Tsim Sha Tsui - (ElectroProg - Seismic Caper)

[seismic1]

10 hours to record in August 2010, the 2013 Edit/Remix/Master took 9 hours, most of which was concerned with tweaking the percussion. The actual mixing and mastering was relatively straightforward.

EDIT:20200911 removed mp3 link

on SoundCloud:-

http://soundcloud.com/whatsisname/tsim-sha-tsui

Recorded in EnergyXT2.5.3/Remixed in EnergyXT2.7beta

Microtrance
GTG K 1.3
Cubix
iloSynth1
JX220
Oktagon
KXOMNI 600
KickLab XXL
µTonic
EnergyXT Drum Sampler
Frohmage
IK CSR
FerricTDS
T-Racks Linear Phase EQ
T-Racks Opto Compressor
T-Racks Vintage Equalizer
T-Racks Brickwall Limiter

DR - 10

I hope you enjoy it

EDIT: 20200911

Remixed in August 2020 - one synth part was modified, two VSTs were not present on my new machine, so I did a little jiggery-pokery with filenames to work around that. I re-leveled, EQd, replaced FerricTDS with Satin and remastered in T-Racks5.

https://soundcloud.com/whatsisname/tsim ... ks5-master

Recorded in EnergyXT2.5.3/Remixed in EnergyXT2.7/Mastered in T-Racks 5

Microtrance
GTG K 1.3
Cubix
iloSynth1
JX220
Oktagon
KXOMNI 600
KickLab XXL
µTonic
EnergyXT Drum Sampler
Frohmage
IK CSR
Satin
T-Racks VC-670
T-Racks Equal
T-Racks Quad Comp
T-Racks SaturatorX
T-Racks Stealth Limiter

DR - 10

[blipp]

A very catchy and bouncy track seismic. Loved the retro sounds you used in this.

Nice work.

[ZenPunkHippy]

Love the contrast between the menacing bass line and the mallets and synth lead. Great stuff

Peace,
Andy.

[seismic1]

A very catchy and bouncy track seismic. Loved the retro sounds you used in this.

Nice work.

Thanks very much for checking this out, and commenting, blipp. Glad you liked it

If you think this is retro, wait until you hear "Tom Re-Armed" in about 3 months. That will make this sound "bleeding-edge"

[Frantz]

After securing all breakable objects in the room, I hit play with some trepidation bracing myself for the possibility of floor rattling bass and/or ear splitting high frequencies. I was puzzled that it started with what sounded like a quiet recreation of Pong, the first video game, in the left channel. I figured this Seismic is crafty. It's one of his "contrast" tricks. Lull the listener into a false sense of security and then BLAM!!! hit him with the extreme frequencies. Fortunately, that never happened.

Instead what I heard is a very smooth, perfectly mixed track. The bass line provides a calm foundation. The mallet patterns run hypnotically like clockwork. The synth arp fills out the high frequencies. There are some dramatic pauses but the track comes back stronger each time. Ultimately reaching a very satisfying conclusion with a nice mallet hit. It's tempting to listen to it again and again and again....

One minor quibble was the decision of panning the hi hats hard right. I also thought the sound design for the synth introduced at 4:06 could have been a little more interesting since it is the big finish.


Excellent track!

[kryptonaut]

Very nice - great retro feel to this. The combination of light and sinister sounds works well - it reminded me of some Ultravox or John Foxx music.

[seismic1]

Love the contrast between the menacing bass line and the mallets and synth lead. Great stuff

Peace,
Andy.

Thanks very much for giving this a listen and for commenting, Andy. Glad you liked it

[seismic1]

After securing all breakable objects in the room, I hit play with some trepidation bracing myself for the possibility of floor rattling bass and/or ear splitting high frequencies. I was puzzled that it started with what sounded like a quiet recreation of Pong, the first video game, in the left channel. I figured this Seismic is crafty. It's one of his "contrast" tricks. Lull the listener into a false sense of security and then BLAM!!! hit him with the extreme frequencies. Fortunately, that never happened.

I'm not sure what happened here. I don't think it was anything conscious in my mixing methodology this time, and the mastering process was straightforward. I have a feeling that it is more related to the sounds chosen during the original recording back in 2010. I seem to recall that the next 9 tracks due for remix are more mellow, sonically speaking than earlier pieces (in the majority of cases), although I have one Lo-Fi style track and at least one more sync solo in the pipeline

Instead what I heard is a very smooth, perfectly mixed track. The bass line provides a calm foundation. The mallet patterns run hypnotically like clockwork. The synth arp fills out the high frequencies. There are some dramatic pauses but the track comes back stronger each time. Ultimately reaching a very satisfying conclusion with a nice mallet hit. It's tempting to listen to it again and again and again....

Go on, you know you want to

One minor quibble was the decision of panning the hi hats hard right. I also thought the sound design for the synth introduced at 4:06 could have been a little more interesting since it is the big finish.


Excellent track!

I had to move those cymbals over 50% to the right to make way for the later percussive additions. I think I have 3 or 4 kicks, 3 snares, and lots of hats on here. The kicks are all central, as are two of the three snares, and they play on the same beats, or subsets of them, but The hats are all playing different rhythms. I thought it made sense to place them apart, if only to make the mix a little easier

Thanks very much for listening and commenting, Frantz. Glad you liked it

[Frantz]

I'm not sure what happened here. I don't think it was anything conscious in my mixing methodology this time

Yes, I'm sure it wasn't conscious. I can't imagine what happened.

Relax and watch the spinning the spiral.
You are feeling very sleepy.

EXTREME FREQUENCIES ARE BAD
You will not remember reading this later.

Go on, you know you want to

I'm on my 3rd listen today. Good stuff!

I had to move those cymbals over 50% to the right to make way for the later percussive additions. I think I have 3 or 4 kicks, 3 snares, and lots of hats on here. The kicks are all central, as are two of the three snares, and they play on the same beats, or subsets of them, but The hats are all playing different rhythms. I thought it made sense to place them apart, if only to make the mix a little easier

Yes, the percussion in the closing section is great and gives the track a powerful ending. Well done.

[mr.me]

This song and that thing Frantz posted...whoop whoop!

[FaX]

Very nice - great retro feel to this. The combination of light and sinister sounds works well - it reminded me of some Ultravox or John Foxx music.

First thing I thought of was John Foxx also - not an uncomplimentary comparison given the vibe of the tune either.
Great stuff Seismic1

[S1gnsOfL1fe]

Really enjoyed this one my friend.

Especially around the 3:05 mark the track really started to hit it's stride for me.

Excellent mixing and production, as always.

Cheers Tim.

-S1gns

[D.H. Miltz]

At least some of this should have been playing in a dialogueless nightclub scene in an eighties crime movie. I enjoyed it. Thanks.

[folderol]

Very nice.
Very nice indeed.
Ooo I do like this.
did I say it was good

[polyslax]

Nicely done Tim! Quite a different vibe and sound set for you I found, from the old school beat box opening to the bells to some sounds that really put me in mind of my old M1.