Garth Marenghi's Darkplace - Electro

Made some electro, pretty happy with the results.

https://soundcloud.com/606303/darkplace-v2

Looking to make improvements/changes to it so would appreciate any positives/negatives etc.

yo! i luurve these :)

but this is a place for opinions...

darkplace: i think the high hats are teeny bit high in the mix and that distant simple pad that enters around 0:28 could be a bit higher and warmer.

johnny five: i count myself among those who are typically weary of crunchy beats. would like to hear a version with nondistorted drums.

Enjoyed darkplace. I'd agree that you should add the pad a bit more prominently into the mix. Otherwise, I really like it :)

  On 1/23/2016 at 8:43 PM, Polytrix said:

Enjoyed darkplace. I'd agree that you should add the pad a bit more prominently into the mix. Otherwise, I really like it :)

Cool, going to work on this now.

  On 1/23/2016 at 6:54 PM, coolandfrank said:

yo! i luurve these :)

 

but this is a place for opinions...

 

darkplace: i think the high hats are teeny bit high in the mix and that distant simple pad that enters around 0:28 could be a bit higher and warmer.

 

johnny five: i count myself among those who are typically weary of crunchy beats. would like to hear a version with nondistorted drums.

Cheers dude, quite different but fun tunes. Opinions is exactly what I'm after so nice one. Will look into this now.

Made a 2nd version. Didn't realise how overpowering the hi hats were until I 'reheard' it! Will likely try a new one from here.

https://soundcloud.com/606303/darkplace-v2

Nice tracks flacid, in quite different styles. My only critique would be that in Darkplace, I think the short beep-y melody gets a bit tedious.. doesn't quite fit in with the other elements. The rest (bass, drums, pads) sound great to me. Loved Johnny 5. Instant groove. :)

  On 1/25/2016 at 4:53 AM, weakmassive said:

Nice tracks flacid, in quite different styles. My only critique would be that in Darkplace, I think the short beep-y melody gets a bit tedious.. doesn't quite fit in with the other elements. The rest (bass, drums, pads) sound great to me. Loved Johnny 5. Instant groove. :)

Yeah, I make all sorts of stuff, just depends on the mood. Jack of all trades...

Listening back I agree with your thoughts on the bleepy melody. Could probably do with being filtered a bit as well. I always tend to make tracks too long and let parts repeat for too long. Need to snap out of it!

Cheers for listening and the kind words on Johnny 5, seems like the ones I record in one take work a bit better.

Like the second edit man. Sounds nice and tight too :)

nice track

i have to say that the title of the thread/track got me excited for some possible garth marenghi related news or something, the other day.

and for that i can never forgive you

  On 1/26/2016 at 10:24 PM, MisterE said:

nice track

 

i have to say that the title of the thread/track got me excited for some possible garth marenghi related news or something, the other day.

and for that i can never forgive you

Haha, apologies man. I wasn't sure how many people would get it if I called it 'Darkplace'

  On 1/26/2016 at 9:49 PM, Polytrix said:

Like the second edit man. Sounds nice and tight too :)

Cheers dude, definitely sounds better with the hats turned down a bit. It's still too quiet overall though. Struggling to make digital tracks sound loud without compressing them too much.

Yeah i feel you. Keep at it though. Avoid limited!!

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Thanks for sharing that track, I enjoyed it. Though I do have some feedback/recommendations (emphasis on recommendations)

The melody at 1:40, gets a bit repetitive after 40 seconds, you could easily come up with slight variations, not only with the melody, but you could also play with the imaging. Maybe have it repeat for a few bars, then changes start happening.

I do like the faster melody that comes in after, pretty sweet. It's quiet but the texture and where it is in the song/imaged in the stereo just works.

At this point the drum beat gets a bit repetitive. You don't necessarily need to change the arrangement, but layering it with something else, or having it play around in the stereo would keep it from getting repetitive.

The the bass that starts at the beginning and plays throughout. That sound is ripe for screwing around in stereo since it sounds 'big'. I have a track I'm working on at the moment with a very similar sound screwing around in stereo. Basically kind of what aphex did on 'gwely mernans', except flying around the stereo.

Alright that's all I can think of. It's always good practice to listen to other people stuff and think of things, it gets your own ideas flowing.

Cool atmospheric electro track.Not to sure about the bleepy riff that comes at 47sec.Its a bit annoying.hehe

Really love the riff at 2:50,amazing.I think some layering could improve the track.Doubling some synth line.

  On 2/2/2016 at 11:29 AM, Brisbot said:

Thanks for sharing that track, I enjoyed it. Though I do have some feedback/recommendations (emphasis on recommendations)

 

The melody at 1:40, gets a bit repetitive after 40 seconds, you could easily come up with slight variations, not only with the melody, but you could also play with the imaging. Maybe have it repeat for a few bars, then changes start happening.

 

I do like the faster melody that comes in after, pretty sweet. It's quiet but the texture and where it is in the song/imaged in the stereo just works.

 

At this point the drum beat gets a bit repetitive. You don't necessarily need to change the arrangement, but layering it with something else, or having it play around in the stereo would keep it from getting repetitive.

 

The the bass that starts at the beginning and plays throughout. That sound is ripe for screwing around in stereo since it sounds 'big'. I have a track I'm working on at the moment with a very similar sound screwing around in stereo. Basically kind of what aphex did on 'gwely mernans', except flying around the stereo.

 

Alright that's all I can think of. It's always good practice to listen to other people stuff and think of things, it gets your own ideas flowing.

 

 

Nice one, cheers for listening and taking the time to give some advice. I think some of my issues are based around my want and enjoyment of working on something quickly and that I like repetitive melodies :) However I totally understand that a decent melody (+ drum rhythms) with modulation/pitch/note changes will become a better one and doesn't necessarily have to take a long time... If you had the time I'd like to hear what you thought of this one > https://soundcloud.com/606303/tree-trunks-weekend-at-nans-mix

Gwely Mernans is one of my favourite Aphex tracks so look forward to hearing what you have in mind even if it's different.

  On 2/2/2016 at 5:56 PM, fxbip said:

Cool atmospheric electro track.Not to sure about the bleepy riff that comes at 47sec.Its a bit annoying.hehe

Really love the riff at 2:50,amazing.I think some layering could improve the track.Doubling some synth line.

Thanks dude, dig your work a lot. I agree with the bleep riff... Doesn't work but that's fine, will learn for the next one.

I like the little melody that comes in near the end too, just gives it a nice different level. Will look into doubling synth lines, I haven't done that before.

  On 1/26/2016 at 10:24 PM, MisterE said:

nice track

 

i have to say that the title of the thread/track got me excited for some possible garth marenghi related news or something, the other day.

and for that i can never forgive you

yeah same :( got hopes up massively, like the track, although the bassline current sounds pretty much the same as a lower pitched afx cottage4 af

  On 2/3/2016 at 12:10 PM, pyramidpanes said:

 

  On 1/26/2016 at 10:24 PM, MisterE said:

nice track

 

i have to say that the title of the thread/track got me excited for some possible garth marenghi related news or something, the other day.

and for that i can never forgive you

 

yeah same :( got hopes up massively, like the track, although the bassline current sounds pretty much the same as a lower pitched afx cottage4 af

 

 

lol, when i listened to the baseline I thought it sounded AFXish but it doesn't sound the same as that example. Mine is nowhere near as good :)

  On 1/23/2016 at 6:43 PM, flacid said:

Made some electro, pretty happy with the results.

 

https://soundcloud.com/606303/darkplace-v2

 

Looking to make improvements/changes to it so would appreciate any positives/negatives etc.

i really dig the song, just that it sounds like its own skeleton, lol, it needs beefing up somehow, specially the beats... don't ask me how though... well, maybe some magic compression... the first repetitive melody kinda sounded out of tune firstly but right now it's pretty hypnotizing... all those pad melodies need to be, imo, in a different background, guess i'm missing some reverb or lengthy releases...

btw, on Johny five, did you influenced yourself in analords' melodies/tuss? someone mentioned octatonic scales/half-whole scales when referring to afx's composition techniques...

love this track- it really comes in great and the drums are very good, not repetitive for me. but it has the same problem most of my tracks have: there's no lead. a few people have already made essentially the same point. if i knew a good solution i wouldn't have the same recurrent problem. someone once recommended that i can solve this by just aping a lead i like, and making a few modifications to make it my own. maybe that's worth a try.

  On 2/5/2016 at 3:25 PM, THIS IS MICHAEL JACKSON said:

 

  On 1/23/2016 at 6:43 PM, flacid said:

Made some electro, pretty happy with the results.

 

https://soundcloud.com/606303/darkplace-v2

 

Looking to make improvements/changes to it so would appreciate any positives/negatives etc.

i really dig the song, just that it sounds like its own skeleton, lol, it needs beefing up somehow, specially the beats... don't ask me how though... well, maybe some magic compression... the first repetitive melody kinda sounded out of tune firstly but right now it's pretty hypnotizing... all those pad melodies need to be, imo, in a different background, guess i'm missing some reverb or lengthy releases...

 

 

btw, on Johny five, did you influenced yourself in analords' melodies/tuss? someone mentioned octatonic scales/half-whole scales when referring to afx's composition techniques...

 

lol, I know I hate how I couldn't get it any louder in Ableton without over compressing it. Fuck knows what I'm doing wrong, probably something very basic! I try to make things out of tune if I can, I think they hold on the ear nicer and it sounds like a cool excuse. The track was built around the pads as I played them manually and I didn't want to change them. Using a VST version of the Yamaha CS80 (for the pads and synth lines) and probably need to mess around with it more to see if I can get more out of them/try and sort out fitting reverb.

In terms of Johnny 5 - I made the track in 20 minutes and recorded it live with just a monomachine, anything that came together was pure luck and non intentional. However (although I don't think it sounds like anything he's made) I'll always be influenced by AFX stuff as long as I make electronic stuff even if I didn't want too. Also unfortunately when it comes to scales and their purpose I'm absolutely clueless! Going to look Octatonic stuff up now though, see if I can pick anything up. Cheers for listening and commenting :)

  On 2/5/2016 at 3:49 PM, coolandfrank said:

love this track- it really comes in great and the drums are very good, not repetitive for me. but it has the same problem most of my tracks have: there's no lead. a few people have already made essentially the same point. if i knew a good solution i wouldn't have the same recurrent problem. someone once recommended that i can solve this by just aping a lead i like, and making a few modifications to make it my own. maybe that's worth a try.

Very kind dude. I agree with you in terms of the lead there is no melody or 'groove' which is pretty important in this genre! I think the 2nd one I did that is similar works better in this regard (especially the melody at 2:43) > https://soundcloud.com/606303/tree-trunks-weekend-at-nans-mix

I'll just keep making them and make improvements over time :)