Evisma

Oh sure, I totally get that the 'intro' is meant to be a foreboding thing. I'm just a big fan of having something very cool in the first 10 seconds so that soon after pressing play people enjoy and also can easily recognise.

I work very hard at making sure my intros are distinctive and almost an instant hook. I've got a great alternative far out hip hop 12 min track right now that I don't want to post just yet because the intro is good but nowhere near good enough and I know I can make it better so I have to do more experimentation and ripping it apart to work how it can be better. The rest of the track is pretty much done.

Maybe go with the bass that comes in 0:17 as the intro and then slowly bring the previous elements in. I also think that synth pad is maybe taking up too much space so needs to be dropped in volume or filtered (EQ?) to let the bass riffs breathe more.

Also, the track is too short as it feels like it builds to something but then ends once you've got used to it. Good luck.

Yes, Danke is also one of my most consistent listeners and commenters (I think I have about 4 or 5).

I agree with StaticNomad...some good things going on but needs work. The intro doesn't really work...at least as an intro. Once it get's moving around 1:52 things get a lot better.

tv

It really gets moving on 1:52 and really gets moving on 2:22. The intro up to about 1:00 is far too murky and indistinct in the mix. It sounds more like a middle section that an intro as I don't feel it's distinctive enough to be an intro.

There's loads of good stuff in here but the mix is too crowded eg between 1:00 and 1:52 so maybe you need to remove a whole part or turn it down a lot more.

Might be better to start with the 1:52 riff and then use your intro section later on as a breakdown/middle section.

I hope some of this helps and, if not, you work out how to improve this anyway.

No, don't know of any specific mixing tutorials. I'm sure there are loads on the web and certainly if you're prepared to pay for them. I've never done any, just spent a long time learning by doing it over many years rather than reading technical stuff about how to do it (that kind of thing doesn't make much sense to me).

I think this mix is pretty good but there always loads of things you can look at to get better (I do all the time). For a start, if there's something that bothers you at all, really explore why it bothers you. I find out I always turn out to be right and then find a way to improve it.

Apply more EQ on each element of your music to try to bring it out as necessary in the mix. This has helped me so much in the last 2 years and made a massive difference. I keep finding that my drum kits' hi hats need a little extra hi EQ to bring out the hats and my guitar parts generally need a boost of the middle frequencies. And if something has been recorded and is way too noisy/buzzy, you can get rid of that by rolling off all the hi frequencies.

Those are just a few little tips. Also, do lots of soloing of different parts (in your mixer, virtual or hardware). So, just see how your foundations sit together (eg bass and drums) and then work out if the guitar you bring in is somehow clashing with them or whatever.

Just a few ideas to start you off. I think your drums are more of a problem than your mixing as this track has a pretty decent balance to it.

Not sure why you say the piano is in the wrong place. Wrong part of the track or wrong timing in its playing of the notes?

Had a look at Danke's comment and he's absolutely right. From 4:15 onwards is rather excellent and wasn't so obvious to me on first listen. Bass is cool but then the guitar comes in and outshines it with some very tight sort of emotional Tool-funk playing (maybe not the best description but it'll have to do).

The fade/disappearance of that guitar is also almost perfectly done so that the piano is allowed to come to the fore. And then ending on the percussion provides a new point of interest - the kind of thing I love doing.

This is absolutely superb! I definitely agree with Static regarding the drums. Piano is sweet, the guitar is sweeter! LOL.

Love & Light,

Mykael

This is pretty awesome! Kind of reminds me of post punk or something! That reverse drum sound is pretty cool, but it might be used too much. Nice build up of power! Good stuff!

Evan!

This music and your world is FULL HEART...
From 4.15: the best moments of Looperman in the past 2 years (for me...)
Unbelievably brilliant track, don't care about the drum sound... :-)
LOVE it, favd, dlded, commented, saved for the eternity...
Thanx, Danke

Great song evisma! Enjoyed every bit of it.
I like the section at 2:52, good darkish bass progression with a good interaction with guitars. Liked.
My favorite moment is the final section, starting around 4:16. Again good bass work and a very interesting piano section.
Well done!
Ciao, Domenico

This was a real nice listen. I heard elements of system of a down in this as well as some damn nice creativity and restraint at times. You were thinking of the overall song and not just being a guitarist. nice work!

More good stuff from you. Simple guitar chugging at 0:35 helps break it up. Really nice lead guitar tone and sustain on 0:57. Good simple notes that hang and allow your bass to be heard.

Lots of beauty and emotion in this.

You can probably guess that I'm going to say some of the drums let it down a bit (that's why I'm planning to help you out with them plus a few other things). They're actually pretty decent, just could be better.

Even though you're doing lots in this track, it still sounds like it's missing vocals. I think they could be added in certain places and you wouldn't have to tone down your playing as there's quite a bit of room left in lots of the playing.

It's hard to make instrumental music that doesn't sound like
it's missing vocals (ie not enough going on) but also doesn't feature 9 million solos, as tends to happen in whole branches of instrumental music (especially the guitar shredders genre).

Oh, and that piano's good too. Did you prorgram or play that? Nice percussion at the end too.

Cool track, bass is the star for sure here. Reminds me of Tool for sure. Nice job with what you have got so far.

tv

Cool! I really enjoyed this track.
Love the flanger on the bass, it works well with your sound.
Good ideas, the guitar fits very well.
The drums are a bit in the background in this song, but this is fine: it leaves more room for the bass!
Good job.
Ciao, Domenico

PS: one possible improvement could be the timing of the bass around 3:20 (it is not as accurate as it could be)

Good stuff and a great bass tone from you. I'd really need to get some new strings to get my bass to sound like that (I think I should, actually).

First half is complicated with some lovely intricate interplay between bass and guitar. Could maybe have done with some subtle percussion but it's OK to leave it out.

Second half is very different - so much so that perhaps there's a problem with them being in the same piece. However, 2nd half is absolutely rocking and good choice to pan the guitar hardish left. Bass is amazing and pretty much the lead instrument.Really sounds like guitar and bass playing equally rather than the bass sitting underneath guitar as is common in so much music (with good reason, I'm not necessarily complaining).

Drums are OK though the sounds let the track down quite a bit.

On 2:50 the guitar really reminds me of Tool and I'm sure is exactly the same sort of progressions as a couple of songs - perhaps Lateralus. Last 20 seconds are really nice and quite a surprise to cool and creative way to end.

It's an excellent piece of music let down by the production and the drums sounds in particular. I'm not saying the production and mix is bad, just could be better and meet the standard of the actual musicianship going on in the track.

the intro is tight, I love the drums on this one. Nice Guitar too. Good Job!!!

This is a very good track musically .I really enjoyed the chord progressions and the soul of your guitar playing. I agree with Static Nomad that the mix could be better, but the framework is awesome. Hope to hear the progression of this tune!

"46 and 2, talk about the perfect bass tone. That's the one that hooked me.
I am floored by your comments. Thank you very much, truly.
And I would love to hear what others can do with this track, so be my guest, embellish, adorn, stretch and squash all you like.
Haven't done it before, so I don't know if you can use the download from here, or if you would need any raw tracks. Let me know and it will be done.

Maynard, at my income level, will not be contacted any time soon,... unless to tell him to make with the new Tool album, and to have more than 5 actual songs on it. We let 10,000 Days slide because of Jambi, The Pot and Rosetta Stoned.
And by the way, I would like to hear that 46 and 2 sometime as well."

If you want me to work on it, you'd have to send me all the raw tracks. I can write out what you need to do in full so best if you give me an email address so I can get in touch with you more easily(I can't see how to do personal messages on this site). It will take me quite a long time to do a finished version (many months, at a minimum) but I'll send you versions from time to time and you can let me know what you think and also add some other playing if you feel inspired.

I won't be able to stop myself doing my obsessive attention to detail thing so it'll take a long time to get it all sitting nicely. I'm also always busy doing a lot of other music.

I'll make it both electro and hardish alternative emotional, complex rock (Tool-style) and give it the much better drums it deserves. Your bass parts will still be the main feature but I'll cut some bits up and add particular effects and make new loops out of small portions. But I wouldn't offer I didn't think the playing was really good and offered lots of potential.

Basically, you want to make more interesting and complex music but don't seem to quite have the software or production knowledge to do so (yet). I (arrogantly?) feel I do and so think why not give it a go. I'd like to make something we're both pleased with and doing another Tool fan a favour would also be satisying. And I don't have a wife so have more time to work on these sorts of things.

I might put my 46&2 instrumental remix demo up sometime but that needs to be vastly improved too. Will let you know when I do. So, tell me your email address and I'll take it from there.

10,000 days has a few more good ones than you mentioned (eg Right In Two) but there are some duller ones such as Wings For Marie. If it had been Vicarious, Jambi, The Pot, Rosetta Stoned and Right In Two, that would have been possibly the greatest EP/short album ever.

Hope there's another album as 10,000 was....7 years ago!

hey, what a good song is this!

of course rock, progressive, psychedelical like Primus, Tool etc...

guitar riffs are awesome, brilliant one

love it

DL, favd, commented, listened many times

thanx for the share, Danke

innovative & modern ,& in th same time throughbred & professional .worthy of greatest admiration.
I speciallY adore when @ 1':32'' rhythm breaks & theme changes by a marvelous variation . if U wanted any lead guitar or someone who doesn'T sing english , take a look to my serious trials & if I passes your exam tell me to try on iT .
best wishes.____Behnam

I've never done an online collaboration with anyone or with anyone I haven't met but I'm seriously considering suggesting that you let me finish this track. I know I can make a really good job of it as there are loads of good parts to work with and there's a great vibe.

I wouldn't necessarily even add any guitar (though I probably would in the end) but I would look to make some of the bass parts sound more guitar-like eg by adding distortion or other effects.

Drums would be much improved and I'd make it quite a bit longer - at least 5 mins and, if I really get into it, it could well grow to 8 or even more. Or a second track might come out of it - I do that all the time with my own stuff.

I'd look to add some synth parts that work well with it (no, I wouldn't just turn it into trance or dubstep) and would keep it instrumental as I don't do vocals or really have access to any good singers.

If you might be interested, I'll suggest some reference tracks of mine to give you more of a feel of the direction I can take things in (though it's different every time). Three tracks on here which are relevant are Way Beyond Wrong, Lord Of Misrule and Circular Motion, though I have many others on different sites. And I'm also a massive Tool fan and have done a powerful remix of 46&2 (in 4/4) though that's not yet online.

Maynard James Keenan is who you need, as you probably already know. However, getting him won't be easy though I can't say I've tried.

This is probably your best one yet. I guess you haven't mixed it properly yet but were you aware that the energy drops on 0:56 when it kicks into that new riff? And then it stays there for too long so definitely needs to come up and match the energy/volume of the 50 sec intro.

But those bass riffs starting on 0:56 sound a lot like guitar so probably no need for one on this. Maybe just stick it through some controlled distortion (just play around with it and see if you can automate it on and off at precise points to add dynamics and variation).

Next section starting on 1:33 is probably even better and some cool background rapid chugging. This is really quite impressive for pure bass work and the kind of thing I hoped I might hear from you.

I don't know if you want to make longer tracks than this but if you could add more parts in the way that you do so well on bass (eg on keyboard) you could make some epics. That's what I do all the time.

Another good idea for you, as you're so into bass, is to go the synth route. So, if you get the Roland synth for guitar or bass (I think it's Roland, I can check) you just attach the pickup to your bass and then you can control any synth.

This would be an awesome way for you to get way, way more out of your bass playing and do what you do best. But you can play whatever synths you want from your bass. So, you can still do 'pure bass music' but no one will know it's all played from the bass.

OK, I've checked and it's the Roland GR-55 which is around £550 or maybe $1000.

I should probably go down this route but I play lots of guitar and banjo as well and am decent enough with the synth programming plus a bit of keyboard playing. All the same, in checking it out for you, I'm now very tempted so will give it some serious thought. Hope you do too.

Excellent track that will get better!