"Two Pages" with a layer of beats

[Dragon]

You may remember that, a while ago, I posted my own cover version of "Two Pages" by Philip Glass. I used FamiTracker to meticulously program every note, and the end result was a 8-bit piece of minimalism rendered even more hypnotic by the soft sound of the triangle wave.

 

A friend on WATMM, acidphakist listened to this work and suggested that I add some percussion to it. At first, I thought it was a crazy idea. You see, "Two Pages" was written using Eastern musical techniques, and it doesn't follow a consistent time signature. But recently, I have figured out a way to include a layer of percussion, and now I can present the first four minutes of Two Pages with an upbeat groove. Surprisingly, it still has hypnotic, minimalist qualities. And at the same time, it feels rhythmic and energetic.

 

However, I have encountered a problem in the development of this track. It took two and a half hours to synchronize the percussion with the original 8-bit cover. For some reason, the exact length of each note is not consistent, which I attribute to imperfections in the FamiTracker software. I had clear plans for how I would write the percussion, but as the bars repeated, they would drift out of synch with the 8-bit track. The below attachment was created by scanning through every second, making slight tweaks to the percussion to line it up with the 8-bit track (because the imperfections make the notes longer as well as shorter).

 

So I'm asking you, WATMM. Is there an easier way to add beats to Two Pages? I've written a bar of percussion that can repeat and change harmoniously with the bars of the original piece, the problem is getting a sample-perfect loop to match with an imperfect track created with FamiTracker. I'm sure you'll like this track, just think how awesome it would be if it was finished!

 

EDIT: OK, I've done some more work on this project and I have overcome this problem. I just had to use the BPM of the FamiTracker track to guide me. A complete version of Two Pages with a layer of percussion is on its way!

Two Pages With Beats, Part 1.mp3

[Dragon]

Finished! Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you a complete cover version of Two Pages with an added layer of percussion!

 

MegaUpload link (feel free to share): http://www.megaupload.com/?d=IXPOGO4I

 

EDIT: SoundCloud:

 

http://soundcloud.com/camicolusion/two-pages-with-beats

Two Pages With Percussion.mp3