The Devil is In the Details; Golden Ratio?

lawrenke · Post by **lawrenke** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 5:58 pm

I've heard from a number of sources that the composition of this track is based on the Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio. It seems A is the B as B is the C would be the more likely candidate due to its name, but I've only heard it said about TDIITD.

Can anyone explain how it's incorporated into the track?

bluesky · Post by **Fredd-E** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:09 pm

It's definitely "a is to b as b is to c", read about it over here: http://bocpages.org/wiki/A_Is_To_B_As_B ... C#Comments

Closing_Logo · Post by **Closing_Logo** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:43 pm

"'The Devil Is In The Details' has a riff that was designed to imitate a specific well-known equation, but in musical terms" (NME interview)

So it's not necessarily based on fib. sequence or golden ratio--could be any equation--and only a certain riff is based on it rather than the layout of the entire track.

Skytree · Post by **Skytree** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 10:33 pm

Closing_Logo wrote:"'The Devil Is In The Details' has a riff that was designed to imitate a specific well-known equation, but in musical terms" (NME interview)

So it's not necessarily based on fib. sequence or golden ratio--could be any equation--and only a certain riff is based on it rather than the layout of the entire track.

The only melodic structures in "The Devil is in the Details" is the keyboard, complemented by the bass dropped down a fifth, then the melodic vocoded voice (occasionally complimented by a lower voice). So, my guess is it's one of the two...but neither sound like they're too atypical.

The very beginning of "A is to B as B is to C" (the melodic bit starting at 0:03 and on through about 0:28 ), and the subsequent flute melody both sound like equations translated to tones, though. Unusual intervals and repetitions, especially on the flute.

Dragon · Post by **Dragon** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 6:47 am

It should be noted that The Devil Is In The Details is 233 seconds long, 233 being the 13th Fibonacci number.

el-seadragon · Post by **el-seadragon** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 7:08 am

I've thought that A is to B as B is to C is approximately 1.68 minutes long; a bit shorter perhaps.

Closing_Logo · Post by **Closing_Logo** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 4:59 pm

The only melodic structures in "The Devil is in the Details" is the keyboard, complemented by the bass dropped down a fifth,

Not to re-enact that scene in "Cannibal: The Musical" with the argument over music theory jargon, but the distance between the melody and bass is not a fifth--it's an octave + a major sixth. (This could be the devil in the details as "the devil is 6", but that's a stretch.)

then the melodic vocoded voice (occasionally complimented by a lower voice). So, my guess is it's one of the two...but neither sound like they're too atypical.

I always thought the vocoded voice sounded extremely atypical in terms of melody, with three close notes held simultaneously followed by the drop into bass range. And what is that voice saying, if anything?

zeitgeist · Post by **zeitgeist** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 7:31 pm

Closing_Logo wrote:...I always thought the vocoded voice sounded extremely atypical in terms of melody, with three close notes held simultaneously followed by the drop into bass range. And what is that voice saying, if anything?

http://bocpages.org/wiki/The_Devil_Is_In_The_Details

Closing_Logo · Post by **Closing_Logo** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:46 pm

http://bocpages.org/wiki/The_Devil_Is_In_The_Details

Not that voice--the vocoder voice that sounds like "...ooooooosss". I think someone once speculated that it's based on the same voice heard in "Opening the Mouth".

Mulc · Post by **Mulc** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 6:22 pm

Yeah, they make some interesting stuff.

Snufkin · Post by **Snufkin** » Sat Nov 27, 2010 5:12 pm

Closing_Logo wrote:
http://bocpages.org/wiki/The_Devil_Is_In_The_Details
Not that voice--the vocoder voice that sounds like "...ooooooosss". I think someone once speculated that it's based on the same voice heard in "Opening the Mouth".

*Bump*

This is the best thread I could find to regurgitate this issue... I just gave another listen to this track and I realised who I've always thought the voice sample was read by, but never really mentioned to anyone to get their feedback... so here it is: Roger Waters...

Deadly serious.... i know this is some crazy notion... but you know, I heard Waters was always the most charmed PF member by rumours of the whole 'Dark Side of Oz' thing, even though that's been kept a secret (if true). Is it so hard to believe a man with such a sense of humour would agree to secretly record a sample for an up-n'-coming Geogaddi-era psychedelic band...?

*Prepares to be laughed off-stage*...

-Snuf

Snufkin · Post by **Snufkin** » Sat Nov 27, 2010 5:15 pm

Oh, and the following wikipedia extract is interesting re/backmasking & Roger Waters...

Perfect Sense Part 1 is the third track from the concept album Amused to Death by former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters. The song is sung partially by Roger Waters but mainly by PP Arnold on both the original album and live shows.
[edit] Overview

The song begins with a loud and unintelligible rant cutting out the noise of the previous track, What God Wants. Following this inaudible opening is words uttered by Roger Waters, played backwards. This hidden message tells that Roger has decided to record a backwards message. "Julia, however, in the light and visions of the issues of Stanley, we changed our minds. We have decided to include a backward message. Stanley, for you, and for all the other book burners..." This is not the first example of Roger Waters using reversed messages in his musical work.

In an interview with Rockline on 8 February 1993 Roger Waters stated that he had wanted to use samples of HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey on the album. Stanley Kubrick, the director, turned him down on the basis that it would open the door to too many other people using the sound sample.[1] Since this incident Waters has used the audio of HAL describing his mind being taken away during the introduction of Perfect Sense Part 1 in live performances, such as the In The Flesh tour in 2002.

The opening lines of the song begin with a reference from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey in which "The monkey sat on a pile of stone and stared at the broken bone in his hand". This monkey is referred to continuously throughout the album. (Taken from Wikipedia)

Snufkin · Post by **Snufkin** » Sat Nov 27, 2010 5:21 pm

Clutching at straws here, I know, but also, a quick Google search re/Roger Waters 'In The Flesh' does well also to bring up a bunch of torrent links to a 60s documentary entitled 'Project Lucifer - Devil In The Flesh'. EDIT - documentary is actually 1986. Downloading now. Appears to have quite a bit of stuff re/backmasking Led Zeppelin 'Stairway to Heaven' in it

Maybe I'm just digging around randomly, but maybe that documentary is worth watching anyways as it looks like the kind of thing BOC may have taken an interest in in the Geogaddi era...

-Snuf

Edit2 - P.S. Thread fast approaching 666 views, hehe ^_^

Pantheon · Post by **Pantheon** » Sat Nov 27, 2010 6:35 pm

Are you going to download it to find out?
Sounds like a cool documentry anyway.

lurkingrecords · Post by **lurkingrecords** » Mon Nov 29, 2010 7:23 am

Closing_Logo wrote:
The only melodic structures in "The Devil is in the Details" is the keyboard, complemented by the bass dropped down a fifth,
Not to re-enact that scene in "Cannibal: The Musical" with the argument over music theory jargon, but the distance between the melody and bass is not a fifth--it's an octave + a major sixth. (This could be the devil in the details as "the devil is 6", but that's a stretch.)

then the melodic vocoded voice (occasionally complimented by a lower voice). So, my guess is it's one of the two...but neither sound like they're too atypical.
I always thought the vocoded voice sounded extremely atypical in terms of melody, with three close notes held simultaneously followed by the drop into bass range. And what is that voice saying, if anything?

Yeah...the major sixth occurs 3 times (666) each chord in the progression has that interval...I found this somewhere when I was curious as to where the devil was in the details!