august contest - GOSSIP

[You™]

Thanks for the comments Wopelka, farlukar and Freeztar. I appreciate the feedback. The title of my song isn't about genre. I don't know funk from crunk - although I quite like 60-70s soul music. "Casimir Funk" is a person's name and it's related to the vocal sample in the song, Like most of my stuff, it's a puzzle ...or it's puzzling...

My song is made from parts of a 13 minute jam I did with Homestyle Cheesy - he played the stringed instruments and I played the others. It was recorded in DP but sliced into neat little bits in Live. I don't think I repeated much of them - I always try to make sure something is going on in every measure of a song and no two are the same. Plus I had a lot of material and I don't like to waste any...

Spoiler Warning: If you don't want to know the samples I used, skip this next few lines. Here, I'll write them backwards and hard-to-see (Drag over them to 'em more apparent):
kcattA cinoS ffo gnihtemos :dniwkwaH
ardeahP ro nocibuR fo gninnigeb eht :maerD eniregnaT (I forgot!)
waltuO :raW

[RustedMonkey]

What is HotM?

Guess what

Been listening to the new Ministry CD for the last week.

Even your title would fit right in!

Must we abbreviate everything?!
... and, thanks!

[Mo Verdigast]

Mo Verdigast - Nice sounds, except for the harsh synth down the middle. This is a nice song to zone out to as I did a few times while listening to it (in a good way ).

Zoning out is a good thing! I truly am happy that someone would enjoy anything I do.

Actually the song started out with harsh synth sound and I added all the other stuff to soften it up a bit. I'll think about what it might sound like if I took out the synth in the middle (of the mix).

Reminds me of something I read about Prince (the artist now not formerly known as). Seems he would start out with a track, layer all this new stuff on top of it, and then remove the original tracks. An interesting idea ....

[slartibartfast]

Last batch of reviews:

sdunn1110 - I like the theme. The theremin is sweet. The mix needs some work imo and some of the instruments sound too GM to me. Cool tune overall.

Thanks. It was mixed in something of a rush to meet the deadline for submissions. Was there anything in particular in the mix that you think I should have paid more attention to?

[Beardedone]

Wow voting already. Thanks Sepheritoh, Amused and Peppy127 for the votes!

[peppy197]

peppy197 - There's always this fine line between dissonant and off-key, but this one sure is on the good side. I love these ringing sounds with the somewhat Neubauten-like percussion, and could listen without catching Beaver Fever Really sweet stuff, got more of this?

Thanks for the encouragement.

Due to lack of time I ended up not mixing the middle properly, as I am noticing now. Out of 40 bars, bars 10 thru 33 are out of it... too bad.
And I think I dropped an entire instrument, the one generated thru XPhraze. Live and learn, well, maybe.

Im going to remix.

Thanks for the vote as well...

allen

[vurt]

[*]vurt - Good interpretation. If you hadn't mentioned that it was made with only Delay Lama, I'd have sworn there were a bunch of samples from the original in it.

your as mad as me

[vurt]

Vurt, I have a serious question. Why did you bother to encode nothing at 128 Kbps stereo? You could have got away with the smallest MP3/lowest bitrate in the world and it wouldn't have affected the program content.

the real story is i kinda been too busy to do anything,asked for suggestions a few pages back and then in a fit of panic so as not to miss the deadline i messed about and even hesitated (secretly i was kinda hoping for some sort of artefacts from the phasers or something,but didnt have time to take it further,or bizzarrely disc space at the mo,need a clean up)

so basically it was all because i dont wanna miss out on a month and found myself short of time
not very experimental of me but hey i cant be weird all the time can i?

looking forward to this tho

[mystahr]

Here goes the great catch-up-race..... Sorry for the short ones this month....

Donkey Tugger - I just loved the pizzicato attacks in here, but just couldn't get used to the vocal treatments you have given this somehow.

Freeztar - Where is the complimentary cocktail? Cool and swift change in the second half, I just loved that part.

DuncanParsons - Strange mix, which I felt could have had a better balance, but this month brought your usual smile.

Wopelka - Almost waltzing yet then uptempo with quite the odd sounding synths. Killer combo

Mr.Me - very crystal clear production with some cool synth sounds happening; no vocals unfortunately

Beardedone - Top as usual. I just close my eyes and wonder how cool it is to be hearing a full CD of your work

Blue Days - Having heard the full track and wondering why you spent so little time on timing and fitting the vocals to the tempo beats me; it certainly had balls

Farlukar - Kewl bass and quite good sounding percussion. In need of a better mix though, yet still I like very much the blending of sounds and styles.

fst - A tad too much emphasis on the drums, but a cool tune. A lot can be done with the freebies

bastien - Cool tune, but in dire need of a hook or something that will stick in the mind.

Richie Bee - get rid of the quantized feel and you got a toptune. Pretty good song that needs a human feel (and a second half)

Kriminal - gritty as phock. Great dance banger

Spyro - Remco Amazing tune and tiptop co-work

Ianweb123 - I must say I love your little two minute experiments. One of your better entries

[AndrewSimon]

AndrewSimon - Awesome intro. The kick seems dull to me, but all the other instrumentation is lively. This was a good listen.

Thanks Freeztar
I liked your song Beleza as well.

[mystahr]

Page2:

EarthTones - Depeche Mode never stopped, even has a cool rock element in this.

Lady J. - Ick there's some ear-piercing high notes in here. Preferred the long version though; some tunes are just not right being cut to fit the contest

Dave Spiers - Wow! Hearing this for a first now and I am way impressed. Most beautiful piano

El Baggio - That flute is so sweet. A tad too much emphasis on the guitars (heavy feedback) and the mouth organ drowned too much. Cool tune though

Mystahr - Did I make this

Glooper - So sweet the organs. Great arrangement where I cannot help but wonder how it would sound with a different vocalist like Remco.

AndreasE - You's getting betterer and betterer. The choir/string pads(?) are a tad too loud I feel screwing up a bit the great dynamics.

Plunge - There's a bunch of peeps here where I just wonder why the heck there are no albums yet available. Most beautiful song and very complete

TristezaOrange - Very airy quality, although Im not 100% convinced of the mix. Hope you won't put this one aside and extend

Thomasc_dk - I just love what comes my way through the monitors. So lively a tune; tiptop work Thomas

Jedubas - Quite the interesting treatment and samples used. Nothing sticks though after listening

Cheeso - good dark strings though I felt more could be gotten out of this. As with Jedubas, nothing sticks really.

Knockman - Plaintive psychedelia for sure. More of this please and do bring some longer versions too. Liked this a lot

System Era - Great orchestral arrangement turning into a cool indie tune. If only the vox got more room

jdg - So cool seeing you in the contest arena/creating music again. Tiptop production and a delight to the ears.

[Robert Randolph]

Mo Verdigast... just letting you know my wife loved your song.

And props to jens, glooper and plunge. Fav songs Gloopers is my fav out of the contest though.

Didnt like any others one bit dont think Ill ever get used to some of the styles displayed in this month's contest.

[mystahr]

Page 3:

rsmus7 - What a strange mix, but very appealing. The elements seem to float a bit too much, yet make this interesting to listen to.

Barnadine - Sensitive and most beautiful song. Tops

Markleford - Yay! The biggest smile sofar on a bed of great music. Cool voice you have

Nikp2000 - Odd how the sequences appear to not be paying attention to what the other instruments are doing. Or is this just my perception. Does give it a very unique feel.

Col G - heheh; it's cool to hear people growing into the contests. It's a learning tool isn't it. Liked this

Erki - "butter song"? Whichever it means I enjoyed the gliding arrangement and smooth song (or is that what the butter means)

Koorby - grand piano sounds from the start. Welcome to the contest arena Koorby Great arrangement, but lacking that oempf

Sepheritoh - How this flowed from Koorby's tune Definately one of your better ones. Great sensitive touch

Bagungie - Welcome aboard And what an impressive entry. Wasn't too keen on the brass though, the rest was sweet.

Haghi - Great arrangement, though somehow nothing really stands out. I think putting in the choir-pads was a wrong choice, it killed dynamics in the first part. Second (guitar) part was quite good though.

Paradiddle - Cool rhyhtm and groove. There is a sound in the beginning almost vibes/organ like which quits at 0.44 that I just loved. What the heck is that. Only problem I have here is that it stays a groove mainly and never becomes a song.

Shane Saunders - Definately that 60's psychedelica that I wished had more emphasis. That ztar sounds delicious. Top production as always Shane.

Pheeleep - Didn't fully agree on how you panned some of the instruments here. But a very cool underlayment and instrumentation. That bass needed more dirt.

[mystahr]

Page 4:

GuitarJeff - Amazing top tune Everything is perfect placed and produced. Great guitarplaying.

Ixox - Grand brass section topped off with a beautiful violin to make for this unique texture that you so often bring. Too short

Vishalshetye - Arrangement wise quite allright. Wrong mix though and the guitar didnt convince me. Becomes a bit noodley in the second half.

Nuissance Sonores - Our monthly noise treatment I should put them all together for better enjoyment.

aMUSed - a bit strange: yes. Then again I love strange; perfect mood creating here

AndrewSimon - Tiptop flute work. Somehow I felt the drums off though, too upfront.

Patrick9 - Sounding terribly GM-ish to my ears and it never really grabbed me. Sorry

Astanine - Welcome aboard the contest arena . Cool 80's sounding electro-work. The melody line sits too much on top and needed embedding a bit more. Cool opening entry.

RayS - Another welcome aboard . Too much quantizing and tight sequences to set off and become a great rock song. Keep at it though and keep entering; you'll find this quite the helpful tool for song building

Secretions - And another welcome The title got me smiling big time. Drums too upfront where melody lines got burried a bit too much

Garret - My fave contender And one of your better tunes this month. Very smooth and slick production.

Windchillfactor - Oh yeah. Loving the ominous feel you built. The crawling background sounds (actually everything about this) make this a top tune.

Peppy197 - heheh you're paying us to listen; that is bribery Very intriguing though. Could have used a long feedback on the guitars.

Mo Verdigast - Odd, weird and spacey. Elements that suck me right in (running close to distortion roun 1.40)

sttjelle - Another welcome aboard the contests Admirable song build and quite the good production.

[Wopelka]

Mark,

you're the express reviewer !


thanks for your reviews