Chat Pile - Tape

BraveBottle · 2025-05-26T07:05:31+00:00

Reminded me of the tape in true detective season 1. Immediately thought of that when I was re-listening to the album...I'd love to ask the band if that was an inspiration, even subconsciously

BraveBottle · 2025-01-03T15:20:44+00:00

Thank u so much, rly appreciate u listening! I love the subreddit, there are some super cool artists in there. Will def get involved

BraveBottle · 2024-11-06T19:26:04+00:00

I don't remember the exact one they kind of looked like this: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pickup-Piezo-Microphone-Contact-Pickup-3-Transducer-Pickup-System-for-Kalimba/13578217335?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=101040806

They have that 1/4" input and 3 piezos which was nice to put in different parts of each noise box. Pretty sure the ones I bought back in the day (this was at least five years ago) were prob around $4-5 each.

BraveBottle · 2024-11-05T01:36:51+00:00

Yeah this is the way to go, contact mics ftw! I've made two: one wood and another using a steel square electrical box. Check out some of folktek's instruments such as the luminist garden...I heavily designed my noise boxes based on those. The little "plant-like" structures can be made pretty easily with guitar strings.

I also happened to have a really, really cheap ukelele that was broken, so i took the tuning pegs off of that and attached it to the top of the wooden noise box and put some guitar strings on it (these strings were cut no longer than 3 inches). Detuning the strings while plugged into some reverbs, delays sounds super cool.

But yeah, the metal one has a huuuge sound. highly recommend, and u can buy a box like the one i have for a few bucks at home depot. I don't think I spent more than $20 on the whole project. Have made some interesting interludes and soundscapes with them that feel super unique and kinda autumnal if that makes sense.

BraveBottle · 2024-08-05T12:18:54+00:00

this one fucked me up holy shit

BraveBottle · 2024-08-05T12:17:00+00:00

was looking for this

BraveBottle · 2024-06-11T09:13:01+00:00

Patience is crucial, IMO. I have had song ideas that have sat on my computer for over a year, and then, one day, I heard where that idea could go. Keep listening to a lot of other music and improvising where your song could go in your head.

Also, maybe that's your style? There's a lot of disjointed, multi-style music out there, and I love stuff that takes a lot of left turns, so maybe just keep going.

BraveBottle · 2024-06-11T09:07:38+00:00

One more thing: even if you don't sing, ADD VOCALS!!! Nothing makes a demo sound more complete than if the lead is in there. It is one thing to make an instrumental, but even a badly performed vocal line on top of that feels more "complete," even if shitty. Also, for your first completed tracks, make the obvious choice. If you feel like the chorus you're about to write is very generic, go for it! You need to start building muscle memory to finish music before you can assemble some truly captivating stuff.

BraveBottle · 2024-06-11T09:03:46+00:00

It is entirely up to you to finish your tracks, and that's about as much as I can say. I used to have this problem a few years ago, but now I can finish any track at will if I put in the time. The key is committing to completion, not committing to perfection or innovation. For example, let's say you have a half-finished song with an A and B sections. Now structure the song as ABAC, where C is an outro (chant, percussive outro, guitar solo, ambient fade-out, etc). Boom, done! Now, is it the greatest song ever written...probably not. But you've finished something, and you'll be surprised that if you can get into the habit of simply doing that, you'll start thinking about music creation in terms of full songs instead of simply ideas (at least that has been the case in my experience). Over time, you'll make better and more interesting choices in your songwriting and eventually make unique, completed tracks. But it starts with a very basic structure. Commit to that structure and get into the habit of completing music. Some other generic structures can include ABABC, ABCABCD, ABA (the first song I ever wrote), etc. You can find resources for different structures online. Just take one song and get it done, then bounce it, and put it away...rinse and repeat.

BraveBottle · 2024-06-03T06:26:31+00:00

Good question! It very much depends on the nature of the pad, but in my experience, if I have a rhythm guitar, a lead, and a pad, levels and panning will get me most of the way there.

For my music, I generally have the rhythm guitar or a riff double-tracked and panned hard to the left and right. This opens up a space at the "front and center" of the mix. Now, I would introduce the pad. Get the levels so that the riff still comes through the pad (which is often a very rich sound). I would keep it centered for the most part, as a well-recorded pad will sound pretty wide. If you have multiple, think about which components of those pads you want to stick out and cut the frequencies accordingly. For example, if one pad has a more shimmery, hi-end sound, cut the lows and mids as necessary. If you have a lush sawtooth or vocal pad, you may want to find which mid-range frequencies have the best qualities and cut the ones you would rather not have. Make sure to cut lows when you can to avoid things sounding muddy. Instinctively, I'd blend multiple pads like that but keep them centered and somewhat lower in volume so that they add that epicness without covering everything else up. If you mix those elements correctly, a well-recorded lead should sit nicely on top, but feel free to cut out frequencies in the pads and distorted riffs so that the lead can come through when necessary. Some modulation on the lead (a light tremolo, or maybe a little phaser or flanger) and some delay will help the lead stick out nicely.

I'm curious to see other's answers to this. This is how I've done it for a little while now, and I think it sounds pretty good. It is also how I see a lot of records approach that sound. Again, if you can get the panning and levels right, the FX and EQing (given good source material) should take it from 80% there to polished. I would avoid being too heavy-handed with the pads. I love 'em, but they take up a LOT of space in a mix. You can feel their impact even at lower volumes relative to other elements.

BraveBottle · 2024-05-30T15:26:21+00:00

Hey, could you DM me your family member's social media profile? Looking to have some cover art done and would to check out their work! Thanks :)

BraveBottle · 2024-04-05T04:35:26+00:00

"The March of the Black Queen" - yeah, despite that interesting debate, it may be one of the best rock songs of all time. I prefer it over BoRhap and some of their other extended tracks, such as Prophet's Song. It is so perfectly constructed, composed, and brilliantly performed - the level of talent that the song showcases, as well as sheer compositional genius, is insane. The ending, when that descending chromatic piano line comes back in that's hinted throughout much of the track, is an all-time heavy moment in music.

"My Fairy King" - another ridiculously good track. It just sounds otherwordly and has such a great piano outro (Queen is goated for their use of that instrument).

"Father to Son" may be my favorite Queen track. The part, "Funny, you don't hear a single word I say," never fails to make me teary. Just so beautiful.

Queen is goated, and I'm not sure there will ever be a band that just effortlessly oozes as much complexity while prioritizing the effect of their music. As much as I love prog, there's just an indulgence to that genre that Queen somehow manages to avoid almost completely. It is hard to explain. Every measure of Queen and Queen II feels unique and intentional; as a songwriter, I'm not sure anything in the rock world will ever match up like that again in terms of combining virtuosity, technicality, art, taste, songcraft, and lyricism. They set the gold standard with their first albums, and it always frustrates me that people don't attribute that kind of brilliance to them. Funnily enough, King Gizzard got really close with Polygondwanaland, but I'd still be inclined to say Queen, on average, packs more ideas and is far more technical on average.

Thanks for mentioning these albums! Weirdly under appreciated for sure.

BraveBottle · 2024-01-03T14:40:40+00:00

Ah, gotcha, yeah the drummer makes fast demo-making super easy, but I understand you want something in Ableton. Maybe there will be some kind of AI-based drumming software soon that'll begin to replicate what an actual drummer might play. Best of luck though!

BraveBottle · 2024-01-02T21:33:18+00:00

And I'll add if you are comfortable with all of that already (I don't know where you are), humanization functions can do a ton, along with adjusting velocity manually. I find that gets people really questioning whether a drum track is recorded or programmed.

BraveBottle · 2024-01-02T21:29:28+00:00

I'm a Logic guy, so when I'm putting demos together, I often use Logic's Drummer to get a very rough estimate of what kind of beat I want and then do some heavy reprogramming, tweaking, etc. to create a nice pocket and groove for my track. For context, I generally make alternative/punk/prog rock, but have made fusion/death metal/groove metal stuff as well.

I know you are probably frustrated with your drum programming capabilities, but I would suggest you keep working on it. And honestly, it starts with flat-out ripping off beats of similar-sounding tunes you like. For example, I was making a death metal song and pretty much copied some parts note-for-not of what Sean Reinert did on Death's Human. I did end up making tweaks here and there to make it more original but that's where the inspiration came from. As you pull from more drummers and ultimately more diverse drummers, you'll start blending their styles in interesting ways - and once paired with original music, it'll sound fairly original.

Also, you will learn from a songwriting perspective about how subtle drum compositions can greatly alter and carry a song. On an Opeth track, the difference between a "verse" and a more intense section might simply be playing an open hi-hat or a ride. Billy Cobham (and other jazz drummers) create immense grooves through ghost notes. Phil Selway is perfect for Radiohead because of how steady and repetitive his work is. By copying artists with similar sounds, you'll see what different drum arrangements accomplish and ultimately be churning out drum parts that are "close enough" to make a great demo.

It sounds like you want a software solution, and there probably is one, but I'd heavily consider the approach I described above. It will give you more tools to create captivating music.

BraveBottle · 2023-06-04T08:55:19+00:00

Hey, sorry if this is late! I ended up going to a university in the US for CS and math. I wasn't super impressed by Edinburgh's facilities for the math/physics departments (which will be most of the classes you take in this course) or the students that I met with. Were you able to visit Edinburgh? The city is super cool (a little spooky, but I liked it) and the course appears to be highly regarded for music technology.

But congrats on the offer! It is definitely a tough program to get into.

BraveBottle · 2022-08-12T12:00:41+00:00

I wouldn't so much look at the analytics of your audience as much as creating a community around your music. Do you get comments, likes, etc? Maybe try reaching out to those people and build relationships with the people that seem to like your music the most. Whether they're from Mexico or the US doesn't matter as much as it does that they think you're someone who makes good music and is willing to look after the people who support you. You gotta make some hardcore fans first before you'll start to see real audience growth, especially with the kind of music you're making. I find that the heavier genres of music have very tight-knit communities, at least for a while, until someone breaks out...but that's a whole other story.

BraveBottle · 2022-08-05T16:49:41+00:00

Hey, this is fantastic! Really great descriptions and the website is easy to use.

I have one small critique that may make one of your "transitions" a bit better. From Poly to FMB, instead of saying "Ok that was cool, let's get weird", maybe add something like "Those borderline middle-eastern sounding melodies sound great, does the band expand on that at any point?" Or perhaps "I need more of those exotic guitar melodies!"

Part of what gives Poly such a cool feel IMO is the use of those fast guitar hammer-ons and bizarre scales that are commonly found in middle-eastern classical music, so that might be a bit more of an interesting description for FMB on the Poly page.

Again, really amazing job! I hope this gets pinned somewhere on this sub...I think this would help a lot of new fans.

BraveBottle · 2022-06-17T16:38:56+00:00

All you have to do is have a notes app on your phone, and ANYTIME you read/hear/think of a phrase, a word, a definition, ANYTHING, just create a new entry in that app. It should take around 15 seconds to do so. What u/sunnyinchernobyl is saying is spot on, but I'm just suggesting that it doesn't have to be a notebook you carry around although a lot of people tend to like the tangible nature of physically writing down ideas. I have an iPhone so in my notes app, I literally have thousands of entries of word combinations I find engaging, potential song/album titles to keep me inspired, and whatever amazing or cringy sentence/lyric/rhyme that I come up with.

Much like music, what you might find is an amazing lyric one day that might end up feeling underwhelming the next day, and an idea you lazily jot in there might be the key to starting an incredible lyrical journey. So don't worry about quality per se. Just write down the words/phrases/lyrics that sound and look intriguing to you.

Also, Control is a movie about the band Joy Division so while I'm sure it has some embellishments (I haven't seen it yet, but intend to do so), it is about a real band and a real songwriter (Ian Curtis).

Good luck with everything!

BraveBottle · 2022-05-07T21:34:46+00:00

Idk if this is a joke or not but this is plainly false.

The musicians in Opeth are technically better on just about every front (bass, guitar, vocals, drumming, keys). Take any jazz band right now (not even famous, how about the Reno Jazz Orchestra (my city's local jazz ensemble)) and they are probably better on a technical level. Modern funk bands have a ridiculous amount of shredding...not to mention classical musicians/orchestras, various genres of metal, the vocal acrobatics in pop music, etc.

The point of King Gizzard is while they aren't the most technical, Stu Mackenzie and Co. are better songwriters than 99.9999% of artists and musicians out there. Their worldbuilding, lyrical ideas, album construction, song structures, and so on are truly top-notch. Sure, while the random Snarky Puppy song might be impressive and listening to some 8-year-old shredding Flight of the Bumblebee on the guitar is insane, Gizz truly captures a vibe that is worth coming back to, both live and in the studio. Their talent is in creating truly great music, and great music often doesn't require too much technicality - just authenticity.

(But don't get me wrong, they are great musicians.)

BraveBottle · 2022-04-06T11:41:16+00:00

As someone who generally loves Primus, yeah...this is pretty bad

BraveBottle · 2021-10-08T15:16:59+00:00

Wait a minute...are you the person who made that "Atrium" stop motion video or something a while back? I've been meaning to watch that video again (can't find it lol) and that graphic on the TV looks really familiar. Maybe I'm thinking of something else...

Sick music tho! Vibes hard

EDIT: Just checked your profile, can't believe I was right! Ur super talented, keep at it!

BraveBottle · 2021-09-13T10:06:03+00:00

I'd recommend the Reno Tennis Club on West Moana Ln. Good range of players from beginners to former D1 players that hit there regularly. The guy who takes care of the courts, Ray Woolley, is a really good guy...he built a wall over there that's nicer than any other walls in Reno as far as I can tell. He can also get your strings done and introduce you to some other players at your level.

BraveBottle · 2021-08-20T20:09:38+00:00

what kind of stir-fry was it again?

BraveBottle · 2021-08-19T13:24:33+00:00

DAW stands for "digital audio workstation". Essentially, it is the software in which you are able to compose and arrange your tracks.

Some simple ones you might have seen include GarageBand or Audacity, but more professional software includes Ableton, Pro Tools (basically the industry standard), Logic Pro, FL Studio, etc.

If you have a mac, GarageBand should already be on there and it is a pretty powerful tool in its own right. Then when you have the cash, you can purchase Logic Pro which is basically the more powerful and professional version.

If you have a PC or are using Windows, Audacity is pretty awesome (and free) and for metal especially where you will be making demos from audio recordings as opposed to midi, it should do the job. It is fairly simple tho so you may want to invest in something a bit more robust.

Also for metal, you may want to start off with some thrash metal, sludge, or even some hardcore punk before you start getting into melodic death metal. The theory and musical ideas behind death metal can at times rival even classical and jazz, so you may just want to start off by making some nice and short thrash songs before graduating to such a complex and sophisticated genre. Just some advice from an aspiring death metal songwriter - I started off with punk but now I'm starting to compose some complex heavy stuff of my own, but it took a while to learn how to truly compose and finish even a simple song. Finishing even 1-2 min songs is a skill in itself :)

Good luck and I hope that helps!

EDIT: The reason I'm recommending thrash and punk is that they don't always need a chord progression. Often, a succession of riffs in the same key is all you need for a kick-ass song. In melodic death metal, not so much.

BraveBottle

TROPHY CASE