WIP: Plainview makes music

[L0SS]

1. The Metamorphosis

 

So, some background on this. I wanted to write a piece based on one of my favourite novellas, Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis (which explains the title). In it, a salesman wakes up one morning to discover that he has turned into a strange insect-like creature, hence the use of a weird, vibrating drum pattern which was meant to resemble the noise and movements of an insect. I took inspiration from a number of musical sources, including:

 

Radiohead's electronic albums, which played a big part in this song's inception,

b****es' Brew, Miles Davis' experimental Jazz album, which has a layered and sporadic structure,

The Velvet Underground; predominantly their album White Light/White Heat,

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Pink Floyd's first album,

And many other sources. 

 

It was created using a mixture of my own personal recordings and loops, with the guitar parts all recorded by myself, and the sax parts by a good friend of mine. The percussion part is a loop which I edited, as I was unable to find someone to drum. 

 

I had some lyrics planned which I may work into it, although the structure may need changing somewhat.

 

 

http://picosong.com/fiV5

CnC is really appreciated, thanks guys, and listen until the end!

 

2. Purpose

 

The second track. I had this idea for a simple piano and acoustic guitar combo that had a jarring, somewhat dissonant quality to it. From that, grew the entire song: With a solo guitar part, a solo sax part, that sickly sweet glockenspiel, and various overdubs, as well as a profoundly hip hop drum beat. Hopefully that dark, rhythmic backdrop is still present, and it's perhaps more concise than my first track. This definitely has the potential for lyrics, and is probably pretty likely when I can pluck up the courage to sing. 

 

There's something Pet Sounds-esque to the composition, if just in the intent, although it definitely has a bite to it.

 

As above, it was created using my own recordings and loops, the guitars, piano (A Wurlitzer for those interested) and glockenspiel played by myself, the sax by a friend, the percussion an edited loop, and the various effects largely created through experimentation. 

 

http://picosong.com/4s9R/

CnC is always much appreciated. I know this is fairly long but hopefully it retains your interest. Cheers!

 

3. Charge of the Light Brigade

 

Number 3. This was a bit of an experiment in percussion, playing around with various drum parts, and creating a soundscape with them. I used loops for that purpose, and I personally think it's pretty effective. Inspired by Radiohead's In Rainbows and King of Limbs, for that organic flow they have, rhythmically. This one is slightly sparse, as I tried to make the space work in a more compounding way than the previous tracks, though it's still a bit of a sticking point for me. I thought the different percussion sounded warlike and bleak, so I think the title suits it well enough.

 

There's a sax part in there once again, as I have a load of it recorded that I feel like using. There is also a harp in the mix too.

 

Like the previous disclaimers, this was created using my own recording and loops. The harp part was a pre-recorded royalty free loop, as were some of the percussion elements.

 

http://picosong.com/4nS6/

CnC appreciated. Let me know what you think. Thanks.

[.Rai]

Really enjoyable. Obviously a bit rough around the edges, but I always expect that from home artists and those working with limited resources. I think it does a great job of giving the idea of The Metamorphosis. Great piece of source material for inspiration there.

I like the textures you've got going on here. There's a trap sort of thing going on with the percussion, goes a bit Arcade Fire in places, and the incessant buzzing electronic backdrop is what makes the song, I think. There is some really clever stuff going on here.

You mentioned this yourself, but I agree that the structure could do with a bit of shifting about. Every part of the song is pretty great, but the song as a whole sometimes loses momentum (either a result of a section being a tad too long, or a chord progression being repeated too often). Lyrics would be so cool to add, although you'd have to say where. There are definitely sections in this which make sense as purely instrumental goodness.

[L0SS]

Really enjoyable. Obviously a bit rough around the edges, but I always expect that from home artists and those working with limited resources. I think it does a great job of giving the idea of The Metamorphosis. Great piece of source material for inspiration there.

I like the textures you've got going on here. There's a trap sort of thing going on with the percussion, goes a bit Arcade Fire in places, and the incessant buzzing electronic backdrop is what makes the song, I think. There is some really clever stuff going on here.

You mentioned this yourself, but I agree that the structure could do with a bit of shifting about. Every part of the song is pretty great, but the song as a whole sometimes loses momentum (either a result of a section being a tad too long, or a chord progression being repeated too often). Lyrics would be so cool to add, although you'd have to say where. There are definitely sections in this which make sense as purely instrumental goodness.

Thank you very much. Good points, and have to agree about the slight tediousness of the repetition of that acoustic guitar part. The issue I had was trying to strike a balance between space and instrumentation, but I'm tempted to add another layer of Sax which I have at certain points, although it's hard not to drown the whole thing in noise. 

[Susie]

this is interesting and weird but in an enjoyable sort of way, definitely seeing hints of Radiohead and The Velvet Underground in there

[L0SS]

this is interesting and weird but in an enjoyable sort of way, definitely seeing hints of Radiohead and The Velvet Underground in there

Thanks! Weird is good, I think...

 

The delay on your drums feels a tad off-beat, but that could just be coming from somebody who doesn't ever put delay on his own drums.  That aside, I really like the sounds and tones present here.

 

The saxophone also happens to be a nostalgic instrument for me, since it was the first I vividly recall learning how to actually play.  Hearing it applied in such a different manner than what I was taught in fifth grade is always a nice experience, and I like the overall feel of the song.  I can't say quite as much as .Rai since unlike him, I know nothing about music theory.  But what I can say is that this is pretty good, and I look forward to hearing what the end product of this song comes out like :)

Though the delay was intentional, I can see that it might be somewhat distracting. I'm a big sax fan after hearing some live jazz recently, I wanted to incorporate it into this somehow. It ended sounding pretty dissonant but I think it works. Cheers for the response.

[Goose]

I thought the beginning was more noise than music.  It got better in the late middle portion before becoming more noise again at the end.  Obviously it's the style you wanted but eh

[L0SS]

I thought the beginning was more noise than music.  It got better in the late middle portion before becoming more noise again at the end.  Obviously it's the style you wanted but eh

Well, that's a fair point. I completely get that this isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. I kind of like to dirty up and subvert my basic compositions with lots of weird stuff, and I guess that explosive start and end were meant to signify the main character's transformation and death, respectively. Thanks for commenting. 

[Forest Fire]

i don't what i can provide cnc wise, but i thought it was pretty good. the flow was great imo. 

[.Rai]

Nice track. I like the acoustic texture here. The more repetitive nature of the track and the chord progression is quite lovely here, mostly because there's a vibe that's naturally more laid-back and circular. I was going to say that the track could have been very repetitive (having got to the 3-minute mark with mostly the same material), but I was really pleasantly surprised by the sax break: it's also really cool seeing that slightly dissonant Wurlitzer part become this gorgeous lounge backing during that section. Also, props on the beat. It's nice to not limit yourself to a certain genre, and the fusing of the trip-hop beat with more conventional guitar parts is great.

And I absolutely love all the production quirks. Weird string bits fading in and out, some heavily panned noise. It's cool.

[L0SS]

Nice track. I like the acoustic texture here. The more repetitive nature of the track and the chord progression is quite lovely here, mostly because there's a vibe that's naturally more laid-back and circular. I was going to say that the track could have been very repetitive (having got to the 3-minute mark with mostly the same material), but I was really pleasantly surprised by the sax break: it's also really cool seeing that slightly dissonant Wurlitzer part become this gorgeous lounge backing during that section. Also, props on the beat. It's nice to not limit yourself to a certain genre, and the fusing of the trip-hop beat with more conventional guitar parts is great.

And I absolutely love all the production quirks. Weird string bits fading in and out, some heavily panned noise. It's cool.

Cheers! This track had less of a conceptual basis than the last one, so I just let it build into something. I do tend to let the rhythm carry on for a while before breaking it up, which might be something to work on. At the moment I'm just exploring stuff really, but I'm glad you like the blend of sounds on offer, and the lounge comparison for the sax part is dead on. 

[Tentacruel]

Very interesting stuff.  A bit messy/dissonant for my tastes, but that's obviously what you were going for. 

[L0SS]

Very interesting stuff.  A bit messy/dissonant for my tastes, but that's obviously what you were going for. 

Well thanks. I appreciate you taking the time to give it a listen. I vow to write something slightly sweeter sounding at some point.

[Tentacruel]

Now I'm inspired to get off my ass and record some of music and post it here. 

[L0SS]

Now I'm inspired to get off my ass and record some of music and post it here.

Do it! Always good to see people making music.

[Forest Fire]

Again, nice flow. really I'm not sure what else I can say. Actually... I once wrote these lyrics for a song, but never around to the music part of it cause I just couldn't write it and I was wondering if you might take a look? 

[L0SS]

Again, nice flow. really I'm not sure what else I can say. Actually... I once wrote these lyrics for a song, but never around to the music part of it cause I just couldn't write it and I was wondering if you might take a look?

Sounds cool, sure thing.

[Forest Fire]

Sounds cool, sure thing.

I'll message it to you then. And thanks

[вєgσттєη ιηѕαηιту]

Metamorphosis - Intriguing to say the least. I absolutely loved the bouncing and paranormal feel created by the sounds alternating between left and right speakers. If I closed my eyes and listened it gave me a feeling of being lifted, which was amazingly peculiar. The biggest issue I had was that it felt as if there was no tempo, and quite frankly just noise, throughout majority of the piece. Everytime I felt I grasped onto a tempo there was something else that felt off beat. Regardless it was fun to listen to and beautifully gave the "insectual" feeling you desired. 7/10

 

Purpose - Oddly this reminded me a lot of Red vs Blue, no clue why. The piece begins with a lovely guitar track that I felt was tainted by the background noises. The song just felt... busy? I loved the abstract feel but is it possible for you to obtain it without crowding the song with noise on top of noise? The saxaphone solo was lovely and the way you matched the background to it gave it a great feel. My biggest issue with the song is the lack of cohesion between the guitar/piano to the background noise. They give two different styles and emotions and is confusing to listen to. 6/10

 

Charge of the Light Brigade - The intro grabbed my attention easily, with the non-percussion sounds giving a feeling of plotting and the percussion setting a theme of war. All the background noises throughout the middle of the piece appear to tell the story of a soldier marching along with his army, observing the sights and sounds surrounding him. The odd sound now and then giving the feeling of explosions or airplanes flying past. If I were to go a step further the song conveys the empty and lost feeling a soldier would feel during these times. I loved this song much more than the original two, and while my perception of the piece may not have been the point intended, I find it lovely. Very fascinating, I have very little bad to say about it. 9/10

[L0SS]

Metamorphosis - Intriguing to say the least. I absolutely loved the bouncing and paranormal feel created by the sounds alternating between left and right speakers. If I closed my eyes and listened it gave me a feeling of being lifted, which was amazingly peculiar. The biggest issue I had was that it felt as if there was no tempo, and quite frankly just noise, throughout majority of the piece. Everytime I felt I grasped onto a tempo there was something else that felt off beat. Regardless it was fun to listen to and beautifully gave the "insectual" feeling you desired. 7/10

 

Purpose - Oddly this reminded me a lot of Red vs Blue, no clue why. The piece begins with a lovely guitar track that I felt was tainted by the background noises. The song just felt... busy? I loved the abstract feel but is it possible for you to obtain it without crowding the song with noise on top of noise? The saxaphone solo was lovely and the way you matched the background to it gave it a great feel. My biggest issue with the song is the lack of cohesion between the guitar/piano to the background noise. They give two different styles and emotions and is confusing to listen to. 6/10

 

Charge of the Light Brigade - The intro grabbed my attention easily, with the non-percussion sounds giving a feeling of plotting and the percussion setting a theme of war. All the background noises throughout the middle of the piece appear to tell the story of a soldier marching along with his army, observing the sights and sounds surrounding him. The odd sound now and then giving the feeling of explosions or airplanes flying past. If I were to go a step further the song conveys the empty and lost feeling a soldier would feel during these times. I loved this song much more than the original two, and while my perception of the piece may not have been the point intended, I find it lovely. Very fascinating, I have very little bad to say about it. 9/10

Thanks for taking the time to break down your thoughts, I really appreciate it. You make some fair points, as I do tend to throw lots of elements in the mix and lose a sense of tempo as a result. I think I'll take what you've said on board and work on some more cohesive melodies for future stuff. It's still early days, and so hopefully everything will be improved soon enough. Thanks again.

[L0SS]

Preview of the first track from my new EP here: http://forum.yugiohcardmaker.net/topic/325800-clandestine-fuzzy-logic-preview/