GrantValdes

A new piece for my friend's first-born. Ronan's Lullaby

Thanks for the feedback. Regarding the volume of the bass part - it completely depends on needs of the composition. In my view, the bass is not too quiet in this song relative to the information it conveys. If the bass carried the song in any meaningful way, it would be louder. I think people should divorce themselves from notions of how a rock song (etc.) should sound when they listen, and ask if there are any particular music ideas that are being obscured in a poor mix. That might be the case, as you suggest during the E-C-E-C part, but the goal at that moment is to actually slow the listener's pulse, so the speak... so it makes sense to begin emphasizing every other measure with the bass, instead of every single measure. I believe I manually faded down the C notes to make them softer. The middle section does modulate - to B minor. I just don't hear it modulating to G minor. I don't know why that particular choice would sound better. Just me. There isn't supposed to be a particular moment when the main key obviously comes back. My challenge was to slowly blend the middle section back into the main theme. Maybe I didn't succeed there, but that was the aim. Sometimes, I feel that people simply point out things that were done intentionally as if they were errors... i.e. I know that the main theme come back slower at the end... It's not really supposed to have more raw energy than the first statement of the theme, for reasons that have to do with the implicit narrative of the song (Google "Three percent"). Perhaps I could record another version of the droning E static guitar, to flesh it out when it returns. That would aid the narrative of the song. I'm definitely not happy with the current vocals. The main thing I want to change is to recruit other people to sing, so that it sounds like a true group singing, not like overdubs. The "ohh"'s in the quiet middle section will be handled by a female vocalist. Anyways, thanks again. I play with a jazz bass... I'll consider getting more flexible pickups installed.

An in-progress mix. I'm curious about your reaction. Three Percent

The movie in your head is the movie.

I hurt you snapping - I do snap a lot. Patience is fragile, but would you guess what? The old are nearly dead and history is in their heads. I'm running from someone and I am not me. Searching the mall for a safe place to be. I hobble to a store... The ghost is gone... it slides the door. You will sing more importance when you're dead. Society is a vision of war. My best company is a stain on the floor. Mystery remains, but only in computer games. She's joshing me surely, the mosquito brain - distracted me - I drifted out of the lane. Girls, girls love the men, and teenage boys just make pretend. You will sing more importance when you're dead. Can you design the perfect bridge to home? I want to be fired for sex on the job. Truth is subjective – ‘Twas her that I loved! The old are nearly dead and history is in their heads. ...And they're dead.

Guitar, voice, organ, violins, and a cello. The second song on "At Peace At Last." When We Are Dead

This is from my former band, the Empty Mirror, which could be fairly described as a "trippy goth project." Our material was generally much heavier than this song (note: I played everything here). I challenged myself to keep my vocal melodies looser and less intrusive than they usually are. It's fair to call them "not really interesting." While doing the takes, I imagined I was a fetus. There are no strings here, but if you heard some: mission accomplished.

I'll post the score a little later, when I'm able (it covers the strings, but not the other instruments). Thanks for getting back to me. Not surprisingly, I personally disagree about the need for small countermelodies to be added, because the piece is supposed to sound stark. Other songs on the album are more free-flowing and expansive. That may sound like a cop-out, but it's true.

"Seems ok..." Thanks for listening.

The bass is intentionally "very weak" in the mix, because it's generally doubling one of the cellos or part of the piano. When it comes to production choices like how loud to make the bass or how much reverb to use, I have to factor in the album's other eleven songs. "Antithing" has to sit comfortably next to those. The bass doesn't have cheap pickups - I don't know what to tell you. I was hoping people would remark on the songwriting and not just the mixes, to be honest.

The two main electric guitar parts were initially panned to opposite sides, but we made a choice in mastering to "blend" them because it helped their overall forcefulness. Their individual melodies are still audible, though perhaps not on first listen. Thanks for listening.

From "Two Pieces in B-Flat Minor." Its companion is "Con Brutalivá." Con Pietá

From "Two Pieces in B-Flat Minor." Its companion is "Con Pietá." I recorded, mixed, and performed everything except the drums, which were performed by Bill Kim. Con Brutalivá

Guitar, vox, piano, bass, three violins, and two cellos. The first song on my album "At Peace At Last," which carries the opus number "0" because it predates my opp. 1-3. Antithing