new tune - "Stay"

GONZO-X

GONZO-X

Well-known member
new tune - "Stay"

https://soundcloud.com/bats-brew/stay

a departure for me, with a strong keyboard component and walking bass lines.


"Stay

i see, a bolt of lightning
in the sky
the energy, it covers me, i wouldn't lie

i want to hold it,
breathe and let it
take me away
stay

mystery of the beating heart,
holds us in sway
i'm gonna pray for another day
stay

all the roads lead up the canyon
to a higher place
away from the rat's race
look at my face
i'm smiling

the air is thinner
but the mind is clearer
and all that came before
has come nearer
stay"
 
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The snare sound is sharp and dry. Personal taste...
The right solo guitar may be 1-2 dB too high in the mix.
Other than that, brilliant!
 
Was there a thread about this a week or so ago then? I don't think I got a chance to read that one. (Obviously, "Stay" isn't the most distinct song title. :D )

The mix sounds pretty good to me. A lot going on, so it's difficult to unpack.
Off a first listen, some of the BGvox feel a little dry and close. The lead vox could probably get away with being a touch loude.
 
BroKen_H said:
The snare sound is sharp and dry. Personal taste...
The right solo guitar may be 1-2 dB too high in the mix.
Other than that, brilliant!
Click to expand...

hey H, thanks for listening......

yea, the drum track is quite different than the rest of the supporting songs.......
but of course, by design.
i wanted a 'drum machine' kind of vibe,
mechanical and edgy,
while all the rest of the stuff literally floats all around it,
pushing the time forward, pulling it back, laying right on the beat, and then behind....

it's kind of my test of grooving around a static beat.
it was a ton of fun to track,
especially the bass parts.


i think the guitars stand out more than they should,
a bit by design as well (it is at the level i wanted),
but mostly because they are direct tracks,
i used a POD XT for those tracks, using the Line 6 "clean" setting,
and man, is it clean!!

:D
 
VomitHatSteve said:
Was there a thread about this a week or so ago then? I don't think I got a chance to read that one. (Obviously, "Stay" isn't the most distinct song title. :D )

The mix sounds pretty good to me. A lot going on, so it's difficult to unpack.
Off a first listen, some of the BGvox feel a little dry and close. The lead vox could probably get away with being a touch loude.
Click to expand...

no, no thread on this song.

i posted it when i first finished it....

but not very many people ever heard it (or at least didn't respond) and since it's such a cool tune,
i thought i'd post it again for (hopefully) the new folks that have never heard it.

i hope there's some new folks, anyway!



it IS a tough mix...
but i'm pretty happy with how it ended up...
especially when listening in the cans,
the vocal sits just right.

i suppose if i had time to demo it on more speaker setups,
i'd probably change my mind about the vocal level....
but i was going for a kind of personal experience,
since the song is about the death of my mother, i wanted it less 'typical' and more left field.


thanks for listening and commenting
 
BroKen_H said:
'course this isn't the only site he puts his stuff out on...I might have heard it elsewhere.
Click to expand...

that's true,
i try to actually compile reviews and suggestions,
and usually take them all into a 'last' mix session before i call it done.

but really, it's for folks that haven't heard it before at this point
 
The tune reminds me of a Frank Zappa jam the way it meanders along. There doesn't seem to be a destination..Very clear soundscape on headphones. Vocals and backing vox are great
 
Great mix, I think your description of a groove track with jams along the way is spot on. You def nailed that vibe. And yeah, I too was thinking those bass parts are prob fun to jam here.

I'd say my only critique are the lyrics. Particularly the verses. It's just a combination of the vocal melody and the theme, the different sounds going on don't match up well with the connotations of the words used. It's almost like a mismatch of lyrics and music. Just my opinion and take it or leave it...you're clearly doing well on your own dude. good work :guitar:
 
Bulls Hit said:
The tune reminds me of a Frank Zappa jam the way it meanders along. There doesn't seem to be a destination..Very clear soundscape on headphones. Vocals and backing vox are great
Click to expand...

hey bulls,
zappa jam, heh, i guess that's cool.
i like zappa.
there is most definitely a destination....
but this arrangement breaks 'traditional' song structure, something i'm keen to keep experimenting with,
trying to something a bit more original.
 
andrushkiwt said:
Great mix, I think your description of a groove track with jams along the way is spot on. You def nailed that vibe. And yeah, I too was thinking those bass parts are prob fun to jam here.

I'd say my only critique are the lyrics. Particularly the verses. It's just a combination of the vocal melody and the theme, the different sounds going on don't match up well with the connotations of the words used. It's almost like a mismatch of lyrics and music. Just my opinion and take it or leave it...you're clearly doing well on your own dude. good work :guitar:
Click to expand...


hi andrushkiwt,
i like the lyrics, and they way they work with the arrangement.
part of the goal of this song,
was to break with 'typical',
break with 'standard',
most folks that just like listening to music, pretty much just roll with this part of the song,
only musicians seem to get hung up on it....

ultimately, it's about experimenting and looking for something new....
but i know i'm not gonna hit on all cylinders with everybody,
so it's a cool reality check.

thanks.
 
Sounds excellent!-I've heard a lot of your material and the sound quality/playing/writing/singing is always excellente. I like the style, kind of hippyish, lots of stuff in the mix to grab your attention. Really no critiques to make, you seem to know what you're doing. Good listen!
 
Pretty trippy! Bout the only nit I can pick, especially with a mix that gets dense in places is little more emphasis on the groove ala a deeper kick for this tune. But that's really picking nits. Good listen.
 
Vocals remind me of steeley dan . I like the levels of everything .However I think the vocals should be a little higher . Good stuff !
 
Stratomaster said:
Sounds excellent!-I've heard a lot of your material and the sound quality/playing/writing/singing is always excellente. I like the style, kind of hippyish, lots of stuff in the mix to grab your attention. Really no critiques to make, you seem to know what you're doing. Good listen!
Click to expand...

hello strato!
hippyish,
yea, i kinda own that i guess!
LOL

i guess this is kind of a mix of my david gilmore and Brand X leanings
 
TeyshaBlue said:
Pretty trippy! Bout the only nit I can pick, especially with a mix that gets dense in places is little more emphasis on the groove ala a deeper kick for this tune. But that's really picking nits. Good listen.
Click to expand...

hi teysha,
thanks for listening!
it's kinda weird, how the mix is so 'open', and then 'dense'...
i had the low end a lot deeper for my original mix,
but i found that it only translated well to full range systems,
so i pulled it back a bit, checking it against common ear buds and car stereo,
it'd be so cool if EVERYONE had full range systems!!
LOL
but maybe those flat terrible sounding iphone earbuds are the lowest common denominator?!

---------- Update ----------

wizardof7 said:
Vocals remind me of steeley dan . I like the levels of everything .However I think the vocals should be a little higher . Good stuff !
Click to expand...

ha! steely dan!!
those vampires,
they suck blood from everyone that listens to them!
heheh......

thanks for listening wizard
 
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