Apollo Lee 52 Tracks in 52 Weeks

Ambient

Belmont

In 52 Tracks, Ambient, Music on 3 March 2008 with no comments

Title: Apollo Lee - Belmont
Date: March 3, 2008
Software: Logic Pro 8
Genre: Ambient
Timing: 6:30 @ 40 bpm

What I Like About It

The pad instrument (Blue Carpet) is beautiful and has lots of interesting potential.
The harmony is simple (Cm7 Fm7 Bbm7 Ebm7) and lends itself to lots of possibilities for different chord types, even with the 16 notes [...]

Iridesce

In 52 Tracks, Ambient, Music on 27 February 2008 with 2 comments

Title: Apollo Lee - Iridesce
Date: February 27, 2008
Software: Logic Pro 8 + Korg Legacy Collection (Digital Edition)
Genre: Ambient
Timing: 7:48 @ 40 bpm

What I Like About It

Wine Pad on the Korg M1 (and, in this case, the M1 plugin) is beautiful and floating and very evocative.
I followed a simple chord progression (Ebm/M7 Cm7b5 Fm7b9 Bb7) in [...]

Cerulean

In 52 Tracks, Ambient, Music on 25 February 2008 with 1 comment

Title: Apollo Lee - Cerulean
Date: February 25, 2008
Software: Reason 4
Genre: Ambient
Timing: 6:54 @ 40 bpm

What I Like About It

Reason has some gorgeous instruments, evolving pads, and luscious patches and this is one of them.
I stayed in C Melodic Minor (C D Eb F G A B C). It’s an easy key to play in, [...]

Quiescence

In 52 Tracks, Ambient, Music on 22 February 2008 with 1 comment

Title: Apollo Lee - Quiescence
Date: February 22, 2008
Software: Logic Pro 8
Genre: Ambient
Timing: 8:00 @ 40 bpm

What I Like About It

I like the harmonic stack (Am7 Dm7 Cm7 F7). It’s consonant and still has some dissonance at the same time.
There are a few deep pedal tones, especially F.
The chords mesh together easily, no matter which [...]

Synchrotron

In 52 Tracks, Ambient, Music on 18 February 2008 with no comments

Title: Apollo Lee - Synchrotron
Date: February 18, 2008
Software: Logic Pro 8
Genre: Ambient
Timing: 7:00 @ 40 bpm

What I Like About It

The harmony (F Melodic Minor) is beautiful and that Fm/major 7 chord is particularly haunting.
I’m improvising on the Keystation Pro 88 in my studio and I can just meander around a normal keyboard.
I monitored this composition [...]

Thermatropic

In 52 Tracks, Ambient, Music on 11 February 2008 with no comments

Title: Apollo Lee - Thermatropic
Date: February 11, 2008
Software: Logic Pro 8
Genre: Ambient
Timing: 6:36 @ 40 bpm

What I Like About It

The harmony (G Melodic Minor) is lush and provides gorgeous dissonance, particularly in chords that have the leading tone or that A natural against the Bb.
The instrument plays a harmonic when a note is at max [...]

Chirality

In 52 Tracks, Ambient, Music on 8 February 2008 with no comments

Title: Apollo Lee - Chirality
Date: February 8, 2008
Software: Logic Pro 8
Genre: Ambient
Timing: 8:12 @ 40 bpm

What I Like About It

The harmony lends itself to dissonance and consonance with the move of one finger (Em7 A7 Ebm7 Abm7).
The selected instrument makes it sounds otherworldly and haunting.
I resisted the temptation to build big stacky chords most of [...]

Smectic

In 52 Tracks, Ambient, Music on 5 February 2008 with no comments

Title: Apollo Lee - Smectic
Date: February 5, 2008
Software: Logic Pro 8
Genre: Ambient
Timing: 7:00 @ 40 bpm

What I Like About It

The instrument I’m using is abstract and beautiful.
The harmonic structure lends itself to improvisation without much worry about clashing.
The low notes contrast nicely with the middles and the highs.
Lots of moments of lush dissonances and soaring [...]

Nematic

In 52 Tracks, Ambient, Music on 2 February 2008 with no comments

Title: Apollo Lee - Nematic
Date: February 2, 2008
Software: Logic Pro 8
Genre: Ambient
Timing: 6:24 @ 40 bpm

What I Like About It

I’m using my Oxygen 8 and playing in a two octave range, using the scale of A melodic minor (A B C D E F# G# A).
The instrument is ominous and abstract. It has gorgeous [...]

Ticket

In 52 Tracks, Ambient, Music on 31 January 2008 with no comments

Title: Apollo Lee - Ticket
Date: January 31, 2008
Software: Logic Pro 8
Genre: Ambient
Timing: 5:06 @ 40 bpm

What I Like About It

The aftertouch on this instrument is nice.
There are some beautiful bass note entrances.
Airy suspensions happen frequently here.

What I Don’t Like About It

Too many three-note or whole chord transitions at too high a frequency.
The train conductor interrupted [...]