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Reese Massey 4.18.14 Deconstruction “Angst Angeles” By MC Prefyx and Astronaut

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2. Beginning (0-1:20): The song begins with rhythmic breathing and is then joined by a crashing sound that turns into a high pitched staccato shaker that resembles a ticking clock. Next there is a slow, muted bass sound along with a sporadic combination of clicking sounds and a digital sound effect. Added to this combination of sounds is a siren sound that slowly raises in pitch and gives way to a reverberated keyboard melody that simultaneously begins with low pitched rapping.

Middle (1:20- 2:33): The rapping ends and is replaced with a sequence of rapid scratching and the siren sound effect. Next, the scratching, shaker, bass drum, clicking, and digital sounds all stop so that all that is left is the breathing, keyboard melody, and a lower consistent version of the siren. At this point the rapping starts low again but gradually gets louder and rises in pitch, along with the siren, as the other instruments begin to play again. After this sequence the rapping is low again and an up-tempo drumbeat is added. The rapping begins to get faster and higher in pitch while the siren starts up again an octave higher.

End (2:33- 3:37): The rapping stops and is again replaced with rapid record scratching. Meanwhile, the now very high-pitched siren fades out. Then, as an echo effect is added to scratching, the siren comes back in an even higher octave. This all suddenly stops with a crashing sound and all that is left is the breathing, bass drum, shaker, and a slow rhythmic clapping beat. These are combined with low monotone rapping. The song gradually starts to slow down until the rapping finishes and all that is left is the breathing, bass drum, shaker, and a digital sound effect that resembles insects or cicadas. Finally, everything fades out except for the breathing and that continues for a few seconds until it ends on an inhale.

3. When there is a low energy level, the sounds are mostly low in pitch, uniformly rhythmic, and little to no building of tension. There are also only a few instruments being played. As the number and pitch of the instruments or sounds rises, so does the energy level. There also seems to be more sporadic, or unpredictable, as the energy goes up.

4. a) Keyboard Melody (mid range) - This sound has a sort of reverb effect on it so that it has an echo. This makes the different notes overlap so that when the note changes, the previous note lingers and is still heard underneath the new note. The sequence consists of three notes that repeat in pitch order, starting with the lowest and ending with the highest pitch. This could represent how all of our actions have very real repercussions that linger on and affect both the future of the earth and the human race. b) Cicada Sound Effect (high range) - This sound is only present toward the end of the song when it starts to become calm and slow down. While is resembles the sounds of insects in a rainforest, with its high-pitched buzzing, it is very clearly not an organic sound and is instead a digital creation. It fades out of the song by gradually decreasing in pitch. This effect could be representative of the fact that the human race has done immense damage to the planet and that we are to the point where and many of our organic resources have been destroyed and our only solution is to try to imitate and even replace parts of nature with technology. c) Bass Drum (low range) - The bass drum is present for most of the song and provides a consistent source of . Each hit lasts for about the length of a quarter note and there is one hit every measure, or every four beats. While this sound is that of a drum and is meant to keep rhythm, it does have a pitch that slightly decreases once the drum is hit.

5. The overall mood of the song conveys a sense of tension, angst, intensity, stress, and a need for action. The energy of the song reflects this in its many different levels and changes. For instance, the first part of the song has a low energy level that shows the underlying tension. In the next part of the song, the energy gradually rises to convey the rising intensity and angst. Finally, the high-energy climax of the song portrays the feeling of the need for action.