Nostalgic (dreamy synth/guitar track)

[polyjuno]

I finished this track today (at least for now, I'll see if I'll fix it up / polish it some more). It's an attempt at a kind of dreamy sort of 80s inspired sound with lots of reverb and ringing guitar notes. I'm note quite happy with the result, as I feel it sometimes becomes a bit too messy. That's usually my problem; I add too many bits and it becomes a mess. Anyways, let me know what you think!

[FrankenZappa]

It sounds nice!
Its a little straight forward and predictable though so it doesn't have to be that long. A few transient elements littered through the track would help it in a big way.

[polyjuno]

Thanks I agree that it drags on a bit. I have tried to add different stuff in the parts consisting only of those pad swells, but I can't come up with anything interesting (I guess I'm too set on it being the way it is now and not thinking fresh about it). What do you mean by transient elements?

[briandc]

Nice!
I like the sounds you choose to mix together. I think there is room for a lead sound on top.. maybe a monosynth patch, or vocals, or whatever.
The bass is certainly uplifting, imo.

What inspired this piece? Is it meant to express something in particular?


brian

[polyjuno]

Thanks for listening! I'm no good singer and I don't have any equipment for it, so vocals are out of the picture (but the song is structured like a typical song with verses and a sort of chorus, so I think some kind of dreamy vocals could fit in).

I was inspired when I got in this nostalgic mood thinking about past summers and how things used to be etc. (pretty cliché, I know ) Don't know how well that's actually reflected in the music though. It's certainly uplifting, but at the same time I wanted it to also have a kind of sad and longing undertone.

[Romannis1972]

Awesome stuff man! I've always dug this kinda style. I still hear that Turning Shrines sound haha... Not that your music sounds EXACTLY like it, but it's in the ballpark of each other.

Great work!!

[briandc]

Thanks for listening! I'm no good singer and I don't have any equipment for it, so vocals are out of the picture (but the song is structured like a typical song with verses and a sort of chorus, so I think some kind of dreamy vocals could fit in).

I was inspired when I got in this nostalgic mood thinking about past summers and how things used to be etc. (pretty cliché, I know ) Don't know how well that's actually reflected in the music though. It's certainly uplifting, but at the same time I wanted it to also have a kind of sad and longing undertone.

Nostalgia is useful for everyone, I think..

To add a "sad" tone, try using a slow sound that has a slow LFO pitch modulation (not too deep). I've been making lots of sounds with that effect lately, and they're kind of nice to use.
I'd love to hear a second version if you make one!


brian

[synthroom]

That's nice!

I imagine Molly Ringwald and (insert name of boyfriend in movie here) walking off into the sunset at the end of a John Hughes film, circa 1988, going along with this music.

[polyjuno]

Haha, thanks! I think that actually describes pretty well what I was picturing though.

@briandc: Thank you for the advice, I'll try to either do something with the song structure or add something new to make it more interesting.

[garranimal]

[synthroom]

Haha, thanks! I think that actually describes pretty well what I was picturing though.

That's great! The Fairlight I have has some system disks with the name Gary Chang as the user on them - Gary was the guy that wrote some of the incidental music for the Breakfast Club soundtrack.

[polyjuno]

Wow, that's awesome! What's on the disks?

[madmarkmagee]

kinda like the chameleons a bit.

[polyjuno]

Thanks! The Chameleons are awesome, they've been (together with other post punk / new wave bands) a huge influence. I feel like I'm just copying 80s stuff now though, I'm still trying to find my own sound.

[briandc]

Thanks! The Chameleons are awesome, they've been (together with other post punk / new wave bands) a huge influence. I feel like I'm just copying 80s stuff now though, I'm still trying to find my own sound.

Perhaps your own sound/feel will come by using a synth sound that's a bit unusual. Lots of the 80's stuff, although synthesized, is very similar. But synths (as you probably already know) are able to do a whole lot more. If you find a sound that you really like, it might inspire a whole new genre. I'm interested in doing the same thing. For example, I've come across a type of "oboe" sound that's really unusual, and a drone sound that's really strange. And some sounds that are quite similar to guitar (electric and distorted) that would accompany just fine. Synths are a whole separate world, and haven't really even been explored yet, imo.

Here's an example of the oboe-sound (the lead) together with a couple of background synth sounds:

On The Promenade

The style might be likeable or not, but you get the idea..


brian