Her Presence Is a Word (Fantasy Rap, Lofi Music)
Channel: Masaki Okamoto
Date: 02/01/2024

My original track "Her Presence Is a Word" played live with Ableton & APC40.

[About the Akai APC40 MIDI controller]
The Akai APC40 mk2 is a comprehensive control surface designed specifically for use with Ableton Live, a digital audio workstation (DAW). 

Channel Strips:
The APC40 has eight channel strips, which are sets of a knob, pads, buttons and a fader that are aligned vertically.

Pads:
The RGB backlit pads are arranged in an 8x5 grid at the heart of the APC40. These are used for launching clips in Ableton Live, although I seldom use them for this purpose. Instead, they serve me as a monitor  giving me visual feedback on the clip status, as well as the channel assignment. The green-lit pads are the ones currently playing, while the flashing ones are to be auto-launched next. They also let me know which musical part I can control in a given channel strip thanks to the color-coding of the pads. The ones in pink, for example, are usually the lead melodic instrument in my case.

Faders and Knobs:
Below this grid, there are eight channel faders and a master fader, each accompanied by a knob. These are used for precise control over the mix, allowing you to adjust volume, pan, and send levels. Each channel strip also includes a knob for device control, typically used for manipulating effects and instrument parameters.

Device Control Section:
The APC40 has a dedicated section for device control, with eight rotary faders that control the parameters of the selected device in Ableton Live. In this video, they're used for intuitive tweaking of effects such the vocoder and the hi-cut filter.

Crossfader:
The crossfader, at the bottom right, is assigned to Ableton Live’s A/B crossfade assignments. Typically, I use it to mute all the melodic/harmonic instruments, leaving only the drums and voice to be heard.

Scene Launch Buttons and Clip Stop:
On the right side of the matrix, there are buttons for launching entire scenes (rows of clips). In my case, they are used for resuming the music after I stop it temporarily at certain places like the end of a section. Below the matrix, there are clip stop buttons which can be used to stop individual clips.

[Lyrics]
[A1]
Sun-kissed laughter in the summer air
She twirls in the breeze, free without a care
She's the day's delight with every movement
A pirouette in ballet, in time's improvement

Her silhouette, as she dances in the twilight
A portrait of passion in the day's last sight
She's a scent of orchid, a secret to unveil
A kiss of shadows, where moonbeams prevail

[B]
So graceful, her presence is a word
Her presence is a word, unspoken but heard
So graceful, her presence is a word
Her presence is a word, unspoken but heard
So beautiful, a beautiful world
In her gaze, a silent story unfurled
So graceful, her presence is a word
Her presence is a word

[A2]
With a touch, a look, she can softly disarm
In the gallery of life, she is the art, the charm
A breath, a pause, she's the unturned page
A cryptic novel that’s waiting to engage

Rustles of fabric, a soft contour line
A dreamer's glance, where hopes entwine
Her joy, a melody that the sea wind sings
A texture of waves in the harmony it brings

[B]

[A3]
In the hush of dawn, as new light gleams
She weaves the fabric of the softest dreams
Glints of sunlight in her hair's gentle sway
She's the promise of hope at the break of day

With each step, she paints the sky anew
In hues of love and fervor, deep and true
She's the warmth in the sun, the glow in the night
In her embrace, the world feels just right

[B]

[A4]
Eyes that whisper tales of moonlit streams
A visage that captures the softest of dreams
She's the verse in a song, the calm in the storm
In her elegance, a world, so tender and warm

0:00 Main take
4:13 Another take

The "studio version" of this track will be part of my next album.

Aside from YouTube Music, my music is also on these platforms:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7c28M9IEmF6c9JnrtXWiK2
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/masaki-okamoto/1492681802
https://tidal.com/browse/artist/10100222
https://www.deezer.com/us/artist/15373899