Watercolor - The Weirdest History...

The beginning...

Watercolor was born in the early of the 21st century.

Namely, at the very end of 2002.

I asked my friends before the New Year's Eve party, 'what if I mix a lot of song for fun and we play a little game? Who recognizes most, wins! A bottle of champagne, for example.' So, the game was performed.

Of course, that very first mix was not a Watercolor - it was simply an audio file containing small parts of certain songs with no interconnection or whatever inside. Still, Watercolor inherited something from this era. The mix was made for a party. For people with different tastes of music. So, we needed something from the last year, something from the 1960s, something main stream, etc. Because, every player had to have some chance to win. The selection system of the songs used in a Watercolor was decided in the very first mix. Also, when a Watercolor is presented, those who are there can play - and can win a bottle of champagne ^_^

The next two mixes were the same. I still remember that time - it took only a few hours to put it together.

The forth mix must have been exciting indeed - especially, because I neither have that mix nor can remember which songs were in it.

Then, the 5th and the 6th mix had something new. The first steps towards the "real" Watercolors.

More than a Game?

A year later - 31st. December, 2003 - two mixes were performed in the party. I wanted to do both of them earlier and while I was mixing them I started to have fun. First of all, a short block was created, in which small parts of certain tracks were used, and in every 8 or 16 beats a new song appeared. Like this: first one - second one - again, the first one - a third one - etc. I suppose, you've got the idea. (This part is called slicing).

Also, certain tracks were added as a background. Eg. a drum-loop layered "behind" certain songs. (Just like a Mashup but, in that year, Mashups were rarer.)

Though, both mixes were still far from the Watercolor, the basics appeared in them. So, at least, there were Watercolor-like parts inside.

At the Fall of 2004, the seventh mix was made. This time, I connected ALL the tracks, used layers, cross-fades, slicing. Making that music-puzzle game "sort-of-art" this time. After the game, a friend of mine said 'hey, man... it was more than a game. I'm not sure what's the point of it but it was something new. Weird.' This mix was not a Watercolor "by the rules" but it was the first one which "felt" like one.

The 8th mix was the first Watercolor of all times. By that time, not only the rules of the Watercolor were founded but the name itself as well. Watercolor got its name from the very same patchwork technique in which different but inter-connected pieces are used in order to create a whole picture. You know, the sum of the parts is more than the parts themselves. Ironically, the first Watercolor was never presented because there was no party to present it. Though, it had some success on the Internet, it almost slid into non-existence.

Watercolor was about to die - before it was truly born.

Reborn

Almost two years passed. Before a forthcoming summer-party I shown the only Watercolor existed at that time to a couple of new friends. They said perhaps I could try to create a new one.

So, Watercolor #9 was created in a rush. It was not the best one but it started something.

Watercolor #10 was expected by the few who were already familiar with the previous one. When it was presented, I still was not sure about the attitude of the party. Actually, #10 - Nymph Addict was a blast. Those, who were there can remember (though some of them deny it now) that it was something brand new, something which never happened before. That was the moment when I realized: a new kind of music was reborn.

From that one, in every year there were two Watercolors: one for the summer, one for the winter. #11 - Withershins was a party-raiser again, #12 - Rock and Spin part 1. cheered up many played on an event when everyone felt something... pressuring.

However, after the 13th one, yet again, something was changed.

More than Music?

At this point, listening back the previous Watercolors, I realized something inevitable: every Watercolor actually 'means' something. No surprise - since I'm not the cleverest one on the field - this was noticed by others before I got aware of it. So, the time of the 'concept Watercolors' arrived. From #14 - The Time!, every Watercolor had a kind of 'message' (or effect?) inside, and this is happening in the recent Space/Time...

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