New Album preview..

[JeffP1717]

Here's the first 2 songs from the album I'm working on, and will be working on for a while. I hope you guys enjoy them, any questions/comments are encouraged.

http://home.comcast.net/~jeffp1717/albumintro.mp3
http://home.comcast.net/~jeffp1717/anysecond.mp3

[TDHP]

lovin the tunes.

you should check us out.

http://www.myspace.com/thedeadheartpolitic

Just released a cd entitled "The Animal In Your Bones"


- The Dead Heart Politic

[JeffP1717]

Thanks man, I'll check you guys out right now.

[JeffP1717]

I'd love to hear what you guys think, and I'll comment back on your on topics, if you leave any feedback. I'm just curious to know what you guys think of the direction I'm taking.

[Sky]

To be honest I thought it was boring and mediocre, and I was expecting vox.

[JeffP1717]

I appreciate the honesty, and about the vocals, these are just the instrumetals that will eventually make the final project.. I'm just really excited about it and wanted feedback. I'll get back to you guys with the final result. Thanks though, I'll try to make it better

[Ruining]

I'm listening to the first one now. I think you should bring out the melodies a little more. There is so much going on, my brain doesn't know what to follow. Pretty good use of the keys, but the obo-soundy thingy isn't really doing it for me. If you could add some effects to the keys, I think that would be ideal, but I'm not sure if you have the capability.

Are you going to record the final stuff with this keyboard? If you are, you should add some effects and try to stay out of the piano's upper register as is comes out a little tinny. Horns need to be replaced with something with a less percussive attack and a warme tone, imho. I know that not everyone has top o' the line gear, but I'm turned off by the keys. If this is just an idea that will be polished up with better stuff later, then I say go for it. You've got some decent ideas going.

you should consider checking out, Mobula. (http://myspace.com/mobula)

Thanks.

[JeffP1717]

Yeah, I'm still trying to get the best sound out of this keyboard, it's great, but it's midi, and I don't have midi on my computer, so I'm just recording it live. I'm working on the keys skills... I'm not too good at the moment. I think it should be the way I picture it when I've gotten all the songs down better, the vocals added, and I mess around with this keyboard to get the best sound out of it. I appreciate the advice and feedback, I will take it to heart. It's late, but I'll check your band out tomorrow morning and get back to you.

Jeff

[Blakfeld]

Im currently listening ot the first one, and... I really like it. Very pretty. ruinings right about the keyboard though, and I feel your pain, the keyboard I have (hopefully just till next week when I finially have enough to buy a decent one) I have to add a ton of reverb too just to cover up it overdriving on very low volume -_-. But overall, I really look forward to hearing some Vocals with it. It reminded me of something... altho at the momment for whatever reason I cant tell you what. Sorry for the lack of helpfull-ness, but I wanted to complement the cool sound.

[Vood]

Ruining brought up a really good point.

You need to command people's attention by directly forming focal points in the mix, like a spotlight on a stage. If you do'nt have audible focal points, the music will become background music. (in fact, i just began speculating that i recall background musics being mixed at pretty flat levels like this)

I can hear that you're trading off melodic features between instruments. Something that would probably give you some great benefits is learning how to play with serious dynamics, so that one instrument speaks out in its way, and the other instrument speaks back. They do this endlessly in Jazz and Bebop... you'll hear one instrument shout out an idea, and another instrument responds, matching its level dynamically, so that your focus is always occupied.

My other comment was going to be that you need some light chorus and reverb and stereo panning distributed between the instruments to give them each their own place in the mix... but after a few minutes of listening to the way it is, it started to become its own sound, and it was sort of interesting that it didn't sound like the way you'd expect it to be mixed. However, stereo panning might be a good plan.

on the other hand, having it in mono sort of pushes it back to ragtime record style heheheh.

I suppose it depends on what you're going for..

But crits aside, this is REALLY cool stuff man :)
it's really relaxing.

Oh something else that bugged me a little was in Any Second, how some of the guitar parts sounded like you were using a heavy pick with painfully soft strumming heh.. making a loud "clik" on each string ... but maybe i'm exaggerating.. and that could also be a stylistic choice... i mean at least it definitely gets the rawness of the instrument in there and not just pretty notes... again sort of a retro/rustic/more authentic sound ... which is cool. heheh

ok i hope all this wasn't too confusing :p

good luck man! i hope your album goes well! :)

here's my stuff:

davidjmurphy.net (http://www.davidjmurphy.net)

rock an' roll!

-david