Huffin
Encyclopedia
"Huffin" is an instrumental song written by Karl Jenkins
and performed by Soft Machine
. It was only released as a live recording, on their album Alive & Well: Recorded in Paris
(recorded July 1977, released 1978). It is the last section of a suite of seven connecting songs which comprise the first side of the album, and is preceded by a short song titled "Puffin" which serves as an introduction to "Huffin".
The song is notable for its structure, and its function as a grand climax to the suite. The main part of the song is a fast paced riff
, a repeating pattern of notes that uses polyrhythm
s of high complexity. Although the riff fits into the song's 4/4 time signature
, it is sufficiently complex that, in order to follow the music, most listeners will need to memorize the riff and perceive the timing by the pattern, ignoring the time signature. It is likely that the musicians had to do the same.
The riff is performed by all members of the group, playing the melody in unison, except for the violin played by Ric Sanders
holding one high note. There are no other harmonies or counter-melodies; even the drummer beats out the notes of the melody. This is not too unusual for Soft Machine's music of this time, especially in the compositions of Karl Jenkins, and similar examples can be found throughout the album. Even in the group's earlier days, when it consisted of completely different personnel from the group that performs "Huffin", melody lines were often played by several instruments in unison, and the music sometimes experimented with deliberately unsynchronized unison (several instruments playing the same melody, but out of sync with each other, sometimes wandering several bars apart), as explored on "Hope for Happiness": the first track on their first album
, and on "Virtually" from their Fourth album. The sound of unison playing was also simulated on several songs from their Seven
album, by using a harmonizer to make one instrument sound like two, playing in unison. But rarely, if ever, have virtually all instruments limited themselves to playing one melody in unison.
After several repeats of the riff, the music switches into a one-chord 4/4 jam with John Etheridge
playing the lead solo on guitar. The music switches between the two sections, but the riff is now reprised by just bass and drums, and Etheridge performs a virtuoso solo on top, which is particularly impressive if it is improvised, as it appears to be.
In the second half of the song, the riff appears again, but the solo is now performed by Ric Sanders on violin. Although Sanders solos against the riff, his playing does not follow the timing of the riff for the most part (although there are a few short instances where it does), and he mostly performs free-form, ad libbing
outside of the music's timing.
About a minute from the end, the music suddenly switches to a new riff which also uses complex polyrhythms. The instrumentation is not as stringent as the first riff's, because in some parts, some instruments hold a sustained note while others continue the pattern. Aside from that, all instruments play the melody together, as was done for the first riff, including John Marshall
furiously beating out the timing on drums and cymbals, bringing the music to a sustained climax. The song ends on a final note which holds while Sanders plays an ascending flourish on violin.
Karl Jenkins
-Other works:*Adiemus: Live — live versions of Adiemus music*Palladio *Eloise *Imagined Oceans *The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace...
and performed by Soft Machine
Soft Machine
Soft Machine were an English rock band from Canterbury, named after the book The Soft Machine by William S. Burroughs. They were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene, and helped pioneer the progressive rock genre...
. It was only released as a live recording, on their album Alive & Well: Recorded in Paris
Alive & Well: Recorded in Paris
Alive & Well: Recorded in Paris is a 1978 release by the band Soft Machine. Mostly recorded live, during at 4-night residency at Paris' Théâtre Le Palace in July 1977, much of the album was later modified in the studio, with the track "Soft Space" being a completely studio recorded track released...
(recorded July 1977, released 1978). It is the last section of a suite of seven connecting songs which comprise the first side of the album, and is preceded by a short song titled "Puffin" which serves as an introduction to "Huffin".
The song is notable for its structure, and its function as a grand climax to the suite. The main part of the song is a fast paced riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
, a repeating pattern of notes that uses polyrhythm
Polyrhythm
Polyrhythm is the simultaneous sounding of two or more independent rhythms.Polyrhythm in general is a nonspecific term for the simultaneous occurrence of two or more conflicting rhythms, of which cross-rhythm is a specific and definable subset.—Novotney Polyrhythms can be distinguished from...
s of high complexity. Although the riff fits into the song's 4/4 time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
, it is sufficiently complex that, in order to follow the music, most listeners will need to memorize the riff and perceive the timing by the pattern, ignoring the time signature. It is likely that the musicians had to do the same.
The riff is performed by all members of the group, playing the melody in unison, except for the violin played by Ric Sanders
Ric Sanders
Richard 'Ric' Sanders is a British violinist who has played in jazz-rock, folk rock, electric folk and folk groups, including Soft Machine and Fairport Convention.-Biography:...
holding one high note. There are no other harmonies or counter-melodies; even the drummer beats out the notes of the melody. This is not too unusual for Soft Machine's music of this time, especially in the compositions of Karl Jenkins, and similar examples can be found throughout the album. Even in the group's earlier days, when it consisted of completely different personnel from the group that performs "Huffin", melody lines were often played by several instruments in unison, and the music sometimes experimented with deliberately unsynchronized unison (several instruments playing the same melody, but out of sync with each other, sometimes wandering several bars apart), as explored on "Hope for Happiness": the first track on their first album
The Soft Machine (album)
The Soft Machine, as reissue also titled "Volume One", is the debut album by the British psychedelic rock band Soft Machine, one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene....
, and on "Virtually" from their Fourth album. The sound of unison playing was also simulated on several songs from their Seven
Seven (Soft Machine album)
Seven is a 1973 album by the British progressive rock and jazz/fusion band Soft Machine who were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene...
album, by using a harmonizer to make one instrument sound like two, playing in unison. But rarely, if ever, have virtually all instruments limited themselves to playing one melody in unison.
After several repeats of the riff, the music switches into a one-chord 4/4 jam with John Etheridge
John Etheridge
John Michael Glyn Etheridge is a British jazz/fusion guitarist associated with the Canterbury Scene....
playing the lead solo on guitar. The music switches between the two sections, but the riff is now reprised by just bass and drums, and Etheridge performs a virtuoso solo on top, which is particularly impressive if it is improvised, as it appears to be.
In the second half of the song, the riff appears again, but the solo is now performed by Ric Sanders on violin. Although Sanders solos against the riff, his playing does not follow the timing of the riff for the most part (although there are a few short instances where it does), and he mostly performs free-form, ad libbing
Ad libitum
Ad libitum is Latin for "at one's pleasure"; it is often shortened to "ad lib" or "ad-lib"...
outside of the music's timing.
About a minute from the end, the music suddenly switches to a new riff which also uses complex polyrhythms. The instrumentation is not as stringent as the first riff's, because in some parts, some instruments hold a sustained note while others continue the pattern. Aside from that, all instruments play the melody together, as was done for the first riff, including John Marshall
John Marshall
John Marshall was the Chief Justice of the United States whose court opinions helped lay the basis for American constitutional law and made the Supreme Court of the United States a coequal branch of government along with the legislative and executive branches...
furiously beating out the timing on drums and cymbals, bringing the music to a sustained climax. The song ends on a final note which holds while Sanders plays an ascending flourish on violin.
Personnel
- John MarshallJohn Stanley MarshallJohn Stanley Marshall, better known as John Marshall, born 28 August 1941 in Isleworth, Middlesex, is an English drummer. He was a founding member of the jazz rock band Nucleus and has worked with various other jazz and rock bands and musicians, among them J.J...
– drums, percussion - Karl JenkinsKarl Jenkins-Other works:*Adiemus: Live — live versions of Adiemus music*Palladio *Eloise *Imagined Oceans *The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace...
– piano, electric keyboards, synthesizer - John EtheridgeJohn EtheridgeJohn Michael Glyn Etheridge is a British jazz/fusion guitarist associated with the Canterbury Scene....
– electric guitar - Ric SandersRic SandersRichard 'Ric' Sanders is a British violinist who has played in jazz-rock, folk rock, electric folk and folk groups, including Soft Machine and Fairport Convention.-Biography:...
– violin (credited as Rick Sanders) - Steve Cook – bass guitar