I'm never sure where my comfort zone is, so I thought I'd make an attempt to do something foreign to me. Let me know if it's wrong or maybe just "good to try something different, but stick to your old stuff?
Track below.

 

Last edited by a moderator: Mar 12, 2021

It's definitely not within the realms of what I like but it still sounded great for what it was. Sounded like commercial music you hear on the radio which definitely has a place on the market judging by it's popularity so I'm not going to go all elitist on anyone else because I'm a metalhead or anything like that.

I can't decide wether you should stick with this or your old stuff because I've never even heard your old stuff but mainly because only you can decide if staying with this, your old stuff or having some duality between both styles is right for you.
But I will say if you don't try new stuff, then you will never know.

Judging by this, I can't imagine your other music sounds bad. You honestly just have to truly follow what you love doing most. The passion will always show.

 

I get the feeling you're mostly into pop music to which I would say that you should not hole yourself into any boundaries in style because it's popular music which is often borrowing a lot from each other & by that I mean trends.

So you should sit & write music without a certain direction in mind. Maybe that's what you were doing with this track as a break from all your other tracks. But I can't imagine why anyone would dislike this type of music. It's really laid back & chill. Nobody hates on music like that. Just my 2c.

 

Maybe it does sound bad. I've been working non stop for five months and this is the style I feel I've become locked into. But I just had to do something different.

 

I love, I love the voices, the composition, great for an "old man", , i am 63 years old....I hear a musical culture that has been dear to me since my youth.
this is your comfort zone.... widened! and you can widen it even more, at our age we have nothing to lose!

 

Neither sound bad, it's more a question of what you're most passionate about. Only you can blame yourself for making stuff you hate.

I turned down following a path that chases cash in order to make what I want without any promise of shit in sight. I'm happier now than I was then about the decision. You always can take your comfort zone to new uncomfortable levels by learning something that you haven' yet.

 

That's not you singing, is it?

I like the sax and bass at the end.

 

I think it's well thought out. Needs to breathe a bit a little more bottom and a little less shine/saturation. Your style is bright, so if you like it then it is as it should be.

It's nice to explore, have fun.

 

seems appropiate to share this here, since i just read it while listning to your new song.

“Sometimes you've got to let everything go...Because you'll find that when you're free, your true creativity, your true self comes out.”
- Tina Turner

i'd say, spend more time in the uncomfortable zone when doing music. maybe it can be "less fun and satisfying" over the "comfortzone" but you will be surpprised what you can are able to create. take a leap

 

Whip it good!

 

Really like it. Nice composition, though I'm not totally sure about that little interlude starting at at 1/3 of the track.

Mixingwise it has a bit too much saturation (aka clipping) going on, which kills the natural timbre. Make more room for every important element in the mix before you slap a bunch of saturators and limiters on the busses. Unclean / diffuse mix + oversaturation = brittle mushiness.

Maybe add some moments of breath too, where you dial back / mute some of the repeating elements or add surprise by sending the snare into a long plate decay while everything else stops, such small little moments that add something special.

The sax at the end sounds particularly fine. May I ask what you used there?

 

A few comments about low end saturation, so I had another look at it. I think this is tighter.

 

My new Papal Edict will be entitled "Self Flagellation For The Squeamish"

 

I like this pope!

 

Now it has some hair down in the nether regions.

 

oh. that pope has some serious skills. he would kill all these wack discord collab type lets work bro banana crews fr

he even has art on the cover instead of guns imagine that. you ahead of my time idk

 

Much better, it's now got a solid foot on the ground. We have now approached to useful boundaries of 128K Mp3 .

IDK how you feel about the genre, but if there is probably subjective a 'reference' for this particular sound,I would recommend Post Malone's - Hollywood is Bleeding. It's not {art} but it covers all the sonic colors and boundaries for modern hip-hop in different parts of the song from open and airy at the start. dense in the middle, to over-saturated and bent at the end.

 

I just mess about with genres. I haven't met one I want to marry.

 

i like that anology!
but, i could throw this inn:

You can flirt....... no need to settle or bunkerdown, on one genre.

so you've said you've done tons of music for others thu all these years. i get the jizzt that you a kinda guy who goes about it with a attitude of "serving the music" i could be wrong ofcourse. no worries.

maybe its time to turn the table, and do music from a different perspective. for YOU. that real you that lives inside you. the authentic self. look into your heart. listen.

also what i like to say about genres is : dont fuzz about genre, let the nonmusicians handle that. just focus on the music and play.

 

Here's a story about me. (yawn!) When I was a kid I was great at drawing. Then I learnt to paint. I got pretty good. "You should go into graphic design" said my school teachers. I did. I'd go to work and illustrate things they told me to illustrate day after day until I hated it. I never paint or draw now.
I quit my job and played keyboards. Lots of cover bands. Good money. Built a studio and made more money but ended up working for other people. The joy disappeared. I still only get motivated when I have a brief and so it is impossible to find the one thing that is my hearts true direction. Ten years ago I would have said I'd die happy if I could work with my idol, singer Jon Anderson. But I did that and it was disappointing.
So, now I'm like an assassin. Pay me and I'll shoot someone. But I'm not going to kill people for fun.