BaoBou

Muito obrigado! This one feels a long time ago, but when I revisited it some time ago, I was still happy to hear it. I was thinking to maybe look at the drums and the mix again (I've learned things) but you know, it's one of those tracks that don't disappoint:)
Thank you so much for listening and going through some of the older stuff, much appreciated!

Oooh, both good ideas, thank you! I will be working on the mix with a guy I know (paid) because I feel it's one of the (many) things holding me back - and it's especially apparent in this song. So I'll also look at that plugin, especially after I hopefully understand it a bit better. Great tip.

The choir is maybe an even better tip. The "sit with me in the quiet" would be absolute goosebumps when done with a choir. Now - I don't actually have a choir at home, but I can write harmonies. I might be able to sing some of it, and you know, maybe I can actually find a choir that would like to sing it :D or else there might be another plugin helping me on that.
Thanks so much for listening and giving ideas! Much love buddy!

Yep, that's me (facepalm)
Dank je wel Rita!

Thank you so much buddy! It helps to have a great lyric to start with for inspiration, but it's also been a journey to get the track where it is now... I think I'm on version 22 and counting :D

Thank you so much my friend! It came from a real poem that moved me and I hope some of that emotion shines through :)

Thank you so much Maj! Much love from here :)
I haven't forgotten about the second track. I'm going to give it a try tomorrow or Friday I think!

That's very kind of you to say, but I still hope a real singer will show up ;)
Very glad you enjoyed it!

You know, I know perfectly well my voice is crap, and I used to never put my vocals on a track, but then recently I saw an interview with Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins and they were talking about America's next X-Factor Idol or whatever those programs are called, and how the Beatles or the Stones would never have made it there. Or Nirvana or the Foo Fighters.

So now I try to occasionally put my own vocal on a track - sparingly, I don't want to scare anyone, but bit by bit I learn, and I hope that bit by bit I get better.

This song just NEEDED vocals, full stop. I don't have any singers around... so I sang it... and all I can hope is somebody to say "hey, let me try that" :)

Thanks for listening buddy and for your kind words, much love!

Well obviously I'm hoping that Angelus or Jenna or Patricia (or Mayuri?) will drop by and make me an offer I can't refuse ;) but I probably shouldn't say that out loud ;)

Thanks a lot my friend!
Hm... I wasn't really looking for enjoyable, I was hoping for moving... but ok, I'll take it ;) Thanks for listening!

Thanks a lot buddy! Much appreciated :)
I'm trying to match the emotions of the original lyrics... I think I'm getting closer but it still needs some work. It also needs loads of cleanup, which is not my strong point :D

Thank you Luvroxu, much appreciated!!

Thanks buddy!
The "unexpected" change has been replaced by a more smooth transition - I know you phrased it as a compliment but I think it's a bit better now :)
Thank you so much for listening!

Yes sir! I admit it's also frustrating at times - nobody else to blame for everything that isn't good enough :D but ok, that's why we learn:)
Thanks so much for the kind words man!

Thanks a lot man! I'm still very insecure about singing but bit by bit I'm learning. I've also decided to start taking singing lessons - I think that would help both me and my audience:D

Hahaha I am just like you, I don't like obsessing too long over a track, but then I also know that when I come back to it later the false notes in the vocal, the uneven bits in the drums etc, all those will piss me off, so better to fix it now while I still have the energy ;)
Thanks for listening and commenting, very much appreciated my friend!

Thank you man, much appreciated!

Hey man, first of all good to see you're back and being creative. You're practically royalty here :)

Loving your compliments as well as the improvement points. Regarding the placement I usually (I'm lazy) have one rhythm guitar + keys to the left, one guitar + keys to the right, lead in the middle; and then I hope it balances out throughout the song ;) But that's just being lazy and I realise I haven't given that much of a look. In a previous song somebody also complained the balance, so that's a good reminder, thank you :)

I've left the vocals fairly organic, meaning indeed not very in sync. I fixed some of the worst bits (believe me, it was actually worse) but didn't spend too much time as I hope to record better vocals when my throat is sort of ok again :)

The final sentence makes my heart sing. That's super dope. Thank you man!

Thanks a lot man!

Muchas gracias Michael! I was actually considering to bring down the drums a bit :D but maybe I do need to do some processing/mastering on it to make them a bit tighter. It's so hard!!
Thanks as always for your good tips amigo!

Dank je wel voor de complimenten, ik bloos helemaal :) Ja ik denk dat een beetje meer kennis van vocal productions me zeker zou helpen, maar ik leer beetje bij beetje ;)

Wat betreft jouw tracks, ik ken je gevoel heel goed. Je hebt altijd ergens een track in het verleden waarvan je denkt wow, was ik dat, maar reken maar dat ik als toeschouwer van de zijlijn zie hoe je met elke track groeit. Ik vind dat ook superleuk om te zien; de horizon blijft steeds even ver weg, hoe hard je ook werkt, maar dat betekent niet dat je geen vooruitgang boekt. Reken maar dat ik het zelfde heb ;)

Volgens mij is het Chris Hoy die zei "Training never gets easier - you just go faster". Het is het zelfde met muziek: "Creating never gets easier - you just make better tracks"

Thanks a lot Steve! I didn't know Quiet Sun :o band from the 70s right? But I gave them a quick listen and I'll take it as a compliment :)
Thanks as always, you da man!

Haha awesome comment! Well, the funny thing about "fans" is that in a previous version of the vocals, I'd forgotten to turn the fans off - the standing fans keeping the place cool ;)
Great that you enjoy the "live" sound! I'm trying to get it to sound less garage and more pro, but as long as I get the energy across, I'm happy :)

Awesome Paul, thank you!
Haha yes we feel insecure about our vocals, but then I try to remember what Dave Grohl said - Bob Dylan also wouldn't have made it on "America's Got Talent" and he still made a pretty good career out off that ;)

Yep true. And to be honest, this track and the process made me realise more than ever, that my interest is:
- 60% Creating and Composing
- 30% playing and practicing
- 10% engineering, mixing and mastering

Yet the energy I spend now is the other way around. I don't spend enough time on the music, and the mixing and mastering (which I don't get, I'm not that interested in and which frustrates me) takes too much time.

I'll go back to just rushing tracks out the door as soon as I feel they're fun... and not perfect (I can't ever reach perfection anyway).

Thanks for listening Rockoff!