Now you`re cooking...the vocal is great but now with the acoustic guitar you and Sunny have kicked it waaaay up there...The real stuff has always appealed most to me and I particularly like the acoustic accompaniment (even though I get lazy & just pick up the old electric a lot more often).....This is top notch guys...keep on.....Ed
Thanks, Ed. Sunny's the same way - resists the acoustic a bit, cuz she has to go into the booth and do it to a microphone, as opposed to hanging out with me and the recording engineer on the cushy couch and chairs. She also doesn't do runs and resists doing background vocals but will give in on the latter if I argue for a bit and then say, "Ok, never mind." Then she says, "Ok, I'll do it." In the end, we get it done.
Pay shipping all I ask, I'll find out how much but not a big deal either way, as I don't expect it will be much for domestic shipping. I sent 8 license plates to California for a guy in Africa (I get those free too), his friend brought them to him because it was going to be $80 to send them to Africa!! $16 domestically. Another Looperman user, Designed Impression, is getting one soon too, he's also from southern California. I'll let you know when I build it, and your name (actually Sunny's) is on it ;) Mainly salvaged/free materials I get from my job at a dump, The only thing I buy is guitar tuners, piezo pickups to make them acoustic/electric, the 1/4 inch jacks and strings (cheap strings), but I build them on the job so I'm getting paid, shhh. The last 2 weeks of this month I'll be making a few. Just the joy they bring people as well as myself making them, is worth more than money to me and I'd LOVE to hear others on here playing and getting joy on an instrument I made :p I think I found Sunny's FB pg.
Thanks so much. Def Sunny's name - Sunny War. Check her out on youtube too, she's got a bunch of stuff there. This sounds like the perfect gift to show my appreciation and respect. Please let me know how much, when and where, when it's ready. I can't wait, sounds really cool. Thanks again!
that's pure brilliance...I wanted to comment first but Burt passed me...beautiful harmonies and atmosphere in the song...can say it's dramatic, epic and it's magical if you think that it was made by only guitar and voice...thanx for the upload, fav...
Beautiful :D I love acoustic guitar!! I really need to record mine more often. Funny about the train story, I just got a Carhart tin with a train on it and I was thinking that would make a great guitar for someone that used to hop, drive or have something to do with trains. Maybe it's meant to be your's ;) I used to use Audacity as well, but was turned onto Reaper, it's free to download and use in 'Demo' mode forever, you just get this annoying splash screen asking you to buy a license. Love that slow paced lead, works beautiful over the acoustic. Live instruments have so much more of an intimate sound, love it! More please!
Thanks phatkatz. I really appreciate any comment at all and especially one so nice. I'll have to check out Reaper. Hmm...that train guitar might make a great gift for Sunny. I've been thinking of what I could give her... I think maybe it's meant to be hers. I'd love to buy it if it's for sale.......
Hey MrMofo, very very very cool! Love the Doorish vibe throughout (please excuse the comparison but from the very first note this dripped with the Lizard King's influence ) Sunny War has indeed some superb guitar licks and vocals, a talented lass! speaking of which they are placed perfectly within the mix ..totally awesome that this collaboration started at the famed Venice Beach, which unsurprisingly is where The Doors cut their teeth, it's always a pleasure to witness genuine talent and I suspect with your less than fragile eggshell like mind you'll both deliver some outstanding work together, you have just made another fan!...cheers Dave/Planetjazzbass :)
Hey Dave, I appreciate your comments very much, especially as I've used and admired your loops many's the time over the years. Believe me I'll take the Doors comparison - I'll take it away and cuddle with it for a while with a dreamy smile. And yeah that day on Venice Beach was a life-changer. I needed a singer, and the universe provided. The universe is usually kicking me in the nuts and laughing maniacally ... but now I have to say we're even.
Thanks, BeatzFactory. I'm calling these the "Sunny sessions" now. She is a blues angel and a folk princess and I'm so happy that she's taking this tour through Mofoland...
Thank you, Dirtzilla. We try to balance the guitars and vocals on an equal level pretty much - trick is to keep the words audible but also try to let every guitar note come through. Thankfully, we're working with an excellent recording engineer...
-Mofo
What an atmosphere here...incredible...for me it's an absolute soundtrack from the number ones...:-)
great guitars, great voices, ambient like drums and percussions, surrealistic voyage...
standing ovation than handshake in the VIP room with the artists...:-)
Thank you, Danke. Your name is very familiar to me. I'm always drawn to your cool loops and have used many, many of them in my stuff. I'd love to shake your hand in a VIP room someday, preferably at Coachella, after I've introduced Sunny to the crowd. I've got it all planned out: "All hail ... the legendary ... SUNNY WAR!" She may not be legendary yet but she will be. Thank you for your comment. I appreciate it very much and so will Sunny. -Mofo
Thank you, BeatzFactory. I do it, whatever it is, the same way I've been training for boxing: punch until I cain't punch no mo'. I've recorded dozens and dozens of songs the last couple years, determined to stop sucking. So now at last I'm making decent music, and have a punch that hurts. Somehow they're connected but I'm not sure how. Anyway, thank you for your kind words!
This has much more of a dub feel than rock. Cavernous, heavily reverbed dub though maybe the bass isn't throbbing quite as much as in dub.
Sunny War's vocals are less captivating than that other excellent blues track you posted. Just seems like not as well written a song. Don't get me wrong - it's still good. We both know she can really sing.
Pretty heavy percussion here and some wailing guitar.
2:30 cigar box guitar loop is excellent and really makes a difference.
2:37 those massive, heavenly vocals in the background really make a difference. Maybe the monotonous drum groove should change here to push things forward to somewhere more exciting. It's still a bit too steady.
3:20 a useful break. Those drums had to change. Or stop.
Pleasant piano.
3:46 was/is an opportunity to bring in another drum beat rather than return to the original. I just think it's overdone (in case you couldn't tell).
Anyway - it's still good, emotive stuff though I'm only a fan of a fadeout ending if it's done very skilfully. This was essentially just turning the volume knob down so I have to suggest you try something else. Something more definitive.
StaticNomad, I really appreciate your detailed and thoughtful notes. You are right on the drums. I used to spend hours if not days placing every hit but now I focus more on the whole groove. Been writing songs so fast because I'm so inspired working with Sunny and the results we're getting. We just recorded 4 songs yesterday in 8 hours, Sunny just bangs 'em out and kills it every time. SHE IS SPECIAL AND I AM A LUCKY MOFO. I'll reconsider my approach to the drums. Dub - yeah, I'd probably call this dub rock blues as a category. Everything we do is a fusion of some type for which there isn't a proper name. We're mastering next week so I'll relook at the fade. Again, thanks for taking the time and the interest. Very much appreciated. CM
CitizenMofo...man..you are really kicking it through the goal posts with these tracks you are doing with Sunny...I`m usng my old Sony MDV600 cans tonight to listen (they push the highs a bit much but no hell on the lows) but the mix sounds really good in all frequencies these old ears can hear.....agree with Steve..you are going to have a super album..If I had been hearing a couple of your tunes on the radio I would have been looking for who it was done them...For somebody who claims to play nothing you sure have an ear for the composition...my old habits would likely have tried to throw in a little key variation or 2 in this one but at the same time I was enjoying it all the way...Sunny rocks and you are cooking up some good recipes with her....Ed
Thanks, Ed. Always, massive thanks. As for the key variations, so the other day at the studio with Sunny I'm like, "OK, there's this guy, Tumbleweed, Ed, on looperman, who's talking about key changes. How do you do that?" And so we talked about it and decided to look for places where we can do some key/chord changes. So - I'm learning, and someday soon you'll hear some changes.
Well, it's true, I can't play an instrument and I sing like a frog. (Nonetheless, I made an album called WWIII in 2015 where I sang all 17 songs - that was a big, dumb mistake, and I killed the album in shame as soon as I finished it.)) I've made music in my head since I was 2 but instead became a writer because words were my other thing. Young marriage, kids, raised 'em to adults, 40 years go by, and then a few years ago I started writing songs to capture the music in my head and began climbing the ladder to BETTER. Hundreds of songs later I'm finally getting somewhere, and Sunny is the magic ingredient that brings it all together. This is most fun I've had in a long, long time. It's just pure joy.
Slow, heavily reverbed drums are always a nice way to start. Very nice, clean bassline. Vocals are great without a lot of actual singing. Delivery is fantastic. Some lyrics supplied would be cool. Mix is really great. Guitar starting at 2:30 has a few distracting moments, but that's not too much to complain about. Maybe just a bit too bright there. Man, this sounds SO much more professional than anything I've done. Really good stuff. I don't favorite much, but this track gets it!
Thanks for listening and for the comments and favorite, Evan. Interesting - the guitar at 2:30 is a cigar box guitar loop from this site (which I should have mentioned in my intro but forgot), which we kept (instead of replacing with Sunny's guitar) because the chorus emerged directly out of it and so fits like a glove. I wish I could claim credit for the mix but, after I do the initial loop mix on Audacity, I get the final mix done professionally at the studio where we record the vocals and guitar. I'll start posting my lyrics. Thanks again, man!
Thanks, Steve. I'm glad you enjoyed the track and found it relaxing. I might have preferred to fire people up so that we mass together and storm Washington! - but I'll take relaxing. We should finish the album today in a long session and I'll be posting all the songs over time. I hope you like them. Thank you! CM
This really is an excellent, sumptuous, classy piece of music. Sunny War is a very talented singer and blues guitarist. Even just the first second of this is great, really hitting the sweet emotional spot.
I will return to do a much more comprehensive review later as I'm in a bit of a rush now.
Great work and I look for ward to the Sunny War + you album.
Thanks, StaticNomad. Sunny truly is something special. She amazes me every time in our sessions, her easy brilliance whether it's bass or rhythm or lead guitar, folk or blues or psychedelic or rock. And yes her singing is just as awesome although she doesn't think of herself as a singer. The vibrato she uses takes tremendous control so she stands stock still when she sings. I'm grabbing ahold of this moment and we're actually doing 3 albums back to back, APOCALYPSE, HELP and TRIBE. 10 songs each. About half recorded, couple more to write. It's the most joy I've had in years.
If you and Sunny play a bar gig in my town I`m coming by to sit in on the evening & drink a few brews...come to think of it I feel like a couple of brews right now (its your fault CM....haha)...super track guys...consistently good is hard to accomplish but I think you`re on your way...get that album laid down...Ed
Thanks, Ed. Ditto if you're ever in LA. Swing by and I'll watch you and Sunny jam. We just did guitar on two more songs last night - two more to go and the album's done (one of 'em). Just posted another one called THE THING I FEAR...
I don`t think we should even think about genres when we`re trying to create so you can pick any genre you like and I`ll still think its one hell of a fine piece of musical art CitizenMofo..Rock works fine...You`re right...the lady is one big talent..and she takes us for a great musical ride without much in the way of key changes...that takes talent and isn`t often accomplished in loop land..
her guitar and vocal delivery do the trick nicely...fab job by both of you..really enjoyed the listen.big fav & a standing ovation from this old guitar guy..more please...Ed
Thanks, Ed. Means a lot coming from you. For an old guitar guy, you sure put out some juicy sounds. I just posted another one called "Working On It", which started with one of your loops as the driving rhythm engine that called forth the song. Please check it out. I'll be posting a lot over the coming weeks. Been busy.
Thank you, crucethus. Yeah, Sunny's tone, talent and skill are pretty amazing to me, forcing me to up my game as a songwriter. She noodles around a bit and then we usually get the keeper on the 2nd take. She goes out for a smoke and me and the engineer just stare at each other, like - "Really? That can be done?" So I feel very lucky these days.
I definitely don't hear it as dubstep. It's got more kind of "horror metal" and hip hop in it. Quite catchy and well made.
I watched your video too, which suits it perfectly. This comment of yours is strange but also quite amusing:
"CitizenMofo
Hi. You're me, so why are you commenting? Because I like you and I think you're cool. Oh, thank you, I appreciate that. No problem. I like you too. Thank you."
Nice lead string and twinkly bell parts too when this takes off more melodically in the middle.
Droning, operatic vocals in the background work really quite well. Is that you too? Ogre vocals are the lead. Nice delayed vocal ending.
Great video! And a fun song. Ha ha ha! Sorry if I hurt any feelings but this makes me laugh - because I like this, it's hilarious in a good way and also very creative.
And then suddenly, it turns in to this cool hip hop (or what ever it is in the middle - always clueless about genres) track. And then the other style continues...very weird and wonderful.
Great! I think you should sing more. Don't be shy.
HI CitizenMofo!
This is a hard piece to comment, I had to go and listen to an other of your tracks to get a reference to what kind of music you usually do, and not sure if it helped.
Really? This is how this should sound?
Because I'm hearing some very good and interesting stuff underneath that alarming sound of the synth which takes over all the space.
And then comes that other alarm signal in the end. I'm confused. And the lyrics on top of it. About being numb...not feeling at all. Very alarming.
I`ll have to take your word for genre C.M..as I`m not much for genre knowledge myself....big mix and very loud (think you have a bit of distortion there...quite noticeable at the intro in particular)...on the other hand its creative stuff (unlike a lot of what our radios play) and the technical stuff is easy to fix..lots of power....good job....keep on....Ed
on LONE RIDER by CitizenMofo
Great job guys.
Cru
on LONE RIDER by CitizenMofo
on LONE RIDER by CitizenMofo
on LONE RIDER by CitizenMofo
Danke
on LONE RIDER by CitizenMofo
on The Beast by CitizenMofo
on MY OWN TWO FEET by CitizenMofo
on MY OWN TWO FEET by CitizenMofo
A pleasant little guitar intro.
And then shes straight in with her powerful voice, you with some chilled, very wide drums.
0:18 some double tracking of the vocal? Sounds excellent.
0:30 beat picks up. Extra kit to go with the previous loop. Not sure if the rimshot still panned left interferes.
0:50 reggae-like funky keys.
Her voice is soaring again. And then she does some other type of backing vocal.
1:27 powerful kind of slightly trippy, insistent vocal chant.
1:52 good stop of vocal and drums. A necessary break.
Not that much more to say about the rest. Same as earlier, really.
Neat ending. That's a definitive ending!
Overall: good music so big congrats.
on MY OWN TWO FEET by CitizenMofo
Great sound as always !
:)
on MY OWN TWO FEET by CitizenMofo
Dirtzilla
-Mofo
on THE THING I FEAR by CitizenMofo
great guitars, great voices, ambient like drums and percussions, surrealistic voyage...
standing ovation than handshake in the VIP room with the artists...:-)
Danke
on THE THING I FEAR by CitizenMofo
Great job
on THE THING I FEAR by CitizenMofo
This has much more of a dub feel than rock. Cavernous, heavily reverbed dub though maybe the bass isn't throbbing quite as much as in dub.
Sunny War's vocals are less captivating than that other excellent blues track you posted. Just seems like not as well written a song. Don't get me wrong - it's still good. We both know she can really sing.
Pretty heavy percussion here and some wailing guitar.
2:30 cigar box guitar loop is excellent and really makes a difference.
2:37 those massive, heavenly vocals in the background really make a difference. Maybe the monotonous drum groove should change here to push things forward to somewhere more exciting. It's still a bit too steady.
3:20 a useful break. Those drums had to change. Or stop.
Pleasant piano.
3:46 was/is an opportunity to bring in another drum beat rather than return to the original. I just think it's overdone (in case you couldn't tell).
Anyway - it's still good, emotive stuff though I'm only a fan of a fadeout ending if it's done very skilfully. This was essentially just turning the volume knob down so I have to suggest you try something else. Something more definitive.
Good stuff, all the same.
on THE THING I FEAR by CitizenMofo
Well, it's true, I can't play an instrument and I sing like a frog. (Nonetheless, I made an album called WWIII in 2015 where I sang all 17 songs - that was a big, dumb mistake, and I killed the album in shame as soon as I finished it.)) I've made music in my head since I was 2 but instead became a writer because words were my other thing. Young marriage, kids, raised 'em to adults, 40 years go by, and then a few years ago I started writing songs to capture the music in my head and began climbing the ladder to BETTER. Hundreds of songs later I'm finally getting somewhere, and Sunny is the magic ingredient that brings it all together. This is most fun I've had in a long, long time. It's just pure joy.
on THE THING I FEAR by CitizenMofo
Take care.
Evan
on THE THING I FEAR by CitizenMofo
Steve
on The Beast by CitizenMofo
I will return to do a much more comprehensive review later as I'm in a bit of a rush now.
Great work and I look for ward to the Sunny War + you album.
on Working On It by CitizenMofo
on The Beast by CitizenMofo
her guitar and vocal delivery do the trick nicely...fab job by both of you..really enjoyed the listen.big fav & a standing ovation from this old guitar guy..more please...Ed
on The Beast by CitizenMofo
Cru
on The Beast by CitizenMofo
A pleassure to listent to
And thanks for your comment on my track ... really appreciated it.
Peace
on I Know You Want Me Too by CitizenMofo
I definitely don't hear it as dubstep. It's got more kind of "horror metal" and hip hop in it. Quite catchy and well made.
I watched your video too, which suits it perfectly. This comment of yours is strange but also quite amusing:
"CitizenMofo
Hi. You're me, so why are you commenting? Because I like you and I think you're cool. Oh, thank you, I appreciate that. No problem. I like you too. Thank you."
Nice lead string and twinkly bell parts too when this takes off more melodically in the middle.
Droning, operatic vocals in the background work really quite well. Is that you too? Ogre vocals are the lead. Nice delayed vocal ending.
Good stuff...
on I Know You Want Me Too by CitizenMofo
And then suddenly, it turns in to this cool hip hop (or what ever it is in the middle - always clueless about genres) track. And then the other style continues...very weird and wonderful.
Great! I think you should sing more. Don't be shy.
on I Dont Feel a Thing by CitizenMofo
This is a hard piece to comment, I had to go and listen to an other of your tracks to get a reference to what kind of music you usually do, and not sure if it helped.
Really? This is how this should sound?
Because I'm hearing some very good and interesting stuff underneath that alarming sound of the synth which takes over all the space.
And then comes that other alarm signal in the end. I'm confused. And the lyrics on top of it. About being numb...not feeling at all. Very alarming.
So tell me about this!
on I Dont Feel a Thing by CitizenMofo