I'm very happy to share (at last) a new musical piece, which completes the Babel serial.

As a reminder :

• Babel #1 was the first piece (hence the name), and was inspired by the atmosphere found (or more precisely heard) in the streets of Marseille (from school doors to flea markets, passing by the old harbour)
• Babel #2 was imagined as a follower to Babel #1 and actually uses its very last notes in the introduction. But this time, it deals with a forest - on the north side of the "Sainte Baume" mountain (which sound capture I still have to do), where there is a very old an specific forest. This place is truly calm and very adapted to any kind of meditation.
• Babel #7 est plus « rentre dedans » et pour cause : ce titre a été composé dans un squat, où les jeunes (et moins jeunes) s’expriment en couleur vives sur les murs. Pour moi, cela évoque une certaine liberté punk, d’où l’énergie de ce morceau. Cela dit, l’atmosphère du lieu est très originale, puisqu’il s’agit d’une piscine abandonnée, au beau milieu de la pinède.

In principle, there should be 2 or 3 other pieces, in order to complete the whole piece. I would like to compose something dealing with the atmosphere of the beach (so important a place, in Marseille), as well as another piece about the old villages of Provence, which ghosts still exist from place to place in the big city. Anyway, we'll see how it turns out…

Getting back to Babel #6, the piece is inspired by the sea waves, crashing on the rocks, then the liquid flow out gently… and the cycle begins all over again.
Obviously, this is has a meditative feel as well...

I was able to compose and practice the piece in the area where we live : near the estuary of the old port, quite close to a museum called MUCEM (dealing with Mediterranean civilizations). It was very enjoyable to get there with a guitar, at night (in the summer), to sit on the rocks and gently play those notes in front of the sea…

To show you how it looks, please see those photos below, which I took for you yesterday night :

This last one (below) isn't framed very nicely, I confess, but I still like it, because this very picture has a story : as I spotted an incoming sea wave I turned towards it and began to shoot, the whole wave splashed on me. I was wet from head to toe.
My daughter had a good laugh, and truly, that was funny, but we had to hurry back home, to change clothes before turning to ice… :D

Getting back to Babel #6, I am very happy, even honored, to have been able to serve this piece (I don't consider it mine, but more like its servant).

There are some important principles to this piece :

• First of all, like every piece in the Babel serial, it's written in a key of E (standard tuning). This systematic approach tends to show that a lot is possible, despite the very same given inputs. There are obvious resonances with the other Babel pieces, some themes included, and that's part of the idea (esthetically and emotionally) ;
• On this track, I tried to let the tempo evolve : from 70 bpm up to 131 ! There is a progressive evolution, as well as breaks. This approach seems logical here, in terms of dynamics.

Obviously, there is some work left to do :

• First of all, some parts would be worth recording again (even if it sounds listenable, at least to my ear) ;
• The second guitar is in process… It doesn't appear yet, but that will come in time - I'll upload the track as it evolves, from time to time, at the very same link. It will begin with the same theme than the guitar n°1, doubling it (one guitar being 100% left, and the other one 100% on the right). Then, it will progressively turn into its own theme, which will run alongside the first one. In the second part, the second guitar will probably have a more rhythmic role and will develop other themes, in order to add depth to the piece. I'm quite confident about it, but there is work ahead.
• Le paysage sonore, enfin : pour l’instant, il ne s’agit «  que » d’un roulis. Mais demain, il y aura une dynamique : d’abord ce mouvement doux, avec les bateaux et les mouettes dans le lointain, puis l’arrivée du vent et une petite tempête ; enfin, un retour au calme.

This is it. I invite you to listen, and as a return, I would be delighted to read your impressions.
Thanks a lot ; cheers.

V.