Migraine Remedy
Notes On "Migraine Remedy
(Most Effective with Earplugs; NOT Authorized by Any Authority)"
TRACK DATA
Composition tool: MuseScore 4, Studio One 7.1 Pro
Recording tool (DAW): Studio One 7.1 Pro
Number of tracks: Original Version 29, Acoustic Version 18, Etching Version(Master) 10
Sound sources: Presence XT, Sample One (All built-in sound sources of Studio One), MuseScore built-in sound sources
Composition and recording period: Oct 10 2024 - Feb 15 2025Opus Number: 117
Main tonality: Starts with B (ambiguously) major and gets more ambiguous
Main scale: Ionian from B (ambiguously) and none
Main time signature: 6-4, 4-4, and 5-4
Main tempo: 102 - 110 beats per minute
Concept & Composition: Just to ease my migraine
(TM writes:)
This is a work from Swambient Series, but I didn't think about that while composing it.
In October 2024, I spent a week travelling back and forth between two cities, Nagoya and Kyoto, and my home for work, approximately 300 km (186 miles) and 460 km (286 miles) respectively, both in the same direction. By Friday, I started feeling unwell, and the lingering migraine lasted for about a week. It was during this time that I created this piece. In fact, throughout the process of making this track, I must have listened to each section hundreds of times, and my migraine clearly began to ease. That’s how I came up with the title "Migraine Remedy."
This is purely my personal experience, and I have absolutely no intention of claiming that it can cure anyone’s migraine. The thought led me to add a subtitle, resembling a disclaimer written in extremely tiny letters on a medicine package. Of course, it’s meant to be a joke.
In a way, it can be said that this piece shares a similar intent with our past work, "Spa Music."
But, anyway, what I wrote in MuseScore, the notation software, was far improved by TI's work for sound creation. It's eventually so comfortable that I've taken more than 100 listens even before the release. I'll talk about my composition after TI's text.
Musical etching and 3D mixing
(TI writes:)
The track underwent a complex production process.
First, TM exported a version created in MuseScore as a WAV file, which was then reconstructed using Studio One instrumentation. While this version was easy to listen to, it sounded rough and lacked depth. To improve it, a more elaborate version was created by enhancing the MuseScore timbre with clearer, more vibrant sounds. The Strings section was also restructured into a quartet featuring Cello and Viola. Although this version had its merits, it lacked the simplicity of the original.
To merge the best aspects of both versions, I attempted to extract and combine the best-sounding elements from each. However, the result felt disjointed.
Instead, I took a different approach: rather than selecting individual parts, I played both versions simultaneously. Since the arrangements were identical, they could be layered without discrepancies. This created an intriguing sound that highlighted the strengths of both.
When I asked the TMs to listen to all three versions without explanation and choose the best one, the "simultaneous playback version" was the clear favorite. I decided to make it the official version, but after further listening, I noticed unwanted echoes and instability caused by phase shifts.
Around that time, I came across an explanation of the etching technique at a print exhibition, which inspired me to apply a similar concept to sound production. In etching, a metal plate is coated with an anti-corrosive agent, then scratched with a needle to expose the metal surface. The plate is then immersed in a corrosive solution, creating grooves that hold ink for printing.
Using this idea, I applied slight distortion to the original version to generate overtones while both versions played simultaneously. A dynamic equalizer was then set to respond to these overtones, suppressing specific frequency bands where interference occurred. This allowed both versions to coexist while refining the resonance.
However, applying this processing to sounds with strong attacks, such as rhythm instruments or guitars, caused them to lose their punch and sound harsh. To avoid this, the technique was only applied to reverberant and sustaining elements, such as Strings, synth pads, and reverbs. This required exporting and processing each track individually, carefully selecting and discarding elements as needed—a highly time-consuming process.
This unique sound couldn't be achieved by simply layering two tracks. By generating overtones and controlling interference, conflicting frequencies were naturally carved out, resulting in a distinctive sonic texture.
Additionally, after repeated listening, I noticed some blurring in the sound image. To address this, I finally remixed the track using Dolby Atmos, creating both a planar 360° and a spherical 180° mix. In this version, each element of the two versions was exported separately and positioned in a three-dimensional space.
However, this three-dimensionality may not be fully conveyed through normal speakers or headphones. However, due to the widening of the sound image, the individual sounds should be heard more clearly.
Composition: Deconstruction & rebuilding for my mood
(TM writes again:)
The first section is characterised by the frequent use of perfect fourths and major ninths, along with the deliberate avoidance of both major and minor thirds. There was an original piece with a completely different vibe that inspired this—Assembly by Akiko Yano, which I absolutely love. I deconstructed it, added harmonies that best suited my mood, and then deconstructed it further to create this piece.
Next, the piece takes on a disjointed progression. I specifically wanted it to be non-continuous. The time signature changes frequently, and furthermore, a three-bar pattern develops, along with the evolving time signatures. I haven't heard music like that.
But anyway, this wasn’t so much an experiment as it was an attempt to align with my mood. The rhythm was built later, layering a 4/4 pattern on top. I liked the idea of a rhythm that was independent of the phrases.
The composition didn’t come together in a linear order, but it developed in a way that suited my mood at the time.
I created this pattern in MuseScore that consists of a sequence of seven notes and tried playing it on the viola, and surprisingly, it produced a sound that resembled the effect of portamento. I found this quite delightful.
This brought to mind, albeit in a different way, the soundtrack from the film Arrival. It’s truly a remarkable piece of music, and I had it in mind while working on this. Still, I made a conscious effort to avoid evoking the same sense of anxiety that pervades much of that film.
I wish it could help you feel even better, too.
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