DCDayDreamer
Group: Members
Posts: 89
Joined: Feb. 2006 |
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Posted: Feb. 18 2006, 08:43 |
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Wow!. 
I've downloaded the tracks and put them up in a Windows Media Player playlist, this showed up a couple of errors with filenames and track names though:
SyntheticSubstance-Fallen.mp3 - shows as the track 'Blood of Innocence'
SyntheticSubstance-FreeFall.mp3 - shows as the track 'Fallen'
Besides the minor discrepancy with the two track names listed above, I put the music in filename order and played the whole album (as I'm typing this it's on the fourth loop).
Wonderful music, you are truly a talented young man Leafy. There are so many artists that spring to mind while listening to your album: Tangerine Dream, Jean Michel Jarre, Vangelis, Steve Hillage, Mike Oldfield, Chicane, Mark Isham, the list is endless, Congratulations!.
If you're really serious about trying to get your music out to a record company Leafy, don't send the whole album as it is now, you need to make a demo CD (although you probably already know all this), it has to be short, sweet, and attention grabbing. My suggestions for a Demo CD track list would be:
Track 1: Secrets
The track cries out 'Vangelis/Jean Michel Jarre' (it's very reminiscent of 'Bladerunner' to me), it's also got elements of the clean/crisp sound that 'Children' by 'Robert Miles' had (although sadly, Robert miles didn't really have the diversity in his music to expand from the sound of Children. You, however, have already proved you can diversify the sound you create). I would also go as far to say that you might want to consider naming the album 'Secrets' and have this as the eventual title track. I would however, suggest you consider a 'radio edit' version of this track for the demo, 4 minutes and 35 seconds is way too long, the length is fine for an album but it needs to have the impact that a prospective 'hit single' might have for a record company.
Track 2: Littoral Twilight or The Depth of Ocean or Eternity
A calmer track showing complete diversity from the opening number, but - they are way too long, a 'radio edit' wouldn't go amiss again here, I would leave out the ocean sounds on Litteral Twilight for starters, they are just fine when you've put your CD in your player, put your feet up, and started easing away the day's trouble and strife... But for a demo?, it just doesn't work. As an alternative sound, maybe you could throw in some guitar samples, maybe even do a combined demo track using Littoral Twilight/The Depth of Ocean as the backdrop with the guitar sounds (or similar) from Blood of Innocence overlaying.
Track 3: Resignation
To me it's the perfect track to wind up the demo CD, however it needs some reworking - yet another 'radio edit', not necessarily a shorter version, but a more attention grabbing version... A variation in voices from the first half of the track to the second might work. As far as the bells go, well there's no need to say much more about that - apart from maybe adding a bit more choral towards the end it's the perfect finale. You might also want to consider throwing in some guitar at the finale, the demo CD is coming to it's end so why not get them thinking 'this guy does guitar too!'.
The negative:
I find the sharp clicking percussion sounds almost painful when using headphones with the versions of some tracks available (Littoral Twilight, Resignation etc.), this could well be due to the lossy MP3 format though, I'm not sure if anyone else notices that, maybe it's me finally noticing my ear drums are well past their sell by date!. 
The 128Kbps MP3 quality does no justice to the music whatsoever, I realize the limitations of web space and bandwidth when hosting files, if this issue is a problem for you, I completely understand.
The balance of the album doesn't quite work for me (volume in particular), a second opinion on this from someone a bit more knowledgeable would be appreciated, it's nothing that can't be fixed by remastering anyway.
With all the tracks I've mentioned above, you might want to consider doing some 'dance remixes', not for the prospect of a forthcoming album, but purely to get your sound out to the club scene. Many of the dance tracks you hear today start off in the club scene months (even years) before they hit the mainstream, there's a really high demand for new material on the club circuits, so much so that it's resulted in a load of rehashed 70's/80's pop with a dance beat (how sad! ). A second demo CD containing dance remixes of your three chosen tracks from a promo CD, then sent out to the club circuit DJ's might just be as effective as a demo CD to a record company. Circuit DJ's spend more time actually listening to the music anyway, they listen for the possibilities in entertainment value, not record sales profit.
I'm by no means what you would call a musical connoisseur, I'm also not in the position to judge music from the view of a musician, but I know what I like - and Synthetic Substance I really like. All of my comments and suggestions above are purely my point of view, it's merely my opinion on the music and shouldn't be taken too seriously. Listening to the music over the last two days has given me great pleasure and I hope Leafy eventually gets the break he truly deserves, for one so young he's put together that album better than some of the pro's I've had the misfortune to listen to over the years.
Good luck to you Leafy!. 
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And I've got some problems... Girlfriend... :.(
