Klez the Conquerer - Recording Session and Edit 3

I had no trousers!

My trousers last night were manky and in the wash. So for work today I had none. But lucky I got up early and put on an early wash. So after typing up notes for work (which took a few hours), I hung the washing up - specifically putting the jeans on a radiator, fingers crossed that they'd dry in time. So with no trousers and essentially nowhere to go, I thought I'd record a little. Turns out this recording session went very well indeed.

I listened back to 'Klez the Conquerer', and edited bits here and there. It was sounding good. I thought I'd try and add bass to it. I was determined I could get a bass riff for it that would sound good. Messed about with different effects, recording a couple of cleans riffs, a distorted one and a partially distorted one...all not working. The song was never destined for a bass riff at all it appears.

So I thought I'd try and fill in a gap I had in the song for a guitar solo. I set up the guitar, messed about with my zoom pedal, and managed to record after the second try a really good sounding guitar solo, which I just came up with in 5 minutes.

So I then set up the keyboard. I was determined to also get a drum beat behind the repeated one. But first of all I started messing around with different keyboard sounds, and managed to get a really good futuristic sound. Recorded that on a first try, and slightly improvised.

I then tried to come up with an interesting drum beat. At first I was struggling to come up with anything. But then I started messing about and managed to come up with an cool sounding beat. I have also kept the repetative beat in.

The last thing to be recorded was a synth keyboard part with the echo machine pedal and zoom pedal. I messed about with the 'time' and 'repeat' switches, as the recording was in progress. Sounded excellent, but not really with the song. The only bit that was quite good was the outro part.

So after I had finished recording it all, I began the process of editing out bits of the song I didn't like or think was necessary, and edited volumes etc. I cut out most of the guitar part that I recorded last, no bass was put in, edited the sounds to come out at different times. All in all, it is a great wee recording. Listening to it on the bus just now, and there are small tweaks here and there, but it is essentially finished. Three in the bag. Happy days. Next: Don't Feed the Trolls (Pt. 1)...

Watch this space,
Wullae

www.soundcloud.com/welcome-to-the-anonymous (coming soon)

Hacktivists (Welcome to the Anonymous) - Recording and edit 3

I wasn't happy. I just wasn't. It started a few days ago at a bus stop. I stood there, cold, feeling depleted and down. I didn't want to listen to my new songs: Hactivists (Welcome to the Anonymous), http://www.ireallyhatetherealworld.com and Klez the Conquerer. I have heard good recordings by great bands; hear the effects and mixing; and just felt mines was poor. Just thought to myself that night, why am I continuing? Why keep doing this when your recordings are essentially pish?

So last night, I had a very small window of opportunity to do something to the songs I have. I had already taken out most of the cut up vocals on http://www.ireallyhatetherealworld.com and I think it sound loads better. So I was looking at Hactivists because I knew I could make it better. It had a lot in it, but I felt it was rather bland. So what to do?

When I had a simple version of the song earlier in the month, I had put a nice acoustic riff with lots of echo on it at the start. It was quickly done, but essentially the song started with this nice guitar tune, and then the escalating electric tone would abruptly start, and the song would begin truly at this point. I didn't know if it worked really, so I left it. Turns out, after editing this and adding in random samples of music I had recorded and not used in other folders, the song started to become more interesting.

I then got all the levels done, and started making a different outro. Found a nice lead piece, added some repeated vocals, some noises. I then had the genius idea (something I had always wanted to do properly) of linking the songs at the end and beginning. So in the outro I put the synth from http://www.ireallyhatetherealworld.com in. Sounds great and mixes the song up even more. I then end the song with four bleeps of the first note of the piano tune that starts http://www.ireallyhatetherealworld.com. Got the idea from Radiohead's 'OK Computer', where at the end of 'Airbag' there are four bleeps before the acoustic in 'Paranoid Android' comes in. Sounds great. Will maybe still need to go back and edit some bits and pieces and fix sound levels, but all in all I have fallen back in favour with my own songs. It is kinda feeling a little like a Radiohead album, which was something I did not envisage for it; I was thinking more like Rage Against the Machine. I didn't think acoustic would work in it, but it starts of the song quite cool.

So, watch this space,
Wullae

www.soundcloud.com/welcome-to-the-anonymous (coming soon)

Pleasant Statistics - January 2011

Here are some futher statistics that I find pleasant. The likelihood is, these statistics won't change dramatically because I have made a new profile for my new songs, and secondly, there is not a lot of viewings normally anyway. However I'm quite happy with the amount of views, downloads and differents countries, from people. Thanks to everyone who looks and downloads. Makes it all the more worthwhile. Also, Germans and Portugese are checking out my stuff too. Absolutely class. So here they are (from today which is 21/1/11 @ 21.47):

Percentahes of countries most popular in according to soundcloud:

44% UK
21% US
7% Germany
4% Canada
4% Portugal

Most listened to this week:

1. Gnarls Barkley - Crazy (Cover)
2. Radiohead - Paranoid Android (Live Cover)
3. R.E.M - Let me in
4. Trip to Mars
5. Jezebel (The Painted Lady)

Plays for some songs:

Gnarls Barkley Cover - 246
Radiohead Cover - 269
R.E.M Cover - 20
Jezebel (The Painted Lady) - 21
Trip to Mars - 21
Blue Funk - 36
Art Imitating Reality - 34
House of Mirrors - 29
Watercolour Memories - 28
Whispers to the Heart - 26

Total plays - 980
Downloads - 84
Favourites - 1
Comments - 4

Watch this space,
Wullae

www.soundcloud.com/wullaewright

Festivals - Some Feedback

Yesterday (20/1/11) I received an e-mail from a Lucy regarding one of the Festivals I had enquired about.

She told me that there would be an informal meeting of people who wish to take part in the festival, in the many forms that can take. It fills me with a little confidence to hear back from someone. The small informal event is at the end of this month, so hopefully I'll go and speak to the people and see what they ask of me, and what it is kind of going to be like. If it doesn't seem like something I'd actually like then I won't go for it; but I am hoping it will be something I will like.

I still haven't heard from the bar I called regarding the other festival. I will just after I post this, send the same e-mail to the person again. If at first you don't succeed,...

Watch this space,
Wullae

www.twitter.com/wullaewright

Klez the Conquerer - Recording session and edit 2

So had a chance to record today. Class. I always try and start these blog entries with something interesting, but quite frankly, I can't be arsed today.

So on the bus at the moment, but early today I had some time to record and I sure took the chance I had. I today thought of working on 'Klez the Conquerer' once again. I had considered the new riff for 'Don't Feed the Trolls (Pt. 1)', but I really wanted to lay into Klez. So I set everything up: leads, pedals, and guitar. I was considering working on a keyboard piece for the song, but then thought about making a new version of Klez...again.

Initially I looked at the 'new version' file in audacity, took the main beat (which was a complete mess originally), and put it in a new audacity screen. Made a constant beat. Nothing special, just a standard beat. I made it quite quick. I then tried to get a good distortion tone for my electric. Pretty much no echo machine, and messed about with number '35' setting. I recorded the song in one go to the beat, and the sound is excellent. I couldn't have hoped for a better distortion. So at this point, sounding awesome.

I then moved onto the bass. I wanted to do the bass the same as the guitar, so I recorded a distorted version. Nope, not working. Then a clean version. Nah, not working either. So I actually have just chosen to leave bass out at the moment. Just not working correctly.

So I then moved onto the singing. I have had in my head the idea of having 'C.I.H' repeating over and over at the start of the song with the beat, and then just singing 'I have an illness, I have a disease running under my skin' over and over at the begining to, as part of the intro. So got to work on that. I first tried to use a 'C.I.H' I'd recorded for the previous versions but no good. So recorded it and the repeated the wav. file over and over. Then recorded three seperate lines of 'I have an illness...', all different, and put them in. Sounding good. Then I recorded the vocals. I recorded a couple of versions that were no good, but then managed to get quite a good one. The vocals could be better (as I was quieter as I am conscious of the fact that I may piss off the neighbours), but they sound great in my opinion. Quite angry and raw.

So then, I put in another guitar piece. I wanted to use the echo machine and recreate a similar sound to the title sequence music of the film 'The Warriors'. There is an effect in it which sounds amazing. So I managed to get a sound like it, and I recorded a simple riff that climbs up the notes. Sound good behind the song. My recording time over, I edited the song quickly, and put it on my ipod to listen to and consider what needs done. It sounds great, and there are definitely a few tweaks here and there, but sounds great. I will definitely get back to this. Good thing is most of the recording parts are done, so just needs a lot of editing. Looking forward to finishing this tune.

Watch this space,
Wullae

www.soundcloud.com/welcome-to-the-anonymous (coming soon)

Don't Feed the Trolls (Pt. 1)

Itchy guitar fingers. That what I had. So I thought, I have time, why not get the electro-acoustic. And I did.

I sat on the livingroom couch and thought to myself, what do I want? What sound do I want? What do I want to happen here? My mind was blank. But then I had an idea. I wanted to try and write a song that would begin the songs; a kind of opener. The first track on an album. The one that paints the picture for what is going to come in the rest of the songs. I had the idea of making it a riff that bouncys, like odd beats, and then I'd connect them up, so it would become a mess of simple beats. But that didn't happen... I could say I was disappointed with the result, but I'm not. It is a cool sounding riff. I have a little bit that is fairly easy in it, but sounds quite technical. I then came up with a funky quick sliding chorus. I still might try and add a solo part for it, but essentially in an hour or so, wrote a new guitar tune.

So I have several sets of lyrics I've had sitting about on my phone. So I put the lyrics entitled 'Don't feed the Trolls -Pt1) which is about people who deliberately leave abusive or harsh comments up on the internet, be it on social network sites or blogs etc. Those who leave comments like these are called trolls and it is advised that you don't reply to the comments, or as the internet phrase puts it 'Don't feed the Trolls'. I have made it part one, as this song sings about the ignorance of those people who put up stupid comments. However, I may also write another song about how it is a good thing people can express themselves freely in this way. I'll see though.

So I recorded a couple of voice recordings on my phone to remember the music and how I want the melody of the singing to go. I have also restructured the lyrics and tweeked them a little.

Don't Feed the Trolls (Pt. 1)

Make public x3
your thoughts,
Make public x3
your fellings,
Don't wanna hear x3
those retorts,
Don't wanna hear x3
those reeling people,
You invite attack, x3
With stupid comments like that,
Why are you surprised? x3
When you see life through ignorant eyes, ignorant eyes

When your thoughts x3
equate to nothing more,
Than mindless, mindless, arrogance,
oh so uneducated,
The white hollow x3
rectangular box,
Freedom of speech, of choice, of sound mind and voice,
The cursors flash invites
You to attack, you invite attack x2
With stupid comments like that,
Anyone, anything, your heart so
So so so desires,

Anonymity
Is bliss,
no sin can
come of this,
But it can,
and it will,
harm those who
don't agree with the troll

Capo on 7th (like with acoustic monster in the box)

I hope I can find some time to record this idea soon.

Watch this space,
Wullae

www.soundcloud.com/welcome-to-the-anonymous

Klez the Conquerer - Recording session and edit 1

Reached home after an annoying night of getting on and off buses. Finally got home, bag off, and crushed up some boxes that had been sitting about for a few days, fed the cats, had a little something to eat, and settled at the computer.

I fired it up, and before getting the music equipment out, I felt that the volume levels on 'http://www.ireallyhatetherealworld.com' could be improved as it was too quiet as a recording. So edited that, which actually took far longer than I expected. The process was: alter levels, export the file to wav., move it to appropriate folder and listen to it. If the smallest thing annoyed me, I'd have to edit it again and go through this process again. I had gone through this process 4 times, and by that point was starting to feel like giving up.

So I swiftly moved on after I felt the job was done. I set up all the music equipment. Set up the electric as I have had an idea for a while.

One night, on the 6th of January, I recorded a riff that I was coming up with on my electro-acoustic, on my Blackberry. It is a very quiet, poor recording, but I did it to remember it, as I had no idea when I'd get a chance to get back to it. I had come up with lyrics seperately on my bus journeys. That night I had the idea to put the lyrics with the tune, and 'Klez the Conquerer' worked out quite well.

Since that night I began recording an electric version of 'Klez the Conquerer', but I had recorded the bass and it was terrible. The sound quality and effect I used were shockingly bad. However, in this recording I had made up a couple of beats, and even though very basic, were quite good.

So, last night, I thought to myself, instead of making the bass a distorted mess, I'll make it on the electric, because it will probably sound better that way. So I started a new version on making waves, and got a good effect for the electric riff. Managed to record it after a few attempts. After recording it I kept the 'new version' opened and opened the original file 'klez3'. I put the two together initially without editing to see if, just by chance, it'd sound awesome!...it clearly didn't though. Nothing in time, sounds all terriible. So I took out the horrid bass from the original, and edited the beats on it, with the new riff I recorded. I unfortunately this morning only had about 20 minutes to try and edit the beats, so the song has a long way to go, but it is a start.

Watch this space,
Wullae

www.soundcloud.com/welcome-to-the-anonymous (coming soon)