Accountability and Feedback Group

[quote="simon unsigned"] Hi all - thanks for the response - that's great! I'll setup a Zoom meeting How does the last Tuesday of the month at 6pm UK time work for everyone? So the first one will be Tuesday 29th November. Cheers Simon [/quote]

Hey Simon, Im well up for this..

Sounds great. I was in one on Facebook a few years ago and was pretty damn useful! Also helps you learn to really receive feedback

Can't wait to kick things off!  Here's the Zoom call details - because it's a free account we're limited to 40 mins but I think that's a good thing to keep things concise.

For the first call, for those that want to, we can all spend 5 mins maximum to give a quick overview of our music making background and what are goals are (both short and long term).  I'll go first and see how it goes.

We can then go around everyone and confirm what we want to achieve before the next call and also raise any topics you would like to discuss or get advice on.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us05web.zoom.us/j/84850557084?pwd%3DM0tkOG9JUHdabFgyYnZNVHd2Ty9EQT09&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw2jebqHwn1nJLKbUp38imjo">https://us05web.zoom.us/j/84850557084?pwd=M0tkOG9JUHdabFgyYnZNVHd2Ty9EQT09

Meeting ID: 848 5055 7084
Passcode: 4yvmEa

Hate to do this, but I’m going to have to reschedule the call.  Well, I say have to but the truth is I didn’t think ahead and it’s going to clash with the England World Cup game.

Apologies, but it is only once every 4 years

I’ll check the schedule for the next rounds and come back with a new date

No worries! Looking forward to it....

How does next Monday 5th @ 6pm UK time suit everyone?

Fine with me thanks Simon

Hi everyone, 

Just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who had a crack at the Ecstasy remix competition. I had a great time listening to all of your submissions, and I hope you enjoyed getting a chance to remix the track. 

I've spoken to Fabich and our label Unity Group, and we're happy for everyone to upload your remixes to Soundcloud, and then I'll repost them in a playlist. Once you've uploaded your remix, send me a DM on Instagram with the link to the track and a short message with something like 'this is my remix for the ecstasy remix comp' and I'll repost it. 

Also, for the 10 finalists I've written some more detailed feedback, which is hopefully constructive. Please do take my comments with a grain of salt, as at the end of the day it's only my opinion, and don't let anyone (including me) deter you from making the kind of music you love! 

- - - Ecstasy remix competition finalists notes - - -

• Noprays Mix
  • Groovy, great jazzy chords, incorporation of stems in unique ways, sax and brass samples were hot, and a sexy mood overall, engineered nicely, well balanced elements. Cool talk box in there. The vibe of this one was really on point. It was also very simple and effective, all the elements had space to shine.
  • Loved the sexy club energy here and incorporation of the new ‘ecstasy’ sample in the drop, thought that was clever. Not a super high score here as there are a lot of these jazzy house style tracks out there, but I still love it, I’m a sucker for this vibe.
  • Great chords, use of samples, sax, groove was tight. 
  • Great how it varies throughout, those chords at the end were super jazzy and the sax over the top of them was very vibey. Nice variation throughout the song, even though it is quite a loop based track it somehow feels very fresh throughout and I didn’t get bored.
  • Incorporated lots of the stems in a unique way, and brought a nice club energy with it.
  • Overall Quality / Mix 8/10
  • Originality 7/10
  • Musicality 7.5/10
  • Arrangement 7.5/10
  • Fidelity to Original 7/10
  • TOTAL: 37/50

• R7 Mix
  • Great vibe with the clav sounding chords, guitar was a great touch, vocal chops at the end were cool! Bass is funky, and drums work well and have a good groove. Could have a little more sparkle on the top end in general, it was little muddy mix wise, lots of elements in the mid and lower mid range, could space it out more so the elements have their own place in the mix. Would like to have heard that guitar some more because that was a really nice element!
  • Loved the combo of house groove and the funky synths, however there wasn’t one ‘hook’ sound that was really memorable and grabbed me. All the elements were super nice, however with one really catchy element it could go to the next level.
  • Smooth vibe overall, nice lush jazzy chords, funky synth bass. Could maybe be some more movement musically throughout, ie some chord changes, bass licks here and there
  • Nice groovy beat throughout with some cool subtle breakdowns and builds. Again, feel some accompanying chord changes and music changes along with taking the elements in and out could breathe some more life into it.
  • Incorporated lots of the vocal which is nice, good chopping of the vocal at the end which showed creativity. Lots of good remixes incorporate the vocal only and add their own music which is what you’ve done
  • Overall Quality / Mix 7/10
  • Originality 6/10
  • Musicality 7/10
  • Arrangement 6.5/10
  • Fidelity to Original 7/10
  • TOTAL: 33.5

• Connor - Carnival Tech House Remix
  • Very cool remix!! Had me grooving in my chair. Saw on your profile that you’ve been making music since start of 2021, very impressive for such a short amount of time. Loved how you really played on the carnival energy of the original, but did it in a more percussive way that also sounds quite Brazlian, whistles were a cool addition too. Great groove overall, nice mix, every element had its place, nice punchy kick and percussion, and you kept it simple but still sounds full - not easy to do.
  • Super cool drums, loved the big percussive energy of the drop, makes u wanna move. Very dry and in your face which really hits hard. Also really liked the changeup at the end where it goes breakbeat for a moment. 
  • Breakbeat thing at the end was great. Percussion was great, nice rolling bass line. Only reason I didn’t score it that high was the overall ‘musical’ parts ie chords / reharmonisation was limited, but that’s also typical of tech house so can’t be too harsh there.
  • Nice builds, groovy drops that go on long enough for you to get into it, and cool breakbeat bit.
  • Loved how he played on the idea of the original tracks ‘carnival’ energy and took it even further with the nice percussive elements and the whistles. Really felt like a Brazilian carnival.
  • Overall Quality / Mix 7.5/10
  • Originality 7/10
  • Musicality 6.5/10
  • Arrangement 7/10
  • Fidelity to Original 8/10
  • TOTAL: 36/50

• Bergwall Remix
  • Love this remix! Super unique and fresh take on the original, great musicality, groovy, and awesome arrangement. All the sounds used are cool, classy and fun. The mix was great, all the elements had their own space, and the drums were a good blend of acoustic and electronic. I love how you used some alternative vocals initially for the Bah bah bits rather than the original mix, makes it sound really fresh. Funky bass, and guitar licks. Lots of cool stuff going on here. Brass that comes in during the second half goes HARD. Only criticism would be that it is slightly loopy for my taste, would like to hear a bit more variation or a longer loop.
  • Very unique, don’t know a lot out there that sounds like this. Very fun, quirky energy. Definitely got your own style.
  • Nice chords, funky bass, cool brass stabs and nice groovy drums.
  • Very fun arrangement that is always interesting throughout, no 2 sections are the same, great builds using fills, adding and subtracting percussion and musical elements, and brass stabs rather than using white noise and other less subtle methods. Kept me engaged throughout by constant variation.
  • Loved how you used alternative parts of the vocal - the more background vocal parts. Respects the original well and also made it your own.
  • Overall Quality / Mix 7.5/10
  • Originality 7/10
  • Musicality 7/10
  • Arrangement 7/10
  • Fidelity to Original 8/10
  • TOTAL: 36.5/50

• Jez Harris remix
  • Great soulful vibe that grabs you as soon as that first chord hits in the intro. Like how u chopped up the piano. Nice funky, percussive drums and love the super wide disco claps. GREAT funky / driving bass line, can see this working in the club. Love how it keeps the soulful funky vibe but changes the vibe to your own thing.
  • Very nice vibe, kind of purple disco machine-esqe which is cool, but also there are a lot of tracks with this type of disco / dance vibe so I couldn’t score super high on originality. In saying that I loved this style, and I can’t get enough of it so I don’t mind personally that it’s not super original, but for your own development as an artist and uniqueness that will make you stand out you might want to think about this, gotta bring something unique to the table. Also something I think about a lot as I’m not the best at it. Either gotta be unique, or the absolute best at what u do. Purple disco imo isn’t the most unique but his mixes are killer and the tracks really pop out of the speakers like no other.
  • Lovely soulful chords and funky bass line, great percussive elements. Loved the synth lead too doing the bah bah line and then goes off and does its own solo, that was great!
  • Nice groove throughout, good build up and final drop, everything makes sense. Nothing game changing so couldn’t score super high here.
  • Lots of original elements, cool how u did the bah line with the synth, and chopped up the piano chords into your own thing which changed the vibe but kept it soulful.
  • Overall Quality / Mix 7/10
  • Originality 6.5/10
  • Musicality 7/10
  • Arrangement 6.5/10
  • Fidelity to Original 8/10
  • TOTAL: 35/50

• Half Monster remix:
  • Very fun energy with a dancey vibe. Mix was decent with all the elements well balanced, having their own space. Bass and drums locking together well. Unfortunately for me the genre of this track isn’t my favourite, and the sounds used sound a little ‘cheap’ for my ear. Would like to hear some more interesting sounds and more daring chord progression. Could also have more groove by experimenting with some different swing and groove styles.
  • Couldn’t score this one too high unfortunately as it did sound very similar to a lot of tracks out there that have that triad style chord progressions and saw synth vibe. I would try to experiment with some richer chords, and different patch sounds. Then again, if this is the style of music you love, keep going!
  • Everything works together well, and however once again it was a bit too predictable for my taste as I explained above.
  • Nice arrangement, everything makes sense and flows well, good fills in the transition and builds a lot of energy going into the drop. Slightly too predictable, and could use some more surprises.
  • Uses lots of the vocal which was great, and incorporated your own style instrumentally. 
  • Overall Quality / Mix 6.5/10
  • Originality 5/10
  • Musicality 6/10
  • Arrangement 6.5/10
  • Fidelity to Original 7/10
  • TOTAL: 31/50

• Phillip Cerveau
  • Very groovy! Love the UK funky feel, nice punchy drums, cool chords, and funky bass line. Loved those reverse samples that come in. Interesting how the second verse had slightly different timing to the original, gave it a different feel. Good mix, very clean and all the elements have space. Nice bright tops and percussion. Sounds could be slightly more classy to elevate the ‘expensiveness’ of the track.
  • Unfortunately couldn’t score this too high as this genre has been done a lot, but it was great to hear a remix that wasn’t 4 to the floor so this was refreshing in that sense.
  • Good use of chords, funky bass, groove and arrangement, solid overall. Maybe throw in some more surprising chords here and there, little chromatic things to keep it fresh.
  • Build was a bit long in the intro, could get a bit more straight to the point, but other than that it built nicely throughout the song.
  • Used a lot of the elements in your own way, respected the original well.
  • Overall Quality / Mix 6.5/10
  • Originality 6.5/10
  • Musicality 6.5/10
  • Arrangement 6.5/10
  • Fidelity to Original 7/10
  • TOTAL: 33/50

• Figgo Remix
  • Nice remix! Very light and fun vibe overall, respects the original well and brings its own flavour to the table. I liked at the end how you incorporated the laugh samples in the outdo that was fun. Touch too busy, lots going on in the drop in particular, could simplify it more with less elements, but elements that have a lot of character. Felt there were a lot of synths there unnecessarily. Vocal was a bit thin, maybe EQ’d it too much. 
  • Liked how the vocal was chopped up and the steel drum sample was fun. Some quite unique synths in the mix. Feel like this kind of style has also been done quite a lot. 
  • Solid musicality, cool use of melody with the synths, and a nice funky bass line. Solid overall. Again I would recommend simplifying the amount of synths you use so that your musicality doesn’t lose it’s shine by getting lost amongst so many elements.
  • Solid arrangement, everything makes sense and I didn’t feel that anything was out of place. Nothing groundbreaking so I didn’t score super high here.
  • Used a good amount of the original elements and also incorporated your own elements well. Overall a nice mix between the 2!
  • Overall Quality / Mix 6.5/10
  • Originality 6.5/10
  • Musicality 7/10
  • Arrangement 6.5/10
  • Fidelity to Original 7/10
  • TOTAL: 33.5/50

• Alv Martin Remix
  • Great vibe! I really liked the musicality in this one, lots of different sections and each one had a cool vibe. Only thing was I thought the sections were too different to each other, it sounds almost like 3 tracks in one with the super chill vibe chords in the beginning, the funky bass section in the chorus, and then the crazy percussive Brazilian carnival energy at the end! Wild. Some of the fx in the verse were a bit much, and the track was a bit busy in places, I would try to simplify it a bit and work on parts of the song fitting together more. Fine to have lots of sections they just have to gel. Mix was fine overall, well balanced.
  • Very unique! Loved the slower tempo and then the switch at the end to the faster tempo. The track kept surprising me throughout which was a good sign. Initially I thought it was going to be super smooth and vibey, but it just kept getting funkier and more energetic throughout!
  • Actually some great musicality here! That part in the middle where it modulates was wild! Really loved that chord change, was super surprising which is what I like. Only issue for me was that the sections didn’t blend that well together imo, could have flowed better between them. Particularly in the first chorus where it goes from bambis singing to the bah part, the transition didn’t sound super natural, but it was a good idea.
  • Solid arrangement, as I said above, only thing was the different sections could have gelled better together, and it was a bit too busy in some sections, simplify it more.
  • Really well done here, incorporating lots of elements from the original, and making it unique with your own elements. Great combination, really made it your own.
  • Overall Quality / Mix 7/10
  • Originality 7/10
  • Musicality 7/10
  • Arrangement 6.5/10
  • Fidelity to Original 7/10
  • TOTAL: 34.5/50

• Cess & Edwick John Remix
  • Loved this remix! Great intro which grabs your attention straight away with the big strings and jazzy piano chords, and then the super interesting funky bass line that showed great musicality. Loved those synth chords too, and then the big piano chords in the drop with the chopped vocal. Mix was nice and punchy and well balanced. Also loved those smooth Rhodes in the 2nd verse and the guitar at the end, really nice arrangement that stayed interesting. Only criticism would be that I’ve heard that minor 9 chord vibe a lot, I would experiment with some different chords and voicings to add new colours to your music.
  • Definitely got your own style, and stood out amongst the other remixes here. 
  • Great use of rhythm with the synth and piano chords, super funky bass, nice synth leads at the end, strings, all in appropriate places where they add value and don’t make the mix too busy. Good swing and groove to the track, nice drum fills throughout the track that break it up nicely too.
  • Great build ups, love that section where it drops out to the filtered synth chords, big vibe there. Good transitions with the fills, and fx, and the arrangement stays interesting right up until the end, even that last 20 seconds was super vibey! Maybe could have had that section somewhere else as it was really cool.
  • Incorporates a lot of the vocal and nice vocal chops, and also has your own style. Good blend.
  • Overall Quality / Mix 8/10
  • Originality 7.5/10
  • Musicality 8/10
  • Arrangement 7.5/10
  • Fidelity to Original 7.5/10
  • TOTAL: 38.5/50

Hi all - here's the new Zoom details...

Topic: Accountability and Feedback Call
Time: Dec 5, 2022 06:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us05web.zoom.us/j/86477054851?pwd=R0hsNTNLREw1aVdoWDVaWnFsNUNidz09

Meeting ID: 864 7705 4851
Passcode: 3GyGC4

[quote="simon unsigned"]

How does next Monday 5th @ 6pm UK time suit everyone?

[/quote]

I'm up for it

Hi all - looking forward to the Zoom call later - we'll allow a few minutes for people to get connected etc, hopefully there's no tech issues but I'll keep an eye on this forum thread for people to add a comment if they're unable to connect.

Nice to meet you @simon-unsigned.  
I will target 1x DnB track for the next time we meet and looking forwards to hearing your techno tracks

So I guess the next time we catch up we can talk about our new years resolutions 

And great to meet you too Simon   Shame I was rambling on when the time ran out on Zoom so we didn't get to finish off the call properly.

I'm going to target finishing 2 of my techno tracks and upload them here before the next call.

I'll also see if there's an alternative to Zoom that doesn't have a time restriction.  Paddy mentioned Jitsi in an earlier thread so I'll look into that.

I'm going to suggest Monday 9th Jan @ 6pm for the next call...

Cool sounds good.  Oh I forgot, I have another track I wanted to make for Christmas.  I wanted to follow that new breakbeat course by Future Funk Squad and make a remix of pachabel's cannon. 
So thats 2 from me as well

See you in the new year!

[quote="simon unsigned"]

Hi all - here's the new Zoom details...

Topic: Accountability and Feedback Call
Time: Dec 5, 2022 06:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us05web.zoom.us/j/86477054851?pwd=R0hsNTNLREw1aVdoWDVaWnFsNUNidz09

Meeting ID: 864 7705 4851
Passcode: 3GyGC4

[/quote]

Sorry I missed this Simon - honestly and annoyingly I completely forgot about it! If it helps I can use Teams to create the meeting which can be joined via a browser?

No worries Nigel and thanks for the offer to set up the Teams, that would be very helpful thanks.

Have you got anything specific you'd like to achieve before the next call?

Looking forward to meeting you in Jan

Sorry guys. I was sick the last two weeks and could not join the first session. I will mark the next session in my calender. Is Monday the 9th of January still valid? I think until then I will also have some new songs ready for review, which we could go over it in the session. How was the first session? How long did it take?

Kind Regards

Paddy.

Hi Paddy

Sorry to hear you were unwell, hope you're feeling better now.

Yes, next call is scheduled for Monday 9th Jan @ 6pm UK if that's suitable for everyone.

First session was me and @smillington (another Simon!) and it was really good.  We chatted about our musical backgrounds, challenges and what our musical goals and targets are.

Looking forward to meeting you and Nigel on the next call for more of the same!

Cheers, Simon

Happy New Year everyone!  Unfortunately I'm not going to be able to make the call tomorrow.  I don't usually work in the office on Mondays but I've got to tomorrow and I won't be back in time.  Should be ok to make the next one and hopefully some of you can still make it tomorrow.

My target was to finish 2 of the Techno tracks I'm working on - which I've not managed, but here's my excuse/reason

I use a small box room at home for my music studio and also to work from home.  It's never been set up very well as I was using 2 makeshift desks and had my studio monitors on a shelf at a right angle to my seat position - not great!  So took the opportunity while I was off work to dismantle my studio equipment and empty the room and reconfigure it - I've installed a new bigger desk along one side of the room to rearrange things and get my studio monitors and seating position correctly located as an equilateral triangle.  I still need to get my equipment reinstalled and wired up, but I'm getting there.

I've managed to make some progress on one of my tracks, I'd say it's about 80% done but still needs some work, mainly on these areas:

- Vocals and main synth sound need some editing (mainly removing bits) so they work/groove better especially on the transitions

- Not sure if the hi hats work, definitely need some EQ but might change the patterns/groove

- Mixdown needs more work - first some level and EQ tweaks across all the tracks then send effects etc

I'll upload the track and post a link below

https://community.producertech.com/simon-unsigned/uploaded_audio/351/techno-1-work-in-progress

[quote="NigelB"]

[quote="simon unsigned"]

Hi all - here's the new Zoom details...

Topic: Accountability and Feedback Call
Time: Dec 5, 2022 06:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us05web.zoom.us/j/86477054851?pwd=R0hsNTNLREw1aVdoWDVaWnFsNUNidz09

Meeting ID: 864 7705 4851
Passcode: 3GyGC4

[/quote]

Sorry I missed this Simon - honestly and annoyingly I completely forgot about it! If it helps I can use Teams to create the meeting which can be joined via a browser?

[/quote]

The link doesn't work for me

Hi Paddy - that was the old link for the call in December and I couldn't make this last one.

How does Monday 6th Feb @ 6pm UK time work for everyone for the next call?

Hi Simon.

Sounds fine for me. Can you please send me a new link then? Thanks in advance.

Kind Regards

Paddy

Hi All, Simon, definitely something I would be up for joining in on if it goes ahead on 6th Feb. I'll keep my eye out for a link if you're happy for me to join? 

Hi all - here's a link to a Teams meeting, hope this works for everyone and it's also the first time I've tried to set one up with my personal account rather than work.

https://teams.live.com/meet/9434164370225

Date/time again is Monday 6th Feb @6pm UK time

Hi all - if anyone wants to join the call tomorrow but doesn’t use Teams or has trouble connecting I can look at using a different platform.

or let us a know if you’re planning on joining using Teams and we’ll see you tomorrow evening at 6pm UK time

Hi guys,

I forgot about an apppointment today which overlaps with this time . Sorry for that but I will not join today. I hope I can make it next months.

Have fun.

Cu

Paddy

Hi Simon - sorry I cant make it either.  Will post some objectives up here.  Sorry mate - am gutted..

No worries Paddy/Simon, it means I don't have to admit I've not met my objectives

I thought a fixed day/time would be best, but I reckon we might have to be more flexible and agree a day/time with a bit more short notice and make sure all/most people can make it.

My objective for next month is the same one - finish those 2 techno tunes!  I've also been working on a new studio desk with rack mount section  and will have some work in progress pics to share...

See you next month!

Generally the time works for me - I had some extra kids duties tonight and failed to organise.    Sounds like nobody made it then
I finished my DnB track last month - kind of lucked out as I combined it with the AI assignment.  I have a plan this year to release a DnB EP and to build a brand, I am also trying finish tracks quicker, but failing every time. This month I will try to bang out another DnB track before the next remix comp (or maybe afterwards if I run out of time). 
Well done for sorting it out Simon - looks like there is enough interest so hope we can keep going...

Blimey - it's March already - anyone up for a call next week? Monday and Wednesday are best for me and happy to arrange a call for when's good for anyone else

I would like to be involved if this continues 

It's proved difficult getting people available for a call on the same date and time so hasn't really taken off unfortunately - we could give it another try if a few of us are still interested...