IlayaRaja's New Albums 2013-15 - Mahendran film/Thaarai thappattai/Mythri

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Originally Posted by sureshmehcnit

"Ilaiyaraaja and the Synth Myth" - some thoughts that I have been munching on for a week...

http://www.backgroundscore.com/2012/...ynth-myth.html

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Dear Suresh Ji

Yes indeed a wonderful analysis. Your last line -

It is not the Synth. It could be the Sound recording. It definitely is the Melody. Melody is all!

- Really gets to the core and definitely sums your write-up.

BTW SEL also used that loop for Lakshya title song and though I'm not sure I think GVP has used that same effect if not loop for Pirai Thedum and the later is one of my most fav songs of 2011. So yes, this further supports the argument of melody being the biggest lifeline of a song/instrumental. The melody has to be concrete from whoever composes it, but to an extent that too depends on the listeners taste.

The last tracks from Raaja Saab with complete emotional synth overdose are Neeral Udal Kazhuvi (Sounds like a cousin of Celebration of life from Aayrathil Oruvan) and Thedi Vantha (Ponnar Shankar). These two tracks, have tall pillars in all three categories i.e. Synth, Sound-engineering and melody.

Digression//

To those, who think Synth arrangements make the refreshing quotient less compared live recording - I just have to say one word "VANGELIS".

Sengathu Bhoomiyile reviews. Contrasting opinions on music/BGM.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chann...ure-winner-797

"In ornate lettering, “Isaignani Ilaiyaraja's Sengathu Bhoomiyile” flashes on screen, a tribute to the music maestro. The story goes that Ilaiyaraja was moved to tears by the climax of the film and wrote a song ‘En usuru enna vittu', which ‘would echo in the hearts of the audience all the way to the parking area'. I admit I fell for this prelude. This is one of the three reasons I won't word-punch this movie right away ..... The music is nothing to write home about. The background score is jerky and often arbitrary. It sounds like a template of Ilaiyaraja's."

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chann...ure-winner-797

"...Ilayaraja’s background score is the backbone of the film. It gives the right emotions at the right places..."

thanks,

Krishnan

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Originally Posted by venkkiram

Very nice article Suresh!



Sad but reveals the current generation trend clearly!

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I don't have a problem with him liking Aravaan. I like Aravaan music immensely myself. I just wonder what in the sound of Ilaiyaraaja music makes them not even give a chance and listen to the entire song once.

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Originally Posted by Sunil_M88

Dear Suresh Ji

Yes indeed a wonderful analysis. Your last line -

It is not the Synth. It could be the Sound recording. It definitely is the Melody. Melody is all!

- Really gets to the core and definitely sums your write-up.

BTW SEL also used that loop for Lakshya title song and though I'm not sure I think GVP has used that same effect if not loop for Pirai Thedum and the later is one of my most fav songs of 2011. So yes, this further supports the argument of melody being the biggest lifeline of a song/instrumental. The melody has to be concrete from whoever composes it, but to an extent that too depends on the listeners taste.

The last tracks from Raaja Saab with complete emotional synth overdose are Neeral Udal Kazhuvi (Sounds like a cousin of Celebration of life from Aayrathil Oruvan) and Thedi Vantha (Ponnar Shankar). These two tracks, have tall pillars in all three categories i.e. Synth, Sound-engineering and melody.

Digression//

To those, who think Synth arrangements make the refreshing quotient less compared live recording - I just have to say one word "VANGELIS".

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Totally forgot that Lakshya song. I have some reservations about Thedi Vandha song, though it is an excellent melody. Sampled voices, I guess.

@Sunil_M88 using Synth is not a sin :-) imo I find Raaja the composer is not at ease using it..to provide a tennis analogy Raaja using Live orchestration is like watching Fedex on grass/hard courts..a poetry in motion. Why do you wanna see Fedex nudge and prod in clay.

Suresh/sunil - this is precisely what I was talking about yesterday. What in IR prevents the youththu from giving it a chance - why the uncool man dressed uncooly and uncool to flaunt as a taste in peer circles. As simple as that. As someone noted, if the same audio is released with Yuvan's name, it might do much nbetter

Is the audio CD any better for Dhoni? Listen to this Raja number from the obscure KannukkullE (2009) - http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer...1'&lang=en Especially the 2nd interlude. That's what I am talking about. Real violins against a single real violin followed by a real flute. Sounds fantastic. Dhoni songs, the orchestration particularly, somehow don't sound this *crisp*. Only the SPB song sounds perfect.

Suresh - could you please elaborate on what you mean by sampled voices.

Wizzy - Yes, synth is no sin. I don't think you understood my post. I'm a defender of using synth, as I use it myself extensively :) BTW Raaja Saab is one of the finest pioneers of synth music, so don't know why you think hes not at ease using it when in fact he's mastered the art of it.

venkki/plum - I don't have the right to say this but I think the majority of the current generation born in the mid 80s to late 90s and certainly millennium onwards don't really feel the need to revisit Raaja Saab's forgotten early material therefore they are disabling themselves from his music. Hence, they might be taking his recently released material at face value and find they cannot relate to it after first impressions hence don't bother going back to give it a second chance.

Folks,
I have been telling this for a while, but got beaten up for saying so. Its a trend Karthikraja that got IR sucked into. Too many instruments fighting for space and yet you cannot hear any single instrument clearly. Name one song or IR where you were able clearly hear an instrument crisp and clear. Probably ASK's theme was the one I heard in a long time.

Change sound engineer - that's the only thing I can say.

Good article, Suresh. Yes, it is the melody or tune that matters. But I hope in this context, I hope your readers dont underestimate the value of live acoustic recordings. Dhoni is an acoustic delight..I will say that 1000 times (notice the decay of the sounds - my main earphones are broke, I need to get it fixed, it is going to be much better in it). Please buy the CD and play it on tower speakers a bit loudly. It is very difficult to reproduce IR songs in playback equipment because of the large number of instruments used. You need to get good equipment for the "separation" and low bass of drums.
Yes, synths have been used in IR songs for a long time (bad usage easily noticed in thenRalE ennai thodu itself - I cannot imagine all the 80s songs with Dhoni like sound - pure heaven). Puru has confirmed that synth strings play along with real strings most of the time to add 'body'. But people like me have been very specific about our complaints with synths. Major problems are with the drum and string sounds. Recently, this seems to have been remedied. Mainly because the current synths - do not synthesize sound - but playback sampled sounds i.e recorded sounds of real instruments. Same thing goes for drum loops (Rahman is a pioneer in this area).
Currently, my major gripe is the too liberal usages of "delays" (echo in normal terms). Very bad. This is done mainly in "modern" songs.. the rustic/folksy ones seem to be unmarred this way. Yes, in this context, fire the sound engineer.
Suresh, you are right Dhoni is nandhala-2, especially with thavi thaavi. Similarly, mayilu is kaathal jathi-2.