This is an older track I recently put a lot of time into remixing. It's a long track, but changes a lot. It's meant as a kind of dark, twisted, evolving journey. I'd love some feedback on the track itself and the mix.

 

Any comments at least on the mix? It is what I'm most concerned about. Thanks in advance!

 

Got annoyed by the first 30 sec of the intro, the part after the vocal sample plays in full is cool though and piqued my interest. The drum breaks themselves sound nice, and would have liked to blast them louder, but those ear piercing screeching noises made that insufferable. They're less annoying during the break around 5-6mins. Could lose a minute from around 8:25 an onwards with no harm, works nicely towards the end juxtaposed with the throat singing though. I love more than half of this tune a lot but interspersed with annoying parts that makes me want to never repeat it though lol. It's hella interesting for sure though, so keep at it and don't listen to grumpy old me.

 

Thanks for listening floond, excellent helpful comments. It is interesting to see that one of the most prominent parts of the tune, the high-pitched screechy noise, is ear-grating to some (or all?). I quite agree actually. Could be the sound itself, or perhaps the problem is that I eq'ed out most of the mids of that sound so that it would sit above the drums. No other eq configuration seemed to work. Indeed, though it was meant as an effect, that sound is low-passed a little around 5-6 minutes, exactly where you say the sound becomes more tolerable. This tune is over 3 years old, but remixed in the past two weeks (the old mix was insufferable to my ears) and today I would probably not juxtapose the same kinds of sounds, knowing a little more about mixing. Maybe the highs in general could be brought down.

I did try to get the drum breaks as loud as I could - any louder and they started sounding separate from the track - so that comment is also interesting. I don't think I have the expertise to get them any more prominent. I expect very few to enjoy the part after 8:25, actually - that was a personal indulgence where I repeated everything just beyond a point where I started feeling an altered state of mind, happens every time.

Thanks again for taking the time to listen and comment.

 

Oh, I just meant turning my speakers up louder would turn the screeching into a sonic weapon lol. The drums are fine in the mix

My pleasure

 

Ah, I see! I was just listening to the tune in headphones, so I know what you mean. The drums were rocking so I wanted more volume, but I was cautious because I was worried about the high end, especially that electricity sound, in my ears.

 

who the HELL... broke the bulldozer???

Sorry, thats all I got.. I don't get, understand or see a reason for this kind of.. creation... I guess?

What do ya... do.. with it.. once it's done? is it sold? If so.. to who?... and for what?

Hard to wrap my head around some of todays 'music'

Experimental dark ambient break..core?

Which fork in the road was taken to get from Bing Crosby to \_____> here?

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!

Mixwise.. its a decent mix for sure.

 

Last edited: Jan 27, 2016

Ah, One Reason, I've been waiting actually for your feedback (even though I'm a newbie I've been watching the forum a lot). Given that you are very bluntly honest, I was curious what your reaction to this would be. The nicest feedback I could have is that it's a decent mix - I worked sooo hard on it, and just recently. So I'm glad to hear that. But I also love the visceral reaction you have had to it. Some artists would say that this is one of the points of art. To make some exalt and others throw up. The "genre" of "experimental dark ambient breakcore" was meant to be an eye-catching phrase, but I'll explain its rationale below.

For the fun of it, I'd like to answer some of your musings. Maybe you are actually curious. So - sure, it's a creation, definitely. It doesn't need a reason, either. It's just what came out, it made sense. I don't know what to do with this, share it? I don't do music for income (though it occupies more time than my job!) - I have a day job. I don't do it for an audience, though I am curious what people will think of it. The track itself, it's actually rather coherent. It definitely evolves: you have this weird setup where a kid (my son) is alerting "daddy" to something. It sounds ominous, but it's banal too - just a broken bulldozer. (This weirdness, and many other parts of the track, would best fit the genre of "experimental".) But this "catastrophe" sets the scene, and there is a dark, ominous, rhythmless buildup (hence, "dark ambient") to some kind of freak out (fast drums, insistent buzz). It's meant to assault the brain, that was actually my intention! It is taken to the next level with the jungle beat, and then builds higher to jungle + gabber (hardcore techno beats). Because there is stuttering all over the place, this genre is pretty much "breakcore". Artists like Venetian Snares (much of the inspiration for this track) specialize in this. This manic section also brings home the abstract point of the track, "Clayed from A Word". W in the f that means is anybody's guess - it's what my son came up with when I gave him a mike. The end fools you: you think it's over, but, continuing the assault on the brain, it starts right back up with an absurd, relentless, shameless straight repetition of "Word" from the phrase - also serving to finally bring home the point (which is not a tangible, explainable one). Very few people like this section, and I kind of love that. Then, it ends on a very unsettling note - the monks are back, but they're granulated (Omnisphere) and they don't sound so peaceful anymore. You kind of feel creepy after the tune is over, and that was my intention. In fact, your comment, who the HELL broke the bulldozer, I think that's what I was going for with this track! What I don't like is that the screechy noise makes the track physically painful to listen to at high volumes. Live and learn, I guess. I vowed to barely touch the original composition and only to remix it, so it all had to remain. Thanks so much for listening and commenting!

 

Thanks for such a detailed breakdown of what you intended, and sure, after listening again I can dig what youve done here...Ive just always pondered on where all the off the wall genres of music end up... are they bought, sold, are people going to concerts and paying to listen to this kind of thing, are people making albums of this and throwing it up on itunes?... if they are... are people buying it.. and if so, why??

Starting to think that a lot of music people post is just them either trying to emulate others.. to see if they can... for praise... or perhaps just getting SOMETHING out of their head 'onto paper'... or just enjoying it and hoping others will too...

I just wish... BIG time.. music in general would get back to the songwriting... the golden songwriting ages of the 40's thru 2000 will never be repeated it seems.


perhaps cos SOOO many people are doing it now everyone is either out of ideas or swamped with sooo many influences it steers them in unrecognizable directions.

At least to me.

I suppose its a matter of taste...and probably.. age.

For me...I think the Black keys have done a superb job of classic 'Songwriting'.. I suppose if I could point to anyone in recent times to express what I wish there was more of.. it would be them.

 

Last edited: Jan 28, 2016

very dark drone ambient! also sciamanic in some point! i didn t really liked so much the "break" introduction. i would prefer stay in ambient contest, but of course personally taste. tecnically i think is very very well done!

 

Yes this piece goes through a number of styles, which makes it difficult to universally appeal to the listener. Thanks for the comments!