Hello.

My apologies for the late reply.

Yes, there certainly is a lot of stuff going on here though I'm sure I have more simultaneous stuff in some of my other tracks. I'm not sure I really do that much EQing. There are different ways to shape the sounds, such as filtering on synths as well as adjusting the velocities of the individual drum hits.

"everything is so seamless when it comes to transitions"

Thanks. I don't always get it right and I think there are a couple of transitions that could be a bit better in this one.

There are lots of drums in here. I'm using probably at least 10-15 separate drum loops plus a few hypersampled acoustic drum kits made by Toontrack. They are a mixture of Superior and EZ Drummer kits, which are very good and not too expensive.

"did you record them in a studio"

I didn't record the Toontrack kits in a studio but someone else did. Have a look at some of the short videos on the Toontrack site and you'll see how they make their drum sample packs. They're real kits, recorded in real studios and then the end user gets to choose how to mix and trigger/program those sounds.

Thanks for the feedback.

Tryppy greetings.

Have you really been anxiously waiting for a new track from me? Walking around during the day thinking: "Damn, I really need me some new Nomad"?

Anyway, good to hear there are "a host of far out sounds that I havent heard from you before" because I try to introduce new sounds into every track I make and I think I'm mostly successful.

"the section around 6:30 where the synth begins the distorted swells"

That's my lead dubstep synth. I downloaded a load of free dubstep patches for Reason (my main synth) and that sound seemed pretty cool. Quite a few dubstep sounds annoy me though perhaps it's more to do with the way they're used and abused.

I'm just automating a few settings on that synth so that's probably why it sounds like it's a wah or expression pedal in use. Pretty standard dubstep stuff.

"7:25 where you reprise the same sound and really go nuts with it."

Yeah, that's pretty aggressive. I will give your extreme panning idea a go as I need to go back sometime and improve this track. The main task is to come up with an intro.

No, there won't be a Christmas cello track from me but I can offer the following one from much earlier this year that I think you missed. It's got some really cool cello in it plus trip hop and dubstep and so on. Trypt actually came out of it so they're both at the same tempo.

This Time All The Time

https://www.looperman.com/tracks/detail/183076

Enjoy...

Great to hear you really liked this one.

I'm still not hearing the jazz in this. It's not swinging and there are no jazz-related instruments. Perhaps it's just that initial cello bassline that is reminiscent of jazzy double bass. There definitely is rock coming from the drums. And perhaps some of the distorted cello parts.

"I usually gravitate to songs that you can't really pin down, and this is one of them."

I'm kind of the same. Thanks.

"tons of interesting sounds"

That's what I go for in most of my tracks. I just have to be acareful not to add too many. Adding lots means the mix is harder but that's part of the fun - trying to get all this disparate stuff to sit nicely together.

"Absolutely love the break at 7:24"

Yeah, that's my dubstep madness. The track has a limiter applied to the output mixer al the time except for a few sections. When taken off, things get more aggressive. So it's off for this section.

"Like you I also feel like there could be more to the intro"

Yes and I must go back and try to come up with one. I was lazy and never really seriously attempted anything. I had some ideas along the lines of yours. I do need something that is a preview of the crazy stuff that follows. Maybe a massive, heavily effected drum fill or something that fades out, with its delay lines trailing. And then the cello bass and hip hop drums start. I just need to experiment with that idea and see what emerges.

Thanks again for the high praise.

Hello, Mr Sman.

Great to hear you loved it so much. I can't say this is the best track I've ever made but I have made something like 20 albums in the last 17 years so it's tough to pick a favourite, though I do kind of have one (and it's still on this site).

Yes, I feel the track keeps on getting better and second half is perhaps better than the first. Interesting point about it continually almost collapsing. I guess that's when it comes down from going heavy and crazy and kind of resets itself into something a bit different.

I never thought of it being like jazz while making it. Perhaps that initial cello bassline. There's definitely rock in here from the drums and maybe also some distorted cello parts.

I like the madness here. I tried to keep pushing and making certain bits more extreme and interesting. It's not perfect so I will return in order to come up with a proper intro and perhaps tidy up some other areas.

Thanks for the thoughts.

Greetings, Mr Bleep.

Thanks for listening and commenting.

"incoherence and coherence get tangled marvelously"

Haha - that's a nice phrase and idea. Yes, I like to do that whenever possible. I'm always looking for unusual tones and sounds.And I do like to introduce some madness into what I do. You have to find a way to keep things interesting.

I think the cello bassline right at the start probably reminded you of Morphine and Mark Sandman's 2-string bass. Morphine are one of my favourite ever bands so I know their tones very well.

The first 40 seconds of the track below by me sound a lot like Morphine (but not the rest of the track) as there's real saxophone. And cello. I hope you like it.

Everything Where It Should Be

https://www.looperman.com/tracks/detail/177063

Thanks again for the thoughts.

Thanks.

Great to hear you enjoyed it. I've only been working on this one track for the last few weeks and, now I've finished it, I'm not quite sure what else I have to work on. I guess I'll find something - probably some older problem tracks.

Yes, the mix is complicated but I keep mixing all the time as I continuously sculpt the sounds and automate the effects. I work entirely on headphones.

I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't manage to come up with a proper intro but maybe just that cello bassline and drums is good enough.

Thanks again.