songblog

120 Ways, Take 8

Tonight I finally had the chance to work more on this piece and got a lot done for just a couple of hours.........

This has been a very busy week at work, in the garden, and its finally gotten hot, which is good - my studio is in the basment where its cool man cool.
I did a lot on this piece tonight. First, I had the idea to remake the bassline, sorta inspired by the middle section of 'Hollow Inside' by the Buzzcocks. Except maybe no one but me will hear that.
Anyway, this is only for the refrain, since I had written more on the verse section bass days ago. Now I start to put the two together, but of course its never that simple, is it? In the refrain, I spend quite some time writing some cymbal parts, thinking of some of the drumming discussion over at the worlds best muscians forum . I really do try and think like a drummer, and no I won't do the obvious drug jokes tonight. After some time, I think it works...but I keep messing with the cymbals anyway. Is there any limit to how many cymbal sounds it is legal to own? I must be close to it......
Now I decide that part of the original bass line from the ER1 is kinda cool in a crude way. I mess with it a bit as an intro to the verse. Then I mess with it some more, and it is not really recognizable in its original form anymore. So be it. I am trying on this intro to somewhat drag and hesitiate behind the dualing cymbals. Oh wait, you wanna follow along?
click here for the 120 ways test mix mp3 file
Note: it will stream but it would probably be better just to right click and save - its pretty small.
I was thinking about what Barbara had said, about not all the electronic sounds needing to be in this piece. So I thought I would dial up a clavinet type sound - kinda jazz like, something I have great fondness for. So I loop the phrase and start playing around. Pretty soon I start to convince myself I'm Stevie Wonder. Except of course I am not blind, I am not black, and I sure as hell can't play like him! I sort of like it, not sure. I go back to other work on the song.
I had written some involved DX100 lines for the refrain. I rework these, and make them much more spare, more on the order of a call and response for the vocals. These work for sure.
I listen to the whole piece again several times. I realize that some of the synth parts that I originally like work fine, except for under most of the vocals. I end up leaving these in the intro sections, and the end of the vocal phrases.
Listening to my clav part again, I realize that it really isn't that good. I was playing something like a quiet bed for the verses but.....I think its almost bland and too loungey, ya know? So, off with its head! I still had some fun, got some practice time doing that, so its not a waste.
I also realize that the dual cymbal parts don't work well for the whole song, so I dump one set during the verses. That gives the verses more breathing room, not so crowded. I mean, you don't have to put everything on that pizza, do you? I think it gives more of a nice transtional feel between the verses, too.
By now its getting late, there is just enough time to dump a non mixed version to my website. I really sorta hestitate to do this, since I know the vocals and trumpet - both just scratch takes, OK?- ended up being too loud after running them thru T-Racks.Not a great mastering tool, but hey, its what I got. Also all the other horn parts aren't in there, I will no dobut rerecord them. So I would love some feedback on this, anything you want as long as you realize how unfinished it is. I mean, I still will have to have some other music on the verses, for instance, and there is a bridge I have worked on......and on and on it goes.....
Hope you find something little gem in this mud.