StaticNomad

Cool song - except for the bass. That shit's gotta go.

Yes, I think the drum track in this could be improved with something Like EZ Drummer. There is other similar drum software (BFD) but Superior and EZ are what I have and know so I have recommended them a lot to people on this site. Two people have even gone and bought it, partly because of my advice.

It's a pity you missed out on the Black Friday deals last month. I saw EZ Drummer being sold at 75% off. That's very cheap!

I've given up trying to get REs to work. I think I need to uninstall some elements or something (I'm using Reason 7). But there are so many REs I would love to have. If I get them to work, I'm sure I will go a bit crazy and buy lots of them!

Good luck with your drum programming.

No so much my kind of thing but it does sound good. I like the groove. Bit of a 2-step, r'n'b vibe.

Pity you didn't say anything about how this was made in the track description. Such as who's playing the guitar, which is some clean, smooth, funky and tasteful jazz/r'n'b guitar.

Someone could definitely enjoy rapping to this. Or doing some smooth crooning. Maybe some ass-shakin to that beat.

I like this the more I get into the track. Definitely very good mix of the instruments. Feels like I can hear everything very clearly.

I tend not to like a fade-out but this one was pretty good. Most people make that fade far too brief but this was much, much longer so quite effective at giving off the vibe that this track is just being played forever as some sort of fun jam session.

Not my style but very good!

Well, seeing as you're asking if you should play it out live, my one and only answer has to be: yes! What reason is there not to? When you DJ, do you play any of your own stuff or only other people's?

Well, this is a very charming project and song and everyone's probably already said most of what needs to be said. Cool shuffle groove and the piano might actually be my favourite thing (as well as the harmonica).

My only real criticism is a strange one. No matter how many times I listen back, Patricia's words right at the end, as things are fading out, sound so much like

"Poopin all day, poopin all night".

I assume 'poopin' is actually 'looping' but I hear a 'p' every time.

Not sure I have anything extra to say about the track but I couldn't let your last reply go without passing comment.

Yes, your amusing piece about your bottom being smothered with lick after lick could not really be much gayer. Either that or it couldn't be stacked with more dirty double entendres. Does your wife know you're so gay/so into dirty double entendres? I know for a fact that the latter is often cited in divorce proceedings.

I've always wondered why licks, in the bass/guitar world, are so-named. What's the difference between a riff and a lick? Is a lick really just a fill rather than a recognisable full riff?

Any how the hell did it get that name? Ah, I think I have answered my own question through checking an online dictionary I guess it comes from this meaning: "a brief, brisk burst of activity or energy."

I guess my music has a hell of a lot of licks in it. Noodle licks, maybe?

Maybe I shall call an album Noodle Licks.

I have no idea who Mr Trebek is. But I'm quite sure I'm not him and probably never have been.

Do you think you might like to try making some slower, more expansive sort of music? It doesn't have to all be chill - you can still play fast at times. My track Debt Black Hole is at 80 BPM but it gets damn heavy (and goes double time).

Good luck with whatever sort of frantic licks you put into your low end. You work that G string, oh yeah...

Hi. I listened again and can hear some improvements, especially the extra open hat at 1:16. I was thinking maybe ride cymbal but the extra hat works OK. Maybe some larger drum fills would help too.

Still a good piece of music.

Virkelig godt arbejde!

Sure, it's fine to mention me in the track description. I give out a lot of advice and feedback on people's tracks (writing often quite a lot) and occasionally they take it (and let me know).

My suggestions may sometimes be totally useless but I just call it as I see it so it's at least fairly honest. I guess I'm describing what I would do or want to happen but have no idea if the track maker shares much in common with my tastes.

Anyway, I always prefer specific feedback, tips and suggestions to simply "Great job. Loved it".

Unfortunately, a temporary technical problem stops me from listening back to the track right now but I look forward to doing so later.

I see you're a Reason user. Me too (13 years) but I still can't get REs to work, which is very annoying as some look great.

Hi. This is definitely a cool groove and the trumpet has a warm and triumphant feel to it though I guess it's a sample-based instrument.

This is basically a short epic. Sounds like it might be used as a theme tune or for some other titling or outro music for TV.

One problem I have is how dry the drums are. Snare also doesn't ring out. Sounds gated or something. I'd also like the drums to change and get bigger, perhaps move to ride to drive things along, especially as the guitar gets more intense and goes higher around 1:16. Would give the track a big lift there.

But this is a fun short trip that I guess also has a bit of an 80s feel to it.

Well done.

Hi. I prefer your vocals on this one to the Moment With You vocals. It's quite a strong, simple line and sounds relaxed and not as though you're forcing it.

First big problem is the reverb on the vocals. Just doesn't quite sound right though not terrible.

More of a problem is the mix. Too much movement, too busy, too crowded.

I like the simple dub bass but we're not getting to hear it enough due to the crowded mix.

Strip down (maybe remove) some of the percussive loops and/or take some of the reverb off them.

I like the guitar on 0:23.

Overall, I think it's a decent chill dub track but needs to be stripped down. I'd also like it to progress into something else because, as it is, it feels too long. That's probably because there's not enough variety.

Use of the guitar is good. Some more of that would help give it a more distinctive character and identity.

Good luck if you and Salook are able to continue working on it.

Well this is a crazy bit of gospel-jazz Blues Brothers madness that would go nicely in that film. Extremely energetic and good for some silly dancing and for soundtracking some farce scenes.

They're mostly not my kind of sounds but I totally appreciate all the work that's gone into it. Also, very impressive for one guy doing it all(just you, right?) as it has a lot of very natural, unsequenced feel.

Actually, this is so damn energetic that it's probably too long (haha, that's coming from a guy who makes 18 minute tracks) so this is definitely one to completely tire people out on the dancefloor.

When are you going to do some more spaghetti Western?

Yo, yo and another yo for good measure (and a triplet feel). I've got pretty good at noticing changes between the versions you upload but I'm struggling a little here. Not that that's any complaint.

1:14-1:36 sounds new and I like it - that's my deep analysis of that. And it gets repeated later, to good effect.

2:08-2:29 is just killer riffs all the way.

Yes, I suppose, now you mention it, your stuff probably is all about 120 BPM. I'd like you to change that.

I have a lot of stuff that's a similar tempo though I like to do double and half time with the drums. So, hip hop turns into d'n'b or fast swing jazz or breakbeat metal. And then drops back down again.

I guess it's not your thing but I'd like to hear you work with some slower tempos eg 80-100BPM and try also some shuffled and swung drums. Maybe a deep blues thing.

Slow tempo plus delay on your bass could be cool and your great sense of melody could really shine in a slower, more spacious track. Maybe then try my favourite trick of doubling the drum tempo, so 80 turns into 160 (you don't have to change sequencer tempo). This will give you some cool variety. You can even play similar stuff in the different sections but they will now sound quite different due to the tempo change (obviously).

Just some more suggestions for how to add variety to your stuff and it's all pretty easy and doesn't require buying anything.

"You usually use bass as the river current that the Party-Barge is riding." That's a cool phrase and image. Though I like to think I let the various bass sounds I use really shine from time to time. My track The Wrong Side Of Zero has some good funky lead bass breaks (even though they're played on guitar).

But you know bass generally is an anchoring thing. Too much busyness in the low end interferes with those higher frequency parts.

I shall try to become a Low-End Noodle Master, with you in mind.

Hello. I guess everyone's already said it all but I'll try to add something else (but I may fail).

I thought the top pad synth that starts with the piano was slightly noisy (though I like the synced panning) so maybe should come in sometime after the intro.

It's a good piano sound (many I don't like) and the low notes are generally what I most like on a piano.

This is quite magical and heavenly and would make for some very effective emotive soundtrack music.

2:13 you take it a little darker but then get it back on melodic track for the second half.

4:12 it sounds much clearer without that noise on the whole track (I thought was just the synth, maybe not).

I think that section sounds the clearest and would prefer the rest of the track to have that level of clarity.

Good work and good luck with any changes.

Last time I listened, I thought the layered vocals really interfered with each other so I applaud you removing some of those layers.

Definitely makes for a less cluttered mix.

I'll be more honest than I probably need to be and say I'm not keen on lots of the vocals though I guess that's just my taste so doesn't really matter. Lots of other people here seem to like them so don't worry about it.

Good work.

Hi. I'm a huge fan of the Dogman album that this track comes from. The original Black The Sky track is amazing. I'm a little surprised you found the bass and guitar tracks online. How does that work?

I agree with Mahloo that you've been thrown off the groove a bit in places here (eg 3:16-3:21) though the double kicks sound pretty good and I love the sound of your toms.

Which (excellent) snare are you using on this?

Sorry I'm not able to listen to this again right now (temporary technical problems with my web browser) but will let you know about the changes in the next comment.

You may well deserve a PRS as they are very nice. I mostly play the first electric guitar I ever bought - an Epiphone Junior bought for £169 back in 1996. So long ago that Tool hadn't even released Aenima yet!

It's cheap but small and light and has a great feel to me. I'm a lazy bastard so rarely change the strings but will have to now as I broke one tapping all of them repeatedly with my whole palm. So new set it will have to be.

I vaguely admire the Jimi Hendrix attempts with your lefty Squier but you owe yourself a decent, right-handed model (and a good guitar to impress her, haha).

I still don't get your chicken wing greeting thing. Very weird but I'm not bothered.

More later...

New Year greetings.

I really think you should get yourself one of those 6 string things with the weedy thin strings as you'd no doubt kick ass on it.

0:10 bass is aggressive and quite tribal-sounding with those drums.

0:21 nice melodic riffs that sit nicely (but with a lot of movement) and then go into what sounds like it might be a vocal tune. Easy for any vocals to follow that.

Drums don't sound too busy in this. As said before - much better than the drum loops you used to use as you clearly have much more control now.

2:29 I like the ending and how it winds down, even though it's not perfect.

Sorry that I don't have a great deal to suggest for this one. I liked it but feel it can be better though, short of adding some vocals or instrumentation, I'm not sure how.

Well I'm kind of duty-bound to comment on a track when I'm mentioned in the track description.

I guess it turns out that Sugar Bytes Guitarist is pretty damn good, though I don't have it. I just bought Effectrix and Consequence though was seriously considering buying the whole massive bundle of all their stuff as it was really very cheap.

Lead guitar lines in this sound just fine and the clean tone does sound like a very well recorded guitar - which I suppose it is.

Lots of good bass movement in this and everything sits very nicely. It's maybe a bit country but that's not bad thing.

2:34 what's that little howling wolf sound? It's also there in the intro and first verse.

I'd probably prefer the backing chords to have a bit more grit to them but that's up to you.

That key change at 1:36 really makes me think of a vocal song. Not any particular one - probably a whole load of pop/rock ones.

All in all, uplifting relaxing stuff. Well done.

Quite cool but strange beat. It sounds a little awkward and out of time at times but I think that gives it some character.

Heavy sub bass so I'd say this is more dub than hip hop. My problem is that there's no enough going on in the track so sounds like there should be vocals or other lead parts. The psychedelic parts you have on top are good, though.

I think this would be better if you could work some new parts in on top of the bass and drums.

Didn't know that software was built into Windows though that's probably because I have no need. Sounds like someone needs to make a modified version (maybe a plugin) that works with specific DAWs or maybe all of them. I imagine that having controls read out would probably really hinder workflow and creativity and be a bit annoying. But I guess you've got to do it if you're blind.

One other idea is a decent, cheapish control surface configured specifically for your young friend. You could have the controls set up in the same way each time so that nothing needs to be read out. He just learns where they are and gets on with it. Some of these control surfaces advertise themselves as removing the need for using the mouse or keyboard with your DAW though I don't know how true that is. I've seen one keyboard, which is also a control surface, specifically designed for use with Reason.

Good luck with it though I'm sure this sort of info is well known to the blind community so help should be at hand.

Interesting to hear. I wasn't quite sure what you meant by 'narrator'. Is that a bit of software? Perhaps something that reads out what a control is for blind/partially sighted people? I don't really know much about software for blind people but I'm sure there must be quite a bit of info online. Also, there must be people you can get in touch with who would help. Probably even some sort of charity or online mentoring scheme, especially for young people.

I don't know if you've heard ot the rather excellent Sonicstate music tech weekly podcast. It's so much more than just reviews of gear and should be fascinating and great fun for anyone into music tech, or just music in general. They've done about 250 shows now, each on average about 50 mins long. They have a good and varied and varying panel of experts and musicians and producers and one of them is why I am telling you about the podcast in the first place.

American composer P.J. Tracy is a fairly regular guest and is partially sighted. Not blind but I think he may use some sort of modified software though I know he does also use most of the main DAWs. Anyway, look him and the podcast up as that might give you some ideas. He sounds like a nice guy so would probably even answer emails asking for help/tips for a young blind composer.

Again, good work and good luck with doing more.

Yes, like Danke, I am also curious why you upload these amazing pieces to Looperman. It sounds like you could be earning a lot of money from these extremely accomplished and skilful pieces of art.

I've only heard a few tracks but they sound pretty much as good as any big-name film composer working today.

I really hope you'll tell me and Danke as we both really want to know!

Hi. I read your comment on the dubstep forum thread so thought I'd check this out.

As I have commented fairly extensively in that thread, there's so much I don't like about dubstep. But I'm very impressed with this so you can give your young friend a big thumbs up from me. Though, being blind, maybe just tell him I approve.

Very impressive for three hours' work and it has a pretty clean sound and it's not just about how to be extreme and smash the speakers.

Maybe it feels a little long but it's got a good, futuristic, sci-fi feel that would work really well as soundtrack music for various energetic activities and scenes.

I'd be very interested to know how a blind person gets on with software and/or hardware. Is he controlling the effects, doing the drum programming or just playing the keyboard with you doing the others things?

Again, it's wonderful for a 14-year-old.

Don't think I've seen your name around here before. But this is excellent stuff. Fully professional and very accomplished.

So much variety and so many cool sounds. Love that guitar on 0:52. Mean tone and nice chord movement. Then gets even better after that.

Great blending of genres.

I'll have to give a better, fuller review later and ask a few questions such as whether you're playing everything here yourself. Well done!

Hello. Shortish review from me just to say that this is uplifting, really positive and feelgood stuff.

Great sounds, very smoothly produced, a nice length, nothing in particular to fault. Very professional overall mix and composition.

This isn't one that I suggest you lengthen as it feels just right.

Separately, you mentioned being inspired by my guitar playing and wanting to get some more guitar into your work. You may have seen (eg advertised on this very site) that software company Sugar Bytes are having a 50% off Xmas sale. I'm going to pick up 1 or 2 items from them. I was checking out the Guitarist software of theirs and thought of you. I'd probably like it too though I don't really need it, for obvious reasons.

Take care and merry upbeat, chillout Xmas.