I like the energy at the beginning and the cute synths. I think you needed a smoother transition at :08. It was kind of confusing with the arpeggios at :06 because it doesn't sound like the transition at :08 occurs on a downbeat (even though it probably does). The bass was also way too loud, and I think you overused those crashes at :28. Maybe it would've been appropriate to fill the texture with some sort of closed hat, but the full-on huge sound produced by the crash is a bit overwhelming. At the same time, you needed the crashes in some other places to help smooth over some of your transitions, like at 2:06. I enjoyed the frantic and energetic nature of this piece, though, as well as the upbeat mood. There were quite a few clashing chords at around :50, but I think that section works well to channel the mood of the piece in a way. It sounds like it'd be good for a videogame. I can discern the structural elements of this piece pretty well, but I still think you should've provided a bit more relief and dynamic contrast. I think my favorite part was at 2:06 - it's very groovy. ;) Overall, I think this is a cool idea for a track that's just a little rough around the edges. Keep up the good work, Frootza. ^^
Author Comments
Been out of the Newgrounds upload game for quite a while, but I'm back to jam with this track.
So musically, what exactly is going on with this particular tune? Is this random noise? What's with all the notes?
The music that I've been studying and playing recently has been from modern jazz/pop/electronic artists like Jo Jo Mayer (drummer), Thundercat (bassist), and Dirty Loops (Jazz Pop from Sweden). I feel like if these guys were to combine forces and write a song, it might sound something like this.
Rhythmically, I wanted to expand on what some live dubstep drummers have done where the Amen Break that was so commonly looped by DJs is actually played in a live setting. (Concept covered in some of Jo Jo's drum clinic workshops). Here the parts have been written individually, but I like how Jo Jo seamlessly transitions from a swung to a straight ride pattern feel and I wanted to include some of that inspiration here.
Harmonically I wanted to try making unique voicings that you generally wouldn't be able to play on a single piano. The buzz layer synth which holds the bass line goes a bit bonkers (necessary to play with two hands), but in certain sections (in particular the reoccurring chorus) I wanted the hits to have interesting harmonic spacing BETWEEN the synths themselves. The 8-bit synth gallops a bit on the 8va Treble Clef, but comes back down. This is where the Dirty Loops inspiration is derived from.
Thundercat, while I have been studying some of his music along with Justin Brown and some modern jazz approaches to micro-time, it isn't exactly showcased here, but I have been writing music that is stylistically similar to these guys as well.
This is a long term project to be performed by a group of musicians I work with in my personal life, thought it will be a doozy to perform! We may crank the tempo down just slightly for live performance.
So, in short what I want to make clear is that this track is to be performed by live musicians (though as you might have noticed these are just some basic WAV forms, Kontakt Bass and Funk Kit).
Instruments:
Bass
Drum Kit (with single sample pad)
Synth #1
Synth #2
That is a wrap/rap! I hope you enjoy the track.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask me! Or PM, whatever you would like. Straight forward mixing and instrumentation. Less is more as I like to say!
-frootza <3
Thanks for the review TL. Yeah the :08 mark occurs on the 1 of the beat. The closed hat at :28 wouldn't have created the kind of rhythmic counterpoint I was looking for here, so the crash was actually vital to the mood since it is the "rock out hard, keyboard solo is here" section. The clashing chords you are referring to at :50 is just a really basic example of chromatic diminished dissonance building up to the chorus at 1:01
Unfortunately the intro was actually musical satire, but it's alright that you didn't pick up on it. Just showing how some really basic and dull 8-bit ideas can be fleshed out into something that pops.
This isn't actually music for a video game and more than likely won't be featured in one, but for one of my live bands, in this particular ensemble I play bass and write the arrangements and we have two keys and a drummer.
Just to briefly elaborate again. If there was a crash at 2:06, even if it was closed by hand, would not allow the high hats which are holding quarter notes to be heard, which is what actually makes the Latin rhythm stand out in this instance. The crash would ring out for approximately an entire measure, so the drummer would have to STOMP the floor pedal, or hit it with the stick. Since the groove evolves into the intricate cowbell groove, it just does not make sense to utilize the crash in that manner. Prior to the groove, the high hat is playing, and unless the drummer has a rock crash, that move would be extremely difficult to pull off.
Thanks for the comments, again. I hope that you continue your musical studies so that you get a better understanding of music written for live ensembles, harmony and counterpoint. :)
Hey, this is pretty cool :D!
I like the experimental feel that this has. The bass is awesome :3
The rhythm and progression are very interesting, to say the least XD
I guess that apart from the very beginning, the volume dynamics can feel a bit flat at points. Luckily, you included the breakdown-ish thing at 2:05.
The ending is a bit abrupt, but I totally like that!
It's cool that you managed to do this much with so few intruments. Great job ;)
Thanks Lucid!
I have been mixing with an old set of ear buds ($1), so I need to use my eyes to check the levels on most of my new tunes. It is a hit or miss, I just hope for the best after I do a general master track.
There is going to be a lot of cliffhangers in this series because the songs are all going to eventually lead into eachother when we perform this in my live band.
Thanks for the comments on the rhythm and progression! Conventional song writing and composing gets very boring for me so I am always experimenting with new harmonic ideas and I've been known to write quite a few rhythmically challenging pieces. Hope that you stick around for the next installments of the Twilight Zone saga!
Nice work! That bass is super dirty!
Thank you brother! I'm definitely proud of the bass grooves in this song! Just doubling it with a live bass and rough square shape sound for this effect. Sometimes it goes off with some counterpoint between the bass and the square but I've been having fun writing for this style lately. Appreciate the review dude!
Your drum rolls are hella smooth good job!
Thanks!
The (free) Kontakt Player Funk kit doesn't allow for much, if any velocity articulation within the VST itself. So, the dynamics are actually quite flat for the drum rolls (as opposed to the semi-realistic dynamics you'd find in their pop kit, EZdrummer or other drum VSTs). Appreciate the review!
Credits & Info
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frootza 
Licensing Terms
You are free to copy, distribute and transmit this work under the following conditions:
- Attribution:
- You must give credit to the artist.
- Noncommercial:
- You may not use this work for commercial purposes. *
- No Derivative Works:
- You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.
*Please contact me if you would like to use this in a commercial project. We can discuss the details.
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