Thursday, August 27, 2009

Almost There With New Concept's Remix

Yes, I am almost there, rounding the bend, jumping the cliff... close. It's been an interesting experiment working with someone else's vocald. I've been reinventing, restructuring, re-everything. I can say that the remix does not sound anything at all like their original release of Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. From the beginning I purposely avoided listening to the original so as not to be too influenced by it. I honestly haven't listened to it since I first started working on it about a month ago. I can't say I remember what it sounds like - is that awful? How ironic would it be if I were to listen to it right now and find that it's not that far from it a I think? Oh the trauma! Anywho... I won't listen to it, until I am finished. It was a promise I made to my muses :)

Ironically, all I did use that was provided was some of the vocals, both lead and background vocals. I had intended merging some of their original instrumentation into it, but it just never came to be. I found a melody line and chord progression within their vocals that originated with the backing vocals initially and went from there. Heavens and hurricanes by the time I was two thirds through composing and arranging I had managed to have almost 40 tracks! I've since pared it down considerably and I'm hovering at 2o somethingish. at the moment.

I've developed some issues with the Alesis Fusion as of late and I am not happy with it at all. As wonderful as it can be, I have to have it looked at because their appears to be a short in the volume rotary knob, not to mention some unresolved OS issues that are driving me to the brink. Needless to say, it's become one huge and heavy midi board and that's it. I also found out that Alesis has ceased production of it and that is a shame. Nuff said.

I am awaiting with gleeful anticipation for the updated Mac OS, Snow Leopard and also the recently released upgrade, Logic 9. I shall have both delivered to my door Friday and I will sit waiting in anticipation to meet the delivery man at the door in my fuzzy night robe and bunny slippers.

Logic may help me resolve some time stretching issues I have with some of the vocals. Yes, they work with the tempo relatively well, but I would like to change the stress of certain lyrics or syllables and currently I haven't been able to do that - Logic 9 will allow me to do that. Yes Yes Yes!

Until next time!


Monday, August 10, 2009

New Concept Remix Taking Shape

I'm working on the remix and it is beginning to take shape. It spoke and said, "let me be down tempo retro 80's influenced ethereal." So, I sat and thought about it for a tad and agreed. I'm using one of my favorite sound styles which I've managed to incorporate in many pieces in some form or another - phasing and flanging. But in this case, a more retro traditional string synth phasing - it just drips for me.

The piece is in a roughed out composition point and has a definite melodic structure, yet it differs quite drastically from the original composition by it's creator New Concept.

More as more becomes.....

Sunday, August 09, 2009

A Work Day

Not too much going on today that requires massive details LOL. I'll be working on the dub/remix for New Concept this afternoon as soon as my coffee kicks in then off to see Julia and Juliet with some friends. It's a rainy, thunderboomer kind of day and the perfect one for concentrating on production.

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Working on Remix for German Pop Group - New Concept

Hullo and greetings on this fine (is it summer?) day!

I was recently contacted by New Concept, a German electro pop group about remixing one of their releases, The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter. They had heard my release Dreamer's Guardian recently and liked the feel of it.

The song is a great pop song, very tight and well produced and here I'll be dissecting it and piecing back little by little something a little less poppy (perhaps). I love pop and I can easily go down that direction, but since the song already exists originally in that manner, I will instead be toning it down somewhat and finding a middle ground between the obscure and the accessible.

I received all the tracks for it the day before yesterday and I am now spending time getting to know them as they exist divorced from the original recording. I decided that I would only listen to the original once or twice and then not listen to it again until I rough out a concept of my own based on what they have given me. I don't want to be to heavily influenced by the original song structure, or overall sound. As it is, I am only currently using some of the vocals and backing guitar lines to arrive at a different feel and then creating new instrumentals separate (or layered with originals) as I move along.

It is such a flattering thing to have someone hear your work and then ask if you would do something with one of their own pieces. Thank you Marcel and New Concept for letting me have that honor.