From the recording The House in the Woods (lofi remix)
Now for something completely different..! A lofi remix of 'The House in the Woods'. 'Lofi' music uses sounds from the early days of electronic music playback to invoke nostalgia. Some find it relaxing and you'll find copious playlists featuring 'lofi music to study to.'
This is not music to study to necessarily. Rather, I thought of how to put this raga poem into another setting where some listening ears may be more familiar: that is, into a beat-based composition with the familiar crack and thump of the snare and kick. It is also a step towards the hip-hop tradition, where poetry and narrative is presented over a beat.
The remix was created by Blue Glass Productions out of Antigua, WI and myself. Blue Glass did a great job of grasping the concept of raag quickly; all of the melodic elements added (bass and synths) adhere to the melodic structure of Charu Kesi.
This music is an example of how concepts from Indian classical music can be implemented in other artistic forms to enhance the effectiveness of expression and draw in extra-musical elements of association to increase the music's impact.
lyrics
The House in the Woods
released January 25, 2024
Poem and voice - Gordon Korstange
Indian slide guitar - Joel 'Veena' Eisenkramer
Bass, synth and drum programming - Blue Glass Productions
Original track 'The House in the Woods' recorded and mixed by Joel Eisenkramer, Root Cellar Sound and mastered by Tom Hutten, Bionic Mastering
Remixed by Blue Glass Proudctions as 'The House in the Woods (lofi remix)'
license
all rights reserved
Lyrics
It happened again that night
He awoke to find her space empty
in the cool moonlight
and went to the unlocked door
The breadcrumb trail disappeared
into the rustling forest.
At length he slept again and dreamt
of tracing her trail through the trees
calling out her name as he walked,
grinding the bread into the ground.
In the morning she said, "Dreaming again?
My love, you know I will never leave
You know—You know that.”
She touched his cheek
and he did know and he did believe
that everafter they would be happy.
That night while she slept
he went to that unlocked door
and he placed a bowl of stones by the door
that she might not forget
in her haste for the forest.