your samples are out of tune in a bad way
meh
It really is out of tune in a somewhat grating way, but it’s not meh in my opinion. One problem is that it is a hip-hop instrumental of the kind where it would take a rap vocal on top to elevate the tune into something interesting. Without the vocal it sounds very samey. When there is no vocal, it might be a better idea to write a track with more variety in it, to show off and exercise you production skills, and to create something more interesting for the listener. The best thing about the track is its groove. I’d emphasise this more, by putting more work into the beats and toning down the screechy jazz samples somewhat.
https://soundcloud.com/muxmool/blister-in-the-sun
This is a very diffferent tune, but what is going on with the drums, percussion, hats etc. might be instructive. Also, there aren’t that many samples in there, but there is a great deal of variety.
ok understood, should I eq them a lot more?
I think they need to sound a bit more alive somehow, by making the timing somewhat looser, the levels more varied, by using different samples and live-sounding reverbs, or scratchy-sampled-from-a-record samples or whatever. Or by eqing them more. Whatever helps.
Also, I can see I sounded a bit negative in my last post, more so than I meant to be. I’m no one to be all high and mighty-advice-y.
Well its good to get any input so dont worry too much. I will keep that in mind, your advice makes sense
I’ve listened to your tracks here now and then. I’ve always thought sometimes you mixed dissonant stuff, in a way that can be unpleasant. Now here it has been brought up again, so I chime up to you now. I also feel this piece is a bit too dissonant and stuffed up.
I know it is hard to find material that matches up perfectly to something cool. DJs usually fight hard over sets where mixing 2 or 3 tunes never gives dissonant breaks in the dancing experience. Your preferred jazz material might be expecially difficult to bring together 2 or 3 vibes in a harmonic way, but I think with more care you could do much more loveley pieces. Maybe one key to this could be for you…to mix stuff much more sparse, leaving more room between the samples and less disharmonic overlap. This could as well lead to real alien new harmonical progressions, as to leaving more room of interest to potential rappers banging over your beats. Yeah, try to find some, word is word, whether dope or custy, word bangs on, without it is hollow. spaces too empty can be filled with processed and compressed and filtered reverb and delay.
You do seem to choose real dope snares and bassdrums however.