ValveDriver

I appreciate this for more than the obvious. The obvious being that you have played it beautifully. I'm not a pianist by any sense of the word, nor am I as familiar with Debussy as I am with others, so I can't give any feedback on technicality, but in my ears, it was done flawlessly.
The reason I appreciate this aside from your playing ability is because I have been submerged under the weight of Metal (and most of it's subgenres) for almost 40 years. Generally, I thrive on the brutal and aggressive nature of Metal. However, whenever classical manages to find it's way through the clouds of rust, and razor sharp edges, it reminds me to come up for air. It reminds me that it's okay to put my guard down for a minute and just relax.
Another reason I appreciate this is because Looperman is severely lacking in Classical music. It would be nice to see more here. Thank you for sharing.

Take care.
V.

Do you remember the "Mind's Eye" series of movies? They started somewhere around '90. A bunch of CGI art films set to music. I think there were three or four of them. Anyhow, this sounds like it could have been made for one of the vignettes. it's kind of cinematic, kind of atmospheric. Not a whole lot of that signature, cleverly disguised dark underbelly in this one. You feelin' alright, man? lol
I think it's funny how many people here have commented on the percussion. It's like, "..uhhh, have you never listened to Crucethus before? There's always killer percs, man." I mean, they're not wrong, though.
Fall is my favorite season as well. At least the last half of it. After the days get short and the weather gets cold.
Anyhow brother, I dig it. It does have a good energy to it. I think fun and funky is a perfect description.
Take care, bud.
Aaron

Nice, man! This sounds like you took some early 2000s alt music and flavored it with late 70s early 80s ska. What a brilliant mix of sounds. It has great energy.
Back in the 90s, when it was still illegal, I smoked the shit all the time. Always goin' to sketchy dude's places to get whatever we could get our hands on. A constant hunt for the Purple K, White Lotus, etc.. Usually just ended up with decent green. Sometimes stems and seeds, but not too bad. Fast forward a couple decades, living in Washington state, the second state to legalize, I wasn't in a position to smoke anymore. Word around the campfire is that the quality of that legal weed put the Purple K to shame. There's a cruel irony for ya.
Anyhow, killer track, man. Fav'd for sure!

Take care.
V.

I think you're on the right track. One trick to try: while you're putting your track together, keep all of your different instruments mixer tracks levels at around -3db to -6db in your mixer. Adjust them so that they all sound about even as far as volume goes. Once you finish your track, then you can put an EQ and a Limiter, and a few other plugins on your master track, and then you can bring the master volume up to just under 0db. If you set your limiter to -0.1 db, then you should have a nice loud sound, but it's below the clipping point, and you won't get that unwanted distortion.
There's a lot more to mixing and mastering than this, but it's at least a good start. I don't have enough room in the comments to get too detailed. Check out videos on Youtube for more tips and tricks. There are a lot out there that can help you tremendously.
Keep it up. Like I said, you're on the right track.

V.

Hey man, whenever your levels go above 0db, you start getting what's called clipping. That's when the frequencies are too high and there's a distortion where distortion shouldn't be. I hear a lot of that in this track. When that happens, it's not considered lo-fi. It's just levels being too loud.
If you were to go back and adjust your levels, you would get a much cleaner, and much nicer sounding track.
Other than that, this is a cool piece.
Take care.
V.

This is cool. It's kind of the same genre as like, Falling In Reverse. Well, at least from what little of them that I've heard. That's more Mrs. V's style of metal. I tend to lean more into the Deathmetal and Deathcore. But that's totally beside the point. The point is, this is good.
I dig the mix overall. But I do think the guitar could come up just a touch. They're a little quiet in there. Just my opinion, brother.
So, as far as the vocals go, which parts are you, and which parts are from the sample? Also, are you playing the solo bit starting at around 2:17?
I saw that you and Aaron were talking about dark music personas...yeah, I can relate. For may years now, Valvedriver has been known here for being one the darker ones of the place. ...and, much like the two of you, it's in contrast to my daily self. So, I dig it, man. I get where you're coming from.
Anyhow, I hope all is well.
Take care.
V.

That was supposed to say, "this is AN exception", not "...NO exception." As in, I really like it considering it's not being what I usually gravitate toward. Oops. Either way. It was meant as a compliment.

The overall vibe to this almost has an Ennio Morricone feel to it. Like it belongs in a modern-day spaghetti western. I dig it.
Good work on the mix, too. It's crystal. It's not really my preferred genre, but I can certainly enjoy it for what it is. This is no exception.
Good work, man. Keep it up.
Take care.
V

Once that guitar kicked in, I knew exactly why it was given this title. This is some bluesy/classic rock sounds with a nice touch of modern indie, mister! I'm getting hints of Hendrix, Gary Moore, and even a little (90s era) Carlos Santana in the guitar work. Sounds great!
I wasn't expecting female vocals, or any vocals at all, but it was a nice surprise.
Such a great sound, and the mix is some high quality mixing, too.
Now on my second listen, I have to wonder if you guys are Pearl Jam fans too.
Awesome job, Mr. Danke!
As always, brother, I hope all is well.
With hugs, take care my friend.
Aaron

The title is truly appropriate. The intro synth is very lunar, but the main body is very grounded and down to Earth. Then the pads/keys at about the three minute mark usher us out on a stellar breeze. As if to float along on a ribbon of reality somewhere between a dream and a memory.
Beautiful work as always.
Do be away so long next time, my friend. ;)
Take care.
Aaron

Danke, how are ya, brother?
I can't say that I've ever heard vocals in any of your songs before. But, there was a time for awhile that I wasn't around much, so I may have missed any if there were. I like it. It's a good direction. They're very dreamlike, and easy to listen to. Who are they?
Do I detect a little John Bonham influence in the drums? They're big, wide and loose. Very reminiscent of Mr. Bonham's style. They're great here. They keep it full without overfilling.
Great tones on the guitars as well. I like the way they fade out in the end with an increasing level of distortion. If you listen hard enough, there's almost a touch of Deftones to this one.
As always, great work my friend!
take care.
Aaron

This is pretty cool. It's like a nice mix between Lords of Acid, Skinny Puppy, and Coil. (not necessarily in that order). It definitely has a retro feel to it. It sounds like some of what I listened to back in the 90s with...a bit of acid. As in...Lysergic, not synths.
It's a good song. It's mixed well, and a great use of effects to give it that psychedelic feel. At least, psychedelic in the electro-sense. I really like how the vocals are almost erratic and non cohesive. It definitely fits the theme of the song.
Good work. Keep it up.
Take care.
V.

How's it going, man?
It's clear you've put a lot of work into this. It shows. From my perspective, the mix is flawless.
The use of effects are touched off perfectly. They enhance what's there without distracting from, or getting in the way of anything else.
The levels are all balanced out nice and evenly. No frequencies tripping up over each other. The sub and the vocals are sitting in the same place, (as they should) but they're layered in with each other with no competition for the front.
Dude, all the highs are high without sizzle, and the lows are all low without clipping, The mids are keeping their nose in their own business and letting it be clean.
The structure itself is good. There are enough transitions and subtle changes that keep it from being monotonous and boring. You did well with the progression of rap pacing. Ended it off with the intense dude goin all balls out.
Good work, man.

Take care.
Aaron.

What's goin' on, Dime? All is well I hope.
Here's my take on the track. First, I like how dark it is. But is that any surprise? I mean...I'm Valvedriver. Dark is what I do.
As a few people before me mentioned, the vocals are a little low in the mix. I like the delay on the vocals, but I think the feedback/mix levels could have been a little lower. That way it gives the initial vocal track a nice clarity, but not losing the "echo" effect. Think of it as a muted bell. When you smack the bell, the attack is super prominent, and even though you can still here the ring afterwards, it's quieted and fades out fast. The benefit of this is still having the delay effect, but not overcrowding the next few words. They come out much clearer.
Also, in doing so, you could bring the vocal volume levels up so they sit closer to the front of the mix without the echo laying over the top of everything, which ultimately would clutter it up.

Other than that, good collab!
Take care.
V.

This is a groovy little number, man. I dig it. I really like the glitch on the percussion. Actually, there are a lot o effects I really like. The vocals that come in at 1:24 have some really nice effects. I think for my own personal taste, they could use some reverb with a nice long tail. Either that or a delay with a high feedback. But that's just me, so take it for what it's worth.
Your placements and timing of the female vocals are impeccable. The ping-pong delay on them are super nice, too.
I like the way it just grooves right on through. It doesn't peak, or valley. It just rides on in it's consistent glory.
I don't know if I would call this rock, though. It's almost a triphop thing. Kind of.
All in all, a great tune. Thanks for sharing with us.
Take care.
V.

Alright, man. I thought I'd stop by and check it out after you left such a positive comment over on my track. I am not disappointed. Not in the slightest. I don't really know anything about Trap, so I can't say anything in regards to that. But, from my perspective and taking it for what it is, it's good.

I can get on board with just about anything if it's dark enough. This is dark enough.
Honestly, it reminds me of Aphex Twin in some aspects. Which is a compliment.
The mix is top notch. Nothing overcrowds anything else. your frequencies are separated enough so there's no heavy overlapping. The panning and effects are balanced well. Nice work, man!

Take care.
V.

What's happnin', Evan?
I missed this one when you originally posted it 7 years ago. Though, I'm not surprised, that was a whirlwind time for me.
I am surprised to see that you popped in after so long. Good to see your presence again. There aren't too many of us left that still hang out in the place.
Anyhow, this is has the classic Evisma sound as far as tones and effects. Or, at least classic for that time. I know you've worked on more stuff since, so it may be a lot different these days. Did you ever get that album finished?

I like the progression of this, and the way it ebbs and flows. The title is very fitting. The transitions are seamless. I know somebody in the earlier comments said something about needing vocals...no, it doesn't. The instrumentation sings for itself. It is of my opinion that people need to stop relying on vocals for a song to deliver it's message. Just chill the fuck out and enjoy the music ya know? Sometimes it's all about the journey, not the serenade. 1/2

(2/2) i like the leads at 1:00 and 4:28. Especially the 4:28 with the double tracking solo. It's very Tony Iommi. At least in the tracking sense. Stylistically, it's it's all Evan. The energy is appropriate. Neither are too slow, but they aren't just virtuosic shreds for the sake of "rockin' out'.
Anyhow, man. Glad to see you 'round again. Hopefully you'll be back soon with some new work. I'd love to hear what you're doing these days.

This is pretty cool. It kind of reminds me of that little time in the 90s where a lot of different bands were doing work like this. Enigma, Pm Dawn, and a few others. It's borderline New Age.
I think the only real critique I have is to beef up the drums a little. They're kind of hard to hear. The padded kick works, but it's almost inaudible under the bass.
Other than that, nice tune. Keep it up.

Take care.
V.

Alan, what's happnin'?

I dig this. It's kind of dark and groovy. It's got a good vibe to it.

I like to mix synths with traditional instruments in my work as well, so, I really liked the way you incorporated them in yours.

I think, however, the drums could have been a bit louder in the mix. They're kind of buried in the background, and hard to hear in some spots. Other than that, it sounds good.

Good work. Keep it up.
Take care.
V.

This is cool. It has an early to mid 90s sound to it. It kind of reminds me of some of the, ehh, "Adventures" we would be on during the time. Things certainly seemed more surreal back then.
I think the only thing I would have done differently would have been to add a kick with a slight boost to the mids, and some distortion. Just enough to give it a good snap on the attack, and some fuzz on the release. It's good as it is, but to my ears, that would have made it a little more full bodied.
Either way, Good work. The mix sounds great. Everything is sitting nicely in it's own spot. No frequencies are overlapping too much. With the beat box percussion, it almost sounds like it could be part of a Guy Ritchie soundtrack.

keep it up.
Take care.
V,

There was a while there when the community aspect kind of dropped out around here. It's definitely back, I believe. It's different now than it was before, but it's still a good place. There are still a lot of very supportive people, and that's always good.
Anyhow, have a good one, brother.
Take care.
Aaron.

Funny thing is, Dime, I'm also working on a remix of this one. Except I won't be including my vocals. I don't have the gift of song when it comes to that department. Nobody wants to hear Valvedriver sing!

Kudos, man.
Take care.
V.

Damn, man. This thing is so smooth it glides when it walks. Then, when I thought it couldn't get any better, you bring in the Rhodes. I was hoping to hear more of it, though. Either way, I dig this.

There are a lot of cool little accents throughout this track. It's kind of funny, you don't really notice them at first, but if they weren't there, you would definitely miss them.

Good work, man. It's good to see your return.
Take care.
V.

Welcome to the loop, Alan. You come in swingin', too. Good work.

This is cool. It reminds me a lot of some of the deeper underground bands of the 90s alternative scene. Specifically the bassline and the drums. The bass is definitely very 90s. That's a good thing.

I like it. I don't know who's doing the vocals, or where you got them, but it was a good pick for sure.

All in all, good track. Keep 'em coming.

Take care.
V.