Hand of Shiva - new tune I just wrote

  • Thread starter Thread starter EL34
  • Start date Start date
Thanks again all.

brian,
Both tracks are the same to keep the guitar chunking tight
I usually put a bit of delay on either the right of left to make it sounder wider.
 
hate to dig up a dead horse and beat it, but. :D

New mix - 06/04/2008

I spent a bunch of time eq-ing tracks trying to get cleaner separation and remove mudiness.
Removed a bunch of pops and clicks on some of the loops I made.
Adjusted levels all over the place.
Pumped up the drums and bass
Bunches of little things fixed here and there.

Mix #4
Right click and save to your computer


Learned a bunch of new tricks on this mix, hope it sounds good.
 
Last edited:
I REALLY like the backed off 2nd lead - it fits & follows really well & sounds cool.
A few times I hope for a "breakdown" so thosae eastern instruments could shine through again - the intro does create an expectation.
The reprise works for them but a little in the middle would've been nice.
OK, I'll bite - Which Hand?
Terrific piece.
 
Heheheh, not sure which hand ? :rolleyes:
I should have been more specific. :D


thanks ray
 
EL34 said:
I wrote this instrumental tune a few days ago and just finished a first mix.

I used some Indian instruments which I have been wanting to do for a long time. Sitar, tabla and a couple other cool sounding instruments.

It has more of a middle eastern sound than a clasical Indian sound.
Click to expand...

Nice tune, dude... Did you play/record the sitar and tabla stuff yourself, or are they loops? If so how'd you mic them up? I spent about two months in India on business last year, and I'm still kicking myself for not bringing back a tabla...

I'd like to hear a wider spread on the drums, too... Also, this song just BEGS for a half time breakdown somewhere, maybe an acoustic rhythm figure or maybe just bass and some sparse, tense electric work over the top, maybe rolling back your guitar volume a bit...

Also, if you don't own Gordian Knot's "Emergent," go buy it now. Ditto Neil Zaza's "Staring at the Sun" simply for a track on it called "Zen, Karma, and Other Good Things." :D
 
I was in India in 1976 for 1 month. Went to Shrinigar, Cashmir. Stayed on 100ft long house boats on a huge lake. We traveled to town on small shikara boats. I bought a double gourd Sitar in Delhi and brought it back with me. Still have it. The shop I bought the Sitar at was the same shop the Beatles visited in the 60's to purchase instruments. The owner was so proud of the pictures he had on the wall with him and the Beatles.

I found some Tabla, Sitar and Tampura loops on the web.
I chopped them into real small loops to fit a single 127bpm 4/4 measure
I changed the pitch also so they would be in the same key as my tune.

The drone thing you hear in the background and on the chorous is the Tampura. I changed pitch on every small loop for every chord change in the chorus. Sounds like a big grand piano at times, but it's a Tampura.

I'll have to think about a breakdown of some sort.

Thanks for the input
 
Cool. I'm sure it's changed worlds in the 30 years between when you were there and I was there, but even then (I was in Pune, if you know the area) it was just a wild place to visit... I took a ton of pictures, because I didn't know how else to explain it to anyone.

Seriously, if you're into prog metal with a world music influence, grab that Gordian Knot disc. It's absolutely phenominal, Sean Malone is one of the best bassists and best musicians I've ever heard.
 
Cool, thanks, I'll go see if I can buy them on Itunes.
 
I'm glad you reposted, because I missed it the first time. I love this! I like your latest mix the best, and I think you've just pushed me into the inspiration for my next one.

I was in Pune for a couple of weeks last year, too. I got delirious (literally :D ) and spent a bunch of money on silk rugs that I now use for sound absorption for recording. I'm also kicking myself for not picking up some instruments, although bigger ones would have been tough to carry back.

I want to do something heavy with Punjabi drums in the background. I'll get to work...

(and for another geographical coincidence, I like to go to my relatives' house outside Brevard NC whenever I can, but haven't been there for a couple of years -- always wind up driving around Pisgah when I go)
 
Wow, that's wild, small world.
Don't tell any more people about Brevard. :D

I'd like to hear your project when you get something together.
I may not see it here, if possible, pm me if you remember so I can check it out.

Appreciate the feedback

see ya
Doug
 
I had several request for a half way break down of some sort

Here's a new mix with a halfway breakdown that goes into a time change.

I like the exit out of the breakdown much better than the entrance.
I can work on the entrance more if I get some better ideas.
Suggestions are welcome.

mix #5
right click and save to your computer
 
Love the Eastern instruments. The desert imagery was so strong I got cotton mouth listening. Mix sounds solid to me. The guitar parts are well played. Great tune.
 
Yep - that's cool.
The crunchy guitar that herald the change may be a little loud - I mean as it is it let's it be known that somethings going to happen - that's the point but it does come from a louder place than everything else - perhaps if it were just a little louder than the other guitars?
Nice piece - & good tinkering too.
 
I like that you did it in Mixcraft 4. I have been using that for a while and really like it, I think people generally under-estimate it.

But anyway, the mix sounds great... but I hate fake drums. Other than that I love it, and beatcraft drums aren't all that bad. The middle-eastern instruments sound great with the riffs on the guitar. I really like the overall sound.

Only other thing, I can' hear a bass really and I have a sub and full-range system. It sounds a bit weak on that end, but not really enough to make it sound lame or anything. I really dig the overall tune man, good stuff!

-James'
 
Hey thanks James.
Another Mixcraft fan. I like to keep the process simple and mixcraft makes it easy.


Not sure why the bass sounds weak, it is ripping loud on my systems here????

Sorry about the drums, but I am completely burned out on creating drum tracks from scratch. I don't mind fake drums, I just need a good beat.
If I was forced to create drum tracks from scratch again on all my future tunes, I would not even bother to record, that's how much I dislike making drum tracks. :D

I still have to go back and fix the entrance into the middle breakdown. I think the exit out of it is fine.

Thanks for the input
 
antichef said:
I was in Pune for a couple of weeks last year, too. I got delirious (literally :D ) and spent a bunch of money on silk rugs that I now use for sound absorption for recording. I'm also kicking myself for not picking up some instruments, although bigger ones would have been tough to carry back.
Click to expand...

Oh no shit, when were you out there? I was there from mid-september through mid-november, staying out in Margapatta City. Cool place, but I could never live there. Let's just say it takes a LOT to make Boston seem peaceful and orderly, but that's how I felt when I came back. :p

EL, not at all what I was thinking of when I'd mentioned a breakdown - I figured keep the drums at a similar tempo but lower intensity, and then let the distorted rhythm guitars and go all Joe-Satriani-plays-the-sarod over the top.

This is a roundabout way of saying you caught me TOTALLy by surprise with the direction you took it. That's a good thing - it gets seriously sinister through that middle section. I second the notion of backing off that guitar that heralds the change a little, too.

I agree on the drums, but you're in sort of a tough spot where you really need a Danny Carey sort of performance on the percussion to bring this alive, and I don't know about you but I certainly don't have the guy on speeddial, lol.

I like where you've taken this, though. :)
 
DrewPeterson7 said:
Let's just say it takes a LOT to make Boston seem peaceful and orderly, but that's how I felt when I came back. :p
Click to expand...

I was there in June/July (stayed at a hotel). At least the traffic moves slower than in Boston :) -- but any fantasies I had harbored about being able to get around without a driver quickly evaporated in the sea of honking horns.

here's a blog post from when I was there (weird how the cell phone worked just fine everywhere, also even out in the country) http://www.recursor.net/blosxom.cgi/elsewhere/convalescence.writeback -- looks like the Hand of Shiva had its way with that dumpster :D
 
Thanks,
I still have to do some more.
I was totally burned out when I finished that middle section and after listening to it, i hve an idea now what I want to do.

I'll post back again when I get time to wrap this thing up.

Thanks again for all the great comments.
 
Wow, this one is a treat. Love the combination of instruments. That Eastern drum sound is a perfect backdrop for the two gits.

This sounds like a movie soundtrack for some dark war movie about Iraq or maybe Iran in the not too distant future.

Some really cool sounds.:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top