StaticNomad

Hi. Glad to hear you felt I kept the sounds closer together on this one as that's what I was going for. That's why I didn't really understand Soundhound vaguely talking about it taking a left turn and hitting a brick wall or something.

I've done that much more in other tracks and somettimes that's the idea - to find a way to introduce something interesting and surprising that somehow is made to fit.

But I established the sound palette on this in the first few minutes and then kept using the same sounds, whilst occasionally introducing some complementary ones as things progressed. I don't think the slide solo is out of place. I tied things together a lot using the same drum loops (the first one you hear in particular). Even though there are something like 10-15 drum loops in this, I've tried to choose ones that are kind of similar.

I'm fascinated by the choice and collection of instruments used on a track. Once you've established them, I find you can kind of do anything with them and it doesn't sound too strange. Even if that collection of instruments is pretty strange, once you've let the listener know that's the sonic world they're in, you can just keep exploring different combinations of them.

As written in other replies, I came up with jazz and metal whilst making this but decided to take those sections out and make a crazy jazz metal track. I guess I could have made it work here but it would have been pretty bizarre and I preferred to stay focused on this more beautiful chill dance trip rather than getting jazzy, heavy and dark. Jazz and metal "aren't supposed" to be mixed but I'm confident I can make it work though I can't say when it'll be done as I'm currently working on something else.

The end section (last 90 secs) is merely a return to a previous string melody, Rhodes and drum loop that are all already in the track - no new elements. I could listen to that section for hours! All the same, I had to end it after a while as I try hard these days not to make things too long. It's still way too long for some people but I do understand that many people have short attention spans. I don't make music for those kinds of people!

"I am sure you have way more stuff to be heard"

I never really know how much more stuff I have! Hopefully a lot but I don't know if I'm capable of succesfully producing all the things I want to. I don't play enough instruments, for a start, so need to do something about that. Might start playing electric cello soon as I'm trying one out hopefully tomorrow.

Good to hear from you.

Take care.

Oh sure, I agree not everyone is going to like every section of the long stuff I do. That's why I just do it to please myself. I do try hard to only include the sections/parts that I think deserve to be included.

"most would have chopped this down to 4:00 put
a fade on it and been done with it"

Yes but I'm not most people ie I don't go for conventional music making or just one or two genres. I do longform, evolving stuff and some people get that and appreciate all the different directions. I'm not exactly making commercial music and only ever expect a small audience for what I do.

Yes, I could make 2 tracks out of it. Or 10, whatever, as I could stretch out lots of these sections.

But I like to think the sections flow somewhat logically and fit together comfortably enough.

I actually also do a lot of splitting tracks into sub-divisions rather than going with one massive thing. In composing this, it also turned into jazz and then metal and I've removed those parts and am turning them into a separate track. Basically, I have a lot of musical ideas and find it quite easy to generate more and more material. The difficulty then is trying to choose what goes with what and it's impossible to know if I always (or ever) get it right.

Musically, I quite like the idea of a left turn into a brick wall, as long as its done tastefully. I like tracks to take me different and interesting places though I also have no problem with one straight genre if it's done really well. I don't think this track has that many surprising twists and turns. I've tried to keep it all in the same sort of mood, using the same collection of sounds that I hink work together.

OK, I don't know why the violin part at 8:23 doesn't work for you. It's just a return to an earlier theme (and drum loop), now explored a bit more. It's my favourite section so I'll keep it.

I still have no idea what "Clid" is but it doesn't matter. It that is a word, it's not one I've heard before.

Anyway, good that you liked some of it. Not a problem that didn't extend to all of it.

Hi. Thanks for the praise ("Over all this has class") though I'm not quite sure what you're saying at times. Let me try to work it out.

"Tried that slide guitar in there, it worked but I don't know
where the end came from, a left turn Clid... :-)

I have no idea what "Clid" means or if it's just a typo. And then something about not knowing where the end came from. Don't know what you mean. If you mean 8:21-9:40, that's a reprise (return) of the string melody on 4:10 though I do more with it this time. That's my favourite section (the end 90 secs).

"I find it a little to light after all that funk, it's like your rolling
down the Cross Bronx Express way...Blink and you end up in
the Smokie Mountains somewhere..."

I don't know where the Cross Bronx Express way is. For a start, I don't live in the US.

I think the rest means something like you didn't think going into the slide solo was a good idea after the delicate funk middle. A little too light? Well, when the slide enters, that's also where a heavier drum kit enters so I don't think it's light. If anything, a bit heavier as things get a bit more epic and upfront after all the groove chilling.

I had a whole bunch of other guitar parts (funk, metal, blues, rock etc) I was planning to use in the breakout section beginning 5:45 but I'm trying hard not to make tracks that are too long these days so decided just to go with the slide solo. It seems to be enough. I don't mind if you don't like it (or don't think if fits this track) and will try to work out what's perhaps wrong with it.

Thanks.

I'm not sure what to say now as I think we're perhaps talking about different things.

I don't understand what you're saying about EZ Drummer except I do agree that it has some excellent jazz MIDI files. And metal, rock, blues, country and many more. I have most of the expansion packs and make great use of the fine and varied drumming.

"adding more additional instrumental layers make it sounding quite 'generic', like a computerized rock 4/4 drum pattern"

It looks like you're saying that adding other instruments on top of EZ drumming makes the drumming somehow sound generic. I don't know why that would be. Anyway, I always add layers of other instruments and I think the drums remain sounding fine.

Sampled instruments have improved so much over the years and they make it really quite easy to make good music. They're not perfect but there are so many available (I'd like many more but I don't have Kontakt) and I have great fun using them. I'm certainly not complaining. I just get on with using and enjoying them. It's as simple as that...

Hi.

I am still a bit confused about Spivkurl's problems with programmed acoustic (sampled) drums. I'm not really trying to make the drum parts sound like one drummer playing in real time on one kit. I'm just trying to do whatever I can to make a good, interesting and unique drum track. I think I've done that in a lot of my tracks and I would say that if you were to listen to all of them, you would hear a different feel/"sound image"/feel in every track.

I sometimes wonder how I'm going to keep coming up with interesting drum parts/sounds in, say, 20 years from now. I don't know but for now I just go with what sounds good to me. Some parts are like one drummer at a kit and others are more layered - as if there were two drummers playing. And then I sometimes add lots of different sounding drum loops, as in this track.

I was watching Pink Floyd live last night from 1989 and they have two drummers there. I've seen that quite often in big concerts. I suppose my tracks are a bit like that.

Finally, if I didn't use acoustic drum software, the only other way to get acoustic drums would be to actually use and record a real kit. But that would be almost impossible for me - I'd need a good sounding room at home and all the microphones, different snares etc. Oh, and I'm a very average drummer so I'd have to get someone in to play them. So that's not going to happen. I'm quite happy with Superior and EZ Drummer and, as I say, so are lots of other people and I'm still proud of my drum tracks. Everything can always be better but there are limitations in life that you just have to deal with.

I'd like a better guitar sound, better bass sound etc etc but I work with what I have and am generally quite pleased with the results. I may be getting a new bass soon so that might fix my bass guitar problem.

Regarding MP3s, my ears are not very good so I think my tracks sound OK at 128K. Yes, I can notice the difference between 128K and 320K when I listen to my MP3 collection. But 128K is OK just for people to hear the track on Looperman. Of course I wouldn't give anyone a 128K MP3 of my music - one of many reasons I don't allow downloads on here.

I can't remember your comment about too much compression on my drums. I don't use compression much, partly because I still don't understand how to use it.

There are some great sampled real piano instruments available to buy (eg for the Kontakt player). Maybe you should look at getting one (or more).

Thanks again for your thoughts. I also like this track, despite the presence of layered, sampled acoustic drums.

OK, I don't really know what to say now. It's kind of all technical what you're getting at and I don't know much about the technicalities of drums' waveforms so don't have much to say about that.

I only ever go with layering of anything that feels right. No technical considerations involved and that goes for all my music making. I do everything by ear and feel. I think I have pretty good taste in music and knowledge of a lot of genres. Therefore, I believe that if I am moved/inspired by something I have come up with, then it is good and should be explored and enhanced and, often, lengthened (that's how I make my tracks).

Are you aware that my technical knowledge of sound as well as my music theory are both very poor? I'm just a dumb, groove player with a strong imagination and feel for far out sounds.

I don't see what the big deal is about drums being composed of similar waveforms. I generally layer fairly different snares together but sometimes layer very similar ones. The effect produced is a good one, I'd say. If things aren't right, I do things like vary the velocity of the drum hit as that makes a big difference.

I always remember watching on the Terminator 2 DVD a load of stuff on the sound design. Arnold Schwarzenegger's main sawn off shotgun sound consisted of a few different gun sounds as well as something like a lion's roar to give it some distinct character. Again: these sound design people are layering anything that sounds right and gives character and that's just what I do.

I use lots of drum loops here to give the track some quite different character for me. No technical thoughts about clashing sounds and waveforms and fundamentals and frequencies and harmonics and so on - just whatever sounds good together.

Oh, looks like I did have something to say.

Thanks for explaining yourself again. You think technically about sound, I don't/can't. Maybe that's my failure but I can't see it changing anytime soon.

Hi. I hope this was an epic enough recording for you, EpicRecord. Those are the type I tend to do.

I think the sound you're talking about around 4:50 is a gentle, deamy, arpeggiated, evolving synth sound that can be first heard at 2:55. 4:50 is kind of its return. Some nice notes, indeed.

Glad you enjoyed the beautiful work. I also found it beautiful so it's a shame to not be working on it anymore. I could make it far, far longer but I'm trying to make thing shorter these days so only around 10 mins is how it came out.

-

Hi Spiv.

Yes, 2:00 is the bass heavy rocking part. Just a brief rocking section with a bit of guitar in what is much more of a chilled track. Lots of bass work in this for you to check out, including high bass guitar as well in the middle funk section, though it's mostly one synth bass patch used here (and in many of my other tracks).

I'm still a bit perplexed by your attitude to sampled drums so will just have to put it down to your very particular preferences. I really don't see what the big deal is about layering them. I layer anything and everything so percussion is no different.

There's always a skill to successfully layering anything (even just two riffs playing the exact same thing) so if it's not good enough, that's because I haven't done it well enough, not because there's something inherently wrong or bad about layering.

I haven't noticed any phase problems with my drum parts. I also don't EQ them much but try to get them all working together in one way or another, using various techniques. You say/suggest I fail but I do a lot of drum work that I greatly enjoy. Some others also enjoy it.

I actually like a conglomeration of drum sounds. Again, I think a lot of what you're telling me is just your preference though I do take it all into account as I try to constantly improve.

"the drums will almost always be fighting for dominance"

Yes, but how is that any different from any other parts? I've always got a variety of sounds fighting hard to be heard, and I sort of want them all to be at the same time. Bringing things in and out and getting the balance right between everything is just a fundamental skill of music making and production so I don't see what special point you're making about drums. It seems like a basic point about all music production/arrangement.

You could also talk about how layering bass parts sound bad because of things fighting for dominance but I do that too. Hey, most of Evisma's tracks are built up mostly of layered bass guitar parts. Again: there's a skill to doing it well.

Yes, you generally hear my stuff on here as only 128K MP3s. I have no idea if WAV or 320K MP3 would make much difference to your dislike of my drum parts. Probably not. If so, then I don't know what to say - you have some very particular ears. The tracks on my Soundcloud page are all 320K MP3s.

Hello again.

Yes, you're right about the unwanted sound at the end. That was just an error when exporting the track that I didn't notice. I will re-export and remove it.

I'm listening to the Tycho track now and really like some of it so understand why you mention Tycho. Yes, more commercial than my track but then I never seem to do anything that sounds like a radio track. Not sure why - probably something to do with my character (I like deeper sounds and moods and not just catchy melodies).

Well done noticing the passing chromatic Rhodes notes (no surprise that a classically trained person would). Actually, it might be just one note.

When trying to find changes, I noticed that darker sort of note and then the track turned into dark, swing/shuffle jazz and then into metal, with a lot of emphasis on the flattened fifth (the tritone). But I decided that should be its own track so I'm working on that now and am glad I removed it as it leaves this track much more beautiful and consistent rather than turning into strange dark jazz-metal.

0:38 background noise is a rising string part. Don't know why it's like my guitar parts but it's a sound I really like. Yes, it does have a screaming effect. Actually, I suppose I do little guitar screams sometimes so that makes sense now.

synth/guitar dialogue from about 2:00 I considered getting rid of the guitar there as the layered synths underneath are quite cool and don't need the guitar but then I carefully edited the guitar parts to sound good so I left them in.

4:20-8:20 long section. 5:45 is the start of a new bassline that reminds me of New Order's classic Blue Monday - one of the best club tracks ever made. That section could have been much longer and evolved more as I had lots more guitar parts. I ended up just going with one - a slide solo. That seems to be enough. Again: I'm trying hard not to make my tracks too long!

Last outro post-section is easily my favourite section as the strings play such amazing melodies (a reprise of 4:10). Yes, you're right again about the fifths Rhodes parts though I also have some higher, twinkling Rhodes notes in there. I love fifths and do it a lot on bass and guitar, probably keyboard as well.

Thanks again for your detailed thoughts.

Hi. I hope this was an epic enough recording for you, EpicRecord. Those are the type I tend to do.

I think the sound you're talking about around 4:50 is a gentle, dreamy, arpeggiated, evolving synth sound that can be first heard at 2:55. 4:50 is kind of its return. Some nice notes, indeed.

Glad you enjoyed the beautiful work. I also found it beautiful so it's a shame to not be working on it anymore. I could make it far, far longer but I'm trying to make thing shorter these days so only around 10 mins is how it came out.

Hello. I was certain you'd like this one as it's big on the chill but also rocking at times, with lots of grooves I like.

It is quite different for me but mostly uses sounds I've used before. The amazing string sound I've used in at least four tracks, all of which you've heard. See my reply to TheRiot504 to see which ones.

I think the drum loops here are quite different for me so they give this a different character. I use new sounds in every track I make but it's cool to reuse excellent sounds. Even better to use them in new ways though no problem using them in the same way if that's what works. I'm sure we all do that. If you find a good sound/technique, why only use it one track? I've used pretty much the same guitar sounds in so, so many tracks!

This track also had dark jazz and metal in it that I came up with while trying to find some changes. But I've removed those parts and am turning them into their own strange dark jazz metal track. Just as well I removed them otherwise the track would be 20 minutes long.

I'm trying hard not to make tracks any longer than about 11 minutes these days. Partly so I can fit them on Looperman (at only 128K, unfortunately) but also because longer and I don't think people want to listen. I think it's maybe better to find a way to turn a long one into two or three separate tracks, each with their own distinctive character.

I'm sure I've heard some Tycho but maybe didn't like it/him. Maybe I will try again. If there's any particular track that you think sounds like this one, let me know and I will listen to it.

So, dark jazz-metal will maybe be my next upload. That is going to be strange and interesting fun to make.

Take care...

Hi. Glad you liked it.

I considered putting this under 'dance' as it is kind of a dance track. But more chill so I went with that. Not exactly a club banger.

The strings are my favourite element in this as I think they have a wonderful sound. That's not me praising myself, just the string samples as well as the person who made a patch in Reason using an arpeggiator which manages to make it sound a lot like they're being bowed. I just add carefully controlled effects to make the sound something really special and moving.

I've used that same string patch in at least four other tracks, all of which I would say are better than this. All some of my finest ever work. The strings probably sound quite similar in each track but they play different melodies and they're all very different tracks so have a listen and see what you think:

Right Place, Wrong Century
http://www.looperman.com/tracks/detail/146210

28 Levels Above Top Secret

http://www.looperman.com/tracks/detail/151799

The Beast That Could Always Be Tamed

http://www.looperman.com/tracks/detail/154691

Three Miles Late

http://www.looperman.com/tracks/detail/150919

I've used Rhodes many times before and I don't always like the sound but I managed to make it pretty good here. The first main, repeated but varied Rhodes riff that you hear was pretty much the start of the whole track. I came up with it while making The Beast That Could Always Be Tamed and was working a bit on that track again a few weeks ago, found that Rhodes part and some drums behind it and, three weeks later, I have this new track (having worked on some other ones as well during that time).

Regarding the drums getting harder, as you say, I actually use a metal kit in this track that I've used in many other hard rock and metal tracks. But it's quite versatile an I've also used it in a jazz track.

That kit comes in just before the start of the slide solo on 7:01.

Happy listening...

Yo, Golden O.

Good to hear from you again and sorry for the slow reply. No idea why the track still doesn't play for you. So, just for you, I've uploaded it to my Soundcloud page:

https://soundcloud.com/endlessrotary/valvedriven

Post any further thoughts back here and I hope you enjoy the bits that were missing for you. I like to think they're worth hearing. But, hey, I'm a bit biased!

I only extended the last part by around 11 seconds after Valvedriver himself pointed out it could be quite a bit longer. 11 more secs/8 bars or whatever seemed to feel right and I also tidied up a few other areas.

I am indeed from the future, however that's not go anything to do with writing UK day/month/year dates. I think I've finally worked out the logic of why Americans write it month/day/year.

I've got a new upload with some heavyish stuff in it (Questions Screaming For Answers) though not as heavy as this one. I'm also working on a jazz metal track, which is probably going to be quite strange. Definitely quite a challenge. Someone's got to successfully merge those two genres and the psychedelic musical gods have chosen me for the task.

All the best to you.

Yo, FourFatCats.

Sorry about the laptop destruction but I did warn you. Desktop is safer as you can put it away under the desk. Which I guess would make it a deskbottom, right?

Yes, I know what you mean about the track appearing to slow down. However, a boring technical point is that almost all of my tracks are fixed tempo on the sequencer throughout but I do all sorts of different stuff with the drums to make things appear slow or faster. I often double the tempo and go into swing jazz or d'n'b or double kick metal as most of my tempos are 80-100 so quite slow. This track is also fixed tempo, which i think is 100bpm.

Anyway, I like the more spacious dark chill in here and it was trying out using the choir instrument that drove the completion of the track. It also reminded me of a certain Valvedriving gentleman so that's why I've dedicated it to him. It wasn't consciously influenced by him but it just reminded me of his vibe so the dedication is appropriate. And it's a good title so I think it works out well for everyone.

Glad you liked it. Another heavy one coming very soon though this one incorporates drum 'n' bass and isn't dedicated to Valvedriver.

Cool, man. Don't know how you found this one because I haven't had it featured for a while. But you did so thanks for listening.

I try hard not to disappoint - mostly myself but I feel that if I can manage that, I'll probably eventually come up with something that other people can also enjoy.

OK. Thanks for listening. I have lots of other far out, progressive tracks on this site.

Hello.

1:52 may be quintessential me. That guitar riff was the foundation for the grooving here. Before I came up with it, I just had that chillout intro, which was a leftover from my drumless, romantic cinematic track Visible Aura.

That track had no drums so I decided the continuation of its leftover parts should get back to my usual drum-obsessive grooving mode.

" taking the liberty of "jumping" from beat to beat"

Yes, I like the movement of the guitar around the beat. It's mostly three finger-plucked chords (plus some other fills) but is all about how I move around the simple drum groove, with fat synth bass pumping away underneath.

No problem you didn't like the 8:30 trance lead. I had to include it as it really inspired me when working out where to take the second half of this. I loved the sound of the bass guitar with the lead trance and I realised I could make some sort of unusual version of delta blues trance, which I think I've done.

As it inspired me so much, I wasn't going to get rid of it. I've tried to control the filtering so that it doesn't sound too cheesy or "pop-ish". I think it's a surprise in the track and you know I like to do that.

Same goes for laser stuff around 10:00. I don't love that sound but think it takes the track somewhere interesting and new for me.

It's hard to keep coming up with new and interesting tracks (I'm trying to make a piece of music unlike any other almost every single time) so don't be surprised if I sometimes do slightly weird stuff. Or choose some sounds you don't like. That's got to happen sometime.

However, I try not to include something purely for intellectual reasons ie "Oh, it's not a very good sound but I was just trying to show I can also make a bit of trance". I try to only keep things I think sound good (I trust my musical opinion) or do something else with them if they just don't fit the track I've first tried them in. You could say that all sounds have their place, right?

" the killer guitar/bass riff that follows makes me forgive everything"

That's just one distorted bass guitar. Didn't need to double it up with a guitar part though the 1:52 clean guitar does return very near the end of the track.

I don't like that distorted bass riff as much as I first did. Not sure why.

Thanks for your continued support and praise. I try to keep the standard high though it's hard so best if I don't think about it too much as it can place too much pressure on me. Better to just free my mind and create with no expectations, for no purpose other than making something cool and unusual.

Yes, I've produced many albums in the past couple of years so much get round to turning them into real, publicly available albums. Lots of little things to go back and fix in various tracks plus the problem I always have of great mastering.

You'll get some Nomad albums some day, I promise. A heavy one, an electronic one, a blues one, a jazz/funk one and so on...

Hi. Glad you enjoyed it - all of the seconds and minutes, apparently.

That's very good to hear as I really do work hard on every bar, section, change, transition and so on. You particularly have to when dealing with lengthy, complex, varied tracks, as most of mine are.

I try hard to remove anything which isn't working and holding things up in any way. The flow of the whole thing is very important to me. However, I generally don't remove that much. Instead, when sections aren't working, I spend ages finding a way to make them work. Quite often that involves adding more elements and layers, which is partly why my stuff ends up so layered and complex.

But if a section feels a bit too awkward for the track, I quite often just leave it elsewhere on the timeline and then return and develop it into another track, with different ideas and sounds (whilst keeping some of them). That's really how I compose as I very rarely start a new track from scratch. I endlessly recycle projects I've been working on for years.

Tripping while listening can be good though be careful not to suffer any injuries.

Thanks again for your thoughts.

I still have one of your tracks marked as a Favourite.

Word up, DI.

Good to hear you like this heavier trip from me. Hey, I still managed to get some good chilling in there.

Yes, 1:17 to 4:10 is the chill middle most reminiscent of Valvedriver. Basically, it was the addition of the choir vocals that made me think of his stuff. They were also the big catalyst for working out where to take this track and how make it go heavy again so I just had to dedicate it to him.

Oh sure - someone could add vocals to this. Though they'd have to be good! But, as always, I try hard to make my instrumentals sound great without vocals. I decided a long time ago that I didn't want people to say "Yeah, sounds good but could do with some vocals".

I've kind of failed if you're wishing for something else to be there. Track needs to work as it is though I guess you're saying "Vocals would be nice" rather than saying it's desperately lacking them.

Yes, after 4:10 it goes crazy and doesn't really let up until the end. While chillout grooving is my main thing, I'd say I'm also quite good at mental crazy heavy where everything goes wild. Done that in loads of tracks though they're not all metal.

Thanks again.

Dark greetings from deep inside the Valveland borders.

I hope this FreeRadical was Radically Brutalised/Brutally Radicalised by this beast of a track. In a musical terror training camp somewhere in the Afghan mountains.

Glad you thought it had everything. It had more as there was a funky guitar section in the choir chillout middle that I removed. It was cool when I listened back to it on its own as a loop but it didn't fit the flow of the track so it had to go.

For all the mass of stuff I cram in my tracks, I do actually leave quite a few things out. The flow is way more important than adding more and more just because I can. Hey, I'd never finish anything if I didn't draw the line somewhere!

I do like to do some heavier, darker stuff when I can get it to sit right though chill groove is more my natural musical home. No surprise I got some of that in too. I think I probably do in every track. Not matter how heavy shit gets, there's always room for some chill. Sometimes just so you can build back up to more face melting stuff.
I'm not sure which bit you mean by "harmonic bass" as there's a lot of bass work in this.

Maybe the slap bass note at 1:39? Or the bass screech at 0:09 or the undistorted version at 1:25.?

"you've really hit the ball out of the park with this one!!"

Thanks. I like to think I valvedrove it right out of the volcano.

"flows effortlessly from part to part."

Only through loads of hard work (lots of effort and head scratching) and it works better in some tracks than others.

"don't know how you come up with all these ideas"

I do and I don't. Guess I gotta run out sometime, right? But I've also got to hold some stuff back for music making when I'm an old man. Better take up some new instruments before then. Maybe newly invented ones.

Thanks again.

Take care.

Thanks.

Yes, would be good as a modern sort of delta soundtrack in some film or other.

One of the best tracks I've ever done, with some serious vibe and atmosphere.

Thanks for listening.

Yo. Thanks for the high praise.

Slash and Hetfield are definitely better than me but then I'm no professional and don't really play live so don't get the practice in. I also do a hell of a lot of cheating with my playing through edits of the best bits so I assure you I'm not this good in a live situation.

I find it hard to do perfect runs and takes but, with editing, I can make it sound like that's what I actually played all in one go.

"guitar work at 1:40". I think you must mean 0:40 as that's where the guitar first enters. Pretty simple playing there though a bit more complex for end of bar fills.

I use wah here and there though often as a tone control rather than all-out wah. I have mixed feelings about it and it does need to be used carefully. But it's on quite a few guitar parts in this, especially your favourite Slash section.

Choirs in the background? I thought I made them more foreground as I really like their melodies so I'm not trying to use them as backing elements to add depth but more like as lead singers. They definitely do make it all more epic and their inclusion was the catalyst for driving the track forward and taking it into the epic territory I knew it must go into.

Guitar at 4:58 is the shortish harmonic wah funk section. That's just me doing a harmonic chord across just a few frets (no fretting of the actual strings) in my regular slide blues DADFshrpAD tuning and then strumming funkily away whilst operating the wah. And then editing all the best bits together. That's the funk to go along with all the metal and chillout stuff.

Good to hear what was your favourite section - that always interests me as I sort of have my own though I try hard to make every bit as a good as every other (very difficult).

No, I certainly don't have tabs to this as I don't write them (or sheet music). No one's ever asked for that but it's cool that you do as it shows additional interest. If you really want, I can just tell you how to play some sections (ie some of the main notes involved) as that should be enough to jam along.

Thanks again for the interest and let me know if you want to know how to play some sections.

Word up, Texan metal bro.

Yeah, you've missed a bunch of my tracks in the last couple of months though I did slow down quite a bit for a while and had something like 6 weeks inbetween uploading sometime around October/November.

"F'n total kick ass shit"

That's what I aim for. Unless it's a chillout track. F'n total gently caressed ass shit, perhaps? Or maybe not.

I will now have to check out One foot Out The Door. Hope it doesn't sound too much like my intro. That would disappoint me. Don't actually listen to Van Halen at all. Never listened to a whole album.

" once you hit the drop its undoubtedly StaticNomad"

Yeah, then I'm in my chillout groove comfort zone - comes much more natually to me than heavy shit.

"5:00 which you really packed full of some tasty psychedelic guitar"

General consensus seems to be 5:17 is where it gets proper tasty. Harmonic wah stuff before is, sadly, only OK. Thought it would be much better.

"hoping you would revert back to that opening groove to end it"

Yeah, I thought many times about how I was going to return to it (and its triplet metal grooves) but it never seemed necessary. One problem is that I like to do something considerably different/enhanced when I bring a section back. Problem is that I'd kind of already covered everything in the first 1:20, which I see as a short masterpiece. Maybe it still would have been cool to bring it back in pretty much the same form again.

Maybe I will try making that happen as I'm still playing around with extending this and I've just this second had an idea as to how I might bring the intro back. Quite short track for me, eh?

"guess we all agree there isn't enough metal on here"

Yeah, it's not MetalMan or LooperShred or whatever.

I was confident you'd dig this and it seems you dug the shit out of it. Good digging.

Greetings Mr Extratesticle,

You haven't been around for a while (as you, obviously, know).

Yes, some nice heaviness here though I try to always make it quite clean and controlled. And melodic.

My drum setup is a combination of Superior Drummer, loads of loops and some other hypersampled acoustic kits I still use in reason that are inferior to the various Superior and EZ kits. I only have a few Superior expansion packs (kits) but I have nearly all of the EZ Drummer ones, which Superior also plays.

The main heavy one used here is the Metalheads EZ kit. While being great for metal, it's surprisingly versatile and I've used it in chillout tracks and even jazz. I use lots of drum loops in my stuff though generally mixed in with the programmed kits. But here there are no drum loops so I guess it kind of all sounds like a hard rock drummer. At times with more than four limbs.

1:18 drop is awesome and, as the guitar part ends, is simply me turning off the distortion on the weird bassline, which is the intro to the track. Yes - very dynamic and unexpected. Then I'm in my much more comfortable chillout home and can groove more easily on guitar etc.

"choir pad"

I guess you mean the multiple choir voices? They're a bit more than just a regular choir pad and play quite a few different melodies based on different vowels here.

"4:10 Also like this riff, has a cool vibe which ties on nicely from the last part."

Yes, I vary that main synth bass quite a bit after it enters the track in the second minute. Then it plays right to the end, including throughout the end heavy sections. Even when there's distorted bass guitar on top. Very fat bass sound that I've used in loads of tracks.

"some kinda pearl jam-esque vibe"

That's a real surprise to me! I'm a big fan of their early stuff albums Ten and Vs. However, I gave up on them in about 1997 and haven't heard anything probably for 15 years. Maybe the big riff on 5:17 makes you think of them. Not sure. I wasn't aware they had anything this heavy but feel free to suggest anything (album or song) I may have missed over the years.

Thanks again...

Yo, slow reply cos I was extending the final concrete face-smearing section by an extra 8 bars (11 seconds). 'Twas indeed too short. Hope the extra makes a small difference. Adding even more just didn't seem right.

Yes, I had the first few mins mostly done and the bass riff on 5:50 but was flailing about in chill grooving not knowing how to really take it heavy again. Those female vocals provided the additional far out vibe I was looking for. Couldn't stop thinking about your music as I was working on them. Crossing in to Valveland has that effect.

I didn't do a single thing to actively sound like your music and it's also significantly different but has some things nicely in common.

Drop on 1:17 is a fave surprise bit of mine. Big dynamics there as the distortion gets turned off the weird bass riffs and the drums come right down.

2:15 bit of evil first guitar note, eh? Just following the synth bass riff notes.

3:04 first (high) choir note is one of my faves.

3:50 not sure how the drums "slow to a crawl". That's where I layer in another kit to make things heavier to build shit up. I think it's got some attitude.

4:10 epic heavy chanting!

5:17 was actually played by my balls. But as they're not very good guitarists (no fingers!) I had to make some key edits to make things even cooler.

6:10 breakdown. Yes - I'm really happy with the drum build 5:50-6:29. Had to as it's the same bass riff over the top.

6:15 return of a previous vocal though now heavily effected.

Not sure it's that different from my usual stuff but then I like to think every track I do is markedly different from my others though still has lots in common with them.

So, have you started work yet on your track dedicated to me? The Electric Bromad? Static Valve? Make sure to get some funky banjo and slide resonator in there plus some big drum variations.

Glad you liked it as I can't imagine I'll do another in your honour. This is probably it forever. Just as well it ain't shit.

Your forum game sounds like a good one and I will write that up and post it soon.

My valves can't be driven anymore as I broke them all making this so it's back to chillout grooving instead. Send me some others from your extensive collection if you have time.

Yo.

Yes, The Valve seems happy with this one.

I consider the first heavy section, till 1:17, a short masterpiece and would be happy to have it as a standalone track. Take note of there being no guitar before 0:40. That's all just synth bass and bass guitar through distortion. So, the squeals you hear eg 0:08 are synth bass.

To hear the same squeal undistorted, go to 1:25. 1:17-1:36 is the same 40 secs of bass and guitar though I also add in some slap bass notes (second is heavily delayed) and then the synth basses arrive. I'm very pleased at using the same weird, cutup synth bass and bass g bassline both heavy and clean.

Yes, I expected you to like the choir voices and appreciate some of their dissonance. Lots of beauty there too.

"then a skiffle"

No idea what that is. Surely not like the musical genre known as skiffle.

"I am equally impressed with the pounding drums"

Indeed. Fully valve driven with multiple huge pistons pumping at a furious rate. Large machinery with even larger balls. Testicle factory.

5:50 is my bass synth riff. Cam up with it on guitar but laid it down first on keys. Proper dark, menacing metal riff.

"cool stereo guitar scratches in the background"

No, no guitar in the background. From 6:16 for a while you can hear a heavily effected version of any earlier choir vocal brought back in. I struggled to get the choir ladies to return in the heavy sections so there are only small touches. The 6:16 fading in one builds things nicely before we get the big riff kick in on 6:28.

Note the build of the drums in that breakdown section - really pleased with that movement.

I've now uploaded a slightly lengthened and improved version so check that out.

Yes, fairly abrupt ending (improved slightly now). Had loads of ideas for endings but they didn't really work and I didn't want to make this too much longer so abrupt it is, with menacing decay from the cymbals as they fade out.

When will you make a track dedicated to me? Maybe call it The Electric Crumad. StaticCru? You can put in one reverse cymbal but no more.