Thursday 1 May 2014

New Song: Hand Of God.

I'm gonna link the song HERE. This was one of those occasions, where everything went right for a change and I was vibing off the sounds I was getting. As anybody reading this is aware, I've been having a lot of fun with Middle Eastern influenced sounds at the minute and though not chronologically posted, this was done and dusted before "Empty Quarter", which is only really a taster of an idea I'm working on.

This song was very demanding, production wise. I operate a Zoom R8 Digital 8 track but forsake the effects part bar panning, the rhythm machine and reverb. So any other effects that you hear are performed through my guitar (electric, acoustic and / or classical), mandolin, bass or keyboard through a surprisingly minimal FX pedal collection. The raga/sitar motif was always in my head, it is instantly knowable from endless punjabi sounds one has heard off the films etc. For this I ran the Ravish Sitar pedal through my Danelectro DC59 guitar in stereo with the drone ringing mainly through the left and the main lead through the right with a little reverb. I programmed a lazy drum pattern (so much less hassle than setting up the electric drumkit) and added a Cort bassline, connected directly through with a tube pre-amp setting. The rock or "RAWK" (does Black Sabbath devil horns hand gesture), if you will was provided by a strat played through an analogue Sansamp Tech 21 Liverpool V2 pedal (think Vox AC30 in a box) and a superb sim it does too. This was played twice and panned a little over halfway between left and right. I added acoustic guitar for the verses and panned it to the right and some clean "Liverpool" guitar panned to the left. The guitar solo was an afterthought, played on impulse which sounds surprisingly good considering I prefer to map them out but ran out of space so it was an impromptu moment played between the "RAWK" take on the left channel. The vocals were just a little reverb and trying to harmonise with myself. All this in two long, trying but immensely fun days.

Have a listen. Massive thanks are in order to The Shape at IT'S ALL RANDOM MOSTLY for his stellar praise and encouragement. Word of advice: If you can dream it, you can do it. Thanks for listening.