Genesis Noir is an expansive experience, conceptually, visually and sonically. We weave between the cool, sleuthy tones of Miles Davis, the otherworldly heights of Sun Ra, the spiritual depth of Alice Coltrane, all the way to traditional Japanese lullabies and searing, synth-rich electronica. To achieve this sonic diversity, we recorded a live jazz band, a small choir and a full orchestra, each requiring a different approach.
Minimal Scores, Maximum Freedom
For the jazz sessions, check out our bare-bones charts. This wasn't laziness; with more than three hundred parts to record, efficiency was key—and paper saved. Our MIDI demos provided a foundation, along with some directional notes, stored on our recording database. This information, fed to them during recording, was enough for our musicians to let rip.
The Jazz Spirit
Chart is a jazz term for “written music”. Presented much more loosely than classical scores, a lot of information, like swing, is implied, rather than notated. We embraced this by keeping notation minimal, encouraging improvisation. Melodies were the springboard, leaving space for natural embellishment that can elevate pieces beyond what is possible to write down.
Inspiring, Not Dictating
Our direction aimed to challenge and inspire, not dictate. We might say, "Think Sun Ra, spiralling into a black hole - feel free to get chromatic!". We found the most incredible musicians in town, we weren’t about to tell them how to play their instruments!
In one session we offered our drummer, Saleem, only a set of numbers—the Fibonacci sequence—then watched him create a mind-bending rhythm.
So there’s our excuses. Download our scores below and send us your renditions.
Download the scores here
Listen to what we did with them here:
More Making Of
Read more about our processes creating the music and sound of Genesis Noir
