Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Discuss upcoming, current, and previous song fights.
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Æpplês&vØdkã
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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by Æpplês&vØdkã »

Jim of Seattle wrote:
Thu Dec 12, 2019 10:03 am
thirdcatmusic wrote:
Thu Dec 12, 2019 9:56 am
I'm not entirely sure I like the choir vocals but I also think I might love them. I
vowlvom wrote:
Thu Dec 12, 2019 6:38 am
My main objection is the choir vocal thing, which I just cannot stand - it sinks the song for me completely.
shoehornTC wrote:
Wed Dec 11, 2019 2:15 pm
like the vocal choir in there.
This is interesting. Everyone is calling out the choir vocal, even though that doesn't appear at all until the playout at the end, and IMO is more a subtle pad than anything. Or are people referring to the vocal soloists in the middle? I'm confused.
I'm referring to the soloists partway through.

I both like and dislike it in the same way that I both like and dislike the "It is a principal for music to repeat a theeeeme! Again and agaaaaainn!" part in Steve Reich's Desert Music. And in the same way that I both like and dislike the counting in Phillip Glass's Einstein on the Beach.

And both of those are artists people have rightfully compared your work to this round -- and also artists I greatly admire cause minimalism is one of my favorite movements to come out of the classical tradition.
I'm afraid this one fails on pretty much every level for me. - Jim of Seattle

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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by vowlvom »

I was also referring to the solo vocal thing.
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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by Jim of Seattle »

vowlvom wrote:
Thu Dec 12, 2019 6:38 am
I know you mentioned something about the syllables of the title informing the writing of this song, but as a listener it just feels like any old instrumental with the title repeated a few times at the start
So it didn’t come across that the repeated tune at the beginning was derived from the pitches of the spoken title?
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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by thirdcatmusic »

vowlvom wrote:
Thu Dec 12, 2019 10:46 am
I was also referring to the solo vocal thing.
me three (of course I'd be 3rd.)
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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by Jim of Seattle »

thirdcatmusic wrote:
Thu Dec 12, 2019 10:48 am
vowlvom wrote:
Thu Dec 12, 2019 10:46 am
I was also referring to the solo vocal thing.
me three (of course I'd be 3rd.)
That reminds me of something my grandmother said to my sister and me when I was about 7. She asked us who wants a piece of gum, and I shouted "I want one!" and my sister shouted "I want one too!" and then without missing a beat my grandmother said "Well I want one two three!" and we thought that was about the funniest thing we had ever heard in our lives.
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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by Æpplês&vØdkã »

Jim of Seattle wrote:
Thu Dec 12, 2019 10:48 am
vowlvom wrote:
Thu Dec 12, 2019 6:38 am
I know you mentioned something about the syllables of the title informing the writing of this song, but as a listener it just feels like any old instrumental with the title repeated a few times at the start
So it didn’t come across that the repeated tune at the beginning was derived from the pitches of the spoken title?
I didn't catch it. But you probably didn't catch that my square wave synth that starts beeping along with the spoken word halfway through my track was doing the same thing.
I'm afraid this one fails on pretty much every level for me. - Jim of Seattle

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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by glennny »

ah man!
nobody except Jim of Seattle is reviewing my late entry. (thanks Jim!)
:(

(nobody's fault but mine)
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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by thirdcatmusic »

glennny wrote:
Thu Dec 12, 2019 11:30 am
ah man!
nobody except Jim of Seattle is reviewing my late entry. (thanks Jim!)
:(

(nobody's fault but mine)
oops! didn't mean to miss it, was just playing off of the song fight jukebox and forgot, I'll take a listen now and give you some feedback. and I'll number my feedback because I'm feeling like numbering things.

1.) absolutely love this combination of synths and guitars, right up my alley.

2.) on the border of too much going on but I often feel that way about my own songs too (always trying to get better at letting go of parts that aren't necessary.) but I can get down with some maximalism. I think it mostly works here.

3.) I like the doubling of the vocals when that comes in, adds some nice energy.

4.) my favorite part of the song is probably the little instrumental break before the guitar solo (around 2 and a half minutes in), I just really like that groove - sounds good.

5.) this would probably be in the "maybe vote" category for me mostly because the lead vocals don't always work for me. musically/instrumentally it's a definite vote.
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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by shoehornTC »

I missed this too as I was playing the ones off the player... certainly a vote from me on this ifn' I could. I love the harmony guitars and the arrangement.

Also reminds me of a band I came up with in the olden days which is a plus since I loved playing with them and watching them. I hadn't thought of them in ages, thanks!!
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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by Pigfarmer Jr »

Gonna start with the art because the art is where it's at, doobiedeedoo, don'tcha know?

Jerkatorium: This one is perplexing. It reminds me of the Sistine Chapel but I don't believe it's part of that painting, although there is so much I don't know about it that it could be. I like the color and the feel of the painting and the black shadowing works well with both the red songfight and blue title. It looks good. More than serviceable.

Pigfarmer Jr: Technically not a handshake. Lots of references to this specific "shake" when googling handshake. I love this take on the title. If I were choosing I probably wouldn't have chosen it for the cover art, though.

crumpart: The simplicity of the idea is marvelous. I like this one. The only thing I don't like about it is the lettering is not readable in the smaller versions. Maybe a small outline in black or grey would help a lot. Block lettering on a tinted background. On the full size entry, though I can easily see why this one was chosen.

Jim of Seattle: This is cool. But it gives me an uneasy feeling if I look at it too long. Which is good art, really. This one wins my recently made up "most creative" award.

Pigfarmer Jr: I think this entry is the cleanest of the entries. Easy to see the title and I like the soft feel to it. Technically not a handshake, but it's cool. Of course I would think that it. I made it.

Coverbot: My favorite of the fight. Simple. Clean. Easily seen. Still, it seems that very little effort was put into it. Okay, that was rude to the other artists. I love this idea for the art, but it's the least creative of the bunch. I completely see why coverbot art rarely beats out any of the other entries. Still, this does have a certain attraction/sense of humor that I like.


And now on to things of lesser importance. I'm jotting a couple of thoughts down on first listen.

Berkeley Social Scene: The rapid fire verse took me off guard and wasn't immediately my thing, but damn, it was executed well. The chorus was just catchy enough to keep me interested but by the end I was liking it a lot. The solo was cool, too. But maybe a tad high in the mix or maybe a hair shrill in tone for my ears. A little nitpick. I would definitely listen to this one again.

Evil Grin: Voice came back more than I expected. The high notes were impossible the night before recording this one. That being said, I really love the tone on the verses. But, yeah. Not my best singing by a far shot. I like the song well enough, though. That bridge that seems to be popular was written by Amanda, btw.

gizo vs. the 17,455: That simple introduction drew me in, but once the verse/vocal hit it seemed a bit... dissonant?... uneasy? I like the melody. I really like that transition back into the music after "go by." The chorus is catchy without being ear wormy or ... without trying to be, I think. I like the bridge. I really like that solo, though. Simple in idea, straightforward but a cool tone and attitude. Minimalist in a way, but effective. Did I mention I like the choruses?

Glenn Case: Cool verse melody and vocal. I like how the vocal is clear, easily understood but still sits back in the mix a little. Ooh, another cool solo. That's pretty tasty tone and playing. This one maybe drug on just a hair and had the sudden ending that I don't like much.

Hot Pink Halo: The violins mask the vocal a little more than I like. The doubled vocal helps a bit. This has to be the song about the literal shake I read about above? Knowing that makes it hit a little harder, more deeply, I think. At any rate, I liked the lyric on first read and I like how the melody plays with it for instance on "atmosphere" in the chorus.

James Owens: I've written so many songs with "pretty baby" in it that I've come to loathe both that phrase and myself for using it so much. As a result, you're getting dinged for something that is an aside at best. Okay, not dinged, but... I noticed it. Also, I like that bass line, the groove and the arrangement. I cannot sit still listening to this... at least not for long. That's a good thing. Oh, I love that dissonant bit toward the end.

Jim of Seattle: This is an interesting song to listen to. Not knowing your stuff and only glancing at your music link didn't prepare me for the creative angle you took. Some of this seems amazing. Yet some of it just gets old. I think I'd rather see a live performance of this with a sort of orchestra or that style band. Or to put it another way, I think this would be moving and the creativity would be blaring, in your face with a live performance. As is, I thinks it's cool, but I am going to have to listen a couple more times to wrap my head around it.

King Arthur: Tasty guitars to start, KA. That's never a wrong thing. I like the exaggerated reverb on the vocal (that doesn't drown it out or anything like that.) There is something captivating about that vocal. Not a huge fan of that snare sound, but I like the rhythm. I think maybe more space between the bits would be welcome. The solo was serviceable and fit the song. It seems like this song would normally hit me as an okay entry but there's something charming about this song that strikes my fancy. I like it.

Lily Plus Martin: The intro vocals are a bit low in the mix. The main vocal entering is quite a bit louder (which I think is for effect and does give me one) but it was just at that point where I turned up the volume and BAM. Yeah, I think rendering/mastering this just a bit more hot would be welcome. I like that melody. I like the phrasing in the guitar and the music. This has a quiet charm to it that I like a lot. I want hit repeat immediately to listen again. It's leaving me with a feeling that I missed something.

The Magnetic Letters: I like those vocals together. That melody and rhythm keeps me bopping my head along. And I like the acoustic guitar "lead." I keep thinking "cute" when trying to describe this song.

Megadank Vs The Bloke Explosion: This one brought a smile. Not necessarily a knowing smile and wink, though. Kinky sex games! You just can't go wrong with that take, right?

Paco del Stinko: I would hate to have to play this song live. Maybe if I could rehearse long enough. It would be an amazing, yet colossal, mess, I think. But fun. SO MUCH FUN!

Phlebia: Sound art, much? There's so much here that doesn't strike my fancy on first glimpse. But I was really interested in the lyric. And that last stanza really sums it up. I'm super glad that the lyric was posted as I enjoyed this little journey lyrically and it hit a satisfactory ending for me.

Pigfarmer Jr: I remember vividly some twenty years ago when I introduced my wife to some friends back home and she felt completely left out. So I put myself in her shoes and wrote this from that perspective. A fast recording.

ShoehornTC: I love that vocal tone. A lovely take. Seems like I'm sitting at the coffee shop with one of the local guys and his friend singing a song. So cool and almost intimate.

Third Cat: I can appreciate the vocal delivery, I think it suits the song, but it isn't my favorite. I like some of the guitar work quite a bit. The ending cadence was a cool one. Probably not one of my favorite third cat songs, but I like that you went for a feel and got it. I'm betting that I'll like this more on the next listen.

TOSHIRO: I like the bass and drum foundation with sparse accommodation on top. The vocal almost wants to slip away, melt into the music. Not a typical vocal delivery but one I find I like. And it goes against my normal preferences. I think I want a bit of a change up or maybe I was expecting it and didn't get it? At any rate, enjoying this laid back take.

glenny: Not my most favorite vocal delivery, but I do like the melody and the almost staccato feel in some of the lines. That break at around 2:30 onward and the ending works very well for me.
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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by vowlvom »

Jim of Seattle wrote:
Thu Dec 12, 2019 10:48 am
vowlvom wrote:
Thu Dec 12, 2019 6:38 am
I know you mentioned something about the syllables of the title informing the writing of this song, but as a listener it just feels like any old instrumental with the title repeated a few times at the start
So it didn’t come across that the repeated tune at the beginning was derived from the pitches of the spoken title?
It wasn't obvious to me, no. I thought something like that might be involved, but couldn't figure it out from listening (I am pretty musically dense, though).
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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by Merle Fyshwick »

Berkeley Social Scene: I really like the spoken part - it reminds me a bit of Popular. Does it say 'cakes to bake'? Ah! It's 'case to make'. Trying to decipher where you'd be running that would put such an emphasis on baking skills, but I was wrong! I was listening in the car yesterday, and every time it got to 'didn't know what road to take', google maps would mute the song and tell me exactly which road to take.

Evil Grin: I really love the chorus. The verses are fine, but the chorus really hit me. What's it called when you have a rhyme, but the lyric doesn't stop at the second word ? In this case the 'calling' and 'falling in love'. Anyway, it works for me most of the time, and it really works in this song, especially with that descending chord. The verses: nice harmonies. The story is sweet and naive(in a good way). There's potential for a nice duet here, I reckon. Great job.

Gizo: This one got me thinking of Paul Dempsey. I'm not a big SFK fan, but that solo record (Everything is True) really nailed post-twenties angst, a load of feelings which are rarely sung about. I got a similar feeling listening to this one. I don't have kids, but still felt affected pretty strongly; if I did, this sounds like something I'd want to write for them (if I wasn't such a smartarse). Great song.

Glennny: Farty FM synths - cool. This one is at a disadvantage, because I've listened to the others more, but it sounds good. Really tight double-tracked vocals. What is the club in question? Could be SF? You don't need a password to submit a song...I could be way off. I like the phrasing of 'start with what seems obvious' with the bass unison thing. And the double-timey solo bit is groovy.

Hot Pink Halo: This one to me is about the instrumentation and the message. It's unconventional to have violin as the main accompanying instrument, it takes my boring ears a bit of adjustment. I reckon it's just a western thing though, 'cause I know they have that tradition (bowed instrument and singing) in Mongolia. I think musically it's a grower, and lyrically a good twist on the theme.

James Owens: Yeah, suitably sleazy/violent, in that order. I think the 'head on a spike' line is my favourite, because I didn't see it coming. The descending 'if that's what it will take' is a cool little run. If the pretty little (in-tune) piano bit is the pizza base, then the bits after are the slightly detuned anchovies coming along, proving that you CAN play two chords at once. Nicely played...and played;) One of my favourites.

Jim Of Seattle: Well...since you are something of a self-confessed shit-stirrer, I'm gonna have a stir and say this is ARGUABLY not a song! There are the sampled sung 'ahhhs', so it also IS arguably a song. Doesn't matter, for the most part I really like it. Makes me think of Flying, maybe just because it's an *instrumental* and it has the 'ahhhs'. Also some of the soundtrack to the game Castle of Illusion. It's nicely mixed, has a good pace, lots of things going on but not too busy. I'm having a guess that the instruments are plug-ins (VSTs or whatever); I was driving along listening and thinking about it being an amazing time to be a composer with those lovely sounds at one's disposal.

King Arthur: I reckon I may have made this comment before, but your vocals and overall style remind me a bit of Rodd Keith, my song poem hero. He's long dead and uhh..not writing new songs, so it's nice to hear something reminiscent. The shift at 30 sec is good. The 'my best was not what was wanted' line is really relatable, and I'm sure we've all been in that unwinnable position. It's a feeling I'd rather push out of memory, but good work on capturing it in a song!

Lily+Martin:
I like the pizzicato strings. I don't think I this is the first time I've said this about a L+M song, but it sounds like the prelude to something else. That's okay, because it's a really good prelude, with excellent production, great vocals (I think I like your vocals equally).

Magnetic Lettuce (me): This is a true story, about jury service back in ~'03. It was a long trial, not much to smile about. Wayde turned up one morning really discombobulated because he'd been propositioned at the train station, initially with 'the handshake' and then with a more frank offer of sex. It gave us a laugh and by morning tea Wayde could see the funny side. Anyway, the song itself is pretty formulaic.

Megadank: This one made me laugh, and is possibly my favourite. In terms of lyrics I wasn't expecting, 'never take her hand off his penis' is gold, and 'why won't they invite me' is solid, too. James Owens said he was worried about always sounding like Ric Ocasek, but I said that was a good thing; case in point this song. I don't think The Cars ever made me laugh(intentionally), though. The chorus sounds like Regurgitator, also a plus.

Paco: Pretty rad. Bang Bang. Oh hang on, it's about Hitler. Still rad (not Hitler, the song). I've never associated punky pop music with the assassination attempt, but that's how I want all my history served up now. What's the last bit? "I'm gonna loo and in ven me"..dunno. Nice hand claps. One of my favourites.

Phlebia: Oh wow - seagulls(?), my favourite! I like your interpretation of the title, the modern one, but I don't really know much about it; points for pulling it off! It's about connecting to the free wifi in a doctors' surgery, right!? The struggle for bandwidth efficiency and its tradeoffs? Well, if that's correct, it deserves to sound a bit chaotic, like The Void but even more stripped back and menacing.

Pig Farmer Jr: The melancholia is present for sure, definitely assisted by that guitar sound (seems to lend authenticity, acoustic pull-ons and slides), that's what I was thinking in the car the other day. 'I feel like a ghost' is a strong line. It's a good song, but the last on my list and it's really hot here at the moment. Sorry, PFJ - I'll be more thorough next time!

Shoehorn: Yeah, this one's pretty good, especially for a first entry(?) There's a vocal thing you do that my friend Jeff does, like a little quick drop on some words, like at 0:42 and 1:54...anyway, I like it. Good energy, the nylon guitar/uke might be panned a bit too hard for my tastes, but that's a nitpick. Good job!

Third Cat: Ha ha - is this one doing some whispered ASMR tricks in my left ear? That 8-bit synth sound is cool when it cuts in after the Hurts So Good guitar. The mumbled bit in the middle I'm not totally sold on (think it's growing on me), but then that synth comes back in and saves the day, and then resolves the freaky two chord bit at the very end. Energy-wise this song is a bit of a tease, like it gets going, pulls back, gets going...but it IS interesting.

toshiro: Yeah, that bass is nice. It's a sinister vibe. I can't decipher it yet, though. Maybe election-related. It reminds me a bit of Powderfinger (the band), maybe instrumentation-wise, or lyrically; I can hear it being sung by Bernard Fanning in my head. Good song. I'm walking around the kitchen humming the chorus, so that's a good sign.
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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by vowlvom »

Huh, those reviews made me realise that I'd completely forgotten about the optional challenge while listening / reviewing these, even though I thought it was an interesting one and I was looking forward to seeing how people interpreted it. In retrospect I think Third Cat had the most interesting sounding chords, but did anyone do anything particularly clever that I might have missed?

Also I keep forgetting to listen to glennny's late entry but I promise that I will do so and update my reviews!
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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by crumpart »

vowlvom wrote:
Fri Dec 13, 2019 5:03 am
Huh, those reviews made me realise that I'd completely forgotten about the optional challenge while listening / reviewing these, even though I thought it was an interesting one and I was looking forward to seeing how people interpreted it. In retrospect I think Third Cat had the most interesting sounding chords, but did anyone do anything particularly clever that I might have missed?

Also I keep forgetting to listen to glennny's late entry but I promise that I will do so and update my reviews!
I didn’t do anything clever per se, but I did overlay some secondary chords on my final chorus. I also had the challenge of figuring out how to do my chords at all, as the violin doesn’t really loan itself to that. I ended up laying down a track of single root notes, some tracks of double stopped notes (have never played so many double stops in my short violin life), a second lot of high root notes in the middle 8, and then another solo over the whole lot. I panned most of the violin slightly to the left, and the secondary chords and solo to the right.
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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by vowlvom »

crumpart wrote:
Fri Dec 13, 2019 6:00 am
I didn’t do anything clever per se, but I did overlay some secondary chords on my final chorus. I also had the challenge of figuring out how to do my chords at all, as the violin doesn’t really loan itself to that. I ended up laying down a track of single root notes, some tracks of double stopped notes (have never played so many double stops in my short violin life), a second lot of high root notes in the middle 8, and then another solo over the whole lot. I panned most of the violin slightly to the left, and the secondary chords and solo to the right.
This is interesting stuff! The violin-as-main-instrument thing reminded me a little of Owen Pallett's stuff, which I forgot to include in my review.

Also, BELATED glennny REVIEW:

glennny - squelchy synth-bass always gets me on board early, and I love the acoustic guitar sound, the doubled strums / plucks are a nice headphone treat. The bendy guitar solo is really cool, also. I'm not crazy about all the distorted guitar work, it feels a little busy for my tastes at times, but on the whole I liked this and it probably would have gotten a vote from me too.
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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by mo »

I'm sure G-Case will comment about the rest of the song on his own, but for Skeleton Key and Secret Handshake, these Case songs have had guitar solos from me, so thanks for your kind words and also if you have any abuse, he doesn't deserve it, I do. Which is why I'm planning to record a ten minute guitar solo track and stand outside Vom's house, playing it on a boombox
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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by Jim of Seattle »

vowlvom wrote:
Fri Dec 13, 2019 5:03 am
Huh, those reviews made me realise that I'd completely forgotten about the optional challenge while listening / reviewing these, even though I thought it was an interesting one and I was looking forward to seeing how people interpreted it. In retrospect I think Third Cat had the most interesting sounding chords, but did anyone do anything particularly clever that I might have missed?
I forgot all about it as well, and only after it was mostly done did I realize that technically I did do the optional challenge, though not on purpose.
Merle Fyshwick wrote:
Fri Dec 13, 2019 3:17 am
Jim Of Seattle: Well...since you are something of a self-confessed shit-stirrer, I'm gonna have a stir and say this is ARGUABLY not a song! There are the sampled sung 'ahhhs', so it also IS arguably a song. Doesn't matter, for the most part I really like it. Makes me think of Flying, maybe just because it's an *instrumental* and it has the 'ahhhs'. Also some of the soundtrack to the game Castle of Illusion. It's nicely mixed, has a good pace, lots of things going on but not too busy. I'm having a guess that the instruments are plug-ins (VSTs or whatever); I was driving along listening and thinking about it being an amazing time to be a composer with those lovely sounds at one's disposal.
The "what counts as a song" argument has been beaten to death on the boards, (probably about ten years before you joined), so I'm not going down that rat hole. And a rat hole it is because no one can draw a nice clean line around what does count as a song or not anyway, so my personal rule is just that it's got to be audio and it's got to use the title in some way and be written in the fight's timeframe. This, just sayin'. (Also, I once won a fight with an instrumental.) I can write lyrics, and have for lots of fights, but it's so much damn work. (If one is doing it right.) So I want to do instrumentals, but I also want to make sure everyone knows I'm not cheating, thus the spoken opening.

I'm pleased you pointed out "Lots of things going on but not too busy" because that can be a fine line and I was very conscious of trying to walk it.

Also, yes this is all plug-ins, EastWest's Composer Cloud, which gives you their entire sound library for a sort of steep annual fee. Totally-otally worth it though. Amazing time indeed. I still experience frequent "holy crap" moments poking around the thousands of sounds I'm perusing. what POWAHHHH
Here's my record label page thingie with stuff about me if you are so interested: https://greenmonkeyrecords.com/jim-of-seattle/
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crumpart
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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by crumpart »

vowlvom wrote:
Fri Dec 13, 2019 7:32 am
crumpart wrote:
Fri Dec 13, 2019 6:00 am
I didn’t do anything clever per se, but I did overlay some secondary chords on my final chorus. I also had the challenge of figuring out how to do my chords at all, as the violin doesn’t really loan itself to that. I ended up laying down a track of single root notes, some tracks of double stopped notes (have never played so many double stops in my short violin life), a second lot of high root notes in the middle 8, and then another solo over the whole lot. I panned most of the violin slightly to the left, and the secondary chords and solo to the right.
This is interesting stuff! The violin-as-main-instrument thing reminded me a little of Owen Pallett's stuff, which I forgot to include in my review.
I hadn't heard of him before. Thanks! I checked out a couple of videos on youtube where he looped tapping on the violin in various ways as percussion, which reminded me that I'd wanted to do that and replace the drums with it, but just didn't have the time to do it justice by that point, hence the drum track that I kind of forgot about. I do remember deliberately turning it down at one point and thinking "people are not going to like that!" but it just wasn't working for me louder. I originally wanted the whole thing to just be violin and voice, which is also how I ended up with two bassline tracks: one was the strings plucked and pitch shifted down two octaves, but it was a bit plodding, so I overlaid a more interesting midi double bass track as well. I think I'll definitely have a go at replacing the drums with violin percussion (I had super fun with last week's Skeleton Key hand percussion, which ended up consisting of me tapping on an ikea stool, hitting the ground with a rope and stomping in socks on the floorboards).
Devil’s got me Lindt! Devil’s got me Lindt!
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AJOwens
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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by AJOwens »

vowlvom wrote:
Fri Dec 13, 2019 5:03 am
Huh, those reviews made me realise that I'd completely forgotten about the optional challenge. . . did anyone do anything particularly clever that I might have missed?
My nod to the optional challenge was to pile up various triads (in what I thought was an obvious way) during the lounge-style piano playing at the beginning. The triads are arpeggiated and played one atop the other with the sustain pedal down. The question arises whether they are played "at the same time" as a single complex chord, or serially as multiple "basic chords" (that is, standard I-III-V triads) that are separated in time by the arpeggiation. If the arpeggiation makes them serial, then what is it about the arpeggiated basic triads taken individually that makes them happen "at the same time," thus forming the basic chords?

But apart from the fact that I'm way overthinking it, the prelude is merely tacked on to the main song, so it's a poor way to meet the optional challenge.
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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by gizo »

AJOwens wrote:
Fri Dec 13, 2019 1:44 pm


But ... the prelude is merely tacked on to the main song, so it's a poor way to meet the optional challenge.
Well at least you acknowledged the challenge, cos I just totally ignored it ;)
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Merle Fyshwick
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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by Merle Fyshwick »

Whoops... in the rush to retreat from my computer room (really hot) I forgot to post my review for Glenn Case, so here it is:

Glenn Case:
What I like most is the 'not convinced x2' 'that checks out x2'; there's a sense of resignation or something I identify with; I can't decide if it is reinforced by the smooth synthiness or it stands in contrast. I also enjoyed the emphasis on 'belong' at 2:46, which sounds the opposite, like there's still a chance to fit in. Got me wondering if it's a general feeling about life or the music world in particular, or even songfight in particular in particular. Also, I like the more staccato chords in the chorus, what I call in my willful ignorance 'jazz chords'.
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Re: Look at these cool (Secret Handshake Reviews)

Post by furrypedro »

vowlvom wrote:
Thu Dec 12, 2019 6:38 am
Megadank Vs The Bloke Explosion: this might be my least favourite Song Fight! band name ever...is this a Balance Lost collab, or just a Pete soundalike?
Haha, yeah apologies for the name. This is indeed a collab between me and Mikey D (you may know him from such FAWMers as Girls in Uniform). He's my oldest friend and formerly frequent drinking buddy, as such we are prone to silly ideas. One of those was our own take on Adam & Joe's Song Wars for our shortlived podcast Temporary Bad Boys, and our "bands" for this were given the above stupid names. I'm Megadank and Mike is The Bloke Explosion. This is mainly my attempt to get Mike song fighting as he has been resisting my encouragements for a decade, and I thought a collab might nudge him into action. The Kevin Rowland impression is a relatively recent affectation of his (he's not even a Dexys fan as far as I know). Hopefully he'll start submitting by himself at some point, but until then expect more lowbrow output from us.

Apologies for not reviewing. I won't say "I've been too busy" as I hate it when people say that (we're all busy!). I have just been prioritising other things over reviews. I appreciate the comments/listens from you all though, so thank you.
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