How I Did It
Achillesby Quarkstar
Uses samples from:
Samples are used in:
Tools I Used
Drums: Xfer Records Nerve (Patterns by Quarkstar)
Bass1: Xfer Records Serum, patch by PluginGuru - Mau5bait
Bass2: Serum, patch by Quarkstar - BA Oblivion
Sub-Bass: Ableton Operator, patch by Quarksar
Main Chords: Native Instruments Rounds, Big City
Bowed Cymbals: Native Instruments Kinetic Metal, Bowed Cymbals
Struck Metal Fence: Native Instruments Kinetic Metal, Fencing
Backing Bells: u-he Hive, AZ Blue Box
Struck Bell: Ableton Operator, Glockenspiel Tremelo
Glide Top: u-he Hive, HS Slow Space Arp
Glide Bottom: u-he Diva, HS Bass Nine
Pads: Alchemy, Angelic Pads [1]
Vocals: Lisa DeBenedictis
Vocal Processing: Air Windows LeadVox, AirWindows Pressure, Acon Digital Multiply, Acon Digital Verb
Compressors: AirWindows Pressure4 (free - a must have compressor)
Chorus: Acon Digital Multiply [1]
Reverb: Acon Digital Verb [1]
Mix Desk effects: Sonimus Statson [1]
Drum Ducking and effects: Xfer Records Lfo Tool
Tape Processing: Air Windows IronOxide4
Mix Desk: Airwindows Console4 (free - a must have)
Master EQ: Tokyo Dawn Records, SlickEQ (free)
[1] Free on cover of Computer Music magazine
Process
I started an experiment with the two Glissando synths then added the Bowed Cymbals and Fencing and finally Big City which forms the foundation of the tune. The Cymbals and Fencing contain inharmonious bell-like tones which add a creepiness over the warm tones of the synths and Big City. The tune itself is quite buried.
I looked for vocals to match and found Lisa’s wonderful song which is in 6/8 time, while my tune is in 4/4. The key matches and loved the vocals. The words seemed to fit my tune, my interpretation is of a song told by a girlfriend about male vulnerability and ego. I picked out the melody from LisaDb’s vocals and put that back into my tune, then placed the vocals within the composition and tightened up the timing.
My tune was very much of the Yin (female side) and I wanted to add the complementary Yang (male) side so I added strong elements of drums and bass to the composition. This power overshadowed the melody so I added the bells and pads to bring the melody and chords back into focus.
Its a strange tune and is in two sections. An ‘A’ section of 8 bars repeats three times in the first half and a ‘B’ section of 12 bars repeated twice in the second half. There are two Breaks of 4 bars. The intro starts with section ‘B’ then goes straight into the ‘A’ section. The words correspond with the two sections, the first about what she observes and the second asking how he feels. The drum and bass correspond with the more male (Yang) observations and are muted on the female (Yin) introspective sections.
Other Notes
I wrote the tune when I was struggling to understand what a friend, who has a strong Yang side, was going through and the words helped me to understand what was happening.
Most my tunes start this way. An experiment influenced by my feelings at the time and then a search in ccmixter for samples and vocals.
I am not entirely happy with this tune and find it a bit clinical.
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