Here we go again... .. .

[Max el Belga]

 ...this one is very special...

Wyatt just mailed me, asking for more explication on my work. 
Mostly, after some intense days of concentrated manipulating of a song I´m too saturated to talk about it...

This time it´s somewhat different.

Most of my thingies are based on a fascination I have for a sound, lick, arrangement, style, person, etc...
Sooner or later follows a song...

I liked a lot the chord-lick kind of stuff the Kinks used to make.  Another band that uses this technique is AC-DC.  I don´t like them, but they have one of the best rhytm guitarists I´ve known.
That guy plays so sharp as if he´s playing with a razor blade !   

You guessed it : I´ve made a song based on such kind of licks.

It works of course !!!

But, hélaaas, yesterday evening, I´ve heared the lick on TV in a sports interludium...

(Inconsious) Plagiarism...  
My song is different though and rocks so good that I felt I had to load it up...

Soooooo, here it is :

http://maxebelga.kara-moon.com/music/Max_el_Belga-Water.mp3

Enjoy it and CU,

Max... .. .

PS : I´ve just found out I´m having a little trouble with my upload again...
       Appears a small gap of silence, at the beginning (at 0:02, just before that splash); it doesn´t harm the song too much (I´ve tried the upload several times), so it´s still OK like that...

[Laguna Rising]

Is this about sharp (as razor-blade) guitars ? not only ! there's much more in it
Fine vocals and groove, nice sounds.
You're a master in organizing song structures, this one sounds interesting and enjoyable throughout the whole lenghth of 4 mins.
Solid production is your trademark
Cool and funny ending.

Well done Max ! 

Cheers

[Wyatt]

Heya Max..

Thanks for sharing this carnival of interesting sounds..

..you have such a unique way with music..you manage
to squeeze 10 pounds of nuts into a 5 pound bag, and still
there is some space left over. 

I think the technical term is:  "It Rocks!!"

Cool tune..

Wyatt

[Fred S]

...this one is very special...

...explication concentrated manipulating of a song I´m too saturated with, based on a fascination I have for a chord-lick with a razor blade interludium. Inconsious plagiarism
is different though and rocks so good.

Hey LOOK Max, I made an observation with your word samples    I think I get it now

That is really "kinky"   The Yes-like vocal interludiums were especially 

[folderol]

Well, one thinkg I've learned with Max's stuff is to expect the unexpected

This is, as usual and excellent musical extraviganca. Lots going on all through. Really grabs your attention. You really do seem to pay a lot of attention to detail. Love that cheeky little guitar at the end

[offthewall]

 
Again......stunned by the professionalism from Maxio.

 
What I can never figure out is how much is real and how much is samples.  Man, you must have a whole back-yard full of first class singers!


 
James

[Max el Belga]

My good friends, I see you enjoyed this thingie...  Me too !
Fred S, with your comment you show one of my working methods.  You move around the order of samples and get a new result.  Even 1/8 or 1/16 of movement in timing causes a mountain of difference ! 

Offthewall, rather than a back-yard full of first class singers and being a first class musician, I have first class software (even the free ones) !
Those software tools we have right now are so amazing ! And one can see clearly what one is doing.
In the end everything is reduced to a sample or loop.
Sometimes I just record 2 tracks, improvising along with the song and then throw away the rubbish and keep the 'sparkles'.  Afterwards it´s just a question of timing.  Putting the right thing on the right spot.
As Ellington said : "You don´t mean a thing if you ain´t got that swing".
So obviously the secret is all in the timing...

Now something about the vocals... 
I allways start with the instruments and then adapt the vocals to the song.
In fact I make them sing my song, with the aid of the Logic pitch shifter or Melodyne, cutting and pasting.

I know explaining tricks is bad for the magic, but since I have no Madonna or Prince ambitions...
Try this one : very few singers hit the notes perfectly.  There´s allways a little fluctuation.
Keep that track, but make also a perfect track with note correction.
Use them both and you get a hell of a singer !

What helps me the most is listening from a distance to the song I´m working on.  I put it on 'loop', up with the volume, push play, leave the studio doors open, go to the living room, kitchen or garden and give it an audition.
IMO this works better and is cheaper than compairing through different monitors...
This way you can hear clearly if the balance is OK, weak and strong points, if it punches-pumps enough, etc...

BTW I worked 5 days on this song.

Now I must flash away to do some things for the 'missus', as allways too busy; I hope I can a moment to vote, but...

Cheers,

Max... .. .

[Martin E]

Nice one, Max. The drums sound a bit muffled to my ears. Or maybe it's a taste issue.

[Max el Belga]

Hi, Martin, that´s indeed one of those issues that get there finishing touch after many auditions and compairing...

I just love comments like this one ! It just happened I did cut a little more high on the drums, before the final bounce.  They sounded a bit too 'sharp' to me at that moment...

So now you make me think it all over again ! Thanks.

Applaus and ovations are good for the ego but technicaly they don´t help you an inch.
My uncle Frank used to say : "If you wanna know the secret of getting success, ask somebody who failed in the attempt.  He has the map with the obstacles to avoid... "

So, in my case, don´t spare me, cheers

Max... .. .



Max... .. .

[Oren]

Just when I thought I had a good grip on production - along comes Max  .

Oren.

[TheBellows]

This is excellent! 

[magmavander]

It's zappa playing dirty disco 

I enjoyed, as usual. I agree also about the drums, something is missing. Too in the background ? A fatter kick ?

Thanks!!

bye

mag

[Max el Belga]

I love it ! More critiques on the drums-kick. 
Those comments are very important; they teach us.  I surely have to check what might be out of balance there !
This makes it fascinating.  Maybe my distant audition trick fooled me, ´cose the basses go a lot further than the highs...
Of course you could listen to it from a distance and I could call it distant-music...
No, I´m gonna concentrate on this aspect !

Thanks guys,

Max... .. .