Old Technology

I don't have anything this week as I recently had a catastrophic computer failure and need to get a new one but I'll gladly listen to everyone's work.

Thanks for the shout out. I think you bring up interesting points. Especially about song stuff being a comfy place. To me it represents one of the few bastions of how the old internet used to be. I was a member of a few forums and I think it's such a valuable format for artists of any type. The slower speed of it versus something like Discord is really nice. With forums you usually need to be an active member to start having activity come back your way. A forum forces you to care, and forums are dying out which is a sad thing. I will take having a few regulars listen to my music over a massive fanbase any day because that is exhausting. Do I care about your music? Yes I do. After this post I will care about your music even more because even something silly like being mentioned in a comment makes me feel good and like most people I like to feel good. Small communities are a rarity in the modern world but it's something we long for because it's in our history. When it comes to posters who don't care about anything other than posting a link to their work and leaving. I welcome them too. We never know which new poster is going to decide to stick around and become a regular just like we never know when a regular is going to disappear from the forum for a long time or even forever. I left song stuff for more than a year. I loved how tight the community was, but I lost my passion for music for a while. But I'm back now and I remembered how welcoming everyone here was and I am pleased to report people are just as kind now as they were in mid 2019 when I was last here. I don't know what the point is to my post really but this is the rant section. Thanks for making people like myself feel involved.

Sorry I missed last weeks NMF. Steve its been really interesting hearing this song evolve over time. I'm getting a Mr.Robot vibe from this track that I wasn't getting before (One of the best shows of all time + soundtrack imo). The synth in parts is almost identical in timbre but not in Melody which is cool to hear. Here is what I've been working on this week. I'm at a point where I'm not sure if I have created just a big mess, but I personally really like this track I've made. I'm debating working on this in a lot more detail. Finishing it and getting it mastered and maybe releasing it on Spotify for fun. But I just need to actually finish the damn thing. Oh and Happy Holidays everyone!

@Popthree Thanks for the kind words. I'm curious how it sounds like 70's prog in some areas. I listened to your track, I think your voice has a lot of character to it. @Steve Mueske Loving that second half. Do you record your guitar recording with an amp or is it all software? I like the tone it had.

Our new weekly tradition! Here is something I started last night when I remembered I needed something for today. It was fun recording this, I think I'll have a go at more rock songs and try to dial in better rock guitar tones and rock drums. As much as I love making electronic music I mostly listen to rock. Feat. Heavy autotune

@Popthree I like the way your song has an organic feel. If your method works for you I say keep at it. No need to try to get into electronic because it really can be uninspiring at times working with waveforms instead of instruments. That current loop you posted is enchanting and relaxing. @Steve Mueske Thanks for the kind words. I've signed up for guitar lesson and I'm hoping to learn a lot more theory going forward because while I like having the song guide me on where it wants to go without proper musical knowledge that is beyond very basic stuff I find I get stuck and I'm just unable to proceed even when I want to take it a step further.

It's really cool hearing early drafts. Sometimes I get this idea that much better song writers like yourself start off with fully realized ideas but that's just insecurity talking. The beginning half sounds like a bit like the Max Payne Soundtrack. I'm curious how you will fit it in with those drums. Here is something I've been working on the past two weeks. I'll be attempting to sing over it and have somewhat of an idea. Still needs a buildup for the section right before the end. It's pretty barebones in places. I'm struggling to add new elements from 2:28 to 3:35. I've tried recording some guitar tracks but nothing seems to fit nicely. Any suggestions?

I'm glad too see some names I still recognize on this website after so long. Life just gets in the way you know.

@Steve Mueske That its a really haunting piece. I love the textures and elements of the second half especially. That second half went into such a peaceful and beautiful place. @Popthree I had a listen to a few of your ideas. I like how you evoke feelings with such minimalism. I haven't made music or posted here since before the pandemic I think. You would think with all that free time I would have made something. This is something I've been working on and my attempt to get back into the swing of things.

Thanks for the tips! I'll check these out. I also just discovered the Toronto Reference Library has a audio and video recording room that is free to book for 2 hours a day! Looks like I need to get a library card soon! They also lend out instruments and give free subscription to Lynda tutorials!

I plan to keep releasing tracks. I'm slowly starting to do more vocal tracks as I practice and become more confident in it. Not only do I find people prefer vocals in their track its also more fun to make. I've been working on my instagram page making animations to go with tracks I release. I am unable to do constant steady posts on instagram due to the difficulty of making the music and quality animations fast enough. I do not really know what I am doing. I am just hoping for some decent organic growth and some real listeners along the way. I've been making music for 6 months and I think around the 2 year mark I will start considering doing a proper ep or album to release on the streaming platforms like Spotify and such. I want to have somewhat of a following when I do this and I just do not feel my tracks are up to a high enough standard yet to justify a Spotify artist account.

I've been taking singing lessons for a few months now and I would honestly say its been a life changing experience. I no longer hate the sound of my own voice and sometimes I actually enjoy it. My lessons are coming to an end next week but I've already signed up for another round of lessons but with a new teacher this time. I want multiple perspectives on this front. I only have one issue, I want to sing more. I've worked out with my roommates that I can sing 3 days a week for an hour. Which I find totally reasonable because I do not want to annoy them. But I feel like its slowing down my progress and where I could be right now if I could sing everyday like I want to. I live in Toronto and I am looking for ways to sing more often. I'd love to have my own space to sing for hours and recording. Are there any creative ways or tips to get around this? Or any thoughts about this problem I have?

This is a strange thread.

Seeing Pertubator live soon so I've been listening to that a lot. I love his approach to electronic music.

I come from a video editing background. So I am always trying to service the story. When I make a track I need to feel something from it, otherwise it is a waste of time. I feel the best instrumental pieces take you on an emotional story and are able to conjure up images in your head without even trying. I try not to think of electronic music as anything different than a classical piece. There are no vocals in a classical piano composition for example. Yet they are still able to portray a whole range of emotions and feelings. So when I am starting out I usually have no goal in mind. This is the experimental phase, finding a particular melody or bass or chord progression or even just a sound I really like. Gradually as I add different instruments the work can begin to evoke emotions. If it doesn't then I scrap whatever I was doing and try a different approach. Instrumental music is more boundless than music that has singing in my opinion. Technically what I am looking for is a cohesive sonic space of all the instruments and how they all work together but more importantly do they serve the story? In the end, you need to cut out everything that doesn't help move the story forward. The best thing about working around a story in your head is that when other people listen they will experience their own story. All stories have a beginning, middle and end. If you have that structure down you let people fill in the small details themselves and I believe that is what makes it enjoyable to the listener.