Afro celt sound system was originally founded by guitarist Simon Emmerson in 1995.
Released in 1999
ACSS music is a combination (fusion) of African (afro), Celtic (Celt) and electronic dance music
(sound system)
Release is a tribute to Jonas Bruce (one of the original founding members of the band)
Sinead O’Connor (guest artist) wrote the lyrics for release.
The lyrics imagine Bruce telling the band that he is still with them and that they should be
happy for him.
Mournful melody with driving rhythm
INTRODUCTION (0-1.38)
Free time
Drone on C – (with 2 different synth tones with filter sweeps.)
Aoelian mode of C
Panning
Talking drum, synth strings and drone added to provide effect
Bodhran (1), Shaker (2) and drum machine (3) added to establish tempo (100BPM)
Spoken male vocal samples (griot storytelling style) (Maninka language)
Bodhran is backbone of piece. Syncopated sometimes with elaboration
Female voice enter using heavy reverb and panned centrally
Acciaccatura, vocalisations, improvisation sense
Synth (4) and drum loop (5&6) added
VERSE 1 (1.38-2.55):
Loop 6-13 played on top of current loops.
Main female voice comes in singing V1
Accompaniment is simple chords giving homophonic texture
Tambourine (7) takes over from shaker playing steady semiquavers
Talking drum(8)
Kora (9) and low synth string (10) added
Melody limited range of a 6th
Syllabic
Repetitive
Chromatic synth strings
Short bodhran solo before breath samples (13) and bass (12) and soft synth (11)
Bass line uses C and B flat gives a modal quality
Syncopation
Short flute effect uses delay fx
Texture thins so bass guitar entrance more dramatic
VERSE 2 (2.55-3.51):
Male voice sings variation of V1 in gaelic
More complex drum pattern (14)
Melody range of a 10th
Bass drops out
Fiddle plays (15) accompaniment using double stopping accents and triplets and sextuplets
low chromatic synth strings enter (16)
short drum and bass leads onto solos
SOLOS (3.51-4.55):
uillean pipes start and are joined by whistle playing octave higher
Mainly semiquavers and occasional glissando
Accompanied by accordion (17) accented chords and bodhran (18)
C dorian mode (no a flat)
Low whistle takes over and plays more complicated version of pipe solo. More varied in rhythm
as contains sextuplets and triplets and acciaccaturas
Bass drops out accomp. By synth strings (10) and accordion and Bodhran
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller kikis202020. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $13.97. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.