At the moment, a few songs into composing Act 2 of the Atompunk Opera i am in great deliberation over drum sounds. The sound the drums should have during the 2nd Act, how close that should tie into the other acts, and how to best achieve what i desire.
The 2nd Act definitely benefits from a rather electronic drum sound. I could go completely electronic drum sound and i may. I may. I tried the usual acoustic and it was lacking a certain something for the Act. Act 2 is the great Voodoopunk age, but it’s also a high water mark for New Albion’s tech boom. It IS the era in which the city transforms to atompunk. However, it also has a very party feel. High spirits, almost cheesily so… a disco era if you will, and i do bring disco into it. Disco is atompunk and within the context of the story and the mood, it’ll work. Trust me.
Electronic drums, a techy plastic sound works. Somewhat better than acoustic drums, BUT:
1. the 1st Act uses acoustic drums and i’m unlikely to change that. I love the sound of the 1st Act. Very Radiohead. Darker in tone and mood and more soulful. How closely should the drum sound link throughout the acts? Similar to the Steampunk Opera, different acts occur in either different times or different places, and the sound of the music changes accordingly.. so i have some leeway.
2. We can’t go overboard. The entire opera needs to have a connecting sound. Our acts can only be so different from each other. Also, industrial percussion has been a hallmark of both operas before this, and it should continue in the atompunk. If you will, the industrial percussion is like the “punk” in the music. Steampunk Opera… that industrial percussion is the punkness musically. So too for the Dieselpunk Opera and so it should be too for the Atompunk. I need to keep this in mind.
So i have just spent hours obsessing over the damn drums over a single minute of music. I have gone through an array of palettes and changed it back and forth numerous times. I write this now in order to put into words and solidify what i am deciding wordlessly in my head, but which articulation will help me see, decide and keep in mind.
