colors comming from music
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Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
Forum Description: Discuss specific prog bands and their members or a specific sub-genre
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=20720
Printed Date: March 12 2025 at 21:10
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Topic: colors comming from music
Posted By: stan the man
Subject: colors comming from music
Date Posted: March 23 2006 at 22:16
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Hey guys this is Stan I was recently listening to Suppers Ready and Isle of Everywhere. When I was listening to these songs different thoughts came to head. The songs were so atmospheric that they evoked images and colors. For example during Supper's ready the color yellow and honey came to mind. I have no idea why. During Isle of Everywhere i thought of the color blue and mist and clouds during the evening. Does this ever happen to you guys or am I the only one? ------------- true as a lobster in a pteredaktyl's underpants. 
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Replies:
Posted By: Bern
Date Posted: March 23 2006 at 22:18
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Not really a color but when I listen to Atom Heart Mother (the track), I always picture myself in a jungle expedition.
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RIP in bossa nova heaven. |
Posted By: stan the man
Date Posted: March 23 2006 at 22:21
 Or a sunny side up egg. ------------- true as a lobster in a pteredaktyl's underpants.
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Bern wrote:Posted By: The Miracle
Date Posted: March 23 2006 at 22:21
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I get an image of a submarine sinking in an icy ocean when listening to Echoes.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/ocellatedgod" rel="nofollow - last.fm |
Posted By: The Ryan
Date Posted: March 23 2006 at 22:23
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That's strange. I take the space route, as if I'm roaming around alone in cold and vast emptiness. |
Posted By: NetsNJFan
Date Posted: March 23 2006 at 22:28
I always picture a rolling German Panzer tank during the song Prologue by Gentle Giant, especially the beggining, don't ask why... ------------- 
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Posted By: darren
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 01:25
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You are not alone. There is a story of Joni Mitchell asking a group of studio musicians if they can sound more orange. She couldn't read music (self taught), didn't know musical terms and thought everybody thought of music in terms of colour. I sometimes think of certain sounds in terms of colour. Sometimes colour makes me think of certain sounds. ------------- "they locked up a man who wanted to rule the world. the fools they locked up the wrong man." - Leonard Cohen |
Posted By: Gaston
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 01:41
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Sometimes after my buddies give me something to drink I see colours when listening to music. I think the Kool-aid man puts something in it. I should stop drinking Kool-aid. Oh yeah!  Gaston -------------  
It's the same guy. Great minds think alike. |
Posted By: Zac M
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 01:45
 Why only one color, when you can have all of them .------------- "Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression." -Merleau-Ponty |
Posted By: Pafnutij
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 02:51
| That's called synaesthesia, I believe. Some people automatically associate music with colors. |
Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 04:36
Yes, the phenomenon is called synaesthesia. Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov was a synaesthesist, for example. -------------  BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: Joren
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 04:45
I believe many people are synaesthesists, but not all of them have it in the same way or to the same degree. Some associate music with colours, others with tastes. I once heard that it has something to do with the fact that when your a baby (or maybe even an embryo), all your senses are linked together. Then when you grow up, these links disappear. But not with all people: the synaesthesists. 
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Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 04:49
Yes, and others associate music with tactile sensations. "This music is round and prickly, don't you hear it?" ------------- BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: int_2375
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 06:13
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Judging from your towelie avatar, I bet you were high, weren't you? Anyway, yeah, I know what you mean. I'm no synaesthesist, but I will definitely tend to associate images with songs... for PF's Echoes I always imagine a giant black spaceship in the sky called "The Albatross"... with Meshuggah I always imagine what an H.R. Giger landscape painting would look like and with Lustmord I definitely get the vibe of a spooky dark town peace |
Posted By: Space Chief
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 20:14
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I've always had Synthesia or whatever its called. "Cassandra Geminni" is a very deep shade of red, while "Close To The Edge" is a mixture of blue and green. I've always seen the "Da-da-da-dum" from "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" to be four black dots over a green background. Yes, I know I'm crazy.
I feel like a superhero now. ------------- 
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Posted By: eddietrooper
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 20:28
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You all have to stop taking drugs, folks...
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Posted By: Rust
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 20:33
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Close to the Edge is green all the way. And You and I is a beautiful metallic blue. Siberian Khatru is a shimmering Orange, mixed with light shades of yellow. Sysyphus is red to reflect the deep anger of Hell. Grantchester Meadows is a lively brown, and always puts a picture of a sundown over a small pond where people go to relax. Several Speices is all brown and you don't even want to know what images are put into my head from this song. The Narrow Way Pt. 1 shows me of a wonderful countryside, running through endless rows of hay. Pt. 2 is outer space ofcourse Pt. 3 is blue and black. Grand Vizier's Garden Party is all black, and the flute parts are pure white. ------------- We got to pump the stuff to make us tough from the heart Its astart What we need is awareness we cant get careless Mental self defensive fitness Make everybody see in order to fight the powers that be |
Posted By: stan the man
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 20:37
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Wow I guess I have that. ------------- true as a lobster in a pteredaktyl's underpants.
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Posted By: stan the man
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 20:41
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Pink Floyd i find to be blue or orange quite often. (Pink Floys can be very very atmospheric) I have just heard Gong and i seem to think they are blue and green. Yes is defenatly green by far. Genesis is light yellow. Jethro Tull is also defenatly green but a different kind of green then Yes. More earthy And King Crimson is red. (maybe the band's name contributes but when i hear Larks' Tongues In Aspic is is defenatly red.
------------- true as a lobster in a pteredaktyl's underpants.
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Posted By: Rust
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 21:05
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I'm listening to Wondrous Stories right now, and there is no doubt that it is purple. ------------- We got to pump the stuff to make us tough from the heart Its astart What we need is awareness we cant get careless Mental self defensive fitness Make everybody see in order to fight the powers that be |
Posted By: stan the man
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 21:11
 ^ I associate ELP with green and purple often. ------------- true as a lobster in a pteredaktyl's underpants.
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Posted By: Flyingsod
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 22:12
Nice to know there is a name for it. Gives me something to look up. I have always had mental images and colors in my head when I hear sounds.. I'm one of them I guess. But I guess we all have it differently and in varying degrees. For instance, I really don't understand associating a single color to a whole album, And a single color to a whole band blows me away, To me that would be like saying Tresspass sounds like a guitar. It doesn't sound like a guitar it sounds like all the insruments. That's what I see when I hear things. Each note of each instrument has an image. The sounds don't just invoke images of real world things. I get that too, like when a certain music makes me imagine a royal procession or a thief in the night. That's the emotional response to the music as a whole. I think it's great when a piece is powerfull enough to do that, that's what makes music awesome. Along with that though each sound has an image in my head. an undescribable image. its not just music either, all sounds do it. It's not so bad with me that its invasive.. I can pretty much ignore it at any time (luckily). It's very stong and enjoyable with music though. I' m pretty sure this is one of the things that has drawn me so powerfully to music. On another note, this one time..just once, Things I saw with my eyes had noise in my head. That was an 'induced' experience though. Man was it cool, I was creating this kick ass Grand majestic music in my head just by looking at different things in rapid succession. So short answer... yeah I see colors :) |
Posted By: lightbulb_son
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 23:20
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interesting topic some songs trigger memories for me and from others i get very distinct scenes for example when i listen to the intro of storm (when the drums start) by GYBE! i picture a funeral at the end of a movie where the camera starts out with everyone walking away from the grave and then slowly elevates and fades out (I have no clue why) ------------- When the world is sick Can't no one be well But I dreamt we were all beautiful and strong 
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Posted By: lightbulb_son
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 23:21
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btw didnt pt have a song called that "synaesthesia" on stars die?
------------- When the world is sick Can't no one be well But I dreamt we were all beautiful and strong
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Posted By: Mr. Krinkle
Date Posted: March 24 2006 at 23:40
| it happens to me that the colour i imagine when listening to a song/album is always influenced (or mostly) by the dominant colour of the cover and album art. And at the end i think it was the band's purpose to put it that way, a colour that could match their songs. |
Posted By: Rosescar
Date Posted: March 25 2006 at 10:25
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Yep. Some songs make me think of colours - Epitaph of a red-brown
colour, In The Land Of Grey And Pink of, well... pink and green. The
list goes on - often certain bands make me think of a certain colour
very often.
------------- http://www.soundclick.com/rosescar/ - My music! "THE AUDIENCE WERE generally drugged. (In Holland, always)." - Robert Fripp |
Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: March 25 2006 at 11:11
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Ease up on the "vitamin A" there, folks!
------------- "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. |
Posted By: Dr Know
Date Posted: March 25 2006 at 19:27
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Queensryche is dark green, an almost blackish green at times! Listen to Queen of the Reich on headphones, eyes closed....whew! |
Posted By: Zepology101
Date Posted: March 25 2006 at 20:06
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Interesting topic. I'm not sure, I don't reslly see colors in my head when I hear songs. but i DO some times get the picture I'm flying through space or something when I listen to astronomy dominie. Thats probably because my brother used windows movie maker to make a psychedelic music video of the song, lol, it was pretty funny. It was awesome! Trust me!
------------- 
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Posted By: chamberry
Date Posted: March 25 2006 at 20:16
Wow, that must have been one hell of a trip you went there When I listen to post-rock and ambient (Eno, EITS, Sigur Ros, GY!BE etc.) I asociate pictures and images instead of colors. Dreamy landscapes and beautiful sounds are only part of the ride  and no need for drugs.------------- 
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Posted By: stan the man
Date Posted: May 26 2006 at 22:36
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Cygnus from hemespheres is a very orange song. If that opening chord isnt orange i dont know what is. Genesis music is really yellow. and long farm fields come to mind.
When i hear yes i always imagine huge trees the size of sky scrapers with huge pteredaktyls flying around.
Porcupine tree reminds me of laying down and chilling out without a care in the world. ------------- true as a lobster in a pteredaktyl's underpants.
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Posted By: MustShaveBeard
Date Posted: May 27 2006 at 21:26
I'm usually the same way. Sometimes I think I like the album less only because I don't like the color of the cover (Thick as a Brick, for example).
One of the weirdest color associations for me, though, is KC's "Book of Saturdays" which for some reason reminds me of orange and black (And therefore it reminds me of Halloween
 )Gates of Delirium is definitely an alien like green (the cover of CTTE would fit a lot more for this, I think. The Relayer cover has nothing to do with the song or the rest of the album; it's sci-fi, not fantasy!) "Soon", however, I imagine a beautiful red sky over a pond on another planet, and an alien playing guitar in the pond. ------------- Your life or your lupins!!! |
Posted By: bamba
Date Posted: May 27 2006 at 21:31
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Jack The Ripper Univers Zero Totally black also a little bit of Red ------------- Learning Flute [Amigo de Manticore y Memowakeman] (primo)[IMG]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2187/2437702285_fbb450500d_o.jpg |