What Makes Gleam Great? - Microtonal Music Analysis

Harmony Hacker by Sevish is a memorable microtonal album from 2017 full of that extraordinary dance music for which Sevish is known. With over 500k views on KZbin, Gleam is perhaps the most famous song from that album featuring R&B style chord progressions in 22-tone equal temperament and a 5/4 beat that gets your head bobbing. In this video we'll go through the song one xenharmonic idea at a time. (Remember to turn on cc for subtitles if my accent makes it hard to follow.)
Gleam on KZbin: • Sevish - Gleam (22-ton...
Harmony Hacker on Bandcamp: sevish.bandcam...
Sevish's channel: / @sevish
Support me on Patreon: / frostburn
My music on SoundCloud: / frostburn

[@oscargill423]

It's finally happening. Sevish is being analysed. This is a happy time.

[@stephenweigel]

You're gonna love next year then

[@stephenweigel]

This analysis is fantastic - hope this gets a lot a lot of views, it deserves just as much as listening in, or leon waves, or any of that other stuff

[@AARVMUSIC]

This is probably the most complex music analysis I've seen on KZbin. The amount of work it has is insane. Bravo!

[@lumi-musictheory3476]

Thank You! I worked very hard on this.

[@PrestusHood]

Cant believe KZbin recommended this gem to me with only 150 views, great analysis

[@elijahberegovsky8957]

I’m speechless! One of my all time favourite songs transcribed and analyzed into unconsciousness. I never thought this day would come. Great work, keep it up!

[@egilsandnes9637]

Gleam is unironically one of my favourite pieces of music. So happy to hear your analysis! 😊

[@nickvuci]

I thought this was going to be good….it’s amazing!! Great job 👏

[@tommyfryer5283]

Lovely stuff, so good to see a deep dive into a song I’ve listened to loads! I think I found the piano roll the most intuitive way to visualise what’s going on (a lot of it was still over my head). I really hope this niche takes off, I reckon it’s got legs too.

[@HearBetweenTheLines]

Awesome work!

[@lumi-musictheory3476]

Thank you! Your videos are also great!

[@05degrees]

!!!!111 😳 Won’t say I understood a half of the analysis but it gave a lot of insight even to me un-theoretical person.

[@elijahberegovsky8957]

The algorithm has shown this to me again, and once again it made my day 😊 Love this song, and this analysis is great!

[@TheDominator]

this is just incredible

[@SlashCampable]

I love Gleam so much, this video is perfect for me. Thank you so much for the breakdown.

[@quartertoneharmony7100]

What great analysis!

[@itgtrumpet14]

Great video! I had found this song a little while back and it popped up in my playlist today. I always love an analysis video! Keep up the great work :)

[@markfdesimone]

This was wonderful! There's so much goodness to be had.

[@cubicinfinity2]

It took a long time to find the music I like.

[@nepdep1945]

This is my first time ever seeing 22EDO music theory. I'm stoked; is there a software where I can make xenharmonic music?

[@lumi-musictheory3476]

Sevish and I use Bitwig. I'm also working on a web based tracker: lumipakkanen.com/tracker/

[@phlubblebubble]

I use FL Studio and a handful of synths. One approach I like to use is to take two standard guitars, insert some sort of object under the strings so that the octave is at the 11th fret, then tune the A string to the 5th fret of the E string, D to the 4th fret of A, G to the 5th of D, B to the 4th of G, and E to the 4th fret of B. On the other guitar, do the same thing, only tune it 1\22 higher so that when you put them together, you approximate the full 22 tone scale. For my "false bridge" I use a #2 pencil sitting on my pickup (you may need something thicker for an acoustic). The reason I say "approximate" is because the fret placement isn't perfect, so in the middle of the 11 tone chromatic scale the notes are slightly sharp, but it's totally workable.

[@Wegnerrobert2]

Please do Droplets next!

[@lumi-musictheory3476]

I'd love to! I'll see what I can do.

[@ArmoksHolyBeard]

Excellent work!

[@degan191]

Can't wait 🤩

[@Tianalado]

A quienes comparten el conocimiento les estoy eternamente agradecido

[@lumi-musictheory3476]

¡Gracias! ¡Me alegra que te haya gustado! (via Google Translate)

[@williamroe8905]

5:21 Sevish actually made a video about it -- I believe the technique is called 'variplaning'?

[@Munggoon]

Finally a decent analysis!

[@Munggoon]

The algorithm brought me here after 2 years

[@saulvillarados312]

WOW, we need more of this man, btw, do you have the original midi? , I'd love to have a copy

[@lumi-musictheory3476]

I do, but you'd better ask for it from Sevish directly. You can find us on Discord: sevish.com/discord

[@HugoMartinez-jp4il]

Wonderful keep it up 🎉

[@nowandxenpodcast]

Best video

[@LorxusIsAFox]

I've been trying to find this with no success - what's a superpyth cycle?

[@lumi-musictheory3476]

It will take couple of videos to properly explain, but briefly. By saying "superpyth cycle" I'm referring to a chord progression that would drift in pitch by 20480/19683 (the 5-limit superpyth comma) if played in just intonation, but is tempered out in the current tuning. If you break up the comma into powers of two, three and five and substitute the corresponding numbers of edo steps they create a unison (0 edo steps total) in 22edo. The graphics quickly show how this drift happens on the 5-limit lattice (topic for another upcoming video).

[@DrTacoPHD665]

How have I never seen this video before

[@slowmutant8]

The musical analysis was excellent, but I'm left with one question after watching: What makes Gleam great? Given the title of the video, I expected some discussion of what makes the song great (not just a description of what happens in the song).

[@lumi-musictheory3476]

As a theory nerd I find things happening in the song reason enough to consider Gleam a great song. What other aspects of "greatness" should we consider? Why is Gleam popular: Adam Neely plugged Sevish in one of his videos and Gleam was in the channel spotlight at that time. Why do people enjoy listening to Gleam: I think it has to do with the blend of mainstream and niche ideas that make the song approachable yet still very surprising. Going deeper into the ideas that influenced Sevish to make Gleam would make an interesting video, but I'm probably not sufficiently well versed in music trivia for that type of analysis.

[@slowmutant8]

@@lumi-musictheory3476 Gotcha. Again, your analysis was excellent. I started listening to Gleam a few weeks ago and I was curious what makes it so enjoyable. I don't usually listen to this style of music at all.

[@lumi-musictheory3476]

@@slowmutant8 I've listened plenty of this type of music in 12-tone equal temperament so for me the enjoyment comes from familiarity with the style in combination with the novelty of the tuning. Although 22-tone equal temperament is starting to become familiar as well these days...

[@slowmutant8]

@@lumi-musictheory3476 Interesting. It's funny how one can get used to the different sounds. It's funny, I've been listening to a lot of microtonal music lately and I've actually found myself paying more attention to how out-of-tune "normal" 12tet music can be. Anyway, I almost never listen to anything with digital/electronic beats. That's why I was surprised by how hooked I was on Gleam. I listened to it probably 20 times in one week :)

[@vincentcornejo3759]

This is very educational so kudos for that. Unfortunately the groove does not give me any feeling. There is a brief ambient interlude that invokes something. Does anyone else feel anything while listening to the song.

[@gavind3012]

Is there any place where I can get the score?

[@lumi-musictheory3476]

You can buy access to this post: www.patreon.com/posts/61024186

[@thelambdafunction]

Sad that the percussions have been left out

[@jadencoles380]

Where are the drums?

[@GizzyDillespee]

I have to turn the volume way down because of the extremely processed vocal sound. Whe. The voice is low enough to be bearable, I can barely hear the details of the music. Please consider re-uploading this with a much different mix. I would love to watch this vid, but I just can't in this state.

[@HEHEHEIAMASUPAHSTARSAGA]

I think the video was mixed very well.

[@microtonalmilio5233]

There might be a problem with your speakers/headphones. Sounds great through iPhone 11, monitors, headphones etc.

[@lumi-musictheory3476]

I did do some vocal processing that I wasn't fully confident with. I'll do more research into mixing for the next video. Thank you for the feedback!

[@thereiffodyssey2000]

Having a background in audio engineering myself, I’m watching this video on my phone and it sounds fine. Adam, could it possibly be an issue with your monitoring system?

[@qondonyon]

what

[@Pakanahymni]

Kommentti algoritmin takia. Oon ettiny mikrohommia nyt monta viikkoa ja tänään ekaa kertaa törmäsin sun kanavaan.

[@jadencoles380]

GOSPEL All of us are evil and deserve to go to hell If you have lied once, stolen a small thing, taken the lords name in vain(OMG), looked at someone sexually, you are worthy of going to hell! Here is the good news Jesus Christ paid the fine by dying on the cross so that all we have to do to get to heaven is confess plus turn away from our sins and to put all of our trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation!

[@Whatismusic123]

Ok but this assumes that "Gleam is great" when it clearly isn't.

[@rysea9855]

It is

[@egilsandnes9637]

We are a big bunch of people that begs to differ. Gleam is amazing! I believe equal temperament microtonal music is still in it's early development, and has a huge potensial. It's not easy though.

[@Whatismusic123]

@@egilsandnes9637 no, literally everyone in the microtonal music scene is terribly educated through a cult, and has a complete lack of understanding of how microtonality is different from 12 TET You aren't going to find anything microtonal that's even remotely competent in the next 50 or so years, maybe longer. Just like there hasn't been even a single remotely competent piece of classical music composed in the past 80 or so years.

[@egilsandnes9637]

@@Whatismusic123 Why not just admit that you are old and grumpy? I know I'm old and grumpy, and most of the pop music from the last 10 years is not my cup of tea now matter how hard I try. That doesn't mean it's bad. There are plenty of musicians and composers doing all kinds of genres, even baroque music. Claiming that nobody has made any "remotely competent" "classical music" in the last 80 years is rediculous. Define classical music. Also, realize that music experiences are subjective. I love baroque music, be it mirror fugues, symphonies and other styles. I love jazz. I love metal. I love songs by singer songwriters of different kinds. I love all the kinds of techniques you probably find "superb" in classical music. They work. But you are wrong in thinking they are not used today, and you are wrong in thinking they are the scale upon wich you can measure the quality of music for the rest of us.

[@Whatismusic123]

@@egilsandnes9637 yeah, and you love sh*t. There are plenty other poo eaters around. Doesn't make poo a great form of nutrition.

[@choimdachoim9491]

When music becomes excessively cerebral, it becomes boring. I don't see any emotion in this piece.

[@ragdollinballin]

i see a different beauty in technical and "cerebral" music. i can hear the pure love of this music the artist has just radiating off of it! i feel a lot of emotion in this piece, and its alright that you dont, because we are different people

[@hipsnowsis7374]

perhaps I'm being pedantic, but what on earth does 'cerebral' even mean in this sense?

[@choimdachoim9491]

@@hipsnowsis7374 The way I'm using that word is excessive thinking instead of a natural, emotional, nonthinking manner of playing or producing music. I'm going to go and see what the video was about to see if I need to edit this response. Okay, I'm back: 5 1/2 minutes is all I could take of that video this time. I gave it a thumbs up when I originally watched it because the technical side of composing is complicated and this analysis was well done. I approved of that effort. But, I went to college for 5 years as a Music Composer Major and since I left at the age of 27 I have spent the last 49 years deliberately forgetting all that I was taught. I found the best music comes from me when I'm in the mood and just play, record and edit. I only care about the sounds, the rhythms, the images and feeling that the music evokes. I don't want to be a knowledgeable composer just as I don't want to be an accomplished instrumentalist. I just want to play and listen. Too much thinking changes all that. Great music comes from knowledgeable composers. Classical music is full of great calculated efforts. I approve of planned or thought-out music but some of it gets too empty somehow...more skill and knowledge than music somehow. That's all. Not important. No disrespect meant toward anyone or any effort. We all like what we like.

[@hipsnowsis7374]

@@choimdachoim9491 I think you're creating a dichotomy that doesnt exist. I'm just coming to the end of a degree in which I'm majoring in music. Knowledge of systems is certainly necessary to achieve certain effects, and the complexity of those techniques and effects varies with style, but at the end of the day the pursuit of understanding complex systems is not for the sake of demonstrating complexity (unless you're Jacob Collier I guess). In my opinion, these systems, when well-understood and/or well-utilised, become a constituent part of a varied musical palette. You are right that calculated efforts alone do not hold artistic meaning, but the calculated efforts form part of the whole work, which does have such meaning. The classical tradition is a perfect example of this. Western classical music refined and honed its rules and techniques up until a breaking point around 1900, where the functional limit of those techniques had been reached, and that's what lead to the splintering of postclassical music. Understanding and refining your palette is an important part of composition.

[@girlgaming1993]

Personally, music isnt interesting because the composer made it a certain way. To me, music is only interesting if it makes ME feel a certain way. Doesnt really matter to me who made it or why a crazy amount, maybe a tiny bit