Letters From The Frontline (melodic & moody track)

[Kraku]

Melodic and moody track. Made in two evenings.

Letters From The Frontline

All comments are welcome.

[Oopfoo]

This is a good beginning effort.

My take:

First and foremost, it's just too "robotic." There is little variation in your dynamics, your attacks, your timing, your samples. It really comes across as computer-generated. Consider varying your quantization, your velocities, and mixing up the drums a bit--timing variations, some fills. You want to loosen it up, to make it something human that will allow the melody to flow. Then, take the melody, and tear it apart. You have a straight-line dynamic here, which makes your nice melody become listless and boring. Consider the motion of your song, and make the dynamics of the melody move about, climbing for peaks and subsiding for the valleys.

Second, consider your sample set. It's not awful, but it's a very straight lead you've set upon your melody. Does a guitar, a vocalist, a horn player NEVER vary their tone? Consider what you can do to vary your filters, think about a bit of portamento....do ANYTHING to loosen it up and make it SING.

I like the track. You have some good ideas, which are reminiscent of some Blue Man Group tunes like Exhibit 13. Loosen it up and make it speak for YOU, and you've got a winner. Make sure to bring it back!

Good luck!
-Foo

[Kraku]

I have to agree 100% with everything you say. This is why my next step is to try to recreating this song with a real band (singer, guitar, bass, drums). Let's see what happens