ValveDriver

Hey man. Good update. The levels on the different synths in the drop match each other much better than before. They definitely flow into each other quite a bit more smoothly, and you can hear all of them. And it really is a pretty cool drop. Now, just bring them all down to where they match the levels of the rest of the song, and you should be golden!

Which DAW are you using to make this?

" All i do is make a loop and then paint around it which really isn't that hard."

Don't sell yourself short, brother. That which you've said in the sentence above is the name of the game, man. Music is repetition. Finding a way to do that without it becoming monotonous or, adversely, a sloppy mess, is a tricky one! Let alone for ten minutes a pop. And, consistently, I might add. I've heard some people take some loops and put them together with the skill comparable to a 3rd grader making a cut-out collage with stick-paste and safety scissors. That shit was a hot mess, dude. I know the feeling of not liking your work once you've finished, but still, there's gotta be some kind of love there, or you never would have completed it.
You have a knack for knowing where to put certain things in your tracks that keep it interesting. Specifically 'pellas and dialogue samples. I also like the way you can transition from one track to the next, which has a completely different feel, but never breaks the flow.

Hopefully, you and Renz can come with that collab. I'm pretty sure it will be nothing less than awesome.

That's my opinion, anyhow.
Take care.
V.

DRO, How are you?

This is a great song. I was surprised to find out it was loops. I thought for sure you were using live instruments. Your ability to arrange them, and then mix/master them is top quality.
This song is a good mellow listen. It kind of just grabs you by the hand and pulls you in. There's really nothing off-putting about it. I'm not sure who you have on vocals, but she kind has a Martha Davis quality to her voice. That's a good thing in my opinion. The ending is a good ending. It doesn't abruptly end, and it doesn't drag on. It's a gentle piece. Almost melancholic.

I don't fave many songs, but I will have to do so on this one. I liked it quite a bit.

Take care, Mister.
V.

This is pretty good. I like the fact that it starts out with a darker, heavier intro. Not that cheesy ass chipmunk bubblegum synth business. I also like the melodic nature. It actually has purpose. The drops are nicely pieced together, and the melodies between are actually melody driven. Good work.
There are only three things that stand out to me in regards to room for improvement.

1) The different synth levels in the drop. Some come across as much louder, or quieter than others, which kind of disrupt the smooth flow and give it a "pieced together" feel, taking away from the smooth flow. Pretty simple fix. Just a little tweaking in the mixer.

2)The drums get lost in the drop. During the rest of it, they're fine. I think if you take care of the levels from the first suggestion, this one would probably work itself out with very minimal work afterwards.

3) A lack of impacts on the initial drop start. Your builds are good, they lead up to the drop with the anticipation needed, but then kind of just stumble into the rest of it. If you added an impact, or some big hits right at the beginning of the drop, it would slam that badboy into your face! This, also, a very simple fix.

Aside from those simple technicalities... "Sick drops, bro!"
This is a good piece. With a little fine tuning, I think you can make it better.

But, this is just my opinion. Take it for what it's worth.
Good work, keep it up!
Take care.
V.

Honestly, I don't really know anything about Trap. But, if this is what it's like, I may have to look a little deeper. I like the darker nature of this. Dark is what I do. It's definitely some hard hitting bid'niss!

Take care.
V.

Any time I see that you've added your vocals to anything, I have to listen. Generally, two or three times. As per usual, you don't disappoint with this one.

I think with the nature of the song, and the lyrical content, a little heavier reverb on the vocals would be good. It would give that distance to your voice that the lyrics describe. That hollowness, if you will. But, that's just my opinion. Either way, it's a good solid track as it is. Thank you for sharing. It really is our treat.

Take care.
V.

Renz, what's happnin' man?

You've definitely nailed down that retro 80's sound. I don't know if you were there or not, but you've captured the spirit, that's for sure.

I'd like to leave a more detailed comment, but at the moment my environment is not conducive to focusing on details. Mainly, I just wanted to let you know that I feel your ability to capture the vibe of the era where I spent a good portion of my youth is on par, and always a good listen.

So, thanks for that! Keep it up! Once I have the ability to give this track the attention it deserves, I'll come back and review it with more attention to the details.
Until then, take care.
V.

I think it's pretty solid. The only thing I noticed that kept this from being top notch was the kick, and the crash. And the only problem was a super easy one to fix.
The Kick. While it's an awesome pounder, could stand a little cut around 50-60hz. It's low end is causing a muddy sound that prevents that good solid "pop" on the top end. Also. It makes it sound like it's stepping on the rest of the track.
The crash. Just lower the volume level a little bit.
That's about it from my perspective.
Other than that, like I said. This is a solid track. Keep it up!
Take care.
V.

One of the things I've always admired about your work is how you exceed at creating the music to have a parallel voice to the lyrical content. To me, it's more like the music is actually speaking, and your vocals are only there to translate the message into words for the rest of us to understand.
I see people frequently comment on the quality of your vocals, or the quality of the music. I don't think enough people give you credit for your lyrical content. It always seems very deeply personal and hidden behind a cryptic message. There is never anything cliche about it. Very poetic. Generally, it's brilliantly written, even in all of it's own darkness. Which I assume, is why the music and the lyrics are so tightly knit, and why you have such a unique style here. Granted, it's influenced by some of the greats, (show me one person who's ever created anything that wasn't influenced by someone before them...), but it's not a ripoff. What you do is all you, man. That's why it works.

Take care.
V.

This comes across as very simple, but it's effective. I like it.
I think maybe it would fit better in the Ambient genre, though.

Take care.
V.

Shit yes, man! Now that I've had a chance to sit down with headphones and no distractions, I'm diggin' the hell out of this.

It's an appropriate title. There does seem to be a certain bit of madness to it. I know the style of music is nothing like anything he's used, but there's a certain David Lynch quality to it. Kind of a subdued static that makes you think, "what the hell is happening here? I freakin' love it!" I think because it's so bouncy, it sounds like it should be happy, but the synths are actually very aggressive and kind of relentlessly in your face. That's a good thing. Ya know, it kind of reminds me of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, too. You know, when they all start taunting Alice to the point where she's almost confused. But instead of being set in Wonderland, it was in a post-apocalyptic institution of some sort heavy with flickering fluorescent lights. Of course, that's just my interpretation, anyhow.
As far as the length goes, anyone who complains about it being too long, doesn't know how to enjoy music. Or read, apparently. I say keep doing the mini-mixes if that's what you like to do. Don't change your style for some impatient bastards. Somewhere over the years I picked up this little gem, "If you make it the way you like it, others will like it too." That's no joke there, mister. Coincidentally enough, I happen to be one of the "others" who like it.

Keep it up, man.
Take care.
Aaron.

Here's my take, for what it's worth.

1:52 to the end, needs to be cut. Then, take it and use it as an intro to a song that can be built entirely around it. That part is a nice, dark groove that could take on a slow building, epic life of it's own. Honestly, of everything I've heard come from you, that one minute is without a doubt my favorite. You could take that to some amazing places. I don't want to lessen the rest of this track by any means, though. There is serious potential here. I can see what you mean about it sounding "happier." I think mostly what it needs is some drum-love. I think you could get away with some fancy snare work on this one. (Think Brann Dailor).
I'm curious to see where you take this one. As it sits, there is, like I said, a lot of potential for this badboy!
Take care, man.
Aaron.

Evan. How are you?

The ending to this track was executed exactly the way I was trying to describe to you in "The Meandering Somnambulist."
With that being said, I'm not doing any more of a technical review on this one. I don't really need to.

It's clear that this track has purpose. At first I wasn't too sure about the synths, but after a second listen, and reading your description and your response to Crucethus, they made perfect sense, and absolutely worked. At least, in my own interpretation of the track, anyhow.

I like it, man. Good work.
Take care.
Aaron.

This is a pretty cool little piece. I love the chill beginning, the guitars that come in at 2:03 are a nice touch and introduce themselves at the right time. They mix well with the funky-ass drums that come in at 3:27. It's a good way to start building tension for the end.
Now, about that...
If I may make a suggestion, or two.
At 4:44, the transition to the metal drums is a bit harsh. It's like they weren't invited and just stepped on the party. Granted, that's the entire nature of metal, but I don't think that was the intended purpose in this track.
What I would do, and this is just me, so take it or leave it, but I would completely cut out 4:44-5:07 and replace it with a copy of what you have at 1:24-1:47. That way it drops out and has room to breath, and also serves as a separation from the funky-ass drums, as well as a good build back up to the metal riff that starts at 5:07. Immediately drop in some of the male vocals at that point to keep it tied to the beginning, and flowing nicely. Keep those vocals going in the background until the end of the track. They have a great rhythmic value to them that can serve as a glue to hold the two contrasting dynamics together. Utilize them for all they're worth!
Again, I'm just some dude and that's just my opinion and what I would do with it. Take it for what it's worth!

None the less, I still enjoyed it as it is!
Take care.
V.

Topvega, what's happnin', man?

I've been a fan of rock and metal since the 70's. (because I wasn't alive before then) And, when I say rock and metal, I mean everything from the Beatles to Cannibal Corpse, and Rush to Ministry.
With that being said, I have to agree with Danke. I don't really hear the Static-x, even in the drums, other than they are programmed like a lot of theirs are. I definitely hear it from more along the lines of where Crucethus is coming from.
This bad boy is straight up Rock! Drums aside,(even then, you could pretty much leave it, if it were on an acoustic set.), if you dropped this bad boy in the mix with Foghat, Mountain, and maybe a little Montrose, it would fit right in, brother.
As far as vocals go, nah. Too many people rely on vocals to make a tune. I think letting the music speak for its self is voice enough. If the music is good, it doesn't need someone warbling over the top of it.
Overall, man, this is a rockin' tune. It's right where it needs to be as far as genres go. Awesome work!

Take care.
V.

Along with the message in the lyrics, (which I really liked), the birds, and the general flow of the song, it was very tidal. Like a coastal rhythm of waves on the shore. Actually, it kind of reminds me of some of Enya's work. That's a good thing.
Good work, man. I really enjoyed this. It's definitely a chillout track. Because I totally chilled to it!

Take care.
V.

Damn, man. This IS chill. It's about as far off to the opposite end of the spectrum from my usual tastes, but, even so, it's not out of my realm of enjoyment. I mean, I listen to Sade. Sometimes. As luck would have it, I'm in kind of a chill mood tonight, so this goes well with the mood.

Thanks for sharing this with us. It's a quality piece, that I'm sure I'll be listening to again sometime, mister!
Take care.
V.

This is a cool track. I can definitely see how it's a construction based theme. Working in a steel mill, I can testify that this pretty much sums up the overall aura. It's repetitive and monotonous, but still never reaches boring. There are element's moving around that keep it from being stale. Excellent work.
Billydragon made a great suggestion. Pneumatic drills work great in this kind of music. I use all kinds of actual industrial sounds in my tracks. Mostly from my job. If you incorporate them just right, they're super effective.

This is one of the more recent ones I did that's filled with them.
https://www.looperman.com/tracks/detail/154078
Check it out if you feel like it. Don't if you don't.

Anyhow, I dig the track.
Take care.
V.

How has this track seen no love?

This is good, solid industrial with all the classic elements. It's a nice, high energy mix. You should put your tracks in the "featured" list. Get them some more love, man!

Take care.
V.

There's not much more that I can say that Static hasn't already covered, so I'll keep it short at sweet. This ending is a solid improvement. It doesn't seem as rushed. It's obviously more deliberate and steady. Like stairsteps to the void.
Good work, man.

Take care.
Aaron.

I think the general consensus here is the fade out ending. I don't think it was a bad choice. The overall energy of this track seems to be one that constantly pushes forward. I think any other kind of ending would kill that momentum. But, I do believe that it sounded rushed. I think if you were to have created a final transition just for the sake of fading it out, one that varied a little more from the main body, it may have flowed more naturally. OR, alternately, if you were to do a more abrupt ending, finish it off with the snares like you already have, but have them accompanied by just the piano playing the main bass riff to a good closing point.
Those are just my own personal opinions, though. Take them for what they're worth.
As far as the overall track goes, I like it. I think your incorporation of synths are getting better. Awesome work, man.
Take care.
Aaron.

When I first started getting into dubstep, I also listened to Datsik, Excision, Noisia, and Dubba Johnny. They had a good thing going. When Skrillex exploded, I thought his drops were frickin' awesome, but the song formulas were all exactly the same. Granted, most songs are the same formula. That's why they work. But in his case it was all exactly the same. That's the main reason I quit listening. But, as far as his contribution to the genre...totally game changing, and you gotta respect that!
I'll have to check out his new one. I'm curious to see how he's grown as an artist.

As far as my tracks go, sloooow movin'! I don't always have much time to work on them. And I have about 4 in the process that I jump back and forth on. I just put up a new one. It's a bit different.

Anyhow, now I'm the one rambling!

Take care, Johnny.
V.

Yeah, man. This is good and dark. It's got a good trance quality to it, and by that, I don't mean trance like the music, as much as the state of mind. You can easily just sit and zone out to this.
I agree with Spivkurl, too. It does have a great early 90's industrial sound to it. I think your best bet as far as finding a genre to put it in would be "industrial".
Great work, man.
Take care.
V.

Nice. I like what you did with the panning. Especially on that big chorus pad. The drums sound better too!
I don't know if you're still working with one speaker, but if you are, it's pretty impressive to get that done with one ear!
That little voice is a neat one. It stays with you after the track is finished. It definitely adds to the whole dreamy-chill factor.
Again, excellent work. Keep 'em comin'!
Take care.
V.

Nice!
It starts big. That's the way it should be. I like the way you go straight into that liquid bass instead of some cheesy-ass chorus pad.
Normally I'm not a fan of Veela's vocals, (I think that's who that is), but this was good use. You kept them as accent, not the star of the show.
Yeah, this darker dubstep is good. When I was listening to dubstep, this was what I would look for. Unfortunately, too many people jumped on the Skrillex bandwagon and it got cheesy. I applaud you for keeping this side alive. Keep it up, man. You're definitely good at what you do.

Take care.
V.