StaticNomad

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.

Thanks very much. I actually had a lot of difficulty with the bass, as you can see from some of my other replies.

"How you managed to get such an organic sound is beyond me."

I'm not quite sure what's so organic about it. Maybe the didgeridoo sound? Everything else is, I think, very electronic and processed.

"Really like the instruments you selected in this piece."

Thanks. Getting that right seems to me to be just as important as getting the melodies and grooves right.

No, I'm certainly not new to all this, though this track was made quite a long time ago. I've been regularly producing music since about 2000 and playing instruments in bands and at home since about 1993.

Thanks again.

Hi.

Sorry for the late reply.

Good to hear you enjoyed this so much. Yes, it's rare that I make anything in the DnB genre but I also have another very nice drum 'n' cell track (DnB + cello) that I'm currently working on.

"you can add curves to musical notes in a sensational way, you literally play with musical notes."

Yes - good points. I wish I could edit and control each note much more accurately but maybe it's not possible with recorded audio (only MIDI). I use lots of automation of so many small changes and notes.

"After all those years listening to your songs, you always surprise me!"

Excellent. That is always what I hope for but it's hard to keep doing it.

Maybe we could collaborate (you know I think your music is really good and interesting) but perhaps there would be communication problems.

I'm part of a collaboration with two other guys on Looperman and we write quite a lot of stuff to each other track describing the track and what we want from it. That could be a problem for you and me. I will think more about your offer...

Thanks again.

Hello for the first time in a long time.

Good to hear you like my bowed sounds. Bowing is hard and I've only been doing it for about 13 months.

Apart from that, I think you're just saying you don't like the piano sound. I had some problems with it but I think it works fairly well in the track.

"doesn't contribute much to the musical content (especially to the melody or melodic development) simply being an another additional texture."

Yes, it is an additional texture and it sits underneath other instruments in a lot of the track. But, between 1:30 and 2:14 I think it adds a lot and is used subtly later on the half tempo sections. 4:53 you get to hear the initial piano theme return at half tempo. Isn't that a little bit interesting?

Thanks for the feedback.

Yo.

The idea of the cello sounding like a sitar here never occurred to me. It's definitely not better than Ravi Shankar but it does have that strong Eastern vibe and it's an infectious first bassline.

Yes, I've heard before that cello is the instrument closest to the human voice but I don't know if that's true. Why not the violin? Or other instruments?

I like the idea of "a big meaty sonic delight".

This epic sound inspired me a lot, which I guess is how we all make music: get some sounds together that inspire you and try to turn them into a pleasing structure.

Thanks again.

Hi, Wayne.

Yes, it is an interesting title and I'm surprised I also haven't heard it before. It only took me 37 years to come up with it.

No, I can't imagine you do know much about drum 'n' bass. Or drum 'n' cell. Not your area of musical interest.

"pioneering your way to fame"

Haha - what fame? That's never gonna happen.

"You having a tough time, picking it up slowly or mastering it like a madman?"

You tell me! I'd say I'm doing OK but it is a hard instrument. I have no idea if I'll ever really be any good. Still, I'm good enough to regularly make quite a bit of music using it as the main instrument. I've uploaded about 15 cello-dominated tracks in the 13 months since I started playing.

"bowing and plucking must have a learning curve."

Pizzicato (plucking) was pretty straightforward right from the start but bowing is damn tricky. There's a lot you can do with it, which also means there's a lot that can go wrong.

"I liked the cello at around the 7:45 mark"

I have a few layers of funky cello craziness going on there. Good fun.

"Intro sounded like it may go towards a middle eastern direction"

Really? I never thought of that. Maybe it's the darker, stranger second chord.

Thanks for the feedback.

Word up, Crumbnuts*.

It's true that my nuts are quite numb, mostly from the stutter effects I have been applying to them.

It's an interesting title and I find myself quite subtracted to you (because we are opposites).

I'm not that keen on the layered cello intro before the kick and hat enter. Hard to explain why though it was the very first thing I came up with for the track and everything grew out of it.

For the last few months I have been applying a limiter to nearly every track as a master effect. I'm quite concerned about my blocky waveforms but I prefer the louder, more powerful sounds. You must tell me if I've overdone the limiting.

"1.34 is cool with that bass line"

Yes, very busy and intricate bass. I've got a series of intros before the proper track really starts around 1:30 with the piano and bass. And then lots of dnb breaks are introduced.

"could layer a nice guitar screaming"

Indeed though I'm barely playing guitar anymore and have become pretty average at it. Cello has totally taken over. I really hope the guitar magic will return. It's a shame to waste the ability as I still think of it as my main instrument.

"Piano is perfect"

I think it's decent and a bit of a surprise in dnb, as is the cello. Though you fully expect there to be some cello in drum 'n' cell.

I haven't really tried phaser on cello. Not an effect I use often. Can sound a bit fake and over the top.

"5:53 is a nice chorus sound"

That's partly a choir pad.

"Nice Build at 6:35"

It's getting heavier now. And then a fiddle? Like a violin? Maybe. It's distorted cello.

"8:09 nice break again"

Nice to come down again. 8:07-8:09 is a cool delayed snippet of cello. Sounds like it has wah on it.

I will try your piano ending idea.

A pack of pasties? Are they sweets? Or are they like Cornish paasties?

Thanks for the details...

*On account of all the food you get through listening to my epic tracks. Don't forget to clean the crumbs off before bed.

Hello, Mr Frampard.

Good to hear that you're not too keen on DnB but like this, my slightly different take on the genre. I wonder which 3 DnB songs you like. Feel free to let me know which ones.

It does indeed have an atmospheric vibe though that's probably coming mostly from the cello as I'm not using synth pads much in this.

"that kick is sexy"

It might be but I don't know which one you're talking about. There are loads of kicks in this as I'm using so many drum loops.

"I noticed a few people picked up on the cello"

You kind of have to as there's so much cello playing in the track. I'm not quite sure how many sections there are in the track but I think the cello is the lead instrument in all but three sections. I needed to have a break from it from time to time. And sometimes let the other instruments (eg piano and bass) take centre stage. The first 90 secs or so is all cello and drums, with just a subtle bit of synth bass underneath to add some weight and atmosphere.

"nice basslines"

Yes - they're very busy and have lots of little intricate, rapid fills going on. Often at the end of the bar and sometimes during the bar.

If it's drum 'n' bass it kind of needs to have some good bass, I think.

PEACE

(Mr Nomad)

Word up, my BassValve.

Yes, this does have a big chill vibe. I just cant help it! It's there in so much of what I do. I really look for beauty in music and I've always been fascinated by combining that with an uptempo feel. Some badass beats, basically.

"if you want to go with a more DnB sound"

I do and I don't. Among my many musical limitations is not really knowing enough about the structure of music to really understand quite how any genre is made. So I've never really belonged in any genre, except for perhaps rock music. So, every time I make any other genre, I'm guessing at how to get that sound and I also really like to mix up the genres as I feel it's the best way of coming up with a new and unique sound.

So, perhaps automated cutoff filters would make this more d'n'b but I like it to be somewhat atypical, as is having so much cello anyway. I still haven't heard any other drum 'n' cell though I guess there must be some.

No, JQ hasn't heard it yet but probably will. She gives me feedback on most of my cello tracks but via email rather than on here. I guess she'll like it, as she seems to with most, perhaps all, of my others. She thinks I have come along very quickly with the cello. I guess I'm still very much a beginner in terms of how long I've been playing it (13 months) though I have made two whole albums of material with it in that time.

"I think this might just be my favorite track of yours."

Cool. But maybe that's because it's new and you've forgotten some of the older ones. I'm sure I do that with other people's tracks.

"bouncing the bow in the attack of the draw are excellent"

Yes - that's called spiccato. Nothing to do with Hispanics. It is indeed bouncing the bow on the strings and can be rather cool but also problematic. You can hear that technique in the chill intro and those same parts are also reintroduced much later (with added distortion). The spiccato section you mention is probably my favourite cello section in the whole track. Either that or the riff in the last minute.

"Did you use the same speakers to mix this as you did to listen to Overmyth II?"

Yes and no. I make all my music on decent headphones as I have problems with my speakers. And I listened to Overmyth II on those same headphones.

I didn't realise the piano in this was jazzy. It actually plays for about 70% of the track as it's subtly there when things get more intense in the second half. You don't get that much piano in d'n'b.

Your ending makes sense and I can imagine it quite clearly. I will have another go and see if I can manage it.

"There's a fluid voice in that cello that I've never heard in any of your other tracks."

Damn, I hope there's some fluid cellage in some of my others!

Ok, see you again for another review of my DnC.

Mr Mellowcellomad

Hello, Deathbot.

I'm happy that I can make you moist all over. That's not exactly my aim when making music but I don't mind providing that additional service.

Yes, you certainly can have some more.

This last year has been all about the cello for me as I've made loads of music with it, across various genres. Here are some highlights for you to check out:

Cellometallo:

Nuance is Futile http://www.looperman.com/tracks/detail/176620

Grooving psychedelic cellout:

The Warm Glow Of Yesterday http://www.looperman.com/tracks/detail/176476

Cello hip hop, jazz, rock etc:

Everything Where It Should Be http://www.looperman.com/tracks/detail/177063

Psychedelic, Eastern, dark dance/jazz/fusion:

Navigating The Neversphere http://www.looperman.com/tracks/detail/177970

Psychedelic techno cello:

Dangerous Spaces http://www.looperman.com/tracks/detail/180406

Let me know what you think of one or some of them...

Greetings, DJ Swindla aka Mike.

I think the track is good but far from perfect. Some aspects still annoy me a little.

Sexy? I don't know - I never think about that when making music but I guess you're talking about some of the cool grooves.

And different people find different things sexy. For instance, a female friend finds the following track sexy. It's my heaviest ever track so you may not like it at all:

Fist Bumps Of Fury

https://www.looperman.com/tracks/detail/180944

I guess this might be good for the summer. It's certainly not a cold, depressing, mournful vibe.

Thanks again.

Word up, Nodog.

Yes, I like the half tempo sections as well. That's much more my usual kind of tempo rather than the fast stuff. The half tempo sections are certainly not d'n'b but I don't care as they seem to fit the track and are quite similar to the other sections, just without those rapid breakbeat drums.

Which goes to show that d'n'b is mostly about the type of drums used.
"the whole production is very slick"

Excellent. I try to make things smooth but also keep some grit and attitude so that things aren't too bland and still a bit edgy and exciting.

I will try to keep up the good work.

A Static Spongebath to you.

That would be one in which I give you some static electricity shocks as you're chilling with your coyote-shaped sponge.

Never heard of Brothers Grunt. Too weird for me, maybe.

Can Tumbleweed really tell compression settings just by listening? Whenever I point out errors in his tracks, he usually tells me his ears are too old to notice them.

I'm crap with compression and have never really got the hang of how to use it. But I have been applying a limiter to the final output bus of most of my tracks for the last few months. It's really helped make everything louder and more powerful though I am a bit concerned about the lack of dynamics in the visual waveform. It all sounds OK though. I know so little about mastering. I'm not a technical guy!

Perhaps someone will one day want to live in Nomadland with me. I'd like it to be a fine lady but I've had very little interest so far. This leaves me more time to knock out nice tracks bro.

Laterzzz.

Hi Spiv.

Good to hear you enjoyed this one. I had it under 'hip hop' for the first few days but changed it to 'fusion' as I thought that maybe the first genre was putting some people off. I know people are shallow and probably won't listen to something if it's in a genre that doesn't usually appeal to them.

Have I come a long way musically? I don't know. Probably in some ways though most of my best tracks were made a while ago. This last year has been all about the cello and I've uploaded loads of tracks here based around what I have managed to do with it since starting playing a year ago. I've made about two albums with it in that time.

Yes, I did read you once saying that you played the cello for about 5 years.

"Many of your uses of the cello are not what one expects"

Well, I don't know how to play classical music and I certainly don't know any pieces. I just do whatever I can manage on it, which is much more of blues/rock//metal/funk guitarist's take on the instrument.

"The synthesis added a good measure of psychedelic to the mix"

Yes - quite trippy pads used here. After a coupe of minutes, I turn on the swirling distortion, filtering and delay, which I really like. Very psychedelic.

"Cool variety of rhythmic structures"

I guess it's really all the same groove for 4.5 mins and then it switches into something else much more like metal though still with some hip hop drums sitting underneath.

Around 2 mins, the drums move from hat to bells and ride cymbal to provide some variety and an upward, far out boost.

"enough hints of jazz and hip hop to be very groovy"

Yes, the foundation is hip hop but I'm not quite sure where the jazz is. Maybe it's in the cello basslines that are a bit like jazzy double bass playing.

Thanks again.

nice comment on this

Word up, you fiendishly clever alliterative track greeter.

You calculated what you will and will not tolerate and it seems that this little slice of Nomadhop was at least tolerable. Did you use a calculator? Does MJK?

"Listening to this in the background while cleaning the music room"

Excellent. That's just how my music is designed to be consumed. Not much goes on in my tracks so they work best as background wallpaper while you're getting on with more important and pleasurable matters such as cleaning. It's OK - I always listen to your tracks while operating a jackhammer on the deck of a fishing trawler in raging storms in the middle of the Atlantic. It allows me to focus on all the intricate details.

" 2:40 for some exceptionally cool throaty synth."

At 2:36 I turn on a series of distortion, delay and filter effects on the main trippy pad sound that is first heard on 0:24. Nice, swirling stuff that plays a big part in providing that powerful trippy vibe in the second half.

"4:36 goes all 2/2 and shit"

Damn - I'm so bad with time signatures that I'm not entirely sure what 2/2 is. 2 beats to a bar, I guess.

I am taking Getting Mental And Breathing Fire for a track title and fully intend to pay you no royalties.

"Second half is more up my alley."

Entirely as expected. You have to tolerate the hip hop the get to badassery, like eating your first course so you can get to dessert.

"after 3 years of listening to each other's music"

Coming up to 4 this summer. Let us celebrate our anniversary with a big party! Perhaps on Facebook.

"Hard to comment much on the rest."

Well, a genuine Bass Bro would always have some thoughts and words on the basslines, especially when they come from a non-traditional bass instrument. Maybe you're not the real deal after all.

"Plagued by issues and hangups with my present track."

Tell me about it. Same goes for me on most of my tracks, including this one. Sometimes I think it has to be at least a bit difficult, unless you only make unimaginative, unambitious music (which you don't).

Most is well.

Standard Nomad, coming back around to show you everything, letting you choose what you will, will not see and then dragging you down like a stone or lifting you up again, spitting you out like a child - light and innocent.

Yo, NeoHipHoppin'Bro.

Good to hear you bounced to my shit. Perhaps with your Texan guns in the air.

Yeah, main bassline is just too addictive though I found it hard coming up with changes for this and had to be very patient for new parts to come to me.

"stand out aspect in here for me is the lead there around 2:15"

I think it's decent but not amazing. It's only heard in that one section of the track and it's an effective extra mood and a good break from so much cellage. Kind of a chirping lead sound, maybe a bit like birdsong.

"a head trippy sort of melody with a uniquely Eastern vibe."

Yes - there's a dancey, swaying vibe that's also very trippy.

I would be happy to see some nubile harem girls swaying to this. And then they can do some headbanging in the last 90 seconds. That ending is a bit metal, I feel. Some mad, massive, growling cello sounds in those end riffs.

Static GunMad

You wouldn't give me a spongebath? What the fuck? Every good Nomad needs a nice spongebath once in a while. And someone to perform spongeing duties. Am I unworthy? Hell, I'd give you one and use one of your local coyotes as the sponge. That's a badass spongebath!

Mahloo mentioned that there are some timing errors in this (though not where they are) and I'm sure he's right. Making this track was actually quite a bit like metaphorically polishing a turd. It used to sound utter shit and was a lot of chopped bits of guitar and sections that didn't work. It's as cut up and spliced together as any sample-based hip hop track.

I'm surprised you get to do any Loopermannning while driving those heavy valves. You probably just do a bit on your lunch break.

The population of Valvehalla is exactly the same as that of Nomadland. I'm sure both are brutal dictatorships.

Yo.

A friendly fist bump to thee.

Sorry - I realised shortly after leaving my comment on your Overmyth track that you'd already listened and commented on this one. My apologies - I simply assumed you must have missed it due to it being uploaded while you were away from the site. Listening to yours made me think of it.

"I think a lot of times we, on the loop, listen to a track once then never again."

That is quite standard, I'm sure. Some people make a lot of tracks favourites but I bet they rarely return to listen to them. I don't very often.

I'm not entirely happy with this one but I did a hell of a lot of trimming and sound processing work to get it into this sort of shape so perhaps I can't really make it much better. All the same, I'll still probably give it a go.

Take care,

Furious Nomad

Yo, my skyscaping bro.

A sack of squirrel shit to you too.

I'm sure that erased review was amazing.

My attack is instantly recognisable? Not sure what that means.

"Expected Nomad form for a while"

Haha - that's your summary of the first few mins. Well, I did predict on 'The Book Of Faces that you wouldn't like them much: "you will find the first couple of minutes mildly tolerable".

'Tis a shame you don't like the cool, smooth grooving Nomad and only the badass Nomad. Maybe you can learn.

I thought you might be impressed by those sinuous, sliding basslines in the first couple of mins. The drums are probably too gentle and skipping for you. Also: no bass instruments in the track, just cello.

"3:40 is an effective bit"

It is. Don't know why you have trouble with that. Just try muting the drums for a second or two. It's very effective.

"4:53, you go ahead and throw in some badassery. Thanks for that."

I try to please. Might actually be my least favourite section. Pretty simple stoner rocking but good fun. And it's just one cello part.

"seemed to repeat the same couple phrases a lot"

Yes - that's why I spent many months on it because I felt it was a bit samey and wondered how I was going to change into other riffs. Yet, I also think it progresses quite nicely and there are some fun extras eg the sweeping violin parts, the organ and, of course, the distortion and heavy drums. Otherwise, yes, it's a rather minimal Nomad track.

"The badass ending section should come much sooner"

No, I won't do that. It's a somewhat awkward change and I like the smooth, chilled grooves of the first couple of mins.

No NTB trophy? That's fine - I have a whole cabinet full of them. Maybe Mr V will award me one for this track.

"Clever fuck."

Thanks. Stick around and I will teach you more clever fuckery.

Badass Nomad, searching your eyes for a hint or a trace of humility...

Hi.

Yes,I know a lot of people will find it hard to believe that there's no guitar in this but it's true. That's what guitar distortion does - it fools you into thinking that what is being put through it is a guitar. Just because that sort of distortion is so closely associated with guitar.

The violin VST is just a patch that you'll find in Propellerheads' Reason DAW. So, not a violin VST you can buy for use in other software. I've used it in so many tracks. Could be as many as 40!

"You do wonders with that cello thing"

Cello thing? It's just a cello - an electric rather than acoustic one. I have to do wonders with it as there's not much other instrumentation in here though there is a rather cool organ that perhaps no one has yet noticed that arrives at 2:14.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Yo, NeoCelloGrunginBustedNutBro.

I recommend shutting out all other possible interruptions when choosing to imbibe the Nomad grooves. Perhaps wear headphones in a sensory deprivation tank. Or go out into the wilderness and listen away, hoping bears or snakes don't interrupt you. If they do, blast the track at them on speakers and they'll surely also get into it.

Anyway:

"a bunch of layered bass as it begins"

Yes. There are certain issues with using cello as a bass instrument - mostly because it's not a double bass. But it seems to work OK here though I did have to add an octave effect to some section just to give a more solid low end.

"That groove is mighty cool man"

Yeah, I think it's fun and addictive.

"a fair share of plucking strings here"

Yes, I think I began this one the day after having my first cello lesson last year. But I've sat on it for ages as I didn't have a clue where to take it and felt rather limited with my riff capabilities. There's more plucking (pizzicato) in it than bowing.

"some dreamy synth pads"

Just one violin patch that I've used in loads of tracks. Sounds like a pad because of the chain of effects (eg automated swept EQ) on it. A lovely sound.

"I found myself on a purple cloud with a velvet pillow at that point"

That's a wonderful place to be. My pleasure to take you there.

"you rolled me off into a storm cloud amid thunderous percussion and a super heavy downpour of some nasty electronic distortion"

Yes - that's just one cello riff at the end. It was sitting on the timeline in this project file and didn't know what to do with it. I thought it was some fairly average, stock hard riffage and considered getting rid of it. Then I realised I might as well tack it onto the end of this track as a final flourish.
"a bit scary it was"

Surely not for someone who makes Meshuggah covers?

Good to hear your detailed thoughts. Another track coming within a couple of weeks.

Hang tight till then...

Hello.

In the end you did actually manage a paragraph though about one third of it (one sentence) was about how you wouldn't manage a paragraph.

Good to hear you find it sexy and funky. Maybe that's only the first couple of minutes as it gets quite a bit heavier after that.

Thanks for the thoughts.

Thanks very much.

I don't always love the way I compose my tracks as I have a lot of limitations. But sometimes I do make music I really like and it doesn't sound like other people's music, which pleases me.

Thanks again.