Where the hell do I go next with this?

ijonty · February 2023

Hi all

I've got a (very very) rough demo of a track I'm working on with a poet who wants to do a shouty, punky track.

I've cobbled together a riff and he's shouted some placeholder words into his iPhone, so I've stuck them together and put this one minute of song together. (I've nicked some temporary drums from Arctic Monkeys).

He says he wants it to go a bit mental and heavy with the guitars at the end of what I've got so far, but it's not really my genre. Any advice on where I could go with it?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2w5w3vrtm84wcj3/STTM%20demo.wav?dl=0

Cheers

J

flying_pie · February 2023

Great riff so far.

What does he have planned for the vocals for the heavy part? If I'm thinking of angsty songs that are heavy then it's the vocals/drums that usually make it heavy.

As for going a bit mental well you could go with Pixies/ Frank Carter/Slaves for a punk vibe and it would fit well. I'm guessing he doesn't want you to suddenly turn it into a Slayer track which would also be mental and heavy

RichAC · February 2023

Cool track. Personally, I’d look at laying on more parts - build the track up out of little counter melody riffs that all fit together. The heaviness would come from the density of the track, rather than the sound. It’d be cool if it built up over time, so it sort of creeps up on you.

Stuckfast · February 2023

Excellent riff!

I'd say you want to get some more electronic / sound design elements in there. If you just go for a 'realistic' drums + bass + guitar vibe it could end up sounding a bit tame or dated next to contemporary stuff like Sleaford Mods or whatever.

monquixote · February 2023

That's awesome, I love it!

Is it recorded to a click and do you have stems for it?

I'd be up for doing some electronic farting about with it if you fancy a remix?

ijonty · February 2023

RichAC said:

Cool track. Personally, I’d look at laying on more parts - build the track up out of little counter melody riffs that all fit together. The heaviness would come from the density of the track, rather than the sound. It’d be cool if it built up over time, so it sort of creeps up on you.

Thanks @RichAC So the first one verse might have nothing more than what's there now, but the second time the riff finishes into the second verse, more guitar comes in, and so on? Or do you mean the riff would get more layers too? Sorry for the basic questions, but I haven't written many songs so need things explained at the idiot level!

JohnS37 · February 2023

The riff is great, and the rapping lyric works well as it is. I think it needs another lead, played at a much higher register, weaving in and out of the low riff. I can hear it in my head. Could make a great song.

ijonty · February 2023

JohnS37 said:

The riff is great, and the rapping lyric works well as it is. I think it needs another lead, played at a much higher register, weaving in and out of the low riff. I can hear it in my head. Could make a great song.

Cheers John, wish there was some way of hearing what's inside other people's heads. It's so hard talking about musical ideas sometimes, isn't it? It's like we don't have the language to get things across in words. I'll try to find something...

ijonty · February 2023

Stuckfast said:

Excellent riff!

I'd say you want to get some more electronic / sound design elements in there. If you just go for a 'realistic' drums + bass + guitar vibe it could end up sounding a bit tame or dated next to contemporary stuff like Sleaford Mods or whatever.

Actually, Sleaford Mods is probably a good reference point. I don't know much of their stuff, but it definitely fits with my mate's kind of style

ijonty · February 2023

monquixote said:

That's awesome, I love it!

Is it recorded to a click and do you have stems for it?

I'd be up for doing some electronic farting about with it if you fancy a remix?

Yeah, it's to a click, and electronic farts might be just the ticket. At the moment both the guitar and vocal are rough, but certainly happy to send you the stems of what we have so far if you fancy a noodle around.

ijonty · February 2023

Actually, following on from my last message, that offer is there for anyone. And of course, if I make my millions with the track, you'd be appropriately enumerated!

ijonty · February 2023

flying_pie said:

Great riff so far.

What does he have planned for the vocals for the heavy part? If I'm thinking of angsty songs that are heavy then it's the vocals/drums that usually make it heavy.

As for going a bit mental well you could go with Pixies/ Frank Carter/Slaves for a punk vibe and it would fit well. I'm guessing he doesn't want you to suddenly turn it into a Slayer track which would also be mental and heavy

No, he’s not written more lyrics yet, and maybe Pixies/ Frank Carter/Slaves could be a good direction. (I don’t know Slaves but a quick listen just now definitely fits the vibe).

I think it kind of needs to go in a completely different direction after a couple of verses/riffs, or it’ll just get boring, don’t you think?

RichAC · February 2023

ijonty said:

Actually, following on from my last message, that offer is there for anyone. And of course, if I make my millions with the track, you'd be appropriately enumerated!

I’d definitely take you up on that, @ijonty . Might be easier to demonstrate what I meant than explain it in words!

monquixote · February 2023

ijonty said:

monquixote said:

That's awesome, I love it!

Is it recorded to a click and do you have stems for it?

I'd be up for doing some electronic farting about with it if you fancy a remix?

Yeah, it's to a click, and electronic farts might be just the ticket. At the moment both the guitar and vocal are rough, but certainly happy to send you the stems of what we have so far if you fancy a noodle around.

Yeah I'd love that.

PM me some stems and I'll see what I can do.

ijonty · February 2023

@RichAC and @monquixote - will ping them over, cheers

flying_pie · February 2023

ijonty said:

flying_pie said:

Great riff so far.

What does he have planned for the vocals for the heavy part? If I'm thinking of angsty songs that are heavy then it's the vocals/drums that usually make it heavy.

As for going a bit mental well you could go with Pixies/ Frank Carter/Slaves for a punk vibe and it would fit well. I'm guessing he doesn't want you to suddenly turn it into a Slayer track which would also be mental and heavy

No, he’s not written more lyrics yet, and maybe Pixies/ Frank Carter/Slaves could be a good direction. (I don’t know Slaves but a quick listen just now definitely fits the vibe).

I think it kind of needs to go in a completely different direction after a couple of verses/riffs, or it’ll just get boring, don’t you think?

I would agree. The lyrical intent would need to be extreme for it to work with simply dynamics based around the one riff, as good as it is.

Sally I've got far too much on just now or I would have asked for the stems too. Look forward to hearing it when you eventually get it finished

ijonty · February 2023

flying_pie said:

I would agree. The lyrical intent would need to be extreme for it to work with simply dynamics based around the one riff, as good as it is.

Yeah, I want it to shift gears for the second half with a surprising change

monquixote · February 2023

I'm having a dick about with it this evening.

Currently sounding like some kind of Kasabian B side.

Hopefully that won't offend your musical taste

ijonty · February 2023

Take it any way you like - same goes for any other suggestions!

Acdeezee86 · February 2023

Awesome riff!

It made me think of Rage Against the Machine - where Morello's guitar often ends up crescendoing with what are effectively electrical fart type noises. Ashes in the Fall around 2.40 mark has a cool melt down.

Not so much practical recommendation as a potential source of inspiration?

ijonty · February 2023

Acdeezee86 said:

Awesome riff!

It made me think of Rage Against the Machine - where Morello's guitar often ends up crescendoing with what are effectively electrical fart type noises. Ashes in the Fall around 2.40 mark has a cool melt down.

Not so much practical recommendation as a potential source of inspiration?

Thanks! Love them, so will dig out that track and have a listen

monquixote · February 2023

There you go.

A bit of pissing about in the style of some kind of electro lad rock a la Kasabian.

monquixote · February 2023

BTW I'll probably do a bit more on this, this evening to give it a proper end and maybe chop up some vocals and stuff to make it a bit more interesting at the end.

monquixote · February 2023

@ijonty let me know what your singer thinks of it.

Did a V2 with some sample mangling:

ijonty · February 2023

monquixote said:

@ijonty let me know what your singer thinks of it.

Did a V2 with some sample mangling:

Ace! I'm sure he'll love it!

monquixote · February 2023

I've managed to mix the vocals a bit low on that version I'll chuck a bit more level on them and do another version this evening.

Petepassion · February 2023

Sounds great, top job peeps.

ijonty · February 2023

Cheers @Petepassion

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Where the hell do I go next with this?

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