june contest ... GOSSIP

[AndreasE]

AndreasE - Melrock
This has a great mix and excellent production. The track itself is interesting with some nice development and variation

AndreasE - Melrock
I am not sure whether it is Top 40 material, but I am sure that this could be used very effectively in computer game music, which is probably at least as important a market.

Don´t play any computer games, so I can´t comment this.

Thanks much for the comments, slartibartfast.

[You™]

I thought I'd try to "give back" with some reviews. I haven't been able to in a while so I hope I'm not too rusty...

"Melrock" Andreas Ehrhardt
There's a lot of things I like about this (I'm a sucker for arpeggios, the distorted beats are cool, the swirly moody padsare nice) but altogether in this format, it's not working for me. It's a bit too step sequencery. It lacks a certain dynamism and falls into a chord progression exercise. It's got good moments, just a tad too clockwork.

"Oiiftm" Farlukar
I love the powerful bass and unrelenting drive of this. There's a few times when the filtered (is that sawtooth wave?) higher synth gets in the way of the groove but then it rights itself and gets going again. I understand the mix is bass-heavy but it need some high end "air." It would help with the metallic sounds and stereo imaging too. Is the title a reference to "Motif I?"

"4'33" (RaceAgainstTime Eddit)" DJ Paulie Phonick vs John Cage
I think I made my comments earlier. Nice idea, but it's been done before. Too bad you didn't enter a proper song. Judging by previous entries from you, I know it would have been really good. Definitely the lowest bitrate I've seen in an contest entry in a long time.

"MC Wopelka (The New Man)" Wopelka
Really good work on this. I love that beat and all the funky voices. Now for the choruses you need a proper choir. My suggestion would be to really punch up the choruses with something edgy, loud and in your face. The flute and celesta sounds you have wither away (but I assume that might part of the charm). It wouldn't hurt to throw in a choir, horns and electric guitar - especially if you rip it off from some other song. Maybe Bachman-Turner Overdrive...

"timberlake" donkeyt
This is ugly in more ways than one. The good kind of ugly. I hope you didn't mind that I appropriated it. I thought I did a fair job of blending you and Ms. J. This is one of the few songs from you that doesn't have the left-right crash cymbals. I heard this song too many times whilst creating my mashup. BTW, crunk is out - krump is in.

"Record Deal" Hovmod
Nice string sample! I think you should add another guitar for each iteration until you have this unholy Glenn Branca racket a the chorus. You prolly won't be getting the record deal biting the hand that feeds like this but hey it was fun while it lasted. Anyways, you have the Corporate Soundtrack stuff... I've done a little bit of that myself. I once did music for a training video for how to use groundskeeping equipment. I liked your Kongsburg soundtrack.

[M'Snah]

M'Snah - Popstar
I would never have guessed that the girls voice wasn't real. This is an excellent pop-style track with a very strong female vocal. Nice groove, and eminently danceable and memorable. The only minor thing I would change would be the effects on the male "Feel the Groove" line. Shortlisted.

Thank you . There were many 'firsts' for me in this song, I'm glad it worked out.

btw. It's a great job you and a few others are doing reviewing all of the songs. It's a lot of work to capture your thoughts in text and distill something usefull for every song. And much appreciated.

[M'Snah]

A few more from me...

41 Astanine - Baby
Jean-Michel Astanine. Nice tune, easy accesible melody. Maybe a bit fatter lead sound would have created an even better contrast with the staccato arp sounds.

42 SttJelle - Sunday
Even a non-soundtrack song from you has that polished appearance. Personally I don't really like vocoded style vocals, but it fits well here.

43 Patrick9 - Sunshine
I could like this song if it were less warped/mangled. Even though it would be a bit cheesy then; the vocals are nice and full. And I have no problems liking mainstream music (I tried to redownload in case the mp3 is bad, but couldn't get to your song at this moment).

44 Diek - Undercover
This is a nice foundation for a song, it could use a bit more excitement (variation / suspense - release) or maybe a bit more tempo to make it danceable.

45 Aieda_cin - Tiholasciato
I love the title, although I don't have a clue if it means something. The start has an acoustic celtic mood, and great vocals, this attracts me more than the rock'ish ending.

46 1-2-Many - Deal with It
When I listened to this song I forgot it was for the KVR contest. Great rock song, and fitted in 2 minutes. The giveaway was that the lead vocal could use a tiny bit of autotune at 1 or 2 places. Welldone.

47 PawPawPatch - The Making of Ricky Krews
All the parts fit together, but the vocoder puts me off. The vocal "Ricky Krews" hardly came thru. Otherwise a good groove and a nice lead melodies.

48 Damstraversaz - Hora
Nice and relaxing, soundtrack'ish. HM to the bass, it gets and takes its space.

49 Splynter - The Arrival
At first I was wondering what the style was going to be, until 0.30 it's almost modern jazz / symphonic. Nice future'ish sounds, and an exciting song. A bit short too.

50 Liqih - Here Comes dee Bass
Nice groove and great bass sound, and good melodic / harmonic accompanyment and variation. A bit repetitive but not boring.

51 Griels - Crazy Everytime
A smooth and polished song. The vocoded vocals are not always audible, the rap at 1.10 is very nice.

[You™]

"Power Peanuts" Peppy197
There's that adage about how if you had enough monkeys and enough time they would eventually type Shakespeare. In the meantime, if you gave them MIDI input and some quantization, you might get this. For the most part, this anti-pop formula song sounds like an assemblage of random bits and ideas strung together by someone with attention deficit disorder. But that's kind of how Brian Wilson worked isn't it?

"midnight is a destination" Vitamin D
I for one never harbored the genre prejudice you are so apprehensive of. I quite like parts of this song (as I do of most all your entries), but this one may be a little too rigid in it emulation of your impression of the genre formula. I think some more organic or at least non-periodic sounds (voices, guitars, noise) layered on top of this would be cool. I like the notes from the piano in the second half, but the piano patch is weak. The mix could use a little more punch in the bottom and top.

"Suicide Booth" Seus Hawkins
I remember the suicide booth from Futurama yet I didn't find this as droll or inventive. Nevertheless, it has a certain entertaining pathos to it. The mix gets a bit too oversaturated with midrange and low freq. from that organ for about 13 seconds around 1:10.

"the contract" knockman-wildchurch
I always enjoy your entries. Like this, they are usually quite thoughtful and engrossing, with a bit of theatrical flair rolled into the music. Although I liked the mellow tone of the piano and voice here, I think the mix gets a bit muddy with too much sonic overlap in the timbres of the sounds. Maybe you could use a bit of creative EQ to carve out space in the vox or pads so the words float to the top.

"Slow Down Jackie" Alex James (...xander)
Not a bad vampy ballad ...or is that campy ballad? I'm not keen on the synth bass and drum machine quality. Most of the instrumentation has a bit of GMisnness, but who can afford a real "15-piece big band" to perform this kind of stuff. The music is OK but the arrangement and realization could be better. I do like the wah guitar and your Tom Waits. I think that for this kind of hard-boiled pulp fiction, you need the right treatment. On the other hand, Stan Ridgway could probably get away with the synthiness... Don't like that sawed-off endin

"Coastal Town" Tristeza Orange
I've lived in a few coastal towns in the US, but sadly they tend to be populated by insane locals and even more insane tourists. Living near the beach out of season is a wonderful thing. I'm not sure that this has the glossy pop sheen a major label would require, but it's genial and guileless and I like that. The repeated descending horn riff starting at 1:14 sounds a bit discordant to my ears though everything resolves to a nice ending.

[Khepira]

Final set of comments - this time from Page 1

Khepira - Let Yourself Be Free
This may well make its way onto the dance charts. Well produced and mixed and both familiar enough in style not to be threatening, but distinctive enough to be different. Well done. Shortlisted.

Thanks. After posting the mp3 I was cursing because I came to think I had ruined a nice, clear sound with overall mix compression. It still sounds somewhat too muddy/dense to me, but at least a few reviewers seem to be ok with it.

[You™]

"Let Yourself Be Free" Khepira
When I was in Moscow in the early 90s, I think I heard this blasting from the late night kiosk where (for hard currency) you could by US cigarettes, Polish vodka, German beer, Chinese luggage, Italian candy, homemade bread and Spanish porn. Even though I've probably heard every variation of this genre, I dig all the mixing stuff in the middle. I'm just not into the vocals much, I think I'd rather hear sound effects. The compression doesn't bother me - this stuff is supposed to be like that.

"Dreaming" Pheeleep a.k.a Verite
Pretty cool sounding vamp or whatever you call it. It would have been nice to get out of D min at some point - otherwise it feels more like incidental soundtrack music. Not that there's anything wrong with that - it's just not quite what this month's theme means to me. Don't worry though, I tend to like soundtracks better than top 40 pop anyway.

"The road to a 25,000,000$ deal" Ixox
If Celine Dion could somehow be grafted onto this and it be played in the end credits of some epic tragedy about oh, I don't know, maybe the slow decline into moral turpitude of a government cabinet minister charged with corruption, I feel sure that it could be a sensation. It's odd how the rhythm is laid back but the horns are urgent - definitely music for bureaucrats. And don't forget to put the dollar sign before the money (in the title) or else some lawyer may find a loophole in your contract.

"Eight" WoJ
I quite liked this except for the cymbals and high hat. It doesn't sound finished though, needs words - or else it's in danger of being coopted for some gawdawful TV commercial for financial services aimed at hip young people who don't know what financial services are. "...Citibank. We haven't leaked your personal account info ...recently." I can see where you were going with the Franz Ferdinand inspiration but they're a bit more angular disco rock where yours is 8x8 basic rock pop.

"It's a Deal" Beardedone
Cool underwater bell sounds and (I hate to say) excellent drumming. I only hate to say that because it's that slicy-dicy software you use, isn't it? Good mix too. I own a few records like this so I know it's within the realm of possibilities. It would be interesting to see if you could perform this live with a jazzy little combo. I'm glad to hear you would be satisfied with 10 customers for your music. You'll only need 9 more.

"Let me just lite this shit! - Promo" The System ERA
Pretty spiffy rhyme and beatsmithing. Doesn't David Icke rhyme with "conspiracy," "majesty," and "illuminati?" The bass and reverb snare is smart and the crowd "ooohh" is great but that ending! Hate to say it, but you could have fixed that - maybe by cutting some of the self reference at the beginning...

[Gregjazz]

Gregjazz - Four Flavors Of Guitar
Can't help feeling that this track needed a vocal over the top of it. Highly competent guitarwork. The mix seems a little muddy, and low in volume in comparison with other tracks this month?

Thanks! Yeah, as I said, I was planning on having vocals, but my mind drew a blank when it came to lyric writing. I had already taken a few weeks on the actual sequencing, so I thought I'd just lay down some guitar solos instead.

But definitely in order to be a "record contract selling song" I should've put in lyrics.

[You™]

"Popstar" M'Snah aka HansM
What is that "doo wop" sample? I dunno but there's a bit of M's "Pop Music" to this - the hallowed intro, the bubbly bass ...er, that might be more "Funkytown." That's cool, but I don't really care for the vocal samples. I would have preferred something original and personal. Great production and very catchy. Man that sample is driving me crazy!

"ObviousJunetic" Scamme
What starts off like U2, then becomes Joy Division, transforms into Cabaret Voltaire and ends like the Everly Brothers? I don't know either, but that's what I thought about whilst listening to this. Not a bad idea for a song. Needs more punch and energy and a bit more variation. A lyric wouldn't hurt either...

"Child of the Eighties" Richiebee
The music style in this is more cheesy 70s than 80s, but that's nitpickey. It reminds a bit more of Zappa singing with EW&F then the decade mentioned in the title. Once again I think your horn parts are excellent. The vocals are a bit dull and buried in the mix but the music is bright and energetic.

"An open letter to the Man" Katanaman
Love it. Might be the best song this month. It fuckin' rocks. Perfect.

"Stop i Know" Dan Sad
Looks as if you already have a label. It wasn't easy for me to get to your entry but it was worth it. Very smooth and slick - nicely understated and hip. Unfortunately the vocals through the autotune get old fast. It's just an effect that doesn't appeal to me anymore. Sorry. But the music is nice and easy to enjoy.

"Copyright This" Techbot
Love the concept. I never get tired of art that pokes fun at the industry that supposedly is here to entertain us. I'm afraid that although this is bursting with good intentions, it's just not "there" yet. For all the pop fodder that whirls in the blender, there isn't a cohesive groove or identity to this piece to give it a life of its own like your previous entry "Dancing Round The Maypole." I've listened to a few of the sets from your site and they're quite good. I know you're on the right track.

[emdot_ambient]

I didn't enter this month's competition but I still wanted to do reviews and cast my votes, but . . . it's hard to figure out exactly how to rate the entries considering this month's theme. Almost by default I'm going to dislike music that would really gain a big label deal, so I called an old friend of mine who happens to be the senior AR rep for Bottom Line Records. I asked if he'd give a listen to the June entries and help me pick the top 10. He did me one better and offered to SIGN his #1 pick! Wow. That means one of YOU will be getting a PM from my main man soon and will have the opportunity to SELL YOUR MUSICAL SOUL TO THE FORCES OF DARKNESS (and see your name in lights, if only temporarily). So, I'll turn things over to the man himself, Sven Schlameel.

Hello for sure to everybody. Peace and greets to you! My name is Sven Schlameel and I'm big man at Bottom Line. Remember hip-hop artists came out big three years ago, DJ FlashN & D'Pain? I sign them. No? You no remember? Not to worry, they have huge carwash chain in SE USA now make big money down there.

OK, here's deal: I have big time fight with Senior VP at Bottom Line Record. I'm outty real soon now. So, what do I do? I make for you, one of you I like best, a contract with Bottom Line. You win big label deal, I get ass fired for making stupid mistake. Who cares? You got contract, that what you want. Me? I get to sign act who deserves to be big time label contract, yes? I'm sick making stupid contract with same old crap band packaged to sell to stupid fat carbohydrate junkie American suburban white kids who think still is cool to be gangsta rapper. Oh, yeah, big man white boy driving rice boy boom car getting' down with funky bad ass. Crap that is. So, from you I pick one who really deserves commercial success. The for rest of top 10, they get one-time live concert deal with band I sign.

OK? Let's go. No time left for more wasting, Emdot. Play first song.

Page 1

AndreasE -- Melrock: Pretty intro for sure. Beat/melody good but too choppy. Need more hook. Need more sustained interest, hook and pull me in. Could make this work but no time. My old ass hit pavement soon. Next, please.

farlukar -- Oiiftm: Four floor standard but nice strangeness. Give more strangeness, more aggression, more take chances. Nice change up. FX drop out some, mix gets more open . . . 1:08 transition not work too well. Drums need more up in mix. Nice groove to end but need some drama build up new elements. OK, now next.

Paulie Phonick -- 4'33" Ha! Should sign just to f**k Senior VP. But would work better on vinyl than CD.

You™ -- Athens: What, you think me some kind Nashville AR man? Or S. CA? Not bad sing but need more music. Main guitar little too always on. Need rhythm guitar bass guitar. So, next again.

Wopelka -- MC Wopelka (The New Man): Oh, yeah, no I'm talking! f**ked Up French Funk. Boom, boom. Down with it! Senior VP hate this one for sure! They Republicans, hate French. Hi hi! High marks, Wopelka, on short list. Save for me Emdot, play next.

Donkey Tugger -- timberlake: Horrible trash. Phil Collins meets potty-mouth gansta rapper. Oh, they deserve this. Hmm. Put on short list, get me aspirin.

Hovmod -- Record Deal: Badass. Badass! Kickin', killer! Three in row. Need sound of man puke. That clinch it. Thanks for aspirin. Hand Scotch please and next tune.

Peppy197 -- Power Peanuts: Nice drum rhythm sound. Piano? Not sure 'bout that. Hmm, seems get lost. But great ending. Why not more like that all through? No ice in Scotch.

VitaminD -- midnight is a destination: Four floor but nice start. Good feel. Wish I could rave not be AR man. Drop X, feel up cute young nymphomaniac raver girls. This be soundtrack for me in there. 6 girls all side of me . . .

. . . Emdot here. We have to take a break. Sven went to the . . . uh, Men's room for a while. I'll pick this back up in a few minutes.

Okay, we're back now. Sven seems a little calmer. (And a little more drunk.) Sven, you ready?

For sure. No problems. Everyone still online? Start for me again last song.

VitaminD -- midnight is a destination (continued): Oh, yes. Nice rave song. Go on all night. 6 girls all round me. Sweating very much. Great time. Too bad song fade out. Need more hours this. Put on list, OK?

knockman -- The Contract: What this? Oh, now I get. Yeah, on list. Very much like Tom Waits on downer. Might not only get fired but shot, too. He always sound like that? Persona? Hmm, works this time. More Scotch, please.

xander -- Slow Down Jackie: Oh, not sure here. Would piss of SVP but . . . Hmm, not like chorus too much. Good production. Nice bass, funky guitar. Voice nice. Not too much for me, though I like drink whisky down. OK, now one more.

Tristeza Orange -- Coastal Town: Cute and screwy. Psychedelic and Mike Oldfield at one time. He, he. Want this on Top 40 Charts. SVP suck my . . .

. . . Sven? Stick to the reviews, please?

Sorry. Put on list. Next please.

Khepira -- Let Yourself Be Free: Oh, no. How many times AR man hear this? Too real. Head hurts. More aspirin. Diddle, diddle, diddle sorry, too close to real job. Next please. What end of page?

Emdot here, yep, end of page one. See you on page two!

[xander]

Final set of comments - this time from Page 1

...xander - Slow Down Jackie
And now for something completely different..... Love that big band sound. Sounds like you needed to smoke a few more packs of fags before you nailed that vocal, and the reverb on the lead vocal is possibly a little heavy, but these are minor quibbles about a great track. If a major label isn't interested in this type of music, then they should be. Shortlisted.

Thanks Slarti! As a fellow Hitchiker, I appreciate your comments!

As usual -- way after the fact -- I can hear ways to make my lo-fi hep-cat 'Return of the 60s' type touring band sound more authentic. Perhaps that Waves Musicians Bundle is the thing for me afterall Now if I can just stop my five-pack-a-day smoking habit, maybe I can save up enough to afford it!

Cheers & Thanks mate,
Alex

[Khepira]

"Let Yourself Be Free" [snip] The compression doesn't bother me - this stuff is supposed to be like that.

I just played it -loud- (as it would be, of course, in a dance club) and I see that you're right.

[emdot_ambient]

Page Two
Pheeleep -- dreaming: Ah, here's one deserves label deal but no chance sell. Productions sweet. Well thought out. Too bad fade at end. Everything work nice together. Don't have to be funky. Should be room in world for recording this kind mellow thoughtful track. Put on list.

Ixox -- The road to a $25,000,000 deal: Is dirge. Appropriate. Good record but not grab my taste.

WoJ -- Eight: No. Not without lyrics. Need something sailing overtop rock licks. Screams for voice. Otherwise, vacant and too simple.

Beardedone -- It's a Deal: What you put something in my Scotch? Oh, no, just flashback. Everything okay. Trip jazz fusion song. I'm in 1978 again . . . only better! Hi hi SVP hate jazz more than French. Put on list.

The System ERA -- Let me just lite this shit: Why must you rap? Works though. Could be commercial and is creative at same time. SVP might even like. Don't put on list.

Emdot Sven, do you like the song? You do? Then don't worry how the Senior VP's going to react. This isn't just about pissing them off is it?

Sven Nooooo.

Emdot Looks like this song's in, then. I'll put this on the short list.

M'Snah aka HansM -- Popstar Hmm. Emdot stop look at me funny. OK so is House with great production. So what? So is good song. I admit. No problems, put on list.

Scamme -- ObviousJunetic: Good start. Drums getting overwhelmed. Buzzy lead not so nice. Need something big and different to kick song in. On right track. Again, could do something with but no time.

RichieBee -- Child of the Eighties: Yes and so much so for my taste. Good music production, not for me. Need voice clearer too.

Katanaman -- An open letter to the Man: SVP hate jazz, punk and French in that order. This is in. Put on list. Listen to screaming. POGO TIME! Punk rave pogo great for watching girls go all jiggle jiggle . . .

Emdot No, Sven, you just went to the restroom. Sit. Listen. Here's the next song.

DanSad Can't download the song.

grotman -- while you were sleeping: Snoring and funky bass/guitar. Hmm. Interesting but not for me.

Techbot -- Copyright This: Good job mosh up, mosh down, mosh all around. But not for me signing. Fun. Lawyers would hate.

remco -- future bride: Great voice. Good production. Real talent. Needs label. Put on pick list.

ZioKiller -- Noisy Town: Get Remco sing for you. Great funky beat. Lounge funk is all for me. Heard very much like last time was in Chicago. Met bleached blond real estate sales lady. Three martinis and she all mine. We went up to . . .

Emdot Sven? You like this or not?

Sven For sure. Brings back fond mammaries.

Emdot You mean fond memories.

Sven If you are saying so. Put on list and next song, please.

Plunge -- Tabasco: Tabasco too much vinegar. Not enough pepper. This song same thing. Too sour fuzzy, not enough heat in funk. Need more something in it to fill up space. Seems like holes between beat. Emdot, how much more?

Emdot Well, that's it for page two. Want to start again tomorrow?

Sven For sure. Martinis at hotel now. Look for real estate lady. Frederick not Chicago but can get lucky. Am big man.

Emdot Well you're a big man at Bottom Line Records for now anyway.

Sven No, I mean am big man period. Get fired, still big man. American girl like big man, yeah?

Emdot Um . . . that's a Hyde Park topic, I'm afraid. See you all tomorrow!

[Hovmod]

Hand Scotch please and next tune.

Thanks for that bunch of laughs, Emdot.
This gossip thread was in dire need of Dr. Kevorkian, but Sven Schlameel brought back its will to live...

I liked your last song, as well. You're certainly one to watch.

And I wish I had remembered that puke sample that was on the Reason 3 sound bank. Vomit.aif isn't used nearly enough.

[emdot_ambient]

Hand Scotch please and next tune.

Thanks for that bunch of laughs, Emdot.
This gossip thread was in dire need of Dr. Kevorkian, but Sven Schlameel brought back its will to live...

Well, I almost fell like I'm plagerising knockman. This kind of review is really inspired by his work in the past.

I liked your last song, as well. You're certainly one to watch.

Thanks! Though I'm not sure which one you're refering to, I've been fairly productive lately. In fact, I just posted one tonight that's all Krakli instruments (see link in sig). Not being in the monthly contest has really let me get back to some personal work.