SAGASCAPING - Part 2: Tension Design & Structural Innovation with Griigg
Added 2023-06-15 19:02:17 +0000 UTC
SAGASCAPING
Part 2: Tension Design & Structural Innovation with Griigg
In this Lux Cache tutorial series, we embark on a journey through the world of ‘SAGASCAPING’, exploring the art of narrative design in electronic music and its potential to evoke powerful emotions and immersive experiences. By exploring the intricacies of storytelling within music production, this series showcases inventive approaches, evocative soundscapes, and the marriage of storytelling, arrangement and sound design. In part two of this series, artist and producer Griigg explores the manipulation through various musical elements to chart unconventional archetypal shapes of tension and translate these abstract concepts into practice with real track analyses. Venturing beyond composition, we also consider the listening context and the power of communication in shaping the listener's experience, offering a comprehensive exploration of musical storytelling through tension.
This tutorial is available as a Patreon text post and a preferred .pdf document format. We ask you kindly to not share Lux Cache content outside of the Patreon, our contributors rely on your donations.
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CONTENTS
- INTRODUCTION
- EVOLUTION: SHAPING TENSION
- THE SHAPE OF TENSION
- REPRESENTING TENSION
- OTHER DISCLAIMERS
- ARCHETYPAL SHAPES
- CONVENTIONAL SHAPES
- UNCONVENTIONAL SHAPES
- PRACTISE
- EXAMPLES
- PERCEPTION: BEYOND COMPOSITION
- CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
Happy to be back for the second half of Sagascaping! An article series focusing on the use of narrative design tools and methods for music making.
In the first half, we considered how narration related to music, and provided a bit of context for this article, which mainly focuses on electronic instrumental music, and how you can use sounds themselves to develop your own narratives, without any texts or lyrics.
We considered the three critical components of a music narrative, which are the Elements, the Evolution & the Perception. And we got more into details about the Elements part: how to approach character design, environments, setting and interactions, with hints and leads on how to transcribe that musically.
In the following, we will cover the Evolution and Perception part, by first focusing on shaping Tension & Release over time to keep your narrative engaging and powerful, and then by considering how everything that goes around the music itself can still contribute to the narrative it tells.
PART 1 - EVOLUTION: SHAPING TENSION
01 - THE SHAPE OF TENSION
> TENSION & RELEASE
I believe an interesting way to approach the evolution of your narration is by considering the contrast and balance between Tension and Release.
I define Tension as this sense of unrest, instability, or anticipation that something else is coming. It's a call for more tension - or some sort of resolution. It's what keeps the listener hooked and intrigued by creating and resolving their own expectations.
But Tension doesn't mean intensity or complexity - it can as well be just a simple note, a suspended pad, or even silence. It's also a very personal and contextual concept, so not all listeners will perceive it the same way, and even the same listener can perceive it differently after several listens or depending on their mood.
Tension & Release can be played through different composition aspects:
- Timbre: the number of elements being played, their textures, or new instruments being introduced.
- Harmony: keys, chords and chord progressions - especially dissonant or unstable chords, as well as modulation (changing keys)
- Melody: melodic phrases, counterpoints, tonal shifts, reaching high and low points, unbalance
- Rhythms: tempo and time signature changes, rhythmic counterpoints and syncopation, but also consistent repetition.
- Dynamics: rises or decreases in volume, the ways instruments are being played (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release), the use of silence.
- Form: general structure, but also boundaries between sections, accidents and unique events, turning points of the overall structure.
I believe Tension & Release are independent of the emotions they can carry. A rising tension can easily be associated with excitement or anxiety, with a shared emotional and tension climax that decreases during the Release. Still, it can also be used to share sadness or contemplation, where the emotional climax can actually be reached during the Release. The following could actually be applied to ‘emotional arcs’ ('from happy to sad'), but I think it's a less objective tool to manipulate than Tension and Release - as a musician, you can always express your own emotions, but you can never force them upon your audience, especially without lyrics. What you might consider a sad or depressing track can actually be perceived in a positive nostalgic way by other people.
> REPRESENTING TENSION
I wanted to consider different ways to unfold Tension & Release over time, by looking at common or archetypal shapes that we can find in traditional storytelling, such as in literature or cinema.
From my research for this article, it seems there is a lot of different vocabulary to talk about the ways a narrative unfolds over the time the story is being told. From what I understood:
- The plot refers to the individual events of the story. It is what happens.
- A narrative arc, story arc or dramatic arc is the path a story follows, the sequence of the plot. It is about how the events are presented to create an interesting flow and progression.
- A character arc is the events, experiences or emotions a character might go through, even if it's not shown explicitly in the narration. Character arcs can develop over a different time frame than the one in the main story.
- The structure is the way the narrative is presented to the audience, for example by considering the point of view, tone or format of the storytelling (first person vs external narrator, breaking the 4th wall, the use of a moral at the end of the story etc...)
I wasn't sure how these concepts would apply to instrumental music, so that is why I preferred to consider the word ‘shape’. So, the following diagrams represent different Shapes of Tension - highlighting its highs and lows. Tension & Release can evolve very gradually and in a continuous manner. But there can also be strong turning points, where the story changes abruptly and develops in a new direction.
Some of these graphs are inspired by common arcs or structures you can find in other media, while some of them were thought of for the purpose of this article.
It started with the simple exercise of applying common graphs to the evolution of Tension & Release and considering what it would mean musically. In the end, most of them had to be adapted or considered differently to make sense. While it might present some similarities to existing concepts, I took the liberty to rename them to best fit the context of music making - which can sometimes seem inaccurate or wrong. It's still a work in progress, so feel free to contact me if you feel some of these terms are unclear or plain wrong!
As a reminder, these can be considered at various scales - from the section of a track to a full-piece arrangement, album or DJ set. In the end, the actual Tension Shape of your piece will probably look like this:
The following are thus simplified, and reduced to their core idea for the purpose of clarity. But you're of course invited to combine them, twist them and adapt them to your own practice and approach.
PART 2 - ARCHETYPAL SHAPES
A - CONVENTIONAL SHAPES
BUILDUP
This shape gradually increases Tension over time and stops at its climax - silence is the resolution.
It works well for intros or transitions between two elements and is also a pretty common shape for progressive music like trance. It can also exist as a stair shape version, where Tension is increased in steps with fast transitions.
It has similarities with the 'Rags to Riches' classic arc in other media.
DOWNFALL
The mirror version of the Buildup, where Tension is gradually decreased over time. It works well for outros or transitions, and can also exist in a stair shape version.
RISE & FALL
In this shape, Tension is gradually increased to reach a climax, to then go back to its initial state.
It has strong similarities with very popular arcs and structures in other media, such as ‘Freytag's Pyramid’, the ‘3 Acts of Aristotle’, the ‘5 Acts of Shakespeare’, or the ‘Icarus Arc’. It is used in cautionary tales, tragedy and myths alike, and is sometimes wrongly considered as an obvious or universal structure.
Musically, this structure works and makes its point across: elements are introduced, events unfold with a growing tension to reach a climax where the emotion of the piece is often the strongest, and then the Release drives the audience back to its initial state.
It works well with the AABA structure (verse - verse - bridge - verse) or can be repeated multiple times, such as with the ABABAB structure (verse - chorus - verse - chorus - verse - chorus).
FALL & RISE
The mirror version of Rise & Fall, where we start with great Tension that decreases and increases again.
I believe this shape is not very popular in electronic music, because it might be frustrating or hard to process for an audience to start AND end with great Tension, having both an effect of surprise straight away and leaving a sense of unrest at the end.
That being said, I think it can work well within a section of the narration (like a 'drop'), where Tension increases suddenly at the beginning, and allows one to bounce back to a completely different scene or mood at the end (for example when you have a variation at the end of a 16 bar loop). Or in a broader context, next to other pieces of music.
JOURNEY
I believe this is one of the most common arcs in most media, as it builds upon the Rise & Fall arc for a bit more subtlety and surprise. We are introduced to a scene, where Tension increases progressively to reach a local climax, then cools down to let the listener breathe a bit and comes back afterwards with even more Tension for an intense ending (and eventual resolution). It has similarities with the 'Hero's Journey' or 'Cinderella' classic arc.
It fits well with the ABAB structure (verse - chorus - verse - chorus) or ABABCB structure (verse - chorus - verse - chorus - bridge - chorus), or the 'intro - buildup - drop - bridge - drop' used extensively in electronic music. This also makes it a comfortable shape for your audience - which can be a good or bad thing depending on your intentions.
HIT & RUB
The mirrored version of The Journey, where it starts with great Tension that would come back later on, and ends up with a smooth Release to bring the audience back to normalcy.
It has similarities with the 'Oedipus' classic arc.
I don't think it's used a lot in electronic music, even though the BABABA structure (chorus - verse - chorus - verse - chorus - verse) has been (re?)gaining popularity in pop and rap in the past few years due to the ways music is listened to today (hooking the listener immediately because of the limited attention span on platforms and social media)
B - UNCOMMON SHAPES
The following graphs fall outside of the common structures we can find in other media, and sometimes hardly apply to Tension itself, but I think they can provide interesting angles or unusual ways to approach the structure or shape of your narrative.
MONOBLOC
In this one, a constant level of Tension is maintained over time.
In order to keep the listener engaged, I think this shape needs careful crafting of your Elements, for example with an interesting variation around textures, harmonies or rhythms.
This one works well with genres like ambient, techno or IDM.
PIECES OF A WHOLE
In this one, different scenes, with different characters or environments, are introduced one by one independently, but the overall narrative and coherence are only tangible towards the end, where they merge into a unique resolution. I believe it can be a hard one to use, because the independent introductions can easily appear too unrelated, and the listener can lose focus - but a very rewarding one for those who make it until the end, giving them a stimulating and grandiose moment of clarity about interwoven narratives.
MEANDERING
‘Meandering’ is a popular shape in improv contexts, such as with jazz or group jams.
The narrative has no apparent direction, and Tension varies almost randomly. The audience is invited to follow along as the story unfolds.
I think this one requires a high level of trust from the listener to keep them engaged and not too baffled by not being able to know what to expect next. But it can be a really great shared moment of music, especially if the musician adjusts in live their path according to the listener(s).
TREE
A system of paths extends from a central one, splitting into smaller parts. Tension is kept pretty constant overall, but different elements successively take the spotlight to unfold a mini-narrative of their own.
I think this one fits well the ideas of successive solos, popular in funk or freestyle rap.
VIGNETTES
This one exposes different unrelated scenes with different degrees of Tension.
It can be a beautiful succession of strong elements, that have an implicit underlying theme or not. They can cross each other or stay independent. It can appear a bit confusing for the listener, as they can feel a lack of coherence or continuity, so I believe it's important to state the intention in some way when using this one so that people know what to expect.
DAISY CHAIN
Multiple characters or environments are introduced through a connective tissue (for example an object being passed from one character to the next).
It is pretty similar to the Vignettes but with one constant element throughout.
TEMPORAL LOOP
The same situation is played over and over with a gradual change in the global Tension.
It can be revisiting a place several times with a different context, or living the same event over and over with different points of view.
The repetition can show different aspects of your elements each time, keeping the listener engaged and curious, even if they have already been exposed to them.
PARALLEL STRUCTURES
Pretty similar to the Vignettes shape, this one alternates between two or more different scenes but comes back to each one several times. It's like having two or more narratives being unfolded one after the other, without a resolution that brings them all together.
PART 3 - PRACTICE
As mentioned previously, I don't think picking a structure and sticking to it is necessary at all - one of the best ways to create something that you love is by following your instinct. But if you're struggling with the arrangement, or feel like some sections of your piece lack a bit of tension, stepping back and analyzing what you did or considering how these shapes would apply to your own music can provide inspiration for new ideas and angles.
Once you identify your arc, the methods and tools presented in the other parts of this article can help you to enhance its shape, by making it more pronounced or smoother in order to best fit your intentions (emotional, structural, contextual etc...).
> EXAMPLES
As an exercise, I wanted to try to analyze some previous tracks of mine in regard to the Shape of Tension and see if it fits one of the archetypes shown above. I also think it can be a good way to illustrate what I mean by Tension and Release and how they do not necessarily relate to speed or layering only. As I said, Tension is a very personal perception, so what I might consider great Tension might seem flat to you.
Archetype - Journey with resolution
Archetype - Journey with resolution
Archetype - Journey without resolution
Archetype - Rise & Fall (part of a Vignettes album)
Archetype - Fall & Rise
Archetype - Buildup
Archetype - Monobloc (part of a Vignettes album)
Archetype - Tree x Rise & Fall
Archetype - Daisy Chain x Rise & Fall
PART 4 - PERCEPTION, BEYOND COMPOSITION
> LISTENING CONTEXT
The physical context in which your music will be experienced can completely reshape your narration, by being able to perceive more or fewer details, or by providing a stimulating experience in the act of listening.
For example, has your piece of narrative music been thought of for a live show or for online streaming? For listening alone or collectively? By standing still or walking or dancing? Should it be experienced on a huge sound system or through headphones? Does the quality or number of speakers play a role in it? How does your story change if played on a phone speaker?
There is a lot to consider and play with, and while you cannot always control exactly how people will listen to your music, most of the time you can create opportunities to listen to it the way you intended to - for example by organizing listening parties, providing instructions on how to listen to it, creating listening devices or websites, or considering the way it is distributed...
For longer pieces like an album or DJ set, the tracklisting or order in which the pieces would be played has a key role in how your broader narrative unfolds. In my opinion, it is something to be considered carefully and matured with time, once you are able to detach yourself from the details of your composition to see your different components as clear scenes of your narration.
> WORDS
An easy way to provide some context for your narration to be best perceived is by using words, due to the strong symbolism and meaning they inherently carry.
This can involve the title of your piece, a description of the project (a SoundCloud or Bandcamp description, some mic introduction before your live show, or some spoken words at the beginning of your track), or your own artist name.
You can also easily complement your musical narration with an additional piece of text (online, printed or integrated into the accompanying visuals), which can use the same or different tone.
It can be a development of the fictional universe you designed, using the same or different point of view, which can for example provide or suggest more information about your characters or environments. It can also be a more abstract text, using poetry or external texts to evoke a theme, a context, a well-known story or a historical event.
When using words, and especially for titles, it's always worth checking their etymology, the implicit meanings or the different interpretations it can have. For example, make sure your title doesn't refer to some hateful speech, or if someone else didn't already use these words in a completely different context you don't relate to, which can mislead your audience into thinking you explicitly refer to them.
> IMAGES
The visual aspect of your piece is another key element of how your narration is perceived.
Nowadays, the predominance of visual elements in media makes it almost mandatory to consider the ways your narration is introduced visually. By almost all means of diffusion (online streaming but also performances or physical merch), the visual aspect will be the first one encountered by most of your audience and will set the mood for what's coming musically.
Even if you try not to give it any importance, it can be understood as will to oppose this predominance, and can possibly frame how your narration is perceived, and how the listener might approach it.
Cover art, video clips, set design or press pics can all help you give more cues for your audience to experience your narration, with the advantage of being less explicit or referenced than words.
It's also possible to play with their codes to mislead the listener and offer an element of surprise when they actually listen to the music.
> COMMUNICATION
Finally, a lot of things go around the art itself, and have more to do with how you communicate about it.
This can be about the ways you promote your pieces, from the formats you use, their content or the people you associate with for this purpose.
Making tour flyers, social media posts, or having some sort of media collaboration (a premiere or interview with a blog or magazine) will already tell a lot about how you consider your story.
In the promotional content, you can either be yourself, and talk about the project and processes as the artist behind it, but you can also play the role of a character of your story, or pretend you just related a story which you didn't design, that was told to you from another entity.
There is also the possibility to make the story itself explicit or not or explain your approach and process when creating it. Giving no context about your intentions or plot leaves it open to all types of interpretation, which will be heavily influenced by the listener's background. Which is interesting but can sometimes miss the point of your story. Giving away all the details of what, how and why breaks the sense of mystery or curiosity a strong narration can have.
I don't believe there is a right or wrong approach, as it really depends on your own artistic practice, the piece in question and the context in which it's being heard. It's a balance to be found and experimented with. One thing to keep in mind though, is that in general audiences love to fill small narrative gaps, as they leave room for imagination and interpretation, and therefore a sense of appropriation.
You can also develop your more general artist persona, which can simply be your own person, but can also be a fictional character, or a transformed version of yourself.
Keep in mind that with each artist name you can have, people will always associate your piece with the previous ones they know from you, so it's good to keep some sort of coherence about your artist persona. It can obviously start simple, evolve and change over time, but it can also be thought about first, and even feed the very basis of your music piece. A strong artist persona will create a strong coherence across projects, which can in turn offer more freedom in the textures, genres or formats you can explore.
Last but not least, lore building is a great way to create a well-crafted universe from which your pieces can be a part (or not). I consider lore building as every type of content you create that isn't directly related to a specific music piece. These can be other pieces of art (such as visual works or texts), websites or merch for example. Every content you share under your artist's name might be associated with the art you create, so it's also something you can play with to strengthen the narration you seek to develop in music.
I don't believe artists owe any explanation to anyone about their intentions, so feel free to play with what's usually done to craft a communication that fits best your intent.
(cont.)
CONCLUSION
I hope this approach to narrative music-making helped you to consider your process with a new eye and offered you some concrete and practical things to experiment with in your art straight away.
I had a lot of fun writing this article, and breaking down and expanding the different processes I use unconsciously most of the time helped me to identify them and see where they could be strengthened. As said before, it's also something I'm still experimenting with, so I'm very curious if you have any feedback, question or comments about the content and how it's presented. I'm also very interested if you have any methods or tips I didn't cover here.
Happy crafting!
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Griigg is an artist, producer and label co-runner based in Paris. You can listen to Griigg’s music on their SoundCloud and Bandcamp pages.
Sample libraries and releases from their label ‘Club Late Music’ can be found on their Bandcamp.
You can follow them on Instagram @griigg
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