52:02 by ChristianLeBlanc
Consciously tried keeping the music from sounding too 'cluttered,' based on what Josh said about '01.' For instance, I thought I was more frugal with that little 'beep' noise thing than I would have been otherwise. Thanks Josh! :)
Vocally, I was trying out a deeper, Deadsy-like vocal style, but ended up chickening out and relegating it to background vocal. Vocals didn't quite match up for background vocal purposes, so it's hard to make it out sometimes, I feel. I also think the vocals would have worked together better if I tried singing different notes, instead of just singing each line in a different octave.
I did try a bit of eq on the vocals, but no compression yet (I'll experiment more with that another time).
I think that this sounds a lot more like a song introduction than anything else, but that's alright. One of my goals is to get better at structuring, and I think that this helps.
Also: I don't think this sounds too bad with headphones (or good speakers), but just listening to it in mono from my laptop speakers, it sounds a lot like muddled crap :) I should try keeping that in mind in my mixes for the future.
And finally, just curious to hear anyone's opinion on rhyme schemes. I've noticed that I tend to go for an 'A A A A' rhyme scheme like below a lot because I think it's somehow harder to come up with, but I'm not so sure. Any comments on that would be appreciated.
"A wicked sense of levitation
The only way I've found salvation
Crying for the last temptation
Feeling like a lost castration
Healing from the deprivation
Picking at the infestation
Cannot stop this dire gestation
From happening again"
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Well, I don't really feel qualified to give much feedback/criticism about any technical aspects of music because I'm not a musician. Any opinion I have comes from the "I don't know if it's art but I know what I like" camp. So, take whatever I say with a huge chunk of driveway salt! ;)
ReplyDeleteSo all I would say is my first impression was kind of Bauhaus (more than Deadsy). The vocals are a bit lamenting & spooky (in a good way). In response to that, I was kind of expecting a dark, growly kind of electric guitar riff instead of the synthy "do-do-de-do" (see, told you I'm no musician!) But maybe that would have been too grungy & you were going for something less cliche & more unexpected? For me the "beep" keeps the atmosphere confined to a 2D Castlevania video game instead of a nightclub full of vampires. I'm just thinking "darker".
Cool track. I immediately noticed the stereo separation of all the rhythm sounds. I especially thought it was cool how you had the hi hat panned hard right. I've learned that spreading sounds out like this really helps to give a song a more "full" sound. I also like how it immediately starts out very dramatic and maintains that mood. This reminded me a lot of stuff the band Japan would have done. I can easily imagine David Sylvain singing this tune.
ReplyDeleteI did have a hard time hearing your vocals. I don't know if this is simply a volume issue, or if it was due to generous echo. Or it may even be my computer speakers, which are pretty lacklustre to say the least! In terms of you liking the "A A A A" rhyme scheme, whatever works for you, I say go for it. If this scheme makes you feel the most comfortable, don't be afraid to use it. I often think of something David Lee Roth once said: "if it sounds good, it IS good". :)
I like the music (including the bleepy do-do-de-do part. that sort of stuff really appeals to me, actually.)
ReplyDeleteHave to agree with Gary on the vocals. I wouldn't have known what you were saying had I not read the lyrics here first. Also, there is a noticeable difference in volume level when you say the last line "From happening again." I still recommend compression on your vocals (this will boost your too-quiet parts, and tame your too-loud parts.) The vocals before the last line did sound muffled and muddy. Maybe you could find a main chunk of the frequency your voice is using, then use your EQ to low-cut and high-cut the rest that you don't need. Your mic seems to be picking up more than just your voice; a gate can help with that. I know I talk about vocals a lot, but I truly believe a well recorded vocal track is really what makes a song sound good.
Josh/theVoid/INItial.ize
C.S. Graves
ReplyDeleteSame issue with the vocals, and other than that I could only say perhaps add a little more dynamism to some of the instrumentation, the toms could maybe start softer and build to a stronger sound at the end of each line, and maybe vary the amplitude of the hats upwards and downwards each bar for a touch of vertigo.