Methodology

The music is created sequentially, through the continual addition of musical strata. The participants supply tracks in turn, by uploading them to an FTP server. The musicians do not meet to compose their pieces.

The Process

A CDZ volume is launched by an Initiator, a CDZ member willing to oversee the production of the volume. The Initiator e-mails the deadline for the volume as well as its theme to the members of CDZ an the newest recruits. User names and passwords are communicated to those that are interested in participating, a schedule is written up and then the composing begins! (Training is available to new participants that are unfamiliar with FTP servers and MP3 encoding).

Over a certain number of days, the participants of a given volume will write a number of pieces. Participants are assigned a piece and must contribute a musical layer before a given deadline. The participants are then assigned another piece and the process continues until the pieces vave sufficient layers to be complete. The schedule for these assignments is provided by Initiator, who is the member who started the volume in the first place.

Participants that do not turn their tracks in on time may be excluded from participating any further in the volume, at the discretion of the Initiator.

The first layer is generally a rhythm track, with some sort of percussion that draws the structural skeleton of the piece. The first track should remain relatively sparse in order to leave space for the participants who will be the next to add layers to the piece. A good first track is one that proposes an idea while leaving space for others to weave into it.

The pieces should be 2 to 5 minutes long.

Once they are mixed, pieces are made available for free download from the CDZ web site.

File Formats

The layers are to be uploaded as 192 kbs MP3 files. Previous layers must not be mixed with the layer. The mixing process takes place once the last layers have been uploaded by the Initiator or another member that the Initiator has nominated.

All of the files must begin at the same point in the piece, even if some files contain dead space at the beginning (like in the image below). This will allow participants who are using different tracking programs to line the layers up properly.

The files shall be named according to the following model:

Piece[Piece number]-[Layer number]_[tempo]bpm.mp3

For example, the third layer of the 6th piece (the tempo of which is 150 bpm) is called

Piece06-03_150bpm.mp3

The bpm information is important because it will allow people to set up their tracking software properly before recording.

When using a time signature other than 4/4, such as 3/4, 5/4 or 6/8 for example, an additional code must be appended to the end of the file name. The format is _[top number]-[bottom number]. An example of a 3/4 piece would be:

Piece06-03_150bpm_3-4.mp3

The file name structure must be respected.

Guidelines

A single botched track in a piece can ruin the fun for everyone who works with the track. A successful layer is one that honors the layers that came before it while opening up new opportunites for the next layer. Paricipants should not give up when inspiration doesn't appear right away. The result is always more satisfying when a genuine effort is made to find sounds that support the material that was already in the track. It's OK to direct the track in a different direction, as long as there is a direction. A listenter rapidly becomes jaded by unstructured cacophony.

Participants should strive to make the tracks progress towards a climax. Monotonous and repetitive tracks quicly lose their appeal.

The diversity of the participants' musical backgrounds is an asset: if this diversity can be tapped the right way, the result will be engaging, original, and entertaining.

Lyrics are prohibited, and other vocal elements must not carry any meaning: NO story, NO message.

Please direct any questions to info@cdzabu.com.