[LAU] New music: an open source / proprietary collaboration

[Julien Claassen]

Hello Arve!
   I just listened to all your songs and they are great! In my mind they have 
their own niche of music, psychedelic metal. :-) No really, they have 
something very psychedelic.
   A good intro, very atmospheric, guiding the listener into a dark, depressed 
mood. I like the soft musical introduction. It not only suggests a certain 
mood to me, but it also transports me geographically. Somehow the chords and 
the melody remind me of Grieg, though I know, it isn't the melody exactly, but 
more the general direction.
   The reprise of themes amongst the songs is lovely. It creates a world out of 
these few pieces, makes them one universe, which is lovely and well done at 
that. You also used the many guitar tracks very well. It's good to hear the 
harmonies between the different guitars. Mostly very easily graspable. I think 
the guitar sound in the right channel of the last piece is very roomy, without 
being dislocated, undetectable in space. Did you use several mics for that, or 
did you do it with postprocessing. If so, I'd like to know how, please! the 
guitars are not only well played and well used, but also sound professional. 
You said, that as much of them as possible was recorded at a studio. But I 
know, that it's not only recording, but also postprocessing here. they are 
very present and the distorted guitars are also very fat!
   Where di you take the cello in the second song from? Is that real or 
sampled? If it's sampled, it's a good, lively sample. the whining guitar(s) in 
the second piece befit the atmosphere of the song well. they form a nice 
contrast to the vocals later on. Somehow they conure a connection inmy mind. 
Two sides of the same thing. But the guitar sounds menacing and moanfun, where 
the vocal sound melancholic and moanful. The vocals are beautiful. I would 
have liked to hear them, take up reverb towards the end, but that's just 
personal opinion.
   The third song now, is another side of the universe, yet still clearly 
identifiable belongs to the cosmos. The harmonies. A very nice twist with the 
acoustic guitar(s) taking up the whining from the previous title. They hold 
the menace again. This song souns overall more frightening in a cold, calm 
way, than the others. Especially because of the very acoustic or at least 
clean start.
   OK, I think after so much, well deserved, praise, it won't hurt to have a 
bit of criticism. :-) the drums in general sound good. The toms are used in a 
good way. You make good use of the stereo panorama. But the snare and the 
hihat lack something for this style of music. Taken for theselves, there would 
be nothing wrong in my ears. We're talking opinion and expectations here only. 
Still the hihat might have been better off, a little more to one side, 
probably to the right. It might also have sounded better with some room type 
of reverb and probably some more EQ fiddling to let it sound fuller.
   Now my favourite topic: The snare. :-) It's a pitty, you recorded the drums 
from a real drumkit, otherwise I would have liked to ask you for the samples. 
The snare sounds very 70ish. With some more editing I'm sure, I could get a 
real 70s muted snare. But that really doesn't help your songs along. A more 
90s snare would possibly better fit. So a clearer attack, more compression. A 
little more sustain/release might not have been bad either. So you might have 
put a reverb on the snare and a compressor after that. Maybe put the reverb 
after a first compressor, that sees to the basic setting of the attack. then 
you can use the second compressor more softly and thus not be stuck with an 
80s snare, like the "in the air tonight" one. But still have more sustain to 
set a good counterpoint to the guitars. As I said, taken not so far, that type 
of snare also sits well with the acoustic or clean parts, while still being 
metal.
   Still, if that's everything I can complain about, it's very little. :-) You 
must know, I'm Westfalian. some people say about us: The best compliment they 
can give is: Well, that wasn't too bad. :-) I really like the songs, I love 
the overall production, which is fat, well balanced and alive. The songs are 
well composed. Not harmonically complex. But the riffs were right. It seemed 
like every note was in its right spot and you composed the special effects, 
rather than just throwing in samples. Almost programmatic in this way. I hope 
we might get to hear something from you again. It will most certanly be 
something to enjoy on a warm day, when the dark and cold time is something 
surreal, and not really expected soon. :-)
   Kindly yours and thanks for sharing
             Julien

--------
Music was my first love and it will be my last (John Miles)

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