damn fine coffee. love twin peaks. I still need to go watch the newer show.

unrelated, but in the early 2000s, for halloween a buddy of mine and I would edit together a couple hours of weird short films and set them to a new score. always had almost the whole david lynch short film collection in there. some truly weird stuff, hahaha.

track is fantastic. I absolutely love the guitar around 3:40, and the vocals are amazing all the way through. it's just spacey, floaty weirdness. favorited.

damn fine coffee. love twin peaks. I still need to go watch the newer show. unrelated, but in the early 2000s, for halloween a buddy of mine and I would edit together a couple hours of weird short films and set them to a new score. always had almost the whole david lynch short film collection in there. some truly weird stuff, hahaha. track is fantastic. I absolutely love the guitar around 3:40, and the vocals are amazing all the way through. it's just spacey, floaty weirdness. favorited.

[img]https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/twinpeaks/images/8/89/A_damn_fine_cup_of_coffee.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20111126082546[/img]

Falsetto part at 0:50 is rad. I can't believe this is the first time you're using the deepmind. Didn't you acquire that back when Meta was still active?

The intensity change when the grindy guitar comes in is great. The section with the "ooh/ah" vox around 3:00 is tasty.

My tastes are more formulaic than yours, so when you don't stray so far out of the box, it tends to resonate with me more. Sorry to hear that that is a cause of discontentment for you. Everyone is different, and you should make what makes you happy.

Falsetto part at 0:50 is rad. I can't believe this is the first time you're using the deepmind. Didn't you acquire that back when Meta was still active? The intensity change when the grindy guitar comes in is great. The section with the "ooh/ah" vox around 3:00 is tasty. My tastes are more formulaic than yours, so when you don't stray so far out of the box, it tends to resonate with me more. Sorry to hear that that is a cause of discontentment for you. Everyone is different, and you should make what makes you happy.

Haha, yes. The only other time I've used a hardware synthesizer was "Fountain Simulation" back in 2022 and that was the Microfreak. The reason why is mostly because it's less convenient. I have to clear up desk space, plug in 5 cables and route the midi to the synth and audio back to the interface so that I can edit things. Then when I decide I want to change something I have to rerecord the part again rather than just moving a few notes. It's fine, it's just more cumbersome than reaching for a synth plugin. That said, putting in the extra effort was worth it. I enjoyed playing on the Deepmind. I'll try to use it for more songs this year. Maybe the Microkorg too.

[quote=blighters_rock]Falsetto part at 0:50 is rad. I can't believe this is the first time you're using the deepmind. Didn't you acquire that back when Meta was still active? The intensity change when the grindy guitar comes in is great. The section with the "ooh/ah" vox around 3:00 is tasty. My tastes are more formulaic than yours, so when you don't stray so far out of the box, it tends to resonate with me more. Sorry to hear that that is a cause of discontentment for you. Everyone is different, and you should make what makes you happy. [/quote] Haha, yes. The only other time I've used a hardware synthesizer was "Fountain Simulation" back in 2022 and that was the Microfreak. The reason why is mostly because it's less convenient. I have to clear up desk space, plug in 5 cables and route the midi to the synth and audio back to the interface so that I can edit things. Then when I decide I want to change something I have to rerecord the part again rather than just moving a few notes. It's fine, it's just more cumbersome than reaching for a synth plugin. That said, putting in the extra effort was worth it. I enjoyed playing on the Deepmind. I'll try to use it for more songs this year. Maybe the Microkorg too.

This is really really good! I like the dark airy ambience of it all, and your vocal performance is perfect! I think you do a nice job moving in and out of your head voice. Sounds really seamless and those high notes really pop. I really like the looping melodic guitar riff. Also the fizzy rhythm guitar is really nice to hear underneath. Some parts of this give me really Insurgente's Steve Wilson era vibes (a personal favorite of both of ours I think) and I'm really into that. Gonna favorite this one for sure.

This is really really good! I like the dark airy ambience of it all, and your vocal performance is perfect! I think you do a nice job moving in and out of your head voice. Sounds really seamless and those high notes really pop. I really like the looping melodic guitar riff. Also the fizzy rhythm guitar is really nice to hear underneath. Some parts of this give me really Insurgente's Steve Wilson era vibes (a personal favorite of both of ours I think) and I'm really into that. Gonna favorite this one for sure.

Great song. It is heavy and dense and also ethereal and light at the same time. Your vocal performance is just right and fits perfectly. Nice dreamy feelings all through the song. I wish I could talk with you about actual film subjects, but at the moment I hardly find the time for this. In the 90ies I was into David Lynch films too.

Great song. It is heavy and dense and also ethereal and light at the same time. Your vocal performance is just right and fits perfectly. Nice dreamy feelings all through the song. I wish I could talk with you about actual film subjects, but at the moment I hardly find the time for this. In the 90ies I was into David Lynch films too.

WOOF don't get me started on genre gatekeeping, I mean, I think that's what Orange Drink is all about, destroying those gates.

you wrote: "I miss the freedom of composing wild 9-minute progressive metal pieces"

so why can't you?

what has gotten you concerned with others' opinions?

WOOF don't get me started on genre gatekeeping, I mean, I think that's what Orange Drink is all about, destroying those gates. you wrote: "I miss the freedom of composing wild 9-minute progressive metal pieces" so why can't you? what has gotten you concerned with others' opinions?

Really nice track.

I am team Drew about the fact you can write whatever you want... Especially if going the DIY way. No accountability to any third party, you do what you do. If you like what you do, all good, sometimes it feels bad to see that a song or track we put lots of time and efforts doesn't resonate that much to other, but really it is hit an miss, and truth is that we are so conditioned to hear the same kind of chord progressions - time signatures - how long are song - subjects, etc... that first listen of unconventional are most likely to be not that great.

I remember first time I listened to some of the Primus tracks that I really didn't like it, but it did grow hard on me...

Anyways, I have to maybe start Twin Peaks... (I don't have much spare time, I rarely go into big series because of that.)

Take care!

Really nice track. I am team Drew about the fact you can write whatever you want... Especially if going the DIY way. No accountability to any third party, you do what you do. If you like what you do, all good, sometimes it feels bad to see that a song or track we put lots of time and efforts doesn't resonate that much to other, but really it is hit an miss, and truth is that we are so conditioned to hear the same kind of chord progressions - time signatures - how long are song - subjects, etc... that first listen of unconventional are most likely to be not that great. I remember first time I listened to some of the Primus tracks that I really didn't like it, but it did grow hard on me... :) Anyways, I have to maybe start Twin Peaks... (I don't have much spare time, I rarely go into big series because of that.) Take care!

You've never let other peoples opinions on music and song writing stop you before, why start now?

I've always thought the best stuff you've written was influenced by the most obscure stuff out there.

And I'm probably biased because of our history, but a nine minute plus metal song is always a solid choice.

You've never let other peoples opinions on music and song writing stop you before, why start now? I've always thought the best stuff you've written was influenced by the most obscure stuff out there. And I'm probably biased because of our history, but a nine minute plus metal song is always a solid choice.

I can totally relate to the frustration of encountering "gatekeepy" tendencies in some folks in the Goth music scene.  I can understand how protective any very specific kind of nerd can be of a thing thier external identity and community is totally entwined in, but at the same time... like it's really a good thing that there are blurry lines around (and sometimes fully encompassing) genres, because that's where new and interesting innovations come from... like Goth Rock itself was once a nameless thing in the blurry edges of what we now call Post-Punk... everything was new and undefined once? 

... but the song... oh man, instant favorite.  I love the chord progression, and vocals sit perfectly in the mix.  And that distorted guitar that like growls up from the void at 1:15... ( ˘ ³˘)و <<< chef's kiss.  This makes me want to dust of my copy of Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines and get lost in some classic White Wolf stories of the macabre.

I can totally relate to the frustration of encountering "gatekeepy" tendencies in [i]some[/i] folks in the Goth music scene. I can understand how protective any very specific kind of nerd can be of a thing thier external identity and community is totally entwined in, but at the same time... like it's really a good thing that there are blurry lines around (and sometimes fully encompassing) genres, because that's where new and interesting innovations come from... like Goth Rock itself was once a nameless thing in the blurry edges of what we now call Post-Punk... everything was new and undefined once? ... but the song... oh man, instant favorite. I love the chord progression, and vocals sit perfectly in the mix. And that distorted guitar that like growls up from the void at 1:15... ( ˘ ³˘)و <<< chef's kiss. This makes me want to dust of my copy of Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines and get lost in some classic White Wolf stories of the macabre.

This is absolutely gorgeous, congrats on the composition!!!

This is absolutely gorgeous, congrats on the composition!!!

Awesome mood on this one.  Feels dark and dreamy but not dreary.  Gatekeeping is annoying and I say follow your muse wherever it takes you whether people accept it or not.  You'll be happier and make more interesting stuff and if you happen to dare to stick a toe into someone else's pond along the way they can just deal with it.  Still need to check out Twin Peaks.  It's been on my to-watch list for years now.

Awesome mood on this one. Feels dark and dreamy but not dreary. Gatekeeping is annoying and I say follow your muse wherever it takes you whether people accept it or not. You'll be happier and make more interesting stuff and if you happen to dare to stick a toe into someone else's pond along the way they can just deal with it. Still need to check out Twin Peaks. It's been on my to-watch list for years now.

<3

Vocals wonderful, instrumentation and composition great. Thank you! Sucks to the goth gatekeepers.

Vocals wonderful, instrumentation and composition great. Thank you! Sucks to the goth gatekeepers.

holy shit, never thought i'd find a prog gem like this on WB! welcome to my favorites list

holy shit, never thought i'd find a prog gem like this on WB! welcome to my favorites list

Gatekeeping...ugh. Forget people like that if you can. Something I learned from a close mentor recently is that genres have certain defining qualities, and learning what they are is important, BUT you shouldn't push yourself too hard to sound like someone else who's already carved out their own niche. Not sure if I'm getting the phrasing exactly right there, but I think the takeaway is, the people who're obsessing over whether you sound enough like their favorite examples of the genre are probably just going to keep listening to their favorite examples of the genre anyway. So, feel free to do something cooler than what they had in mind.

Whether or not this counts as "gothic" in the strictest sense, I like it as is quite a bit. It's got all the elements of your sound that drew me to it in the first place: rich guitar parts alternating between shimmery and washed out and heavily distorted, ethereal vocal melodies, unique synth embellishments, richly dark chord progressions and hypnotic time signatures, etc. So if it's any comfort to you, I feel like you'd be set just by focusing less on genre expectations and more on having fun continuing to explore the strengths of your sound, learning new stuff along the way.

TL;DR - You write great music. Keep up the great work!

Gatekeeping...ugh. Forget people like that if you can. Something I learned from a close mentor recently is that genres have certain defining qualities, and learning what they are is important, BUT you shouldn't push yourself too hard to sound like someone else who's already carved out their own niche. Not sure if I'm getting the phrasing exactly right there, but I think the takeaway is, the people who're obsessing over whether you sound enough like their favorite examples of the genre are probably just going to keep listening to their favorite examples of the genre anyway. So, feel free to do something cooler than what they had in mind. ;) Whether or not this counts as "gothic" in the strictest sense, I like it as is quite a bit. It's got all the elements of your sound that drew me to it in the first place: rich guitar parts alternating between shimmery and washed out and heavily distorted, ethereal vocal melodies, unique synth embellishments, richly dark chord progressions and hypnotic time signatures, etc. So if it's any comfort to you, I feel like you'd be set just by focusing less on genre expectations and more on having fun continuing to explore the strengths of your sound, learning new stuff along the way. TL;DR - You write great music. Keep up the great work! :D

Sounds awesome! Lynch is great, still haven't watched twin peaks but a lot of little weird experimental movies and maybe some long ones. I think maybe there is some subtle influence in the mood.

This track feels honest and smooth, and the vocals are sexy and fit well! The synth clavi thing sounds psychedelic, the kinda stuff you dig out of crates or old youtube clips that reemerge years later - a nice mix of oldschool and new sounds. Also cool mix (to my earphones anyway) and cool guitar playing!

I don't know much about gatekeepy stuff, I just know some people are better kept at arm's length and your real crew that accepts you and empowers you is out there, just gotta find them! Those goth folks might not realize that what they think is their sound was once a new thing that wasn't accepted by their predecessors, so it's a stupid thing to propagate. Some people never learn tho. Sorry to hear you had to deal with it.

Sounds awesome! Lynch is great, still haven't watched twin peaks but a lot of little weird experimental movies and maybe some long ones. I think maybe there is some subtle influence in the mood. This track feels honest and smooth, and the vocals are sexy and fit well! The synth clavi thing sounds psychedelic, the kinda stuff you dig out of crates or old youtube clips that reemerge years later - a nice mix of oldschool and new sounds. Also cool mix (to my earphones anyway) and cool guitar playing! I don't know much about gatekeepy stuff, I just know some people are better kept at arm's length and your real crew that accepts you and empowers you is out there, just gotta find them! Those goth folks might not realize that what they think is their sound was once a new thing that wasn't accepted by their predecessors, so it's a stupid thing to propagate. Some people never learn tho. Sorry to hear you had to deal with it.

Also yo it's not like any of this shit is making us wades of cash, so why not go for what you really love? good luck keep em coming!

Also yo it's not like any of this shit is making us wades of cash, so why not go for what you really love? ;) good luck keep em coming!

There is a concept in Japan that is called Shu-Ha-Ri. Shu is for learning an art by following the convetions and its form. Ha is to detach yourself from the conventions, to bend them, and go out. The final phase is Ri, which is the final separation, where you realize there are no conventions, there are no styles, there is no form, there is only life. This is more commonly used in martial arts but also is used in other forms of arts.

I think that learning styles is useful to learn the vocabulary and enjoy playing with the rules of that specific community, but the real objective of the artist is to reach Ri - there is no form, there are no rules, there are no conventions, except the ultimate free expression.

I loved your track and please do delight us with 9+ minutes compositions. I am also with you on being inspired some batches of weeks and all going down for some times. Hills and valleys, hills and valleys. Once you're used to it, it's just a matter of remembering there are always more hills after the valleys.

There is a concept in Japan that is called Shu-Ha-Ri. Shu is for learning an art by following the convetions and its form. Ha is to detach yourself from the conventions, to bend them, and go out. The final phase is Ri, which is the final separation, where you realize there are no conventions, there are no styles, there is no form, there is only life. This is more commonly used in martial arts but also is used in other forms of arts. I think that learning styles is useful to learn the vocabulary and enjoy playing with the rules of that specific community, but the real objective of the artist is to reach Ri - there is no form, there are no rules, there are no conventions, except the ultimate free expression. I loved your track and please do delight us with 9+ minutes compositions. I am also with you on being inspired some batches of weeks and all going down for some times. Hills and valleys, hills and valleys. Once you're used to it, it's just a matter of remembering there are always more hills after the valleys. :)

I love the dreamy vibe to this song! Everything flows together so smoothly, but with some cool, raw contrasts within too.

And I'm a huge fan of Twin Peaks! I own the Golden Edition box which includes seasons 1-2 with a comment by the log lady before each episode, and have watched all seasons through probably three times. There's also a second movie that collects deleted scenes from Fire Walk With Me, called "Missing Pieces": https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5334704/

If you want to learn more about the world of Twin Peaks I would also recommend the books written by Mark Snow, "The Secret History of Twin Peaks" and "The Final Dossier", I think they really deepened the backstory
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_History_of_Twin_Peaks
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_Peaks:_The_Final_Dossier

Then there's the Secret Diary of Laura Palmer by Jennifer Lych, which is less about the world and more about gaining insight into Laura's personal experience. Powerful but very harrowing.

Hope I didn't overwhelm you with all these tips, I just wanted to seize the opportunity to share my love for Twin Peaks by recommending further pathways into it

I love the dreamy vibe to this song! Everything flows together so smoothly, but with some cool, raw contrasts within too. And I'm a huge fan of Twin Peaks! I own the Golden Edition box which includes seasons 1-2 with a comment by the log lady before each episode, and have watched all seasons through probably three times. There's also a second movie that collects deleted scenes from Fire Walk With Me, called "Missing Pieces": https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5334704/ If you want to learn more about the world of Twin Peaks I would also recommend the books written by Mark Snow, "The Secret History of Twin Peaks" and "The Final Dossier", I think they really deepened the backstory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_History_of_Twin_Peaks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_Peaks:_The_Final_Dossier Then there's the Secret Diary of Laura Palmer by Jennifer Lych, which is less about the world and more about gaining insight into Laura's personal experience. Powerful but very harrowing. Hope I didn't overwhelm you with all these tips, I just wanted to seize the opportunity to share my love for Twin Peaks by recommending further pathways into it :D

This is way cool. I really like the vocals and how things kind of melt into the heavier sections. I watched the 3 seasons of Twin Peaks and enjoyed it too, I definitely need to watch a 4-hour explanation of what actually happened though  

If you're on a David Lynch kick, I really enjoy the Dark Night of the Soul album he contributed to by Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse. It has a cool mix of notable collaborators, and David Lynch even does some vocals on a couple tracks. 

This is way cool. I really like the vocals and how things kind of melt into the heavier sections. I watched the 3 seasons of Twin Peaks and enjoyed it too, I definitely need to watch a 4-hour explanation of what actually happened though :lol: If you're on a David Lynch kick, I really enjoy the Dark Night of the Soul album he contributed to by Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse. It has a cool mix of notable collaborators, and David Lynch even does some vocals on a couple tracks.

Fantastic track, and when you say "oh by the way I've been watching David Lynch but it's unrelated!" then my brain does the opposite thing, and makes the connection right away. Sort of like "don't think of the pink elephant!"

Love the distorted guitars, there's even a solo. This is a proper song, wow. And the ethereal vocals seal the deal, lyrics and all, wow.

Fantastic track, and when you say "oh by the way I've been watching David Lynch but it's unrelated!" then my brain does the opposite thing, and makes the connection right away. Sort of like "don't think of the pink elephant!" Love the distorted guitars, there's even a solo. This is a proper song, wow. And the ethereal vocals seal the deal, lyrics and all, wow.

this is cool it’s giving psyence fiction.

this is cool it’s giving psyence fiction.

There's so many people to respond to, so sorry if you have to scroll through a giant wall of text to find your comment! CTRL+F is your friend

Haha yeah, the newer show is fantastic. As someone who basically missed out on being a part of the Twin Peaks community in its heyday, being a fan of the return and speculating about what it all means is awesome. I now know the gist of what Twin Peaks in its entirity is really about and it's mind blowing.

Also, that's really cool with the short films. I've always been a little curious about trying to make a little movie. I had a buddy from a previous job who fancied himself a budding director, maybe I should have tried working with him on something.

Thanks homie. Super proud of this song, honestly. Feels like another part of my musical identity that's coming more and more into focus and I'm glad you dig it. I'd definitely say that Insurgentes is a huge part of this kind of sound I like, it's the darkest of his solo records I think.

It's myself mostly. To some extent, we all make our music because we want to share it so I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing to actively think about who your music is for and all that, but where I've erred is mixing up those ideals with feelings of self-deprecation. I don't know why that's the case, I swing back and forth between being nonchalant and overly critical every year I do WeeklyBeats and I keep hoping I'll achieve balance. I love the overall result of WeeklyBeats though, as well as being a part of the community, so I just go through the motions.
The whole "I wish I could make blah blah" comment is poorly contextualized because I guess I meant that my personal standards for what makes a "good" 9 minute prog song have gone up quite a bit since 2020 and I kind of miss that feeling where I was more naive and inquisitive when writing. I mean shit, I didn't care AT ALL about mixing back then, haha. Now I think super critically about my songs and if I did write a 9 minute song, I'll probably cut it down to 5 minutes once I identify what is superfluous and not adding anything of value. On one hand I wish I could have that kind of mindset again, but on the other my personal values evolved for a reason and I need to think more on how I can bridge the gap between the two mindsets.

Haha yeah, that's something I actively think about when I write (the bit about us being conditioned to traditional music). Some artists have a knack for being able to explore new concepts and sounds while still managing to not completely alienate their audiences so I look to them for inspiration. A major area I've tried working on is with my approach to rhythm. I like using odd time signatures but I also want listeners to be able to "track" the feel of the song. It's pretty difficult to find common ground then because, to some extent, I think some listeners need to be able to feel music as a series of long or short pulses sometimes so I guess I try to appeal to those folk. Otherwise, I've been utilizing 4/4 or 3/4 more frequently and just trying to make it rhythmical interesting to my own ears.

I love that perspective because that's kind of what I'm trying to go for in regards to residing within those blurry edges. I'm specifically going for some kind of "Dark Progressive Ethereal Rock" thing, without necessarily confining to such a strict genre label. It's all mostly just a kind of vibe and mood.

Also, you TOTALLY made my day with that Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines comment, haha. That's the best comparison I could have wished for.

For a while I've considered myself the resident "prog guy" of WB so I'm glad it still shines through on the tracks where I'm going for other genres. It's so deeply ingrained in my musical identity at this point . Thanks for the kind words!

100%. When I first started writing music I tried to be Opeth/Porcupine Tree. The irony is that now that I'm trying to do my own thing, I sound way more like them now than I used to. I appreciate your detailed observations on the music and your continued support

Mmmmm. "Vocals are sexy". I love to hear it, haha. Appreciate the kind words! Twin peaks is definitely worth checking out someday, if only because it's such a massively influential TV show that changed the course of television history.

That is a wickedly cool concept. I'm definitely going to remember that, thanks for sharing! I'm trying to find some personal mechanism to remind me about the hills and valleys, like an audio log for myself that I can listen back to in times of desperation. I think I write this stuff down but I forget how to find it later on or I just forget about it entirely. I only ever remember this stuff when I'm on the hill.

Funny story: I actually accidentally watched "The Missing Pieces" before "Fire Walk With Me". Or at least half of it. I was utterly perplexed and just assumed the plot was especially Lynchian LOL. I'll need to look into the books. The thing that's really cool about that Golden Edition box that you have with all of the log-lady's comments is that she actually provides a LOT of context (hints) as to what the show is really about which is super cool. Maybe I spoiled things for myself by watching the 4 1/2 hour video about Twin Peaks, but it's only made me more curious to rewatch the show with a more critical eye. It's actually insane how detailed the show is from the very beginning. Like, utterly mind blowing. I totally get why Twin Peaks is considered one of the greatest television shows of all time, especially when it's STILL relevant to modern television.

The 4 hour video is generally well-received by people and is honestly pretty mind blowing given the amount of evidence to support the theory (some stuff reaches, but the stuff that hits, hits). There's some people that hate the explanation though. I get it, I used to be really into Lost when it was still airing and I still like my personal interpretation for what was happening in the show up until the finale. But for Twin Peaks I was never really a part of that discussion and speculation so I kind of jumped into the video so I could be caught up. As I mentioned, I think some of the ideas he discusses are a bit of a reach and that's the perfect area for self-interpretation, but I think the overall idea is a fantastic foundation for understanding Twin Peaks.

Oh and I happened to check out David Lynch's music recently once I had learned he made music too. I hadn't heard of Sparklehorse or Danger Mouse though so I'll check those out.

I mean, maybe it's kind of related, haha. When I was writing the lyrics about the woman smoking a cigarette with glossy eyes, I was personally envisioning Laura Palmer for inspiration. So you're not wrong!

There's so many people to respond to, so sorry if you have to scroll through a giant wall of text to find your comment! CTRL+F is your friend ;) [quote=jbarket]damn fine coffee. love twin peaks. I still need to go watch the newer show. unrelated, but in the early 2000s, for halloween a buddy of mine and I would edit together a couple hours of weird short films and set them to a new score. always had almost the whole david lynch short film collection in there. some truly weird stuff, hahaha. track is fantastic. I absolutely love the guitar around 3:40, and the vocals are amazing all the way through. it's just spacey, floaty weirdness. favorited.[/quote] Haha yeah, the newer show is fantastic. As someone who basically missed out on being a part of the Twin Peaks community in its heyday, being a fan of the return and speculating about what it all means is awesome. I now know the gist of what Twin Peaks in its entirity is really about and it's mind blowing. Also, that's really cool with the short films. I've always been a little curious about trying to make a little movie. I had a buddy from a previous job who fancied himself a budding director, maybe I should have tried working with him on something. [quote=Saguaro Gigante]This is really really good! I like the dark airy ambience of it all, and your vocal performance is perfect! I think you do a nice job moving in and out of your head voice. Sounds really seamless and those high notes really pop. I really like the looping melodic guitar riff. Also the fizzy rhythm guitar is really nice to hear underneath. Some parts of this give me really Insurgente's Steve Wilson era vibes (a personal favorite of both of ours I think) and I'm really into that. Gonna favorite this one for sure.[/quote] Thanks homie. Super proud of this song, honestly. Feels like another part of my musical identity that's coming more and more into focus and I'm glad you dig it. I'd definitely say that Insurgentes is a huge part of this kind of sound I like, it's the darkest of his solo records I think. [quote=orangedrink]WOOF don't get me started on genre gatekeeping, I mean, I think that's what Orange Drink is all about, destroying those gates. you wrote: "I miss the freedom of composing wild 9-minute progressive metal pieces" so why can't you? what has gotten you concerned with others' opinions?[/quote] It's myself mostly. To some extent, we all make our music because we want to share it so I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing to actively think about who your music is for and all that, but where I've erred is mixing up those ideals with feelings of self-deprecation. I don't know why that's the case, I swing back and forth between being nonchalant and overly critical every year I do WeeklyBeats and I keep hoping I'll achieve balance. I love the overall result of WeeklyBeats though, as well as being a part of the community, so I just go through the motions. The whole "I wish I could make blah blah" comment is poorly contextualized because I guess I meant that my personal standards for what makes a "good" 9 minute prog song have gone up quite a bit since 2020 and I kind of miss that feeling where I was more naive and inquisitive when writing. I mean shit, I didn't care AT ALL about mixing back then, haha. Now I think super critically about my songs and if I did write a 9 minute song, I'll probably cut it down to 5 minutes once I identify what is superfluous and not adding anything of value. On one hand I wish I could have that kind of mindset again, but on the other my personal values evolved for a reason and I need to think more on how I can bridge the gap between the two mindsets. [quote=djippy]Really nice track. I am team Drew about the fact you can write whatever you want... Especially if going the DIY way. No accountability to any third party, you do what you do. If you like what you do, all good, sometimes it feels bad to see that a song or track we put lots of time and efforts doesn't resonate that much to other, but really it is hit an miss, and truth is that we are so conditioned to hear the same kind of chord progressions - time signatures - how long are song - subjects, etc... that first listen of unconventional are most likely to be not that great. I remember first time I listened to some of the Primus tracks that I really didn't like it, but it did grow hard on me... :) Anyways, I have to maybe start Twin Peaks... (I don't have much spare time, I rarely go into big series because of that.) Take care![/quote] Haha yeah, that's something I actively think about when I write (the bit about us being conditioned to traditional music). Some artists have a knack for being able to explore new concepts and sounds while still managing to not completely alienate their audiences so I look to them for inspiration. A major area I've tried working on is with my approach to rhythm. I like using odd time signatures but I also want listeners to be able to "track" the feel of the song. It's pretty difficult to find common ground then because, to some extent, I think some listeners need to be able to feel music as a series of long or short pulses sometimes so I guess I try to appeal to those folk. Otherwise, I've been utilizing 4/4 or 3/4 more frequently and just trying to make it rhythmical interesting to my own ears. [quote=Napear]I can totally relate to the frustration of encountering "gatekeepy" tendencies in [i]some[/i] folks in the Goth music scene. I can understand how protective any very specific kind of nerd can be of a thing thier external identity and community is totally entwined in, but at the same time... like it's really a good thing that there are blurry lines around (and sometimes fully encompassing) genres, because that's where new and interesting innovations come from... like Goth Rock itself was once a nameless thing in the blurry edges of what we now call Post-Punk... everything was new and undefined once? ... but the song... oh man, instant favorite. I love the chord progression, and vocals sit perfectly in the mix. And that distorted guitar that like growls up from the void at 1:15... ( ˘ ³˘)و <<< chef's kiss. This makes me want to dust of my copy of Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines and get lost in some classic White Wolf stories of the macabre. [/quote] I love that perspective because that's kind of what I'm trying to go for in regards to residing within those blurry edges. I'm specifically going for some kind of "Dark Progressive Ethereal Rock" thing, without necessarily confining to such a strict genre label. It's all mostly just a kind of vibe and mood. Also, you TOTALLY made my day with that Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines comment, haha. That's the best comparison I could have wished for. [quote=underground Luau]holy shit, never thought i'd find a prog gem like this on WB! welcome to my favorites list[/quote] For a while I've considered myself the resident "prog guy" of WB so I'm glad it still shines through on the tracks where I'm going for other genres. It's so deeply ingrained in my musical identity at this point :P. Thanks for the kind words! [quote=levelcapybara]Gatekeeping...ugh. Forget people like that if you can. Something I learned from a close mentor recently is that genres have certain defining qualities, and learning what they are is important, BUT you shouldn't push yourself too hard to sound like someone else who's already carved out their own niche. Not sure if I'm getting the phrasing exactly right there, but I think the takeaway is, the people who're obsessing over whether you sound enough like their favorite examples of the genre are probably just going to keep listening to their favorite examples of the genre anyway. So, feel free to do something cooler than what they had in mind. ;) Whether or not this counts as "gothic" in the strictest sense, I like it as is quite a bit. It's got all the elements of your sound that drew me to it in the first place: rich guitar parts alternating between shimmery and washed out and heavily distorted, ethereal vocal melodies, unique synth embellishments, richly dark chord progressions and hypnotic time signatures, etc. So if it's any comfort to you, I feel like you'd be set just by focusing less on genre expectations and more on having fun continuing to explore the strengths of your sound, learning new stuff along the way. TL;DR - You write great music. Keep up the great work! :D [/quote] 100%. When I first started writing music I tried to be Opeth/Porcupine Tree. The irony is that now that I'm trying to do my own thing, I sound way more like them now than I used to. I appreciate your detailed observations on the music and your continued support :) [quote=horatiuromantic]Sounds awesome! Lynch is great, still haven't watched twin peaks but a lot of little weird experimental movies and maybe some long ones. I think maybe there is some subtle influence in the mood. This track feels honest and smooth, and the vocals are sexy and fit well! The synth clavi thing sounds psychedelic, the kinda stuff you dig out of crates or old youtube clips that reemerge years later - a nice mix of oldschool and new sounds. Also cool mix (to my earphones anyway) and cool guitar playing! I don't know much about gatekeepy stuff, I just know some people are better kept at arm's length and your real crew that accepts you and empowers you is out there, just gotta find them! Those goth folks might not realize that what they think is their sound was once a new thing that wasn't accepted by their predecessors, so it's a stupid thing to propagate. Some people never learn tho. Sorry to hear you had to deal with it.[/quote] Mmmmm. "Vocals are sexy". I love to hear it, haha. Appreciate the kind words! Twin peaks is definitely worth checking out someday, if only because it's such a massively influential TV show that changed the course of television history. [quote=Kedbreak136]There is a concept in Japan that is called Shu-Ha-Ri. Shu is for learning an art by following the convetions and its form. Ha is to detach yourself from the conventions, to bend them, and go out. The final phase is Ri, which is the final separation, where you realize there are no conventions, there are no styles, there is no form, there is only life. This is more commonly used in martial arts but also is used in other forms of arts. I think that learning styles is useful to learn the vocabulary and enjoy playing with the rules of that specific community, but the real objective of the artist is to reach Ri - there is no form, there are no rules, there are no conventions, except the ultimate free expression. I loved your track and please do delight us with 9+ minutes compositions. I am also with you on being inspired some batches of weeks and all going down for some times. Hills and valleys, hills and valleys. Once you're used to it, it's just a matter of remembering there are always more hills after the valleys. :)[/quote] That is a wickedly cool concept. I'm definitely going to remember that, thanks for sharing! I'm trying to find some personal mechanism to remind me about the hills and valleys, like an audio log for myself that I can listen back to in times of desperation. I think I write this stuff down but I forget how to find it later on or I just forget about it entirely. I only ever remember this stuff when I'm on the hill. [quote=Minnamari]I love the dreamy vibe to this song! Everything flows together so smoothly, but with some cool, raw contrasts within too. And I'm a huge fan of Twin Peaks! I own the Golden Edition box which includes seasons 1-2 with a comment by the log lady before each episode, and have watched all seasons through probably three times. There's also a second movie that collects deleted scenes from Fire Walk With Me, called "Missing Pieces": https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5334704/ If you want to learn more about the world of Twin Peaks I would also recommend the books written by Mark Snow, "The Secret History of Twin Peaks" and "The Final Dossier", I think they really deepened the backstory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_History_of_Twin_Peaks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_Peaks:_The_Final_Dossier Then there's the Secret Diary of Laura Palmer by Jennifer Lych, which is less about the world and more about gaining insight into Laura's personal experience. Powerful but very harrowing. Hope I didn't overwhelm you with all these tips, I just wanted to seize the opportunity to share my love for Twin Peaks by recommending further pathways into it :D[/quote] Funny story: I actually accidentally watched "The Missing Pieces" before "Fire Walk With Me". Or at least half of it. I was utterly perplexed and just assumed the plot was especially Lynchian LOL. I'll need to look into the books. The thing that's really cool about that Golden Edition box that you have with all of the log-lady's comments is that she actually provides a LOT of context (hints) as to what the show is really about which is super cool. Maybe I spoiled things for myself by watching the 4 1/2 hour video about Twin Peaks, but it's only made me more curious to rewatch the show with a more critical eye. It's actually insane how detailed the show is from the very beginning. Like, utterly mind blowing. I totally get why Twin Peaks is considered one of the greatest television shows of all time, especially when it's STILL relevant to modern television. [quote=Cursory]This is way cool. I really like the vocals and how things kind of melt into the heavier sections. I watched the 3 seasons of Twin Peaks and enjoyed it too, I definitely need to watch a 4-hour explanation of what actually happened though :lol: If you're on a David Lynch kick, I really enjoy the Dark Night of the Soul album he contributed to by Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse. It has a cool mix of notable collaborators, and David Lynch even does some vocals on a couple tracks. [/quote] The 4 hour video is generally well-received by people and is honestly pretty mind blowing given the amount of evidence to support the theory (some stuff reaches, but the stuff that hits, hits). There's some people that hate the explanation though. I get it, I used to be really into Lost when it was still airing and I still like my personal interpretation for what was happening in the show up until the finale. But for Twin Peaks I was never really a part of that discussion and speculation so I kind of jumped into the video so I could be caught up. As I mentioned, I think some of the ideas he discusses are a bit of a reach and that's the perfect area for self-interpretation, but I think the overall idea is a fantastic foundation for understanding Twin Peaks. Oh and I happened to check out David Lynch's music recently once I had learned he made music too. I hadn't heard of Sparklehorse or Danger Mouse though so I'll check those out. [quote=rplktr]Fantastic track, and when you say "oh by the way I've been watching David Lynch but it's unrelated!" then my brain does the opposite thing, and makes the connection right away. Sort of like "don't think of the pink elephant!" Love the distorted guitars, there's even a solo. This is a proper song, wow. And the ethereal vocals seal the deal, lyrics and all, wow.[/quote] I mean, maybe it's kind of related, haha. When I was writing the lyrics about the woman smoking a cigarette with glossy eyes, I was personally envisioning Laura Palmer for inspiration. So you're not wrong!

well for what it's worth your music is awesome and i think you are great and there's that one song you made that i listened to repeat in the car so there you go

(sentinel)

well for what it's worth your music is awesome and i think you are great and there's that one song you made that i listened to repeat in the car so there you go (sentinel)

Loooove this scale you're working with. Gives me a similar feeling to FF9's Cleyra's Trunk (you have to check out that level's music, you'll love it). Really dreamy vocals, they fit so well in the mix. You killed it this week!!

Loooove this scale you're working with. Gives me a similar feeling to FF9's Cleyra's Trunk (you have to check out that level's music, you'll love it). Really dreamy vocals, they fit so well in the mix. You killed it this week!!

you were busy this week!  so fun to hear all the offerings! 
& huzzah for "ungodly amounts of reverb"

you were busy this week! so fun to hear all the offerings! & huzzah for "ungodly amounts of reverb"

love the vocals, perfectly mixed and they work so well in here amongst the other elements.

outro is really fantastic, great work!

love the vocals, perfectly mixed and they work so well in here amongst the other elements. outro is really fantastic, great work!

Beautiful mysterious sound throughout.  Those opening chords from the guitars instantly hooked me.  Combined with your vocals *chefs kiss*  Excellent work!  and love Twin Peaks.  Angelo Badalamenti's score was great for the show's atmosphere too.

Beautiful mysterious sound throughout. Those opening chords from the guitars instantly hooked me. Combined with your vocals *chefs kiss* Excellent work! and love Twin Peaks. Angelo Badalamenti's score was great for the show's atmosphere too.