DKC2 - Bayou Boogie (prog house) (update 5/2)

[Radiowar]

so i'm back w/ another attempt at EDM, this time ripping off a bit of moonbeam, a bit of deadmau5...i like the main idea to this, but i've hit a bit of a wall as far as ideas on how it should be paced and so on. i think i'd like there to be a break between the first melody and the second, the second being the sort of climax of the track.

any thoughts?

swampy v1

[Khoregard]

Personally I'm loving what you've done so far. =D

as for ideas, extend the period between the two main melodies where you might be able to toss in some beat change funkiness.

Gotta love the house-y phasing for the second melody that just sounds too good.

[DrewGourley]

Wholeheartedly agree with khoregard on all points.

I have REASON now and i'm really excited about being able to make stuff like this.

I don't know whether or not you are using reason to create this, but I've been doing a lot of practicing with it and I think its really fun when I can visualize and work out in my head how to make instruments that sound and phase like this.

Can't give you any advice myself compositionally, I'm still a fledgling when it comes to getting those ideas going on my own -- I turn to listening to other songs and picking ideas from here and there.

Regardless, the concept on this one is golden, keep up with it! It's already a strong mix with all but 2 or 3 instruments.

EDIT: I just got a really nice idea -- HAHA!

I realize that any time indexes have no doubt already changed in your song if you are currently working with it, but bear with me.

Right before 2:00, when you go from the second melody back to the first, you should do one of those sections where you dump the beat for about 15 seconds. During this, make the instument that is the progressive lead distorted, but not phased-so the notes are long and drawn out-and continue with a slightly modified version of the same melody, when that section runs its course and feels long enough, snap back into the beat, drop the distortion, bring back the phase and go to the next melody.

This has nothing to do with the remix at all, but I see it over here and I think it's pretty funny.

[TheKrow]

Cool stuff Radiowar, love this source.

Just a few things I think could help improve this:

-The lead synth in the beginning could probably use a little bit more build up before coming in fully.

-Definitely needs a bit more rhythmic diversity such as some less prominent percussion or change in hi-hat/snare/kick sounds. The 4 on the floor fits well enough to be used through most of it, but to pull that off, you'll need more percussion diversity. Some interesting panning might help you pull that off, too.

-Crashes might help, but they're probably not necessary. You could try to tone them down with filtering and such to make them more ambient.

-Less prominent harmonies or melodies backing up the lead will definitely help give it some more body. Using arpeggios might be a good idea. Acoustic instruments like a piano or strings might help as well.

Your synth choice so far fits very well together so far, so I would probably stick with those smoother textures. The kick levels sound great so far too; not too weak, not too strong. Bass also bonds well with it. I'm looking forward to seeing this progress.

[Radiowar]

thanks for the feedback! lots of ideas to think about...

Right before 2:00, when you go from the second melody back to the first, you should do one of those sections where you dump the beat for about 15 seconds. During this, make the instument that is the progressive lead distorted, but not phased-so the notes are long and drawn out-and continue with a slightly modified version of the same melody, when that section runs its course and feels long enough, snap back into the beat, drop the distortion, bring back the phase and go to the next melody.

that's actually almost exactly what i had in mind, a bit of sort of inertia before it goes back down into the basic groove, then builds back up again.

-Definitely needs a bit more rhythmic diversity such as some less prominent percussion or change in hi-hat/snare/kick sounds. The 4 on the floor fits well enough to be used through most of it, but to pull that off, you'll need more percussion diversity. Some interesting panning might help you pull that off, too.

yeah the drums are more or less a placeholder for now. i tend to save them for last since i find it easier to come up with ideas for that sort of thing once all the main melodic/structural ideas are in place.

-Less prominent harmonies or melodies backing up the lead will definitely help give it some more body. Using arpeggios might be a good idea. Acoustic instruments like a piano or strings might help as well.

i was thinking about a pad...but i tend to be pretty bad at making good pads so i always put it off :\

so i've come up with a rough sketch of the structure that i think works. the middle section ~1:00 is something i threw together just to give a rough idea of what it might sound like. i'm not sure where to go with it, really. it needs to be something that stays relatively low-key so that the next melody entry has impact, but not so much that it is boring...maybe if i put in a pad and the first half is sort of an ambient break, or if i switch up the drums and slowly build...hmm.

and the saw in the second melody (~2:12) is just temporary. in my head i heard it as a saw, but i don't think that really makes sense. or maybe i just need to come up with a better sounding saw.

swampy v1

[Draconiator]

Hmmm....getting better and better. I hear something you might want to take advantage of though. The low synth that comes in lasts 16 bars or so with the slow arp. I'd have it built up by 8 bars, and raise the cut after that, not wait another 4 bars.. After that is awesome though.

I'm doing a remix myself, but I'll see if I can't edit this to show you what I see for the beginning.

Edit: Keep your synths. They are awesome, but bring in your lead kind of like this. I figured that you use the cut knob elsewhere, this kind of thing would be great for this track.

[Emunator]

Ok, well, I think most of my critiques have been covered. The drums are pretty weak and I think finding a more powerful kick sample would help out a lot.

Other than that, the whole section from 1:00 to 2:00-ish felt kind of lackluster, but since it's just a placeholder I suppose you're aware that there's lots of room for improvement. I think finding some less generic sounding synths would also be a huge step up, or at least writing in some countermelodies to spice things up.

It's not bad man, but this one needs a lot of time in the oven in terms of drums, synth choices, additional harmonies, etc. before it's ready for prime time. Keep at this one though, I love progressive house and I love DKC2

[DrewGourley]

the saw in the second melody (~2:12) is just temporary. in my head i heard it as a saw, but i don't think that really makes sense. or maybe i just need to come up with a better sounding saw.

I had read this, and upon my first listen, when this section hit, I agreed--AT FIRST--but I think it's only because it came in too abruptly. The sound actually works as the section progresses, just needs a smoother transition when it is introduced. I really do like all of the instruments you've chosen here.

This is building to a success, I'm really looking forward to it!

[Radiowar]

gah, spinnin my wheels on this mix a bit.

hyperion: thanks for putting that little clip together. in my head it wasn't gradually raising the cutoff so much as little whisps of the melody (see:

). i incorporated a rough idea of what it might sound like with some fairly obvious dblue glitch fx. the drop doesn't work but i'm thinking that might have more to do with percussion/supporting parts (or lack thereof). either way, though, it'll need work.

I had read this, and upon my first listen, when this section hit, I agreed--AT FIRST--but I think it's only because it came in too abruptly. The sound actually works as the section progresses, just needs a smoother transition when it is introduced. I really do like all of the instruments you've chosen here.

i've decided to go with a more plucked sound, which i personally think works better. might need a bit more tweaking, or maybe i need to incorporate it in the track earlier so its entry isn't so jarring.

anyway, here's the current version (same as link as before):

swampy v1

[phantasia]

I like it! Simple and straightforward. Probably a bit too simple a this point though. Percussion needs work. It would also be nice with some synth-fills/effect fills and some additional harmonics to add more complexity to the arrangement.

[Mirby]

I enjoyed it...