Song Of The Month Club - November 2019

rs2000

@kinkujin said:
Hi all. Thought I would branch out finally and share some music. This is made 100% in Grooverider GR-16 by JimAudio. I used all presets from the included bank and from the IAP banks. This is me learning the app and spending my lunch hour enjoying myself. Hope to hear some thoughts. I'll take to offering my thoughts on others work soon.

Funky! 💃🏻🕺🏻

Kitusai

@richardyot The break at 1’40 is great. Still this very personal gently sad pop flavor. Vocals parts are top. Beautiful melody. Very moving.

@DavidEnglish The sound is insane. Very successful.

@Faland here too the sound you get with Gadget is amazing. Good atmosphere. And those sounds!

@qryss a beautiful fresh air. Magnifique ! I can listen to it in loops.

@Kühl very long ambitious pieces of music. Well done with a good sound. Do you sequence all of this?

@kinkujin I like the groovy intros. Very clear and good sounds. The ending is a bit abrupt isn’t it?

@Elvisthenrodent I like the kind of ping pong synth and the whole piece is well done with this kick inviting us to move our butts.

@orchardman are you still in cold with country music? It would be top to post the lyrics in a spoiler manner because I don’t understand English enough to understand it when it is sung. Very well done music with 3 mentions: the singing, the brass around 1’ and this old fuzz guitar I love so much (Ahhh the Big Muff - I still have one that works btw). Still a very live pleasant sound as signature.

Hey guys, what a beautiful diversity this month again!

Kühl

Thanks. All midi sequenced in Cubasis. Audio files done in Auria Pro, because I have fabfilters purchased there.

klownshed

I have never shared anything here before, but here goes. The song started life in Nanostudio2 and AUM before eventually going to BlocsWave. From BlocsWave I exported all the stems to logic and added some bits. The added bits made their way back to blocs and it was there it stayed for a while until I got the idea to add the vocoder. I recorded my voice in the iPhone and used logics vocoder plugin

I have multiple versions on the go, some have drastically different sections and much more drum variation but I keep coming back to this far more simple arrangement. I‘m not convinced it’s finished but you gotta know when to stop sometimes. I think I’ll save the different sections for a new tune :-)

I will comment on everybody else’s songs soon. I have listened to most if not all of them but want to listen to them all again before committing words to paper :-)

richardyot

@klownshed said:
I have never shared anything here before, but here goes. The song started life in Nanostudio2 and AUM before eventually going to BlocsWave. From BlocsWave I exported all the stems to logic and added some bits. The added bits made their way back to blocs and it was there it stayed for a while until I got the idea to add the vocoder. I recorded my voice in the iPhone and used logics vocoder plugin

I have multiple versions on the go, some have drastically different sections and much more drum variation but I keep coming back to this far more simple arrangement. I‘m not convinced it’s finished but you gotta know when to stop sometimes. I think I’ll save the different sections for a new tune :-)

I will comment on everybody else’s songs soon. I have listened to most if not all of them but want to listen to them all again before committing words to paper :-)

Enjoyable track, with a very strong groove which I really liked. The bass riff and the beat work really well and it's impossible to listen to this without tapping your toes, nodding your head, and mumbling "ye".

The slow-ish tempo and the tinkling leads give it a nice mellow vibe, and the vocoder is very pretty sounding (that might not be the intention though ). The textural synths help to add a more gritty vibe and provide some darkness to contrast against the light, the choice of sounds throughout is really good.

The arrangement is well structured, with ebb and flow, and the production is all top-notch. All in all it's an excellent track.

drez

@richardyot said:

@klownshed said:
I have never shared anything here before, but here goes. The song started life in Nanostudio2 and AUM before eventually going to BlocsWave. From BlocsWave I exported all the stems to logic and added some bits. The added bits made their way back to blocs and it was there it stayed for a while until I got the idea to add the vocoder. I recorded my voice in the iPhone and used logics vocoder plugin

I have multiple versions on the go, some have drastically different sections and much more drum variation but I keep coming back to this far more simple arrangement. I‘m not convinced it’s finished but you gotta know when to stop sometimes. I think I’ll save the different sections for a new tune :-)

I will comment on everybody else’s songs soon. I have listened to most if not all of them but want to listen to them all again before committing words to paper :-)

Enjoyable track, with a very strong groove which I really liked. The bass riff and the beat work really well and it's impossible to listen to this without tapping your toes, nodding your head, and mumbling "ye".

The slow-ish tempo and the tinkling leads give it a nice mellow vibe, and the vocoder is very pretty sounding (that might not be the intention though ). The textural synths help to add a more gritty vibe and provide some darkness to contrast against the light, the choice of sounds throughout is really good.

The arrangement is well structured, with ebb and flow, and the production is all top-notch. All in all it's an excellent track.

Agree with this assessment. You’ve done a superb job with the mix and take a song with less stuff going on still have a big sound because of the space in the mix and frequency ranges highlighted at just the right places. I hear what I’m supposed to when I’m supposed to. Great sound choices. I dig it!

klownshed

@richardyot @drez Wow. Thank you! You’ve made my day.

Thank you for you listening. I really appreciate your feedback and for taking the time for the review’.

I’m glad the arrangement is ok. I always find structuring my own music quite hard. I ended up with a dozen variations and it’s easy to get lost down the rabbit hole.

This is the first music I’ve shared in nearly a decade so thanks for being kind.

richardyot

@klownshed said:
@richardyot @drez Wow. Thank you! You’ve made my day.

Thank you for you listening. I really appreciate your feedback and for taking the time for the review’.

I’m glad the arrangement is ok. I always find structuring my own music quite hard. I ended up with a dozen variations and it’s easy to get lost down the rabbit hole.

This is the first music I’ve shared in nearly a decade so thanks for being kind.

No worries I always give my honest opinion in the SOTMC crits, so if there are any areas that I think are weak or could be improved I would mention it. This was a solid track 🥁🎹

[Deleted User]

@klownshed said:
I have never shared anything here before, but here goes. The song started life in Nanostudio2 and AUM before eventually going to BlocsWave. From BlocsWave I exported all the stems to logic and added some bits. The added bits made their way back to blocs and it was there it stayed for a while until I got the idea to add the vocoder. I recorded my voice in the iPhone and used logics vocoder plugin

I have multiple versions on the go, some have drastically different sections and much more drum variation but I keep coming back to this far more simple arrangement. I‘m not convinced it’s finished but you gotta know when to stop sometimes. I think I’ll save the different sections for a new tune :-)

I will comment on everybody else’s songs soon. I have listened to most if not all of them but want to listen to them all again before committing words to paper :-)

This is one of the very best track I heard on this thread. Nothing to say but Bravo!

klownshed

@Faland said:

@klownshed said:
I have never shared anything here before, but here goes. The song started life in Nanostudio2 and AUM before eventually going to BlocsWave. From BlocsWave I exported all the stems to logic and added some bits. The added bits made their way back to blocs and it was there it stayed for a while until I got the idea to add the vocoder. I recorded my voice in the iPhone and used logics vocoder plugin

I have multiple versions on the go, some have drastically different sections and much more drum variation but I keep coming back to this far more simple arrangement. I‘m not convinced it’s finished but you gotta know when to stop sometimes. I think I’ll save the different sections for a new tune :-)

I will comment on everybody else’s songs soon. I have listened to most if not all of them but want to listen to them all again before committing words to paper :-)

This is one of the very best track I heard on this thread. Nothing to say but Bravo!

Thank you!! :-D

klownshed

@richardyot said:
My entry for the month, composed in Gadget (Warsawa, yum) and finished in Auria. Lyrics in the spoiler:

Another year has passed me by
Lived beneath a cold a grey sky
Another year that I’ll try to ignore
I’ve been here before

When we’re trapped in the half light
When day darkens into night

I want to feel alive
And I know that
You and me are cold and empty
You and I are trapped in a lie
Our twilight lives
Our twilight lives

Shapes melt in the fading light
Shadows grow to claim the night
The day has gone and the light here is no more
I’ve been here before
When we’re trapped in the half light
When day darkens into night

When we’re trapped in the half light
When day darkens into night

I want to feel alive
And I know that
You and me are cold and empty
You and I are trapped in a lie
Our twilight lives
Our twilight lives

Good song; I particularly like the chorus which has a catchy, strong melody.

I like the arrangement too.

Production wise, if I were behind the desk there are a couple of instances in the verses (especially the first) where the vocal goes missing (specifically the low notes) where I'd want to make a bit of space for it to keep the vocal as the focus of the song.

I'd also want to change the snare as it sounds a bit muffled and tone wise could be a better match for the other instrumentation. I’d either want a sightly more live sounding drum sound or go the other way and use a synth snare to help it sit in the mix. But this is just personal preference nit-picking :-)

One last nitpick is the solo towards the end is a bit dominant so makes the last chorus feel a little less 'big'. This could be due to differences in headphones, speakers etc making the synth sound jump out on my mid-heavy AirPods, but I think I'd either end on the solo or make the last chorus a bit more epic to end on a high.

But the best bit is the most important; It's a good song. It'd sound great with an acoustic guitar or piano accompaniment which is a good judge of a song.

Writing a good song is the hard bit. Thumbs up.

klownshed

@DavidEnglish said:
Following up on my song from last month, this one is even shorter and just as silly. Had to look up the word "grovey" in the urban dictionary. It appears to be a variation of "groovy."

I used the Launchpad app to create the track. Then I ran it through the Lurssen Mastering Console app to give it some polish.

I like the groove and the sounds and like the overall vibe of it. It reminds be a bit of Yello which is no bad thing. I kind of expected to hear an "Oh yeah!". :-)

I think it needs a bit more melodic or textural elements through the track to maintain interest and keep things evolving. I could immediately imagine where I'd take this which bodes really well.

There's definitely something there worth exploring and developing further. Good stuff...

richardyot

@klownshed said:

@richardyot said:
My entry for the month, composed in Gadget (Warsawa, yum) and finished in Auria. Lyrics in the spoiler:

Another year has passed me by
Lived beneath a cold a grey sky
Another year that I’ll try to ignore
I’ve been here before

When we’re trapped in the half light
When day darkens into night

I want to feel alive
And I know that
You and me are cold and empty
You and I are trapped in a lie
Our twilight lives
Our twilight lives

Shapes melt in the fading light
Shadows grow to claim the night
The day has gone and the light here is no more
I’ve been here before
When we’re trapped in the half light
When day darkens into night

When we’re trapped in the half light
When day darkens into night

I want to feel alive
And I know that
You and me are cold and empty
You and I are trapped in a lie
Our twilight lives
Our twilight lives

Good song; I particularly like the chorus which has a catchy, strong melody.

I like the arrangement too.

Production wise, if I were behind the desk there are a couple of instances in the verses (especially the first) where the vocal goes missing (specifically the low notes) where I'd want to make a bit of space for it to keep the vocal as the focus of the song.

I'd also want to change the snare as it sounds a bit muffled and tone wise could be a better match for the other instrumentation. I’d either want a sightly more live sounding drum sound or go the other way and use a synth snare to help it sit in the mix. But this is just personal preference nit-picking :-)

One last nitpick is the solo towards the end is a bit dominant so makes the last chorus feel a little less 'big'. This could be due to differences in headphones, speakers etc making the synth sound jump out on my mid-heavy AirPods, but I think I'd either end on the solo or make the last chorus a bit more epic to end on a high.

But the best bit is the most important; It's a good song. It'd sound great with an acoustic guitar or piano accompaniment which is a good judge of a song.

Writing a good song is the hard bit. Thumbs up.

Thanks for the thoughtful feedback, I'll take note and if I decide to include the song on my next EP I'll definitely take your advice on the mix and production comments. In fact I've copied and pasted that feedback into my own notes.

kinkujin

@klownshed said:
I have never shared anything here before, but here goes. The song started life in Nanostudio2 and AUM before eventually going to BlocsWave. From BlocsWave I exported all the stems to logic and added some bits. The added bits made their way back to blocs and it was there it stayed for a while until I got the idea to add the vocoder. I recorded my voice in the iPhone and used logics vocoder plugin

I have multiple versions on the go, some have drastically different sections and much more drum variation but I keep coming back to this far more simple arrangement. I‘m not convinced it’s finished but you gotta know when to stop sometimes. I think I’ll save the different sections for a new tune :-)

I will comment on everybody else’s songs soon. I have listened to most if not all of them but want to listen to them all again before committing words to paper :-)

Loved it. Glad you have posted - the song proves you should be doing that more! Thanks for taking the risk of sharing.

klownshed

@kinkujin said:

@klownshed said:
I have never shared anything here before, but here goes. The song started life in Nanostudio2 and AUM before eventually going to BlocsWave. From BlocsWave I exported all the stems to logic and added some bits. The added bits made their way back to blocs and it was there it stayed for a while until I got the idea to add the vocoder. I recorded my voice in the iPhone and used logics vocoder plugin

I have multiple versions on the go, some have drastically different sections and much more drum variation but I keep coming back to this far more simple arrangement. I‘m not convinced it’s finished but you gotta know when to stop sometimes. I think I’ll save the different sections for a new tune :-)

I will comment on everybody else’s songs soon. I have listened to most if not all of them but want to listen to them all again before committing words to paper :-)

Loved it. Glad you have posted - the song proves you should be doing that more! Thanks for taking the risk of sharing.

Thanks :-)

Kitusai

@klownshed It is an excellent track to my ears: very intense, dramatic with a top groove and original sounding. Bravo !

klownshed

@Kitusai said:
CAAt Claw joins me this month. Lyrics are in spoiler with a Google translation try from the French ones.

=========================Google translation
Primal Scream
I was there in my bed
to rethink my day
To all these scratches, irritations and cracks,
which now gave me the feeling of having crumbs on my way under my comforter.
Everything came back to me in the night,
and zoned with impunity in my thoughts without being able to drive them away.
I thought back to those fake smiles that had been stretched to me,
and those fake smiles I had made.
To those soft handshakes that continue to stick well after being dropped.
I thought of my silence, of this absence of repartee that had seized me like a trance.
Then to this fireworks of replicas and appropriateness that had illuminated my brain far too late,
like a sword in the water, like justice never done,
another frustration that had joined all those damn crumbs,
I needed oxygen and space,
to evacuate with much noise all this jumble of fuss,
breathe a big blow ...
Haaaaa ... ..
I felt downright better!
I felt like exulting like a mountain torrent,
to go down at all goes in a raw joy.
I wanted more, I wanted more,
like a storm that swells in my mind and in my body.
Haaaaa ... ..
That was exactly it!
It was in time,
it was right,
it was me here and now.
A spontaneous momentum.
A primal scream.

=========================French original lyrics
Cri primal
J’étais là dans mon lit
à repenser à ma journée
À toutes ces égratignures, ces irritations et ces gerçures,
qui me donnaient maintenant le sentiment d’avoir des miettes en goguette sous ma couette.
Tout me revenait là dans la nuit,
et zonzonnait impunément dans mes pensées sans que je parvienne à les chasser.
Je repensais à ces sourires faux-cul qu’on m’avait tendus,
et à ces sourires faux-cul que j’avais rendus.
À ces poignées de main molles qui continuent à faire colle bien après qu’on les ait lâchées.
Je pensais à mon silence, à cette absence de répartie qui m’avait saisie comme une transe.
Puis à ce feu d’artifice de répliques et d’à-propos qui avait illuminé mon cerveau bien trop tard,
comme un coup d’épée dans l’eau, comme une justice jamais rendue,
une frustration de plus qui avait rejoint toutes ces fichues miettes,
J’avais besoin d’oxygène et d’espace,
d’évacuer à grand fracas tout ce fatras de tracas,
respirer un grand coup…
Haaaaa…..
Je me sentais carrément mieux !
Je me sentais exulter comme un torrent de montagne,
à dévaler à tout va dans une joyeuseté brute.
J’en voulais plus, j’en voulais encore,
comme une bourrasque qui enfle dans mon esprit et dans mon corps.
Haaaaa…..
C’était tout à fait ça !
C’était dans le temps,
c’était juste,
c’était moi là et maintenant.
Un élan spontané.
Un cri primal.

https://caatclaw.bandcamp.com/track/cri-primal

I like it; Very different to what you usually hear around here.

I like the slight dissonance in the chorus and the 'primal scream' vocal and the restraint in the instrumentation. The verses are a bit quick for my O-Level French, but interesting none the less.

I'd like the verse vocal a little bit quieter (and maybe a tad wetter?) to give the chorus more punch, but that's all I'd change I think.

It's always nice to hear something original that doesn't sound like a cheesy demo project... :-)

klownshed

@Kitusai said:
@klownshed It is an excellent track to my ears: very intense, dramatic with a top groove and original sounding. Bravo !

Haha, just saw this after I posted my comments about your track. Thank you very much, I appreciate it. :-)

trackedout

trackedout

@richardyot hello. theres points in your song that i dont understand what your saying. theres other points in the song that sound like a movie score.. i would bring uo the vocals in the quiet parts. or find more room for the vocals to stand out a little more

trackedout

@DavidEnglish . the mix is definetely pumping in my ears. i could hear every instrument clearly. i would try compressing it a little less or having a faster release time to just let that beat slam a little more

trackedout

@Faland great choice of sounds. that kick is sitting perfect and the stereo image youve created is very interesting. like the bass alot

trackedout

@Kitusai , its interesting to hear . even though i dont understand what is being said . you did a good job on the mix. the vocals never drown away .

trackedout

@qryss this definetely has a soundtrack vibe to it. . you feel an emotion to the piano. very. short though. leaves me wanting to hear more

trackedout

@Kühl this reminds me of video games i used to play . theres alot going on. yet it all sounds very together and powerfull..

richardyot

@trackedout said:

This is much more mellow sounding and also a lot tighter than some of your other stuff, I like it. Quite a soothing track and the vocal is great. The buildup with the background "Ooohs" towards the end works nicely.

Nice production, well balanced highs and lows.

trackedout

thanks @richardyot ! i appreciate that. yeah the buildup torwards the end was something ive been trying to master by gently riding the master fader . and making parts stand out more than others

Kitusai

@trackedout Strange, dissonant, original. Even if I don't understand the lyrics, yes, the singer seems very tired :-) Kind of "laid back", remind me a bit some Velvet Underground. Excellent sound. I enjoy it a lot.

trackedout

@Kitusai funny you say that. the song is about being tired and sleepy. .i apreciate it. i was tired too

TimRussell

I just posted this separately but this club seems pretty cool so will post it here too.
My first ever complete iOS creation. It is quite long but hopefully the wait is worth it...

EDIT: I’ve updated the link to a newer version with some minor tweaks