99% Invisible - 423- Sean Exploder

Episode Date: November 21, 2020

As you might know, we have our own composer here at 99pi named Sean Real who works with the producers to score our episodes with original music that she writes and records right here in Oakland. She has created over 300 amazing original songs for 99pi to date! So this week, we are bringing you a tribute to one of our favorite shows Song Exploder, and to our favorite composer, Sean Real. Sean Exploder Plus a preview of Katie Mingle’s new 99pi spin off According to Need (Out December 1). Buy Sean’s first record of 99pi music in the 99% Invisible Store

This is 99% Invisible. I'm Roman Morris. I don't have a favorite podcast. It'd be too unfair. There are too many I like. It is hard to choose just one. But when people ask me that question, I always make sure to mention the radio topia show Song Exploder.

I think it is the perfect concept for a podcast. If you haven't heard it, my friend, Rishikesh Hereway, he interviews musical artists and gets them to break down a song into its component parts to show how it all came together. It's recently been adapted into a Netflix TV show is so much fun to watch, I hope you check it out. And we love song exploder here on the show so much that in a meeting a few months ago,

we thought, well, what if we tried to do that for one of our own songs? You might know that we have our own composer here at Nae and I'm PI, her name is Sean Rial, and hiring her was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I love that we have our own and house composer. I love working with Sean, and Sean works with all the producers to score our episodes with original music that she writes and records right here in Oakland. So, on this episode, we are bringing you a tribute to the Brilliant Podcast song exploder and our brilliant composer, Sean Riel,

and we're calling it, Sean Exploder. It's the story of a song that Sean wrote for Avery Chouppenman back when she worked here. It's called The Loom, and it's the first song in Avery's spin-off series, Articles of Interest. And to tell the story of the song, you really need to start at the beginning of Avery and Shawn's relationship. I'll let Shawn take it from here.

Hi, my name is Shawn Riel. I'm the composer for 99% Invisible. I've been with the show for four years now, but before that I was playing music in bands and making a living walking dogs. Dog walking is actually mostly driving and picking up dogs, so like a lot of listening to stuff in the car. And at a certain point you just like get sick of music, so that's when I started like religiously listening to podcasts and I couldn't like refresh the feed fast enough. And the music was a big part of it too. Like I think like that was a big part of like what made it feel like this new kind of

art for me. And part of me thought like I could write that music. But then I thought you know they probably just pull from some music library or something. There's not like one person who writes music for podcasts, and so then I would kind of just put it out of my head. I was getting to a point where working all day and then, you know, like going home and trying to find the energy to work on music with my bands's little teeth and basement. The sustainability had run out. I was emotionally and energetically bankrupt. It's like trying to be like, there has to be a way out of this without like writing a hit song that's going to make me rich and famous. Like, there has to be a way to make this a living.

And then I met Avery. Hi, I'm Avery Treffleman. I am the host of the podcast, The Cut from New York Magazine. But for most of my life, I worked at 99% invisible. Sean and I met on OKCupid, which is now considered like the old fashioned way to meet someone.

It's like Quaint, when you hear that someone met on OKC someone. It's like quaint when you hear that someone met on OKCupid. It's like, oh, that's romance. You had to read a whole profile. One of the stupid questions OKCupid asked you is like, what's the first thing people noticed about you? And I was like, my voice. And I think Sean responded and said something

and like, you know, I have a pretty signature voice too. And so we started sharing these voice memos back and forth for like a long time before we ever met, we had this very like radio courtship. I remember like walking down to the office, like walking down telegraph avenue, three miles, like blah, blah, blah, like leaving voice memos for Sean. One time I was like just recording a voice memo,

and then I looked at, I was like, oh god, this is 45 minutes. I'm about to like send a 45 minute voice memo, and I texted her and I was like, oh God, this is 45 minutes. I'm about to like send a 45 minute voice memo and I texted you and I was like, this is 45 minutes. Is this too much? And you responded, you know, I'm about to get on the plane. Please send it now. I need something to listen to.

I distinctly remember that. I distinctly remember being like, download, download, download, like before the plane took off. Like, it was so fun. Yeah. So we like exchange voice memos for, like, it was so fun. Yeah, so we like exchanged voice members for a long, long time before ever meeting. And then we finally met. And I spent a lot of time hanging out in Sean's house,

going to Sean's shows, like getting to know all the band drama, Sean's band. We dated, I think it was four months. We dated for a while. And then honestly, this musical relationship was sort of our way back to friendship. So I was working on this story called Miss Manhattan. And it was a story about the most famous model in all of New York.

She appears on statues all over the city and also in other cities across America. She was a famous artist model. And this was a story about one woman's life and it was very dramatic and more cinematic than anything I'd tried to cover in the past. And I realized that a lot of the music beds we used were like these rhythmic jams that sort of keep you humming along but this was a story with real high highs and low lows like I wanted it to be

scored almost like a film. I didn't know a lot of musicians and I thought a shun. For Avery to be like would you want to make some music for 99% invisible? I was just like, whoa. It felt, yeah, it's like a dream come true. But thing in that I thought could never actually be a real thing was actually possible. I mean, working with Sean felt like mixing paint for the first time. You know, before it felt a little paint by numbers, I was like, okay, oh, you got, you know, this is a good song we like to use when things get happy. And this is a good like plotting, talky-talk song. I used to call the genre Thought Core.

That was like, then you add the plinky plunks, they're like, boop, boop, boop, boop, like music to talk over. And then Sean was able to address all of these different nuances. And the way is the story can take a turn, you can have music that moves with the narrative. And I didn't even realize how badly I wanted that.

You know, when you're talking about stories about buildings and stories about objects, it's like weirdly more complicated. It's not like, and this is where it was sad, and this is where it was excited and happy. It's always, you know, it's like, oh, can we make it like a ponderous, but a little dark? Can we make it exhilarating but also a little sinister? They're just like, yeah, it felt like mixing paint. It felt like

Sean was helping make new colors. I love collaborating with people and I think that's like one of the things I love so much about about this job, about working for the show, is that like everything that I write is like, you know, it's like, it's for the show, but it's also like very much for the person who's like producing the episode. And over the years, I like worked with all the producers and was developing, developing our like working relationships with like what kind of music like works for which people like for example, Emmett or Vivian might ask me to make something that would highlight how silly or delightful

something is Katie might want music that is more neutral but has a cool beat and I felt like I could always count on Avery to really, you know, want to pull me in a new direction, you know, to, to be like, let's do something experimental, you know, like let's really blow their minds this time. And I was sad to think that and be losing that with Avery when she started working on articles of interest, which is the 99PI show about clothes. Avery was working with a different musician, to score at Ray Royal, but lucky for me, Avery decided she wanted to bring me back for this one crucial song.

I wanted to start off with a launching point like why talk about textiles at all, and it began with the origin of the computer and the computer punch card, which came from a loom. A loom was arguably the first computer. It was the first to have an automated form of weaving. And that's where the punch card came from that eventually led to the computer. And so this felt extremely like wheelhouse 99PI. That's a cool fact. That's a cool story to get people into the computer. And so this felt extremely like wheelhouse 99pi. That's a cool fact. That's a

cool story to get people into the series. And then as I was learning about punch cards, it was like, oh, this is also the same technology that makes music boxes. It would be kind of cool to have a music box sound so that people would be like, oh, punch cards, I know what those are. If you've seen a player piano or a music box, it's that exact same technology where there's a hole or not a hole, you know, basically the equivalent of one or zero, and that decides if there's going to be a note there or not. So I turned to Sean and I was like, could you make a music box song? And immediately I was like, oh, yes, like I want to do that.

I was like, okay, how could I make a music box kick ass? And Avery didn't just want, you know, something that sounded like a music box Avery wanted the real thing. So she gave me this children's make-your-own-music box kit. So I like ordered it to the office like, I had here's music box I ordered for you. Go make a song for articles of interest. And the music box isn't really like an instrument so much as it's a machine. You eat program it by punching holes in these little punch cards. And then you run those through it as you turn a hand crank. And the holes from the punch cards trigger little times in the music box.

Each time produces a note and you have to punch the holes in exactly the right place to get the right note and also get the right rhythm. I didn't want to start punching holes until I knew what the song was, what I wanted the song to sound like. And so I started out by making a few demos on the computer using a digital instrument in place in the music box.

And I was really thinking, like, I was really thinking of this as like a way to introduce this new series with a bang, like, you know, like, how do I, how do I like make a walk on song for Avery? But then, pretty quickly, I was like, this is kind of cheesy actually, and I'm leaning in a little too hard to that. And actually, the music box part is barely in this demo. So then I came up with another idea that was like, you know, a lot more driven by the music box, you know, and sounded more like a music box. But then I thought it sounded too much like a music box. Like, it just makes me think of every music box you see in a movie is like a porcelain

ballerina, slowly spinning, and I was just like, how can we make it sound? You know, a little more unique. How can I make the music box actually feel like it is less of a toy and more of like an instrument? How can I make it like a valid instrument in an orchestra? And so that's where the third idea came from. The interesting thing, this one kind of accomplishes on paper. All the things I wanted to do, you know, make a music box lead in orchestra. Except that it kind of lost that sort of like kicking ass like walk-on song feeling.

But then some day later I was in the shower and I just like started hearing this kind of like circular melody in my head. You know and I was like this line in the episode, like in the script, about going around and around, like the punch guard programming for like a player piano or a music box or an old computer. And I was like, oh, I think I have it. And so I just like, ran to my keyboard to like, to just like get this idea out. The way the notes circle around, it feels like turning the computer, so the next step was to program the actual music box that Avery gave me to play the part. I took my time because I wanted to be really careful and make sure I wasn't going to punch

any holes in the wrong places, but eventually I finished poking holes in the paper and I tested it out. And I think what was really magical was just hearing like this music that I had made in the ephemeral computer world being made by this tangible little machine. I don't know, I felt like I had really made something. And the next step was to record it. I felt like I had really made something. And the next step was to record it. And I wanted the music box to start out slow and then, you know, kind of gradually speed up.

And so to do that, I recorded a few different takes at different speeds. And first one I did was really slow. You can actually like really hear the little gears turning and the little like squeak from the crank. I really like loved that sound. I love when you can like hear component parts of a sound like you don't just hear like the sound but you hear what's making the sound. I love hearing like the strings of like a violin or something

like that kind of scrape of the bow. Maybe I could have done some kind of stuff to like lessen the squeak but I I love the squeak. I just wanted to let it be as squeaky as it was. And then I did another one that was a little bit faster. And I had a tempo in mind that I wanted to build to that I wanted the other instruments to come up over. And in order to get it to go that fast, I had to crank it really fast. And this tiny little crank is not very ergonomic. So I'm just like, bo lot before I could like get a good recording of like the fast take.

I'm not sure if like, you know, anybody would like listen to that, the music box on its own and think like driving. But like, when I hear that, I like hear, that's what the rhythm is doing to me. Those are like, that's the syncopation that I can hear in my head. And so that's naturally how I started playing the next instrument. I really love contrast in music. So I wanted the next instrument that you hear to be like the polar opposite of the music box. So I got my stand up base and just started like going, da da, just like driving eighth notes. And then I really wanted to like emphasize that chop.

So I also like did a really high note on the bass so that the cutting, that cutting rhythm would be like unmistakable or something. And so then just as I brought in this like harsh choppy bass in order to counter the pretty little music box. I wanted to counter that choppy sound with long, very pretty tones from the cello. This cello belongs to one of my old bandmates and she was nice enough to let me borrow it for this. It just has this really like full and woody sound that I love. I had all these other like ideas for other instruments to come into and like bring it to the next place and like have a huge crashing ending but something that I've like consistently learned from this job is that less is more

and a lot of times it makes like just as much sense or more sense you know to get something that's good and then quit while you're ahead and now I really love how this song ends I'm really happy with how it ended up. I felt like, with just like these few little components, I had really accomplished the things I had set out to do, which were making the music box feel bigger and batter than you normally think of it and making a song that matched and played off of the content of the story and giving Avery this opening and closing of a chapter song for her opening and closing

of a chapter series. And when I was getting ready to play it for Avery, I always have just like a little bit of of worry that like, okay, like I know I'm proud of this, but like the real test is like showing into the producer, getting notes, getting my ego, like checked a little bit. So like even even with how proud I was of it, I was still protecting myself a little bit. I was ready to be like, okay, it doesn't mean that you're a bad musician. It just means that this is a process. The process of making articles of interest

was really all over the place. And I remember one day, I was feeling really scared and nervous about articles of interest. And if it would all come together in time. And I remember Sean being like, hey, I wanna show you something and she brought me into her office.

And from my memory, you played the song for me and it was just like already done. It was like a maculate conception perfect. And I remember the minute you played it for me when the bass kicked in I started crying and I was like Sean It's perfect and I remember it made me feel so calm was like oh maybe This will be good like maybe this series will be good and then putting it Under that moment when like Roman handed the series off to me. It's like oh, f**k yeah, like this is this is great this rules

When you crank the gear of a music box you can make the tune go as fast or as slowly as you want as you spend the little handle around and around and around The music is read from the series of little bumps like Braille producer Avery Chrollfum. These Little Bumps stick up and they hit a series of times which create a song. And it's funny, I hear this song being used in other 99PI episodes sometimes,

and I always get really possessive. I'm like, hey, you're dancing with my girl. Like what? I mean, it's a great song. I don't fault anyone else for using it. It's like an amazing song, but I do feel I do feel like I Will duel you sir like she is mine this song So a bit after

after articles of interest was finished and It was becoming more clear that every would be leaving the show at some point. You know, I had the music box and I felt like Avery should have it. I felt like I wanted Avery to be able to hold on to this physical token of the best that our working relationship had brought us. And so I had a friend of mine actually make a little wooden case to put the little music box machine inside of.

And so I had like an actual like, you know, like nice little wooden music box that I gave to Avery as a gift. And I have the box here. It's the music box that I gave to Avery as a gift. And I have the box here. It's the music box. If I keep playing it, it's going to make me cry. Like, honestly, this is my little rosebud moment. And I, oh my god, I hear this music box

and it makes me think about Oakland. It's like the most beautiful song in the world. Sorry. And now here's the loom in its entirety. 1.5kg 1kg 1kg 1kg 1kg 1kg 1kg

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1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc 1 tbc The This bonus episode of 99% in visible was produced by Emmett Fitzgerald and mixed by Bryce

and Barnes. Music very clearly by Sean Rihau. Additional music by Penina Pileberg Schwartz, Special thanks this week to Ash Clayton, Sophia Bell, and our good friend, Avery Chaupplement. Avery now hosts the podcast The Cut from New York magazine. It is fantastic. If you don't already listen to it, I highly recommend you listen to it because you need more Avery Troubleman in your life.

Also, I mentioned this in the intro, but Rishi's podcast has recently been turned into a Netflix show, and although I continue to think that Song Exploder is the perfect concept for a podcast, I'm here to tell you that it works incredibly well on television too. There are episodes up right now with Alicia Keys and Tidalassign and Aurem. I have been enjoying them with the boys. They are great for the whole family.

And we have a very special announcement of our own. We produced a seven inch record of music that Sean has written for the show over the past few years. So if you've ever wanted to hear 99 PI music on its own without me talking over it, I highly recommend this album. The Seven Hits is a beautiful object that's filled with gorgeous, instrumental music that's great to work to or to cook to or to do dishes to or just to help you relax in your apartment. We also have a digital version that you can download when you pay a little bit of money,

but I also, I really hope you get the record, the record is really special. I think it would make a great gift this holiday season. You can purchase Sean Seven Edge right now, just click on the Shop tab in our website at nionip.org. And speaking of new stuff, coming up after the break, we've got an extended preview of a brand new 99 P.I. spin-off series that is

dropping next month. Stay with us. And now, a preview of 99% of visible's new limited series, according to NEED. A little over five years ago, I moved across the country to take a job in beautiful, downtown, Oakland, California. I didn't realize I was part of a trend, but I was. Thousands of other people were also moving to the Bay Area for work. The cost of rent skyrocketed, and over the course of about five years homelessness in the county where I live, doubled. All over town you can see the effects of this, almost as if a tidal wave of wealth washed people out of their houses and into the streets,

into tents and RVs and cars. I know these people right here, I know these people right here, I know these people right here. I know these people right here. I know them people right there. All of them are homeless. All of them are homeless. They're cars. They're renting the not apartments.

They're not bedrooms. Beds. For 1200 a month near the college, that's outrageous. It's hard to get out of this **** when you're homeless. You don't know what your life is gonna be the next two hours. You know, it's just like swallows you up.

Mom. Yeah. You know what you're about. What'd you think about daddy? Leave me a house. Given just the sheer scale of homelessness all over the US, but in the Bay Area in particular, you could be forgiven for thinking there was no system in place to address it. But you'd be wrong.

Thank you so much for holding. How can I assist you today? Yes, me and my 11-year-old son is home. There is actually a system to help people out of homelessness, but it doesn't help everyone. What does it take to be priority for them? I don't understand it. So they get you on the list. They're very good at getting people on lists. How this system works is confusing and opaque.

Some might say Kafka-esque. It's all a huge mystery. I mean, we're like, you know, professionals here. You know, we have law degrees and we can't figure out what's going on and can't get ahold of people. I spent a long time trying to understand this system. Yeah, it feels a little bit like the Wizard of Oz. I guess my first question is like, are you the Wizard? Is this Oz? I do, I do have a map of Oz.

There are hundreds of thousands of people experiencing homelessness in the United States, and COVID could make things even worse. So what are we doing about it? According to Need is a special documentary series from 99% invisible that looks at the system we have to get people back inside. Find it in your 99PI podcast feed on December 1st. So what are you gonna do anything? Wrap all of this up.

Like what is 99% invisible? Like is it a magazine? Is it a radio? Like what are we doing? I am so excited for you to hear Katie's new series. It is incredible. Just keep up to date on this feed and you will get it automatically. We are a project of 91.7 KALW in San Francisco, and produced on Radio Row, which lives in

various corners of North America, but is centered in beautiful, downtown, Oakland, California. We are a founding member of Radio Topia from PRX, a fiercely independent collective of the most innovative lists of supported 100% artist-owned podcasts in the world. Find them all at radiotopia.fm. You can tweet me at Roman Mars in the show at 99pi.org on Instagram and read it too. You can order our first book, the 99%% invisible city at 99pi.org slash book We have links to purchase it anywhere you get your books including signed editions and the audiobook to for all your other 99pi needs look no further the 99pi dot org Radio Topeo from PRX.

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