may contest - GOSSIP

[Wopelka]

ooh i'll miss the monkey

[respirator]

Another good month. A few thoughts on this month’s gossip: First I don't like the one-post-per-song review form. But maybe that's just me. Second. Reviews like "don't like that" or "that's bad" are not interesting. Please tell us what you dislike. ("I like that" is on the other hand nice - for your ego at least). As usual I'll make short comments for the songs that caught my attention this month (first batch).

Torpedo: Hm. Interesting things going on in the background (synths). Cannot decide if voice is weak or intriguing. Nearly catching

Barnadine: You had me wondering for 20 secs, then smiles all over. Great ending!

Freeztar: This is weird. Sounds are mostly ordinary, but overall effect is strange. Nice work.

Markleford: I get the sloppy part, but think it is pulling the song down a little. A tighter bass and some not-so-normal drums sounds and this would be purrfect. Great brass!! Made me get out my old trumpet (next month).

Scuzzphut: Nice work, but the vocal sample’s too late'n too little, me thinks. The vocal's lifting the song.

Garret Gengler:

Windchillfactor: Good ideas, but doesn't work for me. The conga-like percussion is to busy and bland for the dark mood of the song.

The Dumb Angels: The first minute I was a bit bored, but the last 30 seconds is goood.

Wilkoryte: Nicely done, the French lyrics (of which I understand absolutely nothing) is making it more interesting. If you had sung in English it would be a bit "old".

Mr. Tunes: Chilly dub, nice.

The Significant Others: Very good production. Good stuff.

Guitarcomputer: I have a problem with the production of the voice (too far away?). The voice is good and shouldn't be hidden. Very good track.

Khepira: Yeah! Nice guitar-work. And the small furry animals I imagine I'm hearing are cute in a very musical way.

Beardedone: I was very impressed with the first jazz thing I heard from you. And your skills are just getting better. But I can't stop thinking: Exercise. Jazz is played by real musicians, so this is impressing, but not really interesting to listen to. Why don't put your amazing programming skills towards something more original?

Ixox: As always:

[Sepheritoh]

Sepheritoh – A good thing you had two clones helping you out on this rather dark and brooding piece. Though somehow I was not fully convinced of the combination of sounds. Mostly the acoustic somehow felt out of place here, or better saying there is huge potential in an accoustic guitar contrasting with the drones but in the production these two just were to closely mixed, where on the other hand the electric guitar fell into the piece far better. Drums are mixed in greatly bringing some great pwog moments.

Thanks for that comprehensive analysis. I guess that you may be right in that the sound of an accountic instrument would need more carefull placing in such an electronic texture. Glad you enjoyed the percussion parts

[Beardedone]

Beardedone: I was very impressed with the first jazz thing I heard from you. And your skills are just getting better. But I can't stop thinking: Exercise. Jazz is played by real musicians, so this is impressing, but not really interesting to listen to. Why don't put your amazing programming skills towards something more original?

Thanks Thomas for the candid review.
I am not clear what you mean by "exercise" I don't seee this as an exercise at all - I am not copying down changes and formulaically laying down the "right" notes. I put down what feels and sounds right at the time either on the piano roll or by playing the keys or guitar driving LS Guitarsynth. This track is original as far I am concerned. It's not real Jazz certainly and I would be the first to qualify such a label and have done so several times. I do see this track is a demo for what I would want a real band to play. I am not terribly adept at scoring and this so much more fun than pen and paper.

I am continuing to work in this vein as is the kind of music I really enjoy playing and listening to. I am experimenting with others styles as well as some real guitar music. But know that I don't sing very well and have no talent with lyrics, so don't expect a song from me, unless of course I can get Remco on board again .

Best,
Gordon

[Sepheritoh]

Wow... I haven't been on here for a little while... alot of entries to catch up with and reviews of my song...

Many thanx to all who reviewed my song and yeah, I know the vocal is a lil quite, I pretty much did that song all in one setting so I kinda went a little deaf to the mix after awhile

And yes... hopefully I'm gonna get a lil demo together sometime this next week and send it off to a few labels, heh, if I can figure that out completely...

lil question tho... You guys are more liking the pop type music I've been making or the heavier stuff or a lil mix of both in a song?...

thanx again to everyone for the great feedback this month

All the best in submitting the demo and do not get discouraged if it is rejected the first time round. Just be very persistant. On the last part of your question. I love the mix better, but do not let this opinion giude you too much. I would think the average guy here at KvR has a less pop taste than the mass market. Most here are musicians and listen to a track from a slightly different viewpoint than teenie boppers. At least that goes for me.

[duncanparsons]

I put down what feels and sounds right at the time either on the piano roll or by playing the keys or guitar driving LS Guitarsynth. This track is original as far I am concerned. It's not real Jazz certainly and I would be the first to qualify such a label and have done so several times. I do see this track is a demo for what I would want a real band to play. I am not terribly adept at scoring and this so much more fun than pen and paper.

This is how I work. For the last 10 or more years I have had in mind a conceptual band 'The Non-Stop Random-Access Jazz-Band' who play the odd prog jazz that I write when I do that kind of music (they 'll diversify into whatever I give them actually!). I will never be able to play sax, or do an organ or guitar solo they way I would like, and since I don't know sufficient musicians who want to play the stuff I want to write, I had to come to a compromise or get madly frustrated..

I happen to like your stuff Gordon, reminds me so much of Weather Report.. It's great to have new stuff that is so reminiscent of them. tbh, much Weather Report sounds like it could have been recorded in much the same way, except that we know that Zawinul, Shorter, et al. all get credits for actually playing (and a pino roll in the 70's was a hark back some 60+ years to pianolas!).

I say keep it up!

DSP

[Beardedone]

Thanks so much Duncan!


I love Weather Report and guys like Mike Stern, Bill Frisell and Pat Metheny. I still get a real kick at producing anything that even remotely resembles the sound that those geniuses Shorter/Zawinul/Pastorius/Erskine made- I saw that incarnation of WR in 1980 at the Montreal Jazz Festival. I was naturally high after that show for days on end - unforgettable.

Btw I will continue and hope that Squids will follow up my hints to include the Zawinul sounds in Sonic Synth2.

I do see Thomas' point as what I do is not musically innovative in any way. I am indeed trying to find something different that is still me. Though Jazz is what I love and frankly need to do.

I should say that I am deeply appreciative of the feedback I have received here. Because of your comments and advice I have developed my skills in quantum leaps. Thank you for being here.

Cheers,
Gordon

[TristezaOrange]

Hey, thanks for the feedback everyone. Evidently, I'm not winning this month

[Markleford]

Markleford - first up, wicked percussion. Must have taken a while.

Actually, that was the quickest part: it's all algorithmically generated by my MFX plugins. Sure, I set up the rules for it, but the computer improvised them nicely!

Would have liked a solo on that bass for a nice break-up.

Yeah, it's really missing something else. That's one reason why I was disappointed that I had to abort it before it was *really* done: I was just exhausted from trying to do everything else correctly...

Just played this REALLY f**king LOUD. It REALLY works like that. Fab brass.

I always try to mix down so that it works loud or soft equally well. Helps that I don't smoosh it too much with maximizers and whatnot.

I'll try to keep it up with the horns. Sounds like people like 'em! Also thinking of buying a tenor sax to throw in the mix, but they tend to be more expensive than brass even in the used shops...

- m

[Beardedone]

I'll try to keep it up with the horns. Sounds like people like 'em! Also thinking of buying a tenor sax to throw in the mix, but they tend to be more expensive than brass even in the used shops...

That is an awesome track of yours Markleford. Please keep those chops up man! Those horns sound wicked. I am green with envy that you can play those things. I pick up daughter's trumpet every now and then and can barely get a few notes out.

Cheers,
Gordon

[Markleford]

That is an awesome track of yours Markleford. Please keep those chops up man! Those horns sound wicked. I am green with envy that you can play those things.

Thanks! Maybe I can get my slap bass chops going again so I can get really funky with the horns!

- m

[Beardedone]

Sayin it like the guy in that usher song my kids like = Yeah

[guitarcomputer]

All the best in submitting the demo and do not get discouraged if it is rejected the first time round. Just be very persistant. On the last part of your question. I love the mix better, but do not let this opinion giude you too much. I would think the average guy here at KvR has a less pop taste than the mass market. Most here are musicians and listen to a track from a slightly different viewpoint than teenie boppers. At least that goes for me.

Thanx Sepheritoh... and I'm more for a mix myself... cause I like doing some poppy type stuff and harder stuff... I learned alot of techniques from harder bands... but then I learned alot of stuff from all kinds of different genras... so... heh... I just kinda have a melting pot of different styles in my playing... but no matter what I'm doing... as long as I can play some music... for some label.. or just for myself... I'm happy

thanx again...

-Kyle

[clueless]

@t-willy

YOU WILL RESPECT MY ORGAN!!

[t-willy]

@t-willy

YOU WILL RESPECT MY ORGAN!!

lates

t-willy