In The Kitchen

[rayc]

NEW MIX IN LAST POST.

I played through most of my recordings from the last couple of years and realized a needed another fast one in the bundle.
I went down stairs, plugged my Squire Mustang into the Marshall and tooled about for a few minutes.
I came up with two parts and then worked on how to join then as well as an intro n M8 of sorts.
Once I had them fairly sorted as in my head I entered the tempo, (165), and chord sequences into BIAB to get a drum track.
This is what BIAB spat out after a couple of tweaks of guitar choices, (everything BIAB has for punk/new wave guitar is badly distorted and blah so I opted for a pop-ska guitar and a barre chord cleanish one).
I imported the tracks to Reaper so I'd have something to play along to when I start tracking in the next day or so.
I added some drive to the bass and just did my usual tweaks to the drums.
I tried for some fast, swirling organ but BIAB had nothing but background blues B3s.
Oh well, something to start with and replace as I go...

AMAY2020b.mp3

AMAY2020C.mp3

Added some real guitars today and removed the BIAB ones. The rhythm section is still BIAB as it'll take some rehearsing to get the bass line right & tight.
Question...does it work better with cleaner guitars as in the BIAB version?

AMAY2020D.mp3

I've added a cleaner guitar in the chorus - a tele knock off but I chose that for single coil tone & becasue that gives me a little sense of Stranglers.
I tracked a bass line - really hard at that tempo for me - had to do it in a couple of pieces. Added a similar tone to the BIAB one I think. As I have a foam mute at present I tried hitting the bottom E then throwing the A string E onto it when the guitars hit the Em...not sure if it works.

WEIRD day...I've been struggling with a migraine all day and have taken the necessary medication which is "sort of" working but my brain's kept firing in episodes all day too. I was able to add the clean guitar and bass without too much problem as they weren't loud and then after settling down I needed to write the lyrics based on a shower idea. Once they were started and a draft sorted the shower scene reappeared with a scratch "melody' and I tried to let it sit in my scone but I had to go down stairs, boot the comp for the third time and do that scratch take. All the while I'm struggling typing, (lucky I have the red squiggles to draw my attention because the white "page" is killing me.
ANYWAY,
Here's the above mix with the scratch vocal - all of about 25 minutes worth sorry but my vision was blurring staring at the lyric sheet. Ouch the sibilant stuff hurts.

AMAY2020E.mp3

OK, I've tidied the vocal and lyric ideas, added a SpakFilla guitar to the intro & solo section and a few other bits n pieces. This needs otehr ears, a voice & guitar at present:

AMAY2020Fbc.mp3

Perhaps a higher definition file of a lofi sound...


Here's an update with backing vocals by a singer and some silly organ arpeggios to enhance the JJB sound of the bass.
I think my vocal is now too loud but will wait for someone, somewhere, in summertime, to chime in on that issue amongst others.
Thoughts?

ITK310520gd.mp3

I couldn't cope with the otehr bloke's bvox so I've done my own. Only in the chorus, recorded from different distances in the room to give them a sense of space/people calling out. I added some shouting in the last chorus.

AMAY2020LnoTB.mp3

Is it better, worse or similarly blah?
BACK AGAIN...more edits that comments but that's life when the world is falling over.
This has some tidying, louder vocals and some shouting.

ITK020620M.mp3

Tweaking based on concerns raised...

ITK020620Nbc (2).mp3

CURRENT lyrics...
VERSE1
Pounding out an urban soundtrack`
Fake to face we take the bus back
Everything breaks it’s what we lack


CHORUS1
Don’t send Debbie to the kitchen
Keep Natalie from the kitchen
Don’t send Debbie to the kitchen
Just don’t know what might be found
Don’t let Ian in the kitchen
Eyes glazed and he’s twichin’
Don’t let Ian in the kitchen
He’ll end up hanging around

VERSE2
Now transmission breaks and it ends .
Walking on splinters with my friend .
You know some days we can’t defend .

CHORUS2
Don’t send Debbie to the kitchen .
Keep Natalie from the kitchen .
Don’t send Debbie to the kitchen .
Just don’t know what might be found .
Don’t let Ian in the kitchen .
Needs to take his medication .
Don’t let Ian in the kitchen .
He’ll end up hanging around .

VERSE3
Family portrait on the wall .
Belgian whispers before the fall .
Crisis high prices one and all .

CHORUS3
Don’t send Debbie to the kitchen .
Don’t send Debbie to the kitchen .
Don’t send Debbie to the kitchen .
Just don’t know what might be found .
Don’t let Ian in the kitchen .
Don’t let Ian in the kitchen .
Don’t let Ian in the kitchen .
He’ll end up hanging around .

No joy no
No fun no
No joy no fun

[CeeBee]

Sounds good

[liv_rong]

Nice, dig this bass tone. Catchy!

[Tadpui]

Cool energetic tune, Ray!

[rayc]

Thanks Chris, liv_rong & Tad.
New mix in the OP.

[vomitHatSteve]

I like the crunchy, driving bass. That's BiaB? I'd try not to lose that when you replace it with the real thing.

Definitely hearing some cool potential on this.

[TripleM]

Great vibe.

The two versions are pretty different from each other. Not really sure which one I like better. The "2020B" version has a lighter low end and sounds a bit more lo-fi (not sure that's the term I want, but cant' think of anything else). The "2020C" version has fuller guitars and has an overall fuller sound.

But depending on the vocal, either one could end up being the better one.

[rayc]

Clean guitar and new, non BIAB, bass added.

[rayc]

ALL new and tidy - BIAB drums are all that remain of the original post.
A bloke did dome bvox - unfortunately he sings well - does he sound a bit out of place perhaps?
Midi keyboard on the intro and solo part.

[SweetDan]

Groovy tune, cool bass sound! The guitars sound good; sounds like you're getting your process dialed in.

[CrowsofFritz]

Sounds cool! What was that ringing in the beginning? Was that feedback? Or a synth?

[rayc]

Sounds cool! What was that ringing in the beginning? Was that feedback? Or a synth?

There's feedback in the intro as well as the repeat of that section for the solo.
Thanks.

[rayc]

Mix with my bvox in the OP.

[JD01]

Listening to the latest version of this now.
I quite like it. What's the crunchy sound though? Sounds like its some weird crunchy doubling on the bass... whatever it is, I think you've overdone it!

Other than that, I like it!

[vomitHatSteve]

Listened to the bottom-most link. Something has gone terribly amiss.

At around 0:05 a single droning pitch comes in (looks like a D#5). It fades up over the next few seconds and then drones away until fading out right before the vox come in.

It comes back in at the solo. Fades in between 1:45 and 1:47 Fades out right before the vox come in again.

Some kind of feedback loop on your lead chain?

[WhiskeyJack]

RAY this is awesome man!!! First of all. What a great song! Your guitars sound really awesome. I'm digging all the feedback bits. I quite like it. the bass is really rattly and clanky. I think it works for this song man.

I'd like to hear your main vox get squashed a bit more and smoothed out and have them come up just a smidge. Some syllables are coming in and out at me. Good performance though for sure. Fun jam !!!

[JD01]

Oh, forgot to add. Great song, ray

[rayc]

Something has gone terribly amiss.
At around 0:05 a single droning pitch comes in (looks like a D#5). It fades up over the next few seconds and then drones away until fading out right before the vox come in.
It comes back in at the solo. Fades in between 1:45 and 1:47 Fades out right before the vox come in again.
Some kind of feedback loop on your lead chain?

[mention]vomitHatSteve[/mention] Yeah,
it's feedback. there's the midi organ the "lead" guitar and some feedback added as a condiment. Too much salt?

[rayc]

Listening to the latest version of this now.
I quite like it. What's the crunchy sound though? Sounds like its some weird crunchy doubling on the bass... whatever it is, I think you've overdone it!
Other than that, I like it!

The crunch is a VST Overdrive pedal.
I'll experiment with a slight reduction.
Thanks mate.

[rayc]

RAY this is awesome man!!! First of all. What a great song! Your guitars sound really awesome. I'm digging all the feedback bits. I quite like it. the bass is really rattly and clanky. I think it works for this song man.

I'd like to hear your main vox get squashed a bit more and smoothed out and have them come up just a smidge. Some syllables are coming in and out at me. Good performance though for sure. Fun jam !!!

[mention]WhiskeyJack[/mention] ,
The clanky bass was recorded clean as per usual and a VST overdrive pedal added, (send & return track), That latest version has no compression on the vocal bus - as an experiment - it's a better sound - the ReaComp seems to have coloured it quite a bit in other mixes...I'll look at evening thing with automation or a different comp.
Thanks.