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All music on benbarden.com is free to share for non-commercial use only. Please see the music pages for more information.
All other content: Copyright © 2009 Ben Barden.
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All MP3s are now encoded at 192kbps (CD-quality)!
Blanket of Snow is the opener for Landscapes I, my fifth album. It's what I'd consider to be a "traditional" composition for me - it's melodic, and not experimental. Piano, xylophone and clarinet are the only instruments here, apart from an ambient bass note that plays in a few places.
Notes: This is a slightly modified version of the original track.
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This was originally going to be the title track for album 5. I first put this track online in March 2005 when I released it as one of my monthly tracks. Prior to that it was called Unfriendly Proposition.
It's a simple track with no surprises; guitar, harp and flute are the main instruments here.
Notes: This version has several changes from the original that I put online earlier in 2008.
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Silent Shore has a similar feel to Precipitate, mostly due to the harp. But whereas Precipitate is mildly optimistic, Silent Shore is more reflective.
The flute and the cello bassline add depth to the piece, while the harpsichord gives a semi-classical feel.
It's a very gentle, relaxing melody and in my opinion, one of my best in some time.
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This is a track title I've had for almost 10 years, but I've never done anything with it until now. I saw a lot of potential in the title, so I finally decided to write some music to fit the name.
The first half sounds haunting, intended to give a sense of uncertainty - what lies around the corner? What is at the end of the spiral staircase?
The bridge between the two halves is a slightly discordant series of notes, perhaps the realisation of not being able to go back.
The second half is more about contemplation - deciding what to do next, and facing up to the reality of the situation. The final melody is very emotional and conclusive.
One question I have deliberately left open is whether the staircase is being climbed or descended. I'll leave that to your imagination.
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This is a much more upbeat track than the previous one - it might give you some idea of what happened next.
Sunwatching is a short pleasant melody with the sole intention of showing that even the worst situations can improve.
This was originally written as the title track for the abandoned videogame soundtrack project, Citadel City. Here, it appears in a lower key with some instrument changes and a cleaner ending.
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This is a short melody built around unusual chords and accidentals. This is meant to be a rough track; it's also meant to sound a little strange.
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Mute guitar, drums and piano kick off this catchy, upbeat track. There is a fair bit of variation in the short running time of 2:22 - my aim was to write a track that didn't have a lot of straight repetition, but a number of changes.
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This track is hard to classify. It's fast and focuses on breaks in the beginning, before moving into a synth-based melody and even a bit of xylophone. The middle introduces some piano, which then integrates with the other instruments.
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This track weaves in and out of various riffs and chord sequences, with some great dreamy effects that I've come to love from the world of trance. See what you think of it!
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This starts off as a very ambient, dreamlike piece. Before long it merges into another track, Frozen Grounds, that I've never done anything with until now (it's been a demo for as long as I can remember). Then it goes back to the original theme before I take it to a false ending. I'll let you listen to see what I do after that.
Download Attachment (7.16MB MP3)