Yo, grandfatherfucker.

Sorry for the rather late reply. Then again, you've taken far longer.

Yes - nice, long, bowed intro. Very relaxing and satisfying to play.

"Butterflies and meadows."

Excellent, very accurate description! You're expressing in words what I was feeling. Some of the high cello parts do sound a bit like buzzing or some other creature flying about. Very bright, playful and warm stuff.

"Next section is a bit darker and reflective"

Yes, dark and mystical. Quite a change!

"2:50 driving snare hits are nice"

They are but they're quite electronic so I wouldn't expect you to like them.

"3:28 pluckery is a nice addition."

Two lines of plectrum-played cello. Not sure how many people ever do that but playing with fingers or bow would not have sounded the same. Very different, actually.

"I'll start making YouTube fishing vids and you can supply the music."

It's a plan but will it ever happen?

"All rather calming and relaxing."

Yeah, nothing badass but it's just not that sort of track. I really like it and find it quite addictive ie I want to hear what's coming next every time I listen to it.

Static Transmad (I'm your passenger)

Hello again.

Yes, it's worth going through the Nomad archive if you're looking for something interesting to hear, especially as you haven't been on the site much in the last year.

"You deserve some real respect."

I get a bit but I can always do with more - especially in real life (rather than just online). We're all the same!

"The song is nice: good, but not the best one."

I agree. Pleasant and interesting but not amazing. A bit more minimal, for a change. The peaks are probably 1:14-2:25. That lead cello part is quite exciting, I find.

"make your guitar enter the scene a bit earlier."

No guitar here. You probably think it's guitar at 3:26 because I'm playing the cello with a guitar pick - something I very rarely do as it's a bit awkward to do. But it does give a different sound. Much more like guitar.

"I would even consider shortening the "middle part""

I like that section. It's quite mystical and trippy.

The title is a word I made up. A cross between 'translucent' and 'lucid'.

Here are two tracks you will prefer from the Nomad archive. First is a long, mystical blues track with lots of guitar. And bass. Deep chill and groovy blues:

The Mythical Gates

https://www.looperman.com/tracks/detail/177482

And here's a psychedelic cello grunge track that will surprise you as there's no guitar. Anything that sounds like guitar is cello:

Skyscaper

https://www.looperman.com/tracks/detail/183448

Thanks again for the thoughts. They're always useful.

Yeah, some cinematic drums could work very nicely. Perhaps just try adding some orchestral cymbals or something and build from there.

I might give it a go or just stick with what I've got - something somewhat minimal, for a change.

Yo, ill Silverman (Sillverman).

Sorry to hear about your pain and I hope the medication is helping.

Yes, this is fairly minimalist. Partly because I struggled to add other instruments to it so just let it flow with this sparser sound. It could probably still do with something else being added - another instrument and perhaps more percussion. It's mostly just one drumkit, which is very rare for me.

"it sounds quite complicated."

Yes, as per most of my tracks. Probably something to do with the layering. My instrumental music needs to be somewhat complicated to be interesting. I don't exactly make obvious genre stuff and none of it is pop music or just straight dance music.

"Every track you offer up is now a cello track"

Yes, mostly though I have done a few without cello in the last year - electro metal, mystical blues and so on.

"Probably why your guitar skills appear to be deteriorating."

I seem to have run out of ideas on the instrument, which is why I rarely even pick it up these days. And thus my fluidity of playing has deserted me. I hope the skills will return though I'll have to actually start playing the damn thing again for that to happen. They won't come back just by thinking about them and hoping I might be able to recapture my past moderate glories.

"This is a beautiful track."

Thanks very much. I try to add as much as I can to everything I do. Even if it's heavy - then I go for a certain type of dark beauty.

"long may your relationship with the cello last"

I have no idea about that. I think I should probably start another new instrument. But will I then abandon the cello? I hope not but cannot say.

Thanks for the lucid thoughts. Your vocabulary was just fine.

Haha - so am I! I don't really know what the hell I'm doing when it comes to harmony. I just about know the key I'm playing in and that's it.

I'm not sure where the major 7th chord comes in for "several seconds". Oh, actually I think I do. It's a long chord sequence and I think there's one chord I change to (towards the end) that's a bit of a surprise but very satisfying to my ears. That's probably the major 7th chord.

"I am impressed with your incorporation of cello!"

It's the main played instrument in my tracks these days. Hopefully they all sound a bit or a lot different.

Thanks for the thoughts.

Thanks.

I like it but I don't love it.

Sorry for the very slow reply - it's most unlike me but I haven't been using the site for a couple of weeks.

Yes, interesting title - just a word I made up by combining 'translucent' and 'lucid'. I started with Translucent Planet but felt I could do better, even though I like the idea.

Yes, drumless intro is decent though I wish it could be bigger, fatter and more powerful.

"Then comes the lead cello and I really notice the swell on the notes. This is done with delay? You must be using a volume pedal as well."

You and a couple of others on here have been confusing me with asking about volume pedals and stuff. I've never used one and all your're hearing is bowing - no special technique but it does make the note rise in interesting ways.

That lead cello is pretty cool and jaunty and there are a few layers, with different bits meshing together at different points.

"The bridge around 2:30 is a perfect interlude, nice heavenly pads."

A darker, more mystical change. The track is no longer jaunty but more brooding and trippy now.

"The last section features some impressive lead fills with some fancy articulation, long bowed notes, staccatos and octave exchanges."

I think you mean 3:50-4:26. There are lots of bowed harmonics in there.

I like new, darker riff at 4:26.

"This is a bitchin' track bro."

Is it? No badassery and more on the groovy, chilled side of things.

"you definitely need to do some editing."

You mean the track should be shorter? Oh, I thought it was a fair old medium length one, with no section dragging too much.

"how far you have come in your quest to master it."

I have a hell of a long way to go and I'm not sure I'm currently improving much. Maybe I will never get much better. I may be at my peak right now.

"Remove the "not a great track" comment from your description !"

I think I'll keep it as I still feel the same. It's certainly not bad or even just average but it's not great as in really, really good.

Thanks for the feedback. It was quite lucid and only a little trans (cendental/gender).

Lucid Nomad

Excellent answer. You're not struggling for words this time.

"1:20-1:40 there is a nice groove that gets your head bobbing, and the melody is sweet"

I understand. It's pleasurable and grabs you without you thinking about it whereas the riffs towards the end don't have the same effect. I actually like them but, yes, it can be really hard to maintainthe same level of enjoyment every time you make a change. Some riffs just aren't as good as others. Or aren't as good in the context of the particular track in which they feature. The end riffs are a bit darker.

"I don't know jack about music theory"

Neither do I. I also don't know what 12 tonal theory is.

"Is it that at the beginning you are doing more traditional melodies"

Yeah, probably that. More major, positive and brighter and then things go a bit darker and more mystical.

Thanks very much for clarifying. That is some lucid feedback!

Thanks. I am musically very ambitious and almost always try to make something unusual that I haven't really heard anyone else make before.

The synth pads play quite a background, atmospheric role, with the cello as the main instrument a lot of the time. Rather minimal drums for me. Not very interesting or busy but still effective.

Thanks again.

Haha - very lucid!

Good to hear you dig it. I dig you digging it.

Yeah, the drums are quite similar throughout and rather minimal and restrained for me. I've done a lot of very busy drum tracks in the past so I guess I've recently been exploring a bit more drum minimalism. You're not wrong.

I suppose I was trying to let the track breathe and be more chilled out. I've also heard far more boring and monotonous drum tracks than this one

Hi. Great to hear you liked the cello. I think it's a pretty cool sound. My cello teacher has a live performing career using just an electric cello and one loopstation and one multi effects pedal. No vocals, no backing tracks. You'd be surprised how versatile the instrument is.

"the more melodic beginning especially around 1:20-1:40"

Yes, that's where a new, jaunty lead cello part arrives. A few layers there as it builds. Same cello chord backing.

"the ending which seems more random to me"

I have no idea what you mean when you say "random". Is that some new, modern usage of the word or are you using it in its usual sense? It's all kind of the same drum groove and similar, minimal instrumentation throughout so the ending is just a new riff/chord progression. Random would be if it morphed into banjo metal or choral country.

"I wonder if it would be good to mix in other strong instruments"

You're not wrong but I decided to keep this track rather minimal, for a change. I have loads of tracks where various instruments are having conversations with each other, so to speak. It's a shame my guitar playing is so average these days as, in the recent past, I would have picked it up and knocked out some good stuff on it.

Thanks for the suggestions and don't forget to let me know about my "random" question.

Yo, Mr V.

Let us dive right in; deep and occasionally coming up for air.

I do indeed have Jesus' original delay pedal. I cleaned the sand, blood and thorns off and it works perfectly. All hail the ancient art of delay!

Intro is longish and calming. It's just two run-throughs of my chord sequence, which is quite long. It continues for about 2.5 mins, sitting behing the jaunty lead cello layers.

"It sounds like multiple players"

Well, multiple layers, not players. The only way that is likely to happen is if some Nomad cloning happens. Then I can play with myself all day.

Yeah, the drums are rather minimal for me. Mostly just one kit and only occasional or subtle fills.

"few more light fills, or rolls." Normally I have a lot more. Minimal Nomad, for a change.

"2:25 - dreamy pads, backed by strings."

Yes, that's a far out, mystical pad sound. The cello has gone and there aren't any strings behind the main pad. Just another pad.

"it didn't, send me on that permanent vacation I was promised."

Sorry about that. But if it had, wouldn't that sort of be death? That's a permanent vacation, as far as we know. Unless you believe in reincarnation. I guess going to hell is a permanent shit vacation. But the devil does have all the good tunes so that's at least some consolation.

"I don't think you've "lost it." "

I've definitely lost something, especially my guitar playing ability. Such a shame as I used to be quite decent. I'm reluctant these days to even pick it up. It's weird feeling like a guy who'd quite like to be a good guitarist. As if I'm a total beginner.

Thanks for the V-shaped thoughts. They were fairly lucid and only a little trans.