How I Did It
Tools I Used
Drums: NI Kontakt, Studio Drummer
Kick: NI Kontakt, DrumLab
Claps: Rhythmic Robot, Snaps ,n, Claps
Cabasa: DrumLab
Piano: NI Kontakt, The Maverick
Bass: Synapse Dune - Protonica Bass
Stabs: u-he, Hive - AZ Pulsed Keys
Sub-lead: Synapse Dune - Mood Key EDT
Guitar: AAS, Strum GS2, Clean Slate
Effects:
Verb: Acon Digital, CM Verb
Distortion: FabFilter, Saturn
Distortion: AirWindows, IronOxide
Channel Efect: Sonimus, StatsonCM
Mastering EQ: Tokyo Dawn, SlickEQ
Mastering Image: Airwindows, Console3
Samples I Used
Noise: Goldbaby, Dirt & Layers
- Cassette Hiss behind Piano
- BD Sauce MP60 behind Bass
Process
This odd tune started when I was doing a course on Stabs and harmony. I wrote a simple chord progression (i III iv i). I had been playing with African polyrhythms based on 4 and 6 beats, so I incorporated drums and altered the progression.
I thought it sounded quite nice and went looking for vocals to fit. I found the Azoora vocals for Too Late, which had the same beats, changed the key of the chords to match and set to work.
I altered the chords to fit the song, and they become quite bonkers with only the note D in common except when it wasn't. The Bass plays a single note D which anchors the disparate chords.
Neither the kick drum nor bass make sense by themselves but the kick is tuned to D and together they create the bass line.
The phrase is made of eight bars, and each bar has a different time signature 6/8, 3/4, 4/4 etc. The repeating bass line and drum pattern hold those together.
At one stage the Piano was not sitting right with the vocals. I added some saturation to the piano as the vocals have the same effect and they started working together.
I spent a while altering the timing and length of notes aiming to get my head nodding and my foot tapping to the beats.
Other Notes
I enjoyed doing this. I did have a lot of problems with the Kick matching the bass, but I think I got it eventually.
I know its a very odd song and may take getting used to, but I hope some like it.
Took me a couple of days on and off to write.
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