary Song). With better sound systems and musical instruments than before, Caravan was able to perform a concert for UNICEF in 1982 at the main auditorium of Thammasat University. They performed the song “Khuen Rang” (Return to the Nest), which marked the beginning of the trend of adapting to the new music business system. In this era, phleng phuea chiwit songs were produced for commercial purposes, unlike in the past when they were written to support political ideologies. Caravan also experimented with new musical styles, such as Surachai Jantimathawn incorporating rock bands as backup. The band faced severe criticism for imperfections in their performances and ideologies. However, they learned and trained themselves, eventually competing in the Thai music business. This allowed Caravan to establish themselves as professionals, gaining the freedom to express themselves in their own unique way, which was eventually accepted by the public. Later, a band named Carabao, which followed in the footsteps of Hammer, became incredibly successful in managing the business side of the music industry. Carabao’s song “Waniphok” was a major success, reviving the phleng phuea chiwit trend and becoming a defining moment in the Thai music scene. Additionally, bands and artists such as Pongsit Kamphee, Caravan, Phongthep Kradonchamnan, Carabao, Hope, Kon Dan Kwian, Ritthiporn Insawang, Su Boonliang, Niranam, Zuzu, Indochine, Kanthai, and many others played a significant role in propelling the phleng phuea chiwit movement to new heights. Over time, phleng phuea chiwit evolved from protest songs and ideological expressions to songs that reflected societal issues. They gradually shifted away from political violence and became more focused on addressing political trends, economic changes, and the rise of capitalism and consumerism. Folk music’s entry into the Thai music market was a strategic success, helping it expand widely and gain mainstream acceptance.

Phonetical singing

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Phonetics as a tool#

Phonetics can be useful to singers in several ways:

Learning new languages#

Professional singers can use phonetics to learn new languages and identify the differences in the pronunciations without necessarily learning the meaning of words. This way, they can also identify the differences between different languages, and adjust the use of phonetics accordingly.

Understanding mouth shapes#

There are different modes of using the open mouth with phonetics. Singers can adjust the shape of their mouth to affect the tone and quality of their voice, advantageously, or, if they do not understand the phonetics aspect, disadvantageously. Subtle differences can make, at times, drastic changes to the sound.

Phonk

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology and characteristics#

The term “phonk” was originally coined and popularized by American rapper SpaceGhostPurrp, who released tracks such as “Pheel tha Phonk”, “Bringin’ tha Phonk”, and “Keep Bringin’ tha Phonk” and his 2012 debut album Mysterious Phonk: Chronicles of SpaceGhostPurrp. In an interview, he explained that “phonk is slang for funk”, in reference to the G-funk music genre. Phonk is directly inspired by 1990s Memphis rap and samples from that era of hip hop. These are often combined with jazz and funk samples. Notable artists associated with “new-age phonk” include DJ Smokey, DJ Yung Vamp, Soudiere, and Mythic.