Hey!

Here's a nice little ditty about ennui called:"mess".

http://www.phreque.com/~sleek/mess.mp3

It's all seventies...or modern...could be F.Mac, could be Seals and Crofts, could be B.D. Boy, could be David Gray(On a low mucous day...)

...no electric guitars!

The crap:
Guits:My crap yamaha
Strings:Bs-1 and symphonic strings soundfont
Drums: Rm3
Rhodes: MDA e-piano
organ on choruses: B4
Vibes on prechoruses: Bs-1 + soundfont

+The usual fx, and the mighty cubase 3.72.

Please lemme know what you think of this one!

-S.M.

I like it.

Great guitar work, great singing.

The thing I like most is how everything is mixed. Nice and clear, every sound is distinct and blends nicely.

I noticed your profile says you're in Hollywood. Makes sense; this song just reminds me so much of southern california. It's got that LA laziness charm about it (thanks to the lyrics and the overall mood).


Good stuff!

Aside from being a good tune, I think it needs a little more polish on the mix. I think the biggest challenge is too much low end mud (250-350hz) and not enough high end sizzle (3-5khz).

When the backup vocals come in, the main vocal low end gets muddy. Consider cutting back on the low and going for a "breathy" sound. You may even consider doing this for the main vocal too.

I dont hear much high end percussion, which isnt a bad thing. However, the acoustic guitar(s) could be made to be the tempo keeper. If anything, its got too much low, but you could also go for a smooth, glass acoustic sound that highlights the constant 8th note rhythms you are playing. There are a lot of groups that used acoustic guitar rhythms to reference for that sound (ie Eagles, Tom Petty).

Once these are in place, the drums may need a bit more sizzle too. At the risk of changing the style, the drumkit may sound better played with a brush stick. You may even consider adding ghost snare notes.

Sleek, don't listen to Hardy. The mix sounds great for this style. I love the sound of your vocals on this one, you sound so mellow. The song is ok, not great, but who am I to criticize though. The only thing I don't like is the Rhodes thing in the end. Keep up the good work!

Nice sound there sleek! I like the guitar parts quite a bit, but I'd ditch most of the rhodes sound for a cheezy organ, or at least throw one in there somewhere! (but keep the rhodes solo, it's pretty cool)
and deep philosophical lyrics too!

I'm very impressed by the overall quality of your song, this is excellent work ! Beautiful voice !
I like the short modulations at 0:58, 2:06, ...etc.
But IMHO your guitar and piano choruses are too prosaic/simple. I'd really like a more virtuoso/jazzy line here (especially for the rhodes...).
Congrats !

Great tune. Intro almost sounds like classic shadows . Moody Bluesey song? Oh shit this IS Justin, no it's Sleek....Mmmm..Oh shit...Sleek IS Justin

good cruise music
nice day ... sunrooftop
birds whistling
a sweet thin air

good job on recording the guitar
it sounds full
don`t cut off any off the low freq.
you managed to have a good full baseline
and guitar section without lows getting muddy

the piano is a bit static ... the way you play these parts remind me of the doors.

very relaxing groove .. i like it.
good singing as well.

Don't listen to me. It's not like anyone ever praises my productions.

Oh wait, that's the only thing people ever praise.

Do what you want; those are my comments and I would try them if it was my song. I dont think I have to say the mix suggestions may or may not work for you, but some people like to preface with that because they automatically assume you are against them and an ass of an unequivocal sort if you dont.

Your mileage may vary, consider the source, etc. Whatever you do, I like the song. "Moody Blues" is a good description. Have peace and all that.

100% agreed, this is a gorgeous track & mix. It would sound nice if the strings had more reverb to spread them out a bit & you definitely *could* get away with adding more sizzle to the hihats & cymbals, but these are creative options as opposed to be being things you need to fix (you should have no problem impressing a record company with the mix as you have it now). To be honest, the string sound is pretty damn cheezy, but it doesn't matter to the bigger scope of things.

very nice guitarplaying and singin'! Think I have to learn how to play the guitar myself to add some "life" to my songs...
Overall a very enjoyable song.
great work!

cheers, per

La la la...

Thanks for the overall positive responses!

Nick C wrote:

this song just reminds me so much of southern california. It's got that LA laziness charm about it

You haven't heard my other stuff, eh?

Uncle E wrote:

you should have no problem impressing a record company with the mix as you have it now

Hah! I won't be doing that. Being posted here (and at my website), is about all of the exposure any of these will ever get.

Quote:

To be honest, the string sound is pretty damn cheezy

What should I do about that? I like the overall sound, but wouldn't mind a better quality "big string" sound...I am pretty much limited to soundfonts, though...

svante wrote:

The song is ok, not great, but who am I to criticize though.

Actually, you're svante, eh? You make some of the best sounding stuff I ever hear here. I'd be interested to hear in more depth why you don't care for the song, though...is it structure? Not enough changes, or just not your thing?

polly wrote:

But IMHO your guitar and piano choruses are too prosaic/simple. I'd really like a more virtuoso/jazzy line here (especially for the rhodes...).

Well, on the rhodes, that's about all I'm capable of. If somebody wants to post a midi file of an alternate solo, I'll try plopping that in...come on, any keygeeks oot there???

bh wrote:

Sleek IS Justin

I have no idea what you're talking about...good name, though.

PU wrote:

good cruise music nice day ... sunrooftop

Cool. I'm glad that came across...that's what I was going for...

hardy wrote:

Don't listen to me.

I'm sorry, I can't hear you...can you speak up?

Quote:

"Moody Blues" is a good description.

Damn! I didn't even think of them...pretty apt...I was hoping for a more psychedelic America or Seals and Crofts...

Anyone else?

-S.Mmmmmmmmmmm...sausagey.....

I can't help you Sleek : I wouldn't change a thing and I like every piece of it !! ( bummer ! )

Yo Sleek, I listened to this a few times - but I gotta go out for a while so I'll write you a little blurb when I'm done my running around...

I like the slide and solo acoustic git breaks though...

More to follow...............................................

pretty good.

i liked the Slide guitar bit


the stringz sounded synthi, but I bet its deliberate

I like the tune,well done!
I hear a "tex/mex"style emerging.Considering that,
if I were to change something I would drop the string sound in the first verse...but leave it in the intro.Then bring it back in the chorus.Change the vibraphone to a strat/tele sound with a single slapback,and if possible, tremelo bar pitch drops like the guitar in the intro.

Any other changes would be to make it sound more indigenous to the "tex/mex"sound, for continuity.

Couldn't bastard sleep, I'm sure my weekend exertions of clubbing, beer etc have laid me low!

Anyways, this is supercool slicker! Bit of Pulp in there and SPACE too (90s scouser band if you never heard of em), and also a bit of 70s laidback Jackson Browne etc stuff. I quite like the synthy string sound, but if you're looking for a more real string sound for nowt try the sampletank free ones, particulary, 'staccato string orchestra' (the bugger sounds lovely but its programmed with no release hardly at all on it so you have to layer it with something else), and 'pop violins' aint bad either (does what it says on the tin!).

Les the monk, fecking great choon!

A couple observations - Hardy is right about the cloudiness (I brought my protective headgear for the backlash) - I can hear it too... Probably and mostly the eq from my media player though and not the mix itself - it can stand to be thinned out a little in the muddy areas but, whatever..... It works fine as it is - but you could focus in on the minutia and polish all the little things up if you wanted to.

Guits, bass, and drums all sound perfect for the style. I think the Moody Blues influence comes from the string sound and the vocal harmonies...

I find the drums especially refreshing - they're not out in front and gobbling up attention - just quietly and firmly keeping the beat - great sound.

Funny enough, my favourite part of your singing is right at the end when you start to put the passion in the words... "And I know it's been a long, been a long time but I'm still down".... Nice.

Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeek, I dig it man.

Good shit.

And no demo CD being shopped??? wtf you doing man?

donkey tugger wrote:

I quite like the synthy string sound, but if you're looking for a more real string sound for nowt try the sampletank free ones, particulary, 'staccato string orchestra' (the bugger sounds lovely but its programmed with no release hardly at all on it so you have to layer it with something else), and 'pop violins' aint bad either (does what it says on the tin!).

have you tried the Free Strings over at
http://kontakt.daw-mac.com/orchestral.html

The DT's wrote:

Bit of Pulp in there and SPACE too

Oooooh. Pulp. Somehow I didn't think of it...the vocal sound definitely goes there...on those songs where it sounds like Jarvis mumbling inconcievably filthy things in some girl's (I hope!) ear...I take it the Space ref. is from the vibraphone...

Quote:

I quite like the synthy string sound, but if you're looking for a more real string sound

Ahh...the strings..I d'led the ones Marco posted, but I'm not sure what to do with them. I don't have kontakt...what else could I use these with?

I actually like the overall string sound, but I would like to have the same thing only better...(The loop sounds artificial on high notes especially)...more stereo spread would be cool, too...but I like the "driftyness" of these.

When do we get the no-brainer "MDA Strings" module??

res wrote:

And no demo CD being shopped??? wtf you doing man?

Nah. Don't need the aggravation. As it is, it's a nice little song. Why turn it into a failure?

Besides, I think I'm too diverse. Whereas I like albums that sound like compilations of different artists, how do you sell that to people who want to hear 12 little versions of only one well defined idea? (I mean label peeps, not the public...the public loves compilations...)

PP wrote:

I can't help you Sleek : I wouldn't change a thing and I like every piece of it !! ( bummer ! )

Bastard!!!!! You rotten bastard!

Again, thanks for all of the feedback.

Who has other ideas on those strings? That (and a bit of e.q.) seem to be the only caveats so far.

...unless you listen to hardy, and who does that???

Oh! And I'm serious about the rhodes solo. If somebody who can really play sends me a midi file of a solo, I'll try it out for sure!


-S.m.

Sleek Monk wrote:

I think I'm too diverse. Whereas I like albums that sound like compilations of different artists, how do you sell that to people who want to hear 12 little versions of only one well defined idea? (I mean label peeps, not the public...the public loves compilations...)

Sell compilations direct to your fans. You do have fans, dont you? If you dont, then pimp, er, promote yourself to mutate normal people into fans.

Or you could compile your stylisitically similar music into multiple groups and whore them to seperate (or same) music sloths, er, "labels" and let them pimp for you... for a fee. You don't even need to be the same artist name.

But what do I know? I'm just a little, old farming peasant.

realmarco wrote:

have you tried the Free Strings over at http://kontakt.daw-mac.com/orchestral.html

Nice link, many thanx.

Tim

Not bad sleek!!! I was expecting metal though!!!

At first I though I was listening to Chris Isaak

IMHO, try re-recording the vocals again... Your off key a couple of times... Just trying to help you out man!

later,

Michael

a bastard!!! wrote:

you could compile your stylisitically similar music into multiple groups and whore them to seperate (or same) music sloths

Ugh! Too much work! I thought about that...I was gonna use Sleek Month for all of the heavy electronica, and my real name, Oliver Closeoff for my "real" stuff, and Clark Superpussy for my more feminine "acoustic" side.

Too much, though. I'd rather just do something with 17 songs in 18 styles under 1 name...

another bastard wrote:

Your off key a couple of times

Off key!!! Bastard!!!

...naw. I know they go off a bit here and there, but...you know, it's just rock 'n' roll...really mellow rock 'n' roll...

Still no rhodes solos!

Bastards!

-S.M.

Kinda late reply - didn't find the time to care about anything up here the last weeks, but the link won't work any longer, Mr.Sleek.
Would've liked to listen.

Sascha

I've got it here...it might've been a server thing...give it another shot.

-S.M.

Just retried, it's working now. Maybe some comments later on.

Cheers,
Sascha