The Sound of Things is a collection of 12 contemporary tone poems about life in the 21st century, followed by a symphonic reconstruction of the original 12 pieces into 4 movements.
Composer/saxophonist Kevin Pike explores themes of technology, nature and the human experience by combining traditional instruments with sounds from the world around him.
Alto and baritone saxophone are featured prominently throughout the album, along with toy instruments, handheld percussion, mandolin, harmonica and other familiar sounds.
Kevin combines field recordings made on an iPhone with home studio recording and digital editing. His process incorporates common sounds into a musical context,
such as the rhythmic patterns of water draining from a pipe, pitched animal noises, and the ostinatos of industrial machinery.
21st Century Ambition
Crowdsource Waltz
The Cat's Meow
Lullabyed
Click
Transformation Nocturne for Industrial Shrinkwrap Machine
The Ol' Ballgame
Tok Tic
Back in the Today
Magic
A Walk in the Nonlinear Matrix
Hear Me Out
The Sound of Things:
I. Allegro ma non troppo
II. Dolce e cantabile
III. Agitato un poco loco
IV. Vivace con brio
Kevin Pike has a music degree from DePaul University, where he studied composition and performance.
The Sound of Things marks the 16th album release by Kevin.
In addition to composing and recording, Kevin plays saxophone in free and traditional jazz groups.
21st Century Ambition
water draining from a pipe, alto saxophone, vacuum cleaner, mandolin, manufacturing plant, metal pans and cookware, various handheld percussion, train
Crowdsource Waltz
sports arena crowd noise, youth band and orchestra pre-concert warmup
The Cat's Meow
cats, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, door scratching, piano
Lullabyed
baritone saxophone, humming, baritone, flute, clarinet, harmonica
Click
popcorn tin, wedding ring, alto saxophone, melodica, baritone saxophone, typewriter
Transformation Nocturne for Industrial Shrinkwrap Machine
industrial shrinkwrap machine, glockenspiel, alto saxophone
The Ol' Ballgame
handheld electronic baseball game, alto saxophone, little league baseball game dugout chatter
Tok Tic
steel drum, washboard, banjo, eating cashews, triangle, cake pan cover, harmonica, ping pong ball and plastic bottle cap, coffee can with balloon drumhead, bass, alto sax, flute
Back in the Today
baritone saxophone, recorder, electric bass, alto saxophone, voice, soda fizz, empty bag of chips, toy piano
Magic
music box, paper bag, shakers, stir xylophone, wow bell, handheld percussion instruments, alto saxophone, fireworks
A Walk in the Nonlinear Matrix
birds, brushes and handheld percussion, dog collar, footsteps, beagle, Native American flute, baritone saxophone, electric bass, toms, backhoe, bottles, shopping cart, insect noise, cars and trucks
Hear Me Out
toy drum head, toy ukulele, alto saxophone, hand claps, harmonica, whirling drum, rattle, ping pong ball and bottle cap, baritone saxophone, pen tapping on plywood, kalimba, spoons, maraca, dresser handle, computer keyboards, Bahia Bass Buffalo Drum, birds
The Sound of Things
tracks 1-12
available on iTunes
one-sheet PDF
©2015 Kevin Pike Music