Ryan Rapsys – Skerzi & The-Novus-Arcadia

Erratik Electronica, Intelligent Dance Music, Sonic Experimentia

Ryan is a prolific composer, writer, film maker from Dulth, MN. He likes to use a mix of odd meters that will really throw off the E crowd. Check out the aural oddness from this creative composer.

ErratikProductions.com
Ryan-Rapsys.com
YouTube.com/RyanRapsys

Skerzi
1. Prelude (4/4, 3/4, 4/4)
2. Pseudocyo (constantly changing - uses 4/4, 5/4, 9/8, 3/4, 11/8, 7/8, 3/8 (etc.)
3. Interlude I - mostly free
4. Maelstrom (gradually goes from 4/4, to 3/4, to 5/8)
5. Interlude II - mostly free
6. Wrecksuite-01mvt (mostly 4/4, but some parts in 3/8, 11/8)
7. Interlude III - mostly free
8. I. dev.one (4/4, 12/8, 6/8, 5/8)
9. II. dev.two (4/4, 3/4, 5/4, 5/8, 6/8, 2/4)
10. Interlude IV - mostly free
11. Chao-eight (changing frantically and randomly between 3/4, 7/8, 4/4,9/8, 7/8, 11/8, 6/8, 7/16, 5/8, 2/8, 5/16, etc...)
12. Interlude V - mostly free
13. Prairie-ghost (older version - new mix on The-Novus-Arcadia) (5/8)
14. Interlude VI - mostly free
15. Breethe (mostly 4/4, but with several polyrhythms)
16. Postlude (4/4, 3/4, 5/8)

The-Novus-Arcadia
1. Aperture (mostly 4/4, with a rhythmic modulation)
2. Dyad (4/4)
3. Playing-by-the-Freeway (mostly 4/4)
4. Intermezzo I (free time)
5. Birchy (mostly 4/4)
6. Prairie-ghost (new version - 5/8)
7. Novus-arcadia (6/8)
8. Intermezzo II (free time)
9. Rain-drop (mostly 4/4)
10. Aldergames (mostly 4/4 i think?)
11. Flap-flux (4/4, 5/8, 3/4 alternating throughout)
12. Alighting (mostly free time)

I love this Intelligent Dance Music - will it catch on here in Hollywood... maybe with Esquared or something....

Thanks Ryan for your ODDNESS,
-BetZe

OddTimeObsessed.com

Happy 13th

OHHH what a lucky Friday this is....
1231231231212, 1231231231212, 1231212312123, 1231212312123, 1212123123123, 1212312312123, 1212123123123, 1212312312312, 1231212123123, 1231231212123, 1231231231212, 121212121212123, 1111111111111, 1212121212121, 12345678910111213, 1231234512345, 1231212312123, 1212121231212, 1111123451234, 1231231231231

Obsessively,
-B
OddTimeObsessed.com

ChemTrailKu

Today I witnessed alleged visual evidence of chemtrails in my lovely Hollywood Hills neighborhood. I happened to get up earlier than usually and took a look in the sky. Wow, this abomination staring right at me as if to say, yah… what are you going to do about it? (Just like gas station signs say to me and my 8 cyl Mustang). My astute neighbor informed me that they do this every couple of weeks. Okay, WTF. This is the first time I have ever consciously witnessed them.

There is an extensive amount of information on the Web regarding Chemtrails and is usually interesting reading and can led to many other tangents of discovery. Chemtrails refer to systematic, high-altitude dumping of unknown substances for undisclosed purposes, resulting in the abnormal appearance of contrails such as crisscross and grid patterns. Some think its for weather control, administering a vaccine for pending chemical warfare or simply dumping of chemicals through the air. What do you think? Look up in your sky, perhaps you might see too.

Check out these pictures of Hollywood taken today Sunday June 1, 2008.

What does this all have to do with odd time? Well back in that dark month of Sept 2001, I was in Northern California hanging with my bro and a genuine beat poet Ruth Weiss. She wrote many haikus and hung them in her garden which inspired me to write a series of them. If you don’t know, a haiku is a style of poetry that consists of 3 lines: first line has 5 syllables, second 7 and third 5. Yes, this oddness is right up my alley. So anyways, I had just learned about Chemtrails and a friend of mine, t.minus, put out an electronica album called “Chemtrails” which inducted me into this grim subject.

This new inspiration helped create "ChemTrailKu" which I occasionally play on Odd Time Obsessed. I wrote this lovely piece on Music Magix ($40 recording software) with sampled acoustic drums that my brother was playing out of time, Wurlitzer, classical guitar, and spoken word by my brother and I. Its in freeish time, 4/4, 12/8 and 11/8.

ChemTrailKu

once a sky so blue
carrying secrets anew
streaming, slow murder

hold on to your seat
hold on to your wee wishes
hold on to your soul

no one notices
blind impossibility
not crazy, not I

Livin’ xcross the barline,
-B

OddTimeObsessed.com

Symphony X - Paradise Lost - CD Review

My question is – When is this album going to become a movie – full length?

This album f-in’ rocks

(makes your chops kinda feel like tidbits)

When I picture these guys, I see five warriors on white horses blazing through the sky, much like the Knight of Swords in the tarot. And ya know what?.... they are warriors and seers, of the modern day sort. There are many changes going on here on earth and I think that they are picking up on this. Most of us are not paying attention, but here comes Symphony X getting us to in one way or other. What better way than through chops and meters. I am listening….

Okay, with the esoterics, this is an amazing album and it really does sound like a soundtrack in many of its parts. Someone has got to make this into a film.

Oculus Ex Inferni – 4/4, 2/4 - very syncopated
Set the World on Fire – 4/4, 7/4, 9/4, 14/4
Domination – 4/4, 7/4, 5/4
Serpent’s Kiss – 11/8, 4/4, 12/8, 9/8
Paradise Lost – 13/8, 6/8, 12/8
Eve of Seduction – 4/4, 15/8, 12/8, 10/8
The Walls of Babylon – 4/4, 6/4, 8/8, 6/8, 14/8, 7/4
Seven – 4/4, (7/8 +6/8), 7/4, 8/4, (7/8 + 8/8)
The Sacrifice – 7/8, 8/8, 4/4, 3/8, 6/8
Revelation – 3/4, 5/4, 4/4, (5/8 + 13/8), (13/8 + 14/8)

Well that was fun to figure out. I can imagine trying to write it. HA.

It looks like they have covered most of the quarter and eight meters on this album and they manage to do it ever so naturally. The highlights to me on this album were: the 13 of course in “Paradise Lost”, the almost 13 (6+7) pattern in “Seven”, bass intro and trans to the verse in “Serpent’s Kiss” and I find it particularly cool that they ended with a song mostly in 3/4. That was a great feel for the last song and I even think they went past their own boundaries for it.

There are so many cool moments in these songs, its just filled with parts that make you rewind and say to yourself or who ever is listening.. “what was that?”, “cool, I wish I thought of that”, “yeah, yeah, I can play that too, just gotta freshen up my chops”, “man these guys are bad ass” …. And on and on.. Check out these masters, I think this is their best effort yet.

A MUST FOR YOU.

Keep on counting,
-BetZe

for more reviews go to OddTimeObsessed.com/Reviews

Le Sacre du Printemps

Well its officially here - Spring - as of 3/19/08 10:48 PM PST. And what better way to greet the season than with some visual Stravinsky.

Le Sacre du Printemps - a silent movie to the music of Igor Stravinsky - film by Oliver Herrmann and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sir Simon Rattle (recorded especially for the film). Running time - 38 mins

This film is amazing to me and right up my alley. It is interesting to experience a reversal of inspiration. Usually, as we all know the music gets composed after the film is written, shot and edited (at least some part). So now we can experience the story coming from the music.

The storyline leads us into the world of Santeria where the three main characters: Esther, Lucia and Dr. Bardot, share the same fate when their obsessions reach a peak. They then are transformed by a dream time ritual that will in the end enlighten their tormented minds.

The Santeria rituals and God's kitchen really suit the essence of this musical work. Although, the dancing never matches the beat in the film, it doesn't really matter. Well actually, it would be particularly cool if it did. But nonetheless, I think Stravinsky would be please with this modern day rendition and you might be too. Check it out, after all it is only 38 mins long.

Igorly yours,
-BetZe
OddTimeObsessed.com

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Zappa

Its great to be Irish.... and boy am I ever - that Bostonian blood ya know...

What better way to celebrate than with ZAPPA - that's always who I think of when this day comes around.... not my homeboys taking off the day to honor St. Patrick wearing townie green shamrocks and drinking Buds at 10am and praying to the porcelain god by 6:00. Somebody always ended up with a green tongue by the end of the night. anywho....

So this week I will be playing tracks from this very special album.
Album: St. Patrick's Day
Recorded at: Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena Binghamton NY
Date: 17-Mar-1988
Musicians: Frank Zappa's Best Band - Frank Zappa, Mike Keneally, Ike Willis, Bobby Martin, Scott Thunes, Chad Wackerman, Ed Mann, Kurt McGettrick, Bruce Fowler, Walt Fowler, Albert Wing and Paul Carman

If you haven't heard this album yet..... now you get to hear what you have been missing all of these years.... you are gonna like it...


1. The Black Page (New Age Version) Incl. Band Introduction (09:36)
8. A Pound for a Brown on the Bus Incl. Make a Sex Noise (18:10)
10. Jesus Thinks You're a Jerk (07:19)
11. Florentine Pogen (08:17)
12. Andy (05:31)
13. Inca Roads (10:24)
14. Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up (03:06)
15. Let's Move to Cleveland (07:40)
18. Who Needs The Peace Corps ? (03:08)

I will be rotating these throughout the week - can only play 3 at a time.

Stay Green,
-B
OddTimeObsessed.com

Happy 3/16

This is a cute little meter, mostly used as an accent or filler.

So far, I haven't found any songs completely in 3/16. If so, I would imagine it to be a fast "one - triplet -feel" which wouldn't be too odd. It definitely has to be mixed with ..... say a 5/8 or maybe other 16s perhaps a 7/16 or 10/16.

One thing for sure that I do know, is that my classical hero (Stravinsky) has expressed this meter in some of his works:

L'histoire du Soldat
Trois Danses - 3/16 + 2/4, 3/8, 3/4, 5/16, 5/8, 4/8, 7/16, 4/16
Marche triomphale du Diable 3/16 + 4/4, 5/8, 5/4, 3/4, 2/4, 3/8, 2/4

Dumbarton Oaks
Tempo Giusto - 3/16 + 4/4, 2/4, 3/4, 5/16, 2/8, 3/8, 5/8, 4/8, 9/16, 7/16, 11/16

As you can see it is mixed with many other meters. Maybe by this time next year I will have discovered more about this meter or perhaps featured this meter in a composition.

Until the next 16,
-B
OddTimeObsessed.com