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Coincidentally, I was just listening to Aja. I even had a bit of a conversation with Google AI about it. Me: Art Pop is one of my favourite genres, especially jazz-tinged art pop. There's something about those chord voicings that just "hits me where I live". I also really dig Voivod's Piggy Chords, and I just want to learn how they compose and incorporate those elements. A lot of my music (that I write) is audibly "melodic minor" to me, and I'd like to expand my palette. It: (Too long, don't read.) After which the conversation shifted to The Colourfield's "Castles in the Air" ("the perfect bridge between Steely Dan and melodic minor"). ...Where art pop differs from traditional straight-ahead jazz is the voicing architecture. Art pop often avoids standard, textbook jazz "shell voicings" (Root-3rd-7th) in favor of highly colorful, open-sounding structures where the melody line can sing out over a flurry of inner voice movement. Add9 and Mu Major Chords: Popularized by Steely Dan, a "mu major" chord is a major triad with an added 2nd (or 9th) voiced directly adjacent to the 3rd. Example: Instead of spelling C major 9 as C - E - G - B - D, voice a C(add9) as C - D - E - G. The second interval between D and E creates a beautiful, shimmering harmonic "blur" that anchors the art pop sound. Slash Chords (Poly-harmony): Art pop relies heavily on playing a clean triad in the upper register over a completely foreign bass note. This gives you jazz extensions without the clutter. Bb / C: A Bb major triad (Bb - D - F) over a C bass note. This instantly yields a C7sus4(9,13) sound—sleek, modern, and deeply reminiscent of late '70s art pop. G / C: A G major triad over a C bass note, creating a pure Cmaj9 feel with a wide, cinematic gap between the bass line and the upper melody...

The October Suite by Steve Kuhn (1967) https://open.qobuz.com/album/0060246544132 Example: On the edge of avant-garde from time to time, and rarely gets into a groove. But it is rewarding with absolutely lovely melodies and variations like the example. Gary known for his compositions and arrangements died 1971 (aged 38).