Musician's Gig Room V2: Can't Be Arsed - Creationism Corner

That's really lovely. I think I prefer it in C# tbh. I really like the dark bass pluck, sounds like some oldschool club banger. Also nice voice, your tune reminds me a bit of some of Sailor & I's stuff. Ha I can definitely see the inspiration. I actually really liked it when the lead melody kicked in, as you said it's not as catchy as something like Guile's theme but that's a really high bar to aim for. I didn't enjoy the intro (first ~28 seconds) as much as the rest, maybe it would sound nice with a melody at the start to lead into the chorus. Other than that I really enjoyed it. Nice work. ______________________________________ I was away for a while and finally put some more work into this track. I always find arrangement to be really difficult. I feel like most of my tracks sound simultaneously too stagnant but actually build too quickly... it's weird. https://soundcloud.com/athloneshots/huh5/s-fttHv

Heyo guys, worked on this beat for about a week and I'm fairly happy with how it came out. Especially since it's got a nice summery vibe to it. https://soundcloud.com/spokenwolf/nowhere-id-rather-be

I really like the melodies and the progression in this piece. It's got a good groove and the couple of changeups are nice. That being said it's a bit...empty. There's a bit too much repetition without much change or advancement and I found myself skipping through the piece a few times. The compression is a bit intense on the lead instrument as well, and there's not a whole lot of space to the track. Maybe play with a bit more percussion and some additional motifs in your lead. But it's a great start. Here's my latest orchestral piece. Have a listen: https://soundcloud.com/papkee/broken-sea-final

ive found that my desire to pursue music more seriously, and to pump out creative ideas is DEFINITELY related to how emotionally unstable I am feeling im currently doing a summer internship doing biophysics research and like 2 weeks ago I was dead set on pursuing science as a career this week im feeling much more emotional for whatever reason, and I simply just cannot see myself doing anything other than making music, and everything else seems like a waste of time do u guys go thru any hard mood swings regarding making music?

Oh absolutely, some times i just want to give up, others it's my career

Have you identified what it might be related to for you? Why the inspiration comes and goes

I think it's to do with my inspiration and how well i think I'm doing in terms of advancing my music. I kind of have a two sided career in acting and music, so kinda

Fuck me... your piece is SO good. Like, I am totally astounded. You even used a real cello, and when the staccato strings started, I was hooked. PLEASE post more of your work, as I think it's absolutely fantastic. You put me to shame! One thing I would have done is to have a dissonant chord at some point. For example, in a piece I've written in Ebm, I use a Dmaj7 to create a dissonance that's rather pleasant. Here's something I have started - I only have the verse and chorus sorted so far, and it was recorded on my phone, so it does not sound all that high quality. I spent yesterday on my recording desk creating something, so will post that when it's mastered, as I still need to add reverb, etc. https://soundcloud.com/mikehawkbiscuit/super-early-thing Also, here's a properly recorded version of a song I posted here before. It sounds so much better due to me directly recording the output from the piano: https://soundcloud.com/mikehawkbiscuit/track-1

Your piece is really cool. I was jamming along on the piano. If I'm not mistaken, it's F, Dbmaj7, Bbm, Cm7 and you sometimes use an Fm? I could be wrong though... In fairness, when I say Dbmaj7 and Cm7, it's just because I was playing those to complement it better - I think you were using a straight Db and Cm. When the initial beat started, I was humming Wo-ah Black Betty, bam-a-lam, hah. It's not as if it's too much like it, but it's just the particular percussion pattern that reminded me of it a little. Okay, there are some elements I like about this one, but the 2nd chord in your first chord progression is really not working for me. I think F, Bb, Dm, Bb would work better, IMO. Dissonance can be wonderful, and I use it a lot in stuff I write, but there's ways of doing it... Otherwise, I think it had some pretty cool stuff going on, especially at around the 2 minute mark. I did like your chord progression when you changed the 2nd chord, just to be clear. Obviously, what I wrote up there is just my opinion, and you shouldn't be disheartened by it. I mostly enjoyed it, but wanted to provide some critique, as that's what this is for, after all! Right... I posted a super rough, shitty version of this before with lots of mistakes and a crappy ending. I've now changed the ending, used a proper mic to record, used a desk to add other bits and recorded the piano using the output port rather than with a phone or Tascam, so it sounds significantly better. This song's about my druggie past and how it affected my mum. Maybe people will find that cheesy, but I wanted to write about something proper. I wrote a melody for the end, but asked my mum if she'd be up for writing some lyrics and singing that bit, so she did. That's why the singing is different there. Oh, the desk also allowed me to add some harmonies, and they came out fairly well. Would appreciate any feedback, as the old one is just shitty in comparison. https://soundcloud.com/mikehawkbiscuit/lullabydanhodge

Here's an track I made called 'Inner Thoughts' A very experimental piece. https://soundcloud.com/inventus/inner-thoughts-1

This is great for a start ;) Drums very punchy and crispy

Thanks for the feedback dudes! Just dropped another track and I was trying to go for a retro sorta vibe. Also I tried to vary the chord progressions more. https://soundcloud.com/spokenwolf/summer

Hi. This is my first time back to FP in a few years. I was posting under the username 'killa101' and I see the forums have changed quite a bit and are not as active. I still thought I'd check back in, and may stick around The mix is very spacious, which is not a bad thing but it could benefit from a more solid, central gnarly-type bass underneath the one that you have. The percussion is pretty basic, which also not a bad thing for this style. Everything after 2:00 is pretty great. Could almost say the same as previous feedback, although I think the main stab pattern that plays throughout most of the track should be altered at various points, ie: layered with a higher pluck type sound, using EQ sweeps, etc. The kick drum could also use another layer but with the low end filtered out to have it come through the mix a bit better. Awesome. Love some good orchestral, my first time back to this thread since before the changeover so I was not expecting a piece like this. Very much something I would be interested in remixing tbh Critiquing your second track, which is very well put together. Your voice suits it nicely and all progressions of the tune are spot on. Not my style of expertise but still no complaints. Nice, very funky. The backing track that comes in around 40 seconds and plays throughout most of the song is maybe a bit loud in the mix, also only listening on earbuds from my laptop so call me dumb if you like, but the kick drum sounds a bit flat to me. However I really enjoyed this one regardless! ------ Around the time I last posted here a couple years ago I had started a new music project and haven't uploaded anything since as I got very busy with life and such. But here is something new I put together recently. for some reason it doesn't seem to link to my track: www.soundcloud.com/commonmotives/voyager-clip https://soundcloud.com/commonmotives/voyager-clip

Thanks for the feedback! I'm still a total newbie when it comes to mixing, but I feel like I've slowly been making progress.

Boy, I sure am glad that my 2015 Macbook Pro can't handle the daunting task of powering my DJ controller without sounding like I have a hot bag of Orville Redenbacher's in my speakers. Guess I'm gonna have to lug my epic gaming computer to gigs. Nice.

https://soundcloud.com/dayum-nonhuman-2/wanderin posting here because I feel like the stuff I make is going to waste with very low plays... It doesn't bother me much as I just make these for my enjoyment but still wanted to share here.

For when you absolutely, positively need to kill every motherfucker in the room https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/215956/5545f98a-5393-45dd-87a5-a96420aeda46/20180430_235913.jpg

This is really nice. I like how it keeps evolving gradually as it goes, and I especially like what you did at 1:50. It's punchy but it has a nice chilled out feel to it. Electric Company is a fitting title, it has an interesting texture to it. I think the bass is mixed a bit too low, I had a hard time noticing it over the lead, and I think it could do with a little more complexity as it goes. One of your chords sounds a little odd too, it's most noticeable around the 2 minute mark. As always your compositions are interesting and rather beautiful. The extra production is a noticeable improvement. You and your mother are great singers too, I like the harmonies. The whole thing sounds very warm. Your revision of Merely a Dreamer is a great improvement too, and I liked the original version quite a bit. I put together two tracks today and yesterday. I recorded all the parts on my Reface CS and let the compositions evolve as I went which is a bit different from my usual rigid style. https://soundcloud.com/dayscanner/plasma https://soundcloud.com/dayscanner/plasma The first is more ambient, and I went for a psychedelic rock feel for the other one I wrote today.

any really good guitar players here?

This is the first track that I feel came together "organically". As in, I put down the melody and it all sorta came together. It was a good feeling. https://soundcloud.com/spokenwolf/robots-lament

That's definitely always the best feeling. I'd try giving your beat a little more layers with the samples as well as a little more eq. Layering can really help bring out the sound in not only the beat but the piano too. I think the piano melody was really well done, but the bass could've been a little more in key with the piano. I'd also suggest playing around with stereo imaging with your different sounds as it can really make the song feel more open. In my continued attempts to make electronic punk rock, I've made something horror influenced. https://soundcloud.com/ghille556/first-blood

This is actually awesome, that intro was great and the sounds are super beefy. I'm always inclined to horror sounds myself and though this isn't necessarily spooky, it definitely has the vibe of like an 80s straight to VHS slasher or something. I really liked the building mid-section too, had an ethereal vibe to it similar to Stranger Things style synth stuff. I know it is punk, but since there aren't vocals, I wonder if maybe there should be one more melody / counter-melody thrown in somewhere, just to add a little variety. - To keep the horror train rolling, just finished my latest experiment with amateur music making, but I really like it. https://soundcloud.com/user-229460575/thalassophobia

had to sell my monitors, macbook and MIDI keyboard for rent 1 like = 1 prayer

So I took people's feedback about making the mixes better and I worked FOREVER on this track and now I'm so tired I can barely type haha. But I'm really proud of it. https://soundcloud.com/spokenwolf/refresh

Trying to provide feedback for everyone who's been missed on the page. Wish me luck! Fantastic work, really. I got some nice vibes from the Half Life 2 soundtrack whilst listening, actually, and that soundtrack is great. I especially enjoyed the clashing melody starting at about 1:35. It's really wonderful, but I think it might be worth repeating the section with the harmonies but adding some further creepy harmonies with the melody. You could complement it's creepiness. Tomorrow, if I remember, I'll try and write something on the piano to go with it to show you what I mean. I really like the drop at about 1:00. I'd say that the rhythmically and melodically repetitive melody that starts at 1:10 could be more interesting though. I do like the dissonance of the chords, although I think some more harmonically defined chords in a B section could improve it a lot. There's definitely an essence of a good idea here, but I really feel something of this length needs a different part about half way through to prevent it becoming too repetitive. I like your chords, especially the major you go back to even though a minor is semi-implied by the other chords. I can definitely imagine a vocal melody over the top of this. Not sure if your intention is to add one at all, but I have a nascent idea in my head, at least. It has a creepy, frenetic vibe to it. I'm afraid I'm not really a fan of this one. I could be mistaken, but it sounds as though most, if not all of the piano chords are uninverted, and that's not harmonically pleasing. I recommend reading about 'voice leading' to learn how to make chord changes more interesting. So, a Dm in the 1st inversion would be F, A, D and the 2nd inversion would be A, D, F. So, if you were migrating from a Dm to an F, you could play A, D, F followed by A, C, F, meaning two of the notes remain the same, making a much more pleasant sound to our ears. I also didn't like the bass. Something like an octave change would improve that, I think. So, you could play an A2, A2, A3, A2, A2, A3 (x2) G2, G2, A3, as an example. I liked the first one a lot. I felt as though I was in a foggy forest with volumetric light interspersed between tree branches, illuminating the water in a lake. The second one I'm not so sure of. There's a genesis of something great here, but I think some more polyphony and a chord progression change at some point could make it better? Your choice, of course! Excellent start to this, but, and I'm feeling like I'm beating a dead horse here, it's better if you can have a new section in something over 1:30 long, at least for me. I think the beginning is fontastique, but a B section would make it more interesting for me. This is really nice. One suggestion is that, with the first chord progression, it could alternate between D, F#m, E, A to D, F#m, C#m, A to mix it up at the beginning? So, you'd have one loop of it the first way and one loop the second way, if I'm making sense? I especially enjoyed the sample you used for the chords. I would argue that it's a little repetitive by the 2 minute mark though, even though you switch chord progressions. Perhaps a nice arpeggio or something up high could help with that? THIS. This is how you alternate music with new sections to keep it interesting. I thought your harmonic melody on the synth was brilliant, especially the major 7th. I'd really love to hear more from ya. I have no negative critique at all - keep at it! By the way, is it named after the Voyager space probe, by any chance? I've gotta be honest... I didn't like this much. The melody was rhythmically identical the whole way through and the melody felt like it was meandering and not really doing much for me. I did like the percussion, but I'm afraid the rest wasn't for me - sorry. Great ending! I liked it in general too. Not sure what to say about it, as I'm not terribly clued up on that genre, but I can definitely imagine raving my tits off on MDMA to this. Okay, now to post something I wrote a few years ago. Honestly, I never rated it much, but its like to listen ratio is unusually high on Soundcloud, so it obviously has an elemental artistic merit. I'm keen to hear what people think about it. Cheers. https://soundcloud.com/mikehawkbiscuit/brief-encounter-1stdraft-wav

Thanks a lot for all the comments Dan the Man, I appreciate it a lot. - I really like the main piano melody, especially as it goes on and builds, its very relaxing and enjoyable. Makes me feel like I'm playing The Sims or something. At first, I wasn't a big fan of the higher piano melody, but I really liked how it blended together mid-song. The part from 1:35 till about 1:45 is a nice refrain and the song feels most solid around here and into the section which starts at about 2:00. The part at 2:20 was really good and I think the way you built towards the end worked really well. The piano was the star for sure. Some critiques I would have. The drums all around need some work I think. Timing feels a little off and the beat doesn't always fit the song great. This was most noticeable near the beginning and near the end. The high-hat part that begins at 0:20 is very inconsistent. That might be my critique throughout really, it feels as though the piano was played first and the drums were played along trying to match the timing of the piano. I think if you could get them figured out it would be a great song actually. Have you ever listened to Jean-Michel Blais? If not, you should definitely check him out. Improvisational-ish piano songs with some electronic elements thrown in. They don't have drums in them, but they really don't need them. He can achieve whatever he wants with just the piano really. A song like Sourdine is pretty great in a different way too in that the piano is mic'd to allow the really warm tone and sounds of the instrument itself come out. - Another song from messing around with my last one, maybe I'll build a little EP of phobias: https://soundcloud.com/user-229460575/nosocomephobia

Yeah, I recorded the piano first and recorded the drums on the piano too, something to which I was not accustomed, so the drums are noticeably out of time! These days, I tend to just play things without drums. Appreciate the feedback though. Will listen to your piece when I'm not drunk as fuck, aha.

Honestly I think this would work a lot better with either no drums, or a jazz kit. The snare is way too heavy and it just sounds unnatural when you play it at different velocities. I really like the melody and your use of dissonance. I'm gonna be honest, this is really hard to critique. Sure it's dissonant, but it's also kind of... boring? I think what I would do is embrace the distorted sound you start to build in the middle and really drive it into digital hardcore territory. Add breaks, spoken word samples, and really drive the tension up. I really like the lo-fi synth. It could really use some more elements, though. Add in the rest of the drum kit, not just the kick and snare. Good atmosphere with the samples, but this track is stretched out way too thin. And as far as horror theming goes, perfect fifths on everything gives more of a "cool" feeling rather than "scary". Really great atmosphere on that first one, I love the sounds and harmonies. My only complaint is that the drums sound like they're building up to a really big adrenaline-filled drop with guitars and shit Hey! I released an album! But that's not what I'm here for. I've been trying to work on my drum sequencing: https://clyp.it/p0giobff

This is really good. Pleasant and relaxing. I do think it'd be more interesting if you added a few harmonic parts towards the end, but I think it's a cut above most of the stuff we all post on this thread. I agree with you on the drums. I just didn't have anything new to post yet so thought I may as well put that down, hehe. I'm doing some recording of a new song I wrote this Friday, so will post that probably. Because I had to play the whole tune on the piano to record and then play over that again with the drums, it was kinda hard to stay in time, and it was the first time I'd tried as well as being 5 years ago now. I don't have the concentration for spending a few hours doing music production in software normally, so I prefer the organic nature of writing and improvising as I go. I definitely had ideas in my head for overlapping parts on your tune in my head, but it's kind of a pain to demonstrate that, so you'll just have to take my word for it.