First Psytrance Tune

[Shivaxi]

http://soundcloud.com/shivaxi/shivaxi-f ... rance-tune

Concocted this up this morning in about 2 hours on an inspirational burst of...inspiration...yeah...

Looking for feedback as I've never really made anything like this before. Lemme know

[makemeunreal]

That's a shame I can't watch this on my mobile. If you need any feedback, you can count on me.

[TheIronKnuckle]

For the first 10 or so seconds I was having nostalgiagazms of running through ocarina of time and majoras mask temples/dungeons. At 1:30 now and it's been pretty awesome. Although I have suspicions that it's going to feel very repetitive by the end because there is a very prominent bass line that has been on repeat since the beginning, which is dominating the sound of the whole track.

Oh wait, just got to 3 minutes and you cut it out. Good idea
Doesn't feel like much going on for the next 50 seconds, but that's a good idea imo, very trance-y.
Cutting back to the zelda synths now, I like it, my head is bobbing. The bass line is back too but there's other stuff upstaging it, which is good. Feels like more of a complete package with just the right amount of repetition at this point
6 minutes: Something new! Reminding me very much of UT3 music now, couldn't give a specific track though. I think some of the necris stuff. Maybe the music on vctf-suspense or ctf-coret.

Final minute was a nice ease off into silence/the next track.

kkkkkkkk I loved it, it's going into my music folder right now etc. Suggestions for improvement/observations:
1. You are obviously skilled at putting samples together in order to pull off a nice sound. This is probably the best track I've heard from you.
2. Do you know how to construct and compose your own samples? Using cubase/sibelius or something. (I'm not sure what the current hawt software package is for this sort of thing because I haven't touched any music related stuff since 2006.) If not, I have a hunch that you would benefit incredibly by doing so.
3. I say this because the whole track, while awesome (not just saying that either, it actually was), felt like it was just a platform. During the gaps and the more repetitive moments I kept expecting some crazy-arse, non-repetitive theme/tune to pop up and start playing over the top and get my body shaking and arms flying and head vibrating etc. Instead I just had a pleasant bob of the head for the whole track

I don't know what the correct term is. Theme? Tune? Rhythm? I'm refering to a bit of a classical concept. Like, Mozart and the old boys appreciated repetition, but they used it much more sparingly than modern music. Instead they did actual "composing" to get a tune in place. You can see this in cybernetikas stuff, where there is an actual tune in some parts, even though it's mostly just repeating samples. (So I reckon there's room for improvement in this area even with him)

I'm trying to find an example of a modern track that does it well that you would know about, and I end up thinking of "Organic" from the UT soundtrack of all things If you listen to that there is something which gets introduced at about 22 seconds, and then totally explodes at 37 seconds, and it isn't repeated later in the song. Even though there is stuff pounding away in the supporting track, it's that core theme which pops up for a couple of seconds and then doesn't come back, which really makes the song great.
Another unreal example is potentially Neves crossing iirc *digs it up*. Apparently the version which I'm listening to is called "Red Blossom" from the Unreal Beta. Anyhow. at exactly 3 minutes that classic synth string part comes in and turns an otherwise forgettable track into a favourite for the next 30 seconds, after which it isn't repeated again. The weird thing is that even though the remainder of the track is pretty much the same thing as the first 3 minutes, it actually sounds better after that synth string theme has run its course. I can't help but wonder if the track would be ruined if the "once-off" synth-string section were to be repeated.

But regardless. Best I've heard from you, you're obviously improving steadily! Keen to hear more

[Shivaxi]

Haha, thanks TIK. And yeah I did actually use some Cybernetika samples he gave me. But I did construct a few of the instruments and sounds as well, it's not all just loops and samples. Also, the bassline changeup distortion w/e thing at 5 minutes WAS kinda my thing that doesn't get repeated =P. But yeah I know what you're saying.

I also started another psytrance tune today lol, more psytrance inspiration! But anyway:

http://soundcloud.com/shivaxi/shivaxi-2 ... rance-tune

oh and I'm using Reason.

[Frieza]

That second one doesn't really sound like psytrance to me, more DnBish

[Shivaxi]

That second one doesn't really sound like psytrance to me, more DnBish

lol how? it's at 148 bpm (no where near dnb) and it has a 4/4 beat, despite the odd break in the background, using psytrance sounds and samples...

[UB_]

Definitely cool; I wouldn't say it's DnB either though.
The lead beat feels stiff though, too drowned from other sounds instead of doing the opposite as in most Psytrance songs. It is supposed to drill in your ears before anything else.

[Frieza]

The beat just sounds decidedly non-psytrance to me. Usually pystrance rhythm have a solid 4/4 beat with a heavy bass drum, backed up by some (frantic) hihats and not that much else. Also there's usually a solid rolling bassline underneath it all that doesn't let up much. Most of the interest is derived from all the synths playing melodies/squelches over the top. That's just staples of the genre, if you move outside that it quickly ends up sounding not like psytrance. Not that there's anything wrong with that

Some examples:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iImdT3UMM94

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7ydzriSovs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYrbnfTJpwQ

[TheIronKnuckle]

second tune from shivaxi: I like this one too. No extended comments this time, only that I had minor nostalgiagazms of Atomic Bomberman

[Shivaxi]

Usually pystrance rhythm have a solid 4/4 beat with a heavy bass drum, backed up by some (frantic) hihats and not that much else.

Obviously you have not heard much of Cybernetika's Psytrance then

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf5psu5TRRg

@Uberserker: Yeah I know what you mean, I was trying something different though =P

@TIK: Thanks again, and I love that game haha.

[Frieza]

Does he classify that as psytrance itself? Cause that's a dubstep beat

[UB_]

Around the likes of PsyBreaks.

[Shivaxi]

Does he classify that as psytrance itself? Cause that's a dubstep beat

Yes he does classify that as Psytrance on the album, and lol dubstep beat...that kind of beat was around long before dubstep showed its ugly head =P That song is no where close to dubstep

[Frieza]

You're aware dubstep has existed since the 90's? One of the defining characteristics includes a clearly accented third beat, which Calling Mercurio has. It's most certainly not a pure psytrance song, but rather a crossgenre mix.

I had a look at the other tracks off that album and I wouldn't hesitate to classify track 1 through 6 as psytrance, so it makes sense to classify the album as a whole as psytrance. Of course you had to pick the one atypical song as an example.

[Shivaxi]

You're aware dubstep has existed since the 90's? One of the defining characteristics includes a clearly accented third beat, which Calling Mercurio has. It's most certainly not a pure psytrance song, but rather a crossgenre mix.

I had a look at the other tracks off that album and I wouldn't hesitate to classify track 1 through 6 as psytrance, so it makes sense to classify the album as a whole as psytrance. Of course you had to pick the one atypical song as an example.

I know, but that beat has been around earlier. and while track 1 through 6 is more obviously pstrance, they all too have a few breaks and complex beats. I'm just saying that psytrance doesn't HAVE to be a repetive simple beat with nothing else, as Cybernetika demonstrates in this album overall. I did choose Calling Mercurio because it was the best example =P