Hours And Hours - StaticNomad

Yo.

Thanks for having a listen and I'm glad I could provide you with what you were yearning for.

"I cant' get over the sound of it in this song."

Yeah, it's nice though I have been, to some extent, a bit unadventurous and lazy with my cello sound while I've been playing and recording it for the last 15 months. I use mostly the same setting in each track though I have also come up with a few creative, unusual sounds.

"Any way I can download this somewhere?"

Sorry, not yet but eventually.

"3:08 was like entering a large expansion, I can't get over that feeling of the widening!"

I'm not sure the track got wider but that is where the glissando harp enters and is quite effective and strange.

"those dreamy ambient synths" are just synth pads. Actually, one is a piano out through a big, dreamy effect.

"I want that for my own music"

Just play around more with all sorts of ambient synth patches. I assume you must have some in whatever software you have. I use synths in almost every track I make and spend a fair amount of (boring) time auditioning patches from my fairly large library.

No, no time-stretched cello here. I still haven't really got round to doing that but should.

8:53 the main synth you hear is a lyre - a sample-based acoustic instrument that is a bit like a harp.

Thanks again for the feedback on this cello epic that has grown a lot on me since uploading it. It was a lot of work!

Yo, NeoCellingBro.

No problem about being late reviewing this.

Yeah, the cello is fairly smooth in the intro section. I think it has some beauty and playfulness. The track was supposed to be begin with d'n'b but that half tempo chilled groovy intro worked too well so I kept it. You can't really guess the d'n'b is coming, I don't think.

"How are you managing the sound swells starting around 4:10, expression pedal?"

Spivkurl also mentioned a swell effect but gave no time reference. Maybe he was thinking of the same sort of section as you. I don't know what to say as I'm not really hearing any particular swell there. It's just bowed cello, no expression pedal. Perhaps the swell comes from how I'm drawing the bow plus the delay added to the cello part.

"You are so masterful with variation in your tracks."

Thanks. The variation comes from not knowing where the hell the track is going so then I have to experiment with very different elements. Then I get different sections going and have to work out how to stitch them all together. Sometimes I do it very smoothly, sometimes I don't.

Great to hear you thought it was so wonderful. I've got more into since finishing making it. I spent ages on it, tweaking so many elements. I guess I was going for a smooth, clean sound.

Thanks for the thoughts.

Take care,

Hours And Hours Of Static

Regreetings, Cromo Arigato.

I may be a total Bromad but am I really standing my ground?

Yes - the sort of Japanese section is quite cool and unusual but I don't know why it has a Japanese modal structure. I just went for whichever notes seemed to work (not many id so this is the end result). That's a plucked harp instrument used there, with synth bass playing something very similar. I think it's an odd, additional flavour.

"Moisture level -3."

You mean you're negatively moist? You're drying up? It's summer (even in Canada) so get yourself some water otherwise you may shrivel to a crusp.

"cello in the section leading up to 8:06 and the ambient change-up is complex in its build and layering and very cool."

Probably my favourite cello sections.

Wow, Let Me Love You Down is a really cheesy, wimpy song! The remix is only a little better but mostly because of the drums.

"this seriously cuts into my sitting around and doing nothing time!!"

I agree. Why waste time commenting on my tracks? And then I have to waste my time replying. We really need to remove the comment facility on this site. It'll leave us more time for making music and more important things such as having arguments and posting stupid picture memes on Facebook.

Static HoursMad, qui vous trouve ridicule.

Hi Spiv.

Thanks for the excellent review.

Damn, I wish you had given me a time reference for the "interesting "swell" sort of effect on an unidentified instrument". Then I could identify it for you. it might be the lyre, which is quite prominent in the track, in various sections.

"in an effort to slow time down. You have done just this in an excellent fashion!"

That may be completely accidental. Perhaps more to do with the synth patch used than any skill on my part.

"The breakbeats are a very nice touch"

Yes - I like them and the track was supposed to start with them as I made this track out of some leftover parts from another drum 'n' cell track a few months ago called Opposites Subtract.

"Your cello performances are, as usual, a spotlight in this tune."

They need to be as it's the only played instrument and there's a lot of it. I still haven't used my cello to make any classical music. Maybe I never will though I would like to.

"The progression... is quite interesting and non-linear."

It is and I only repeat/reintroduce sections in a track if there's a real purpose. Otherwise, I tend to keep it progressing and moving into new areas and moods. I could have made this one quite a big longer, especially if I done something like returned to the very first riff.

"Interesting at every level, sonically deep, and well performed."

That's exactly what I always go for. This works fine as background music (due to the chilled vibe) but I think it's better than that and worth paying attention to.

"hard to believe that nearly ten minutes have passed since pressing play"

Yes - the aim is for the track to be addictive in the sense that when a section is ending, you wonder what's coming next. It probably wouldn't be that way if I spent too long on any one section. I think having the drumless breakdown in the middle helps break things up and give the listener time to reflect on what's been and what is to come.

"you have made an amazing piece of art here."

Thanks. It's grown on me as I've been listening back since uploading it. I feel I have many better tracks but still enjoyed making it, even if did take ages (hours and hours).

Thanks again for the fine review.

Thanks for for your appreciation of this.

Yes, there is a lot happening though that's the case in probably all of my tracks. I like activity and detail and always keeping things interesting.

Good point about the experience being like a good sci-fi novel. I hadn't thought about that until you said it but I think the sci fi vibe probably comes from the far out synths. And the cello adds some real organic flavour.

Thanks again.

Word up, Ted Cruzer, you utter loser.

A good, hefty review from you - probably the only one I'll get on this track.

I had some problems with that ambient opening but it sounds OK. And then we're into the riff that started the whole track off. I really like it and have made it quite funky before it heads into d'n'b breakbeat territory. It returns there in three different forms (pizzicato, spiccato and regular bowing).

" that amen break for d&B we have all been waiting for."

I had planned to start with just d'n'b drums and then subtly bring the main riff in but the half tempo first section worked too well so I went with that.

"2:27 is a subtle pad that I would like to hear brought up in the mix"

Just a subtle choir voice pad that is heard more clearly at 8:06.

"nice faux harp"

Yeah - tricky to get that glissando harp right but it adds and unexpected additional flavour.

"3:30 we go into a moody hip hop beat"

I love that drum loop and failed to recreate it in programmed drums form, which I really wanted to do.

"Nice chord structure"

Yes - very satisfying to play!

"4:15 on to the break"

Gotta have a drumless break in a lengthy track like this. And then come back strong with some fast ambient chilling.

"amen is back and so is your pluck. Domo Arigato"

Yes - some layered, plucked harmonics. And bowed ones.

"Domo Arigato for 5:43 but slightly out of place ehh?!"

I had to look Domo Arigato up again. Not sure how it sounds like that 80s hit song. Is it out of place? Maybe but hopefully a fun surprise.

And then you miss out on passing comment on my favourite cello sections. Nice, layered harmonics leading into a cool bowed part.

"almost like your putting the song to bed soon"

That's just what I'm doing. 8:06 section feels like it should go on for quite a while as there's a new energy. But I didn't want the track to go over 10 mins.

"very nice ending"

Thanks. Good to end on some gentle, winding down chill.

"the cohesion is starting to remind me of your guitar based tunes."

Just as well as my guitar playing is pretty rubbish and seriously uninspired these days. I hardly even pick it up! My skills have deserted me.

"i have delved into my DAW learning how to mix and engineer better"

You have and it all sounds better than before. No lead reverse cymbal!

You may Cruvaccinate but do you Cruvaginate?

Il me plait de te faire un peu mouille.

A bientot...

Hello.

This track has grown on me as I've been listening back to it. It's odd to think that, until you said it, I hadn't realised just how smooth the track is. I guess it needs to be when it's chilled out.

No, no fretless bass here. That's all cello though when plucking it, I am playing it as if it were a bass eg at 0:15. That was the first riff I came up with and then I built the track from there.

I do like a nice chilled groove. It's very inspirational.

Thanks for the thoughts.

Wooo great glad to hear you liked it

Thanks very much. I also very much enjoy the chilled out vibe and the melodies. There are loads coming from the layered cello parts.

Good to hear that the changes kept you interested. There are quite a few and it's a fairly long track so it needs to maintain the listener's interest.

I could have made it much longer but have a general policy these days of trying not to go over 10 mins. I used to make tracks as long as 17 mins! Only a couple that length but quite a few between 11 and 15 mins.

Thanks again.

Thanks.

The cello needs to grab people as there's lots of it. Some people will probably prefer the d'n'b drums or overall chilled/ambient vibe.

I've tried, as always, to give the track some real depth and provide lots of little things to listen to and interesting changes and so on.

Thanks for the comment.

Thanks for the review - I'm not expecting to get too many for this one and it's pretty slow going so far.

Yeah, the drop of the d'n'b breaks around 1:40 is nice. I wanted to start the track with d'n'b drums but then the half tempo chill groove took over and seemed like a pleasant way to ease the listener in.

"Cool transition at 3:30 with the "glass bells"

Yeah - that's just one instrument - a lyre. It does have a bit of a glassy sound.

"The cello is cool in place"

It better be as there's a lot of it!

"I'd listen to this while painting"

Yeah - I thought it might work best like that for someone like you. I like listening to it more closely as there are some cool melodies and changes but I can see why some people would only consider it decent background music.

"Mix sounds good"

Yes - hours and hours put into getting it as right as I could manage.

Thanks again for the thoughts.