[habiTat]

I had a spare hour this afternoon and have been thinking about this for a while.

In the spirit of the backmasking comp, and to inspire you guys to have a go, I've written and composed a palindromic song. That is, it sounds the same played both forwards and backwards. The soundcloud link contains the track, first played forwards, then backwards. The result is something quite weird,  possibly Russian or Eastern European sounding in a celtic, folky sort of way. It's only a demo, done quickly with guitar, recorded to a click track, with it's reverse version overlayed, and the same with the vocal, one panned left, one panned right. The brain seems to favour the side which is comprehendable.    (Listen on headphones for full effect)

The chord sequence is very simple, in order that it can be recorded, reversed and overlayed. Even the lyrics are palindromic if you read them, both line by line and also if you look down the page at each starting letter.

I hope you like it and feel inspired to have a go yourself.

http://soundcloud.com/habitatsongs/palendromium-palendromic-song

Palendromium

Please
Angel
Love me
Endlessly
Now not later
Do this for me
Romantically
Openly
Make me warm
I need you now
Undeniably
Mine
Mine
Undeniably
I need you now
Make me warm
Openly
Romantically
Do this for me
Now not later
Endlessly
Love me
Angel
Please

[seriousfun]

very clever. I had not considered this approach and you have certainly highlighted some problems that we will all have to consider such as the reversed melody structure. Very inventive reversing the lyrics like that - very cool indeed. 

You have most deffinately given me some food for thought on this one. I like the result, very middle eastern, I wonder if we will all turn out like that?

Thanks for posting and kick starting us all on this project.
Allan.

[Florida Mike]

That's really cool, and very inventive! Sounds like a dream sequence!

[Sevla]

Hab,
Where do your ideas come from? This is really brilliant...it creates a wonderful mood and your vocal is superb. I have enough problems writing songs forwards.....let alone backwards? Really innovative, a great idea, tastefully executed.
Cheers
Sevla

[S.T.C]

Interesting piece of music...i think it sounds really good...it`s like a chant of a secret society. 

[RichyRowlatt]

Hab, you are one clever bloke. As an exercise this is seriously impressive. Great work mate,

Richly.

[faero]

superb work sir.   Really powerful result - I just kept the lights on whilst listening.... the backwards tones are really strong and dark...    This is the track hidden at the end of the album that everyone loves to wait for.

[stephaniedema]

You wrote this in a spare hour?!
Really impressive!
I don't think I could ever write something like this, but it does sound very unique

SD

[habiTat]

Well...

Thanks guys, I feel very clever now  

It really isn't as clever as you think.. (I didn't even spell palindrome correctly when I originally wrote it  )

I was hoping to inspire and get some people on board for the comp, not bamboozle you  

This is how simple it was..

I worked out a very basic downward strummed piece in 4/4 time (one strum per beat)

The chords are simply Am/Em/G/Em/   Am/Em/G/Em   etc.. (capo fr1) on a loop (the sequence is reversible and so the backwards version sits nicely over the forwards one)

Once the guitar was recorded (to a click track to keep time) and the reverse version overlayed, I recorded the vocal, then reversed a copy of that and overlayed it, panning one left, and one right.

That's about it

This is an extreme example of backmasking but I thought it'd be fun to see if it was possible.

For the comp, just try to hide a message in your song, so it can only be deciphered when played backwards..

hab..

[Michael]

I've got to hand it to you, you're one creative writer!
Great idea to pan the vocal tracks so you can have both of them at the same time (it does work a lot better with headphones).

But - please forgive me for saying this - lyrically and melodically I think this is far below your usual standards... though I understand that you were very limited in both by the tasks you set yourself for this.

As a proof of concept it's great, but just not quite yet developed enough - keep it up !

[Binladeda]

 you should start a cult.......I'd join   It was amazing, Loved it....think you've already won the competition

[man of simple pleasures]

sounds cool this like!

[tina m]

you have got realy clever lately hab... i guess thats what escaping from basildon does for you!
i thought it must be a song about a dinosaur when i saw what it was called....maybe one that learns to walk backwards !
anyway its a amazing idea of yours & frankly i havent a clue how id do anything like this...it sounds mind bogglingly clever & impressive
but i have to agree with michael that to get that clever clogs effect it doesnt make as good a song as some of your best stuff
you are a clever chap whod have thought you came from basildon

[Dutchbeat]

i think it clever too

but personally i don't want to do this

to me the backmasking idea will only hold me back from making the usual noise and sound i like making

sorry

btw, are we doing a christmas song competition this year???
could also be an alternative christmas song competiton

but i like to get the bells out (even though i don't have time for it)

[habiTat]

Hey that's cool Dutch

I don't think anyone is doing a Christmas song comp yet, you could run one, if you do I'll have a go, I've never written a Christmas song..

Hab.