Wow, thanks for getting back to me so quickly with reviews of two tracks I was sure you would prefer to the Tool cover. I've made a lot of music in the last 6 months and those two tracks are some of the best.

"Free sex with whom?"

I give you sex vouchers and you can choose who you have sex with. You just have to get them to accept my voucher. Don't worry, they will when they see it's a Nomad voucher.

Title of this used to be one I still kind of prefer - We Invade The Night. I changed it because it's slightly awkward to say ("-ade the") but I might change it back.

I don't listen to The Cure but I respect their music.

3:36 you hear the new Reggae EZX kit enter. It's a good drum kit and it's then used throughout the rest of the track.

"One of your best songs?"

Definitely my best cinematic, jazzy track with lots of piano. Sounds very different from many of my other tracks so I'm really pleased about that.

Thanks again for still being a good reviewer!

Greetings of B.C.Rich blackness.

I noticed you said you'd got one so best of luck with the thunderpluck (ing).

Can't believe I never thought of ValveHalla as that is a good one. At least I did manage VulvaDriver/VulvaDryer (I prefer doing the former).

Canoeing isn't much different from kayaking. Same idea - propelling a small boat with arm/shoulder power. What I'd love to get is a pedal-based kayak but they're so damn expensive. It seems you pay a huge amount just for that extra pedal system in the hull, which gives greater speeds and efficiency and also leaves your hands free for drinking, smoking, guit fiddling, jacking off etc.

Yes, the US is fuckin huge, England pretty small (smaller than Texas, I think).

"getting a Canoe or Kayak in the carry-on is difficult"

That's why I have an inflatable (2-man) as it packs up and can be transported on a trolley onto buses and trains. The single man one is small and light enough that I can carry it on my back and thus cycle with it.

"I'm flattered that you would ask me to remix one of your songs"

I'm generally pretty nervous about the prospect of giving away any of my recorded material to anyone but I like to think it will be safe in your Valve-shaped hands. I think it would be fitting if you were to successfully remix a track dedicated to you. I'd love to hear some cool new stuff I never thought of while I'm also mildly concerned you might make a better version than the original (a nicer track bro). I guess that would be great though I suppose I'd be mildly jealous. Maybe it doesn't matter if you do as I came up with it all originally and a better version can't alter that.

Sure, sit on those stems for a while if you like. But let's set a deadline of 2030. I want to be grooving to Valvedriven In ValveHalla before I'm an old (ish) man.

I am a bit concerned that my stems will end up being huge (many gigabytes) so maybe I'll need to send them via Dropbox, for instance. Evisma has sent me some stuff that way.

I will check out remastered Navagating Jotunheim and perhaps even offer thoughts.

Finally, I'm really struggling for musical ideas right now so maybe I've run out, perhaps over-extended my musical brain making 3 albums in 6 months.

Fare thee well....

"I'd say this ones a keeper"

I sure won't be chucking it in the trash!

It was initially just a sketch from something like 8 years ago that I found in some folder or other. Only had the first few mins in rough form and then added all the rest in about 2 weeks, while also working on other tracks, which is quite quick for me.

Again: great to hear you liked it. I only let you know about it because I thought you would. Same goes for 9000 Years Too Young, with its extensive lead bass g work.

Sorry that I haven't got the Valvedriven stems in order yet. You may have been looking forward to a fully Valvedriven vacation.

I was out kayaking yesterday (it's inflatable so you'll be pleased to hear it has valves on its inflatable chambers) and am off to the other side of the country tomorrow to do a bit more.

So, the stems will take a bit longer, especially as I have to work out how to neatly prepare all that material eg send versions with and without FX. I can even give you MIDI files, which might be best for you to easily program up some dark synths.

I'll be fascinated to hear the end result, if you choose to go ahead with it.

Until then, take care of yourself and don't forget to clean between your valves.

Greetings, ValveVillain

Thanks for your fine reviewing effort here.

In 2015, I've made about 21 tracks, average length 9 mins, and I'd say this is one of the top 6, along with Valvedriven, A Little Bit Of Infinity, Emperor Tritone, Old Man Tribal and this track dedicated to Evisma:

9000 Years Too Young

http://www.looperman.com/tracks/detail/166933

Your thoughts:

"an escalation of terraced waves"

is a cool phrase - the kinda thing I've come to half expect from you and Evisma.

I don't use piano often and this tracks contains the most. I like to think it's classy and am happy to you do too.

Yes, I use drums a lot to keep things from becoming monotonous. One of my signature music making techniques.

Maybe 3:03 kit change ain't suitable. I wanted to program up the exact same groove as that jazzy as fuck beat before that but failed so you get the best I could manage.

3:37 is indeed liftoff to a weird, disconcerting yet funky planet. What sort of planet is that?

Lots of varied floating pads in this being introduced at different points - all part of the odd atmospheric mood.

6:15 you knew a bit of jazzy g had to make an appearance so this is it. Not perfect but decent. 7:11 gets more rockin.

"I like the way it drops back into a darker piano bit"

I wanted to return to earlier themes but now present them in a more melodic and beautiful way.

Maybe there's a touch of the Floyd boys here. That tends to be a good thing whatever style you're making.

"not as much happening as is the case in some of your other tracks"

Yes, I tried to keep it much more consistent than usual. Sort of the same sounds used a lot of the time and no big genre switches. 9:10 even some reggae guitar but seems to fit.

Had to bring a timpani roll back for 9:42 and then a nice, bright synth arp with the wailing, slow attack lead over the top.

Dark, mysterious salutations.

The best thing to do with a nice track bro is to give it a listen. You have done just that, showing that you're no fool and you know what's what.

I like to think the dark vibe here may have tickled the darker recesses of your valves. And then massaged them with some beauty in the last few minutes.

Late at night when everyone is asleep is best for reviewing this one. Not really a track for listening to out in a meadow in the sunshine. Or for heralding the entrance of the bride at a wedding.

See you later, Valvebreaker.

Hi. Glad you liked it.

"very unique."

Thanks - that's what I go for with every track I make. I'm not always successful.

Yes, I like to vary the drums a lot in my tracks and most have a lot more variation than this one. I've tried to make this more consistent. It's really just one drumkit used after about 3:30, which is rare for me.

"variety of colors and textures introduced just at the right times."

Lots of synth sounds that are gradually brought in (or used occasionally) so that there's always something new coming.

Thanks again.

Greetings.

Deep music is very much what I go for. I don't really care about making catchy tunes - I want to make bigger, better, more epic and moving things that might still sound good in a hundred years. Ambitious, I know, but I feel you must aim high. That way - if you fall short, and I do, it still might be pretty decent.

I have no problem with constructive criticism so don't mind hearing that you think some drums don't fit. But where? You've given me no indication whatsoever and it's a long track so very hard for me to guess.

No, I've still never tried selling my music. I'm a lazy bastard and also quite negative and defeatist so always think that no one's really going to care too much about what I do and I'd have to contact loads of people (record company types, I guess) and get no replies and so on. So I just stick to making loads of music in my lonely sort of way.

I don't really know how to go about doing this but I would like to take what I do to other levels. It's not about money - I'd just like to make better music and have some sort of actual fan base and some sort of name that other (hopefully superior) musicians might want to seek out and collaborate with.

Part of the reason I've never tried is that I've never felt my production and overall sound has been good enough though I've always had the ideas and playing ability.

But, since getting quality drum software, a faster computer and so on in the last few years I feel my productions now are maybe not far off release quality. No doubt not in terms of mastering but someone else could do that if I had some sort of official record company type of support.

Thanks again for your ongoing encouragement.

Wow, cruciverbalist really is a word. I thought that was just you making up fun Cru- stuff.

I'm not sure quite how much I think I'm changing key in this. However, there is a huge difference between the first and last few mins, even though I'm using mostly the same instruments/sounds (for consistency). So, I must be using some quite different modes or scales or something.

"you use a few more chords, but stay within the boundaries of a key, which to me is amazing progress for your work."

This one seems to sound more mature and musical than some of my other tracks, though no disrespect intended towards them. Perhaps the extensive use of the piano made me feel like more of a proper, classical composer or something.

Yes, Skype chat could be cool. I've still never ever done it. You could explain the circle of fifths to me and do a faux g MS20 wah pornning performance. Perhaps with one hand while we chat.

I don't want any book to take my soul but maybe I will check out your suggested grimoire.

You should be able to use the vouchers on your wife. So, you get free sex with no strings attached ie you don't have to in return take out the trash, mow the lawn or fix stuff around the house. Explain it to her and I'm sure she'll understand.

Next week's upload is pretty much ready to go - dance/bass funk/hard rock/ambient chill that you may well enjoy.

Multiple key regards...

Greetings.

Excellent to hear you liked it so much and found it so interesting.

Gotta say that I think I have quite a few other tracks that have a more unique and unusual sound than this and which are unlike anything else I've heard.

I sort of recognise the dark, jazzy vibe in this (not quite sure where from) though I guess I add a few odd little things to give it a distinctive character.

I have some far more extreme and bizarre developments in other tracks though I agree that there is a big difference between start and end here.

I like dark but I'm more into beautiful and grooving so no surprise that's what I progressed to.

"the transition at 7:35 was that much "lighter" when it came in"

I'm using mostly the same instruments throughout so I think it must be changes in the chords/key/modes/scales that take it from dark and haunting to more beautiful and perhaps even happy.

Imagine if you did a tropical island remix of this track's first 3 mins! That would be funny and probably quite strange

Sorry to hear about your centralsdev problem. That's completely out of order and I'm glad he hasn't started asking me for reviews yet.

I still don't understand why you recently left him a positive track review. Why do that if you've worked out that he's a spammer/troll?

Thanks again for your fine feedback.

Hi.

"the guitar is pretty eerie."

That sample-based slide guitar instrument is just that. I've listened to it so many times, I can't really tell anymore if it sounds like a guitar. I have loads of delay on it and am using it like a synth pad. It's also going through a vocoder controlled by one piano.

"Great atmosphere to it, keep rocking bro."

I do keep rocking bro though not much in this one. But I guess 7:11-7:34 is quite rocking.

Glad you enjoyed my deep atmospheres and were happily captivated.

Thanks.

This one's all about atmosphere. Well, that and groove.

I'm a groove obsessive so if I can get a good one going, I can do some cool stuff on top.

Lots of pad and pad-type sounds used here to allow the notes to soar towards the heavens.

Thanks again.

Yo yo yo.

I'm OK, thanks. Not much happening outside music.

I figured you'd be into this one as you like dark, mind-expanding types of music.

"ancient connection"

Yes - there is something that sounds very old and mysterious about that intro before the drums. It's definitely not pop music.

3:37 is the real start of the rest of the track as I completely change the drums into a new reggae kit playing funky grooves (no reggae) someone could even rap over.

4:17 some of my far out, shimmering pad sounds coming together to do something like you say - exhale.

High piano stabs: I'm not much of a keyboard player so I tend to often try out grooving stabs, whether high, mid or low. They've come out nicely here and offer some pleasing melodies.

"vibe throughout feels free of restriction"

It's pretty damn laidback and I use long, legato bass and pad notes, which allows me to do all sorts of small things inbetween the drum hits.

"6:15 that guitar is very grooving"

Not bad jazzy soloing though some of the bends didn't come out quite right and I couldn't be bothered to replay them (lazy me).

I prefer the rocking guitar on 7:11. Acoustic bass is also strong there.

"So much about this speaks to me gives me a smile even for its weirdness."'

I'm primarily concerned with beauty and groove but do also like some darkness and weirdness, if I can get them to work comfortably. I think they do here. Lots of beauty in last few mins.

"Soul speaking sounds"

That's the kind of depth I go for so good to know I've been successful.

Thanks again for your thoughtful review.

Dark, jazzy greetings.

This track has the most piano of any track I've ever made. Some of the low notes are pretty badass eg 4:22.

"love the drum roll"

Yes, a few kettle drum rolls. Some are very subtle, others intentionally less so. A sound I should use more. Another big one 9:43.

"Dminor to F major is the beginning chord progression"

I just thought it was D to F - that's how litle I know. I guess the minor is obvious though the major isn't.

I'm really pleased with the 5:09 Conscious Key Change. Nice notes there and rising progression. So, it took me 5 mins to change key, as I knew I had to. But the first 5 mins didn't sound monotonous to me. That's what I don't get about this key change business.

7:39 I merge the two different keys to create a new mood for the last few mins . No idea what's happening there but it sounds great.

8:40 slow attack zither sound that has a lovely, soaring, wailing quality.

"ending is more pleasant than the beginning"

I like dark vibes but I'm more into beauty so I was always going to progress to that. Quite bright and euphoric towards the end with the synth arp at 9:44.

"9:20 has an almost reggae guitar rhythm."

Agreed. That's just the groove my little fingers naturally settled into. Main drum kit in this (after 3:37) is a reggae kit but it never really plays reggae. That guitar part is the closest thing to that genre here.

"There is a lot of subtle sounds in this"

Yes, I've used quite a few similar and complementary sounds that are subtly layered so that it's hard to tell which is which. Keep listening and you'll discover more and more. I like to think one listen is never enough for my gargantuan sonic trips.

I don't know what a "cruciverbalist" is.

You, I guess.

I am sending you some free sex vouchers. Use them wisely.

Dark, barnyard animal greetings.

I know you like a nice, dark track. Actually, you like a lot of nice, dark tracks. The first few mins of this definitely qualify.

Not sure I've listened to Candlemass. Must change that.

"I think we can all learn something from Centralsdev ;) like how not to be an idiot"

You sure can learn what a mentally ill troll is. All his track comments are 100% irrelevant to the track - they're just one sentence of whatever crap is going through his mind at the time of posting.

I will email you some vouchers for a trip to a farm so you can get laid the way you prefer.

Ha ha, ER.

I was just going to leave you a comment on your fine religious track saying to ignore the extremely obvious mentally ill troll who just feels like leaving the same comment on multiple tracks.

Just for the sake of it because he's most probably mentally ill.

You beat me to it.

"Try varying up your critiques so that people will take you seriously."

No, he should stop commenting altogether or be stopped.

I have just started up a forum thread requesting a block user feature so that I don't have to deal with mentally ill individuals who completely ignore polite requests to stop commenting on tracks.

Responding intelligently to such people does no good so 'block user' is the only option left.

I'm somewhat shocked that some people on this site do actually take that guy seriously.

Hello there!

Sorry, I can't send you this because I never allow anyone to have my tracks.

I often go back and make changes (sometimes really big ones) so I don't like to have inferior versions of a track on other people's computers.

I know that you give everything you make away for free all the time but I don't really understand that.

I would love you and other people to be able to listen to my many tracks away from the computer. But I need to put together some proper albums and then give them away for free.

This is the first time you've asked if you can have one of my tracks so maybe this is your favourite piece of music by me.

Thanks for the interest and sorry I can't help you this time.

I will probably eventually give away everything I have made (15 albums) but I'm not ready for that yet.

OK.

I don't care what you think.

It has no meaning to me.