Listening with Lisa: Owl City’s Coco Moon
EDM is a genre of wide possibilities. Unlike jazz or R&B, for example, EDM doesn’t necessarily have a distinct sound; EDM artists have the freedom to use electronic sounds, processing techniques, and effects in any way they choose. |
If you were to read my texts with Carter Mudgett, Spinnaker Media’s Editor-in-Chief, you’d see a series of links to ridiculous baseball plays, tik toks of Eric Whitaker, or albums on Spotify he thinks I should check out.
I usually expect orchestral music or symphonic bands when I listen to his recommendations. But, one day, Carter surprised me by sending Owl City’s new album Coco Moon.
First of all, the production of all the pieces on the album is something worth appreciating. Musicians, including myself, would testify that a listener can not possibly experience a well-produced piece of music without listening to it with high quality headphones (I recommend Bose QuietComfort 45 Headphones) or nice speakers.
Anyway, let’s talk about Coco Moon’s lead off track: Adam, Check Please.
Adam, Check Please consists of instruments that were clearly generated by a computer. But, Adam quickly establishes a personal, human quality by clearing his throat at using conversational lyrics.
I consider this music to be in the middle-ground between EDM and pop. Adam Young didn’t limit himself to the confines of either genre. The amalgamation of electronic, sci-fi-type sounds, acoustic drums, vocals with harmonies give the piece a unique sound.
Listeners are taken on the ride of the dramatic emotional contour as the piece progresses. From a subtle introductory section with a thin instrumental foundation to an upbeat, four-on-the-floor restatement of the verse, to a blatant awesome breakdown in the chorus, I couldn’t help from bouncing my head back and forth to the rhythm.
Even though I was already reeled in, the sudden transition to a half-time drum section solidified my love for this song. As a composer, I find one of the best ways to amp-up a piece with high energy is to surprise listeners with a half-time section. Somehow, the piece is simultaneously slowed down while accelerating the energy. Listeners, including myself, are then just anticipating that four-on-the-floor beat to come back.
I can imagine Adam’s Logic session with, I assume, around fifty tracks of harmonies, various instruments, and processing effects. Every time I listen to Adam, Check Please, I hear something new. A new background vocal, harmony, or ornamentation.
In my own music, I love to sit for hours in Logic and play with the panning. Harmonies can swim from ear to ear; you can isolate a solo violin to the left; you can center a vocal melody while panning a low harmony to the left and a high harmony to the right. What I’m trying to say is that the possibilities are endless with an effect some people ignore.
Adam and his producers were meticulous with the panning on this piece; each track was placed in one side or the other for a purpose. This made me appreciate the song even more.
If EDM scares you, I’d steer you in the direction of listening to Coco Moon by Owl City. It’s a baby step into the genre of infinite possibilities.
To make it easier for you, here’s a link to Adam, Check Please on Spotify. I hope you give it a listen.