ValveDriver

Topvega, how are you, man?

Well, it looks like I arrived to the party just a little behind everyone else. Either way, I'm glad I found it!

I'm not exactly a Zeppelin fan. More of a Pink Floyd guy, myself. I am however a pretty big fan of the John Paul Jones and John Bonham rhythm section of Led Zeppelin. Bonham had such a loose, almost sloppy, but impeccable style, and Jones knew how to fill in the spaces to keep it pulled together. I've always felt like Page and Plant were doing their own thing in the band, while the Johns were busy being awesome. You've definitely channeled their rhythm on this track. The guitars aren't very Jimmy Page....but to me, that's a good thing. Honestly, what it sounds like to me is, The Johns on Drums and bass, early Gilmour on rhythm, and Billy Gibbons on lead. Damn...that would have been a sweet supergroup.

Generally, I agree with most of Statics reviews. Not this time. I don't think it's too long at all. This track is total jam band song, and that's what jam bands do. Jam. For long periods of time. When you find yourself grooving to good music, you don't want it to stop just about the time you're in full swing. For example...this song by Earthless. (link below) 21 minutes long and not once is it boring. I'd say you did a pretty good job of carrying this one for almost 7 minutes!

A few months ago I did a nod to Pink Floyd, (Red On The White) so I can totally relate to where you're coming from with wanting to do this track. I think you did a better job at just doing your own style based on their influence. Mine was a little more emulative, and I fear that it sounds like a ripoff. But, that's no matter, we're not talking about my track.
I like this one, and I added it to my fav file. Excellent work, as always. Here's the link to Earthelss- "Lost In The Cold Sun" I hope you like it.

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

Take care.
V.

Every now and then, I like to pop in to see what's happnin' with the brighter side of music. This track is the polar opposite of my own work.

With that being said, excellent work on this. The production value is crystal. Your panning is spot on. Everything sits exactly where it should. It's a light and, dare I say, refreshing tune without going overboard. It's just a good solid track. You have every right to be pround of it.
Personally, I don't think it needs vocals. I think what you already have speaks for itself. Vocals would take away from the true heart of this song.

This is not my preferred genre, but I enjoyed it while I was here. Keep it up.

Take care.
V.

Xyllent, Hello.

Generally, I do things dark, loud, and aggressive. So, when I hear other people do these chill out tunes, I really enjoy them. It's like taking a break from my own mind. This track provides an excellent backdrop for a temporary escape. To me, it has a very fluid, almost cool aquatic feel to it.

You said that you were thinking it's not finished. I agree with many of the others. There's really no need to do much else. I think the only idea I have, is to add forest noises. You know, Birds chirping, a stream, maybe an occasional buzz from a passing bee. But pan them all out to give them dimension.

I don't know. That may be a lame idea. Like I said, I usually do dark, loud and aggressive.

All in all, I like the track as it is. Excellent work.

Take care.
V.

Spiv, how ya doin' man?

I like this one quite a bit. It sounds like something that could easily fit into "Adventure Time". Mainly because on the surface it's all cotton candy and pretty colors, but get in there a little and it's actually a well thought out, intricate, and complex piece. Just like how Adventure Time is a colorful kids show about a post apocalyptic world filled with a broad array of characters that tie into the underlining arc.

I like the way you incorperated the guitar in a way that you don't fully notice it's there, but would definitely notice if it weren't. I don't need to say anything about the mix/master. Your's always comes out top notch. I think the only thing that stood out to me was the dryness of the vocals. But that's just personal preference, not so much a critique.

So, yeah...I really enjoyed this one, and your perseverance paid off. Excellent work, as always, mister.

Take care.
V

What's a happnin' dewd?

So, this is a good tune. It seems to be more....complete. It's full, but not crowded. Everything sits where it should. It's got a good intro, body, and the outro is spot on. I think I only really have 1.5 complaints, and possible suggestions for them.

Domenico mentioned the missing low frequencies up until the :55 mark. I noticed that too. But when I listened to it, my brain anticipated the low end to open up and impact at 0:24. Like, big-#####, bass-y kick. I think if you boost the low end on your percussion, it would solve it.

The other thing, also with the drums, (which is the .5 part of the 1.5 complaint). To me, the tom work at 2:26-2:58 might be a bit too rapid for the winding down of the tune.

Now, as far as the guit-fiddlin' and the thunder-pluckin'. I have NO complaints. I've always loved the way you're able to pull such emotion out of an instrument that's typically just used for rhythm. Not a lot of people do that.

The tune itself is a good one. It's a consistent melody, that flows so nicely it made me forget I wasn't in an old Rolls taking a drive in the English countryside. That may sound like a sarcastic jab, but really, man. This is a pleasant piece that was super easy to enjoy.

Til next time...
Latergator

Aaron.

I'm pretty sure that from this point forward, there will be no hesitation on my part to click play whenever I see you guys have a new one up. So far, each one I've listened to has been nothing but high quality. This one is, without question, no exception!

You guys have done a great job, here.

Take care.
V.

Damn, dude. This is pretty cool! You keep puttin' out tracks even remotely like this one, and you may have found your niche. This is definitely different. But, good.

The quality of the mix makes it clear you put in some work on this badboy. It definitely paid off.

Excellent work, man.

Take care.
V.

Alright. I got my HAZMAT suit back from the dry cleaners. I can do this now without spreading the death. But, I'm past the full on doom part of it, so it should be safe.

I'm really digging the hell out of this one. It's got a good strong energy to it. There's a lot happening, but it's never crowded. The Marimbas and the fiddles totally work.

You know what this is? This is what "rockin' country" would be if they actually had the rockin' balls they claim to have. It's almost borderline rock-a-billy. Which, honestly, there just isn't enough of on the ol' Looperman. Now that I think of it, I have never heard rock-a-billy on here. Hmm. Time for some electro-valve-a-billy.

No. No it isn't. It is not time for electro-valve-a-billy. That's a terrible idea. Stop it.

I think the only critique I have, and it's mostly just personal preference more than anything, is that the kicks stood out just a little more.

Overall, I thoroughly like this one. It's still exudes your trademark sound, but it's in a completely different arena than a good portion of your other songs.

Here, let me Lysol the place before I go.

Take care, man.
Aaron.

Wow, man. Right out of the gate this one is different than your usual approach. I like it.

I'll be back to do a proper review later. I want to be able to leave an accurate one. Can't do that when getting ready for the ol' boneyard shift, ya know?

Take care, mister.
Aaron.

This is a sweet track. I really enjoyed the minimalist, yet very effective approach. I've always admired people who can take so few elements and make something that not only holds your interest for the duration, but even holds your mood as well.
The instrumental choices were spot on. The contrasting horn stabs over the ethereal melodies really shaped the dynamics well.
Overall, I'd say excellent work. Kudos

Take care. V.

Wow, man. This IS funky! It's definitely not your style, and it's a good tribute to MrFunktastic. The whole time I listened I wondered if you were going to toss in some full on FreeRadical style. But you didn't. Just elements of your own style. I really liked this one, and the way you did it.

It's good to see that at least someone's already got a track in the game. Hopefully more will, too. This is exactly what that "game" is supposed to be.

Take care.
V.

This is a pretty nice little tune.

It does kind of an Asian sounding vocal melody, even though it's in English. That alone makes it pretty unique. The layering and panning on the vocals are good. There's plenty of dynamics. Sounds good.

The kick is nice and full without cutting out anything else. The hats are clean with a nice sizzle but not too bright for the mix. I think the only problem I have with this, other than being too short, is that the snares are a little buried in the mix. You could probably stand to boost them a little. But, not by much. But, that's just my opinion. Take it for what it's worth.

Take care.
V.

Evan. What's goin' on, man?

This one actually sounds like APC and Tool on stage together. You need to add some digital-electro elements to get some Puscifer in there now. Maybe get Milla Jovovich to do a cameo or two. Then, the triad will be complete, and world dominance shall begin! Or, at least...dominance on this cup of coffee shall begin, anyhow.

I like your idea of bringing the bass back to the front. Maybe you could do something where you have a super low end crunchy, heavy-##### bass chugging up the back ground rhythm, with your trademark polished bass running whimsical melodies, and a basic guitar weaving in and out of the two, keeping them pleasantly tied together, and filling in the gaps.

Just a thought.

Laters, mang.
Aaron

This is a nice little track. I always enjoy hearing what other people with FL studios come up with.

Your levels are good, your mix is clean. It is a nice chill piece. Good work.

Take Care.
V

Like others have said, it can use a little improvement. It's good, but I have confidence that you can make it better.

I think the main thing for me is bringing the snare levels up just a touch.

The drops are okay, but they kind of fizzle out. Maybe use some crash and impacts, or downrisers to really make them hit.

The basslines are good, but a sub bassline would add that full bottom end to it, making it a bigger, richer overall sound.

The background percussion bits are good. They help fill in the spaces well, and the reverb on them works well.

The emotion of the music fits the vocals well. I think maybe a touch of EQ on the vocals just to brighten them up a little.

The panning is good.

Like I said, this is good. Just a little bit of minor improvements and it could be a lot better. Of course, these are just my opinions, so take them for what they're worth.

Take care.
V.

This is nice work. It's got a nice imtro and a good string body. It conveys the emotions very well.
Again, excellent work!

Take care.
V.

This is a nice little groove. It definitely has potential to become something much larger. I'm excited to see what TG does with it.
Good work, man! Keep it up!

Take care.
V.

This is definitely a darker, surreal track. It's like the Devil rode into town with the circus and the main attraction is a nightmare made real. (Coming from me, this is a compliment!)

I listened to the original at the Soundcloud link you gave us. It's not bad at all. That one, and this one, could use a couple of minor improvements, but still, there's quality in them. You should post the original here as well, if nothing else, for a comparison. Who knows, maybe you'll get some good constructive feedback to help you learn.

I'll check out more of your work once the Holiday buzz settles down. It's an interesting sound you have.

Take care, and happy holidays.
V.

As soon as I saw "Pump Da Vibe" I had to click play. I was not let down. This is a good remix. Your use of the vocal samples fit in well with what you've done here. You've made it your own without losing the sweet upbeat, and forward vibe of the original.

Nice work.
Take care.
V.