Update - 1 actual none demo track!

joeyowen · November 2018

Ok slight correction to the title, I like all 3... but one stands out and sticks in my head.

Please roast, I need the feedback.

I've recorded and mixed (use the term lightly) the songs all alone in my office/studio.

Surrounded by Shadows is by farrr by favourite!

Thanks all!

spark240 · November 2018

Hi !....so....it sounds reasonable on the iPad, I’ll try monitors later.

a couple of things stand out for me....the double track vocal ( or FX) is a bit OTT all the way through, just loses the effect, also I could rally tell where verses and chorus start or stop....?

Overall a very 80,s feel to the arrangement and general sound....maybe that’s what you wanted?

all that said,....it’s a lot of work to get a song completed so good job !

joeyowen · November 2018

@spark240 ;
thanks man, for the feedback!

Tbh, I don't like my voice a lot, so double tracking gets me over it, I'll go back though, maybe have a look at keeping it single through the verses and wide pan doubled in the chorus. That might also differentiate the two.

I didn't overly want 80s, but using a synth sound like that and an 808 trigger on the drums was always going to force it that way ha

Thanks though, all taken on board!

spark240 · November 2018

Ok dude...so I checked out all 3 songs, Lets talk about Love is def the most current sounding track, good arrangement, catchy melody, single vocal line !.....you have a good voice dude, have you tried just dropping everything by say a semi tone?...you might be surprised..

Be great to try a remix of this track if your up for it ?....how was it recorded and could you post a link to the Wav stems?

Just a thought...

This is what Im working on now ...( Im not the vocalist )

joeyowen · November 2018

@spark240 ;
hell yeah I'm up for it, i'd learn a lot from listening too I think!

remind me, are stems edited or unedited?

spark240 · November 2018

If you have lots of FX on the tracks , then I’d prefer them raw with nothing on, but whatever is easier for you, just an experiment really....what DAW do you use ?

We Transfer is easy , or a Dropbox link

IMC1980 · November 2018

+1 on the good voice, you sound like the singer from the Kooks to me (who has a pleasing voice to listen to, regardless of musical taste, so please don't take offence from the comparison!). Like the riffs and overall groove of Surrounded By Shadows; I'll give your other stuff a listen!

notanon · November 2018

+1 for the let's talk about love. You have a great voice and it suits your preferred tempo I think.

Good luck with the tracks.

joeyowen · November 2018

spark240 said:

If you have lots of FX on the tracks , then I’d prefer them raw with nothing on, but whatever is easier for you, just an experiment really....what DAW do you use ?

We Transfer is easy , or a Dropbox link

I'll try and get them tonight when I'm home, I'm stoked for sure. Some comp, and eq is about it I think off the top of my head

IMC1980 said:

+1 on the good voice, you sound like the singer from the Kooks to me (who has a pleasing voice to listen to, regardless of musical taste, so please don't take offence from the comparison!). Like the riffs and overall groove of Surrounded By Shadows; I'll give your other stuff a listen!

Much appreciated, thank you

notanon said:

+1 for the let's talk about love. You have a great voice and it suits your preferred tempo I think.

Good luck with the tracks.

Thanks a lot!

joeyowen · November 2018

(ps, I hate the Kooks)

gusman2x · November 2018

Think you've done a great job on that. I like the 80s feel to the production, but as others have said I'd roll back the double tracking of the vocals a bit. The keyboard twinkles could be blended in a bit more with some more reverb I think.

I think your voice sounds really good, but if you want to mask it a bit, I'd probably add some more pads (strings or something) as opposed to the double tracking.

Very impressive, and I'll check out the others.

pmg · December 2018

I enjoyed it

joeyowen · December 2018

So I've made another one.... a little less 80s, but I did screw around with a vocoder!

John_A · February 2019

Great stuff - I'll echo the Kooks references above regarding your voice. If it were me Id drop the key a smidge (semitone may do it), use more real sounding drums and lift the guitars a touch, but being picky, good songs, sang and performed very well indeed

joeyowen · February 2019

Thanks @John_A ; please be picky, much more helpful tbh!

John_A · February 2019

joeyowen said:

Thanks @John_A ; please be picky, much more helpful tbh!

It's also based on personal preference though, maybe your voice would lose some of it's character if you dropped the key, and maybe you like the drums and guitars as they are, don't take everyone's opinion as gospel, do your own thing

Gadget · February 2019

I like that. Reminds me a bit of Softengine.

dilbert · February 2019

I really dig "the heat inside my heart", can't comment on the others............. someone's had 'em away

LastMantra · February 2019

Just listening on my phone but sounds really good. Nice clean mix. Drums and vocals coming through strong, I'd agree with bringing the guitars forward a touch. Great voice though,and will get stronger with time and confidence.

joeyowen · February 2019

Thanks all! I've got some new recordings in the pipelines, which more than anything I'm trying to get consistent.

I've also booked some studio time for May to get 3 of the mixed properly, not by me whilst I learn pro tools!

All feedback taken on board though, and here are the other 3 back:

dilbert · February 2019

@joeyowen just listened to "Surrounded by Shadows" and I like it but I couldn't help but feel that it sounded like there was a load of loops stuck together with a vocal track over the top. Then it got to 2:03 and it really took off. Cool sounding guitars, (love the Duane Eddie tones!), drums sounded 'live' and it really hung together well.

Put it like this, I heard enough to bring me back to listen to the other 2 tracks after my bath

dilbert

mixolyd · February 2019

I really like the syncopated chromatic power chords on Surrounded By Shadows, so much that I sat down at the Wurli to figure them out. Overall it’s a great track lots of energy in all the parts driven along by the many syncopations and stop-starts.

In arrangement terms, the looping guitar riff in the left channel gets a bit repetitive after a while I’d like to hear it go away and come back a bit more to keep it fresh. Also the later choruses could do with something to make them stand out from the verses - that could be adding a new part or just a mixing thing like expanding the stereo spread.

joeyowen · February 2019

This is all qualify stuff I'll take into the studio in May, as that is one of the tracks I'll defo do.

Thanks all, it's a massive help

dilbert · February 2019

Enjoyed the "Lets talk about love" too. The melody and lyrics are really good, very 80's 'ish and it all hangs together well. Still not over struck with the drums, (though Lord knows I'm no drummer myself!) and I reckon this is a good number to multi track some vocals. On the subject of which, you have a very good voice for the tracks you have penned.

3 down, not a dud yet. Bravo, Sir

joeyowen · February 2019

Thanks man!

It's on the to do list to redo the drums on that, I was really hoping for an electric kit as a birthday treat for myself, but it's looking less likely. Can't complain, but I've drummed for years so it would have given a better 'feel' to the song.

joeyowen · June 2020

Blast from the past, but I'll plug. I was in the studio about 6 months ago, and this is the lead track from it!
I've dropped the other songs from the soundcloud page, and will probably only include high qual demos or studio work now. The others weren't up to standard.

Let me know any thoughts, I'll happily take the criticism if I need to hear it. I might be a bit too poppy for here, I'm not sure

joeyowen · June 2020

A Youtube link too, I couldn't decide which platform to use, so I used both

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfWYmaEYmQw

Gadget · June 2020

Loving that - well done!

joeyowen · June 2020

Gadget said:

Loving that - well done!

Thanks!

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Update - 1 actual none demo track!

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