September Contest: Gossip

[PurpleCatfishBettie]

part 2

folderol, No More Time For Toys: This piece is absolutely charming. It sounds like it goes from childlike innocence, to a sort of 'adult sentiment' with that one 'saw' lead; then back and forth again.

Echo Voodoo, In the lonely hills: There is just something about this piece which is flat-out, 'folksy.' Like a couple of the other entries, this one speaks of wholesome recreation... as opposed to 'debauchery' or whatever.

liqih, Dancing the Dreams: This one reminds me of South or SE Asia. I could almost picture this being played as part of a jam session in a place such as Thailand.

Barnadine, The End of the World: This one does it all; gets in and out with aplomb in less than 3:00 minutes. The only thing might be that; parts of the mix could possibly be shifted into higher frequency ranges. The whole thing seems just a tad 'bottom' or 'mid' heavy. That's just a quibble though. I like arrangement, the singing; pretty much everything here.

mvrasseli, Balada do Alfredo: This one sounds like a kid playing flute at a recital (and totally 'nailing' the piece); while a music instructor plays along on piano, and a couple of other students play along with other instruments here and there.

JacK SoliuM, Au bon vieux temps (valse musette): This track would fit in fairly well, somewhere on that television show, 'Curb Your Enthusiasm.' Excellent! I would say, basically... add or change 'a few notes' and it might be made even better than it already is. It's just that it got a little repetitious to these ears; a bit more variation (even beyond the key change it sounded like toward the end) might really take this piece to the 'next level.' Anyway, bravo! Loved this piece, but thought it could be even better.

nikp2000, cookie cutter: This is trippy. This reminds me of some of the stuff I've done, but maybe with more structure, different notes, and a better mix. Anyway, I always enjoy this sort of 'jam' type of thing.

triddy, No Escapin': This is awesome. The only thing that bugged me was the tone on the lead guitar. Of course, that's kind of like my throwing stones in glass houses; but the lead guitar tone on this one is kind of 'harsh.' ymmv

oddbod, Sequence of Events: This is outstanding. It kind of reminds me of something Information Society would do, if they were in a 'downtempo mode.'

Max el Belga, Get Down: Here's another awesome piece. Among other things, I really like the female singer's voice. As usual, your performance and production values are top-notch.

Laguna Rising, Dark Waves On A Deep Blue Sea: This one has a real, '70s prog vibe to it. Similar in this regard to triddy's piece, the tone on the lead guitar here is 'harsh.' yada yada... Anyway, as for 'guitar tone issues,' that's got a big 'ymmv' on it. Overall, I really enjoyed this.

Emerald Tablet, toy: This one sounds like a collage. The 'background' video game sounds are great. The ad subtext is great. The music gluing it all together has a real 'childlike innocence' about it. (somehow again reminding me of Kabalevsky)

[oddbod]

rifftrax : Barnadine has already expressed my own thoughts about this (albeit more eloquently) - the production is very good as is the arrangement and there's a nice balance of dynamics. A memorable melodic line is absent and therefore the piece comes across more like an extended middle eight. Top notch backing track.

beanpole : There's a clock-ticking rigidity to the timing but the guitar and the recorder manage to inject some humanity and rescue it from being too mechanical sounding. It's still catchy tune although the melody is probably a bit too obvious in places and you kind of know where it's going. Nevertheless, a decent slice of pop tune.

t_riddy : This is a competently produced tune despite being a little strange in that the vocals all come in the first minute never to make a return appearance. However I like the way the instrumental builds up and then drops out to just the bass synth - the perfect place to reprise the vocals one would have thought, but alas, instead we are rewarded with disappointingly indifferent ending. Good music, better structure needed.

maximillian - one of your typical orgies of intercontinental vocal samples. It all sounds wonderfully produced though it flits frenetically around all over the place like an octopus having a fit on a bungee rope. I'm sure there's a coherent song in there somewhere - you get a tantalising glimpse of it now again with some catchy snippets, but it never quite breaks free.

mrblitz - I got all excited over the first 30 seconds or so of lo-fi, speeded up, orchestral type chordage - even the manic guitar noodling slotted in nicely initially. I was anticipating this bursting into something memorable. Hopes were dashed however whence came the random wig-out drumming and stream of conciousness lyrics - woefully the whole thing just degerates into self-indulgent bachanalian excess - save the required tokenism of injections of toy piano arpeggio. What larks Pip!

farlukar - I'm not convinced on this showing that death metal guitar and gamelan make the best bedfellows,but I like the chunky riffage and you get extra marks for originality with the 11/8 timing. The additional sustained guitar notes that come in at 1.34 seem to bring the piece together more. Is the title a random selection or is there some connection with London N1?

offthewall - A little scrappy around the edges, mostly in the performances but there is a nice atmospheric folky feel. I do get a certain "haven't I heard this before" feeling about the tune, particularly in the first/last sections. I favour the middle part (sans whistle) with the effectively simple tambourine percussion making an entrance. I'm always jarred by such abrupt unnatural endings but I see that you just ran out of time.

jenderton - Sometimes I connect with ambient pieces and sometimes not. This one doesn't quite do it for me. Although it starts off with some gratifying elements like the tinkling chimes and the strummed chords, there are others I find distracting (the high pitched grinding whine that kicks in at 1.29) and a little unnecessary (the robot voice). Not bad, but perhaps marginally flawed.

echo voodoo - The ukelele and ocarina (which sounds surprisingly excellent) work very well together. On a production note, I find the percussion perhaps a tad loud and too dry. The composition doesn't quite fully stand on it's own as a piece but has an evocative atmospheric and would work very well as film backing.

barnadine - Beautifully produced tune - the soporiphic vocals (and of course the lyrics) are as always first class. The drone, arpeggiated banjo and epiano are a perfect blend. I love the speak and spell bookends. I find the percussion a bit of a let-down though and perhaps this is not your most original melody (as you say - simple), but this still has quality in spades.

with luck, I will to get around to some more

[farlukar]

wish you could've picked a time signature that was a little less conventional... (sounds like 6-5-6-5-6-5-5?)

This better?

Is the title a random selection or is there some connection with London N1?

The scream sample is from the radio version of Life, the Universe and Everything where Arthur Dent is stuck on prehistoric Earth:

"The regular early morning yell of horror was the sound of Arthur Dent waking up and suddenly remembering where he was. Islington has that effect on people, even 2 million years ago."

[edit]ed for soundbite

[folderol]

Hmmm. I wonder if now is a good time to mention that I was born in Islington. Left when I was 2, and never, ever returned

[beanpole]

I've started...

Shorter reviews for the stragglers:-

nikp2000 - cookie cutter

Theres a lot going on in this track but I like it. Drums to my ears sound really good.

t-riddy - No Escapin'

Can't fault anything in this song. Excellent. Probably my favourite entry so far and I couldn't stop playing it.

oddbod - Sequence of Events

Nice atmosphere. Top notch mix, production and vocals as usual.

Max el Belga - Get Down

Nice reggae vibe, good mix and nice vocals but it sounds a bit too anodyne for my liking as if Simon Cowell was involved

Laguna Rising - Dark Waves On A Deep Blue Sea

Sounds as if it was improvised and as such doesn't seem to go anywhere. Not really my cup of tea.

Emerald Tablet - toy

Another song that whilst being well done is not something I would normally listen to.

knockman - i saw an owl up in a tree

Excellent late 60's psychedelic vibe going on here. Really like the the instrumental breakdown with the owl noises. Up there with t-riddy's as my favourite entry. I'd also like to take some of what you were on when you wrote this

[offthewall]

Part 3

nikp2000-cookie_cutter
I love the 'almost' ethnic vibe going on here. I also love the usual nikp instrumentation. The drums are particularly tasty. There is something that I just can't quite get a handle on in the overall construction of the piece … some non-specific which stops me from putting it further up my list, I'm sorry to say!

triddy_no escaping
Superb guitar rock/ballad. Some wonderful elements in here with a beautiful (headphone) mix.
I did find the xylophone and kazoo but, somehow, they just did not sit with the overall song …. Shame!

oddbod-sequenceofevents
I started to write whilst listening … but am now on my third time round … taken by surprise by the vocal. This is SUCH a complex piece, even though it has a certain simplicity to the structure.
Now on listen #5 and can only say …. WOW …. But I DON'T KNOW WHY !!!

MaxelB-GetDown
Usual magnificent mix/production …. But what drives me off my wall, Max, is that you never let us know just which elements are YOU …. Please, please tell us even if it is only drums/bass/guitar/occasional shouts … that is the main reason why you seldom get my vote for your mostly wonderful constructions!!!

LagunaRising_DarkWavesOnADeepBlueSea
Those superb LR guitar sounds combined with a fabulous (headphone) mix. I tend to like your style to a certain level but my natural 'ear' gets a bit disturbed by the odd intonations.

emeraldtablet_toy
I like the instrumental parts of this, but am not really a fan of sampled voice-over thingy's. It could have been a lovely piano/sound effect piece.

knockman-i_saw_an_owl
Fabulous, Matt.
Everything about this is typically knockman top-notch.
I do think you should post a photograph of that stuffed owl.



James

[Barnadine]

liqih
Good percussion samples and nice loping rhythm. Wonderful sense of foreground vs background when the hushed pad comes in at the midpoint. Pleasantly unemphatic melody on the pitched drum later in the piece. Nice stuff.
Beverage: Orange juice. Orange space bicycle juice.

mvrasseli
This strikes me as the sort of music adults believe children like, in the absence of any specific evidence. Jolly piece, well executed, and certainly evocative of school music recitals, though perhaps too simple and lacking in development to warrant three minutes - the final minute and key change feel redundant. Enjoyed the more bluesy midsection. The gurgling baby is possibly one level of cute too far for this listener.
Beverage: Red cordial in a sippy cup.

jack solium
Lovely tune, capturing an outward cheeriness while hinting at something sinister and suffocating. Made me think of the young Maurice Sendak's memories of his European relatives - grabbing him affectionately, twisting his cheek, and underneath all this the vague suspicion they were about to eat him up.
Beverage: 'Garçon, my coffee smells faintly of almonds.' 'You are mistaken, monsieur. Keep drinking.'

nikp2000
Interesting mix. Understated. I like how the small melody at 0:34 nestles inside the music without dominating. There's something a little hard to hold onto in this piece, it's more about tone and mood than grand statement, so I find it slips away quickly after listening, but it's fascinating at the time. Will reward repeated listening, I expect.
Beverage: He woke up with an empty glass and a slight aftertaste he couldn't quite place.

triddy
Sharpened third (?) gives a distinctive flavour to the verse melody. Intriguing. Nice texture on the between-verse parallel guitars. Great sounds throughout, in fact. Top stuff. My only complaint is that after the interestingly thorny opening section, the rest, for all its subtle shifts in mood and great harmonic details, feels somehow unambitious in comparison, cycling chords in preparation for a grand re-entry which never comes. Plenty of talent here, but I find the top-heavy shape of the piece a little unsatisfying.
Beverage: Aged whiskey, with champagne chaser.

oddbod
Love the drums, love the bass. There's an almost tactile pleasure in the sounds throughout, an oddbod trademark. Beautiful production, all elements well balanced. We've been trained to expect a sultry diva lounging around in a song like this, but once past that preconception, there's really nothing to fault. Another gem from you.
Beverage: Sipping a martini in a green velour beanbag.

max el belga
My taste's probably more to the minimalist side of things, so I found this one of your stronger pieces. The switching of unconnected vocalists still gives this a touch of the jive-bunnies, and there's still a lot of doodling in the margins, but also a welcome restraint here. You allow your singers more space to breathe and create a mood, and there's a sense of larger structure instead of conveyer belt. Strong production as usual.
P.S. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I'm always a little bothered that you don't credit the ccmixter vocalists you sample. (Snowflake, for instance.) Their creative commons licence only asks you for attribution if you use their stuff, seems kind of unfair/lazy/churlish not to give it.
Beverage: Limoncello! No, wait, Pepsi! No, wait, Hoegaarden! No, wait, all three!

Right, that gets me to fifteen and safely past the boot, but I'll try to do the whole lot when I have time.

[Barnadine]

Strange how things travel to 'down under' ... it's in a perfect D up here on the top side of the world

Weird. I wonder what key it's in on the equator.

[Max el Belga]

Dear Oddbod, with "I'm sure there's a coherent song in there somewhere - you get a tantalising glimpse of it now again with some catchy snippets, but it never quite breaks free.", you expressed exactly what I feel when I'm listening to classical music !

offthewall, I understand completely your point of view.
...But a magician doesn't explain the secret behind his tricks.
Sometimes I even can't tell/remember if I played something myself or not (it happened with brand new songs, after working on too many at the same time ).
Until 2003 I did everything the traditional playing/recording way - Tascam PortaStudio. Then I discovered the handy toys and gadgets a PC offers and started learning/enjoying that workflow !
Normally I do drums and percussion myself, but playing my Yamaha DD-55 - no more struggling with mikes, stands, tuning, etc...
The bass, guitar and keys I like to do too, but that's no guarantee either, 'cose I have all of my instruments sampled and can trigger them also with my Yamaha EZ-AG (or ev. a midi keyboard).
One thing for sure : I don't do the beautiful female vocals. Although I can turn my voice into a female one with some software tricks, I'll never be able to make it sound beautiful !

Whenever I feel the urge or need to play something myself I do it, but I consider what I do as sound painting.
In the end I treat also live recordings the same way as a loop.

beanpole, I admire a lot the work of Alan Parsons and Dave Stewart, but trying to achieve their quality I must be (indeed) on the level, where I sound like Simon Cowell, tripping on Anodyne...

Great reviews ! They give one a lot of winks/advice and stuff the think about.
Thanks !

BTW, my wife is having lots of fun, right now ! "Sound painter", she keeps repeating with a peeping voice and tears in her eyes of laughter.
"You'd better put on your dirty clothes and start painting the roof with real paint", she tells me !

Au revoir mes amis,

Max... .. .

[liqih]

Many Thanks Brother Barnadine, <grin>

[t_riddy]

Thanks for all the reviews so far. Seems like people are really spending some time on them, and your comments/criticisms are all appreciated.

...the perfect place to reprise the vocals one would have thought, but alas, instead we are rewarded with disappointingly indifferent ending. Good music, better structure needed.

...cycling chords in preparation for a grand re-entry which never comes. Plenty of talent here, but I find the top-heavy shape of the piece a little unsatisfying.

I agree about the end being a let-down, that's kind of what I was going for. (Not that this makes the criticisms any less valid). This song was inspired during a crappy day of work...

Part 1: "Arrgh, I hate my job. Wouldn't it be great if this was all a dream and I was still a kid with no worries?"
Part 2: "Ahhhhh, childhood memories..."
Part 3: Snap! "Sigh, back to reality."

Please forgive the self-indulgence...

[Laguna Rising]

18 - Emerald Tablet - Toy
I like the deep, dense atmosphere built here. Toy instr. sounds blends in very well and the spoken part and various background noises as well.
Nicely done, I enjoyed it.

19 - Knockman - I saw an owl in a tree
I knew what to expect in terms of vocal style. It doesn't disappoint me and I the like simple but well refined arrangement for this good composition.

20 - Jerru - Bad cat boogie
Excellent guitar tone and fine playing for this classy boogie thing that turns into a childish song without missing a beat. I like the idea and the way you put it into practice for this solid track.

[folderol]

Some more brief thoughts.

nikp2000 cookie cutter
Sinster sounding intro - then it gets scary. Some nice changes especially the one at 1:15.

triddy no escapin
Good song, and some tasty guitar. I'm assuming the toys were the chimey bits that came in at around 1:21.

oddbod sequenceofevents
Very smooth intro. Love that bass. Rich sounds folding round the toys. This is a great song by any standard. I just wish it hadn't cut off so abruptly.

MaxelB GetDown
Maxel Baba and the 40 singers strikes again. Fun track as usual. Actually the mix was clearer than many you've done.

LagunaRising DarkWavesOnADeepBlueSea
Somehow this one came over to me as rather heavy going, especially at the start. Then it just seemed to lose direction completely - sorry.

emeraldtablet toy
A thoroughly self descriptive entry. Interesting, but not exactly chill-out listening .

knockman i saw an owl
Seems a while since we had a Knockman entry. This is well up to standard. Very much reminds me of The Who and Tommy.

Jerru Bad Cat Boogie
Something totally outside the crowd. A real wake-up track. Loved it!

[knockman]

thanks for the reviews

I'd also like to take some of what you were on when you wrote this

just owl pellets.

I do think you should post a photograph of that stuffed owl.

i'll try taking a snap. hopefully he won't attack

..I the like simple but well refined arrangement for this good composition.

thanks. sometimes you need simplicity, especially when singing about owls.

Seems a while since we had a Knockman entry.

blame it on (or give thanks to)the lunar cycles.

anyway, my music PC wouldn't start this morning glad i got the track done and posted before this happened. i wonder if some owls got in there? it does resemble a nesting box, somewhat.

over and out

[nikp2000]

_

jerru bad cat boogie
great slighly out guitar solo. the toy piano sounds a bit like a video game soundtrack. the guitar has a nice feel, but the rest is a little stiff.

laguna dark waves
nice guitar and nice burbling pads/keys, but the drums are buried in the mix. it does evoke the sea, and that is the point after all.

t riddy no escapin'
good mix. good vocals. good acoutic guitar tone. nice buildup in the interlude takes it into another direction. good tune.

knockman owl in a tree
this tune has a definite split enz vibe. nice catchy chorus and quirky vocals. mix is kind of buried in reverb so the different elements don't stand out as they should, but this is a good tune and i'll be looking for owls for while.

max el get down
pleasant sounding sunny reggae vibe reminds me of eddie grant. nice mix and nice interplay between male and female vocal parts.

oddbod sequence of events
good moody/edgy pop tune. the tune's slightly ominous mood reflects the lyrics well. good vocals. mix needs more high end.

emerald tablet toy
more of a mood piece and works pretty well as such, but the video game sounds in the background wear me down after a while. i like the miles-ish trumpet swells.

nick

_