OffsetGuitars.com

Telliot wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 11, 2014 5:55 am

So Brad was gracious enough to remix my song for me in his studio! He had an opening last night and we texted and emailed each other for a couple hours until the mix was done. I'm really appreciative of his time and support, but he brings a level of professionalism and enthusiasm that I find refreshing, and I really hope to work with him more in the future.

It was mixed in Studio B on this Neve 8058 (those are actually my tracks written out on the board).



Anyway, I'm super excited and even more grateful to Brad for being so easy to work with; he's one cool dood.

Here's a comparison of my original mix to his. I was fighting the kick, bass, Rhodes, and vocals all fighting for real estate, which made for a murky mix. Brad was able to clean it all up and let the track breathe better.

Before
After

After sounds great, would have liked to hear the before track but it seems to be missing.

Can we have maybe the links to all the songs in the first post and have that updated as new songs are posted?

Edit: Ignore. Everything is on the soundcloud page.

I still marvel at how absolutely beautiful UC is. So gorgeous and touching

Cool, keep up the good work

It's been awhile since I've posted to this thread. I guess I kind of got out of the habit, but it's in no way reflective of my output over the last few years - I tend to start feeling like I'm imposing myself and doubt whether people are really all that interested. It's a whole thing that I'm constantly battling, which, if you've read this thread, is nothing new.

Anyway, yesterday out of the blue I got a really nice message from Brad (øøøøøøø), telling me he revisited a song of mine he mixed years ago. Hopefully he'll chime in here with more info, but he's got a new room set up that he's really excited about, and getting great mixes out of. If anyone is interested in hiring him to do mixes for you, I highly recommend reaching out to him. He's awesome to work with and does insanely good work.

Without further ado, here's the new mix. It's SO nice. Full, lush, and great bottom end (thanks again, Brad! ).

I'm Fine (2020 BAW Remix)

Additionally (since I'm here), I may as well post a few recent songs I've done, right?

No Atmosphere
Mr Max's Doomsday Dance
Ampersand

You may notice there is a strong synth representation in these songs, btw.

Please enjoy responsibly.

And something completely different... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Paper Boat

Telliot wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 27, 2020 11:04 am

It's been awhile since I've posted to this thread. I guess I kind of got out of the habit, but it's in no way reflective of my output over the last few years - I tend to start feeling like I'm imposing myself and doubt whether people are really all that interested. It's a whole thing that I'm constantly battling, which, if you've read this thread, is nothing new.

I barely even come here anymore but I always check this thread. Sometimes you just connect strongly with someone's songs and style. Througout the summer I have been observing my daughter riding her bike with her friends and Urban Countryside was playing constantly in my head, even though I have not heard it in a couple of years. So, basically just saying that I will forever be interested in your work. I hope you always post whatever you have finished.

Also, I will start posting my own songs soon. Do you mind giving some simple tips about how you record and mix your vocals? I m listening to Paper Boat now (which is lovely!) and the vocals are so crisp. Are the verses a single vocal line? Once the harmonies hit -- god it makes me feel like such an amateur. I have been working on this song for a couple of weeks and just cannot get the vocals right at all.

Will listen to the new songs and report back. I am excited! Ampersand already has a lovely beginning.

mediocreplayer wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 31, 2020 9:26 pm

Wow, thank you so much! That was very kind of you, and a very nice way to start my day.

I don't know how to say this gracefully, so I'll say it clumsily: It's so nice to know my music has resonated with people. You've been so supportive over the years and I appreciate your honest feedback. The fact Urban Countryside means something to you is priceless, and not lost on me in any way. That's what I love about music, and I feel that way about so many songwriters — that their music has woven itself into the fibers of my life — and to know my songs have done that for other people (even if it's just a small handful) is worth more to me than any semblance of monetary or commercial success.

PLEASE post your songs, I'd love to hear them!

To answer your question about Paper Boat, yes that particular song is super basic in terms of tracking. The main vocal is a single track (not doubled), with some EQ, compression, and slapback delay. With harmonies I tend to layer quite a lot because I like the effect of the thickness suddenly being there. It can be a little much sometimes, but if you mix it right the result can be rewarding.

Feel free to PM me with any questions or mixes you have, I'd love to help in any way I can.

It's been so long since I posted in this thread I feel like I have some making up to do, but here are a few more.

These are a little random:
Fireflies
Slip Away
Blink

What's that, you say? You've been pining for a slightly dour 80s-infused synthpop track about the perils of social media in the modern world? I gotcha covered:
Kontakt

This one is near and dear to my heart, as it is a letter to my children:
Make Our Memories Long

I know I have become the resident fanboy in this thread, but it's a position I am happy to have

I listened to all the new tracks several times. I think we are now in the period where we usually hear shouts of selling out from the old purist fans -- the new songs, or at least most of them, have a markedly different style.

Given my current inclination towards non-guitar music, I immediately liked every single song of the new batch. Mr. Max is probably the most fun in terms of how fully realized it is, both from the perspectives of music, lyrics, and all the little performance nuances. It is my current favorite.

Blink, Ampersand, and Slip Away are all wonderful and have a particular aspect which I think is my favorite thing about your songwriting. I remember when I lived in So Cal, my wife and I would go to the beach and everything would be super perfect; we had no children and little responsibility, the scenery and weather were gorgeous, and yet I would always feel sad. These songs are exactly this feeling. They are very pretty; they are beautiful, but there is a lurking melancholy in there that jumps out (the synth line in Blink, the chorus of Slip Away, the "don't I make you feel alive..." part with the underlying harmonies and synth in Ampersand, ...). In that sense Mr. Max is a bit singular in your repertoire, as it does not have this quality.

Tangent: when I write songs myself, I usually want to get to the catchy part as quickly as possible. In a song like Blink, this doesn't happen until 1.30. I find this very tasteful. It also makes me want to play the song again and wait in anticipation for this part. By contrast, if I listen to a song of mine a few times on repeat, I feel like I have had too much sugar.

The songs in the older style (Fireflies, Memories, Paper Boat) I like too, although I find myself gravitating more to the synth-y songs atm, but I'll revisit the rest again. As always, the performances and production are really top-notch on all these songs. There was a nice Knopfler-esque guitar on one of the non-synthy songs, but I forget which one.

tl;dr: ridiculously good music is being made and distributed quietly on this forum.

mediocreplayer wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 07, 2020 1:10 pm

tl;dr: ridiculously good music is being made and distributed quietly on this forum.

Thank you so much for the kind words. That means a lot, really.

I realize my style changes quite a lot from song to song. It's something that used to really bother me, but at some point I stopped trying to fight it, and got comfortable with the fact these songs all represent me, in whichever form they present themselves. The truth is, my tastes are eclectic, and I guess I write in a similar vein. I know this will likely turn people off, but my number one priority will always be to serve the songs. If that means I'm writing a John Prine-ish song on one day, and a full on disco song the next, so be it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Telliot wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 01, 2020 1:28 pm

It's been so long since I posted in this thread I feel like I have some making up to do, but here are a few more.

You have a nice voice and some good lyrics. Enjoyed hearing these.

Holy crap. Telliot you are awesome.

I've listened to two songs. I am going to have to go back and delve deep. You make the many of the same songwriting choices I would make.

I'd like to think if I kept with it and didn't not play for years I'd produce songs like this.

I live in Huntington Beach and would love to buy you dinner and learn.

Telliot wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 08, 2020 11:00 am

mediocreplayer wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 07, 2020 1:10 pm

tl;dr: ridiculously good music is being made and distributed quietly on this forum.

Thank you so much for the kind words. That means a lot, really.

I realize my style changes quite a lot from song to song. It's something that used to really bother me, but at some point I stopped trying to fight it, and got comfortable with the fact these songs all represent me, in whichever form they present themselves. The truth is, my tastes are eclectic, and I guess I write in a similar vein. I know this will likely turn people off, but my number one priority will always be to serve the songs. If that means I'm writing a John Prine-ish song on one day, and a full on disco song the next, so be it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Hey, you have something in common with both Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello. Be proud!

JM Convert wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 05, 2020 7:45 pm

Holy crap. Telliot you are awesome.

I've listened to two songs. I am going to have to go back and delve deep. You make the many of the same songwriting choices I would make.

I'd like to think if I kept with it and didn't not play for years I'd produce songs like this.

I live in Huntington Beach and would love to buy you dinner and learn.

Thank you very much! When we get over this whole COVID thing, I'd love to take you up on that.

Maggieo wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:49 am

Hey, you have something in common with both Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello. Be proud!

Cheers, Maggie.