Evisma

hi. I am on my 2nd listening now. This music will work perfectly as soundtrack for me. That's how I see it and I say that because it's still not that kind of music which I wanted to play over and over again. That's a matter of some personal prefference and it's still very relative needless to say. Really nothing to complain about this production at all, you're doing quite well as piano player and arranger not mention your bass skills. Good to hear you work evolving and it's nice you simply keep producing.

Reading some comments below sorry to hear you had bad experiences when emailing other peoples from the site. I didn't have any. I make A LOT of private e mailing here and managed to produce a great amount of quite interesting songs with collaboration of some members reaching them out personally over these last months since I joined the site. The work I am uploading here over the time is only a little portion of the great amount of that collab action. Some songs are still just 'trials' and will never be published. But that's really great way for me to learn and develop my sound. That's basically how I am using this site.
Of course the most part of the music on the site is not my taste at all too but I am not afraid from listening to different genres, sometimes I can appreciate only some single ideas or simply the vision.

As for the sugesstions I can only recommend you developing your playing even more. I am a keyboardist and basically playing the instruments is much more sane for me than just fooling around inside the daw but there's no way around it of course when comes to construct good arrangements. Going out and find musicians that may want play for you is so a hard work. You can't imagine how much energy I put to manage all this but at the end the results were great. Still your musical taste can be challenged during this process but that's what I really like. It requires flexibility and so much patience.

I can't give you any detailed review this time. Just wanted to share some thoughts.
I enjoyed listening again to this one. Best to you, Alex

cool bro-i will keep this page open and keep refreshing every now and then till its downloadable,thanks!!

so what did the user do??hack?

WOW!!the feeling this invoked!!!even from the name,brought out the inner African in me-MAN i have such big hopes for this track it would sound sooo ill with some AFRO Chants and some crazy melodies/rhymes can i PLZ do some vocals on this bro?really life changing soundi just heard with big dreams for more @Protogee@gmail.com

Supervillainous regreetings.

Used to smoke weed but gave up. Did nothing for creativity, though there were some good laughs. No need for drugs for imagination as that comes easily. Crazy, sometimes amusing ideas are one of my few talents. I like to think I get some of that imagination into my music (not one of my natural talents).

I came up with this logically, thinking about Jeff's hands and if the problem were more extreme. I was trying to think of an amusing response to you telling me about it and then decided it could be a superpower, if harnessed. Could be used for good but more likely bad. Good guys don't go around corroding stuff with oily skin. None that I know.

I'm not knocking Jeff as I don't know him and am unlikely to. In terms of character back story, I'm a failed musician too ie entirely outside the music industry.

Don't like The Rustition. Rusting stuff isn't badass and it'll take a while to obliterate Nashville waiting for it to rust. Maybe you can do better though Corroder or Corrosive are perhaps decent enough.

Came up with Sliderman a few years ago.He suits a music-related plot. Interesting how much energy I sometimes put into the slide. Sometimes the whole arm but often seemingly more of the body when getting really intense.

I have another superhero called Frisbee Boy (I'm a big fan of the frisbee). He chucks a variety of frisbees, with incredible accuracy. They're also his shield (like Captain America) and vehicle though I'm not sure how you would throw one and then get on it! And you can't throw it if you're sitting on it. Need some special effects movie physics there.

What would your superhero be? Bass Boy? Or Bass Bastard if he's a supervillain. If Sliderman and Bass Boy team up with a drum-related superhero, they could have a kickass superhero band. Think of the killer riffage the bad guys would have to contend with! Supervillains getting cymbals smashed over their heards and being double kick drummed to death. Their vehicle would be drum-propelled, with the drummer smashing away at impossible speeds. Maybe he would have 6 retractable arms. Retractable so he doesn't look like a freak all the time.

The reverse cymbal Kryptonite thing isn't quite accurate. I do sometimes like a reverse cymbal and have used them most sparingly over the years. You often use them in your tracks, but tastefully, as opposed to someone like Crucethus, who has ruined tracks (for me) with ridiculous overuse. Some are better than others but it's still a bit of a gimmick. When it gets repeated and repeated (especially the exact same way) it loses the element of surprise it perhaps first had.

Maybe Ewan MacGregor will play you in the film though he's generally in pretty poor films. This one will be awesome so maybe his first good one since Trainspotting or Shallow Grave.

Now I must slide away...

Evan, what's happnin' brotha?

It seems to me that a lot of times your music goes underestimated. It usually seems like too many people are too concerned with formulaic structure to hear the story that's being told. I mean, all music is a form of story telling, but yours has a particular uniqueness that sets it apart.
This one has a mix of some unlikely instruments. But, for what (I believe) you're trying to "say" with this one, every one of them is absolutely necessary. If you didn't have them there to create their particular voice, then it wouldn't be what it is. I mean, at surface value that statement is pretty obvious. But you get what I'm saying.

Honestly, and it's hard to say without actually knowing you in the physical plane, but with what I've learned of you just from interacting here, I think sometimes you underestimate yourself and the power of your own battleship as well. While, although, your songs do tend to tell great stories in their emotions, I personally think you have it in you to take them to a new level in the creative aspect. I've noticed over the last few months you've been more experimental with your soundscaping, using more of those unlikely instruments, multi-time signatures, and tempo changes. I wouldn't be at all surprised if one of these days you tap into that massive potential and unleash upon us a big ass maelstrom of a tune that even Static and ValveDriver's battleships can't escape.


If you decide to go with the EZDrummer thing, check Amazon.com for the sweet deals. Even when the Toontrack site is running deals and specials, Amazon will still run better ones. I just picked up a couple new kits on the cheap just a few days ago. But, one thing you should know about their product is that if you want truly good sounding drums, expect to do a shit load of EQ'ing, compressing and other various processings. They seem to me to be pretty weak right out of the gate. Good enough to buy more and keep using them, but nothing that blows my face off with awesomeness.

At any rate. That's my take on things, mister. Not much of a track review as much as an opinion based on my perception of what seems to be.

Take care, man.
Aaron.

Lovely listen! especially the riffs of the guitar. This is definitely worthy of being in a cinematic blockbuster! :)

Aha - I am back after not using the site much for a week.

Not much love for your nice track bro so allow me to offer a little more (you have no choice).

Intro works well.

0:29-0:31 delayed (?) piano slide is cool. Kind of thing I go in for but not you usually. Tis also a little like some classic Dre Dre/Snoop Dogg hip hop piano bits (seriously).

0:33 and we're into the strings, which sound pretty decent. Many people's sampled strings sound much worse.

0:59 cool bass tone and first note. Just nice, sparse playing, sometimes with some runs to join in with piano. Very tasteful stuff!

1:25 cool second bass riff. Some might think it's guitar.

This has a really cool, spacious vibe and groove to it. A lot like some of my stuff. Actually, I'd be happy for this to be your entry as a tribute track to me, even though it's about 10 mins too short (semi-joke there). I'd be happy to have made it.

1:51 another cool bass riff. No bends but sounds awesome without. Bends: who needs them? Maybe I shall give them up.

2:44 cool return and now some guitar. Blends well with other instruments and isn't that obviously a guitar. On the beautiful side of things rather than badass or funky.

3:35 good little cymbal fill. And now things go up for a final flourish.

Overall: damn fine track. Complete music lacking nothing so not sounding like you're struggling (as you sometimes do) with only bass and drums. No real criticism from me.

Damn, I wouldn't like to live in the buckle of the bible belt. I have religious neighbours either side of me but have hardly met a religious person under 40 in years. More chance of meeting a Samoan with 30 cats.

P.S. Got the 5 string electric cello though no bow as I'm told they differ greatly in price so best look around, get cheapish one. Plucking no problem 1st day tho guess bowing will take quite a while to get good at. Will need to for doing aggressive cellometallo. Am also having extra low string sent so should be great for basslines. So, guess my new bass is a cello. Get ready for loads of slidey basslines!

Sliderman

Ancient mouse squeaks to thee

Shame on me for doing another review when I can't listen and give time references and stuff. Listened to this earlier today and was very impressed.

You sound much more confident with all the non-bass stuff ie the strings etc

Still guitar is a bit of a background instrument for you though I guess you're still getting used to it and will bust out something else more up front in the future. Try bending the strings a bit/a lot to add more expression and attitude to your parts.

There's no obvious genre name for this but I'd say it might best fit in 'ethnic' or 'cinematic' on this site. Not a lot of rock in here. Most of that probably comes from the drums, which sound particularly good this time.

I think you've used taiko loops a few times now and they give this more of a tribal feel that contributes to the 'ethnic' tag I suggested. A bit of an ancient feel, actually.

This kind of a vibe is cool departure for you and the sort of thing you should explore more.

Vulvadryer, Crucethus and Promenade will all be impressed by it.

I use an ancient Egyptian mouse that was in poor condition when I bought it cheaply at a local auction. But, after some careful restoration, it works very well. Still has some Egyptian sand it it. And, yes, it is pyramid-shaped.

Two fun facts:

a)I was born in Cairo and so was my grandfather though neither of us is actually Egyptian.

b) When I went back there in 2009, I bought three mini pyramids wrapped in plastic as a cheap and tacky souvenir when at the actual pyramids (y'know, the really famous ones). I have used them as a door stop for my bedroom door ever since.

Will re-review with additional details later.

Temporarily adios.

Hi MrEvan,
Good intro: very well played (& programmed).
We have to wait for the bass, but when it comes it is "mighty" and "powerful" … exactly what the song needs at this point. Very good.
The (high bass) guitar riff around 2:00 is a killer one: this alone is worth more than 4 minutes listening. Liked,
Good work with the guitar in the last section: the guitar is more a "guest" in this song, but it does the job.
Thoughtful and well arranged track.
Ciao, Domenico

i like how I am hearing the guitar riff mixed between the two speakers. everything is nicely balanced. nice, polished mix. I don't see cannibalism. i do see outdoors, the wild, adventure. beautiful work. cinematic I would say.

Hell knows it reminds me for Monthy Pyton (donno the right spelling)...very epic, very new, I mean fresh from you...never heard kinda heroistic instruments from you (donno every music of yours)...
No idea for genre...StaticNomad WILL HAVE...:-)
Serious one is fusion...for me

Respect and handshake, Danke

Not much more to say about your nice track bro (except: get bending, you straight note slave) but I do have a supervillain idea for you:

Jeff is a community college physics teacher and failed musician. He has unnaturally corrosive skin oils which become enhanced after an accident in his lab (typical supervillain origins stuff). He finds their corrosiveness rapidly increasing when he melts all his guitar strings when trying to lay down a guitar part for a track his old friend Evan has sent him (that way we can get some of your nice tracks bro in the film).

Jeff is still bitter at the music industry for rejecting his talent and decides he must wage war against it. With his knowledge of physics, he also invents an anti-gravity device, enabling him to fly. Coupled with his highly corrosive skin oils, he is now a true angry supervillain with a score to settle. He can fly around a skyscraper, smearing his oils on it, collapsing it in seconds. Bullets fired at him disintegrate upon contact with the oils.

Whatever will he be called as Evil Jeff isn't sufficiently badass? Corroder, Corrosive and The Oil Man are contenders.

His goal is to destroy all of Nashville as well as the performers and industry executives at The Grammys. Jeff hates twangy country music so decides Nashville must go.

He is still bitter at Evan for ditching him to go solo and become the first solo bass superstar and intends to upstage him at The Grammys. But maybe Evan is the only one who can talk some sense into him.

Who can counter this menace to the music industry and modern civilization? No, not Spiderman, Superman or Iron Man.

Enter Sliderman.

When he puts that glass slide on his left pinkie, incredible energy is harnessed and converted into sonic booms capable of destroying buildings. Or he can send exhilarating frissons of harmonic joy through crowds. Or literally face-melting riffage. Gentle beauty or fearsome destruction, the choice is his. He can't fly but he can operate bikes and boats (not cars). Putting the slide into the water propels any vessel along at incredible speeds.

Evan has never seen or spoken to Sliderman but emails him for help with out of control Jeff. Exhilarating events follow.

Sliderman's weakness is the reverse cymbal - that annoying sound is his Kryptonite and brings him to his knees in despair.

Jeff will only get 1% of the takings for this film and you, being a third party, will get nothing. Except the chance to be a supporting character. If you can't do a decent job of playing yourself, we'll just have to cast someone like Brad Pitt. Or maybe The Rock.

Pass this on to Jeff so that we can get his approval and production started.

You will surely have some other ideas...

you had my ears hooked at the intro....love bass myself (I use an old Fender 4 string J Bass)...so your walking around style in this one is right on (Chas of an old group called The Animals got me into bass waaay back).....a great Sat afternoon listen up my way Evan.....well done...Ed

another very solid production from you. It seems to me like you really mastered this 2,4,8,16 bar sequencing structure. That's all very nice and very enjoyable to listen to. Most of the popular music is made using that formula, not a deep insight... but you can break that, simply by applying some irregular melodic guitar phrasing on the top of all that or combining different drum patterns like 3/4, 6/8, 5/8 etc on the main 4/4. I say that because I tried this on my actual track and it is actually quite simple to do just by loading more midi stuff into the daw. Hope it's useful.
I enjoyed this one. Best, Alex.

I have always figured there is something magical about a well played guitar. And this piece absolutely embraces that feeling. I really dig the transitions into different kinds of styles while managing to keep the same feel throughout. I would have to say I really dig the funk parts.

My only point that I would say sounded clashing was the delay you had on the drums at about the 1 minute mark.

All in all, great this is a great listen. Love the guitars!

~Doug

I like this mixture man. Coming in, like everything is all roses and rainbows, then you start rocking it out. Cool arrangement man.

So, my reply to your reply:

I only saw FMJ for the first time last year and didn't like it that much. First 30 mins excellent, rest was like a separate film. Don't recognise any of the fun lines you quoted but I did spot various cultural memes and things I've heard people say over the years eg "Show me your war face!"

Yes, uke bass just too limited and I don't like its one sound that much anyway. Useable but not for me. Guess I'd have one if I were really rich and owned, say, at least 30 basses.

Related: hope you've seen my favourite documentary film: Metallica's Some Kind Of Monster. In the bassist audition scenes, there's one where Rob Trujillo goes to pick out a bass with the guitar tech from the band's guitar room. He says that the band owns around 500 guitars! Have seen film many times and I swear you never see the same guitar being played twice. Always a different one used cos they have so very many.

I don't know what reversed theremin sounds like. That's a goood point. I have a track made in about 2001 featuring some theremin samples from a college friend who brought his round so we recorded some noises (no proper playing, it's damn hard). Quite a cool track but only about 3 mins so maybe I will open it up and extend it some day.

You don't bend strings? What's wrong with you? Hadn't thought about it before but can now believe there are no bends in your tracks. Get with the program! Extend to the bend or you will meet a sorry end...

Not sure how oiling up my fingers would help them with rubber bass string bends. Guess would have to be right type of oil (maybe vaginal secretions). But don't want to do that.

You friend Jeff has weird skin oils. I hope he's not a professional masseur/porn star or I fear for his clients/co-stars.

Yes, Ozark company probably based in the Ozark region. I think they get their guitar woods from the area though probably not mine as it's made in Far East. And there's only wood in the neck and head, body is all metal. Sure, I know exactly where you live*. A good stalker always knows that.

I'm moving from shed back to house soon ie under 2 weeks. I guess shed has been kind to me. Since December I've completed 7 tracks, running time 69 mins, so a good long album there.

Regards and retards...

*No, not really.

I LOVE his man, im not really a guitar kind of guy (sorry :D), but doesn't mean i dont appreciate a great track like this.
I dont comment alot on your tracks mainly because i never have anything interesting to say (never do haha), but thought id comment this time to say great work :D

Respect,

Xyilent

And I return, with actual details on your nice track bro. Will answer cello+bass reply another time.

Intro is you in your sad, deep mode. Could kick into a lighters-in-the-air 80s power ballad with that sorta vibe. I can hear the bass palm muting and have got quite used to that sound from you.

Except there will be no ballad, power or otherwise, without a vocalist. So more badass rocking takes its place.

1:08 quite an emphatic riff. But the drums aren't kicking enough. Bit too subdued so probably need open hat rather than pedal hat.

1:47 is a bit of a porn groove. See, you can groove. Bedroom soundtrack for Tool fans. Let's say the gentle intro is the emotional cuddling and looking into each other's eyes and then 1:08 is the more vigorous foreplay and then we get to the real down and dirty with that wah on 1:48.

Porn groove beats power ballad every time.

1:56 guitar sounds a little like something I might play. Might even be a bend in there (eg from a slip of a finger). Certainly some sliding about and little triplet trills.

2:34 extremely rapid nutsack jangle cymbal roll that I like. Something very pleasing about the 'nutsack jangle cymbal roll ' word combination. Greater linguists than I will be needed to explain why.

Back to your chorus, which seems just the same as before. Hats still not sufficiently kicking it though beat is otherwise fine.

Let's finish on some spacious groove porn and a final, triumphant nutsack jangle cymbal roll and the bedroom games shall be over.

Overall: good, tight stuff but could do with being heavier in parts. A little (more?) variation between the choruses might help. And you know I wouldn't shit you, you're my favourite turd.

Love the intro, real chill and reminded me of Staind but the more it built up the better it got in my opinion, would be great to hear some vocals on this but of course still a great track, maybe bring the drums up to the front a bit more? Some parts were drowned out by the guitars

Dear Evan!

This is strange how I came to be Danke...start from the begining...:-)
We had a band called NEFOGAZZ!...means that til suck don't hurt my cock...hmmm...
I was the last member to join the band with my bass...
We had 'starnames' if you know, what I mean...there was a guy in Highlander called Connor Macload...I look like nearly the same that him at the movie...they want to call me after this actor but they missed the name and I became Duncen the other guy from the film...later after the drunk night our 'singer' wasn't able to say properly Duncan, it was only Duncaaaa...:-)
And finally we found Danke for the first album...

No linquisticism right here...just brandy and brainkilling...:-)

Here is the link of Nefogazz!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kap38QclmEY

Greetings, Danke

Intro is brilliant, I love the syncopated drums. Complex and yet compelling sounding. 1:00 starts the build up. and a cool build up, nice synths btw. Very very prog (Danke). 1:50 a nice porn slap bass juxtaposition with some nice flanged guitar sounds. Deep wah bass to end it all. Nice work I liked it.
Cruthanasia

Not only is the Intro great it really sets the stage for the rest of the song and it is seamless. Awesome job there for sure bro. Overall a strong track and I definitely enjoyed it.

tv

Love you so long time. Me so long bound.

Just my little Thai prostitute joke there, with a bit of a reference to Full Metal Jacket.
Anyway, you're back to badass on this, my favourite kind of ass, after your recent Asian aquatic vacation. I listened hours ago and liked all of it. Shame I can't listen now and give details but I will return for that later, as always. For now I'll tell you about the uke bass and cello.

Uke bass was weird and I didn't like it. So small, seemed gimmicky. Also lacked expression as everything played on its rubber strings sounded the same. Lke a double bass but without ability to manipulate the strings for different tones.

One surprise was that I couldn't really bend strings, still trying to work out why. Trying to do so ended up with the pad of the finger rolling over the string rather than staying on it and pushing it across the neck. No bending makes me a sad chap as it's a big part of my playing (even on bass). Must be cos of rubber strings though don't know why it's not the same on a nylon string guitar. Maybe cos the rubber strings are much fatter. So, I won't be buying that instrument as it's very limited.

But I probably will buy the electric cello as I loved it and I didn't even get to try it out with a bow. Just has a cool tone and I love all the sliding about. Low end was good and I can already envisage loads of basslines I can come up with on it. I'm currently working on an Eastern slide groove swing metal track and am already thinking of cello lines for it so I think I must get that instrument (and make it cellometallo). If I can get the hang of the bowing, I can do some dirty bowed chugging, which should be cool. So, between plucking and fast and slow bowing and all the effects I will inevitably add (distortion, delay etc) I think it'll be a really expressive instrument for me and a useful new string to my bow (hahaha).

Final thing is about an unusual bass the cello/bass shop had hanging up. I hope you remember the band Morphine I told you about, with their exceptional 2 string slide bass player Mark Sandman (plus drums and baritone sax, that's all). I urged you to check them out. Bet you didn't.

I've wanted to play slide bass for ages but suspect you need a 2 string bass to do it as the other 2 regular strings would get in the way of the slide. One the wall, they had a 2 string bass with the word Sandberg on the headstock. I thought "Damn, that must be a tribute bass to Mark Sandman. I want one." I asked in the shop, they had never heard of Morphine or slide bass playing and said that particular bass was a joke instrument. Sandman, Sandberg, 2 string bass, just had to be in his honour. But no - no connection.

To be continued...

Hi MrEvan,
Once more I have to repeat myself... very good track.
Brilliant arpeggio in the intro: very effective.
Then the song starts and it has a good drive: good solid rock. Liked
The first stop is very interesting: at 1:47 we have a "main" bass line which steals the show, good. The guitar work is good as well, but the bass is the "champion" here.
A second iteration of the first "verse": it really goes well. I like that you did not "overdo" it and you quickly go back to the "funkier" groove... and from here to the end.
Good song.
Ciao, Domenico