tuba uses in Metal

[tubajoe]

Since we were recently talking about more varied uses of the tuba... a new one that I’m especially proud of comes out officially tomorrow. (please understand I’m not plugging this to sell anything, I’m simply trying to spread the word of yet another application for the tuba, which has been discussed before is a torch that I bear... and this is sort of a unique application spurned by some folks who don't normally know the tuba. It was inspiring to me how they both discovered, viewed, and applied it)

If there are any metal fans out there... a recent job I did was to make some orchestral-style brass moments for the famous “mathcore” metal band Dillinger Escape Plan on their latest record “One of Us is the Killer”, which gets officially released tomorrow. It ended up going beyond the original intent -- the band ended up using the tuba's timbre in some interesting ways.

There is a lot going on in their songs (every meter imaginable intermixed in very thick and heavy textures) two songs I know for sure that they ended up using me on are “When I Lost My Bet” which has a tuba quartet's worth of layers which provides the power sub-bass at the apex of the song (after 2:15), as well as some tuba solo used as textural backgrounds and other stuff throughout. On the song “Paranoia Shields” I play both tuba and valve trombone, and along with a trumpet / flugelhorn player, I helped them orchestrate a full brass choir where we made the harmony pretty intense. I recorded a bunch of stuff for them, some of it I believe was used and manipulated as samples, simply to enhance the overall sound of the record. It was awesome that this band thought a brass choir was the thing to back up many layers of overdriven guitar.

A fun twist is that they are actually using the tuba sound live in their sold-out shows... in “When I Lost My Bet” they are triggering a handful of low brass tracks that I recorded for them. It was a perverse pleasure watching a giant mosh pit beat the living crap out of each other to many decibels of multiple octaves of my tuba. (was the next best thing to actually playing it!)


Let me tell you now, it’s not music that’s for everyone... it’s an intense aesthetic (think a ‘modern day Rite of Spring’).


If anyone wants to listen today for free, Pitchfork is streaming the entire album (authorized) here
:
http://pitchfork.com/advance/108-one-of ... he-killer/" target="_blank

And for those with a strong stomach, watch the video for “When I Lost My Bet”, which is on YouTube (and already has 200K hits!) ...warning, it's almost disturbingly gory.



= \m/

[opus37]

I think I have a reasonably open mind when it comes to music styles. I did listen to the audio and tried to comprehend it. I wasn't able to understand it and thus appreciate this style. Sorry, it is beyond me. The video, is in my mind, on the limits of free speech. I was not able to watch more than a few seconds of it. Tubajoe did warn that it was gory. He did well to try to warn us. All in all, this is not for me, but your ability to understand this, and thus appreciate it, is likely much better than mine.

[Doug Elliott]

That is some seriously sick ****.

[AHynds]

Thanks for the tip, and I'm looking forward to getting the new album! I stopped listening to DEP when their original drummer left the group, but the new album sounds like a return to form. And I always appreciate hearing the tuba in new settings. I checked out the video--this probably says more about me as a person, but I didn't think it was all that bad. Then again, I'm a huge Chris Cunningham fan, so I've seen videos a lot worse than that!

[tubajoe]

That is some seriously sick ****.

Lol, it's pretty intense -- definitely a video to fit right into the horror movie genre (which is why I specifically didn't post a link) but for those brave enough, in addition to other tuba sounds, there's literally a choir of tubas in there throwing down power chords (after about 2:20)

I debated including information about the video, but it's getting a lot of press, and I figured it would make it here eventually if I mentioned the album.


This use, to me, is definitely akin to a modern-day Rite of Spring, or better yet, the most evil of all, Symphonie Fantastique. What was thrilling was to watch them embrace the tuba in such a way!

[Timmm]

This band's live show is ridiculous. Too bad you don't actually get to perform with them! I look forward to giving this a listen!

[Walter Webb]

I listened to When I Lost My Bet, and went back to 2:20 to see if I could hear anything resembling a tuba, but noooo. It's bass heavy there, but no tuba timbre could I detect. Cool video though, if you like GoreGasm.

[tubajoe]

I listened to When I Lost My Bet, and went back to 2:20 to see if I could hear anything resembling a tuba, but noooo. It's bass heavy there, but no tuba timbre could I detect. Cool video though, if you like GoreGasm.

The big bass line (repeating 3 note theme - A-Bb-Db) at that point is tuba ...in 3 octaves at once, with a 5th thrown in too. The multiple octave thing gives it sort of an uber-power-synth vibe, but it's not, it's all tuba. (bass sits there too on one of the upper octaves, live he plays a little counter line over it)

It goes below what a bass can do -- the bottom has the sub-pedal octave in there (A below pedal C) but you can only hear that octave if you stream it HD and listen on headphones or serious speakers, etc. It's a bit more evident on the mp3. I havent heard it uncompressed or on vinyl yet, I hope it's louder as the spectrum should be larger. The master on this record is a bit tight.

I've used that technique/orchestration on a handful of records... actually inspired by my guitar comrade working with the tuba like a rhythm guitar and sub-bass simultaneously -- in parallel like dual guitar rock bands do. I do it on the track below with a different band at 2:30 (it's much looser and more obvious) on this other record -- it was here where we found it mixed really well alongside distorted guitar and electric bass. This one was recorded and mixed completely analog, so we had to be very specific about what sat where in the mix.

http://open.spotify.com/track/7AYP7rcuSKVVHNKA7Mymqq" target="_blank

I then did the exact same thing for Dillinger, who embraced it so much (the basic sonic power that the pseudo-orchestral tuba can provide) that they trigger the tracks in their live show too, where it's like a momentary tsunami of lowness. They make it sound like an army of 6/4 Yorks briefly drowns the crowd as the singer stops screaming and sings the melody along with the super-bass the last time. The wonders of rock! The tuba timbre is less tuba-obvious than you might expect, but that's what makes it work along side the guitars.

(now I've revealed too many secrets and will have to erase each and every one of your minds... )

[tubajoe]

tuba in funk-rap

http://www.filedropper.com/07lundigrass ... ionversion

Great track, Joe!! I like how you don't hit it too hard and keep it smooth. Keeps the vibe.

[ginnboonmiller]

Joe, this is great. Even if, as I get older, DEP sound more and more like 2112-era Rush with every listen (not necessarily a bad thing).

[kingconn]

butthole surfers http://youtu.be/Zu8OS4BFjGI" target="_blank
maybe the most inspired lyrics I've ever heard

[tofu]

I listened to When I Lost My Bet, and went back to 2:20 to see if I could hear anything resembling a tuba, but noooo. It's bass heavy there, but no tuba timbre could I detect. Cool video though, if you like GoreGasm.

The big bass line (repeating 3 note theme - A-Bb-Db) at that point is tuba ...in 3 octaves at once, with a 5th thrown in too. The multiple octave thing gives it sort of an uber-power-synth vibe, but it's not, it's all tuba. (bass sits there too on one of the upper octaves, live he plays a little counter line over it)

It goes below what a bass can do -- the bottom has the sub-pedal octave in there (A below pedal C) but you can only hear that octave if you stream it HD and listen on headphones or serious speakers, etc. It's a bit more evident on the mp3. I havent heard it uncompressed or on vinyl yet, I hope it's louder as the spectrum should be larger. The master on this record is a bit tight.

I've used that technique/orchestration on a handful of records... actually inspired by my guitar comrade working with the tuba like a rhythm guitar and sub-bass simultaneously -- in parallel like dual guitar rock bands do. I do it on the track below with a different band at 2:30 (it's much looser and more obvious) on this other record -- it was here where we found it mixed really well alongside distorted guitar and electric bass. This one was recorded and mixed completely analog, so we had to be very specific about what sat where in the mix.

http://open.spotify.com/track/7AYP7rcuSKVVHNKA7Mymqq" target="_blank" target="_blank

I then did the exact same thing for Dillinger, who embraced it so much (the basic sonic power that the pseudo-orchestral tuba can provide) that they trigger the tracks in their live show too, where it's like a momentary tsunami of lowness. They make it sound like an army of 6/4 Yorks briefly drowns the crowd as the singer stops screaming and sings the melody along with the super-bass the last time. The wonders of rock! The tuba timbre is less tuba-obvious than you might expect, but that's what makes it work along side the guitars.

(now I've revealed too many secrets and will have to erase each and every one of your minds... )

Awesome creativity and insight Joe. There's a part of me though that thinks at a concert all the music ought to be coming from all the performers not some of the performers and a tape track or none of the performers who are all just faking it to prerecorded music tracks. I guess I've never bought into the notion of lip synching or horn holders but then again I don't get guys who play air guitar either. And I sure don't get the playing along with a track and a hologram of some long dead guy. Long live real people playing real live music with other live people!

[Dylan King]

Performing with the band Conqueror Worm in the late nineties in a club in Los Angeles. They were a Death Metal band.