The Automatics Group / Summer Mix

Release Date: May, 2015


EDMの囁き

簡単に言うと、このアルバムの曲は、EDMのアンセム的な楽曲の音声信号を数学的な変換により、それらの音楽の仄かな痕跡がわかるかわからないかくらいまでに崩壊させ、ロングミックスにまとめたようなものだ。トラックのタイトルには、原曲のアーティスト名がクレジットされているだけなので、実際、変換された楽曲が何なのかは明白にされていない。ただ、EDM界の一発屋みたいなDJの名もなかにはあるので、おおよそ、それらについてはどの曲かはわかる。全体的にヒスノイズが前面に出て来て、レコード針がレコード盤のゴミの音を拾ったときのような、小さなビート音がミニマルに展開される感じだが、妙な高揚感の囁きに似たノイズが確かにEDMの吐息のように聴こえる。既存の音を電子的に操作して別の次元に展開する発想は、まるでAlva Notoの「Xerrox 2」のようだが、こちらは、まるでEDMの骨を砕き、皮をはいだような、文字通りレイヴの死を具現化したような内容になっている。

そう思うと、自分自身もそれほどEDMを聴く方ではないのだが、このアルバムの中で使われている原曲が一体どんな曲なのか非常に興味がわいた。そこで、該当しそうな楽曲を探してみたので、ぜひ、原曲を参考にしながら、このアルバムを聴いていただきたい。なお、今回リリースの日本版のボーナストラックはAviciiの楽曲を変換したものになっている。

Track 1
Swedish House Mafia/PJ Feat. Velvet/Roll Deep/Paul Van Dyk/Deepest Blue/Supermode

まず、トラック１のSwedish House Mafiaの曲で、使われたと思われる曲は「Don't You Worry Child」。原曲のオルガン的な音の片鱗がヒスノイズの背後で小さくエコーしているように聴こえる。そして、PJ Feat. Velvetの「Stereo Love」のエスニックなメロディの高音部分のみが金色のリボンが漂うように密かに聴こえ出し、次のフェーズではRoll Deepの「Good Times」のJodie Connerのヴォーカルもコーヒーの湯気ほどもない程度に聴こえる感じがする。続いて、特徴的な重めのテクノビートが感じられるフェーズでは、Paul Van Dykの「For an Angel」が使われているように思え、最後の２フェーズではいずれも、原曲のヴォーカルの声の特徴が認識でき、Deepest Blueの「Deepest Blue」とSupermode の「Tell Me Why」だということがわかる。

トラック２以降も同様に使われた原曲を推測してみた。

Track 2
Deadmau5 / Mason Vs. Princess Superstar / Riva Starr / Sash! / Motorcycle / 4 Strings / PPK / DHT / Tiësto

Deadmau5 → Maths
Mason Vs. Princess Superstar → Perfect (Exceeder)
Riva Starr → I was Drunk
Sash! → Ecuador
Motorcycle → As the Rush Comes
4 Strings → Take Me Away
PPK → Resurrection
DHT → Listen to Your Heart
Tiësto → Silence

Track 3
Sonique / Grace / Gouryella

Sonique → It Feels So Good
Grace → Don’t Wanna Be Waiting
Gouryella → Gouryella

Track 4
Roger Sanchez / Eric Prydz

Roger Sanchez → Another Chance
Eric Prydz → Call on Me

Track 5
Avicii → Levels








Whispers of EDM

Simply speaking, the tracks in this album are basically continuous mixes of EDM anthems, of which sound signals are being transformed mathematically, thus each of those are being broken down to such states that you would hardly recognize their slightest traces of character. Only the names of the DJs and artists of those original tracks are mentioned in each of the mix titles, so you would not know which of their tracks are actually being transformed as to constructt the mixes. Yet, some of the DJs mentioned here are only well known for a single hit track, so their tracks are quite identifiable. As a whole, hissing sounds come to the foreground and micro-beats that resemble with pricking sounds made by a record needle when bumping in to a dust particle sitting on a record pulsate silently. Also you would find whispering noises of peculiar up-lifting mood sounding like EDM’s sighing breath. The album is almost like Alva Noto’s “Xerrox 2” in the sense that it brings up already existing music pieces to some other dimension by manipulating their musical signals deliberately. However, for this case, it is more like breaking the bones and peeling the skin of EDM anthems, which is in a way like expressing the Death of Rave in their album.

If thought this way, it became quite interesting to know exactly which tracks are being used in this album, even though I am not an EDM listener. So, I have searched for the original tracks that seem to correspond with the ones recorded in the album. Some of them may be bad guesses, but could be good to refer to as you listen along with the album. By the way, the album I am talking about here is a Japan version, and it includes a transformed version of Avicii’s track as a bonus track.

Track 1
Swedish House Mafia/PJ Feat. Velvet/Roll Deep/Paul Van Dyk/Deepest Blue/Supermode

The first track seems to start with Swedish House Mafia’s “Don't You Worry Child”. In the background of hissing noises I could hear echoing traces of organ-like sounds of the original track. Next, I feel I can hear the highest notes of the melodies found in PJ’s “Stereo Love” dancing like golden ribbons. In the following phase, Jodie Conner’s singing voice in Roll Deep’s “Good Times” could be heard only slightly, not even distinctive as vapor rising from a cup of coffee. Then characteristically heavy Techno beats could be recognized in the next phase; it may be Paul Van Dyk’s “For an Angel”. In the last two phases, voices of the singers in the originals could be recognized; those may be Deepest Blue’s “Deepest Blue” and Supermode’s “Tell Me Why”.

In the same way, I have done some guessing for the following tracks.

Track 2
Deadmau5 / Mason Vs. Princess Superstar / Riva Starr / Sash! / Motorcycle / 4 Strings / PPK / DHT / Tiësto

Deadmau5 → Maths
Mason Vs. Princess Superstar → Perfect (Exceeder)
Riva Starr → I was Drunk
Sash! → Ecuador
Motorcycle → As the Rush Comes
4 Strings → Take Me Away
PPK → Resurrection
DHT → Listen to Your Heart
Tiësto → Silence

Track 3
Sonique / Grace / Gouryella

Sonique → It Feels So Good
Grace → Don’t Wanna Be Waiting
Gouryella → Gouryella

Track 4
Roger Sanchez / Eric Prydz

Roger Sanchez → Another Chance
Eric Prydz → Call on Me

Track 5
Avicii → Levels