Finally: Dirty Summer Compilation.

[thee carp dreamer]

Originally Posted by Leon

The Wankfoot Soundsystem - Police And Thieves
When I saw the title, I thought, YAY, that's a classic. The song itself is nice. But it takes a lot to like the vocals. The vision of you being drunk REALLY helps. It's a funny vision. But the dubby sounds and all are good.

no, the vocals are awesome. absolutely awesome.

you just don't get it.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by thee carp dreamer

no, the vocals are awesome. absolutely awesome.

you just don't get it.

I really do get it, but it's just really bad singing

But maybe that's because noone can top the vocals of the original

[BeautifulBurnout]

Originally Posted by Leon

I really do get it, but it's just really bad singing

I have to concur I'm afraid, Fish Boy. Excellent though, dodgy vocals notwithstanding

[Sean]

Just re-sent the bio and picture to go with my track to both Leon and Professor.

Thanks guys!

[Professor]

we'll put that up here asap
for now...i've got a show to rip
and vancouver to explore

[Leon]

Come on wit' the feedback yo!

[holden]

You want feedback? You got it! i just listened to the whole thing again, and wrote some thoughts on each track in the order they're placed in the compilation. i hope the artists and others get my drift, which is overwhelmingly positive :

“What Ever You Do” – Polyester & Freshchuckdaily: Smooth melodies and a groovin’ beat which builds nicely and is heavy on the bass drum, but never overwhelms. And, while i’m not usually into hip-hop vocals, I really dig the refrain…it’s fun!

“A Year in Waiting” – Exile Cartel: This track has a lot of warmth to it, lots of variety of layers, instruments and countermelodies to the main bass chords. The short guitar riff has such great treatment, too…lovely balance of chorus, reverb, tone, whatever- gives it a very summery sound! I just wish the song didn’t end so abruptly.

“Police & Thieves” – The Wankfoot Soundsystem: I don’t know the original version of the tune, so I can’t comment on how this differs. But on its own, I like the contrast between the reggae song structure and the breakbeats. Some of the effects (like the speeding-up sound and the female vocal clip) are high in the mix, but they’re short so they don’t take over. As for the vocal, yeah it’s unique, but without knowing any better, I figured it was supposed to sound kinda strung-out. There are some nice moment with layered vocals, too.

“CoolWaterTemple” – Sputnikk: This is a track I was really looking forward to hearing, since I’ve enjoyed King of Snake’s Sputnikk productions in the past, which were more trancey. You’ve really expanded your sound! The opening melody and the twinkly keys give the track a happy vibe immediately, a sense of child’s play. Enter the female voice about creating perfect life and the buzzy lead line and the track moves into the realm of Orbital (likes something off of “Snivilization”)…for me, that’s a good thing! The washes of synth at the end are lovely, as well.

“Aerobic Sensation” – Solar Polar: A nice minimal track, this. I dig the glitchy beats and the warm bassline. The diva-like vocals are awesome, too…”You make me feel so good” – is that nixed from “Move” by Moby? Bits of “Good Vibrations” in there, too. The delay and swirls of the vocals are nice touches, too…Again, the quick fade out left me wanting more!

“An Evolution of Sorts” – Marshall Watson: based on Professor’s other tracks, I had high expectations for this, and he didn’t disappoint! The opening analog key note and pulsing melody interact well, a very M83-like vibe. But once the drums and warm pads drop in, it’s distinctly your sound we’re getting! Lots of flanging or phasing reminding me of the summer breeze. I like how your tracks somehow feel simultaneously melancholy and uplifting. And, the beats and melodies do evolve throughout. The ping-pong outtro beat is a fun finish.

“Kata” – The Viirus: A darker track than those previous, and its nice that we get a drum-n-bass inclusion in the compilation. So many great effects on the drums and effects, flying up in the mix and building the energy. Around 2 minutes, you settle into a great groove and the track takes off. As many jungle-type tracks, the melodies are sparse and the beats ever-changing, but it holds together well, probably as you have that bell-like rhythm throughout.

“Quelebric Hazel” – A Gator Got Her: The clicking beats seem slightly out of phase, giving the track an unsettling entrance. But the three-note lead entrance is just great. There’s a whiring sound in the left channel after ~2:35 that, to compare to Orbital again, sounds a lot like “Planet of the Shapes”. Simple melody, but with the bass playing against the lead, and that whiring noise, it holds interest well!

“My Mission is This” – Emmet: Knowing Emmet’s style, I expected a banging dance track, made all the more energetic because of the track order of the compilation. Lots of samples flying through this track. The track takes off after 2 minutes in, with a great synthline and a very Depeche Mode-like vocal! Love the robo snippets and guitar flanges too. The production is excellent. I’m dancing in my chair as I write this!

“Your Time is Now” – Sr. Cranks: This one builds up so effectively. All the elements (beats, background whirling synth, effects and blips) work really well together, entering and exiting at exactly the right time, and you’ve obviously put a lot of work into crafting each of these components. The lush middle section is a nice diversion, and, I’m a sucker for dropped beats, which you use effectively around it. Great techno track, this!

“Glow in the Dark” – Avid: Hey, that’s me! i’m just happy my little track is alongside these real artists!

“HAL TEST MSTR Hi” – PhaseBlue: Our compilation’s semi-ambient come-down! The HAL bits from 2001 and the echoes and deep beats make me feel like I’m in outer space. That heartbeat is changing bpm, isn’t it? Lovely string melodies and the deep bass fills the gaps. I like the blippy beat that sounds like a short raygun. The hi-hat really gives the track a sense of drive. At 5:40 or so, the new melody seems to herald something important, and I love how these two parts of the song still seem totally integrated by virtue of the elements you repeat. This makes a 12+ minute track go by effortlessly. After 10 minutes, there’s a subtle skipping beat that lends some danceability to the track, sort of like The Orb’s ambient house style.

Well done, everyone! I’m enjoying this more and more with each listen. So cool how all these unique styles still can go so well together and the contrasts in styles actually make certain aspects stand out all the more (e.g. going from lush to hard, vocal to instrumental, etc.). Was the tracklist varied a lot? It seems totally correct!

Holden
(AViD)

[thee carp dreamer]

no, i'm telling you, the vocals are flawlessly awesome.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by holden

“What Ever You Do” – Polyester & Freshchuckdaily: Smooth melodies and a groovin’ beat which builds nicely and is heavy on the bass drum, but never overwhelms. And, while i’m not usually into hip-hop vocals, I really dig the refrain…it’s fun!

Glad to hear you say that. Thanks! I'm not big into hip-hop either, but I asked them if I could use the vocals for the same reason you mentioned here. It's just fun, which is why it seemed good for a summer compilation to me.

[theviirus]

Originally Posted by holden

“Kata” – The Viirus: A darker track than those previous, and its nice that we get a drum-n-bass inclusion in the compilation. So many great effects on the drums and effects, flying up in the mix and building the energy. Around 2 minutes, you settle into a great groove and the track takes off. As many jungle-type tracks, the melodies are sparse and the beats ever-changing, but it holds together well, probably as you have that bell-like rhythm throughout.

thank you....but....

drum-n-bass?? lol...