Spivkurl

Hey, man, been good to see you around more lately! I appreciate the fine comment! Regarding the vocals, I did a lot of takes on this one... but the primary stuff I used was recorded on two mics simultaneously, my Kustom uni-directional dynamic and the right side of my Audio Technica stereo condenser. Put the two inputs into my Scarlett interface, and routed each to separate channels to get a mono recording of each. Then I went through that takes for each section and listened for the best stuff and kept it. Note that I didn't keep the same take for both mics in each section, so it's technically double takes. I think it gives a bit of vocal depth and interest. Yes, you're right, I built my modular over the past ten years or so. Still adding to my setup though, as in the last month I finished a standalone synth which accepts a control voltage, as well a 4 step sequencer to control whatever accepts CV or gate signals. I'm going to put both of those things up on my blog as soon as possible (probably in the next day or two), so check in there if you get a chance. http://www.wearerecords.com/spivkurl.html I appreciate the supportive feedback and the listen. Hope that you are well!

Hey friend, thank you for the supportive comment! Can't say I've every done a song quite like this, with all the chord changes and layering, but it was worth the effort. Was thinking I had screwed the mix up royally, but then I realized I can't trust plugging my headphones into these computer speakers to test a mix, or even to comment on other's tracks. No low end at all, as I think it filters for the subwoofer before the headphone out. Frustrating. Thanks much for the fave and listening! Take care!

Hey friend, thank you for your kind comment! I have always fancied myself as a bit of a mad scientist, and I can definitely lay claim to the mad part... scientist though, I don't have the college degree. This one was a bit tough to mix, with 40+ channels and all, but the real challenge was being satisfied with the vocals. Had to capture the perfect moment, and I'm thinking it was as close as I could get. You have made me happy with your words, and I appreciate it! Sorry for the late reply. Hope that you had a fine end of the year!

Hey Orlando, many thanks for your kind review! This was one of those songs that I felt entirely compelled to write and record, so it was a relief when it was finished. Have not heard "Gong" though, maybe I should look it up. I really appreciate the comment and fave my friend!

Hey, thanks for the feedback my friend! Listening back to this, I realize that it is pretty "off the wall" soundwise like you said. Oh well, I guess it is what it is. The hook, as you say, does apply to many things, which is part of why I felt the uncontrollable need to write this song... So many things contributed to it, mainly my cat Shiloh, then other things like relationships, addiction, the con game of the modern economy, and the drive to fix everything that is wrong whenever possible. Thank you for saying that the vocals worked as the song progressed. Some parts were easy to sing, some were not, but I achieved my goals as far as conveying the words goes. Appreciate it my friend!

Hey man, thank you for the positive feedback! Put a bunch of time into writing and recording this stuff, so it's always good to hear that someone appreciates it. I suppose it could be a signature sound of mine, though it's all unintentional... no matter how hard I try new things, it still ends up sounding like a Spivkurl song. Thank you again!

Hey friend, thank you for the feedback on this one! Interesting that you hear some similarity in that synth break at :43, as it was entirely unintentional. Took a lot of effort to get these vocals near the way I wanted... had to find that perfect moment where sober becomes inebriated. (It doesn't last long!) I agree that this would be really weird without the vocals. Listening back on this, I find that it's a lot less low end than I usually include in a song... oh well. It was definitely intended as an artwork, so I appreciate that. I will definitely not put this in the weird genre though, as that would be encouraging the way things are in popular music... not something I like to do very often. Thank you for the feedback!

Thanks very much rei! I dig the electronic punk reference. I guess I didn't think of this one as minimal per say, as I used over 40 channels which is far more than my usual composition. The rough part was pretty intentional. I just let the song shape itself, and then relearned it. Thank you for the support!

Hey friend, thank you for checking this track out! Have the faust playing in the background, thank you for the link... I do realize that it was probably groundbreaking at the time, though I don't know if I would listen to it much... heh. That synthy bumblebee groove came out of a recording of me messing with my modular... just chopped a piece out that sounded good and went with it. I see what you mean about the "dry" sound, though I was intending a feel which was on the dry side... You'd be surprised how many effects went into making the sound this way though. There is a nice non reactive reverb encompassing the whole mix, but that too was set dryer than usual for me. I guess I never thought of it as avant garde, but I understand. I gave some thought to waiting a while before releasing this track and adding some guitar work to it, but I felt that it would be far to cluttered that way, as it already took up over 40 channels. Plus I was really happy that both projects were started and finished pretty much simultaneously. I have been doing a couple recordings with the new guitar though, and will try to get something listenable out there soon. Thank you very much for your comment my friend!

Thanks much! Yeah, I guess I was going for a feel like when the minimal early 80's became the over-orchestrated mid 80's. I'm sure you know what I mean. It does of course have a lot of software involved, so doesn't sound authentically 80's though. I'm happy you enjoyed the listen. Appreciate it!

Hey GC, thank you for being the first on LM to comment on this track! I think you misunderstood my "original" comment... what I meant was that Proximal Vicinity has been dominating my page lately, which I had no hand in composing, where as this is all me. How you interpret the song is pretty much what I was going for... The oriental sounds you speak of are primarily a hammered string sound with some awesome post effects to deepen the vibe, plus subtle sitar sort of sounds in the breaks. I'm very happy that you enjoyed the vocals. It took a while to perform them just how I wanted. I don't know if I've ever spent over a month straight on a song like this without any real breaks. Appreciate the support my friend!

Thanks much bud! That's a real compliment coming from you! Interesting that you bring up PFunk, as I've recently been working on tape looping from a George Clinton collection. Maybe it got into my head? I appreciate you stopping by to listen my friend!

Hey Mr P thank you for the kind comment! The loops only thing was what the challenge was about, so I was constrained, but it helped me in the end. I was happy when this turned into a real song with vocals and stuff... even if my listeners weren't, heh. I do in fact know how to sew by hand, though I haven't done it in a while... I like macrame too. I really appreciate your stopping by lately, always good to hear from you!

You should definitely try to learn an instrument. Doesn't really matter which one, just something available that makes a sound you like. It can change everything about how you hear and make music. Thanks for the comments friend!

Thank you again for your kind comments! This was a fun mixing project for sure, and it made me happy that it was recognized. My process with this one was pretty intuitive, but still detailed, and it seemed to work out. I know what you mean... I don't know how my legs work, I just stand up and start walking!

Hello there! It seems to have been a while since I noticed you around, and I'm happy that you visited my page! To be amongst the winners of the mix and master competition, and then to be involved in taking this track even further with Mark's parts was a complete pleasure! It makes me happy to work with people who are so proficient in their instruments of choice, and in recording and composing. It was inspiring to work with such excellent stems, and has encouraged me to perform more and record better on my own works. Thank you for all your comments!

Hey my friend, it's been quite a while! I must admit to having had you in mind recently, and part of the mind was worrying about you. Hope you are well! I can't claim much credit for this track or it's success, as all parts were composed and performed by Bear and Mark. Once I was chosen as one of the winners for Bear's competition, Mark wanted a copy of the track to record his parts to... it seemed only natural that I would put the finishing touches on the mix once he was done. It was a sincere pleasure to be a part of it, especially with the quality of the audio involved. Mark wrote a good song to compliment the original. Thank you for the kind comment! Very good to hear from you again! I've been doing well, feeling ultra creative and productive... I usually end up doing so much in a day that I am just a mess by the evening, and still I find that there are so many things that I didn't get to do. I suppose that is part of life. Our new cat is pretty well integrated into our strange lifestyle now. Have smoked a couple holes in my head in recent months, but that's a different story. Please let me know you are okay!

Thank you for your comment! Hope you are enjoying the download!

Hey friend, it was good to read this comment as well as your others! You made me happy with your compliments and your eagerness to learn. I guess I should try to clarify the use of mono tracks... Bass is a good place to start. I only use a stereo channel with bass if the stereo image or effects seem essential to the feel or character of the bass sound that is being used. A lot of modern bass sounds are quite stereo, for example those used in dubstep or drum and bass.... however many more basic sounds are essentially mono. If I have my bass channel center panned, and on the meter I don't see differences between left and right, especially at different times, then I will change the track to mono (either using mono plugins, or adjusting the stereo separation on the channel). If say a bass synth patch is very heavy to one side or the other due to how it was designed, then it might be helpful to change to mono as well. As far as monitoring in mono, it can be useful. The biggest thing I look for is being able to hear all parts clearly when in mono. Not hearing certain things could be due to phasing problems or effects which are not essentially mono compatible. Probably secondary is that there is still good sounding separation of the panned parts even in mono. If you make some tracks mono, such as bass or drums which are not stereo to begin with, then your mix will be more mono compatible. Just a couple basics to help. I really appreciate the feedback you have given! Hope you are well!

Thank you for your kind comment on this track! Mark and Bear really did great work on their respective parts of this piece. It made me happy to help it all come together, and to work with some well recorded tracks. I appreciate you stopping by!

Hey Dave, good to hear from you! I really appreciate the support you've given here, and elsewhere over the years! I have trouble stepping off a curb sometimes, so in comparison the mixing and mastering seems easy...heh. It was so nice to work with some quality audio! I've come out of this project with a lot of new opinions about the process, and that is more than I could have hoped for. My mixing style is definitely not for everyone, but it makes me happy to know that it often appeals to people that I look up to artistically. Thanks again!

Yes, Mark definitely knows his guitar playing! I really appreciate you leaving a comment! Thank you!

Thank you Alex for the comment on an older song of mine! It does have a bit of low end in this track, but probably not as much as you would think. I wanted to impart a bit of a ska type of feel in this one. I think I've come a long way since this one. Thanks again!

Thank you Joe for the kind review! It's always good to hear from you. Hope that you are well!

Thanks friend! I can't claim much responsibility for this song, aside from maybe that bass "hitting your chest" thing... Bear and Mark did all the hard work of composing and performing. It was however a fun and challenging project! I appreciate you listening and commenting!