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ARR's interview in Kumudham 18/11/99

Topic started by Kamesh (@ pm-102-199.tm.net.my) on Mon Nov 15 01:42:27 EST 1999.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Read below.

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: kiru (@ surf0004.sybase.com) on: Tue Jul 11 11:50:43 EDT 2000
  
  KSS,
  Thanks for the info. Can I send you an email ?
  
  
• From: rajaG (@ daecfp02.sprint.com) on: Tue Jul 11 12:25:15 EDT 2000
  
  Geetha:
  
  Since you volunteered to be the "eyes and ears" of Rehman (as far as this DF is concerned), I am making this special request to you. Would it be possible for you to get a response (verbal response to you relayed to us will do fine) regarding the concerns about "non-live" live shows by many music groups including ARR's shows in Dubai and Malaysia (please see ARR's new releases thread for details). It will be good for him to justify/clarify so the general public can be aware of what is really going on. Would like to see your (relayed) response on this subject. Thanks for your initiative.
  
  
  
• From: Geetha (@ host-146.gw-int.com) on: Wed Jul 12 13:34:40 EDT 2000
  
  RajaG: Well, basically, from speaking with him and his Sound Engineer Sivakumar, who sneered at Talvin Singh's Track performance(Talvin had a replica Tabla, which he massaged in a way that one cannot imagine a sound coming out of it, of course this is the case, as it was programmed), I found out that all the instrumentalists are on standby to play, but the track is used. Only singers sing live. I know for a fact though that A.Sivamani played live, on top of the track at the Dubai concert. What happens is that there is no way that the music can be reproduced to sound authentic, simply because of the layering, however, I have back stage footage of Dubai and Munich and they actually practice everything without the track, as, if there is any glitch on the track, it will be covered by the live players!!!!! Touch wood, this has not happened.
  
  I have seen many others perform these days, no one, aspecially in the Western Pop world actually plays and they rarely sing too. This is somethign you all must know anyway. In the case of ARR, this perfection from practice makes it go off very well, however, when Deva's Son Srikanth played in London, he messed up the programming so badly, that it showed up. The singers timing also should be perfect. In the case of Srikanth's show, Harini verbally put the mike off at the end of Nila Kayhiradhu and said 'Rendu Shruthiyum Sariyillai' because he gave her the wrongly programmed one first and then was unable to correct it. She proceeded to sing without a keyboard backing. In the case of ARR's orchestra, everyone knows exactly what the backup plan is......
  
  I can only say that in old shows of GA/IR, the music was of a quality that could be reproduced easily on stage, ask anyone in a band and they'll tell you this, whereas these days, a lot of it is loop based and sequencing tracks is the only way of preserving richness.
  
  
• From: rajaG (@ 208.24.179.211) on: Wed Jul 12 14:37:14 EDT 2000
  
  Geetha: Thank you very much for your timely response. For a couple of days my reputation and those of my 'ears' and my 'peers' were on the line:-). As a musician, I can relate to sequencing layer tracks for "thee thee thiththikkum thee", or chillallava. But 'nila kaaigiradhu' with only thambooraa and mridhangam (or mridhangam thabla)....hmmm....I don't know!
  
  Should the audience receive a 'fully original' track music, or 'fantastic live BUT less than original will always be a judgement call. Having not done a show of ARR's magnitude, I cannot be decided on one or other. (Hopefully someday:-)))
  
  Normally, I try to have a judicious mix of live and sequenced numbers so that the audience gets a good idea of the talents of the people on stage (or absence thereof).
  
  Incidentally, SPB performed live with Naveen and Sivamani (and some others) and the ARR numbers (ennai kaaNa villaiyE nEtrOdu, kaadhal rOjaavEy, vENNilavEy veNNilavEy, mukkaala mukkaabla) sounded pretty close to original.
  
  DFers: Thanks for allowing this digression to this thread.Hopefully this topic has come to its natural ending.
  
  Geetha: Thanks again, and please convey our/my wishes to ARR for continued success.
  
  
• From: CF (@ 208.49.174.9) on: Wed Jul 12 15:01:16 EDT 2000
  
  G, continued success-ku appuram smiley engE? (if you are referring to his stage programs). :)))
  
  
• From: Naveen (@ proxy2o.dpn.deere.com) on: Wed Jul 12 15:23:34 EDT 2000
  
  Geetha,
  I'm just curious to know how the musicians have understanding to start the pre programmed track after introduction. For example in 'Nilaa kaaygiradhu' song it starts with a humming & then the song. Are they synchronized properly? or did you notice any slight lag here and there, when the singer was trying to get into the right tempo?
  you have provided a real good info for this forum. continue writing...
  
  Naveen
  
  
• From: Srinath (@ 205.252.37.3) on: Wed Jul 12 16:11:28 EDT 2000
  
  I can only say that in old shows of GA/IR, the music was of a quality that could be reproduced easily on stage, ask anyone in a band and they'll tell you this, whereas these days, a lot of it is loop based and sequencing tracks is the only way of preserving richness.
  
  Geetha, if this can include ex-band members, I'll have to tell you that it is simply not true ! The music was of a *nature* that could mostly be reproduced by conventional musical instruments. But if every 'band' could play the original, we would have all played for GA/IR. Your statement is as much a slur on GA and IR as it is on top-class musicians like ARR !
  
  
• From: Naveen (@ proxy2o.dpn.deere.com) on: Wed Jul 12 16:37:03 EDT 2000
  
  Srinath,
  
  The number of layers used in ARR's songs are more compared to IRs. Our guys will s c r e w up the tune if they play all the tracks live. In such case, the orchestra needs atleast 6 months practise for a live show.
  
  Naveen
  
  
• From: MS (@ 129.252.22.9) on: Wed Jul 12 16:41:36 EDT 2000
  
  Naveen, can you explain what a layer means ? thx.
  
  
• From: rajaG (@ 208.24.179.211) on: Wed Jul 12 16:49:17 EDT 2000
  
  MS: I can tell you this much - layering has got nothing to do with "laid":-) If your curiosity is still active, after this knowledge Naveen can continue, illainaa nee "vEra" sites kku pOgalaam!:-)))
  
  
• From: MS (@ 129.252.22.9) on: Wed Jul 12 16:55:26 EDT 2000
  
  G:
  
  I am in newtfmpage.COM and I know it :-)
  
  
• From: Naveen (@ proxy2o.dpn.deere.com) on: Wed Jul 12 16:56:25 EDT 2000
  
  MS & RajaG sir,
  
  I'm talking about the number of instruments & richness in harmony. It looks like an Artist enhancing his painting. With the help of computers, ARR can enhance the song in a relaxed way. He has already mentioned in an interview that he first record the song and then add intruments one by one. Looks like sometimes ARR gets new ideas after releasing the album :)
  Usually this reflects in his next Hindi song.
  
  Naveen.
  
  
• From: rajaG (@ 208.24.179.211) on: Wed Jul 12 16:59:23 EDT 2000
  
  Naveen: I was just kidding MS:-) Thanks for your info. I had a general idea but your clarification is lucid.
  
  
• From: Naveen (@ proxy2o.dpn.deere.com) on: Wed Jul 12 17:14:58 EDT 2000
  
  RajaG,
  
  :) I know MS & you are good musicians.
  
  
  
  
• From: Srikanth (@ 216.190.255.35) on: Wed Jul 12 17:30:30 EDT 2000
  
  
  Geetha,
  I am bigger arr fan than you (Srinath will vouch for me here)
  
  I feel saying scores during ir/ga period was not complicated is an understatement.
  I sounded to me like insulting musicians Or I might have misunderstood you point
  Infact, Naveen (few postings above) or VK can play 1/64 of notes as good as a sequencer.
  
  Basically as a fan
  I come to see live music by A.R.Rahman along with Siva mani, hey! If they are going to record and play the original tracks, I would rather sit and hear/watach a CD/ Video, (it will also save me my ice cream, pop corn expenses apart from the ticket cost),
  
  I pay to see them control these instruments. I like to see the difference between a simple keyboard player like me and Arr,
  I like to see his experience on the keys, how he handles the live scores,
  There is lot of difference between a keyboard player and a normal fan observing a keyboard player perform in full swing.
  I tell you I have toyed the keyboards for 15yrs now, my most complicated/interesting piece till date is good old “vasantha mullai pole”., the simple reason they are solo pieces, your mistakes are identified by the person sitting the last row,
  
  Hope you agree with me here.
  
  Agreed Arr uses lot of sound textures and layers, it is not easy for him in a live show to get the same quality as original, so most scores are played from original tracks.
  
  Also the time factor, they are professional musicians.
  They don’t have the time to practice so they might prefer to sequence in order to maintain the musical “image”
  
  While in layering you will not know who is playing /acting J,
  Sounds come out from various keyboards/modules/DAT players, No one (audience) knows who is playing what, If at all someone fails (failure rate when top class musicians play is about 1%), then shift to plan B or C (just play the CD thru the pa system),
  
  IMHO: Playing the “scores” for new songs live is somewhat easy.
  The problems starts with the sounds, you need to have those sounds/patches/loops ARR used, that’s is really complicated/Expensive. At times if it a private sample of ARR, we cannot get it anywhere. To get the exact sound what ARR used is not easy.
  If Arr has used Korg trinity or the new triton, still I get the keyboards but cannot get/ and find the sound he used. It is so much open these days.
  
  During IR days he just used (rather exploited) the available sounds to him.
  So on stage, I can get the same DX7/korg m1 keyboard and use the same sound raja picked for his score. Raja did not create any new sounds/loops of his own, that is the reason many call him a composer.
  
  
  Geetha, hope you agree with me here. Thanks for making it interesting.
  
  
  Finally, Srinath, you have replied after 4hrs, hey! hey! someone is turning old. :)
  
  
• From: Sabesan (@ ws-209-233-228-254.webvangroup.com) on: Wed Jul 12 19:03:45 EDT 2000
  
  dhodaaaaa..... thoongikittu irundavangaaa ellam suddenaaa ezhundiruchitanga :-)
  
  
• From: chandy (@ ws025038.coba.siu.edu) on: Wed Jul 12 19:32:09 EDT 2000
  
  Basically as a fan I come to see live music by A.R.Rahman along with Siva mani
  
  You can only see them live, not see them perform live
  
  chandy
  
  
• From: rajaG (@ kcecfp02.sprint.com) on: Wed Jul 12 19:47:53 EDT 2000
  
  What was I thinking when I said this -
  Hopefully this topic has come to its natural ending.
  
  I should have said "Hopefully this topic has come to its natural beginning.:-)
  
  

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