Why Does my Heart Feel so Bad? -Moby

Why Does my Heart Feel so Bad? -Moby

1. Context

   • Composer
     • Moby (Richard Melville Hall)
     • Born 1965 in Harlem
     • Is an American DJ, singer, song-writer and musician
     • Plays keyboard, guitar, bass and drums
     • Music roots in his ethical and moral attitudes
     • Vegan and Christian
   • Setwork
     • Built around 2 vocal samples taken from gospel recordings
     • Wanted a "raw, authentic" sound
     • Left bg sounds in
     • Music relies on technology he left the bgs in to aim for a human element
     • Popular due to its interesting samples
     • has catchy chords and melodies
     • Example of ELECTRONICA
     • Electronica
       • Roots in club dance music
       • Sampling and sequencing electronic instruments
       • Simple Harmonies
       • Use of effects. E.g. delays, reverb, panning and EQ

2. Musical Features

   • Time Signature
     • 4/4
   • Tonality
     • Both vocal samples are in the key of A major but Moby harmonies
       • the first to make it feel like A major and the second to make it fell like C major
     • The intro and verse begin in A minor though the tonality is slightly more ambigous
   • Rhythm
     • "Hip-Hop" drum LOOP used throughout
       • Also called a backbeat
     • Piano accompaniment (sometimes static) changes to a syncopated rhythm in vs.1
   • Dynamics
     • Dynamics begin p and increase in relation to the texture through the song
   • Pitch & Melody
     • The piano provides an accompaniment
       • to the vocals with a synth pad doubling some noes also play melody in places
     • Elements of call and response between piano and vocals present
   • Texture
     • Varies During Song
     • Instruments come in and out to provide TEXTURAL CONTRAST
     • Synthed bass and string parts are added in verse 2 to fill out the texture
     • The texture in the outro is reduced to just one vocal sample
       • accompanied by synth pad playing static chords
     • Echos and Shouts are added in the Chorus
     • Telephone EQ added to echo in verse 2
     • A complete Textural Contrast is achieved in the break when all heard are the dying repeats of the Delay effect
       • on the EQed vocal echo, a quiet delay repeat of the snare (from the drum LOOP) and the tailing off of the Reverb applied to other parts
   • Harmony
     • Based around three chord squences made from 6 chords
       • CS1 - Am, Am, Em, Em, G, G, D, D
       • CS2 - C, C, Am, Am, C, C, Am, Am
       • CS3 - F, F, C, C, F, F, C, C
     • Sus2 and Sus4 chords used replacing the third of the chord with the 2nd or 4th for richer harmonic sound
   • Form & Structure
     • Intro, V1, Chorus, V2, Break, Chorus, Outro