[Music] Tapewolf: J.P's music (16/Apr/2017 - 'Numerology')

[Tapewolf]

I liked the second piggy song, better than the others, your voice kinda reminds me of that guy from the dead man on campus movie, you know the cheerleader/goth prince.

Never seen it 

Unfortunately there are two possible matches for 'second piggy song' - did you mean Part 2 ("Well the first little piggy made his fortune out of spam" etc) or Part 4, which is about the second pig ("They said to me, Two wrongs never make a right, so now I'll try with three..." etc) with the sample of Bill Clinton saying "I have sinned"?

Part 4 and Part 3 (The first pig) are quite similar in the way the vocals were processed (aka having-too-much-fun-with-my-new-chorus-pedal).

[GabrielsThoughts]

Dead man on campus, more intellectual than van wilder... it uses the perfect combination of dry humor and crazy, like Arrested Development. here are some clips from the movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5On1BcWkAOc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqGT3Quz7Jc

and still there is no way to describe the awsomeness of this classic.

[Tapewolf]

I got the idea for this just as Anthrocon was winding down, but technical problems prevented me from being able to complete it.  Nonetheless, here we are:

http://dougtheeagle.com/stuff/incubus_song.mp3

Not a happy, jolly song, you understand.  While I love to champion the 'Cubi race as misunderstood and so forth, the incubus in this song is unapologetically evil.

This is also the first full song I've mixed down to my A807 recorder.  It still has a few teething problems and I believe the stereo image is off-balance.  I'm also still in love with the chorus pedal on vocals, so you'll have to put up with it, I'm afraid.

Nonetheless, comments are very welcome.  Thanks also to llearch for unlocking this thread.

[Zedd]

Very nice track

[CameronCN]

Love the music on the Incubus Song, though I do think you overplayed the vocals a little bit. Not only would it be nicer to listen to, but I think it'd be creepier if the incubus sounded a bit more pleasant. Well, or if you just didn't put quite so much emphasis on the harshness of the voice. 

I intend to listen to some of the other stuff here soon... EDIT: A lot of your links are broken...

[Tapewolf]

Love the music on the Incubus Song, though I do think you overplayed the vocals a little bit. Not only would it be nicer to listen to, but I think it'd be creepier if the incubus sounded a bit more pleasant. Well, or if you just didn't put quite so much emphasis on the harshness of the voice. 

It was worse in the first draft.  But no, it wasn't supposed to be happy and jolly.  Revelling in evil was the effect I was going for, really...

I intend to listen to some of the other stuff here soon... EDIT: A lot of your links are broken...

Due to space constraints, I've removed a lot of songs that later appeared on my albums.

Everything except the fifth album stuff should be available here: http://dougtheeagle.com/

**EDIT**
I've gone through and fixed most of the links.  Some of the early drafts are unavailable, in which case I've linked to the final song.

[Ren Gaulen]

Revelling in evil was the effect I was going for, really...

This song seems to fit Aniz rather well because of it..

[Tapewolf]

Right, now an important plot point has happened in Project Future, I guess it's okay to post this:

http://www.jpmorris.force9.co.uk/music/test/all_machine.mp3

It's a little different to my usual style, I was gunning for a definite early '80s sound.  I made a point of using only 808 and 606 drum sounds.

I'll probably have to print the lyrics later as they have been put through a lot of distortion.  Don't expect it to be a marvel of poetry, though.

[Ren Gaulen]

Nice one, Tape. While it's kinda hard to make out the words sometimes, I really like the music.

[Tapewolf]

Nice one, Tape. While it's kinda hard to make out the words sometimes, I really like the music.

Thanks.  I've been doing my head in trying to work out what Greg Lake is singing in Pictures at an Exhibition.  I'd like to think mine is easier to understand.
Anyway, if anyone else is interested, the lyrics to this song are:

I remember my death
It wasn't good, it wasn't fun
I remember the flash
Just as he fired the gun
They brought me back to life
The way I'd been
But all machine

I remember my death
It wasn't good, it wasn't fun
I remember the pain
I felt when I was hung
They brought me back to life
Just how I'd been
But all machine

I remember my death
It wasn't good, it wasn't fun
I remember the crash
And how my neck was wrung
They brought me back to life
Just like a dream
I'm all machine

[Lysander]

Oh. Oh yeah. I've been wondering about the increase of music and what it has to offer. *downloads much in anticipation.* 

[Tapewolf]

Oh. Oh yeah. I've been wondering about the increase of music and what it has to offer. *downloads much in anticipation.* 

Thanks.  Since you'll have missed the last two albums, you might want to check this out:

http://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/dougtheeagle

...though they don't have a system to include the inlay PDFs.  Those will have to be downloaded from the main site in my signature.

[Cogidubnus]

I haven't gotten the chance to listen to this yet, but the name is reminding me of that old Command and Conquer track - "Mechanical Man", I think it was called.

I'll have to take a listen when I get home.

[Lysander]

Oh. Oh yeah. I've been wondering about the increase of music and what it has to offer. *downloads much in anticipation.* 

Thanks.  Since you'll have missed the last two albums, you might want to check this out:

http://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/dougtheeagle

...though they don't have a system to include the inlay PDFs.  Those will have to be downloaded from the main site in my signature.

Thanks for the link, I like the majority of what lies within. Many have melodies that could be in movies. Probably my favorite of the new albums (with no specific order)  would be "The Dark Revenge of Jacob Petterson", "Apocalypse in 4:4", "The Shadow over Merthyr", "Princes of the Dreams", and "My Wicked life with the Hattifatteners".

So for the newest songs:

All Machine - The music itself is very nice. Sounds like it could be in a platform shooter like R-Type, and I like music to those games. I don't normally enjoy this kind of voice alteration, but it does go well with the melody.

The Incubus Song - Think it's recent enough to comment on... 1st, the lyrics make me giggle. Another with nice music, I like the percussion rhythm.

[Tapewolf]

Here's another very strange song, 'Professional Suicide'.  I started to write this one about three weeks ago, so it should not be taken as an indication of my mental state or recent employment worries.   

Ren and Keaton have heard draft versions, this is a far more polished version.

http://www.jpmorris.force9.co.uk/music/professional_suicide_take2.mp3

You won't believe me
But I have found a way
To come back tomorrow
When I have died today

Why it works I cannot say
I get more business every day

Suicide
Professional suicide
He'll kill himself
To save your soul
Dies for money
That's his goal

Dying is something
That anyone can do
If lying and cheating
Are not the goods for you

And if you think that it's not true
Then die for me, I'll die for you

Dying in your name
The only way to win
My death will redeem you
Of your whole life of sin

Why it works I cannot tell
My death will save your soul from hell

Suicide
Professional suicide
He'll kill himself
To save your soul
Dies for money
That's his goal

[Ren Gaulen]

Nice song.. Makes me want to sing "Don't Try Suicide" by Queen for some reason.. I have to say that I liked the previous song more both in terms of music and lyrics, though.

[Lysander]

The music goes well with the lyrics which I like. I'm not fond of the way the vocals are distorted, but that's just personal preference.   

The lines:   And if you think that it's not true
                 Then die for me, I'll die for you

remind me of a Superman joke where he's drunk and tries to convince a guy that it's safe to jump out a window by doing so, and the guy jumps himself unable to return.

[Tapewolf]

The music goes well with the lyrics which I like. I'm not fond of the way the vocals are distorted, but that's just personal preference.

Yes.  The distorted parts were a bit too distorted.  A slight fuzz effect would have been better.  I think the chorusing works well, though there is a bit of clipping in that too.

The lines:   And if you think that it's not true
                 Then die for me, I'll die for you

Actually, those lines were a spur-of-the-moment addition when I came to record the first draft and realised I didn't have anything for them.  I don't like them very much myself, but Keaton did so I kept them.

[Tapewolf]

Here is some late 60s psychedelia.  Four tape decks were used simultaneously to create the flanging which I kind of overdid it on.  I will revise this in the morning when I'm awake, but I'll probably hate the recording by then.  Never sounds as good in the morning.

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1727166/

For those who are someplace FA is frowned on, there's another link here:
http://dougtheeagle.com/stuff/fishsticks_v1a.wav.mp3
...but it will probably be moved later on.

Yes, I did mix it in mono.

**EDIT*
I was very deliberately setting out to do this 1960s-style.  Only four tracks were used, one for drums, one for vocals, one for the horns and one for everything else.  No noise reduction was done whatsoever.
The vocals were fed through one of the tape decks which I'd reconfigured as a delay unit, giving it a slapback effect of the type that the Beatles used.  All in all, I had rather a lot of fun making it.

[Cogidubnus]

Woo! Fish Sticks! 

[Tapewolf]

Woo! Fish Sticks! 

Thanks.  Listening to it with fresh ears, there's too much bus compression, maybe not enough reverb.  Other than that, I think it turned out reasonably well.

[Tapewolf]

He's a slightly clearer and more sensibly-mixed version:

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1729487/

[Tapewolf]

Here is some weird 70's-type music, "The Tome of Demonography".

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1907692

Note... I forgot what I was doing and digitized it at 48khz (DAT quality) instead of 44Khz.  This may upset some soundcards - if so, try downloading it instead of playing it through the flash player.

I should write a more concise description but it's nearly 1AM and my brain is melting.  I still have to clean the decks and shut everything down, so I'll just shut up and see if people enjoy it.

[Lysander]

As a whole it's pretty good. I especially like the interesting instrumental and the way the final stanza is sung. My only real dislike would be that the words of the longest stanza sound somewhat pressed into each other making them strange to hear compared rest of the song.   

[Tapewolf]

My only real dislike would be that the words of the longest stanza sound somewhat pressed into each other making them strange to hear compared rest of the song.   

Thanks.  That bit didn't quite work as well in performance as it did in my head - I guess I was using a slower tempo in my imagination.
However, that bit is all done on the same track - some songs use two tracks, one for each alternate verse.  I've done that myself too - but usually I set it up in stereo.  Moonspell and the like stitch them together which can sound really weird.

[Tapewolf]

http://tapewolf.wildernessguardians.com/audio/and_daryil_answered_v5.mp3 (14MB!)

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2160323

Clocking in at just under 12 minutes, this song has taken a lot of effort to pull together. Among other things, it was recorded across 12 tracks, spread across two synchronized TSR-8 machines and mixed onto a somewhat temperamental Studer A807. I had to make at least two repairs to it before I was confident that it would be suitable for mixing down (and a third 'repair' which turned out to be the TLA compressor and not the deck at all) but the effort of lying on my back underneath the thing and probing it and the burns I got replacing the capacitors in the playback circuit seem to have paid off.

This is not the final version of the song, but it's pretty close. I seem to have flubbed part of the narration again, so that will have to be fixed and the demon voice will be replaced, one way or another. I'm hoping to have someone play the role of Daryil himself as well, but we shall have to see.

Lyrics are as follows. People who read Project Future, please stop sniggering.
Passing similarities to the current DMFA arc are purely intentional (the working title was "And Cyra Answered")

And Daryil Answered
===================

They say that in the caves of Izenkar
Resides the 'Fallen Star'
A tome that legend says holds secrets of our race
I'm one of few who knows the ancient tongue
And though I am yet young
I journeyed forth to seek this long-forgotten place

I am a child of Daryil
Clan of fear and mystery
I am a child of Daryil
And I seek my destiny
I am a child of Daryil
And you can't take that from me

***

I am a child of Daryil
Clan of great nobility
I am a child of Daryil
No-one else I'd rather be
I am a child of Daryil
And you can't take that from me

I hope to learn the ancient mystery
Of our past history
Of how the 'Cubi came to roam our planet's face
It must hold secrets of such use to me
Like immortality
That I'll transcend into a perfect state of grace

Wings ruffling in the cool breeze, I approached a cavern that had been hollowed out as if into some sort of shrine. Everburning braziers lit the room and there, upon a pedestal suffused with light, was the tome of the Fallen Star.

If only my clan leader could see me now! Lord Daryil... I'd never met him, but they say he is as ancient and as wise as the hills, ruling his domain with a just, but firm hand. If the rumours of what this book contained were true, I might at last gain his respect.

As my hand reached to take the book from its pedestal, I realised I was not alone.

"And so, another incubus comes in search of the book of the Fallen Star. Surely you did not think you were the first! The book makes such tempting bait... it is almost too easy. I shall crush your body, torment your soul and take your head-wings as a trophy!"

My sword cast aside in the struggle, I lay helpless, pinned in the Demon's cruel embrace. As the last of my strength ebbed, I looked into the very core of my being, and I uttered a prayer. I prayed that someone, anyone, Being, Creature or God... hear me now and bring salvation.

...and Daryil Answered.

[Lysander]

Well first off the main background riff is great, very catchy. I haven't read far enough in Project Future yet, but the story of the song sounds good.

I'm not to fond of the way you sing the the lines of being a child of Daryl, sounds like your trying too hard to reach the high notes when you usually sound more comfortable than that. But this is also only a draft so that may have been one of the things you planned to change.

[Tapewolf]

Well first off the main background riff is great, very catchy. I haven't read far enough in Project Future yet, but the story of the song sounds good.

It doesn't really tie in with Project Future as such, it's just that "wise" and "noble" are not attributes most people would generally associate with Lord Daryil (not entirely SFW).

I'm not to fond of the way you sing the the lines of being a child of Daryl, sounds like your trying too hard to reach the high notes when you usually sound more comfortable than that. But this is also only a draft so that may have been one of the things you planned to change.

I get what you're saying.  There are a couple of things in that segment which were a bit off-key (I think it was done late at night).  I guess I was afraid of making it worse 

Maybe the answer is to drop it an octave, though to be honest, I've come to associate the higher pitch with my better works somehow.  The decision to use a lower octave in the verses was one I wasn't entirely sure about, though it seems to have worked.

[Lysander]

It doesn't really tie in with Project Future as such, it's just that "wise" and "noble" are not attributes most people would generally associate with Lord Daryil (not entirely SFW).

Oh, heh, I get it now. And thanks for sharing, that was great.

I get what you're saying.  There are a couple of things in that segment which were a bit off-key (I think it was done late at night).  I guess I was afraid of making it worse 

Maybe the answer is to drop it an octave, though to be honest, I've come to associate the higher pitch with my better works somehow.  The decision to use a lower octave in the verses was one I wasn't entirely sure about, though it seems to have worked.

I remember you doing very well in "Beings and Creatures" with the verses a lower octave than the chorus. It adds a nice effect. You could try just the first two stanzas both in the lower or higher octave just to see what you like more. 

[Tapewolf]

Okay, so I had a few problems with composer's block, and the fact that the studio was tied up with the Radio Project and so on and so forth.

This was originally a throwaway piece of music for the Radio Project, but people seem to think it's okay so I decided to publish it anyway.  It was written for the scene in DMFA where Dan meets Biggstania.

To cut a long story short, it can be found here:

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2732403
http://tapewolf.wildernessguardians.com/audio/SuperFunkTime.mp3



This piece was written as background music for the DMFA Radio Project, an audio adaptation of Amber's webcomic.  The piece was written specifically for strips 865-873, where Dan meets Biggs (or does he?).  The music may perhaps be a little repetitive as a result of it being stretched to cover a 4:30 scene, but I still think it turned out quite nicely. Even if I suck at doing 1970s funk.

Technical details/Equipment Porn

Sounds used:

Hohner D6 clavinet (Korg Triton)
Rhodes Suitcase (Korg Triton)
Electric bass (Roland JV1010)
Wurlitzer 200 (Korg again)
Organ (Hammond XM-1 w/H&K Rotosphere)
Drums (Korg Triton)
Synth lead (Waldorf Pulse)
...proving once again that the Triton was well worth the horrifying cost of purchasing it.

Recording was done on my trusty TSR-8 and mixed to a Studer A807.