Wagtunes - 2020 RPM Challenge

[wagtunes]

Wags I would love to see you doing track on the more hardcore side of the musical spectrum with screaming. Something like Corey Taylor does in Slipknot or Marilyn Manson . Either here or on your main topic, it would be great. I just wonder how it would work out since most of the songs I hear from you aren't very aggressive and stick more around the softer side of music. Not that it's bad, certainly not, but I just wonder how the rock or metal yelling/screaming with heavy arrangement would sound coming from you.

What do you think? If you haven't done it before, it would be an occasion to challenge yourself even more (and additionaly destroy vocal cords hehe).

Unfortunately, I can't do the yelling stuff. My throat has too many problems. But yeah, songs like that would be cool I guess. They're just not for me.

[ProfessionalTom]

Wags I would love to see you doing track on the more hardcore side of the musical spectrum with screaming. Something like Corey Taylor does in Slipknot or Marilyn Manson . Either here or on your main topic, it would be great. I just wonder how it would work out since most of the songs I hear from you aren't very aggressive and stick more around the softer side of music. Not that it's bad, certainly not, but I just wonder how the rock or metal yelling/screaming with heavy arrangement would sound coming from you.

What do you think? If you haven't done it before, it would be an occasion to challenge yourself even more (and additionaly destroy vocal cords hehe).

Unfortunately, I can't do the yelling stuff. My throat has too many problems. But yeah, songs like that would be cool I guess. They're just not for me.

Oh ok, I get it. How about rap, then? Overally I don't like rap but my motto would be: good rap is good.

[wagtunes]

Wags I would love to see you doing track on the more hardcore side of the musical spectrum with screaming. Something like Corey Taylor does in Slipknot or Marilyn Manson . Either here or on your main topic, it would be great. I just wonder how it would work out since most of the songs I hear from you aren't very aggressive and stick more around the softer side of music. Not that it's bad, certainly not, but I just wonder how the rock or metal yelling/screaming with heavy arrangement would sound coming from you.

What do you think? If you haven't done it before, it would be an occasion to challenge yourself even more (and additionaly destroy vocal cords hehe).

Unfortunately, I can't do the yelling stuff. My throat has too many problems. But yeah, songs like that would be cool I guess. They're just not for me.

Oh ok, I get it. How about rap, then? Overally I don't like rap but my motto would be: good rap is good.

I did a lo-fi hip hop song called "Mashed Potatoes" that you can check out.

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim/mashed-potatoes

[ProfessionalTom]

Haha sounds cool I didn't know about this one. The lady's voice in background gave it a nice lofi vibe (beside other elements in the mix).

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

This is another good one. The sparse production works well.

I sorta thought you were going to attempt to take your newfound approach and try to use it for this month's challenge...after all we know you can write 10 songs in a month...that would not be much of a challenge for you. The challenge comes from trying something we are not as comfortable with and taking it to a new level, in this case, at least for me, 10+ vocal songs in a month is a huge undertaking.

I think you have succeeded in part with this track: the harmonies are a great add-in, good chord progression. The solo could use a little more variety, but it still works.

Keep it up. Since you got time left in the month, consider some "going all out" goodness for the last few! It will tie your project up nicely, and get you back in the swing you were in!

Technically-speaking, the challenge really is only about recording (And preferably writing) and producing an album within the month of February. It is not necessary to add the extra challenge of doing something not normally in your wheelhouse Of course, there's nothing wrong with amping up the personal difficulty. (I've not recorded a piece of music in about four years, so if this challenge helps me get one out of the door, I'll view it as a personal success )

If I had Wags' capabilities, I'd motor through the songs in the first ten days, thus taking all chances of failure-to-complete off the table. Then I'd spend the rest of the month refining and finessing.

[wagtunes]

This is another good one. The sparse production works well.

I sorta thought you were going to attempt to take your newfound approach and try to use it for this month's challenge...after all we know you can write 10 songs in a month...that would not be much of a challenge for you. The challenge comes from trying something we are not as comfortable with and taking it to a new level, in this case, at least for me, 10+ vocal songs in a month is a huge undertaking.

I think you have succeeded in part with this track: the harmonies are a great add-in, good chord progression. The solo could use a little more variety, but it still works.

Keep it up. Since you got time left in the month, consider some "going all out" goodness for the last few! It will tie your project up nicely, and get you back in the swing you were in!

Technically-speaking, the challenge really is only about recording (And preferably writing) and producing an album within the month of February. It is not necessary to add the extra challenge of doing something not normally in your wheelhouse Of course, there's nothing wrong with amping up the personal difficulty. (I've not recorded a piece of music in about four years, so if this challenge helps me get one out of the door, I'll view it as a personal success )

If I had Wags' capabilities, I'd motor through the songs in the first ten days, thus taking all chances of failure-to-complete off the table. Then I'd spend the rest of the month refining and finessing.

Which is actually an excellent idea. The problem for me is that after I am done with these 10 songs, which I am hoping will be soon, I will be so sick of all this that the last thing I'd want to do is go back and refine. That's another fault of mine that I have to somehow learn to deal with.

[wagtunes]

Haha sounds cool I didn't know about this one. The lady's voice in background gave it a nice lofi vibe (beside other elements in the mix).

There's probably a lot of stuff of mine you're not aware of. But that's for another thread and another time.

Thanks for the listen and the feedback.

[wagtunes]

8th track finished. 2 to go.

Did my best to emulate the 60s Wrecking Crew arrangements. Sounds better in stereo but doesn't sound as 60s so I did it in mono where it sounds more 60s.

Can You Keep A Secret

I got something to tell you
Don't want anybody else to know
You gotta promise me girl now
Cause I got something I have to show

Can you keep a secret
Can you zip your lip
Can you keep a secret
You just make me flip
My heart beats much faster
When you do what you do
Can you keep a secret
I love you

I've been dying to tell you
And I've been trying so hard to say
But the words don't come easy
And they get harder everyday

Repeat Chorus

We can keep it between us
Keep it from the whole world
We can keep it between us
That you're my girl

Instrumental Break

Repeat Chorus

Outro

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim ... p-a-secret

[donkey tugger]

This is another good one. The sparse production works well.

I sorta thought you were going to attempt to take your newfound approach and try to use it for this month's challenge...after all we know you can write 10 songs in a month...that would not be much of a challenge for you. The challenge comes from trying something we are not as comfortable with and taking it to a new level, in this case, at least for me, 10+ vocal songs in a month is a huge undertaking.

I think you have succeeded in part with this track: the harmonies are a great add-in, good chord progression. The solo could use a little more variety, but it still works.

Keep it up. Since you got time left in the month, consider some "going all out" goodness for the last few! It will tie your project up nicely, and get you back in the swing you were in!

Technically-speaking, the challenge really is only about recording (And preferably writing) and producing an album within the month of February. It is not necessary to add the extra challenge of doing something not normally in your wheelhouse Of course, there's nothing wrong with amping up the personal difficulty. (I've not recorded a piece of music in about four years, so if this challenge helps me get one out of the door, I'll view it as a personal success )

If I had Wags' capabilities, I'd motor through the songs in the first ten days, thus taking all chances of failure-to-complete off the table. Then I'd spend the rest of the month refining and finessing.

Which is actually an excellent idea. The problem for me is that after I am done with these 10 songs, which I am hoping will be soon, I will be so sick of all this that the last thing I'd want to do is go back and refine. That's another fault of mine that I have to somehow learn to deal with.

It's always a much better 'fault' to have than never actually finishing anything...

When I'm on a roll (i.e. when there's no cricket on, or no shite scif-fi to watch) I like to bollock through stuff as well, but I've forced myself over time to live with songs a few days after recording them and trying to look at them in a more objective light - it's amazing how many more arrangement/mix ideas pop into your head during this time.

[vurt]

thats a fairly normal thing for bands.
they do a couple of creative sessions, where they will write.
then over time refine songs for a while before they ever see the studio.

look at pink floyd "dsotm" as a major league example, they where touring versions of those songs for a year or so beforehand.

[wagtunes]

thats a fairly normal thing for bands.
they do a couple of creative sessions, where they will write.
then over time refine songs for a while before they ever see the studio.

look at pink floyd "dsotm" as a major league example, they where touring versions of those songs for a year or so beforehand.

Believe it or not, I did not know that. I heard Dark Side in 1972 for the first time when it came out. That was the first I even heard of Pink Floyd.

[vurt]

thats a fairly normal thing for bands.
they do a couple of creative sessions, where they will write.
then over time refine songs for a while before they ever see the studio.

look at pink floyd "dsotm" as a major league example, they where touring versions of those songs for a year or so beforehand.

Believe it or not, I did not know that. I heard Dark Side in 1972 for the first time when it came out. That was the first I even heard of Pink Floyd.

iirc the live at pompeii dvd (which is awesome whatever) mentions it and you hear a few earlier cuts.

a lot of bands would write on the road, as they where always touring
till the bloody beatles ruined it...
/runs away

[JonSolo]

Cool song. I know you wanted to go for a Wrecking Crew sound. Hal Blaine was not that deliberate...ha ha ha. What you did get was a little Strawberry Alarm Clock. Love the organ sound. What is that? I would have walked it all the way through the song. That would up the organ game, ha.

And there are...random sounds happening in the background? I like it.

[wagtunes]

Cool song. I know you wanted to go for a Wrecking Crew sound. Hal Blaine was not that deliberate...ha ha ha. What you did get was a little Strawberry Alarm Clock. Love the organ sound. What is that? I would have walked it all the way through the song. That would up the organ game, ha.

And there are...random sounds happening in the background? I like it.

Thanks for the listen. In stereo, the organ is more prominent because it was centered and the brass was panned left and right. In mono, it gets buried a little. But it is played throughout.

The organ I used was the Arturia Farfisa V. It's the only one I have that really sounds like the era.

[The Noodlist]

Cool, how do you keep a record of your completed song?
Do you save the stems, archive the full project or just keep a stereo track?