- intro - / - winners - / - contestant spotlights: #1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5 - / - non-competing bonus tracks -
- illustration by LaLaVox -
"...I guess with this album... - Because I really like listening to really raw stuff myself - that's not naturally perfect... --- So I was quite aware with this album that once I'd mixed and .../lived with this as an album (?)/... - it was kind of work-in-progress. You know? Like - I wanted it to be like that. And I kind'a wanted to make an album that was a little bit like a lot of albums that had nurtured me a lot. You know... 'Cause I think that some of my favorite singing is like humming... - Like field recordings of people singing. I wanted to try to get that sort of feeling. You know? - That it wasn't perfect. - That it's like people could join in and sing along..."
...Björk - discussing MEDULLA in an Amazon telephone interview...
And that, my friends, is the spirit that sparked the idea for this contest... Thank You Björk. :-)
Uglyness/Gungalei had the contest idea - calling fans to create their own all-vocal tracks inspired by short, unpretentious MEDULLA songs like "Öll Birtan", "Miðvikudags", and "Komið". I offered web-space to host it, and that's how things began. And now here we are.
Part of what I like about the results here is that a few of the people who entered our contest picked up a microphone and sang into it for the very first time in their lives in order to do so. I can't help thinking that it could very well appeal to mama Björk that her album has also encouraged "non-singers" to stretch those vocal chords a bit and sing, sing, sing. So to all of you out there - happy downloading and listening. And we hope you will have as much fun taking part in our contest as we've had creating it for you!... -LLV
The winners have been announced!!! And they are:
1ST PLACE - CONTESTANT #14 - kenneth!
"My Rotting Teeth"
2ND PLACE - CONTESTANT #11 - cheekypixies =o)!
"My Medulla"
3RD PLACE - CONTESTANT #18 - tantan!
"Darkness' Own Flame"
Congratulations to our winners! - and to everyone who entered the contest!!! Voters often lamented only being able to choose 3 favorites when they found themslves liking so many different elements in so many different tracks. ;-) You all did a wonderful job!!! :-D
And you can read Uglyness/Gungalei's 4um winners' announcement and congratulations here!!!
(intro / winners / contestant spotlights: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 / non-competing bonus tracks)
(Contest Rules, Info, and Update page)
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Contestant Spotlight # 1
Monday, November 22nd, 2004
#1 reggie8818 - "Hann Dansar" (He Dances)
Country: USA ---- Equipment used for and/or inspiration for this track: Windows Sound Recorder and my voice. The inspiration: I just thought it would be interesting to see what I could do with my own voice layers, and this what I ended up coming up with.
File name and size: reggie8818_hann_dansar.mp3 - 1.1MB
#2 turpentine - "Untitled"
Country: USA ---- Equipment used for and/or inspiration for this track:GarageBand on an iBook.
File name and size: the_dream_1.mp3 - 1.2mb
#3 mattaboy - "Hummer"
Country: USA ---- Equipment used for and/or inspiration for this track:I used Digital Performer 2.7, and a mic. This track is basically a tribute to humming. Humming to me is very mental, like letting some air out of your head so more room can be established for new thoughts and such.
File name and size: hummer.mp3 - 1.7MB
#4 nicknmelgr - "Action"
Country: Greece ---- Equipment used for and/or inspiration for this track:The track is made purely with Windows wav recorder; it's that simple. I made a whole cd with tracks like this about 5 months ago, and I named the cd "Silent Vespers". "Action" was a song that I wrote about a boy who needs to go through some dramatic changes in his life but can't find the strength to do it. This song is very quiet because the boy is thinking that he has to act - all this in an introvert kinda way.
File name and size: action.mp3 - 740KB
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Contestant Spotlight # 2
Tuesday, November 23nd, 2004
#5 debutante - "Baby Tooth Sore"
Country: Canada ---- Equipment used for and/or inspiration for this track:The ingredients for this little experiment... Recorded in the basement with very low quality mic. Hooked up to a computer and using Sound Recorder (essentially on every computer). Individual sounds and such weaved together in Sound recorder by playing the individual sounds simultaneously! (an array of windows!). And the only effects are slowing/speeding and adding an echo here and there. One-take. *eep. You're gonna have a good laugh at this!!
File name and size: baby_tooth_sore.mp3 - 1.6MB
#6 marksavoia - "Trek"
Country: Canada ---- Equipment used for and/or inspiration for this track: Equipment: A microphone and Fruityloops. Inspiration: I've been a Bjork fan for a couple of years now... I was intrigued with her idea to use all vocals for an album... I started playing around with vocal files of myself that I had on my computer. (They were originally used for a rap-song I made for my friend's birthday... if you knew me... me rapping is a very funny concept haha). Anyway, I played around with those files, created a song, and recorded vocals over it. As I was working on it, I noticed a contest going on the 4um so I thought it'd be fun to enter.
File name and size: marksavoia___trek.mp3 - 1.8MB
#7 pleasure - "The Abstract Bones"
Country: Mexico ---- Equipment used for and/or inspiration for this track: WaveLab and Fruity Loops
File name and size: i_s_the_abstract_bones.mp3 - 1.6MB
#8 kyriakos1 - "These Happy Sneakers of Mine"
Country: Canada ---- Equipment used for and/or inspiration for this track:Aucacity was used to record it and the inspiration was that I was in a good mood that day because it was sunny outside and I was walking outside listenin' to my walkman and observing people and what they were doing as I walked by... and just feelin' fine ya know? so I felt that I needed to express my happiness into the microphone!
File name and size: TheseHappySneakersOfMine.mp3 - 2.2MB
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Contestant Spotlight # 3
Wednesday, November 24th, 2004
#9 devon - "Turn Off the Bright Lights"
Country: USA ---- Equipment used for and/or inspiration for this track:Equipment used for this track: I use a nice, cheap, amazing little program called Magix MusicMaker. - As for my inspiration: The ideas in the lyrics about stars (if you can understand them) is derived from a long night with a few friends; from lying under the stars and just letting my mind wander on a warm southern night.
File name and size: DevonTurnOffTheBrightLights.mp3 - 1,000KB
#10 milkotto - "My Sun is Full of Water"
Country: Chile ---- Equipment used for and/or inspiration for this track: I used the A Genius microphone, (the cheaper one :P) and Cool Edit Pro 2000, It was a lot of trouble for me trying to do this song: first I just didnt know how to start it - its actually the first song I have ever recorded in my life and second I am not a good singer. I made all by myself, all the sound was pure voice.
File name and size: my_sun_is_full_of_water.mp3 - 300KB
#11 cheekypixies =o) - "My Medulla"
Country: England ---- Equipment used for and/or inspiration for this track: The equipment used was -- *ARCHOS jukebox recorder 20 - (to record the vocals) -- *Cool Edit Pro (to chop it all about). -- My inspiration for "My Medulla" and the bonus was basically a very dull and wet lazy sunday, feeling moderately hung over from an extremely heavy night on the vodka in town the evening before. And kind of slowly awakening and coming out of the lazy haze. I know - not the most original titles, but I was thinking that I wanted to keep the tracks as raw as possible and by giving something a name or a title, it kind of puts differing thoughts into the listeners head and they already have ideas about the track before they hear it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy chilling out and enjoying them. Thanks
File name and size: cheekypixies_mymedulla.mp3 - 1.5MB
#12 movielicious - "Strike Up"
Country: USA ---- Equipment used for and/or inspiration for this track: Equipment: A cheap microphone and Windows Movie Maker. Inspiration: The 1940 film Strike Up The Band starring my childhood idol Judy Garland and the song "Oll Birtan" by Bjork.
File name and size: bethany_strike_up.mp3 - 880KB
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Contestant Spotlight # 4
Thursday, November 25th, 2004
#13 Cvalda107 - "Starry Brightness"
Country: USA ---- Equipment used for and/or inspiration for this track: equipment used: final cut pro inspiration: basically, i imitated a song by sagan, called "reach for the stars", and shortened it and improved it at the end. it was a lot of droning noise and then an impossible, random beat.
File name and size: starry_brightness.mp3 - 2MB
#14 kenneth - "My Rotting Teeth"
Country: USA ---- Equipment used for and/or inspiration for this track: to make this track i used Sonic Foundry Acid aaaaaand the microphone that came with my computer. there are 8 tracks in all that make up the song (minus the lead vocals and the special noise at the end!), and only 2 of them had any pitch shifts or editing (the Dooy Dum Dum and the quick SS SS SS noises... if that makes sense...). the latter is originally taken from my impression of Rachael Ray from the food network. One of the other noises is a vocal exercise i did once in a district chorus. i recommend headphones for ultimate listening pleasure aaand yah i think thats it!
File name and size: kenny___my_rotting_teeth.mp3 - 1.9MB
#15 benzodiazepine - "Observing"
Country: France ---- Equipment used for and/or inspiration for this track: - equipment: just my computer and a very cheap mic :) -- part of the middle inspired by Björk's Foot Soldier and Mouth's Cradle. -- software used: - Cubase SX - Samplitude Master 6.0 - dBpowerAMP Music Converter
File name and size: micha_observing.mp3 - 4MB
#16 pinkneptune - "Wallpaper"
Country: USA ---- Equipment used for and/or inspiration for this track: I used Acid Pro 4.0. When I wrote the arrangement for this track, I meant it to go on the the album I'm working on--just as an instrumental song. I wrote it and recorded my voice singing the arrangement and decided it wasn't really what I thought it was going to be when I first wrote it. So it's been on the 'back burner' for about a month. Then I rediscovered it a couple of weeks ago, and gave it another listen: I called it Wallpaper because at first listen you think-'it's kinda boring and slow' and then when you really listen to how all of the different layers fit together and flow along the song you get the feeling there's a lot more to it then what you originally heard. So it's like looking at Wallpaper in a very old house and saying 'look, Wallpaper...ok' and then looking closer and seeing 'AH! There's life in there! All kinds of emotions, feelings, and life stories I didn't even see moving around just beneath the surface!
File name and size: aja_wall_paper.mp3 - 2.1MB
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Contestant Spotlight # 5
Friday, November 26th, 2004
#17 kuro - "Fir Tree"
Country: Canada ---- Equipment used for and/or inspiration for this track: Equipment: minidisc recorder and microphone, soundedit. I used a microphone, and no voices were edited. And I think my throat singing worked pretty well. :)
File name and size: kuromedulla.mp3 - 3.4MB
#18 tantan - "Darkness' Own Flame"
Country: from Mauritius Island (but currently studying in Singapore...) ---- Equipment used for and/or inspiration for this track: * Technical process: I used MediaSource Player for recording, Nero Wave Editor for basic editing and Steinberg Wavelab for further editing and mixing. -- * Creative process: A lot of intuition and improvisation... I actually started writing a structured song, but I soon realized it wouldn't work. What was most difficult: the lead vocals!! I would've wanted to give it more power but the song decided otherwise. :p -- * Which is why I changed the title from "Aestas" ('summer' or 'moment of summer' or 'summer air' in Latin poetry) to "Darkness' Own Flame", which I think is more suitable: the song is quite dark, but I can smell a pinch of hope... ;) -- * I wrote lyrics in english and I translated them in gibberish...
File name and size: darkness_own_flame.mp3 - 1.6MB
#19 weighbor - "Slide"
Country: from the Far East - like Iceland at lot - currently studying in Edinburgh ---- Equipment used for and/or inspiration for this track: i have an old mic with noisy cable :):) i recorded it with an external audio card ;-0 - borrowed melodies and the lyrics i randomly composed from my childhood :-0
File name and size: weighbor_slide5.mp3 - 1.4MB
#20 joppinter - "Unlease"
Country: The Netherlands ---- Equipment used for and/or inspiration for this track: I had the idea for this song, before I knew about your contest...Anyway...I wrote it in the forest, when I was walking my dogs... And the lyrics aren't so special, but I hope it is more about the song and how the whole thing sounds... I used Audacity to record my song and I started with the "go away and leave", and I copied that and made my voice lower with effects :P. And then I did some 'beatboxing' or however you want to call it.. And finally I sang my lyrics to it. And it was done in about 10 minutes :P
File name and size: joppinter_unlease.mp3 - 1.9MB
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Saturday, November 27th, 2004
- non-competing bonus tracks -
- brought to you by those who brought you this contest -
Uglyness/Gungalei "Vet'haltoa"
File name and size: vethaltoa.mp3 - 2MB
LaLaVox (duetting with Kuenstler Treu) "Giving These"
File name and size: LLVtreu_GivingThese.mp3 - 1.9MB
(Kuenstler Treu's homepage)
LaLaVox (duetting with Bobo In White Wooden Houses) - "The Dark Earth and the Brightening Sky"
File name and size: BoboLLVDarkEarthBrightSky.mp3 - 1.1MB
LaLaVox (duetting with Bobo In White Wooden Houses) - "I Hold You"
File name and size: bobo_lalavox_i_hold_you.mp3 - 1.2MB
(Bobo's homepage)
- more non-competing bonus tracks -
- sent in by contestants and other 4um members -
(#3) mattaboy - "Collage Mix"
File name and size: cOllage_mix.mp3 - 3.9MB
(#5) debutante - "Hynogogic State"
File name and size: hynogogic_state.mp3 - 1.5MB
(#6) marksavoia - "Rouse"
File name and size: marksavoia___rouse.mp3 - 2.3MB
(#8) kyriakos1 - "Butterfly Caught" (Massive Attack cover)
File name and size: ButterflyCaughtMassAttCover.mp3 - 1.4MB
(#10) milkotto - "My Sun is Full of Water (Cold Hell version)"
File name and size: MySongIsFullOfWaterColdHell.mp3 - 1MB
(#11) cheekypixies =o) - "Bonus Track"
File name and size: cheekypixies_bonustrack.mp3 - 1.1MB
(#15) benzodiazepine - "The Lessness of Nameless" (Björk adaptation)
File name and size: MichaTheLessnessOfNameless.mp3 - 1,7MB
(#16) pinkneptune - "Army to Defeat"
File name and size: ArmyToDefeat.mp3 - 1.4MB
(#18) tantan - "La Rivier Tanié"
File name and size: TantanLaRivierTanie.mp3 - 1.6MB
(#19) weighbor - "Bonus Track"
File name and size: funlastend2.mp3 - 1.9MB
(#20) joppinter - "Wierd"
File name and size: joppinter_weird.mp3 - 1MB
astinn and joppinter - "I've Seen It All" (Björk cover)
File name and size: duetastinnjoppinter.mp3 - 2.9MB
idcrossknit - "Meowww"
File name and size: tripstrips_meowtripstrips.mp3 - 1,000KB
mobox - "Herzeleid"
File name and size: mobox_herzeleid.mp3 - 1.5MB
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--- Contest Rules, Info, and Update page ---
--- this contest brought to you by ---
Uglyness/Gungalei
and
LLV
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