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New Musical Project

Started by Beagle 2, February 07, 2012, 01:29:26 PM

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NoSleep

Should we draw the line now, at 14 participants? That's plenty to fill a CD-sized project (and rudi will, no doubt, make up for any short tracks).

If we do go with these 14 names we can start setting out the rules of the game between us. Shall I pull names from a hat to establish an order of commencement, taking, say, 7 for the first wave?

Others, feel free to continue signing up, in case we become needful of reserve players.

The Masked Unit

I didn't know what to make of the oblique strategies idea initially but I'm quite excited about the idea now! Really looking forward to getting started on this. The bar has been set incredibly high with the first album so it'll be interesting to see if we can top it; I know I'll be doing what I can to do something better than last time.

Johnny Textface

I like it !

Are these the song titles then?

NoSleep

They shouldn't be, really. The Oblique Strategies cards have been around for decades and there's no need to advertise them at this point.

Either take Beagle's idea (with permission from Ronnie The Raincoat) to create the imaginary album from which your track came from, or come up with a title yourself.

If we're going to follow the Oblique Strategies idea, then the two I picked for the album were:

Quote1. In total darkness, or in a very large room, very quietly
2. You can only make one dot at a time

...which makes a rather nice sentence when cobbled together, but interpretation is entirely up to each individual.

When you are called to start your track (I'll draw names from a hat) I'll also give you two unique Oblique Strategies, or maybe one from Oblique Strategies and one from the Book Of Answers or some other source.

I'll be beatmatching and keymatching results as I collect tracks from individuals and compiling the album, and later names will likely be given more detailed instructions as the pieces start to fall into place and bridges between tracks become required. If the first wave creates clusters in the running order, say, three tracks sound good following one another, leaving gaps in the album, then the 2nd wave may only be given a listen to one track to follow or one track that they will precede. If a gap of a single track forms, then the next contributor will be required to consider both the track preceding and the track following.

Anyone have any objections to this, so far? And what might be added?


Dusty Gozongas

Sounds good. A few questions... am I right in assuming that the tracks are to be assembled as one continuous mix and that some may begin and end at a different BPM*? And will you be requiring the stems rather than a final mixdown?

*Specifically, would you rather do this your end if it is the case?

Beagle 2

There's no need for it to be one continuous mix is there[nb]Obviously can be if that's what people want though.[/nb]? Everyone's genres are different, it's not just a dancy thing.

Dusty Gozongas


The Masked Unit

If I had one very minor criticism of the first one, it would be that if anything the tracks flowed into each other too much. Sometimes a few seconds between tracks is what's needed, but I guess with the way this one's working, Nosleep will be able to make more of a judgement call regarding spacing, running order etc.

NoSleep

Quote from: The Masked Unit on February 08, 2012, 01:01:54 PM
If I had one very minor criticism of the first one, it would be that if anything the tracks flowed into each other too much. Sometimes a few seconds between tracks is what's needed, but I guess with the way this one's working, Nosleep will be able to make more of a judgement call regarding spacing, running order etc.

I was led by what was presented me. Some people literally looped the end of the last track as the intro of their own track or made it a logical step to make a clean edit from the last into their own, Much of the work was already implied in the tracks themselves before I glued it all together.

The Masked Unit

Oh, I wasn't aiming that at you specifically. I suppose if somebody wanted to specify that their track should not immediately on from the last, they could have said so.

The Masked Unit

Quote from: NoSleep on February 08, 2012, 10:56:10 AM
Should we draw the line now, at 14 participants? That's plenty to fill a CD-sized project (and rudi will, no doubt, make up for any short tracks).

If we do go with these 14 names we can start setting out the rules of the game between us. Shall I pull names from a hat to establish an order of commencement, taking, say, 7 for the first wave?

Others, feel free to continue signing up, in case we become needful of reserve players.

I like this plan. Let's get cracking!

NoSleep

One of my favourite turnarounds on the album is the one from Beagle 2's track into Phil_A's; simply a pause to breath. And the one between purlieu's and waste of chops' is simply where purlieu's ends and waste of chops' starts. The most contrived one I did was from El Unicornio, mang's, which was presented without the fade out on the demo, into hummingofevil's, which is the same tempo and started with a filtered version of El Unicornio's ending fading up from nothing.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

'Emphasise the flaws'!

That's ideal, I've been doing that for years.

NoSleep

Quote from: Dusty Gozongas on February 08, 2012, 12:40:47 PM
And will you be requiring the stems rather than a final mixdown?

The only mix that was finally presented as stems for the last project was El Unicornio, mang's, and that was simply vocals on one, music on the other. It would be fine to present stems, but they should be broad groups of instruments. For mastering purposes I split tracks into 4 main stems: Drums/Bass, Music (all the other instruments), Vocals, and "Sound Effects" (things like sampled voices and explosions, wind & rain etc). You could subdivide the drums/bass further, into Drums and Bass; likewise the vocals could be split to separate verses from choruses, lead voice from backing singers etc.

However, it should be unnecessary unless you're really unsure about your mixing skills.

small_world

QuoteThe Sign of the Seahorse

Beagle 2      Use filters
Johnny Textface   Do The Washing Up
Alan Nagsworth   Use an Old Idea
Small World   Is there something Missing?
The Masked Unit   From nothing to more than nothing
NoSleep      Feedback recordings into an acoustic situation
Phil_A      Take away the important parts
Dusty Gozongas   Discard an axiom
Johnnycuba   Don't avoid what is easy
Rudi      Infinitestimial gradations
Hummingofevil   State the problem as clearly as possible   
Puffin Chunks   Get your neck massaged
Shoulders? Stomach!   Emphasise the flaws
Falafel      Disconnect from Desire

I really liked those, and my "Is there something missing?" gave me loads of ideas.
I take it where not just going to use these though? Although I'd love to.
I love NoSleep's.

Also what the hell is "The sign of the seahorse?"

jonnycuba

I'm rolling with Beagle's 'Don't avoid what is easy'...

Beagle 2

Quote from: small_world on February 08, 2012, 09:59:53 PM
Also what the hell is "The sign of the seahorse?"

I just clicked "random Wikipedia article"! Was just throwing ideas out there, I'm sure it's shite! All a bit Ozric Tentacles.

I don't mind using them. I know these things have been around for years, but they're ideal as pointers in just these sort of situations.

QtheRaider

damn just missed out on this if you need someone on the subs  bench i,m yer man

NoSleep

Just to say I hadn't seen Beagle's edit, when he added the Oblique Strategies, hence me saying I would send you all some more. I may still send you all a line from the Book Of Answers anyway.

Quote from: QtheRaider on February 08, 2012, 11:06:46 PM
damn just missed out on this if you need someone on the subs  bench i,m yer man

One more won't hurt. And your Oblique Strategy is:

QuoteListen to the quiet voice

Puffin Chunks

Hello. I'm confused[nb]not an uncommon state of affairs.[/nb]. So, when NoSleep pulls names from the hat, will he be pulling one or several at a time? Just, given how long the last album took, I'm thinking one at a time may be a bit lengthy.

Also, these oblique strategies. I don't get them. I think it's just the way the creative part of my brain works (or doesn't). I'll go onto Google and do a bit more research into it, but 'Get your neck massaged'. Is that an instruction? Sounds like a fairly nice idea, but the natural rebel in me says 'no'. So, am I meant to go and get my neck massaged and see what comes to me? Am I just meant to be being inspired by the whole idea of a neck massage? If I'm not careful I'm going to end up with something not entirely dissimilar to Joe Cornish's Sensual Massage Music:
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/6music/adamandjoe/Massage_Music.mp3

NoSleep

Quote from: Puffin Chunks on February 09, 2012, 02:48:03 AM
Hello. I'm confused[nb]not an uncommon state of affairs.[/nb]. So, when NoSleep pulls names from the hat, will he be pulling one or several at a time? Just, given how long the last album took, I'm thinking one at a time may be a bit lengthy.

Quote from: NoSleep on February 08, 2012, 10:56:10 AMIf we do go with these 14 names we can start setting out the rules of the game between us. Shall I pull names from a hat to establish an order of commencement, taking, say, 7 for the first wave?

QuoteAlso, these oblique strategies. I don't get them. I think it's just the way the creative part of my brain works (or doesn't). I'll go onto Google and do a bit more research into it, but 'Get your neck massaged'. Is that an instruction? Sounds like a fairly nice idea, but the natural rebel in me says 'no'. So, am I meant to go and get my neck massaged and see what comes to me? Am I just meant to be being inspired by the whole idea of a neck massage? If I'm not careful I'm going to end up with something not entirely dissimilar to Joe Cornish's Sensual Massage Music:
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/6music/adamandjoe/Massage_Music.mp3

It's an oblique strategy, not an instruction; a curve thrown at you. It's a bizarre one I've not seen before, but my one (Feedback recordings into an acoustic situation) seems just as specific in its instruction at first glance; I don't really want to hire an acoustic space to fire feedback recordings into (the costs of moving my equipment alone would be restrictive, if I don't want to use the spaces at home) nor do I fancy spinning feedback noises over an acoustic ensemble, so I'll have to find some other use for this.
"Get your neck massaged" could mean you need to examine your external circumstances in some way before embarking on recording/composition. If you had a stiff neck, perhaps an alcoholic drink would help relax it and be a far easier option; Perhaps he's trying to tell you to get high first.
Perhaps this supposed instruction has revealed how truly anti-neck-massage you are, defining a boundary that might be worth exploring.
It's an angle, not a direction.

Puffin Chunks

Quote from: NoSleep on February 08, 2012, 10:56:10 AM
If we do go with these 14 names we can start setting out the rules of the game between us. Shall I pull names from a hat to establish an order of commencement, taking, say, 7 for the first wave?

Aha. Not for the first time my state of confusion comes from my lack of attention. Thanking you.

Thanks for the oblique strategy explanation. To be honest, I'm none the wiser in terms of interpreting mine, but it's given me more to go on and I'll do a bit more research into their use and application. I kind of wish I'd got the one that said 'use filters' ;) 

NoSleep

"Use filters" is more typical of these. Not necessarily an instruction to use a filter bank, considering the age of these cards (although Brian Eno was no stranger to synthesizers[nb]What would a drummer or saxophonist do with this instruction? Perhaps filter out a habitual mode of performance, or not play certain notes/drums.[/nb]); like a lot of the cards it is suggesting a reduction of scope, or a narrowing of focus/view (to come to a decision), rather than specifying a particular course of action like a neck massage.

Beagle 2

I would have actually much preferred the neck massage one, I was pissed off when I drew mine (and they were honestly the first ones that popped up)! But I have had a couple of ideas now - it gives a starting point either lyrically or musically. If all else fails a four minute advert for Swan Vesta.

Beagle 2

What do you reckon then NoSleep, are you going to release those big money balls? How will the batch thing work - will you allocate second batch members as and when you get completed tracks in, or wait until you have seven completed tracks?

NoSleep

I think we will have to call it if somebody lags too far behind in delivering. It's all going to be down to submitting a demo with an intro and outro that are musically complete and representative of how the final product will sound minus only a bit of polish. Obviously the important thing here is the musical idea; the key, the chords, the notes, the tempo[nb]Nobody is stuck to one tempo, anyway (remember Johnny textface's track?).[/nb]; rather than the choice of sounds or whether there's drums still in the track at the end or not.

NoSleep

OK... round 1 is...

Phil_A
Dusty Gozongas
small_world
falafel
Shoulders?-Stomach!
Johnny Textface
Puffin Chunks

1-2-3, Go!

Beagle 2

ARE YOU EVER GONNA FINISH YOUR TRACKS LADS HURRY UP FOR FUCK'S SAKE HOW LONG'S IT TAKE *TAPS WATCH* etc...

Puffin Chunks

Quote from: NoSleep on February 09, 2012, 12:45:13 PM
Puffin Chunks

1-2-3, Go!

Yay!!! Wait. No. So I have no constraints other than my oblique strategy, right? Ok, I've got this. I'll be back in a few months...

Johnny Textface

Just to confirm - whats the overall theme, are we being assigned any more strategies / book of answers, are we going for a particular key and is there a deadline for the demo?