Skyscaper - StaticNomad

Hi.

Yes,I know a lot of people will find it hard to believe that there's no guitar in this but it's true. That's what guitar distortion does - it fools you into thinking that what is being put through it is a guitar. Just because that sort of distortion is so closely associated with guitar.

The violin VST is just a patch that you'll find in Propellerheads' Reason DAW. So, not a violin VST you can buy for use in other software. I've used it in so many tracks. Could be as many as 40!

"You do wonders with that cello thing"

Cello thing? It's just a cello - an electric rather than acoustic one. I have to do wonders with it as there's not much other instrumentation in here though there is a rather cool organ that perhaps no one has yet noticed that arrives at 2:14.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Yo, NeoCelloGrunginBustedNutBro.

I recommend shutting out all other possible interruptions when choosing to imbibe the Nomad grooves. Perhaps wear headphones in a sensory deprivation tank. Or go out into the wilderness and listen away, hoping bears or snakes don't interrupt you. If they do, blast the track at them on speakers and they'll surely also get into it.

Anyway:

"a bunch of layered bass as it begins"

Yes. There are certain issues with using cello as a bass instrument - mostly because it's not a double bass. But it seems to work OK here though I did have to add an octave effect to some section just to give a more solid low end.

"That groove is mighty cool man"

Yeah, I think it's fun and addictive.

"a fair share of plucking strings here"

Yes, I think I began this one the day after having my first cello lesson last year. But I've sat on it for ages as I didn't have a clue where to take it and felt rather limited with my riff capabilities. There's more plucking (pizzicato) in it than bowing.

"some dreamy synth pads"

Just one violin patch that I've used in loads of tracks. Sounds like a pad because of the chain of effects (eg automated swept EQ) on it. A lovely sound.

"I found myself on a purple cloud with a velvet pillow at that point"

That's a wonderful place to be. My pleasure to take you there.

"you rolled me off into a storm cloud amid thunderous percussion and a super heavy downpour of some nasty electronic distortion"

Yes - that's just one cello riff at the end. It was sitting on the timeline in this project file and didn't know what to do with it. I thought it was some fairly average, stock hard riffage and considered getting rid of it. Then I realised I might as well tack it onto the end of this track as a final flourish.
"a bit scary it was"

Surely not for someone who makes Meshuggah covers?

Good to hear your detailed thoughts. Another track coming within a couple of weeks.

Hang tight till then...

Thanks very much.

I don't always love the way I compose my tracks as I have a lot of limitations. But sometimes I do make music I really like and it doesn't sound like other people's music, which pleases me.

Thanks again.

Yo. Happy to make your morning.

Yes, there really is zero guitar anywhere in the track.

"I'd swear on a stack of bibles that that was guitar."

I'm totally with you and I would have thought the same if I hadn't made it. Here's how I believe it works: when you hear fat, distorted guitar, you're often no longer really hearing the guitar strings. What you're really hearing is the distortion. It can be used on other instruments but is most closely associated with guitar. Remember: cello is not wildly different from guitar, being a similar stringed instrument. So, all you have to do to get the kind of sound I've got here is put some cello parts through guitar distortion.

In this, I have used a mixture of VST amps (ie applying distortion to cello parts that were recorded clean) and my Boss GT-5 effects pedal for playing distorted cello live.

I'm not clever for doing this - I just don't think many other people are doing it though I assure you you can go totally badass with cello. Check out the virtuoso duo 2Cellos to hear and see them do it live (try out 'Voodoo People').

My cello teacher uses distortion sometimes and she gets many more strange sounds out of the instrument than I do. But she's been playing for about 35 years more than I have so kind of knows what she's doing.

"tempted to ask if I could write some lyrics to it and record with Sunny"

Sorry. I think it's mostly done as it is. And I'd need to know you better to consider doing any sort of online collaboration.

"I'm up to my earballs in songs to record as it is"

Good to hear. I'm struggling a bit with only a few to work on and they're not all going well.

Thanks for the thoughts and happy to be able to entertain you.

Hello. Yes, the intro is quite cool and chilled. A nice, gentle, skipping groove.

"off-beat nature of the cello"

It's a bit funky, isn't it?

Is it really too crowded around 3:00? That's where you can hear the powerful organ and one or two distorted cello layers. Maybe I need to improve the mix but I like it busy and heavy like that.

"4:50 onward it was perfect"

Yes - it's just one cello part and drums. Very minimal for me but it works.

Thanks for the thoughts.