[Futurock]Tu chez Moi(mp3)

[Harbinger]

Tu chez Moi

Recorded over many sessions, then produced in about two weeks. This is the closest sound that the original band had, experimental rock + Techno. Many older listeners will hear a distinct influence from 70's pop and art rock. The sound quality of the drums and bass was intentionally left acoustic to showcase the talents of my co-artists, so some of you may not like the "under-engineered" sound. But the synth-work helps to balance that out...

The inspiration for the unusual beat was when i remarked to my drummer that all rock songs had the snare beat on the second and fourth beats in the measure and i guess i was wondering why it had become the norm. She said we should try to make a song that had the opposite approach, which is why the working title of this song was "First & Third." I had only heard one rock song in my life where this rhythm is played throughout the song, some song by Fleetwood Mac, the title of which i forget. Using this rhythm, however, it's very easy for the music to sound like it's a march or a military song. The challenge was to make a "normal" rock song.

I found as i sequenced everything together that the ear was very quick to assume the usual 2/4 beat (kick-snare-kick-snare). And even Dustin (my bassist for those who don't know) had so much trouble remembering that the snare was on the first and third beats that i had to lay down a sampled track with the regular 2/4 so he could get the normal cues from the kick on the downbeat. Then i plugged in his track behind Yjana's drums, after she did a final recording of the entire song after it had been laid out in tracks on MPT. It was also her idea to keep the "raw" intro, as she put it, as she was establishing the beat and rhythm. Apparently she had no trouble doing the unusual beat (snare-kick-snare-kick), but i think she just wanted to show off her hihat skills, a weakness of hers she's been working on.

I decided when i was composing and assembling the song that i had to employ a couple of tricks to keep the listener's ear on the right rhythm, so i used pauses (like in a 5/4 measure) and up-beat (pre-measure) chord cadences to remind the ear of the correct rhythm. Even then, to the Western ear (or at least mine), it's easy to think that there are unusual time signatures in normal 2/4 measures because the kick and snare aren't in their usual places.

So help yourself. The link above is to the license page, which is basically saying, "don't claim it or parts of it as your own, and don't broadcast or make money off of it." If it's not your cup of tea, no biggie. :wink:

[uncloned]

this is very very good!

I love the synth work - I wish  it was higher in the mix.

Yanna (?) and Dustin have a nice groove going - she has a nice sounding kit.

[psishock]

Yep, indeed, i love the drum and hihat play in this piece, i am actually glad she did a skill show off.
The synths and the bass are also well placed and good to listen. It certainly feels that everybody loves and cares about his part in the song.

The only things that sounded "wrong" for me are the pauses, it may work i think, if you would let, at least, some notes to stay on that time (some bass play example or some synth swing, or some drum play as she did in 2:57), but it feels very unnatural for me in this naked form. However, i've found a place were the full pause sounded reasonable (for me) is the climax @4:24.

Yanna stole the show, with the very variable drum play. :wink:

[Harbinger]

I love the synth work - I wish  it was higher in the mix.

I kinda thought the drums were too prominent in the mix, but since the exploration of the unusual rhythmic structure was the impetus, and also because the synth-work was not my best, i decided to keep the drums slightly more in front of the rest of us.

Yanna (?) and Dustin have a nice groove going - she has a nice sounding kit.

"Yjana". It's short for a unique Bulgarian name, which i will not even attempt to spell (she was born in Bosnia, but her family was from Bulgaria). Actually i need different letters to spell it!

The only things that sounded "wrong" for me are the pauses, it may work i think, if you would let, at least, some notes to stay on that time (some bass play example or some synth swing, or some drum play as she did in 2:57), but it feels very unnatural for me in this naked form. However, i've found a place were the full pause sounded reasonable (for me) is the climax @4:24.

I kinda thought this would be too old-school for you, psishock, so i'm glad you liked it. But the fact that the rhythm sounds "unnatural" was exactly the point. This is what happens when you interchange beats in a common structure...

[Sam_Zen]

The only thing I question about this very good piece, is indeed the emphasis on the drum part in the mix, because it contains an exploration.