Neomorpheus

Great comment Neo! The cigar box guitar was born as a poor mans guitar. People were so poor and in some cases weren't allowed to own instruments so to make life suck a bit less they began making their own out of whatever they could find. Cigar boxes were abundant and made of great tone woods. I dont recall the entire story but someone involved in recording at the time was waiting for a bus or train and came across a gentleman playing a guitar by sliding his knife blade across the strings. I got the chills still do hearing these primitive instruments. Check out songs inside the box by max shores all about the current renasainance of the instrument. Earliest known picture of a cigar box fiddle was civil war era. I've been mb aking a number of these live recordings, people loving it, and I'm hoping to get others inspired to do the same. It's not about perfection.

Thank you for the kind words and feedback!

Yo.

I hope I didn't freak you out too much with this collaboration between such extreme musical heavyweights. Look out next week for my collaborative track featuring Steve Vai, Maynard James Keenan and Enya. It's something rather special.

We actually made this one about 3 years ago and were hoping to do enough for a whole album together. Or at least a group Looperman account. But that hasn't happened so I've uploaded this one here for people to check out anyway.

Warriors Three? Not a bad name but I don't love it. We suggested so many names between us but didn't really love any of them so went in the end with The Bastard Files. Because we're a bunch of bastards and we send each other audio files over the internet. A bastard file is actually a type of file ie the metal tool used for filing.

Damn those compression issues! I'll try to fix them but I've already put a huge amount of work into mixing this at various times in the last 3 years. So I can't guarantee much improvement now.

Thanks for the thoughts.

Thanks a lot for your friendly comment Neo.
Good to know that you could enjoy the listen to the music and my vocal work and did not run away while reading me name :)

stay tuned
joe

Your comment gives me great satisfaction. I thank you for the esteem you show for my work. In fact, I use some low-cost applications installed on my Huawei cell phone as the only sound source. Specifically, I use Heath Sintesizer (synth with sequencer) and Beat Machine (electronic drums) for the rhythm parts. They are extraordinary apps that allow me great compositional freedom and extreme customization of sounds. A cordial greeting
Marco

Hey Neo, thanks for starting the annual Halloween thread, it lit a bit of a fire under my ass to get recording. Thought you were smart buying those discount batteries again huh? I never really got down the delta blues on my 6 stringers, seem to have nailed it taking up slide on these homemade guitars. More to come don't die too soon!!

i actually randomly found Grozzou's work and fell in love with this track. Been talking ever since and have some more in the works for sure

thanks so much neo, comin from you means a lot for sure
much love
-CAP

Sorry for the late reply Neo....always great pleasure to hear from you. Well that bridge section is something that was certainly missing in the original. Thanks a million for your kind feedback and support !

With much appreciation_____leon

Thanks, Neo,
Yes, the legendary master of all Joe and Dr Cru I don't think anyone can go wrong.
Thanks again
Jamid

Thanks, Neo. Appreciate you giving it a listen and providing some feedback. Yeah, it is not done for sure. I am working on some sub-bass at the moment. I have never done any before so I am watching and learning on Youtube. I just got Serum so going to try and use that for the Sub. Guitars will also be brought up in the mix. I suck at guitar solos, especially ones on Virtual instruments but I might give it a try anyway.
Thanks again.

HL

Thank You

thank you sir, i fixed a few notes since then and wow, totally different song in a way lol... I'm back and loving it... check out KTA !!! (new song) peace

Double comment from you so I'll just say you may as well check out some of my other replies for a bit more info on this track.

I would have loved to have got some Toolesque guitar in some of the tribal drumming sections!

Yo.

That glitchy synth is a sample-based banjo part put through a stutter effect. Good fun and fairly memorable.

"and then you break out the cello for a nice multi track Eastern thing"

My favourite cello riff in this. Kind of Eastern, with lots of movement. Fun to play.

"The bass plays a repeating pattern"

It does. Kind of the same thing throughout though there is a bit of variation when the track opens out later on and switches to the key of D (from C). I'm pleased with how the sine wave bass arp sits nicely under the strings and synths in the first few mins. Then I fatten it up for the groove based sections and it all seems to work nicely. There is another bass synth that takes over in a couple of different sections but I think the sine wave part may still be playing, lower in the mix.

"you may even have two drum tracks going here"

Yes, layered loops, as I often do. Plus programmed acoustic kits. Not sure about the panning but there is certainly some movement. Might be on the loops.

"You don't skimp or play it safe when it come to the percussion"

I don't but I'd also like to do more minimal drum tracks though I'm also always trying to get a unique overall drum track for each piece of music, as difficult as that is. Lots of albums have the exact same drum sound throughout.

"it almost sounds like a complete string orchestra"

Not sure why as there's mostly just one sample-based violin, though there are some played cello layers at various points, eg in the intro as the track builds in complexity and volume.

"a very fat groove of strings there for several bars as everything starts to speed up"

Aha, in that heavier, darker string section, I have the violin split into two channels, one with distortion on it, just to give more buzzy crunch. And there are higher cello flourishes to add emphasis.

"the reprise of the mystical opening tones to take it out."

Well I had to end it somehow and I find those mystical sine wave tones quite pleasant to listen to on a loop. I could've gone on with that for a while!

"the best artists are rarely satisfied with their material."

Well I'm certainly no great artist but I am a bit different, hopefully unique. And I am indeed rarely satisfied, especially these days as I sometimes feel like an ex-musician, quite disconnected from playing and listening to music.

"I'm waiting to hear some more guitar works hopefully."

Won't be happening anytime soon! Lost all my fluidity, ideas, phrasing, joy and so on on the instrument.

"Maybe some neo-sych or some Psy-trance."

I'd like to make some Tri trance (feat. lead triangle throughout) or Cry trance (sad, weepy, emotional trance for a raver's funeral).

I'd love to make some Eastern Sludge or stoner but guitar playing will be required! Or distorted cello.

Thanks again for the comprehensive comments.

Seven hundred greetings, Senor Neo.

Damn earbuds! They can be so crap. This track sounds rubbish on the ones I have.

No Quarter? Does this really sound like that. Will have to go back and listen to the original though I like the Tool version.

"a 3 minute drumless intro might even be a rarity for you"

It is but I'm trying to progress, even within my awful, ongoing period of creativity and non instrument playing.

"almost sounds as if there are some choral effects being used."

A choir pad enters playing pretty much the same thing as the lead violin at 1:56.

There's quite a bit happening in my intro, including two versions of that looping sine wave bass, which plays throughout most of the track. 3:06 I just add an effect to make it much fatter. Throbbing sub, basically. No throbbing in intro, just has to sit nicely under the strings and stuff.

"a nice tight staccato snare rudiment"

Yes, that's a drum loop that I've sort of trimmed by adjusting the attack, letting a lot less of the sound through than the original, which is kind of a dance beat.

"some pretty cool glitch rhythm elements"

I think that's just one stutter effect on, would you believe it, a banjo sound! That's at 3:52 and is good fun and has been noted by other people here.

More thoughts coming in my next reply.

Thanks very much.

Thanks, Neo. Yeah, the lyrics need refinement for sure. I tend to always go for vocal melody 1st and then try and expand on lyrical content. Quite a few of my tracks that have vocals don't even have actual words, just sounds.
I have been trying to get more involved with Virtual Instruments. I suck at keyboard and MIDI arrangement but have been getting better. Thanks for the feedback.

tv

Thank you for suggestion, Neo. So, if i pump up the kick, i have to pump up the bass too. It could work.

Thanks for your comment !
The effect is simply an EQ !
Isn't a pro mix but I appreciate the compliment !
A bientôt !
K

Thank you Neomorpheus! I made ya weak huh? Hehe And I totally agree with your last comment! Thanks again. :-)

Oh I hear that! Thanks. Yeah the lady I spoke about is Cyndi Cyreigna Elliott, at IrieTribal on youtube. I guess I walked into that one!

Good ears, yes he does use heavy gauge strings. Great old song but maybe not as old as you might think. Even though songs like Rumble were done as early as '56, this one was done quite a bit later in 1979, sure surprised me.

I learned to play acoustic on a Silvertone. Nice sound, bad action = bloody fingertips but honestly, I wish that borrowed guitar was still in my possession. Yup Danelectro made those for Sears.

Bass track i stuck to the original runs, no need to mess with that, used a 55 Gretch drum set in EZ Drummer, killer kick sound!

Thanks for stopping by, check out Norms Rare Guitars and their "guitar of the day" vids, completely awesome way to learn about guitars, especially the ones that matter.

Cheers!