winter contest - GOSSIP

[_niko_]

My track is up though I don't expect good scores for this one

Now going to download all the other submissions to give them a listen

Niko

[You™]

Markleford, that thing you submitted is amazing. That is what I would guess music would sound like in the not to distant future (like maybe a week from Tuesday). If there's enough room for personal decision making in the execution of this kind of song, I could see a whole genre growing out of it - each artist with different nuanced ways of mashing up their music. I wanna do it myself. I tried to identify your sources, but it's like trying to figure out what someone ate after they barfed riding a roller coaster. And I mean that in a good way.

[kovacs]

Some reviews (in no particular order) before I have to cook dinner for my daughters:

Beardedone - Report
Cool jazz fusion tune. Very professional song, although I find the sounds a bit too "midi"-ish, perhaps. But there is a lot of very clever stuff going on here. How did you do those drums?

Niko - hellish
Good production. I like the panning vocals. The guitar is well done. Everything is in tune, and the pace change in the bridge is well executed. Overall, a very good entry.

Knockman - The Commercial House
I must say I really like the mood in this. I am unable to classify it...brings to mind old Pink Floyd songs but it is different. The song has a slight "interlude" feel to it, maybe that's what gives the Floyd connection. When the guitar kicks in the song jumps to life and becomes something completely different, yet retains the feel. VERY well done. Well produced, too, although to my ears the vocals could have been given more space.

coldc - improviz3tion
Cool orchestral entry. Definitely a good piece - very contemporary style. The brevity of the entry is fitting, too. I wish more contemporary music was this long (or short). This is a very musical piece which really requires good sounds, and you have managed that quite well.

astanine - Rocket to Uranus
Well, I do like industrial sounds, so I sat thinking about a trafo during the introduction. The arp section is beautiful, and has that "in-your-face" freshness which gives me a kick. It is perhaps a bit too monotonous in places, but on the second listening I get a better feel for the complete song and think it works quite well. All in all, this is probably not my favorite genre but I enjoyed listening to this entry.

nikp2000 - wave
Ah...bossa nova at KVR. Cool! Let me start with what I like the least: the flute has too much breath and is too obviously a synth patch. The guitar playing is off key in a few places and could perhaps have been given more attention - this is especially apparent in the solo section. But don't get me wrong - your playing is well executed. The overall rhythm in the piece is good. I think it could have been speeded up slightly, it feels a bit "slow". Yet if this type of
music is what brought you into music in the first place, you probably know how to play it so don't listen to my ramblings.

... more later ... I don't wanna be dq'ed this month!

[Beardedone]

Beardedone - Report
Cool jazz fusion tune. Very professional song, although I find the sounds a bit too "midi"-ish, perhaps. But there is a lot of very clever stuff going on here. How did you do those drums?

Thanks Kovacs. Glad you liked it. I hear the midified stiffness now after leaving it for a while. The drums were pianoroll programmed manually using Sonic Reality's drum capsule kits. I felt I wasrelying on Slicy- and Fillin- drummers a bit too much lately so I went back to my "roots"

Cheers,
Gordon

[Markleford]

Okay, I finally updated the KVR Contest List and Radio, so at least people can use it for the voting process (if they haven't downloaded everything already).

I did have to make a decision whether to post long or short versions. I opted for long.

- m

[Markleford]

Markleford, that thing you submitted is amazing. That is what I would guess music would sound like in the not to distant future (like maybe a week from Tuesday).

Post-post-post-modern?

If there's enough room for personal decision making in the execution of this kind of song, I could see a whole genre growing out of it - each artist with different nuanced ways of mashing up their music.

One of the questions I wanted to answer with this piece is whether a given album has a particular "texture" or "palette" that's recognizable or unique if reduced to a random representative sampling of moments. So at least your choice of album has bearing on the eventual sound.

However, in my case I also *removed* myself from the decision making process to maintain a chaotic purity in the approach. I could have selected each of the 32 samples from each song with direct intent, but figured this would skew the results of what I was after.

In a sense, this could be seen as almost a "granular" sound design method, but with relatively huge grains!

I wanna do it myself.

It's certainly harder without my particular tools, but not impossible. Then again, doing it all by hand would accentuate the personal decision factor.

I tried to identify your sources, but it's like trying to figure out what someone ate after they barfed riding a roller coaster. And I mean that in a good way.

I suppose we could turn this sort of thing into a contest, but for the record, in order:

Earthworks, "Earthworks"
Matthew Sweet, "Girlfriend"
King Crimson, "Discipline"
Deconstruction, "Deconstruction"
Kazumi Watanabe, "Mobo Club"
Hate Dept, "Ditch"
Yoko Kanno & Seatbelts, "Cowboy Bebop OST"
Faith No More, "Angel Dust"
Japan, "Tin Drum"
They Might Be Giants, "John Henry"
John Zorn, "Naked City"
Mordred, "In This Life"
(and Earthworks reprise on the end)

- m

[Marc JX8P]

Well, it took me some time to finish up the arrangement and the mix but I'm happy to report my second entry for a KvR contest has finally been posted (first one was in may 2004...). Hope you all enjoy it.

[kovacs]

Reviews, part two. Sorry if I'm a bit short - there's only so much time.

I was optimistic that this would be a fast month, review-wise, but with twice the song length and already close to 20 entries I already spent 3 hours listening to everything (in between doing everything else that needs to be done on a Sunday when you have kids).

Okay, here are the rest of my reviews:

grotman - apperception
Ignoring the rulebreaking (filename, lack of short version), this is a great song. I don't know why you call it shit. The sound is consistent throughout. The production is very good. Some of the instruments have strange positions in the mix (I have a distinct snare drum in my right speaker, and there is some weird panning going on here and there, probably intended). The first band name that pops into my mind is Red Hot Chili Peppers. Is this really a solo effort recorded with the kind of equipment you list? If so, this is marvellous stuff.

Farlukar - Prarie Dog
Easily classified: "Experimental". I am favorable to it as such. Weird, wacky, and very cool. It tries perhaps to be too many things at a time, but like you write in your entry that is the point of it... Hard to make a comment about arrangement and structure, since I find very little of it. But the production is good and it sounds good on my monitors so I guess that is a "thumbs up". BTW, I particularly like the guitar parts.

Markleford - Island CD Malfunction
This is what I would call industrial fusion. Anything goes. I hate it. I hate it. M u s t r e s i s t. Butt-ugly piece. OH, f**k it, I've listened 4 times now and it's currently on for the 5th. But I must admit I have a problem seeing this getting you started with music in the first place...I think you'd run away scared and tell your mom you'd rather play the trumpet (well, I did, and ended up playing the guitar). Those trumpet patches are haunting, though. Must get them out of my ears.

Arglebargle - Sonic Warfare
At first it sounds like a game soundtrack. In fact it DOES sound like something out of a console game. And when I read your entry comments I see why. Not too complex, yet rich enough to warrant a couple of listens. Fun piece. Now I gotta find my Xbox.

Donkey tugger - Free of it all
Gloomy sound. Good chorus. Haunting. Decent, full sound. Maybe a bit mashed in places but it really works with the overall feel of the song. Not too complex, either. Reminds me of a cross between a lot of things, which is good. Yup, I like it. Indiepop indeed. Wouldn't work too well on radio on a car stereo, I think...too dark.

stjelle - bit travel
Cheeky and upbeat. Has a pet shop boys feel and sound to it, but is sonically richer. Maybe too much going on in the overall sonic image - the canvas is pretty full of a mushy chorus (although I may be confusing a well placed vinyl filter with unwanted noise... ) - but the piano part is great. Almost a bit Thomas Newman-ish (the movie soundtrack composer). Yes, this is the kind of music that inspires one to keep writing music. This is a keeper.

Sweetboy - Maelstrom hydro-mix
Is it called "Hydro mix" because it's so wet? All your plugs, indeed. Full sound, at least. I think maybe too full - it gets muffled at times. To many frequencies fighting for attention. But this piece really wants to go somewhere, hard rhythms and fast pace. Good dynamics, too - from quite loud to very silent. The halfway silence followed by the explosive patterns is very well executed, and brings out the richness in this piece.

Vitamin D - fluidity
The exotic intro is nice. I must admit to not being particularly favorable to trance but as a composition it stands on its own even if it is not overly inspirational to my ears. "Fluidity" is not the right title - it is too rigid for that. I'd like to hear more variation and playfullness. It has a clean, solid sound, though.

Blue Days - Pulse of creation
Heisan! Good soundscape. The pulse is very obvious. The drums get a bit repetitive and boring after a while. In fact, there's not too much going on in this piece at all. Too much of it sounds like a backing track which lacks a solo, and when the arpeggiated synth comes in it's a relief. I also think this piece needs some other kind of variation than pulse changes and comb filters - a change in chords or rhythms would do wonders. But if I sound too negative, don't feel put off (who am I, anyway). It's a good entry.

Sepheritoh - die
Sounds like a lost tape from a Nick Cave session. I have problems working out the lyrics (except "one night stands" and "promiscuous"), but maybe I don't really want to listen to this drunk, old fart anyway. I like the calm atmosphere. Could have been a bootleg recording from a bar. I like this song. It's haunting. Nice composition - simple in form but also quite genuine. Good work.

Youtm - Düsterer storm
Beautiful intro. Very rich and solid soundscape. The piece builds up very nicely. In the beginning I'm not sure whether I'm listening to Sting, Chick Corea, or Dire Straits (no offense ), but eventually it dawns on me that this is not a pop jazz piece. This is more chill out than any of them ever managed (or wanted) to be. I am a fan of chill. You also vary the song enough to keep my attention right at the points where it starts to get a tad boring. Maybe it lacks a little bit in "direction" - it doesn't really "go" anywhere, but that's true for most chill music so that's no crime in my book. Great stuff.

Mystahr - Featherbrush
If this is supposed to be a dance floor song, it is way too quiet in the beginning. But hey, you're the DJ, you know how these things work. I know I'd run away and hide in a corner since all the girls would have had time to find someone handsome by now. As you write yourself, lots of repeating patterns, yet the song keeps growing in both sound and shape. But it really doesn't go anywhere. I think this song has potential - I imagined deep gongs and more fluid lines towards the end...maybe more Mike Oldfield-like...but I enjoyed it even if it isn't earth shattering (and that's hardly the point with a title like "Featherbrush"). Nice one.

Herotodus - poly
I agree - the Kjaerhus Classics are great. I like this piece. The chords on the synth are haunting. I would perhaps try to draw them more out in the mix, but they do grow towards the break in the middle. Cool bell arps. The drums are playful and cool, if perhaps a bit thin (sounds like you're hammering away on a kettle) and could do with more variation, but you bravely put in a drum solo in the end - although it is very repetitive. At first glance I'd call it experimental and industrial, but it's bordering on easy listening. This is another song that could do with more tonal changes, I think. But it is a fun piece, though.

Wopelka - Syphon
Stop whining about your lack of talent - it's obvious to everyone by now. Another fantastic piece from you. I love the way you experiment with your voice. I think the flute part sounds a bit "stuck on" the first time but when it repeats it sounds more natural. I guess this one will need a few listens. And just when it starts getting too boring you bring on the synth for some tonal variation, this really makes the song a lot richer. And most of all I sit here with a feeling that you really have a lot of fun when you make this stuff. I think this is headed for a top spot this month.

Mephit Blue - Come
Chill out. Sounds like the demo song in Reason at first. But the vocals are spot on, if only a bit low - could have been more prominent in the mix. Haunting chorus. All the instruments are well executed. My only gripe with this song is the tempo...it's TOO relaxed...maybe just my mind that wants more speed after listening to all the entries. Nice ending, though. I think it is a good contender for this month.

garret - Calling You
Very well recorded guitars. The overall sound is really nice. Indie pop indeed. Well written stuff! Nothing much to say, really. I like it.

MarcJX8P - Swirling
Yes! Classy stuff. I see where your influences come from. Rich pads and nice drums. The bass line is clear and well placed in the mix. The brief electric guitars sound a bit muffled (the later acoustic is very nice), but the bell pads are beautiful. Some of the string synths sound perhaps a tad to old-school MIDI but nothing really wrecks the beauty of your track. The ending could have been less abrupt, perhaps. You don't mention your equipment so I don't know how much is synths and how much is "real" instruments but this is a very nice entry.

[vurt]

ive had so many stops n starts and because of what this is for i dont wanna post some half hearted pisstake
why this one...?

[Markleford]

Markleford - Island CD Malfunction
This is what I would call industrial fusion. Anything goes. I hate it. I hate it. M u s t r e s i s t. Butt-ugly piece. OH, f**k it, I've listened 4 times now and it's currently on for the 5th.

Sort of one intent of it: interesting parts are supposed to jump out at you after you've acclimated yourself to a basic "oh, it's just random shit" mindset.

I sort of described it as wandering through a museum and catching things out of the corner of your eye, warranting closer inspection...

But I must admit I have a problem seeing this getting you started with music in the first place...I think you'd run away scared and tell your mom you'd rather play the trumpet (well, I did, and ended up playing the guitar).

Actually I started out on piano and trombone, picking up instrument after instrument until I finally got to valve brass when I was 29 or so (I play cornet and Eb Peck horn currently).

But my earliest inspirations used here were all very challenging listening: King Crimson, Earthworks, and Kazumi Watanabe were the first acts that really "woke me up" beyond the world of Rush and Talking Heads (mainly inherited from my brother). You know, the kind of stuff that made acquaintences say, "What the @#*& is that noise?!?"

But truly the samples were culled from my all-time faves, so they're the fuel that got me started and keep me going. I think the fact that I could use them as raw material for my own style and ideas in a po-mo way is very fitting: using the building blocks of the past to establish where I am now, musically.

Those trumpet patches are haunting, though. Must get them out of my ears.

Yeah, lots of brass in my background: no matter how much I get into electronics and weird sound experiments, I'll always love real brass.

Thanks for the words and ears. Quite the unique review!

- m

[_niko_]

Niko - hellish
Good production. I like the panning vocals. The guitar is well done. Everything is in tune, and the pace change in the bridge is well executed. Overall, a very good entry.

Thanks a lot As I said I had a pretty hard time mixing it with all that guitars and still think it could be better, but I am very glad you like it.

ive had so many stops n starts and because of what this is for i dont wanna post some half hearted pisstake
why this one...?

I can feel for you mate. I started like five different songs, before I settled for the one I posted. For the first time I thought the 2 minute restriction is actually a good thing

Niko

[herodotus]

kovacs wrote; "cool bell arps"

Not to be picky, but the bell parts were written the old fashioned way with a notation editor. No arpeggiators were used ( Nor do I ever use them)

Thanks for listening

[knockman]

Knockman, it's a beautiful track. Does it remind me Brian Eno? No, King Crimson instead. I love it

thanks ja.x, that's a comparison i'm unworthy of.

Knockman - The Commercial House
I must say I really like the mood in this. I am unable to classify it...brings to mind old Pink Floyd songs but it is different. The song has a slight "interlude" feel to it, maybe that's what gives the Floyd connection. When the guitar kicks in the song jumps to life and becomes something completely different, yet retains the feel. VERY well done. Well produced, too, although to my ears the vocals could have been given more space.

thankyou kovacs, i never classify anything so i feel validated by your comments . given the pressures of time - work and family, this was a lttle rushed, so there are no doubt many things that i'll notice in the future about it that should have been done differently or re-takes and so on, my timing's 'flexible' at the best of times

anyway will start reveiwing soonish

regards

[Marc JX8P]

Kovacs, thanks for your nice review! About the equipment: most of it is synths except for the distorted electric guitar chords which is real electric guitar. I haven't been playing guitar for long though so it's still a bit of experimenting what brings the best sound. The acoustic guitar is a standard patch on the Kompakt soft sampler. Throughout it I have been using the Kjarhues compressor and new autofilter a lot. Also I've been using the SpinEQ and RoomverbM1 plugins.

I have to say I agree about the ending but unfortunately my track ended about 7-10 seconds over 4 minutes, and I thought it was best to not change the arrangement but simply to fade out a bit sooner.

[donkey tugger]

Donkey tugger - Free of it all
Gloomy sound. Good chorus. Haunting. Decent, full sound. Maybe a bit mashed in places but it really works with the overall feel of the song. Not too complex, either. Reminds me of a cross between a lot of things, which is good. Yup, I like it. Indiepop indeed. Wouldn't work too well on radio on a car stereo, I think...too dark.

Cheers! Good set of reviewing for all and sundry.


That was one of me more cheerful numbers too!