And now for something completely different - Library Freeloaders

[vomitHatSteve]

My partner and I are trying to start a new project. It's somewhere between kind of chill, sexy duet pop that she like (the 1975, the XX, etc) and the weird plunderphonics that I like. (Fortunately, we're both into subtle, wry humor, so we're very much on the same page lyrically)

So I picked up an SP-404 SX (sampler) and Alesis SR-16 (90s drum machine), and a Casio sampling keyboard. Then I filled the former up with a ton of borrowed samples (1920s big-band recordings, Tom Leher, Amen Break, SID samples), built a chill set of drum defaults on the Alesis, and passed the keyboard off to her to practice on.

I'm still getting the hang of making everything talk nicely to each other (especially timing all these loops made without metronomes!), and she hasn't fully ironed out her parts yet. But since I was recording demos for her to practice with anyway, I figured I'd share some and see if anyone had thoughts or recommendations.

This song is about natural medicines and their interactions with modern pharmaceuticals

St John's wort - demo.mp3

Every day is exactly the same
And that day is generally ok
Could be worse, could be better too
But somehow I still muddle through

So I'm talking to the saint
Who takes away my pain
Talking to the saint
All day every day

Took a pill for my rhythm
Then I sat and steeped again
I couldn't dance, I couldn't sleep
I could laugh, but couldn't breathe

(chorus)

I don't need a baby
But he says, I may get one anyway

(chorus)

[paulman]

Some cool stuff in there, man. I like the big band samples at the heart of it. Years ago I futzed around with samples like this in Reason. Never put vocals to anything, but I came up with some cool grooves using snippets from songs like "One After 909" by the Beatles and "Ballad of a Thin Man" by Dylan. Nothing I could use legally if I did finish the tracks.

Can't really think of anything to suggest, you're finding things and you'll get it where you want it. I like the direction.

[rayc]

COOL.
I'd be inclined to bring the rhythm section in a little sooner with bass before drums & a little less forward as they swamp the character of the 1st sample set.
Your vocals work really well.
St John's - ease your depression and give you anxiety instead.

[vomitHatSteve]

Thanks guys.

Does the bass feel slightly sharp to anyone else? It's definitely in tune, but the loops may be flat, and I matched those vocally. (Who knows where the trumpet landed. I'm not good at that instrument)

[vomitHatSteve]

I've actually got 5 of these things fully written, arranged, and demoed out. Unfortunately, she has yet to figure out all her parts, so some of them have pretty big gaps remaining.

Anyway, here's one about a Georgian or Victorian era fuckboi

Flippant young lover - demo.mp3

Ma'am the dandy gentleman
Sat at the end of the bar
Would deign buy you a tipple of gin
He has little to offer
Of title honor or fame
But still would urge you dabble in his sin

Mind his hands, he's a flippant young lover
Watch your glass, he's a flippant young lover
Folks will talk, he's a flippant young lover
Dally or pass, he's a flippant young lover

Folks say he's a cheat at cards
A drunk and layabout
An unrepentant gad about the town
Foppishly moving through life
staying only in let rooms
With any maid who'll spend the night around

(repeat chorus)

Father recalls the Hussar looking gentlemen
Spinning like two cockchafes Spitted on but one bodkin

He claps on one, two, and three; there is no four
He speaks most boisterously; somehow you want more

repeat chorus

[rayc]

What are the other parts going to be based on?
Interesting new one.
Being that "deign" is intransitive it does beg for a preceding "to".
"He speaks most boisterously;..." comes off as Bill n Ted.
Sounded cool - though the samples seemed to clash tonally in the last section.
Drunkard, cad, debauched, dissipated, libertine, wastrel, profligate would all fit into this tale of a rake.

[vomitHatSteve]

What are the other parts going to be based on?
Interesting new one.
Being that "deign" is intransitive it does beg for a preceding "to".
"He speaks most boisterously;..." comes off as Bill n Ted.
Sounded cool - though the samples seemed to clash tonally in the last section.
Drunkard, cad, debauched, dissipated, libertine, wastrel, profligate would all fit into this tale of a rake.

The other parts are her vocal and keys

I can't speak to the pedriod-accuracy of the lyrics as I'm also waiting on her review!

[TheTestingYak]

good choon brav