This track has been submitted for your friendly, constructive criticism. What useful feedback can you give the artist? The floor is yours to talk about the track and how they can fix problems in and improve upon the mix and the song.
Download audio file (Sands.mp3)
Description of the track:
This song is quite a departure from my normal sound. I usually tend to produce in a much more commercially accessible sound, with thumping 808s and skittering hi-hats, signature to Dirty South Trap. ‘Sands’ in contrast is much grimier and slower. I wanted a track that gathered more eccentric sounds but still retained a body and structure suitable for hip-hop listening.
I began with a series of straightforward boom-bap drums inspired by the late J-Dilla. I then added textures that emphasized the vinyl hiss of the kick and the rattling elasticity of the drum. The main sound was a siren noise in a dubstep pack that was put in a sampler and played as if it was a synth lead; distortion and reverb were added later. This is the main sound that determines the movement and space within the song.
Synths were added, as well as a sampled guitar, and a ten-second orchestral arrangement that I composed in Reason using the Orkester sounds.
I am 18. I have used Reason to produce music for about three years, along with Audacity for recording and GarageBand for additional instrumentation. My primary mode of orchestration is usually via samplers and soundfonts, although the occasional found sound makes all of the difference.
Artist’s website: soundcloud.com/beats-by-waterloo
Terms of Use: Users can stream the track for the purposes of giving feedback but cannot download or redistribute it.
Have a listen to the track and offer your constructive criticism for this Workshop in the comments section. Feel free to offer any type of advice – arrangement, mix, lyrics, performance. And remember to play nice – be constructive!
Need constructive criticism on your own tracks? Submit them for a workshop using this form. Most but not all submissions are published. There may be a wait of up to two months.
     |
{excerpt}
Read More