winter contest - GOSSIP

[Beardedone]

Beardedone wrote:
Arglebargle and Kovacs! Thanks so much for the votes. I am floored as my track doesn't hold a candle to the entries I have heard so far .. for example YouTm and Knockman tracks shine like crazy. I hope I have some time to listen the the rest today. Damn job people are actually asking for info and stuff.


Funny story, when I first listened to your song I disliked it. It felt way too random for me, as most jazz/fusion does.

But then I listened to it many times, and it grew on my quite a bit. I like the mix of jazz with those sorta electronic drums.

I don't listen to much jazz, so I guess I had to "get in the mood" to enjoy your song.

--

That is so cool to hear. I often just comp what makes sense and sounds good to my ears and musical references. I am more often than not completely amazed when somebody actually likes it.

Thanks again!
Gordon

[koorby]

01. Koorby - Winter : Excellent! I'm very surprised of your wellsounding entry.
It's extremely musical and the guitarplaying fits the tune so much. If I have to
put a finger on something it would maybe be the snare drum. I think I would go for
a rim shot and a bit less drumming.

Well, well; we have a mutual admiration situation here sttjelle, thank you for the #1 vote and your feedback. I honestly think your entry is one of the best things I have heard on KvR for a very long time.

Re: "Winter"; I agree the drums could be toned down a bit - this will be done when the comp is over - the track is going to be remixed and will be a collaboration with another KvR regular (watch this space ). Definitely will back off on the snare for that iteration.

[Marc JX8P]

Wasn't planning on this but after reading what some people wrote about my track I felt I should at least try to review my top 10 as I found the comments on my track very inspiring. So here goes:

Breaks, Sleek Month:
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Great track, very professional sounding with excellent dynamic span throughout the song. Some parts remind me a bit of Bowie. What's very nice is that although the song is never changing for the sake of it you never quite know what direction it will take next. Great guitars, great drums and great singing. And I love that guitar solo at the end.

Düsterer Storm, You:
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Can you say Blade Runner? It starts out sounding a bit like that Vangelis classic with excellent athmosphere and great sounds, but then flows effortlessly into a different style with more rhythm (though I still see some kind of washed out detective in 2359 looking for clues and flying around in a hovercar). Very enjoyable.

Featherbrush, Mystahr:
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Again, a piece of music that's very much about exploring athmosphere. It is really interesting though how you get away with that single loop in the background and it's so cool when it finally changes key. I just wished there was more tension and buildup towards that moment so when it finally changes key there would be more of a release.

Calling you, Garret:
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Very 'natural' feeling with some really nice guitar sounds, great singing and perfect choice of accompaniment instruments. I'm not really sure of the melody part around 2:20, but aside from that it's an interesting listen with intricate melodies that not always do what you'd expect.

Bit Travel, Sttjelle:
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Do you by any chance know Metamorphoses by Jean Michel Jarre? There's a great song on that album called 'Hey Gagarin' that has a very similar feel through it's sounds and melodies (although it's very different in other respects). What can I say - very harmonious, very beautiful. Great pads and a very nice bit of piano playing. The drums are mesmerizing and although vocoder can sometimes sound cliche, it sounds beautiful here and I'm definetely a vocoder fan again!

I Love The Music, Patrick9:
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Great drums and guitars. Not sure about the singing if I may be so blunt . It sounds rather like you're posing as someone singing your song instead of just singing it, although you do do a good job of that. There's a rather nice lofi sound effect sometimes on the vocals later on which I feel should have been used more. Great guitar soloing though!

The Commercial House, Knockman:
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A melancholy road, this song. Like Breaks, it has a real dynamic going on over the length of the song. Basically, it feels like a symphonic rock 20 minute opus in 4 minutes. Nice!

Winter, Koorby:
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Basically, I don't like the drums much here. They seem too busy and detract from a piano part which is very beautiful and subtle. Nevertheless, the piano is very nice and when the guitars kicks in these instruments dance quite nicely around each other. I would have liked to have heard a kind of instantly recognizable melody, even if only one bar or two, as a kind of guide through the whole song. Nevertheless, very musical, very nice.

Die, Sepheritoh:
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I'll be honest here - I'm not a fan of this style of song. Nevertheless I found myself wanting to include this one here. Maybe because it's not my usual choice of music . I did enjoy this song very much, both the singing and the playing sound gritty and feel just right. Very enjoyable!

Ode To Maverick, Kovacs:
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Two things. First, I didn't like the drums which felt too chaotic and not suitable to the rest of the song. Second - I keep hearing that tune for days now and can't get rid of it! You definetely got a good sense for melodies, Kovacs. Also some great sounds in this song and defenitely evocative of that movie! Some wonderful guitar playing.

[knockman]

Wasn't planning on this but after reading what some people wrote about my track I felt I should at least try to review my top 10 as I found the comments on my track very inspiring. So here goes:

thanks Marc, i always try to comment on all submissions, i think it's really appreciated. i don't feel able to provide anything constructive in terms of technique as such, but i'll always focus on impressions and inspirations since that for me sums up the purpose. others here provde superb technical comments which have aided me enormously

The Commercial House, Knockman:
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A melancholy road, this song. Like Breaks, it has a real dynamic going on over the length of the song. Basically, it feels like a symphonic rock 20 minute opus in 4 minutes. Nice!

thankyou for your comments, this is what i tend to 'fall back on' - plaintive intros and something more energized after. however, i'm trying to avoid doing so, i'd like to break away from that if i can. for this contest i let myself 'relax' as it were and follow my instincts, so i'm really happy it made your top ten. cheers

regards

[kovacs]

Ode To Maverick, Kovacs:
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Two things. First, I didn't like the drums which felt too chaotic and not suitable to the rest of the song. Second - I keep hearing that tune for days now and can't get rid of it! You definetely got a good sense for melodies, Kovacs. Also some great sounds in this song and defenitely evocative of that movie! Some wonderful guitar playing.

Thanks, Marc, I appreciate your nice comments. I have learned a lesson about the drum track now, yes.

(BTW - I've finally found that lyric we talked about - will pass it along this evening).

[M'Snah]

...

[Patrick9]

I Love The Music, Patrick9:
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Great drums and guitars. Not sure about the singing if I may be so blunt . It sounds rather like you're posing as someone singing your song instead of just singing it, although you do do a good job of that.

Thanks Marc - I enjoyed doing the guitar bits - and yes, you caught me out, I was posing as someone who could actually sing

Cheers, Pat

[mystahr]

Again, a piece of music that's very much about exploring athmosphere. It is really interesting though how you get away with that single loop in the background and it's so cool when it finally changes key. I just wished there was more tension and buildup towards that moment so when it finally changes key there would be more of a release.

I do think of it as becoming a trade'mark' (unintentional pun) to explore singular arps or sequences and build on it. Truthfully I agree this somehow to be underdeveloped. At the time I was way too enthousiastic on the achieved tune that I perhaps posted too quickly. That said I am thinking of working more on this after the contest is over.

Thank you for the vote; means a lot

And with that a thanks to all who voted or HM'ed for this; it's a huge boost and quite inspirational since there's just a truckload full of great songs this month

[Marc JX8P]

Wasn't planning on this but after reading what some people wrote about my track I felt I should at least try to review my top 10 as I found the comments on my track very inspiring.

Maybe the songs that were not in your top 10 could benefit more from your review, in terms of improvement opportunities

... just a thought ...

--HansM

Perhaps you're right. Well, since I started now, I'll try to review the others too... only about 19 more anyway...

[M'Snah]

...

[kovacs]

I need the course "How to listen to music critically and give feedback constructively" first

Well...the best way is to just DO IT!

[mystahr]

exactly

listen and let your ears do the talking

Listen, try and enjoy

[knockman]

listen and let your ears do the talking

Listen, try and enjoy

as above here's the first half of my comments. to be honest i'd like a month to really take them all in. just listening again on markleford's radio, phenomenal month


donkey tugger - usual masterclass - great dynamics, works first time, and then gets even better with multiple listening and reveals something new each time.

sttjelle - production-wise this outclasses just about anything else here, some of the turns unexpected and beautiful, full of things i wouldn't think possible. oh!

beardedone - what i love is the movement, in infinite dimensions, non-linear and beguiling. i recall gazing at stars as a child, a sense of wonder that's left an impression ever since, a fabulous production.

sweetboy - reminded of a previous 'life', things i haven't touched in a while. the evolving sounds, subtle moments and slam would have quite an effect if i were there again

vitamind - real tight, focused and 'kept in check'. alot can come out of that, a channeling of energy. odd for me now listening in my comfy domestic environment, slippers and all, such music comes from a world i've 'abandoned' for want of a better word, nonetheless i recall transcendental eternities of fusing with a constant beat.

bluedays - as with the previous two tunes, i'm no longer to be found in 'dance' environments, so i'm again taken back to a previous phase with this. there are some quite intricate parts and sounds that'd make it work whether i was up and moving or laid back given over to aural appreciation.

sepheritoh - another intriguing track from you! this seems authentic peel to me - i can imagine being in my early teens again, listening to his show late at nightand being exposed to things school didn't teach. it was a valuable education to say the least. dark and irresistible.

youtm - lush and expansive without being soulless, if that makes sense. i think there's some real magic in it. i couldn't believe it was 4min gone when it ended - like it had evaded time or something. quite mysterious and beautifully produced with elements giving ground to each other both concurrently and linearly.

kovacs if i hadn't read the 'background notes' in your post, i don't think i'd have had a point of reference on this, and that said i still don't think i know what it is, and that's as i like it. sounds highly idiosyncratic and like nothing else i've heard recently. if anything i'm put in mind of 60's british instrumental groups a la shadows, which is real cool. the melody is insistent and engaging, the backing wonderfully 'free'. i dig it - very interesting and commands attention.

mystahr - i really admire your 'love of sound', how you, and so many others here, can combine things, give them space and life to build something breathtaking (i'm still enraptured by your piece 'dronezone') this one really exemplifies that - it's far from what i do, but since coming to kvr, it's been one of the biggest inspirations on my approach to sound and a guide to how i can take future compositions. thankyou.

herodotus first i second your sentiments in the post regarding developers - i too have been given opportunity to explore and realize what would otherwise remain locked within. to your track, i'm really impressed with the pace, sounds and tonal qualities. the 'stop-start' dynamics exert a powerful effect. music that's impossible to ignore can be both a good and bad thing of course, but this is definitely the former, i'm transfixed.

wopelka - excellent. i've often noticed and elsewhere someone has commented the same, your work comes across like CAN. it's an easy comparison to make i suppose, but in your case it's wholly worthy as you seem to present something so balanced, i could listen to hours of this. your vocal work is stunning, i'm floored and uplfted....speechless

mephit blue - great balance of parts with subtle shifts and dynamics, it's a really sweet sound, almost floats and in fact i found it in my head today at work, it took a moment to place it but i soon realised it was this.

garret - like this one immensely, and i'm glad you've entered a contest again. fantastic chords, the way you open it up in the middle and the playing are just superb. wish i could carry a song like that. perfect.

arglebargle do you ever do this stuff live? it'd really lend itself to some awesome performance/theatrics. i'm a huge fan of MAYWA DENKI of whom this reminds me somewhat, kind of music made with art-robotics. great fun and an inspiration through its 'joi de vie'.

nikp2000 - gets more infectious with each listen, i don't know if guitar playing in such tracks is supposed to be insistent or laid back, but here it has an edge that pulls the song. does that make sense? i find it very compelling and tonally highly pleasing. curious and cool.

my comments are merely accounts of your music's effect on me. greatly pleased to be witness to it

more soon folks

regards

[kovacs]

kovacs if i hadn't read the 'background notes' in your post, i don't think i'd have had a point of reference on this, and that said i still don't think i know what it is, and that's as i like it. sounds highly idiosyncratic and like nothing else i've heard recently. if anything i'm put in mind of 60's british instrumental groups a la shadows, which is real cool. the melody is insistent and engaging, the backing wonderfully 'free'. i dig it - very interesting and commands attention.

I needed this...

[sttjelle]

Well, well; we have a mutual admiration situation here sttjelle

Indeed! Looking foreward to hear more from you!