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Me - Essence of You
It's been a labour of love. It's the backing track to a song I've really battled to produce over some time. It's gone through several reincarnations. Not even sure a guitar fits or maybe just not this guitarist 🙁

Guidothepimmp - Mantra
Awesome beginning and I really loved the end but felt the guitar suddenly overwhelmed the other tracks too quickly. The middle section might have benefited from hints of the guitar to come?
That being said it got my vote, superb entry.

Kaasvakie & Meticus - Rain Dance
Very effective collaboration. Loved the idea of duelling instruments. It fitted the overall composition perfectly. Just not sure if it fitted the Challenge idea as well? Tough call, great playing by both of you.

V8 - Freeze
Great potential, beautifully toned but really needed a build and a few more elements to meet at least my idea of the mantra challenge.
I'd keep this on the back burner and hopefully explore a little more.

Nicely played everyone. Well done Guidothepimmp

Thanks for the great comments on my entry.

Studmissile: thought the track was excellent. For me it was the track that met the challenge description the best. I also found it to have excellent clarity and quality of sound. Your production of it was great and the drum grooves and keys were really great. Your entry got my vote.

Klaasvakie and Meticus: thought it was a really clever idea and was well planned and executed. Thought it ended quite suddenly though. The collaboration idea was also great with 2 very contrasting instruments.

V8: great use of the effects and solid playing as always. I was expecting there to be a bigger build up as the track progressed. You do some very cool things with that midi guitar and I always find your tracks to have a great groove.

Me: well.. I messed about with the Akai midi controller and found some synth tones I liked. I then also found some drum loops that were different to anything I had tried prior.. So I loaded the loops and started experimenting. I agree that the transition was probably a bit abrupt. I did have some clean guitar in the build up, although it was prob too subtle and was somewhat hidden by synth. Originally the loud raucous bit was done using a crunch tone.. But I wasnt feeling that.. So I gravitated back to my comfort zone and redone it using higher gain. Was a fun experiment though.

Thanks RCVN and Klaasvakie for the cool idea

Well done @guidothepimmp!!! I reckon all the tracks were deserving of recognition this challenge.

I was tempted to debate the nature of a mantra, but I'm happier not to - I'm a broken record on this point - but the creative interpretations of the topic is half the fun for me.

Which brings us to the next challenge topic? Nudge-budge, wink-wink 😁

I dug the idea of a single word topic "Mantra" said a lot, but was wide open to interpretation. I'll throw a idea into the hat to get us rolling -> "Audition"

klaasvakie Would be great to get some feedback from you okes pretending to have a producer hat on.

I reckon I always pretend to have a producer hat on, it's WAY easier to armchair something than to actually do it 😉. To get the pipes choir-y there's a few things one could try : 1. Chorus - I'm not a huge fan but it's a quick thing to try. 2. Mix it like phat guitars, two (or more) tracks panned hard left and right. 3. Multiple tracks, but pitched shifted as a choir would sing (octave up & down, 3rd's & 5th's). I think a combo of these would work in some fashion.

Ending - I did listen to the "it's not prodigy" vid you posted (heh) - that ending does work there. The drums are the track, meaning a stop is quite impactful and it ends on 1 with the vocals transitioning to the stop. In your track I'm hearing it end on 4(ish) - maybe carry the pipes over to the 1 use lots of reverb to transition to the stop?

A vs B section. I'm quite poor at this - less help I could not be. Aside from agreeing that this challenge didn't need a B section (imho). Tempo and key changes are usually my first thoughts for changing things up.

Fun having producer thoughts - I should apply the to myself too...ermmm.

studmissile Not even sure a guitar fits or maybe just not this guitarist 🙁

The guitaring did sound a bit -dare I say - doubtful. Which was odd for a Stud track, because it's become a strong signature. But the keys were totally rocking. Maybe lean into that more &/or go John Mayer and apply keyboard approach to guitar sounds (He used a Linn Adrenalinn on Continuum for some great key flavoured guitar rhythms - love the textures he got).

guidothepimmp I did have some clean guitar in the build up, although it was prob too subtle and was somewhat hidden by synth

I honestly didn't notice the clean guit's much. Getting guitars and dance/trance drums/synths to gel is hard. Infected Mushroom do it real well, Sun Project are decent. Not many others get it right....but the tones I think that do work are all higher gain late 80's/90's metal ones... Your had some phatness,some squealage and zero mud and no brittleness. I'd very happily use that as my default hair/shreddage tone - makes all of mine sound totally shite.

        V8 Yeah I agree, the song has slowly developed into a New York Contemporary Adult thingamajig. :I really like the song and its lyrics, but just can't seem to get it right. I think this might have influenced it. .

          V8 I was tempted to debate the nature of a mantra, but I'm happier not to - I'm a broken record on this point - but the creative interpretations of the topic is half the fun for me.

          Here's what I thought Mantra was about

            studmissile Dictionary definition of mantra aside (But yeah, it's where I started my thinkings) - though everyone''s entries bumped my thinking out of a rut. I looked up synonyms and song and melody where first amongst them. I was thinking something real earworm-y and that - unconsciously - regulates your heart rate/breathing pattern.

            this is as close as I think song and mantra blend

            This is the earliest tune I can recall from my siblings record collection - burned deeeeep into my brain. One of the best choruses. ever 😉

              I must admit i didn't give much thought to the meaning of Mantra. The fellers were nice enough to say they were looking for a buildup type track that was instrumental in nature, and I am sure i remember reading soundtrack somewhere.. so I just let that be my guidance.

              In terms of next challenge. Was thinking about something that has been discussed on the Whatsapp group. Acoustic recording and methods. Combining that with sonething I have deliberately been trying to get to , how about something along the lines of an acoustic compostion or cover( as per your comfortable level). The catch.. have to use opening tuning
              If you want to use your audition word there.. youre going to an audition but can only take an acoustic guitar... or something like that.

              Discuss/ thoughts?

              guidothepimmp ombining that with sonething I have deliberately been trying to get to , how about something along the lines of an acoustic compostion or cover( as per your comfortable level). The catch.. have to use opening tuning

              Sounds good, like it lots. But open tuning. Hmm,your evilness!

              Something like this?

              Acoustic recording and methods. Using at least one Acoustic instrument, come up with your own composition or cover. The catch.. you have to use - at least one instrument - in an opening tuning

              It's real tempting to say only acoustic guitar/bass -(e.g. no virtual instruments) - I'll leave that decision up to you?

              No need for audition, we can throw that into "in case of no idea's" bucket

                guidothepimmp
                Love the Idea,

                Maybe consider making the limit acoustic or clean guitars only. This will ensure that everyone has a chance to take a shot at the challenge. I do believe that some people only have electric guitars.

                  V8 I reckon I always pretend to have a producer hat on, it's WAY easier to armchair something than to actually do it 😉. To get the pipes choir-y there's a few things one could try : 1. Chorus - I'm not a huge fan but it's a quick thing to try. 2. Mix it like phat guitars, two (or more) tracks panned hard left and right. 3. Multiple tracks, but pitched shifted as a choir would sing (octave up & down, 3rd's & 5th's). I think a combo of these would work in some fashion.

                  Ending - I did listen to the "it's not prodigy" vid you posted (heh) - that ending does work there. The drums are the track, meaning a stop is quite impactful and it ends on 1 with the vocals transitioning to the stop. In your track I'm hearing it end on 4(ish) - maybe carry the pipes over to the 1 use lots of reverb to transition to the stop?

                  A vs B section. I'm quite poor at this - less help I could not be. Aside from agreeing that this challenge didn't need a B section (imho). Tempo and key changes are usually my first thoughts for changing things up.

                  Fun having producer thoughts - I should apply the to myself too...ermmm.

                  Thanks for taking the time to type this out @V8, I'm not sure I'll mess with the voices on the pipes, but I think it might be worth tidying up the ending. I'll give it another shot.

                  W.r.t to mantra, I was going with the "repeated chant" definition for what it's worth.

                  @guidothepimmp Love the acoustic idea, so +1 there. The open tuning --- oi comrade! But I like that as well, I guess if you aren't gonna push yourself out of the comfort zone you won't learn anything. I was listening this

                  I really love her sound and a lot of it is in open tuning so maybe time to work on a cover there.

                  Congrats on the win! Well deserved.

                    V8 agree with your verbage. Let it be so.
                    Perhaps a caveat per RCVN. For fellers who dont have an acoustic.. and fancy entering.. then clean guitar will be ok for them..

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