Begorra an' Bejessus, 'tis gobsmacked I am!mellotronaut wrote:
Patrick9
A tousand tanks sir.
September Contest: Gossip
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- KVRist
- 155 posts since 5 Nov, 2009
Well done Barnadine!Barnadine wrote:Some great reviews this month. Cheers, folks.
Yeah, written for the contest. For me, lyrics nearly always come after (or, when I'm lucky, at the same time as) the music.AlienXXX wrote:The only thing I would like to know is if the lyrics where pre-existing or if they were also developed specifically for this contest.
I struggle to come up with a melody and turn it into a track in time for the contest, let alone if I had to come up with lyrics too!
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- KVRAF
- 5715 posts since 5 Aug, 2006 from UK - The Mudway Towns
Yeah, but doesn't it kinda make you sick when guys do this and make it sound like it was a breezeAlienXXX wrote:Well done Barnadine!Barnadine wrote:Some great reviews this month. Cheers, folks.
Yeah, written for the contest. For me, lyrics nearly always come after (or, when I'm lucky, at the same time as) the music.AlienXXX wrote:The only thing I would like to know is if the lyrics where pre-existing or if they were also developed specifically for this contest.
I struggle to come up with a melody and turn it into a track in time for the contest, let alone if I had to come up with lyrics too!
It wasn't me! (well, actually, it probably was) - apparently no longer an 'elderly', now a 'senior'! Is that promotion?
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- KVRist
- 155 posts since 5 Nov, 2009
No, not really.="folderol Yeah, but doesn't it kinda make you sick when guys do this and make it sound like it was a breeze
Thank God some people are gifted. If everyone was like me, there wouldn't be much around in terms of great music to listen to
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- KVRist
- 155 posts since 5 Nov, 2009
in the meantime... yesterday was very busy, so all i managed to review are tracks 18 to 21 (in submission order).
18
Emerald Tablet
Toy
toypiano. bunch of toy soundeffects
My review
I like the idea of the toy sound effects. Actually I used to have a little keychain that could pretty much produce most of those effects. (I would have used it if I could find it!). But then the TV/radio sound just doesn't cut it for me. It sounds like being in a living room trying to listen to a piano/ambient track while the TV blasts some commercials and a kid in the background plays video games. I am afraid this one just doesn't do it for me.
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19
knockman
i saw an owl up in a tree
child tools:
tambarine
casio disney 'super light up' keyboard
kazoo
son and daughter shouting "oh no!"
stuffed owl
My review
Another great track. Really like the vocal and lyrics. Great feel to the whole track.Very good use of the child instruments. Extra points for for featuring the purpose sampled kids voices. A definite contender to my top ten.
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20
Jerru
Bad Cat Boogie
Child Instrument: Toy Piano
My review
This track features one of the best drum rhythms I have heard in recent times.
Good use of the children's instrument: It is actually very important in creating the feel of the track.
Very good guitar parts too.
The only drawback is that the track can feel a bit repetitive as the second part is essentially the same as the first. Could be improved by either making the track a bit shorter and/or play slightly different parts before and after the solo.
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21
thomekk
Through the scrub
kiTR (by SpaceDad, http://www.spaceraiders.co.uk/spacedad.html) ,
My Review
Great choice of instrument: the Kitr VST !!
This is a strange track with a beautiful vocal. Reminds me of nordic music I have heard a couple of times (Swedish, etc).
I was a bit puzzled by the claps, though: the track and vocals suggest to me an open space, but then the claps sound like people clapping in a room. That just sounds wrong. It would sound a lot better to me if the claps sounded like people were clapping outside. Otherwise, to me, it spoils a bit the feel of the track.
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That is it for now.
A few more to review and then it's on to voting!
18
Emerald Tablet
Toy
toypiano. bunch of toy soundeffects
My review
I like the idea of the toy sound effects. Actually I used to have a little keychain that could pretty much produce most of those effects. (I would have used it if I could find it!). But then the TV/radio sound just doesn't cut it for me. It sounds like being in a living room trying to listen to a piano/ambient track while the TV blasts some commercials and a kid in the background plays video games. I am afraid this one just doesn't do it for me.
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19
knockman
i saw an owl up in a tree
child tools:
tambarine
casio disney 'super light up' keyboard
kazoo
son and daughter shouting "oh no!"
stuffed owl
My review
Another great track. Really like the vocal and lyrics. Great feel to the whole track.Very good use of the child instruments. Extra points for for featuring the purpose sampled kids voices. A definite contender to my top ten.
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20
Jerru
Bad Cat Boogie
Child Instrument: Toy Piano
My review
This track features one of the best drum rhythms I have heard in recent times.
Good use of the children's instrument: It is actually very important in creating the feel of the track.
Very good guitar parts too.
The only drawback is that the track can feel a bit repetitive as the second part is essentially the same as the first. Could be improved by either making the track a bit shorter and/or play slightly different parts before and after the solo.
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21
thomekk
Through the scrub
kiTR (by SpaceDad, http://www.spaceraiders.co.uk/spacedad.html) ,
My Review
Great choice of instrument: the Kitr VST !!
This is a strange track with a beautiful vocal. Reminds me of nordic music I have heard a couple of times (Swedish, etc).
I was a bit puzzled by the claps, though: the track and vocals suggest to me an open space, but then the claps sound like people clapping in a room. That just sounds wrong. It would sound a lot better to me if the claps sounded like people were clapping outside. Otherwise, to me, it spoils a bit the feel of the track.
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That is it for now.
A few more to review and then it's on to voting!
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- KVRian
- 529 posts since 6 May, 2005 from Somewhere In Scotland
Final reviews -
Jerru - Bad Cat Boogie
Cool tune. Guitar and drums top notch as usual. Toy piano works in a weird slightly out of tune way.
thomekk - Through the scrub
Strange trippy vibe. Not usually my thing but there was something there that held my attention.
spirulence - Playtime Over
Sounds like either a theme for an early nineties video game or an alternative theme tune for the X-Files.
milkshakeiii - The Spinning of the Earth
Rather monotonous and doesn't actually go anywhere. Not one of my favourites.
shrikant - Prison Diary
Nicely done but not really my scene.
Patrick9 - Toy Boy
Not up there with your better entries IMO. However it is reminiscent of Lawrence from Felt's latest incarnation Go Kart Mozart.
Chuck E.Jesus - Rock Paper Scissors
Plenty of toy instruments in the mix. Bit of a B52's vibe going on here. Wicked harmonica.
AlienXXX - Not Kids Play
Quite like this but can't make out what the kids instrument is.
Jerru - Bad Cat Boogie
Cool tune. Guitar and drums top notch as usual. Toy piano works in a weird slightly out of tune way.
thomekk - Through the scrub
Strange trippy vibe. Not usually my thing but there was something there that held my attention.
spirulence - Playtime Over
Sounds like either a theme for an early nineties video game or an alternative theme tune for the X-Files.
milkshakeiii - The Spinning of the Earth
Rather monotonous and doesn't actually go anywhere. Not one of my favourites.
shrikant - Prison Diary
Nicely done but not really my scene.
Patrick9 - Toy Boy
Not up there with your better entries IMO. However it is reminiscent of Lawrence from Felt's latest incarnation Go Kart Mozart.
Chuck E.Jesus - Rock Paper Scissors
Plenty of toy instruments in the mix. Bit of a B52's vibe going on here. Wicked harmonica.
AlienXXX - Not Kids Play
Quite like this but can't make out what the kids instrument is.
can't sing, can't play, looks awful.....
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- KVRist
- 155 posts since 5 Nov, 2009
Thanks!beanpole wrote: AlienXXX - Not Kids Play
Quite like this but can't make out what the kids instrument is.
The kid instrument is the VST Kitr. It emulates a rubber band "guitar".
Since I built some of those when I was a kid I decided that was the one I should use.
It provides the backing "koto-like" sound which can be heard on its own at the start of the track. Also, in the second part of the song the Kitr is put through a VST amp to generate the high pitched electric guitar.
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- KVRAF
- 2861 posts since 3 May, 2003 from Germany
HeyAlienXXX wrote: 21
thomekk
Through the scrub
kiTR (by SpaceDad, http://www.spaceraiders.co.uk/spacedad.html) ,
My Review
Great choice of instrument: the Kitr VST !!
This is a strange track with a beautiful vocal. Reminds me of nordic music I have heard a couple of times (Swedish, etc).
I was a bit puzzled by the claps, though: the track and vocals suggest to me an open space, but then the claps sound like people clapping in a room. That just sounds wrong. It would sound a lot better to me if the claps sounded like people were clapping outside. Otherwise, to me, it spoils a bit the feel of the track.
thx for your review!
And point taken, interesting one - wanted to have dry claps but your description still makes sense in a way
Maybe will try to add more decent wider reverb laters to it.And thanks a lot to all of the reviewers (enjoyed the reading) and all of the voters!
I'm glad that our special kiTr-Folk one got so many placements
Will be off for a few days, so it's time to vote now...
Symphony Nr.1
Meet the Cities Repair Team Unimportant laughter
music has become meaningless...we just keep doing it
Meet the Cities Repair Team Unimportant laughter
music has become meaningless...we just keep doing it
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- KVRAF
- 2861 posts since 3 May, 2003 from Germany
... and sorry for not having not time enough for writing more reviews..
Symphony Nr.1
Meet the Cities Repair Team Unimportant laughter
music has become meaningless...we just keep doing it
Meet the Cities Repair Team Unimportant laughter
music has become meaningless...we just keep doing it
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Chuck E. Jesus Chuck E. Jesus https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=108246
- R.I.P.
- 7301 posts since 23 May, 2006 from in between a cornfield and a river
i understand the feelingPatrick9 wrote:Begorra an' Bejessus, 'tis gobsmacked I am!mellotronaut wrote:
A tousand tanks sir.
after the fact i noticed my track had the opposite problem of yours: too quiet! live and learn...'twas fun to do, thanks for the votes, especially Zombie Queen
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- KVRian
- 1167 posts since 25 Apr, 2004 from NWUK
Someone should come up with a vst called "Volume Knob" - there is obviously a market for it.Chuck E. Jesus wrote: i understand the feeling
'twas fun to do, thanks for the votes, especially Zombie Queen
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- KVRAF
- 10171 posts since 2 Jan, 2005 from somewhere in the woods
Patrick9 wrote:Someone should come up with a vst called "Volume Knob" - there is obviously a market for it.Chuck E. Jesus wrote: i understand the feeling
'twas fun to do, thanks for the votes, especially Zombie Queen
i thought, the listeners have amplifiers with volume knobs 
"It dreamed itself along"
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- KVRAF
- 8500 posts since 18 Apr, 2004
And now ladies and gentlemen, the obligatory inane ramblings nobody's waiting for:
AlienXXX
Chuck E. Jesus
Patrick9
shrikant
milkshakeiii
spirulence
thomekk
Jerru
knockman
Emerald Tablet
Laguna Rising
Max el Belga
oddbod
Other half will follow if there's time and I feel like it.
AlienXXX
- I like the rhythm in this, though the left/right panning of those snares are a bit distracting. Nice overall , albeit a bit monotonous.
Chuck E. Jesus
- Heh - kind of electro-kids-Cramps, or something. Good stuff. Go Little Demons
Patrick9
- *eep* forgot the loudness warning... I'd say too much distortion for this kind of music, and also a bit too monotonous for my liking. Bonus points for the kazoo-fu though.
shrikant
- Hmmm, atmospheric... I don't get the "prison" idea with the metallic sounds, but that might be my overexposure to Einstürzende Neubauten
milkshakeiii
- Groovy stuff, this. Minimal but still a well-balanced sound. Still don't know what the clicky toy is exactly, or if it's actually ubiquitous, But a toy is toy eh
spirulence
- For a second I thought it would be Yazoo's Don't go... the pseudo-guitar's not quite convincing, but otherwise it's a convincing bit of electropop.
thomekk
- Great vocals, but imnsho a rubberband guitar isn't really fit to be the lead/main instrument in such a minimalistic tune...
Jerru
- I'm not too fond of boogie and/or woogie, but yes, the cat can definitely swing. Catchy tune, great guitarage.
knockman
- Would've liked the guitar a bit louder in the mix, to me the overall sound seems a bit dull. Other than that, great song...
Emerald Tablet
- "Remco flying fox" The ad and the gun noises somehow work really well as a background. Great ambiance.
Laguna Rising
- Don't know if it's just me, but to me the guitar seems slighly out of tune with the rest of the instruments. While the music itself is OK, i find it hard to listen to
Max el Belga
- Good groove. But while the music is far more coherent than your usual all-over-the-place offerings (and that's not meant offensive), the various bits 'n' bobs of vocal samples don't fit too well together in a single piece of music.
oddbod
- Instantly reminded me of some or other Gorillaz tune, somehow. More variation in drums would've been welcome, but quite enjoyable pop tune. And YAY stylophone!
Other half will follow if there's time and I feel like it.
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- KVRAF
- 8500 posts since 18 Apr, 2004
Also,
Quite interesting psychological effect. I have no doubt that that nobody would question what the toy in the mix was if I hadn't mentioned an "organ"...AlienXXX wrote:would be a shame if any lack of clarity on what the toy instrument was results in a lower score than what it deserves.
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- KVRist
- 155 posts since 5 Nov, 2009
Yes... indeed. For me it was a funny situation, not just when ritting the blurb to go with the submission, but even when preparing the music piece itself.farlukar wrote:Also,Quite interesting psychological effect. I have no doubt that that nobody would question what the toy in the mix was if I hadn't mentioned an "organ"...AlienXXX wrote:would be a shame if any lack of clarity on what the toy instrument was results in a lower score than what it deserves.
Not just "what toy instrument to pick" but also how to use it:
- Make it one too obvious in the composition and the music would sound silly
- Make it not obvious at all and people might question if you actually used a toy instrument at all...
When listening to other's music I was always looking for that toy instrument... So the mentioning of "organ" was indeed most distracting, as I kept trying to listen for the "organ" sound and could not find it.