The Vagrance

1. Live for about, a month 2. Be depressed about not havin any ideas for songs 3. Start 6 songs in 2 days 4. Work on those songs the best you can for the next 2 days while riding the wave of inspiration 5. If you finished a song, hooray! If not, go back to 1.

HtDA was pretty slick, but it is essentially just NIN ballads with a female singer instead of Trent, which doesn't matter to me because I'm a big fan of NIN. Him and Atticus Ross's Social Network soundtrack is also fantastic and worth a listen if you haven't heard it yet.

Never heard the source, so I won't comment on how this remix pertains to it. That said, there doesn't seem to be a lot of variety to this remix, like I'm on a theme park ride that's just kinda doing its thing for a while before I get off and continue on with my day. By changing up some of the synths you might be able to alleviate this because at the moment they feel really generic without adding a tremendous amount to the song, for example the breakdown around 2:20 you can try using filters to allow the track to ebb. Also during the big chorus parts (3:36 is an example) nothing really stands out, you just have a bunch of synths playing the same notes (at least one gated synth, bass synth, etc.), where, considering its just the chord progresion, you really only need one. Iono, its an enjoyable remix for what it is but it just kinda feels lifeless, there's no real drama to it. Its mixed well enough to do its purpose, and there's nothing obviously wrong with it either, but there needs to be something more. Maybe try listening to Another Soundscape's FFVII remix "Too Much Fighting," I don't know why but your style seems somewhat similar and you may be able to pick up a few good things from him.

I'm not really sure how this is meant to be a rap track considering how housey it is (even by tracks like, "None Shall Pass" standards). Its really well done and I'd like to hear more though.

Step 1: Make something cool Step 2: Make sure it sounds listenable Step 3: Listen to it a bunch, really like it Step 4: Don't finish it, stumble upon it a year later and tell yourself you can totally do better Step 5: See Step 1

Not to derail but I'd like to say I support this effort whole-heartedly would so help out if I actually could play any instruments. Regardless, I hope this works out and you all do a crazy swingin' remix of something.

Yes, but after I finish it which I'm in the process of doing (although a project track is taking priority at the moment).

First off, it may not be the best idea to just start off with a drum beat, maybe try having a kinda drone pad or something to give it a more interesting texture. Also your bass in too soft, I have to listen close to hear it because the kick way overpowers. Your hats are also WAY too soft, I was about to actually comment saying throw some hats in there until I had a second listened and realized that yes, there technically were some sort of hats in there. Anyway, turn them up and add some more, or if you seek to continue using this type of drum rhythm try chopping up some breaks, you might get some interesting results. Lastly, turn the reverb down on your drums, not really necesarry especially if you get some other elements into the mix from the get-go. The synths are all nice sounding but kinda basic and not really utilized in interesting ways, they follow the melody for the most part. Try experimenting with the source some more. That said the arp synth does its job fine and I wasn't really talking about that. That said your remix lacks a sense of direction in that it kinda feels generic. Try to find a specific angle you want your remix to go in, kinda like "Corridor of time but with a big heavy club bass" or something, it doesn't have to be totally complicated but it might give the mix some personality. Anyway, I'd try to comment more and stuff but I got class, hope that helps.

Virus TI with some modulation on the shape of both oscillators + filter occasionally to get the more obvious "wompwomp" sound. Then run through Ohmicide and split up into a couple of bands (highs and lows) and processed slightly there as well.

Any of mine are fair game to you all (in that you can use them)

Anything else really, get creative. If you're using Massive the most obvious start is the wavetable parameters on the oscillators, there's also the sync/fm if you're feeling dangerous, any effects the synth has, anything that you think will shape the sound of it.

Pretty much, when I first started almost all of my drums came from breaks as opposed to hits, and that exercise in and of itself has helped out a lot. Try only working with breaks, and not programmed breaks or drum loops from a drum machine or something, but like, Funky Drummer or other old-ass funk and jazz breaks.

First things first I know you're going for a wall of sound but turn things down because it all sounds distorted. Also, I'm not quite buying your bass, it sounds you're just controlling the filter which, while it always a good start, good dubstep basses generally have a "morphing" quality to them, try automating some other parameters as well. The arp synth needs to either go or be modified because at the moment its just busy as hell without any really purpose. If your bass is busy enough you don't need another synth blasting at 180mph, let the bass drive the track. As it is its just kinda in annoying. Try getting some hats in there instead of the synth to help drive the track as well. Overall though I just don't feel a strong groove to this track, which is what a good dubstep track needs more than anything else. Overall I like the concept and the source s interesting enough that you can go places with this remix, but I don't really feel like its there yet. Work on focusing your theme a bit more, at the moment I've probably listened to your remix two or three times now and nothing is really sticking out, I'm not going to be humming this in 5 minutes. But as said before, I like the concept and this definitely has the potential to be interesting, I especially like the little breakdown build-ups thing you have, but I'd also take another stab at it.

I quite like this, but as Modus said this needs a bit more humanizing, which unfortunate for you means tweaking velocities and whatnot because the whole thing sounds kinda robotic. Overall though I really enjoyed it.

http://tindeck.com/listen/hloz Its meant to be a normal club dubstep track but I suck at making anything normal.

In short: however is most convenient for me at the time. A lot of the time through my crappy laptop speakers, most of the time through my monitors/sub in a remarkably untreated room, and the rest of the time generally through these (my friend's dad actually makes them so I got a pair for free).

This is fantastic, one of the better remixes I've heard period.

This + pretty much the rest of the DKC2 soundtrack, which is still one of my favorites.

In the sense that it has a crap ton of little pads on it, yes. In its functionality, I don't know because I've never used a launchpad before.

http://soundcloud.com/fli/playing-around-with-my-apc40-a-mix A nice quick mix of some neuro tracks. I don't really feel like typing up a tracklist because the tunes were decided on the spot but feel free to ask what a song is at a specific spot and I'll tell you.

Hooray for apartment, and a new piece of gear.

I learned how to ride a bike and figured a jet is the same thing fundamentally.

You're forgetting that some of us just want to live without being bothered by constantly having the prove something, or apologizing for something we're not responsible for. I'm white but I don't feel like I personally need to apologize for slavery, nor do I need to apologize for that crazy Discovery channel dude for being atheist, nor the Columbine shooters for playing video games, etc.. Some of us want to be judged for who we are and not for others' actions who happen to have overlapping interests. Regardless, I'm going to bed and I'm pretty much done arguing considering you seem to have no intention of budging from your point.

They're not involved with any of the problems, they're bystanders. They're not insiders, there regular shmucks like you and me that happen to make rap music for a living. There isn't a clause when releasing an album that says, "oh yeah, you have to make a charity." Congress doesn't care and rallies are expensive, and if OCR is proof of anything its that most musicians are poor and do stuff in their free time. Saul Williams made an album produced and promoted by Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), released either for free for a 192kbps version or $5 (for 60 minutes of music) for 320 or FLAC version and guess how many people actually paid for it. The answer is about 1/5th of the people actually paid $5 for the album, just under 20,000 people. That's about $100,000 for a year or so of work, not all of which will actually go to him and this is with a big name backing (who called the experiment disappointing). Now, Lupe is lucky and is signed to a major label (which doesn't mean much nowadays, financially), but Blackalicious, along with countless other rappers I could name aren't and make less money than Saul Williams. None of these underground guys are doing it for the money because they're not making much, there are increasingly fewer ways to make a living as a musician and most conscious rappers are on the poor side of the spectrum. And you're asking these people to be the ones to set up charities and influence the mainstream or testify to senate? Nobody cares about them and the money they get typically allows them to break about even. Hell, Zach de la Roche of Rage Against the Machine, a very popular and influential band was called a "has been" on the news fairly recently, unless your name starts with Ke$ha or ends with Gaga the media doesn't care. Most underground rappers who do what they do is because they love to do it, its for the love of the music. They don't aim to be the moral leaders of their culture nor are they in the position to be.

And you aren't mine, despite their increasing brevity. I did say that rap has a problem, but the people making money from rapping about the problems you describe in a shallow manner don't give two shits about what indie rappers have to say because they're usually in it for the money. Non-mainstream rappers have been hammering the culture themselves, some examples: [QUOTE] [b]Saul Williams - Penny For a Thought[/B] we're performing an exorcism on all this keep it real-ism violence, sensationalism in the name of the hip hop that nurtured me, cultured me we are ordering all evil entities to exit this body, leave this body in the name of microphone fiends and a young boy's b-boy dreams we draw you to leave this body, leave this body all evil entities, all wannabe emcees decoys, decoys, send in the true b-boys the true b-boys be men, motherfuckers be men in the name of Scott La Rock in the name of T-La Rock motherfuckers don't remember how to do the reeboks walk, hop, I told you to leave this body leave this body, leave this body I told you to leave this body leave this body, leave this body motherfuckers must think I'm crazy shit, I think y'all motherfuckers is crazy I want my fuckin' MTV penny for a thought, nigga, penny for a thought what the fuck have you bought into?[/QUOTE] [QUOTE] [B]Blackalicious - Deception[/B] [Gift of Gab] His first single was a overnight success hit (success hit) And now he went from wearing rags to the best fits (best fits) All his new acquitances, gassed his head, takin it To the point where he lost proper perspective ('spective) Started cuttin off the people he came up wit (up wit) Ego blown like his soul had been ab-ducted (ab-ducted) Though his heart was once real, now material has filled Up his world, and he couldn't get enough of it (get ENOUGH of it) Used to wanna be the best of the rap dons (rap dons) Now his only one concern is goin plati-NUM (plati-NUM) And his skills has since decreased, and the inner hunger ceased Now content, just as long as fame and cash come (CASH come) He's a Big Willie now, rappin bout cars (bout cars) Thousand dollar shoppin sprees, hangin out with stars (out with stars) I mean just a year ago, he was broke, bummin money Drinkin out the 40 bottle, livin outdoors Don't let money change ya! Laaaaah, di-dah, da-da-dee-dah Lah-di-dah, da-da-dee-dah [4X] [Gift of Gab] Second LP, my rap changes fast (changes fast) Here today, gone tomorrow, now his label passed (label passed) Now the new poster boy, with the hip now sound Second time around everything isn't stable as (stable as) It once was, now he's lookin for the same hit (SAME hit) But his sound is played, he forget to change wit (CHANGE wit) Them old hit rhymes, no one feelin him, his rhymes ain't appealin Anymore, and his records ain't sellin shit (ain't sellin SHIT) Now he's dropped from his label, and he's goin broke (goin broke) Tried the underground return, ghetto pass revoked (pass reVOKED) And the same faces that he dissed, on his way, to the top Laughed as they watched him do the downstroke (DOWNstroke) Now the moral of the story is that some go (some go) Why would money make the inner vision crumble? (crumble) So if you're blessed with the talent, utilize it to the fullest Be true to yourself and stay humble[/QUOTE] [QUOTE] [B]Lupe Fiasco - Dumb it Down[/B] [Chorus 1:] You goin' over niggas' heads Lu (Dumb it down) They tellin' me that they don't feel you (Dumb it down) We ain't graduate from school nigga (Dumb it down) Them big words ain't cool nigga (Dumb it down) Yeah I heard Mean And Vicious nigga (Dumb it down) Make a song for the bitches nigga (Dumb it down) We don't care about the weather nigga (Dumb it down) You'll sell more records if you (Dumb it down) [/QUOTE] And these are songs that pop to mind immediately that directly address the problem you're talking about. Again, you must be really unfamiliar with the music industry if you think mainstream artists care about what underground guys are saying about them and will clean up their act in response. If you don't want to support the artists rapping about guns and drugs then don't, but to ignore the entire genre because of a few people you don't like is sad.