EricMilligan

Thanks for the kind comment, Chester.

I see that you are from the UK. Were you familiar with the Massive Attack original or the cover done by The Six? As time goes by I realize how much good music I've somehow totally missed hearing.

Should have spent more time listening and less time trying to be a lawyer, I guess. :)

Thanks for the encouragment, Xstokes. I was unfamiliar with the original as well. It really is a great example of really well crafted dance track. I think a great deal of thought and skill went into making it.

The original original, by Massive Attack is pretty unique.

There's another cover version by a group called "Hooverphonic" which I think is amazing. Even more symphonic.

Eric

Thanks for the feedback. Your suggestion about committing groups of tracks to an audio file is very sound. I know I should be doing that, even with projects that have much fewer tracks. I've always avoided that because I was afraid that I would later decide that I needed to adjust the midi or effects on a track and wouldn't be able to do that. But, thinking about your comment I realized that was stupid on my part. I can just make a copy of the project and then print the tracks, as you suggested. Or, in Logic, I can just make a new "alternative" of the project, so if I do need to make a change, I can just go back to one of the earlier alternatives where the tracks were in their original form. I resolve to follow your suggestion in the future. Plus, I really need to build a good mixing template and stick with it. This project taught me that my "housekeeping" practices really need improvement. :)

Eric

Thanks, Maj. My wife and I are doing well here in Ottawa, although covid cases are increasing rapidly and we're under a stay at home order for all of Ontario. I read today that the UK is opening up. I trust that you are keeping safe.

Glad you liked the track. It was a nightmare to produce, for some reason. It has 127 individual tracks, not counting the AUX tracks that I created to simplify mix down. Had a devil of time getting all the parts to fit in the pocket. Strict quantization was not an option.

The track by The Six is a great example of an excellent EDM track. Sounds simple, but is quite complex, many layers, carefully chosen patches for the instruments, a very clear overall sound, but also quite rich. It was an excellent choice I think as a learning exercise. Made me realize how much I have to learn. :)

Eric

Hi, Bear. Thanks for the kind words. I guess you and Steve are probably right about trying to match her vocals. Still, this wasn't a complete waste of time. I actually had fun replicating the backing track.

I think the constant underlying COVID-related stress (not COVID itself) has driven the creativity out of me. Haven't had much interest in composing anything original for quite a while. But, truth is that I've had "lean" periods every once in a while previously, so this might not be COVID-related at all. Am hoping that the spark comes back soon. :(

Thanks, Lek. I had forgotten that I'd left this track still tagged as "featured". I had meant to remove that a long time ago. I guess the original backing is a bit dated, although I definitely admire the way the Sigrid and her producer found an entirely different "take" on Cohen's original version. Minimalist, but powerful. A great contrast with her vocal, particularly as the song builds toward the end, and then dies back again in the final bars.

I don't know why, but it seems I'm gravitating more to trying to emulate stuff that I like (even really old stuff), rather than creating something entirely original. It's like I'm reverting to my teenage years when I was just starting out in music. Learn by copying. This track is a prime example of that.

Am currently working on the version of "Unfinished Sympathy" done by The Six, from Manchester. A really tasty updated EDM version of that classic track. I think is it not well regarded by some Massive Attack fans who consider it to be sacrilege, but I like it a lot.

Hi, Michel. Thanks and Happy New Year to you also. I think that next to "Hallelujah" and "Bird on a Wire", the song "Everybody Knows" is one of Leonard Cohen's most notable songs.

There have been a lot of covers done of Cohen's original, but the one by Sigrid was really unique. And entirely different kind of interpretation.

Cohen's original was kind of defiant.

Sigrid's version, to my ear, starts off communicating more of a defeatist flavour. Resigned to the inevitable. But, gradually as the song continues, the tone changes to become more strident and defiant. And then, settles down again in the final acapella part of the last bar.

Really, a masterful example of a single piece of music conveying a range of emotions.

thanks, Ruslan and Happy New Year to you as well. Hope you are keeping safe. Things are starting to get worse with Covid here in Ontario. Going back into hiding for a while I think. Probably a good time to start making some new music. I've been kind of lazy on that front for quite a while. :)

I definitely agree with you on Sigrid's vocal, Steve. Really a unique take on Cohen's song.

I've tried to find info on the producers/arrangers, but haven't been successful. Piano and strings. I think I did add a sound effect hit in some sections, but it's really kind of an usual arrangement.

Used Realivox Ladies plugin for the backing vocals on the chorus section. It worked fine for "every" "body" but not so well for "knows". But, I set it back in the mix so I think it really isn't noticeable.

Thanks, BeatMaker. It does have a nice easy feel to it. But, I need to figure out chorus and bridge sections for it. Hopefully, something will occur to me at some point. Perhaps a few years from now? :)

Thanks for the encouragement, Arloph. The bass is a combination of electric and acoustic.

I'm removing this track from the "featured" list from now on so that I can comment on tracks of other members without pushing this one into the featured tracks pages all the time.

Tempo is 97 bpm. Kind of funny to have it such an odd number. But I've found that, sometimes, just 1 or 2 bpm makes a big difference in the feel of the track and how the groove works. I'm kind of surprised by that.

Hi, Patricia!

Nice to hear from you! You could be right. Maybe I unknowingly re-created the theme from some sitcom from the 70's or 80's. That bell melody line that comes in at bar 9 might be the culprit! :)

I have a really bad memory for some things like that. I once used an online plargism checking service to see whether some stuff I had written for my consulting work was actually lifted from some previously published source. Sure enough, what I had written matched something published, word for word. The problem was, I had written the original stuff and had totally forgotten about it! So, I could be copying something I heard years ago when I used to watch sitcoms. :)

Anyway, I will take your advice on no being so hard on my voice. But, the reality for this track is that in my head, the voice I hear is a fine, smooth, R&B vocalist who knows how to deliver a ballad. I just can't figure out what the lyrics should be about.

Thanks. It seems to be getting some good reaction from members. Makes me think I should try doing more of this. :)

Not weird at all! I really like what you did with it. Have left comment on your tracks page.

Eric

Thanks for the positive feedback on the track! Sorry for the delay in responding to your comment. I kind of lost track of stuff for a while.

Eric

Thanks ceURR. I think it turned out OK. bringerofDoom has built a new track on it and it is very interesting. A lot more variation and complexity. You should check it out. Nice guitar work on it. REAL guitar! :)

Eric

Thanks for the encouragement, Legendary! I do appreciate it.

Eric

I look forward to any weirdness you might offer! :)

Thanks, Michel. I absolutely agree. Needs a vocal. Nice studio in your profile photo, by the way. I can see you are a real musician!

Thanks. Definitely has a nice vibe going. I really need to figure out additional structure and lock in the chord progressions for those. It's not boring (yet), but this type of music can't just stay in one progression for the entire song. Need to roll up my sleeves and dig in. :)

Thanks. Noodling is good! That's pretty much what I did with the attempt at a vocal line toward the end of the track. Really needs a vocalist.

Hi, Nick. Thanks for the supporting words! I agree. Patricia could do something special with vocals on this. I've got several unfinished tracks using her acapellas. Would be amazing to have her Collab on a track like this, but I think she's very selective about working with others, which I totally understand. I actually had thought of this with a male vocal, but your comment is making me re-think that. Could be either.

Eric

Thanks, Terry. I think I did a pretty good job on the bass line, if I say so myself. Well, perhaps not the bass line itself, but the bass sound is pretty good I think. This might be one where, after letting it marinate for 4 years, I should spend some time trying to write a chorus and bridge section so it can grow up and be a real song! :)

Eric

Hi, Wayne. Thanks for the encouragement!

Yes, I thing it has flavors of Philly RnB and a bit of Motown as well. I’ve got a couple of tracks that need a Barry White type vocalist, some others meant for somebody along the lines of Marvin Gaye, some that were my attempt to write an R. Kelly song, and some that definitely are influenced by Hall and Oates.

I really like Hall and Oates. And, I just ate up every episode of “Daryl’s House”. They are both great musicians and songwriters.

Yes, I’d definitely be interested in getting your noodling on the track. I will PM you with my email address so we can get connected on that.

Eric