Foreword
Hello, all. We are Local Behavior, a chamber pop band located in California, USA. We recently released our debut EP and, in theatrical fashion, decided that an overture should be written to tie together each track. Because this EP was made in a bedroom, we decided the overture should withstand no less (or no more that is)!
I. Inspiration
The main point of inspiration came from the Wizard of Oz overture that features during the film's opening credits. We took down hand-written notes on the emotional beats and transitions they hit way back in 1939 which are pictured below. (My favorite bit is the outro for the very hush-hush dynamics and chromatic tension...super impressionistic imo). In any case, we definitely copied- ahem* adapted those elements to match our songs and create a thematic development. Our songs:
"Pieces"
"Take It"
"I Wish I Were Drunk All The Time"
"sat/waited"
"@sunset"
We were also really inspired by the blueprint set by freaks like Animal Collective, Panda Bear, Rusty Santos, John Congleton, Beirut, A Hawk And A Hacksaw, sparklehorse, and the like.
II. Orchestration
By far our favorite part of the process- where we got to experiment and feel like we were in the Elephant 6 or something. We were very consciously trying to supplement traditional orchestration (equally for monetary reasons, as well as for creative ones) by using what one might have collected in a home studio (keywords: lo-fi; bedroom; democratic; broke; etcetera). So here's the line up in score order:
- Piccolos & Flutes: Microkorg (mellotron patch)
- Clarinets: PO-133 Street Fighter Sequencer
- Oboe: Accordion
- Trumpets: Stylophone
- Horns: Distorted Piano Patch
- Trombones: Accordion
- Tuba: 808
- Violins, Violas, & Cellos: Various Mellotron & Chamberlin Samples (as well as an audio recording sampled from a certain 1977 film that has a very iconic violin part.........idk the legality of this action, so actually we just used stock plug-ins!)
- Bass: Electric Bass
- Harp: Lap Harp
- Timpani & Cymbals: Korg Volca Beats
III. Composition
Our main goal was just to highlight the main themes of each tune, as was done in the WOZ overture. For our lead single, "Take It", we championed the mandolin solo with a boisterous, full fledged entrance featuring the whole orchestra. We used lots of parallel 4ths and 5ths, which is definitely a NONONO in music school, but we liked the medieval sound which subsequently reminded us of Zappa's 200 Motels overture. Next, we wanted to showcase our most weepy and saccharine melody yet (this is our "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"). It being the ballad on the EP, "@sunset", we made full use of the mellotron strings in their highest register. Some heavy handed triplets lead us into the jaunty "Munchkinland" portion, "sat/waited". It's a march with funny little woodwind trills and trumpet announcements. This subsides into a delicate waltz that features a breathy, 8th note woodwind texture that obscures the time signature. It's a really hazy and pathetic melody for a really hazy and pathetic song, "I Wish I Were Drunk All The Time". If you compare it against the WOZ, it's like a choir thing happening, we did the same. FINALLY, after that little moment we build back up to a triumphant flourish in the woodwinds, 8th note runs that offset the chords by an 8th note (dim. to maj., VERY Bach inspired). We use the brass to scream the melody of "Pieces" and slam that Korg Volca Beats lo-tom until it distorts into the timpani sound you hear on the record. The epilogue kind of sits you down after all that tantrum throwing and lulls you to begin the EP. It's chromatic and hush-hush as aforementioned.
We really just wanted to document this process, because it was a huge undertaking and thought someone might find it interesting. We made a youtube video as well, attatched below. Thanks for reading!
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