Just finished this, would love some feedback. Inspired by BoC, Plaid, Tycho, Porcupine Tree

Hey guys,

My name is Peter, I'm 26, and I've been a member of the forum for about a year now. I make stuff under the name Nautical Operator, and I'm in the middle of making an album. I just finished this song which I hope to release as a single soon, and I was hoping to get some honest feedback on it. I recorded it in my bedroom by myself using Logic Pro as a DAW. It's not quite electronic music (not the beginning at least), but its very inspired by it. Like I mentioned in the title, I'm mainly influenced by Boards of Canada, Plaid, Tycho, and Porcupine Tree - but also Aphex Twin, Beck, Air, Zero 7 and more. 

Please let me know what you think!

Thanks

-Peter

This sounds very nice, and professional.  But due to the style, I kept expecting a full blown vocal to kick in, rather than the single line that electronic dance music gets away with.  It sounds like the instrumental mix of a good song.

So, write a lead melody, and a lyric, and sing the vocal with confidence and style.  (If you're still too self-conscious, you can always hire a session singer.)  Then it'll be a great song, rather than a great backing track with potential.

  On 2/28/2018 at 1:08 PM, ZoeB said:

This sounds very nice, and professional.  But due to the style, I kept expecting a full blown vocal to kick in, rather than the single line that electronic dance music gets away with.  It sounds like the instrumental mix of a good song.

 

So, write a lead melody, and a lyric, and sing the vocal with confidence and style.  (If you're still too self-conscious, you can always hire a session singer.)  Then it'll be a great song, rather than a great backing track with potential.

Thank you for your feedback! I appreciate it. I hear what you're saying - and it's helpful because I will not be fully "releasing" the track on an album for another two months or so. I'll see if I can think of some strong lead melodies to put over it! 

  On 2/23/2018 at 5:53 PM, nauticaloperator said:

Hey guys,

 

My name is Peter, I'm 26, and I've been a member of the forum for about a year now. I make stuff under the name Nautical Operator, and I'm in the middle of making an album. I just finished this song which I hope to release as a single soon, and I was hoping to get some honest feedback on it. I recorded it in my bedroom by myself using Logic Pro as a DAW. It's not quite electronic music (not the beginning at least), but its very inspired by it. Like I mentioned in the title, I'm mainly influenced by Boards of Canada, Plaid, Tycho, and Porcupine Tree - but also Aphex Twin, Beck, Air, Zero 7 and more. 

 

Please let me know what you think!

 

Thanks

-Peter

interesting, I can't remember hearing a track before where there is an acoustic drumkit beat which turns into a more electronic sounding kit halfway through the song.

You've got a good ear for harmonies... everything is in tune and perfectly in time. Maybe too in tune and too in time!  for my ears at least. I think the track has that digital perfect quality that many of us try to hide a bit with tape saturators and distortion and analogue-modelling effects, when we work in the digital domain.

Maybe mix-wise you could try adding some crunchiness somewhere with a saturator or some kind of distortion... not to everything obviously, maybe just to a snare, or the rhodes maybe... just an idea.

Otherwise well done, great work :)

  On 2/28/2018 at 1:08 PM, ZoeB said:

This sounds very nice, and professional.  But due to the style, I kept expecting a full blown vocal to kick in, rather than the single line that electronic dance music gets away with.  It sounds like the instrumental mix of a good song.

 

So, write a lead melody, and a lyric, and sing the vocal with confidence and style.  (If you're still too self-conscious, you can always hire a session singer.)  Then it'll be a great song, rather than a great backing track with potential.

good point, I think this is great advice.

Thanks for your reply, and for checking it out Zoid! Appreciate the feedback. I had a funny feeling things might be a little too "tight", and now that I've had a week or so to listen back I agree with you. Chances are I will add some "dirt" to some of the sounds - most likely the Rhodes - before I go to release this with the rest of the album. 

  On 3/6/2018 at 11:33 PM, nauticaloperator said:

Thanks for your reply, and for checking it out Zoid! Appreciate the feedback. I had a funny feeling things might be a little too "tight", and now that I've had a week or so to listen back I agree with you. Chances are I will add some "dirt" to some of the sounds - most likely the Rhodes - before I go to release this with the rest of the album. 

no prob : )

I really like the transition from one style to the other. However, if you would not add the sugested lead melody singer, the later part might stand on it's own with an intro thrown in to the mix. Great job!

  On 3/6/2018 at 11:33 PM, nauticaloperator said:

Chances are I will add some "dirt" to some of the sounds - most likely the Rhodes - before I go to release this with the rest of the album. 

Can't beat a dirty rhodes, just ask the Muscle Shoals boys

  On 3/8/2018 at 3:01 PM, Worlds Most Johnsson said:

I really like the transition from one style to the other. However, if you would not add the sugested lead melody singer, the later part might stand on it's own with an intro thrown in to the mix. Great job!

Thanks, glad you like it! Do you mean, the second "section" could be it's own song if I added an intro to it? I thought about maybe returning to this melody again later for a reprise in a different track, except in a different sound and mood. 

This song gives me a good optimistic vibe. I love harmony singing.

An electric guitar solo somewhere would blow our minds.

<3

  On 4/25/2018 at 2:47 PM, Vihta said:

This song gives me a good optimistic vibe. I love harmony singing.

 

An electric guitar solo somewhere would blow our minds.

 

<3

Thank you! Glad you like it. I went a little light on the guitar in this song, but the other songs I'm working on for this album will have a lot more electric guitar parts/solos.