More Melodies From Mars style fun and silliness

Just for me and my dog...

http://soundcloud.com/doggiedogster/good-trig-edges-rough-demo

I was thinking of changing most of the timbres so they're not so harsh, and of course I haven't produced or mastered it yet. Otherwise, I'm up for suggestions!

Cool! It needs some envelope filtered drum schwups and beeps.

more modulations in the sounds so it sounds less static

The pads coming in at 1:06 really help to push and develop the track towards the end. Some of the timbres are harsh in a nice way actually, giving everything a bit of a edgy lo-fi gloss.

Thanks everyone, those are some good points!

  On 1/4/2012 at 12:58 PM, psn said:

Cool! It needs some envelope filtered drum schwups and beeps.

I'm not sure if I'll do that on this song in particular, but yes, you're right. I keep on using my drum modules as if they're standalone synths instead of integrating them with the rest of the gang, filtering and distorting them. I especially intend to start doing that sort of thing once I get my new Korg MS-20 style filter and try out a more Caustic tip. :D

  On 1/4/2012 at 2:13 PM, Squawk2 said:

more modulations in the sounds so it sounds less static

Ha, this is the one thing I thought I wasn't guilty of! -.- With the other tunes I've made under this alias so far, I've gone a bit overboard tweaking everything, so I tried to be a bit more subtle this time, although I do swap one of the instruments over for another one entirely between the two sections... Maybe I should be less subtle about all the knob twiddling in future, thanks. :)

(Listening to it again, you're right, there's so much going on that you can't really hear many of the changes in timbre unless you pay attention, aside from the lead and the second section's counter melody / acidline. I guess I'll be going back to the more obvious knob twiddling next time...)

  On 1/4/2012 at 4:59 PM, kokeboka said:

The pads coming in at 1:06 really help to push and develop the track towards the end. Some of the timbres are harsh in a nice way actually, giving everything a bit of a edgy lo-fi gloss.

Ah, the orchestral strings, yeah. I'm still on a Melodies From Mars tip, and the strings sound so nice on that... with the Richard D. James album, the beats kinda distracted me from them too much, but now I can hear them in all their glory on that earlier album, they sound very nice, so I was trying out that kinda thing. I've been using strings a lot recently on one of the soundtracks I'm currently making too, so it felt right to add them here too, even though this alias is mostly about the analogue modular mayhem. Thanks, I'm glad you agree it works! :D And don't worry, although I'm going to perform the track again with some nicer sounds, it'll still remain low fidelity, simple and quirky. I'm really digging the whole Ursula Bogner vibe right now.

Thanks again, everyone!

melodies from mars is simple and fun, but still advanced melodically

haha this is fun, makes me want to eat lucky charms!

i would love to hear this come in after something really dark on an album.

does your dog like it?

  On 1/6/2012 at 1:12 AM, Boxus said:

i would love to hear this come in after something really dark on an album.

That's a good idea! If there's one thing I've learnt from analysing the music of Richard D. James and Trent Reznor, it's juxtaposition. Although Doggie's albums are meant to be simple, fun and kid-friendly, I could certainly vary it up a bit between quiet and loud, Expert Knob Twiddlers style.

For what it's worth, the most Doggie-esque track on one of my own (main alias) albums is indeed sandwiched between some pretty dark ones.

  On 1/6/2012 at 2:16 AM, yek said:

does your dog like it?

My dog wrote it officially! :D

Does remind me of Melodies from Mars and a bit of Lektrogirl although I can't remember too much about the first record. I listened to it 3 times and I'm glad I did 'cause it gave me a better understanding of the flow of the tune. Where you took it from the 1 min mark probably wouldn't have been where I'd have taken it so I wouldn't mind doing my own take on it if you're up for that? :-) Anyways yeah its not too bad as it sort of fits in that cutesy melodies from mars vibe.

  On 1/6/2012 at 2:11 PM, Promo said:

Does remind me of Melodies from Mars and a bit of Lektrogirl although I can't remember too much about the first record.

Oh wow, I haven't heard any Lektrogirl in yeeears... maybe I should give her music another chance.

  On 1/6/2012 at 2:11 PM, Promo said:

I listened to it 3 times and I'm glad I did 'cause it gave me a better understanding of the flow of the tune. Where you took it from the 1 min mark probably wouldn't have been where I'd have taken it...

The flow's pretty simple, just A/B/A with more bits/B with more bits/A with lots, pretty much. It's not quite verse/chorus as the second section isn't by far catchier, there's no lyric, and it doesn't end on the second section... but it's otherwise pretty close. Hmm, I really need to start writing lyrics again... Hey, you're right, at the one minute mark, that's where traditionally a bridge would go if it was a standard pop song. That would probably work better too...

  On 1/6/2012 at 2:11 PM, Promo said:

...I wouldn't mind doing my own take on it if you're up for that? :-) Anyways yeah its not too bad as it sort of fits in that cutesy melodies from mars vibe.

Sure, go ahead and knock yourself out. Remixes are always welcome. Would you like the MIDI file? This almost certainly won't be the final performance, so there's probably not much point in giving you any of the wave files yet, although you're welcome to them if you'd like. One of my aims is to start releasing my music in a free software style fashion, giving away the multitrack data, notation, everything.

  On 1/6/2012 at 6:35 PM, ZoeB said:

  On 1/6/2012 at 2:11 PM, Promo said:

Does remind me of Melodies from Mars and a bit of Lektrogirl although I can't remember too much about the first record.

 

Oh wow, I haven't heard any Lektrogirl in yeeears... maybe I should give her music another chance.

 

  On 1/6/2012 at 2:11 PM, Promo said:

I listened to it 3 times and I'm glad I did 'cause it gave me a better understanding of the flow of the tune. Where you took it from the 1 min mark probably wouldn't have been where I'd have taken it...

 

The flow's pretty simple, just A/B/A with more bits/B with more bits/A with lots, pretty much. It's not quite verse/chorus as the second section isn't by far catchier, there's no lyric, and it doesn't end on the second section... but it's otherwise pretty close. Hmm, I really need to start writing lyrics again... Hey, you're right, at the one minute mark, that's where traditionally a bridge would go if it was a standard pop song. That would probably work better too...

 

  On 1/6/2012 at 2:11 PM, Promo said:

...I wouldn't mind doing my own take on it if you're up for that? :-) Anyways yeah its not too bad as it sort of fits in that cutesy melodies from mars vibe.

 

Sure, go ahead and knock yourself out. Remixes are always welcome. Would you like the MIDI file? This almost certainly won't be the final performance, so there's probably not much point in giving you any of the wave files yet, although you're welcome to them if you'd like. One of my aims is to start releasing my music in a free software style fashion, giving away the multitrack data, notation, everything.

Yeah midi file would be cool plus maybe wav of the lead. ;-) I'll pm you my e-mail. Safe.