mix review request - forays into electronica

  • Thread starter Thread starter Simes
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Simes

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Hey kids,

as usual a new track means I need mix feedback and hints to improve this thing.

Ok, the track is called "Gravity" and can be streamed/downloaded at http://www.mp3.com/shallowendswimming - it's fairly experimental and probably considered to be in the trip-hop genre. My Massive Attack/Tricky/Bjork influences are showing on this one.

Equipment: Line 6 POD v2, Line 6 DL-4, E-bow (guitar loops) - Line 6 Bass Pod, DOD Envelope Filter (Bass), Rode NT-1, Behringer Eurorack mixer (vocals). PC w/SB Live, Cool Edit Pro, Waves and Hyperprism DX plugins (recording/mixing means).

Looking forward to responses as always. I owe you guys credit for the help with all my other stuff over the last year....Cheers!

Simon Kean
http://mp3.com/shallowendswimming
http://mp3.com/ulcerate
 
I'm impressed with this song. I bookmarked your page, and I'm going to listen to the rest of your songs sometime.

I particularly like the drum part, and the way the bass compliments it. What did you do to get those drums, anyway? Is it just a loop? It's a very interesting sound.

The one thing I don't like at all is the white noise in the right channel. It hurts my ears, and it covers the song up. Any part that doesn't move should really be felt, rather than heard, by the listener once it's been established. But this part is HEARD the whole time it's there, and it's really fatiguing. So you might consider burying it deep in the mix, or possibly exposing it for the first few seconds that it's there, and then fading it way down.

I think my favorite part of the song is actually the B section that begins at about the 3:40 mark. The pads and guitars work together to make a really pretty melody.

Song-wise, and this is really subjective so you may disagree, but I would really try to find a good hook to anchor this song with. I like the song the way it is, but up until there's actually some change (at the B section), it mainly just floats over the ears. It makes for great background or trance-type music as it is, but if you start with that harder A section, add a solid hook, and then edit down to 4-ish minutes, you'll have a really punchy tune with single potential.

Good job, Simes.
 
Cheers Euryth,

Ok - drums: extracted from one of the many sample cd's sitting behind me. Can't recall which set but they were fairly generic sounding before I got my hands on them. I did a cut up job on them for some rhythmic variation first, then applied various weird EQ shapes (for lack of a better term) and ran them thru the "Sonic Decimator" Hyperprism DX plugin for the crunchiness.

White Noise: agreed. Re-listening to the track I'm tending to agree. Will have a go at your solution to solve.

The hook: I have an idea for a secondary vocal part to "float" over the existing. This might deliver. I purposefully want the track to be somewhat understated anyway. I'm conciously trying to avoid the whole "big singalong chorus" thing, but keep a track memorable at the same time. It's a fine line methinks. Will keep working at it! :)

Sincere thanks for the feedback.

Simon,
http://mp3.com/shallowendswimming
 
Hey dude went to the sight and couldn't find gravity, but I listened to hypathetic, and liked it. Was the guitar on that one also a POD?
 
dud yeah it's a POD. All tracks for the SES project are pods.

"Gravity" just finished getting an overhaul and the new version is waiting for approval (as usual) from mp3.com.

Will post when it's updated later today. Thanks for checking out
Hypathetic too!

Cheers,

Simon
http://mp3.com/shallowendswimming.
 
Ok. After more than one complaint, mp3.com got their act together and "Gravity" Mk II is now available for perusal at http://mp3.com/shallowendswimming.

Changes: breakdown is more rhythmic-orientated. Removed the last verse. Added a guitar-based counter melody. Added a backing harmony vocal. Lowered "white noise" element of guitar loops and gave the track an overall cleanup.

Further thoughts appreciated.

Thanks again,

Simon
http://mp3.com/shallowendswimming
 
This is absolutely mint. It's a 10 in my book.

You've strengthened the song, and the sound quality is absolutely professional. When you release a CD, as long as it's not one of those mp3.com decoded mp3 CDs, I want to hear about it - I definitely want one.

I've noticed one sound quality issue, actually - I caught it the second time through. The guitar countermelody clips at about 1:22 and a half - and then again a few seconds later - hmm. I wonder if it's through the whole song.

Listening again.

There's a clip at :50...

So yeah. I would definitely take care of that.

Sorry if I'm butchering your lyrics, but at the bridge, where you sing what sounds like "I can look you in the eye, but it's still me" - that line appears a few times throughout the song. Once or twice, you might consider recording a backing vocal. Just personal preference. It's an ear candy element. Listening to the song, I sort of expected to hear a Bowie-esque harmony line there.
 
Eurythmic, thanks for the great feedback and tips again.

The Bowie thing: It's amazing how many people are picking my influences at the moment by listening to the last few tracks I've done. (A friend has twice now picked up on fairly direct influences on my basslines).

I've changed my vocal techniques fairly dramatically lately, and Bowie is one of those I'm listening to a lot of (along with David Sylvian). There is a backing vocal on the track mixed very low, and I actually edited out the doubling on that line and the one following, coz it sounded way too Bowie/Chris Connelly. Maybe I should have trusted my initial instinct :)

As to butchering lyrics - nah. While they are very personal and important to me, the actual "texture" of sound is my primary focus.

Cheers again,

Simon
http://mp3.com/shallowendswimming
 
Oh, I was just afraid that I was getting the lyrics wrong. You know, like in that one Jimi Hendrix song where he says "scuse me, while I kiss this guy"? :)

For influences, you can't do much better than David Bowie. As far as the backing vocals go, it all comes down to personal preference. I think it's a great song either way, and I can't wait to hear what else you've done (I've got Getright downloading all of the other tracks, as I type).
 
I barely remember my own lyrics, let alone anyone elses so I can attest to butchering many classics.

Agreed on Bowie too. It's great coz the guy is so diverse, which means I can avoid his dodgy stuff like the plague, and get into the stuff I love.

His (and Eno's) innovations in how vocals are recorded, astound me each time I hear them, especially in terms of backing vocal "textures".

I think I need to hear Earthling now.

Cheers,

Simon
http://mp3.com/shallowendswimming
 
great tune, good vocal recording, nice electronic soundscape...
cheers, mark
 
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