Where Is My Mind? (Pixies Cover) Lush Instrumental Version

I highly recommend listening to the original if you're not familiar with this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7sGp7Glxis

In full HD 720p, you should be getting stereo sound with Karen's voice panning left and right with the video.

Thanks to my friend, Karen, who owns as much of this project as I do. She added some fantastic electric guitar work layered with several tracks. I had asked her to add the "oooo" part on vocals and she volunteered the electric guitar because she just got a new guitar-to-computer USB setup that I think sounds great. She said she used Garage Band with her new Mac which has some guitar plug-ins for distortion and such.

Karen's Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/RevelingInReverie

I have been feeling somewhat out of sorts lately. For some reason, I put in my DVD of Fight Club. "Where Is My Mind?" plays at the end of the movie and is iconic if not for that reason alone. About a week ago, I took a trip to the grocery store and put "Where Is My Mind?" on repeat on my headphones as I poked around the store getting various bachelor items such as lunch meat and bread.

I'd been unable to focus on any significant music project, so I figured I'd give this song a whirl.

Funny thing about recording like this is neither of us knows what it's going to sound like until everything is combined. We have headphones on that delivers only a partial idea of things.

I created a percussion beat first with samples of bass drum, snare, and hi-hat. Then a simple 4 chord progression on acoustic guitar. I recorded a glockenspiel loop next. (This is my first glockenspiel experiment.) Not bad for a $30 instrument, if you ask me. The piano came next, recorded with MIDI. You will notice that the video of my piano playing doesn't always seem to sync up. This is because I manually quantized everything to strike perfectly on the beat. There were also areas that I just flat out changed notes. There is an artistry in playing improvisation like I did here and then listening to it after the fact and modifying it to sound better. I used a guitar tab as a guide with the chords and the lyrics.

Learning guitar has improved my piano skills tremendously. With guitar tabs showing the chords, I can often times teach myself a melody without sheet music or having to write it down. So I guess the piano is semi-improvised.

I then added Karen's parts to the music.

Some of you might not like the chaos at the end, but I thought it needed to be there. For me, it's a bit reminiscent of Radiohead's "National Anthem" which is one of my favorites of theirs. I think it goes well with the theme of losing your mind, lol.

The video was the most difficult part syncing everything with the music. I think it came together well in the end and I'm rather proud of our work.

And Bubonic Nate, I will pwn you in a flame war if you denigrate our efforts.

Final note on why I think this song is so moving. The chord progression goes: E, C#m, G#, A

What is counterintuitive is the move from C#m to G#. It took forever to train myself to do that switch on piano because it feels so unnatural. My hand wants to play G# minor. Using the major chord I think disrupts your expectations a little. Your ear feels that C# minor chord pulling you down, and the G# major chord snaps you out of it instantly. Very interesting to improvise with because it makes C natural a "safe note" occasionally, and when you throw in the C natural sparingly, it gives it an added dimension.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• where
• is
• my
• mind
• pixies
• fight
• club
• cover
• mind?
• where is my mind
• the pixies
• where is my mind?
• fight club
• palahniuk
• chuck palahniuk

[FixedDrumsGuitar]

Great sounding piece! Can you give me the music for the bells (xylophone) ppart? or can you tell me where you got it? thanks

also, what editing did you use?

[PianoIsTheRemedy]

@FixedDrumsGuitar I played everything by ear! Made it up myself! Try playing notes from each of these chords: E, C#m, G#, A

[ZachPankratz]

I would love to use this in a vid im making. would that be cool?

[PianoIsTheRemedy]

@ZachPankratz Sure! As long as you don't make us look bad. : D

[stuart250]

Superb.  Thanks.

[PianoIsTheRemedy]

You're welcome, Stuart! Thanks for watching!

[HairLikeaPencil]

Very cool idea

[mattthecat81]

how does this not have more views?

[QofLife69]

great cover man.

[FixedDrumsGuitar]

Great sounding piece! Can you give me the music for the bells (xylophone) ppart? or can you tell me where you got it? thanks

[Buffaloeswithwings]

Beautiful synergy. I'm glad someone else is using the xylophone!

[money05music]

deeeeeezz niiiiiiggggggggaaaaaaaazz snaaaapppppppedd!!!!!!!!!!!



[ZachPankratz]

@PianoIsTheRemedy Okay, I'll try XD.