“I wanted to do something epic...”

Whoa dude, mission accomplished!

“I wanted to do something epic...” Whoa dude, mission accomplished!

I did enjoy the journey! Love how it feels like a lazy wandering daydream given aural shape.

I did enjoy the journey! Love how it feels like a lazy wandering daydream given aural shape. :)

Love the reverse thing man, thats such a cool effect I always forget about.  Dont hate me if I steal that some time.  You're right, this track is epic and all over the place.  Really cool that you were able to get everything to transition so well.  Each new part sounds natural even though they are so different.  Great job putting this whole thing together in a week, not an easy thing to do.

Love the reverse thing man, thats such a cool effect I always forget about. Dont hate me if I steal that some time. You're right, this track is epic and all over the place. Really cool that you were able to get everything to transition so well. Each new part sounds natural even though they are so different. Great job putting this whole thing together in a week, not an easy thing to do.

What an epic journey! Fantastic work this week

What an epic journey! Fantastic work this week :)

That's a relief.  I wasn't sure it was epic enough. 

Thanks!  I like the description of a daydream taking shape.

Yeah, I like reversed sounds.  I definitely won't be offended if you use them.  As much as I wish I owned that sound effect, alas, I do not.  Even if I did though, I'd still let people use it because it's a cool sound.

Thanks!  I'm glad you went on the journey!

[quote=E-dub]“I wanted to do something epic...” Whoa dude, mission accomplished![/quote]That's a relief. I wasn't sure it was epic enough. :) [quote=hent03]I did enjoy the journey! Love how it feels like a lazy wandering daydream given aural shape. :)[/quote]Thanks! I like the description of a daydream taking shape. [quote=Chrisfoo]Love the reverse thing man, thats such a cool effect I always forget about. Dont hate me if I steal that some time. You're right, this track is epic and all over the place. Really cool that you were able to get everything to transition so well. Each new part sounds natural even though they are so different. Great job putting this whole thing together in a week, not an easy thing to do.[/quote]Yeah, I like reversed sounds. I definitely won't be offended if you use them. As much as I wish I owned that sound effect, alas, I do not. Even if I did though, I'd still let people use it because it's a cool sound. [quote=Mission Crossing]What an epic journey! Fantastic work this week :)[/quote]Thanks! I'm glad you went on the journey!

This track is a journey! The break around 5:00 with the different vocal plays is really creative. What is the wobbly trebly sounds around 3:42? Is that the musical saw?
The tone on that guitar solo around 6:30! So smooth and creamy! I love it. What a track!

This track is a journey! The break around 5:00 with the different vocal plays is really creative. What is the wobbly trebly sounds around 3:42? Is that the musical saw? The tone on that guitar solo around 6:30! So smooth and creamy! I love it. What a track!

Wow. This is a ride that takes us on a cross-country roadtrip. Each section could breathe life into its own song. It reminds me of some albums that blend songs together to show where they've been, or give a forecast of where they're going while also providing an atmosphere for the album. I hear more of those samples. Enjoyed it.

Wow. This is a ride that takes us on a cross-country roadtrip. Each section could breathe life into its own song. It reminds me of some albums that blend songs together to show where they've been, or give a forecast of where they're going while also providing an atmosphere for the album. I hear more of those samples. Enjoyed it.

Thanks! Let's see... around 3:42... yeah that's the musical saw for sure.  It's going all through that synth section and makes a brief return at the transition from the wordless vocals to the final section (around the 6:00 mark)

Thanks!  Yeah I wanted the sections to be different but feel like part of a greater whole.  I think some of my favorite albums are able to accomplish that feeling across a whole album. 

[quote=Kedbreak136]This track is a journey! The break around 5:00 with the different vocal plays is really creative. What is the wobbly trebly sounds around 3:42? Is that the musical saw? The tone on that guitar solo around 6:30! So smooth and creamy! I love it. What a track![/quote]Thanks! Let's see... around 3:42... yeah that's the musical saw for sure. It's going all through that synth section and makes a brief return at the transition from the wordless vocals to the final section (around the 6:00 mark) [quote=Anon_Buster]Wow. This is a ride that takes us on a cross-country roadtrip. Each section could breathe life into its own song. It reminds me of some albums that blend songs together to show where they've been, or give a forecast of where they're going while also providing an atmosphere for the album. I hear more of those samples. Enjoyed it.[/quote]Thanks! Yeah I wanted the sections to be different but feel like part of a greater whole. I think some of my favorite albums are able to accomplish that feeling across a whole album.

You are like a one man Flaming Lips meets Spiritualized but MORE creative.  With pinch of Yellow Submarine to taste

Great cello playing.

3:22 breakdown is very cool.

This track is like a mini album made up of 4 very short songs.

Questions: how did you record this?
How much did you plan stuff out before hand?
How do you not get too caught up in one section or rather, how do you keep such a large scope balanced?  I want to do something like this one day, like Radiohead's Paranoid Android or Green Day's American Idiot or any Mars Volta song (lol)- do these multi-section epics.

I'm really impressed and proud to know you!

The variety made the 7:53 not feel very long.  Ended on a literal high note!

You are like a one man Flaming Lips meets Spiritualized but MORE creative. With pinch of Yellow Submarine to taste :) Great cello playing. 3:22 breakdown is very cool. [quote=CosmicCairns]Thanks! Yeah I wanted the sections to be different but feel like part of a greater whole. I think some of my favorite albums are able to accomplish that feeling across a whole album. [/quote] This track is like a mini album made up of 4 very short songs. Questions: how did you record this? How much did you plan stuff out before hand? How do you not get too caught up in one section or rather, how do you keep such a large scope balanced? I want to do something like this one day, like Radiohead's Paranoid Android or Green Day's American Idiot or any Mars Volta song (lol)- do these multi-section epics. I'm really impressed and proud to know you! The variety made the 7:53 not feel very long. Ended on a literal high note!

Thanks!  I listened to a ton of Flaming Lips, Spiritualized and Yellow Submarine back in the day, so I will take that as a definite compliment.  I will attempt to answer your questions:

How did I record this?  My usual setup.  I'm using Reaper as my DAW on my desktop computer and my usual arsenal of equipment/instruments.  I did the whole thing pretty much in one session.  I didn't time exactly how long it took, but several hours.

How much did I plan out before hand?  Not too much.  I had some vague ideas, but didn't really know what the final product was going to sound like.  I knew I wanted it to be longer than normal and I knew it was going to hit some different sections featuring different instruments, but mostly it was just kind of intuitive. 

How did I not get too caught up in any one section?  Again I would say it was mostly an intuitive feel.  The very first thing I did was take the sample of my old song and reversed it.  The snippet itself, which effectively served as an intro was  something like 1:20, which is already a significant chunk of time.  It felt a little sparse just by itself, so I wanted to add something else without "overloading" it so I threw on the wordless vocals.  While listening to the backwards sample, there was part of it that kind of suggested a melody to me, so I went with that for the vocal part that came in next.  I figured about two repetitions of the verse is about what I would normally do in a song before breaking for an instrumental.  And that's sort of how I went from there.  I didn't want any individual section to drag on too long.  I didn't time them or anything, I just went for about what "felt" like a reasonable amount of time.  And I didn't want to pile too much "stuff" on any individual section either.  Most of them had one element that was sort of the main "baseline" part and then I added a few embellishments to it until is felt like the "right" amount of stuff was in each section.  I guess that's about the best insight I can offer.  Thanks for asking!

[quote=orangedrink]You are like a one man Flaming Lips meets Spiritualized but MORE creative. With pinch of Yellow Submarine to taste :) Great cello playing. 3:22 breakdown is very cool. [quote=CosmicCairns]Thanks! Yeah I wanted the sections to be different but feel like part of a greater whole. I think some of my favorite albums are able to accomplish that feeling across a whole album. [/quote] This track is like a mini album made up of 4 very short songs. Questions: how did you record this? How much did you plan stuff out before hand? How do you not get too caught up in one section or rather, how do you keep such a large scope balanced? I want to do something like this one day, like Radiohead's Paranoid Android or Green Day's American Idiot or any Mars Volta song (lol)- do these multi-section epics. I'm really impressed and proud to know you! The variety made the 7:53 not feel very long. Ended on a literal high note! [/quote]Thanks! I listened to a ton of Flaming Lips, Spiritualized and Yellow Submarine back in the day, so I will take that as a definite compliment. I will attempt to answer your questions: How did I record this? My usual setup. I'm using Reaper as my DAW on my desktop computer and my usual arsenal of equipment/instruments. I did the whole thing pretty much in one session. I didn't time exactly how long it took, but several hours. How much did I plan out before hand? Not too much. I had some vague ideas, but didn't really know what the final product was going to sound like. I knew I wanted it to be longer than normal and I knew it was going to hit some different sections featuring different instruments, but mostly it was just kind of intuitive. How did I not get too caught up in any one section? Again I would say it was mostly an intuitive feel. The very first thing I did was take the sample of my old song and reversed it. The snippet itself, which effectively served as an intro was something like 1:20, which is already a significant chunk of time. It felt a little sparse just by itself, so I wanted to add something else without "overloading" it so I threw on the wordless vocals. While listening to the backwards sample, there was part of it that kind of suggested a melody to me, so I went with that for the vocal part that came in next. I figured about two repetitions of the verse is about what I would normally do in a song before breaking for an instrumental. And that's sort of how I went from there. I didn't want any individual section to drag on too long. I didn't time them or anything, I just went for about what "felt" like a reasonable amount of time. And I didn't want to pile too much "stuff" on any individual section either. Most of them had one element that was sort of the main "baseline" part and then I added a few embellishments to it until is felt like the "right" amount of stuff was in each section. I guess that's about the best insight I can offer. Thanks for asking!

Man, what a ride. Bit of a rough start, but everything else is smooth.

Man, what a ride. Bit of a rough start, but everything else is smooth.

Not a fan of the backwards section...  That's okay, although it really was the foundation on which the rest of the track was born.

[quote=Devieus]Man, what a ride. Bit of a rough start, but everything else is smooth.[/quote]Not a fan of the backwards section... That's okay, although it really was the foundation on which the rest of the track was born.

Yea, the shrill notes were just a bit too shrill. A low pass filter would make it so much easier on the ears.

[quote=CosmicCairns][quote=Devieus]Man, what a ride. Bit of a rough start, but everything else is smooth.[/quote]Not a fan of the backwards section... That's okay, although it really was the foundation on which the rest of the track was born. [/quote] Yea, the shrill notes were just a bit too shrill. A low pass filter would make it so much easier on the ears.

Noted.  I'll try that on another mix.

[quote=Devieus][quote=CosmicCairns][quote=Devieus]Man, what a ride. Bit of a rough start, but everything else is smooth.[/quote]Not a fan of the backwards section... That's okay, although it really was the foundation on which the rest of the track was born. [/quote] Yea, the shrill notes were just a bit too shrill. A low pass filter would make it so much easier on the ears.[/quote]Noted. I'll try that on another mix.

Excellent cello and musical saw.  The breakdown in the middle is a nice departure too.  The guitar theme at the end was a great way to finish it off.  Something Epic would have been a fitting title as well  

Excellent cello and musical saw. The breakdown in the middle is a nice departure too. The guitar theme at the end was a great way to finish it off. Something Epic would have been a fitting title as well :)

WOW. This came out like pet sounds II. Really heavenly beautiful and definitely epic.

WOW. This came out like pet sounds II. Really heavenly beautiful and definitely epic.

Thanks!  I wanted to finish with a bit of a reprise of the main melody so I figured the guitar section was a good way to do it.

Thanks!  Every now and then I like to try to channel some Beach Boys harmonies.

[quote=Tone Matrix]Excellent cello and musical saw. The breakdown in the middle is a nice departure too. The guitar theme at the end was a great way to finish it off. Something Epic would have been a fitting title as well :) [/quote]Thanks! I wanted to finish with a bit of a reprise of the main melody so I figured the guitar section was a good way to do it. [quote=Q-Rosh]WOW. This came out like pet sounds II. Really heavenly beautiful and definitely epic.[/quote]Thanks! Every now and then I like to try to channel some Beach Boys harmonies.

[img]https://media.giphy.com/media/3o7yDh753y2tEjakLK/giphy.gif[/img]

Holy fucks this is massive! You definitely got epicness in the layered vocals and backwards sounding tracks in the first section.  Kind of Beatlesque and experimental with bits of Beach Boys as well. Always love to hear the cello! And the guitars are extra shiny and well done. Nice blending of synths and saw. Great work. Saved and Faved!

Holy fucks this is massive! You definitely got epicness in the layered vocals and backwards sounding tracks in the first section. Kind of Beatlesque and experimental with bits of Beach Boys as well. Always love to hear the cello! And the guitars are extra shiny and well done. Nice blending of synths and saw. Great work. Saved and Faved!

Whoah! Epic indeed! This spans all the eleven heavens. I love the backwards stuff and general wash of trippy in the intro. Those lyrics are a mystical vision indeed. A psychedelic mystical journey beyond the beyond. Like a road trip indeed. We stop out in the dessert ... and those angels sing to us from the clouds before sending us merrily back on our way.

Whoah! Epic indeed! This spans all the eleven heavens. I love the backwards stuff and general wash of trippy in the intro. Those lyrics are a mystical vision indeed. A psychedelic mystical journey beyond the beyond. Like a road trip indeed. We stop out in the dessert ... and those angels sing to us from the clouds before sending us merrily back on our way.

Sweet gif.  Thanks!

Thanks!  I never feel like it's a bad thing to get a little bit of a Beatles and/or Beach Boys vibe happening.  This track definitely felt like it needed some cello.  And also synths and saws and shiny guitars. 

Thanks!  That is for sure the kind of feeling I was trying to go for.

[quote=emily][img]https://media.giphy.com/media/3o7yDh753y2tEjakLK/giphy.gif[/img][/quote]Sweet gif. Thanks! [quote=NWSPR]Holy fucks this is massive! You definitely got epicness in the layered vocals and backwards sounding tracks in the first section. Kind of Beatlesque and experimental with bits of Beach Boys as well. Always love to hear the cello! And the guitars are extra shiny and well done. Nice blending of synths and saw. Great work. Saved and Faved![/quote]Thanks! I never feel like it's a bad thing to get a little bit of a Beatles and/or Beach Boys vibe happening. This track definitely felt like it needed some cello. And also synths and saws and shiny guitars. :) [quote=miraclemiles]Whoah! Epic indeed! This spans all the eleven heavens. I love the backwards stuff and general wash of trippy in the intro. Those lyrics are a mystical vision indeed. A psychedelic mystical journey beyond the beyond. Like a road trip indeed. We stop out in the dessert ... and those angels sing to us from the clouds before sending us merrily back on our way. [/quote]Thanks! That is for sure the kind of feeling I was trying to go for.