Transformed wind chimes: Nature-Symphony 49

Nature-Symphony 49 (An unexpected planetary configuration tells its own story…) — Even more dissonant than Nature-Symphony 48, with the tuning mismatch between the pair of metal chimes particularly strong, producing beats and shimmering 'vibrations' that come and go as various more clearly recognisable notes, intervals and chords come more into focus, taking us into an unimaginable rugged terrain, almost exploding with its sense of breaking out into new ground and climbing seemingly physically impossible mountains.

Despite the initial impression of major discord in the very opening of this work, the general impression is of an almost fiercely transcendental beauty shimmering through this 'impossible' landscape. — As they say, "Just go for it, Tiger!". Learn to respond to any sense of discord by putting your attention onto the shimmering interplay of tuning-mismatched notes; they truly are intriguingly beautiful, once you get your attention on them.

As with Nature-Symphony 48, the bamboo chime is deliberately adjusted to sound as though in the fairly far background. Any stronger sound from it would divert attention too much away from the awesomeness of the overall sound of the metal chimes. In this case the chosen bamboo chime isn't such a beautifully musical one, having an almost atonal sound within the general mix, but it serves its purpose, helping to give us a grounded perspective on the perhaps rather intimidatingly rarefied 'unexpected planetary configuration' storyline.

Chimes used:

(layers 1+2)
1. Music of the Spheres Gypsy Soprano (6 tubes, tuned to an Eastern European Gypsy scale)

2. Davis Blanchard Twilight (8 tubes, tuned to a weird bunch of pitches, which give potent intervals and chords, notably augmented triad, minor major seventh, minor triad, major seventh, and a poignant repeating descending minor second (semitone))

(Layers 3+4)
3. Indonesian bamboo chime, small (longest tube c. 30cm) (rather indeterminate tuning)

I made the original metal chimes recording on 10 May 2018 (not on Freesound), on rough steep ground just below Hunting Gate, highest point on the Hunter's Path, Teign Gorge, Drewsteignton, Devon, UK. The bamboo chime recording dates from 11 December 2023, on Piddledown, a little below the Hunter's Path.

Advisory
To get the best out of this, with its mass of detail, listen with high-grade headphones.

Two Davis Blanchard chimes being recorded in a previous session at the same spot.

Techie stuff:

Recorder for all recordings was a Sony PCM-D100, with two nested custom Windcut furry windshields, and it was placed on a Zipshot Mini tripod (metal chimes), and an Aoka carbon-fibre mini tripod (bamboo chime).

Post-recording processing was to apply EQ in Audacity to correct for the muffling effect of the windshields.

(Metal chimes)
Layer 1: half-speed, giving an octave pitch reduction

Layer 2: Speed to give pitch reduction of an octave plus major sixth below original.

(bamboo chime)
Layer 3: Half-speed, but just a tritone below original

Layer 4: Half-speed, giving pitch an octave below original

Acoustic for all layers was 'moderate back-of-cathedral'.

Please remember to give this recording a rating — Thank you!