B..D..C..Eb.Bb.F#.C#.E..Ab.G..F..A.
Ab.F#.A..E..C..G..Bb.D..C#.B..Eb.F.
Ab.C..A..Bb.F#.G..E..D..B..C#.F..Eb
C..Eb.Bb.F#.C#.E..D..F..G..B..A..Ab
The next step after figuring out the self-similar contour idea is to choose a slow-moving array of chords. This sounds down a 4th, so it all works with a sounding E pedal tone, which will be heard sometimes, sometimes not -- all except the ninth chord, which doesn't work with written A, sounding E. It's a cycle.
This is derived from the 12-tone version of the self-similar arrays posted above.
These chords may sound literally like slow chords, or be articulated some other way, or not sound at all -- only imply/determine a harmonic framework.
The chords/voices are designed so that the voices can be staggered in various ways and still sound good.
I've used this idea before. Accepting that I have few new ideas is the only way to keep working. It's what I do.
The strange thing about a harmonic framework/chord progression like this is that the actual sound result -- when fleshed out -- can sound lush or strident, happy or creepy, depending on what the top layers are doing.
It's more than an abstraction, less than a foreground thing. Right now I don't know whether these chords will be heard once over ten minutes, or multiple times.
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