Brian - Brian

Brian Tessler is an artist most known for his "Cool 3D World" funny/disturbing CG videos. What's less known is that he's actually a proper musician who's majored in composition. His music is not to be underestimated, and in fact, it's what breathes life into his animated movies and creates the unsettling mood. "Brian" is his first release, and it's deeply impressive.

Track Highlights

There's hardly a track that did not make an impression on me.

• "Begin": and so the journey begins, in a misleading quasi-bossa-nova groove! Everything about this composition is complex. The chords quickly change, modulating between different scales (would love to see the music notation, it's probably threatening). Here and there, the time signature becomes odd, and the music skips unexpectedly, eventually stabilizing at 7/4. But this complexity is not overwhelming if you just listen, instead of trying to analyze -- in fact, "Begin" feels light and atmospheric, refreshing and psychedelic. It stimulates the brain to experience awe. It's like witnessing the 5th dimension for the first time. Murph! Bonus points for writing a huge chunk of this piece in Locrian mode, and doing so in good taste (Locrian is the bogeyman of the musical modes, due to its unstable nature).
• "To the Shore": this track features synthesized voices that sound almost like a boys choir. They are artificial enough to cause an uncanny impression. I'm really digging the bass groove that kicks in after the intro. Next, a simulated soprano vocal makes an appearance, which beautifully resolves the tension developed by the background chords. Just when you think the song is over, a second act arises. It's sort of a rhythmic bridge that leads to the glorious -- rich in pleasing harmonies -- finale. 
• "Emerge": a short haunting tune that sounds like the epilogue of a horror movie. Whatever was, isn't anymore. A new day emerges.
• "Land Song": this piece sounds like an aria. I dislike opera, because of the singing and language. Brian has the perfect solution to my problem -- synthesized soprano voice! "Land Song" is simple, sweet and delightful. 
• "These Are the Things We Do": enter the cursed amusement park! Look around -- there are creepy clowns welcoming you! This track makes my skin crawl. The chords are dissonant and the background synths glide up and down like an alarm signal. But as jarring as it is, this piece sounds more mischievous, than terrifying. These are the sinister things we do! The choice of instruments, the arpeggios, and the repetitiveness, contribute to this playful mood. One other thing that makes this track immediately stand out is the 432 Hz tuning (in contrast to the standard 440 Hz). Try playing along with a piano and you'll hear what I mean.  
• "Here/There": this one sounds like a lullaby to me, even though the sound effects during the intro "chirp" like birds. The main refrain is catchy and the virtual voice sounds like a grandmother putting a baby to sleep (hopefully not eternal). Wonderful chord progressions, as usual.
  
• "Time To Go": the second act sounds introspective and meditative, with good use of modal interchange. 
• "When I am laid in earth": great rendition of Dido's Lament (written by Henry Purcell). Still not as good as Klaus Nomi's version.

Behind The Music

The first time I saw and heard something like Brian's "Cool 3D World" was in 2012, when I stumbled upon a video by YouTube user madcatlady. The movie is called "Meow meow I am a cat" and features a very similar aesthetic with uncanny 3D models and odd music with synthetic singing voices. Not sure if this was one of Brian's influences, but he has shared in an interview that, musically, he's mostly into 20th century classical works. He mentioned three of his favorite composers: Francis Poulenc, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Sergei Prokofiev. I tried giving them a listen, but my intolerance for classical instruments and dynamics is just too severe -- I couldn't last more than 30 seconds. Good thing there are people like Tessler who can translate this level of musicality into an acceptable medium for us, laypeople.

Rating: 9/10 polygons

Is this supposed to be the low-poly version of classical music? Either way, I love it... way more than I should? Hop in! "Brian" is a crazy ride.