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Flashcards in Afro Celt Sound System Deck (24)
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1
Q

When was the group ‘Afro Celt soundsystem formed’ and when was it’s second album: volume 2: release, released

A

1995 and 1999

2
Q

What instruments, often used in Western African music appear in this set work?

A
  • kora (type of harp)
  • djembe (a goblet shaped drum)
  • talking drum (can seem to mimic the tone patterns of speech)
3
Q

What Celtic (Irish traditional music) instruments appear in this set work?

A
  • uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes with a softer tone than Scottish ones)
  • A fiddle
  • an accordion (has hand operated bellows which blow metal reeds)
  • A low whistle
  • A bodhrán (A hand held drum held with a double-headed beater)
  • A hurdy-gurdy (A mechanical violin in which strings are made to vibrate by a wheel turned by a cranked handle and with string that sound accompanying drones)
4
Q

What instruments and stuff were used in the sound system (sounds and techniques of modern electronic dance music)

A
  • male and female vocals
  • synthesizer and samples
  • electric piano, drum machine
  • shaker and tambourine
  • various digital effects
5
Q

Who are the three voices that sing and in what language do they sing in?

A
  • N’Faly Kouyaté recites a softly spoken introduction in Maninka
  • Sinéad O’connor sings in English but is Irish
  • larla Ó Lionáird sings in Irish
6
Q

What is the metre and tempo?

A

The opening section is in free time and then there is a moderately fast tempo in 44 time from 0.48 (Where the loops start)

7
Q

Describe the Rhythm

A
  • slightly swung
  • rhythms in the vocal melodies include syncopation
  • the instrumental solos and some loops feature strings of rapid short notes (like the fast decorative style of much Irish folk music)
  • triplets feature in the low whistle solo and the fiddle loops
  • repeating loops create the effect of ostinatos
8
Q

What is the tonality?

A

It is modal. It doesn’t have a b natural so it is not in c minor but it is anchored to c by drones and repeating patterns based on a chord of c minor

9
Q

What is the harmony?

A

It has a slow harmonic pace (static harmony) and is mainly diatonic

10
Q

What is the texture?

A

Mainly homophonic with an accompanime t featuring a layered texture created from loops

11
Q

How many loops are there?

A

28

12
Q

What is the general structure?

A

Intro, verse 1, verse 2, solos, verse 3, drum break and build, outro
There are no choruses and the accompaniment is constructed from loops built up in layers. Sections are built up in 8 bar phrases

13
Q

What happens in the intro?

A

Synth drone with electronic effects panned left and right

Talking drum and softly spoken introduction
Percussion loops 1-3 then female introductorary phrases with synth loop 4 and drums loop 5

14
Q

What happens in verse 1?

A

Female vocal sung in English three stanzas

15
Q

What happens in verse 2?

A

Male vocal sung in Irish. Vocal phrases similar to verse 1 but rise in pitch
Double stopped pattern of fiddle enters quietly and bass drops out

16
Q

What happens in the solo section?

A

Uilleann pipes solo then joined by whistle (octave higher). Synth and accordion join accompaniment.

Low whistle solo; bohran and synth strings are prominent in lighter accompaniment

Hurdy gurdy solo with synth pad, talking drums, bodhrán and male vocal sample

17
Q

What happens in verse 3?

A

Female vocal then male vocal. Section ends with one bar of bodhrán and shaker

18
Q

What happens in the build?

A

A long crescendo and thickening of texture. Drum break with bass. Female vocalist adds isolated background notes (mainly from g to c)

19
Q

What happens in the Outro?

A

Female vocal accompanied by drum, percussion, synth and fiddle loops

Fade our featuring electric piano loops

20
Q

Describe the melody

A
  • Mainly Modal (Aeolian mode on C)
  • verse 1 contains just the 5 pitches of the pentatonic minor scale
  • it’s repetitive- many similar two bar phrases that fall from G to C
  • Vocal line has mainly conjunt movements
  • mostly syllabic with some parts spoken or whispered
  • some parts are sampled
  • use of reverberation
  • instrumental solos emphasise c and G as their main notes but are more wide ranging in pitch and include some disjuct movement
21
Q

What is the range of the male voice (can also come under melody)

A

In verse 2 rises to a stop c and has a range of a 13th

22
Q

What is the range and tessitura of the female voice (can also come under melody)

A

Narrow range of a 6th and low tessitura

23
Q

What is a pad?

A

A sustained synthesizer sound often resembling strings, organs or voices

24
Q

What does the word pickup indicate?

A

It shows where the loop starts and indicates that the loops begin with an anacrusis