MUSIC FROM A CAR (Alessandro Camnasio)

The basic idea for this project was to play a car as a sort of musical instrument. I started by placing some microphones inside and around the car, then recorded all the tracks on a Cubase system. All the sounds come just from playing the car, by patting on the windows, punching the bumper, rubbing parts made of fabric or plastic, giving fuel, playing rhythms on the wings, the roof, and so on. No samplers or synthesizers have been used to create or modify the sounds.

http://www.musicfromacar.com

Sources of inspiration:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luigi_Russolo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Found_object

Category:

Music

Tags:

• car music
• music from a car
• beatbox
• stomp
• music
• sound design
• experimental music
• car
• song
• unusual percussion
• music from the car
• beat
• drummer
• percussion
• live
• performance
• incredible
• drumming
• drums

[aikighost]

Sounds really good, but noting everyone hasn't seen on 2 or 3 different car adverts already.

[AlexCamnasio]

@aikighost Thanks! Yes, I knew about a couple of adverts where cars were used just for the sounds they usually produce (horn, screenwipers, lights, etc.) or disassembled to re-build traditional musical instruments (gongs, harp, cello, etc.) with their pieces. Here I'm trying something slightly different: exploring how the car sounds when you interact with it in search of other sounds also. I was asking myself "how this is going to sound if I hit it in this way?", "what if I scrape this?", etc.

[AlexCamnasio]

Hi guys, thanks for your comments! Glad you like it!

[Jochen1992]

awesome!

[throbule]

Vey good indeed - this has now been released by Viruasonic in Kontakt form.

[MajkiTu]

Sounds great! :D

[loggginj]

Geniale!

[darylross]

MITICA PUNTO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;P

[Lawgirlt]

Noisiest directional indicator stick ever!

[xutianyangkevin]

This should be the new theme in Halo 4 when your on a warthog.

[AlexCamnasio]

@tmghunt Thanks! I've used Rode NT5, AKG d112 (for the bumper) and Earthworks QTC 40. The trick is to record in a quite environment and place the mics close to the source. I've also used some gate and expander effects to attenuate the unwanted noise.

[aikighost]

@AlexCamnasio I did a similar sample back a couple of years ago using several hundred "found sounds" which I then cut up and made into loops for use as backing for minimal electronica. It can be found by searching for "Abstract Percussion" and its pretty damn good if I do say so myself :)