Well, I was too late for the contest...and then a work emergency kept me from voting. My faves this month:
Sleek Month
Donkey Tugger
Sttjelle
UTM
Grotman
knockman
markleford
Marc JX8P
Mystahr
Herodotus
winter contest - GOSSIP
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- KVRian
- 581 posts since 15 Dec, 2003 from Hangin' out with my 5 year old
And all life's fears
Can invade my ears
I can handle it
Can invade my ears
I can handle it
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- KVRian
- 581 posts since 15 Dec, 2003 from Hangin' out with my 5 year old
And now some reviews:
Donkey T – I have to admit that I often “grade” your tracks more harshly than they deserve, mostly because it seems like you have more talent than the rest of us and you sometimes “coast” with your contest entries. Not this time. This track is excellent beginning to end. If I were to criticize this track at all it would be the result of pure jealousy.
Beardedone – Not my cup of tea (or java or coke), odd freeform jazz that just doesn’t go anywhere for me.
Sweetboy – good start, nice hit. Don’t like the lead line, though it sounds better when filtered. Nice throbbing bassline, just my type. Sorry, but I don’t care for the pitched-down vocal line at all –20 years going to industrial clubs has worn that cliché out.
Vitimin D – wow, flashback alert. High octane acid goa, well done, but too short. Still, a fun ride.
Bluedays – This track is a good representation of its genre, but many of the sounds are either weak or thin. As a result, this track has a great deal of space in it (which I always like), but sometimes that space needs to be filled with something more than an arp or pad (or have more powerful sounds, especially the pads). Also, the vocals seem to appear out of nowhere, though I think the track does need them.
Spheritoh – has that raw feeling of 1980 roots revival rock , though decidedly on the softer side. Don’t like the vocals, but everything else is nearly perfect – especially the guitar work.
UTM – as usual, this is impeccably produced, though it doesn’t have the hooks and drive that I usually expect from you. The sounds and movement are excellent, and I would bet that this is exactly what you set out to produce (which is more than I can say for myself 99% of the time). I LOOOOVE the subtle arp sound, so few of us really know how to do subtle line effectively. This track grows on me every time I listen to it. I’m not sold on some of the guitar lines, though.
Kovacs – another 80’s flashback (to some extent). Guitar is mixed too loud, but is well played (I have to bury my guitar in the mix to cover up my sloppy playing). I’d be interested to know what you used for drums as they have a very organic feel to them (sounds like a real drummer, must be BFD). Love the way the guitar sound changes and fades (filtered??).
Mystahr – the opening sequence is awesome – dark and foreboding with that “underwater” filtered sound. Builds slowly and wonderfully, though probably too slowly for a contest entry. Some of the drum sounds are too noisy (digital distortion) for my taste, but again that’s down to taste. Overall, this sounds like the intro to a 20 minute piece that I’d like to hear.
Herodotus – this sounds like it could have been a winner in the “Bleak Night” contest in December – very bleak and haunting in that Christmas gone awry vibe. To my ears the drums are too dry for this kind of workout (esp. in the beginning) - I’d like to hear them filtered, delayed and gererally mangled.
Wopelka – wow, this is very likeable in a very odd way. What the hell is going on here??? Don’t have much to say about it, other than it sounds like an awful lot of work to make soooo many different sounds and voices work together. Very well done.
Mephit Blue – Did all of us grow up in the 80’s? Unlike many of the others, this has more of a late 80’s sound – very much reminiscent of The Beloved (and not in any bad way – mostly due to the whispered/spoken vocals and laid back melody lines). Anyway, this a very likable and enjoyable listen, but for me the guitar arp line is the weakest element as it is too repetitive and obvious.
Garret – Not as sweetly produced as some of your previous stuff, but well done nonetheless. Very reminiscent of French pop/trip-hop….have you been listening to Serge Gainsbourg?
Arglebargle -- Your notes on this say that it could be a video game soundtrack, but I think it sounds more like a TV/movie theme from the 80’s, and a very well done version, too.
Donkey T – I have to admit that I often “grade” your tracks more harshly than they deserve, mostly because it seems like you have more talent than the rest of us and you sometimes “coast” with your contest entries. Not this time. This track is excellent beginning to end. If I were to criticize this track at all it would be the result of pure jealousy.
Beardedone – Not my cup of tea (or java or coke), odd freeform jazz that just doesn’t go anywhere for me.
Sweetboy – good start, nice hit. Don’t like the lead line, though it sounds better when filtered. Nice throbbing bassline, just my type. Sorry, but I don’t care for the pitched-down vocal line at all –20 years going to industrial clubs has worn that cliché out.
Vitimin D – wow, flashback alert. High octane acid goa, well done, but too short. Still, a fun ride.
Bluedays – This track is a good representation of its genre, but many of the sounds are either weak or thin. As a result, this track has a great deal of space in it (which I always like), but sometimes that space needs to be filled with something more than an arp or pad (or have more powerful sounds, especially the pads). Also, the vocals seem to appear out of nowhere, though I think the track does need them.
Spheritoh – has that raw feeling of 1980 roots revival rock , though decidedly on the softer side. Don’t like the vocals, but everything else is nearly perfect – especially the guitar work.
UTM – as usual, this is impeccably produced, though it doesn’t have the hooks and drive that I usually expect from you. The sounds and movement are excellent, and I would bet that this is exactly what you set out to produce (which is more than I can say for myself 99% of the time). I LOOOOVE the subtle arp sound, so few of us really know how to do subtle line effectively. This track grows on me every time I listen to it. I’m not sold on some of the guitar lines, though.
Kovacs – another 80’s flashback (to some extent). Guitar is mixed too loud, but is well played (I have to bury my guitar in the mix to cover up my sloppy playing). I’d be interested to know what you used for drums as they have a very organic feel to them (sounds like a real drummer, must be BFD). Love the way the guitar sound changes and fades (filtered??).
Mystahr – the opening sequence is awesome – dark and foreboding with that “underwater” filtered sound. Builds slowly and wonderfully, though probably too slowly for a contest entry. Some of the drum sounds are too noisy (digital distortion) for my taste, but again that’s down to taste. Overall, this sounds like the intro to a 20 minute piece that I’d like to hear.
Herodotus – this sounds like it could have been a winner in the “Bleak Night” contest in December – very bleak and haunting in that Christmas gone awry vibe. To my ears the drums are too dry for this kind of workout (esp. in the beginning) - I’d like to hear them filtered, delayed and gererally mangled.
Wopelka – wow, this is very likeable in a very odd way. What the hell is going on here??? Don’t have much to say about it, other than it sounds like an awful lot of work to make soooo many different sounds and voices work together. Very well done.
Mephit Blue – Did all of us grow up in the 80’s? Unlike many of the others, this has more of a late 80’s sound – very much reminiscent of The Beloved (and not in any bad way – mostly due to the whispered/spoken vocals and laid back melody lines). Anyway, this a very likable and enjoyable listen, but for me the guitar arp line is the weakest element as it is too repetitive and obvious.
Garret – Not as sweetly produced as some of your previous stuff, but well done nonetheless. Very reminiscent of French pop/trip-hop….have you been listening to Serge Gainsbourg?
Arglebargle -- Your notes on this say that it could be a video game soundtrack, but I think it sounds more like a TV/movie theme from the 80’s, and a very well done version, too.
And all life's fears
Can invade my ears
I can handle it
Can invade my ears
I can handle it
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- KVRian
- 581 posts since 15 Dec, 2003 from Hangin' out with my 5 year old
and more reviews:
Nikp2000 – hmmm, so this is brazilian pop? I’m not familiar with anything like this, except for some of the lounge music you hear in the background on 1960’s Bond films. Whatever. It is extremely well played and well mixed, not over produced, but fitting with the track.
Astanine – wow, it’s the 1980’s again, this time with an electro-clash feel (a touch of fisherspooner, anyone?). I love the elctro sounds, but in general this track sounds too programmed, too rigid, which may well be the point of the track. Anyway, for me the best tracks in this genre have at least one element that stands out as more human, and I didn’t find it here. Maybe it just needs vocals.
Coldc – a short orchestral piece that is well put together indeed. I can’t think of anything at all to crtitique about this except that it is too short and doesn’t feel like it has a destination, keeping it just out of my top 10.
Knockman – its 1978 and I’m riding the bus to junior high….”Hotel California” comes on the radio…I don’t like it, but the older kids convince the bus driver to keep it on….hey wait, what’s this?…this isn’t “Hotel California”….its sounding better…it sounds like Kevin Shields joined the Eagles and took over…wow, this is impressive. Damn fine work.
Niko – this is a fun ride, the beginning gives absolutely no clue as to what is coming next…reminds me of some of the hardcore bands from the 80’s, except with talent. The guitar work, in particular, is impressive.
Grotman – now this has a very modern feel to it, and I mean that in no bad way….there’s soooo many 80’s throwbacks in this contest. I love the beat and the way the instruments hammer on the 3’s. Good vocals, too. Excellent feedback delay effect, fading into oblivion. Don’t like the guitar solo as much. This does have a lot of the one thing I could never force into my track --- heart.
Softegg – another track with a great deal of heart, a very moving and sincere piece. The guitar is recorded particularly well (what did you use). The vocals are well done too, but fall just short of the pure emotion that the track deserves, IMO.
Koorby – as usual for you, this is a well played and well recorded piece. The problem for me is that when you name a piano based track “Winter” it conjures an immediate comparison to George Winston, and in that regard this simply falls short of that comparison. Like others have mentioned here, I think the drums are the weak spot – they are well done and sound very real, but somehow detract from the track as a whole.
Sleek Month – I like this A LOT. This is without a doubt the most creative track I’ve heard yet – despite obvious comparisons to Oasis, Verve, etc..this track has a feel all its own. I especially like the dance/disco drum pattern in the verses, as you have skillfully avoided the clichés of the genre (namely Happy Monday’s breakbeats). The beat also contrasts well with the acoustic guitar. Superb.
Freeztar – this track is very quiet, but is certainly some kind of mystery tour de force.
Col G – way too much guitar for my tastes. There is no doubt that you are a guitar hero, but I’d prefer to hear it in a more subtle manner.
Katanaman -- Now this is more my style. Deep funk offset by some nice pads, never a bad combination IMO. I love the seamless transition to 4/4 towards the end – well done.
Hans M – I think you drum work is excellent in this piece, but most of the other sounds let it down – they sound too much like a general midi module at times, though the bass certainly rocked my speakers. In fact, if this were just bass and drums it would work for me.
Marc JX8P – Excellent cinematic pads…building subtly…love the percussion hits and especially the reverb and delay treatment on the percussion. Well produces in whole, and a track that ends in a place different than it started. Superb acoustic guitar sound, but its appearance is too short and perhaps too late in the track (or did I miss it earlier).
Farlukar – Sometimes I am a sucker for dissonance (been known to use it myself) -- and this is a black hole of dissonance. Very attention grabbing – I get the feeling this is exactly what you set out to produce. I’m not sure I’d listen to it very much, but for what it is this is a great track.
Markleford – this track is simply amazing. Weird, wonderful, powerful and creative.
Nikp2000 – hmmm, so this is brazilian pop? I’m not familiar with anything like this, except for some of the lounge music you hear in the background on 1960’s Bond films. Whatever. It is extremely well played and well mixed, not over produced, but fitting with the track.
Astanine – wow, it’s the 1980’s again, this time with an electro-clash feel (a touch of fisherspooner, anyone?). I love the elctro sounds, but in general this track sounds too programmed, too rigid, which may well be the point of the track. Anyway, for me the best tracks in this genre have at least one element that stands out as more human, and I didn’t find it here. Maybe it just needs vocals.
Coldc – a short orchestral piece that is well put together indeed. I can’t think of anything at all to crtitique about this except that it is too short and doesn’t feel like it has a destination, keeping it just out of my top 10.
Knockman – its 1978 and I’m riding the bus to junior high….”Hotel California” comes on the radio…I don’t like it, but the older kids convince the bus driver to keep it on….hey wait, what’s this?…this isn’t “Hotel California”….its sounding better…it sounds like Kevin Shields joined the Eagles and took over…wow, this is impressive. Damn fine work.
Niko – this is a fun ride, the beginning gives absolutely no clue as to what is coming next…reminds me of some of the hardcore bands from the 80’s, except with talent. The guitar work, in particular, is impressive.
Grotman – now this has a very modern feel to it, and I mean that in no bad way….there’s soooo many 80’s throwbacks in this contest. I love the beat and the way the instruments hammer on the 3’s. Good vocals, too. Excellent feedback delay effect, fading into oblivion. Don’t like the guitar solo as much. This does have a lot of the one thing I could never force into my track --- heart.
Softegg – another track with a great deal of heart, a very moving and sincere piece. The guitar is recorded particularly well (what did you use). The vocals are well done too, but fall just short of the pure emotion that the track deserves, IMO.
Koorby – as usual for you, this is a well played and well recorded piece. The problem for me is that when you name a piano based track “Winter” it conjures an immediate comparison to George Winston, and in that regard this simply falls short of that comparison. Like others have mentioned here, I think the drums are the weak spot – they are well done and sound very real, but somehow detract from the track as a whole.
Sleek Month – I like this A LOT. This is without a doubt the most creative track I’ve heard yet – despite obvious comparisons to Oasis, Verve, etc..this track has a feel all its own. I especially like the dance/disco drum pattern in the verses, as you have skillfully avoided the clichés of the genre (namely Happy Monday’s breakbeats). The beat also contrasts well with the acoustic guitar. Superb.
Freeztar – this track is very quiet, but is certainly some kind of mystery tour de force.
Col G – way too much guitar for my tastes. There is no doubt that you are a guitar hero, but I’d prefer to hear it in a more subtle manner.
Katanaman -- Now this is more my style. Deep funk offset by some nice pads, never a bad combination IMO. I love the seamless transition to 4/4 towards the end – well done.
Hans M – I think you drum work is excellent in this piece, but most of the other sounds let it down – they sound too much like a general midi module at times, though the bass certainly rocked my speakers. In fact, if this were just bass and drums it would work for me.
Marc JX8P – Excellent cinematic pads…building subtly…love the percussion hits and especially the reverb and delay treatment on the percussion. Well produces in whole, and a track that ends in a place different than it started. Superb acoustic guitar sound, but its appearance is too short and perhaps too late in the track (or did I miss it earlier).
Farlukar – Sometimes I am a sucker for dissonance (been known to use it myself) -- and this is a black hole of dissonance. Very attention grabbing – I get the feeling this is exactly what you set out to produce. I’m not sure I’d listen to it very much, but for what it is this is a great track.
Markleford – this track is simply amazing. Weird, wonderful, powerful and creative.
And all life's fears
Can invade my ears
I can handle it
Can invade my ears
I can handle it
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- KVRAF
- 3266 posts since 22 Sep, 2003 from under the sun
an awful lot of work? couldn't be me... i'm a lazy guy, you knowSecondSkin wrote:Wopelka – wow, this is very likeable in a very odd way. What the hell is going on here??? Don’t have much to say about it, other than it sounds like an awful lot of work to make soooo many different sounds and voices work together. Very well done.
nah, i used a very cool freebie to help me with the "vox design" thing (apart from recording 3 full takes of my own voice).
http://www.kvraudio.com/get/492.html
i'd have prefered to keep it secret, but i want to thank the nice developper even more: Mr. Big Tick ! try his free plugins, and buy his great vsti's!!!
enjoy!
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- KVRAF
- 3266 posts since 22 Sep, 2003 from under the sun
BTW, someone asked me about the bass treatment...
well i didn't do anything special.
layer of several patches*, compression, EQ, the usual job.
*Pentagon and Sytrus if i correctly recall
well i didn't do anything special.
layer of several patches*, compression, EQ, the usual job.
*Pentagon and Sytrus if i correctly recall
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- KVRist
- 135 posts since 27 Sep, 2003 from Reston, VA.
Thanks everyone for the reviews. I apologize for not replying individually to the last several sets of reviews, however everything written was appreciated.
I'm really going to try and give reviews for everything in February's contest. I've held back being afraid I'd say something wrong. I've gotten so much out of the reviews everyone's done of my song that I really should start doing them as well.
Also a big thanks for the votes and HMs. Though Knockman, you broke my streak of being in the top 10 list for everyone with a screen name that starts with K
. Kovacs, thanks for the number 3 vote. That's the highest I've made it on someone's top 10 list.
Great two months filled with diverse music. Thanks everyone for sharing your work.
I'm really going to try and give reviews for everything in February's contest. I've held back being afraid I'd say something wrong. I've gotten so much out of the reviews everyone's done of my song that I really should start doing them as well.
Also a big thanks for the votes and HMs. Though Knockman, you broke my streak of being in the top 10 list for everyone with a screen name that starts with K
. Kovacs, thanks for the number 3 vote. That's the highest I've made it on someone's top 10 list.Great two months filled with diverse music. Thanks everyone for sharing your work.
Formally the mephit called DrakeBP
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- KVRAF
- 2744 posts since 5 Dec, 2003 from Harlan's World
Thanks SecondSkin.SecondSkin wrote:Kovacs – another 80’s flashback (to some extent). Guitar is mixed too loud, but is well played (I have to bury my guitar in the mix to cover up my sloppy playing). I’d be interested to know what you used for drums as they have a very organic feel to them (sounds like a real drummer, must be BFD). Love the way the guitar sound changes and fades (filtered??).
Yes, drums are BFD (I *love* BFD. My best buy ever...except my guitar, of course).
The guitar sound is a PodXT custom patch using some (although very little) extra chorus and some Voxengo stuff (TubeAmp). No autofiltering going on.
My Soundcloud Too many pieces of music finish far too long after the end. - Stravinsky
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- KVRAF
- 3345 posts since 8 Nov, 2003 from Amsterdam
Thanks for the compliments, and an 'uh oh' for the rest... I thought only the sax sucked, or maybe it was just my mixing and effects that screwed up the piano (SF2) and daOrgan. Thanks though, food for thought and for experimentation.SecondSkin wrote:Hans M – I think you drum work is excellent in this piece, but most of the other sounds let it down – they sound too much like a general midi module at times, though the bass certainly rocked my speakers. In fact, if this were just bass and drums it would work for me.
--HansM
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- KVRian
- 581 posts since 15 Dec, 2003 from Hangin' out with my 5 year old
Yeah, it was the sax for me that was the main letdown. It was hard to tell what it was supposed to be. The piano was fine.HansM wrote:Thanks for the compliments, and an 'uh oh' for the rest... I thought only the sax sucked, or maybe it was just my mixing and effects that screwed up the piano (SF2) and daOrgan. Thanks though, food for thought and for experimentation.SecondSkin wrote:Hans M – I think you drum work is excellent in this piece, but most of the other sounds let it down – they sound too much like a general midi module at times, though the bass certainly rocked my speakers. In fact, if this were just bass and drums it would work for me.
--HansM
And all life's fears
Can invade my ears
I can handle it
Can invade my ears
I can handle it
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- KVRAF
- 5703 posts since 8 Dec, 2004 from The Twin Cities
Thanks for the review. Regarding the drums...yeah I am a real newb when it comes to working with drums and midi. I am a drummer myself, so the process just seems to take FOREVER. I am working on creating a library of homemade drum loops.(free samples at http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=73600 )Doing drums live is just SO DAMN MUCH EASIER.SecondSkin wrote: Herodotus – this sounds like it could have been a winner in the “Bleak Night” contest in December – very bleak and haunting in that Christmas gone awry vibe. To my ears the drums are too dry for this kind of workout (esp. in the beginning) - I’d like to hear them filtered, delayed and gererally mangled.
Regarding the "bleakness"...well that, I think, is the natural result of listening to too much metal in my youth.
Thanks again.
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- KVRAF
- 3345 posts since 8 Nov, 2003 from Amsterdam
Thank you for the confirmation.SecondSkin wrote:Yeah, it was the sax for me that was the main letdown. It was hard to tell what it was supposed to be. The piano was fine.
It's SaxLab, and I learnt now that there's much more to creating sax sounds than just plugging in this VST. I'm seriously considering selling SaxLab..., since the alternative is to spend a lot of time learning how to play / simulate sax.
--HansM
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- KVRAF
- 2744 posts since 5 Dec, 2003 from Harlan's World
I haven't played with it myself, but have your tried plugging in a Classic Reverb after the sax to liven it up a bit? I think your track most of all lacked "room". Some chorus to fatten up the sound is also a good way to get rid of a thin sounding patch.HansM wrote:It's SaxLab, and I learnt now that there's much more to creating sax sounds than just plugging in this VST.
Just my 2c.
My Soundcloud Too many pieces of music finish far too long after the end. - Stravinsky