Ben Janik's Demos

Composition #2

Ben Janik — Thu, 21 May 2009 20:55:00 -0500

I don’t have a good name for this one. It’s some 12-tone row techno, vaguely influenced by Arnold Shoenberg’s serial music. It’s the second complete MIDI sequenced art-techno piece I’ve written. There is also some Broken Social Scene sampled in there.

File Download (4:11 min / 9 MB)

Black Orpheus

Ben Janik — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:33:00 -0500

A fun arrangement, the highlight being the metrical modulation for the drum solo and head out. We made the triplet become the new quarter note, and if my math is correct, that means it becomes 50% faster. Recorded live at Java 101.

File Download (7:11 min / 10 MB)

Meddling

Ben Janik — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:25:00 -0500

Another original tune. This song is in 5/4 time, based in the lydian mode, and features my love of quartal harmony. Recorded at Java 101.

File Download (4:52 min / 7 MB)

Unequivocal

Ben Janik — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:25:00 -0600

My first recorded original tune. This song is based on different melodic minor sounds. I really like every section of this tune, and everyone plays really well on this track – which was our first take and our first time playing through the whole song.

File Download (6:50 min / 6 MB)

Solid

Ben Janik — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:18:00 -0600

This recording is of my first arrangement, most of which was abandoned. Solid is one of my favorite blues tunes, and is the title track of my favorite Grant Green album.

File Download (6:54 min / 10 MB)

La Fiesta

Ben Janik — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:14:00 -0600

This song is by Chick Corea, originally played by Return to Forever on their self-titled album. This recording is by a group I played and recorded with in high school called Nexus, on the album Afterwards. A simple but very fun song!

File Download (7:10 min / 12 MB)

Cisco

Ben Janik — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:27:00 -0600

Here is my arrangement of Pat Martino’s Cisco, a swinging 24 bar blues. I harmonized the first chorus of his solo for the saxophone soli. We didn’t quite record it up to the tempo I wanted to, but I’m sure that next time it will be burning.

File Download (3:45 min / 3 MB)

How High The Moon

Ben Janik — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:22:00 -0600

This is my first arrangement that I actually spent some time on. I had to write out by hand every note that everyone played, which was an incredibly tedious process that made my hand cramp up repeatedly. This track isn’t especially swinging, but I like it. It has a cool sound I think.

File Download (4:16 min / 6 MB)