ktran
Group: Members
Posts: 156
Joined: May 2003 |
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Posted: June 15 2004, 01:01 |
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Mr. Canto,
I've had a chance to listen to a good chunk of your instrumental, and you've definitely some creative work here. The main theme is a very catchy one, and I quite like the beginning of 2.1 (the synthy part -- though I'm not too sure of the odd timing in the guitar chords after this). I'm also a fan of some of the bands you like (Rush, U2, Pink Floyd), and I can see where you've drawn some influences.
Of course, you know before I even write it that my main beef will be with presentation of the piece with its midi sounds and instrumentation. Yes, I fully understand you haven't the resources to pull this sort of thing off with real instruments, and frankly, given that it took you a year to do this in midi, I don't think I could recreate that in a year myself given my resources.
It comes down to semantics and usage, I think, but it's kind of weird to hear you talk about your work in terms of "albums" and "releases." Certainly, they're creative pieces of music, but I feel that this sort of wording makes it sound like you've "finished" them from a recording and production viewpoint, when there could be so much work done to untap the vast potential that's in there. I'd prefer to view them as the "sheet music" for musicians to play. As it is, the quality of the recording suffers not only because of the sounds used. Expression and dynamics are very important things in music. Without them, the notes and sounds just don't carry the same sort of impact. As you say, it's a machine-thing, and frankly, it becomes a bit mind-numbing to listen to after a while.
What I can suggest, since you don't seem to have a full ensemble of musicians at your beck and call, is that you get yourself a hold of a velocity-sensitive midi keyboard controller, and play along with your music, put into it YOUR feelings and expressions. It might take some time, but it's your music, and it deserves that sort of investment. When you're playing it, you might also notice that things you thought worked on "paper" (or computer screen) don't quite add up when played by hand. Also be mindful of how certain instruments are played. For instance, guitar chords are strummed, you can't play them like block chords on a keyboard. There's a slight delay between each string being sounded. Very small, but it makes a huge difference. The same sort of thing applies when I play my guitar synth: I can't "strum" a piano chord. If I'm playing a violin patch, I have to be mindful of how long I can sustain a note realistically, etc etc etc. Don't worry if things aren't perfectly quantised; it adds character (unless you're bad like me sometimes and totally play out of time!
I think you've quite a bit of talent, and I'm envious of you in some ways. You've done some good work here, and you should feel proud of yourself for that, but there's a long way to go, and much more fun to be had on the way! All the best.
rgds,
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Khoa Tran
www.suspendedseconds.ca
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I mean, I always say that people shouldn't take me too seriously, so don't take my album too seriously, either. 
Yeah, I use those terms is a very light-hearted way, only because it adds to the fun. And because I'm very oriented at "albums" and not "songs" or things. It's my style, really, not only with making music but with listening, too.
