Translucid - StaticNomad

Yo, grandfatherfucker.

Sorry for the rather late reply. Then again, you've taken far longer.

Yes - nice, long, bowed intro. Very relaxing and satisfying to play.

"Butterflies and meadows."

Excellent, very accurate description! You're expressing in words what I was feeling. Some of the high cello parts do sound a bit like buzzing or some other creature flying about. Very bright, playful and warm stuff.

"Next section is a bit darker and reflective"

Yes, dark and mystical. Quite a change!

"2:50 driving snare hits are nice"

They are but they're quite electronic so I wouldn't expect you to like them.

"3:28 pluckery is a nice addition."

Two lines of plectrum-played cello. Not sure how many people ever do that but playing with fingers or bow would not have sounded the same. Very different, actually.

"I'll start making YouTube fishing vids and you can supply the music."

It's a plan but will it ever happen?

"All rather calming and relaxing."

Yeah, nothing badass but it's just not that sort of track. I really like it and find it quite addictive ie I want to hear what's coming next every time I listen to it.

Static Transmad (I'm your passenger)

Hello again.

Yes, it's worth going through the Nomad archive if you're looking for something interesting to hear, especially as you haven't been on the site much in the last year.

"You deserve some real respect."

I get a bit but I can always do with more - especially in real life (rather than just online). We're all the same!

"The song is nice: good, but not the best one."

I agree. Pleasant and interesting but not amazing. A bit more minimal, for a change. The peaks are probably 1:14-2:25. That lead cello part is quite exciting, I find.

"make your guitar enter the scene a bit earlier."

No guitar here. You probably think it's guitar at 3:26 because I'm playing the cello with a guitar pick - something I very rarely do as it's a bit awkward to do. But it does give a different sound. Much more like guitar.

"I would even consider shortening the "middle part""

I like that section. It's quite mystical and trippy.

The title is a word I made up. A cross between 'translucent' and 'lucid'.

Here are two tracks you will prefer from the Nomad archive. First is a long, mystical blues track with lots of guitar. And bass. Deep chill and groovy blues:

The Mythical Gates

https://www.looperman.com/tracks/detail/177482

And here's a psychedelic cello grunge track that will surprise you as there's no guitar. Anything that sounds like guitar is cello:

Skyscaper

https://www.looperman.com/tracks/detail/183448

Thanks again for the thoughts. They're always useful.

Yeah, some cinematic drums could work very nicely. Perhaps just try adding some orchestral cymbals or something and build from there.

I might give it a go or just stick with what I've got - something somewhat minimal, for a change.

Yo, ill Silverman (Sillverman).

Sorry to hear about your pain and I hope the medication is helping.

Yes, this is fairly minimalist. Partly because I struggled to add other instruments to it so just let it flow with this sparser sound. It could probably still do with something else being added - another instrument and perhaps more percussion. It's mostly just one drumkit, which is very rare for me.

"it sounds quite complicated."

Yes, as per most of my tracks. Probably something to do with the layering. My instrumental music needs to be somewhat complicated to be interesting. I don't exactly make obvious genre stuff and none of it is pop music or just straight dance music.

"Every track you offer up is now a cello track"

Yes, mostly though I have done a few without cello in the last year - electro metal, mystical blues and so on.

"Probably why your guitar skills appear to be deteriorating."

I seem to have run out of ideas on the instrument, which is why I rarely even pick it up these days. And thus my fluidity of playing has deserted me. I hope the skills will return though I'll have to actually start playing the damn thing again for that to happen. They won't come back just by thinking about them and hoping I might be able to recapture my past moderate glories.

"This is a beautiful track."

Thanks very much. I try to add as much as I can to everything I do. Even if it's heavy - then I go for a certain type of dark beauty.

"long may your relationship with the cello last"

I have no idea about that. I think I should probably start another new instrument. But will I then abandon the cello? I hope not but cannot say.

Thanks for the lucid thoughts. Your vocabulary was just fine.

Haha - so am I! I don't really know what the hell I'm doing when it comes to harmony. I just about know the key I'm playing in and that's it.

I'm not sure where the major 7th chord comes in for "several seconds". Oh, actually I think I do. It's a long chord sequence and I think there's one chord I change to (towards the end) that's a bit of a surprise but very satisfying to my ears. That's probably the major 7th chord.

"I am impressed with your incorporation of cello!"

It's the main played instrument in my tracks these days. Hopefully they all sound a bit or a lot different.

Thanks for the thoughts.

Thanks.

I like it but I don't love it.

Excellent answer. You're not struggling for words this time.

"1:20-1:40 there is a nice groove that gets your head bobbing, and the melody is sweet"

I understand. It's pleasurable and grabs you without you thinking about it whereas the riffs towards the end don't have the same effect. I actually like them but, yes, it can be really hard to maintainthe same level of enjoyment every time you make a change. Some riffs just aren't as good as others. Or aren't as good in the context of the particular track in which they feature. The end riffs are a bit darker.

"I don't know jack about music theory"

Neither do I. I also don't know what 12 tonal theory is.

"Is it that at the beginning you are doing more traditional melodies"

Yeah, probably that. More major, positive and brighter and then things go a bit darker and more mystical.

Thanks very much for clarifying. That is some lucid feedback!

Thanks. I am musically very ambitious and almost always try to make something unusual that I haven't really heard anyone else make before.

The synth pads play quite a background, atmospheric role, with the cello as the main instrument a lot of the time. Rather minimal drums for me. Not very interesting or busy but still effective.

Thanks again.

Haha - very lucid!

Good to hear you dig it. I dig you digging it.

Yeah, the drums are quite similar throughout and rather minimal and restrained for me. I've done a lot of very busy drum tracks in the past so I guess I've recently been exploring a bit more drum minimalism. You're not wrong.

I suppose I was trying to let the track breathe and be more chilled out. I've also heard far more boring and monotonous drum tracks than this one

Hi. Great to hear you liked the cello. I think it's a pretty cool sound. My cello teacher has a live performing career using just an electric cello and one loopstation and one multi effects pedal. No vocals, no backing tracks. You'd be surprised how versatile the instrument is.

"the more melodic beginning especially around 1:20-1:40"

Yes, that's where a new, jaunty lead cello part arrives. A few layers there as it builds. Same cello chord backing.

"the ending which seems more random to me"

I have no idea what you mean when you say "random". Is that some new, modern usage of the word or are you using it in its usual sense? It's all kind of the same drum groove and similar, minimal instrumentation throughout so the ending is just a new riff/chord progression. Random would be if it morphed into banjo metal or choral country.

"I wonder if it would be good to mix in other strong instruments"

You're not wrong but I decided to keep this track rather minimal, for a change. I have loads of tracks where various instruments are having conversations with each other, so to speak. It's a shame my guitar playing is so average these days as, in the recent past, I would have picked it up and knocked out some good stuff on it.

Thanks for the suggestions and don't forget to let me know about my "random" question.