RE: SMA Feedback Contest Round 7 - A DSound Community Initiative
Freakin amazing soundscape you have created here, it's thick, satisfying and dirty as hell.
Stoner rock settings blow the clinical high gain distortion settings out of the water any day in my book, distorted bass can be so satisfying, and the guitars complement it very well.
The tune is memorable and works especially well on second and third listen-through. Though I dig tracks that can barely keep themself together, the first listen-through was too harsh for me (meaning the drums drew too much of my attention because of their almost forceful intention to stay off beat). Is this a live recording, and how much of the 'offness of the drums' was due to feeling and the experimental approach?
That said, the latter playthroughs had me settled in so much that the tune's bold nature grew on me a lot, even the drums seem more appropriate now. Weird how music can do that to me, once I settle in there's so much more leeway for stretching the boundaries of what is acceptable and still carries the tune forward.
The mix sounds raw, dirty and totally convincing. Raw as in purposefully gritty, not as in 'not done'. Makes me wanna do a stoner rock session one of these days. Not sure I can see the horror in it, sounds like desert rock to me, but as I said I am a hopeless fan when it comes to playing guitars through bass amps and all that kind of stuff.
Good work dude!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. This was a home recording, not live, and I hate to maybe ruin the experience by telling you this, but I built the drum track digitally, with the bass and guitar played by me on real instruments. I don't use pre made loops for beats, though, instead constructing the drum track from "scratch" so to speak.
So the offbeat sound is definitely planned that way, and was somewhat inspired by the drums for Bahaus's "Bela Lugosis's Dead" - hence the horror theme.
Some of the rawness comes from me using a cheap guitar and bass on an old laptop and software from ten years ago. That and my playing style; imagination... If I upgrade I hope to still maintain that feel.
No dude, then it's totally and utterly perfect. GREAT RESULT, especially when programmed. I still gotta find that spot where it almost doesn't work but still does, as you have done here.
As I wrote, on the second listen-through I wouldn't have it any other way :)
Don't change anything for the bass and guitar sounds if you ask me, you made QOTSA sound happen with humble means which is an utter achievement.