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Song Dissections

Song Dissection #6: Insect Calm

Hearts for Bullets (cover)

From the CD: Hearts For Bullets
Music, lyrics & vocals: Jennifer Parkin
Production, mixing, mastering: Sebastian Komor
Hearts for Bullets (cover)

Lyrics:

I’m withered inside. I’ve never wanted something so blindly.
How does one comprehend dissatisfaction with the unknown.
I’ve been bound too long to this confining shell, like a tiny hell that can’t calm this wrestless mind.
My blood pulses, fuels desire.

I’ve left all behind. These winds have changed and there is no way back.
Why can’t you see this all will fall, this microcosm is not eternal.
My thirst will not subside. I’d rather face the storm and get ripped open wide.
Then my insect eyes will see this wretched world for all it hides.

Insect Calm.
My limbs are numb.
Resistance gone, I’m shedding skin.
To feed and breathe in.

Insect Calm
The fear is gone.
Itching and feeling with my new skin
Inhale this world in.

The Dissection

So the surprise for this week’s song dissection is that I made a little video to change it up a bit! The video doesn’t get as detailed as the write ups can though, so it’s a bit more brief than other dissections but, it includes the visual element of me in my appartment, and some impromtu live singing by me just for you!  I’m sorry for the quality of the built in MacBook camera, but it’s the best I can do for now so please be kind with your comments, and enjoy!

AYRIA – Song Dissection #6 – INSECT CALM from Ayria on Vimeo.

One additional thing that I didn’t have time to touch on in the video was this amazing and very old and very rough clip I found that was the original idea for the song Insect Calm.  This audio clip is from back in the days when I was working on the Flicker CD.  I sometimes start loops with a vocal idea but have no idea where to take them, so they sit on the “idea shelf”.  You can tell this one is a rough idea since the vocals aren’t really cohesive between the layers and I was in the brainstorming phase.  This idea loop sat there for several years until I revisited it while writing Hearts For Bullets.  This demo clip comes accross sounding pretty gothy with the reverbed synths and vocals, and from here, it was obviously re-worked into a full demo, that  was more bass and percussion driven, glitchier and sparser, before being passed to Seb for his never less than amazing production.

[podcast]http://www.ayria.com/wp-content/uploads/OLD-Demo-Clip.mp3[/podcast]

I’ll try and come up with more surprises for next week.  There are 2 songs that I know people are specifically waiting for and I’m getting excited to dissect them! This week was a bit crazy for me, having just returned from Montreal but I was glad I could pull this video together in time for today for you guys! ♥ I know the video is brief and doesn’t get into too much detail, so if you want me to answer further questions on the lyrics or concept behind this song, post it here and I’ll reply!

xoxo
Jenn

If you’re a new reader, make sure you check out previous week’s Song Dissections:

1000 Transmissions
Bad List
Invisible
Analog Trash
Suck It Up

19 replies on “Song Dissection #6: Insect Calm”

What a splendid treat, getting to see your great video (how in canada could *you* be camera shy, Jennifer?!) and watching/hearing you sing the raw vocals! I know you hear it all the time, but you have such an incredible voice. You must be a lot of fun to go Christmas caroling with (hehe).

I take this song to be about change, and it kind of sounds like that’s what you’re mentioning when you describe it; a unique and cool way to describe it (the insect transformation). (for some reason I am reminded of Adam Ants’ song “Ants Invasion”).

The song really does capture the insecty sound with the rasps and clicks and so on, very creative and different. Definately my favourite line is “This microcosm is not eternal” – I think on that line a lot, and find it strangely comforting. Brilliant writing, brilliant singing.

Thank you so much again, Ms. Parkin! And thanks for the video and for singing a cappella! =)

Great idea with the video! I hope this will not be the only one! 🙂 Love your raw vocals, and the comments on video are fun 🙂
And quality is good, you don’t have to worry with that 😉

Love the idea of the video, hearing you sing was great too, you really have a phenomenal voice 🙂

This is definitely one of the best songs on Hearts For Bullets imo, was interesting to hear about it. Keep up the great work!

The video was awesome!
Loved hearing the ‘old’ Insect Calm too – makes me wonder what other bits & bobs you have lying around that might one day mature into full tracks.

WOW! Just when I thought it couldn’t get better then a video last week,you make a video just for us! I really like the “skittering” in this song. Gives it a very edgy feel! Thank yooou so much! <3

I love the old Insect Calm track nearly as much as the finished product! I just have to say, I though the raw vocals were not only awesome, but kinda sexy too! Watch out!

Keep the dissections coming, they’re a wonderful insight into your creative drive! 😀

Jenn:

Thank you thank you thank you! That was very extremely superficially awesome! The video is such a treat 🙂

Mucho amor por los capella! You have such an amazing voice. That’s so awesome. I thought it was very cool you got to use microcosm in a lyric. The best lyric though has to be, “I’ve never wanted something so blindly.” That is such a real feeling for me. This song encourages me so much because I am going through a transitional period. Definitely on the soundtrack of my life!

Thank you again for the vocals.<3 Truly amazing.

LOVED the video. You have such an amazing beautiful voice and killer eyes :). Looking foreward to more song dissections (hope for more vids too:) )

Ah very lovely Jenn. 🙂 Speaking of “Jenns,” do you watch the IT crowd? You and she are officially my favorite Jenns. 🙂 lol anyhow. Insect Calm took the longest of all to grow on me. It felt almost too raw to me at first, but then again I was seriously into smoothed over rock & nu-metal at the time, so I guess that’s expected. But now? I love it. The lyrics are great. I find it wonderful when an artist can envelope each spectrum of lyric writing; the fun, the sexy, the intelligent, the profane & the sacred. This song certainly showed that you have a poetic edge about you to say the least. Just really loved learning that someone who creates such fun music is also very well versed and thinks atypical, larger thought chains. 🙂 I was particularly impressed that you used microcosm as well. xD I used “mikrofever” in my song Jupiter last year and felt “oh well, close enough.” I was on a Bartok kick at the time.

Also, the old Insect Calm was very nice. It def had a slight goth vibe. & oh how you got me all excited when you posted that you were getting excited to dissect certain songs! xD Oh and before you dissect it, I must say, “Blue Alice” is a masterpiece. I’ve got plenty comments on that one for you, but I guess I should wait until you post its dissection. 🙂

Wishing you well Jenn! 😛

Oh, I always heard ‘This microcosm is not a turn-on.’ xD The real one makes more sense.

Damn I am in love LOL .. not that it would be hard, your so pretty .. Only time I saw you talk before this is on one of your pre tour intros on Youtube .. I think you have a lovely voice (talking as well as singing) and its nice to hear some one who can actually sing instead of shoving the vocals through an autotuner … Wonder if we can have an Ayria Unplugged at Infest .. more vids like this please 🙂

Thank you for another fantastic blog. Where else could I get this kind of information written in such an incite full way? I have a project that I am just now working on, and I have been looking for such information¡­ Regards¡­

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