8. short stories II

by @knobbyneggins815

Liner Notes

#gimmicks #experimental? #ifyoulistentothiatrackpleasereadthelinernotescuzitmakesnosensewithoutit

So I always knew this would be my Track 8 for the album, and had it recorded since last year, so I'm not going to count this towards my 14 songs this month! But that itch in my brain still needs it in my list of songs because it's (literally) a piece of a bigger puzzle.

Whenever I conceived of this idea to do a trilogy of albums, I had this gimmick-y idea to have a track on the 1st and 3rd album that are two halves of a whole. Like a "secret track" hidden in plain sight, if you layer "short stories I" and "short stories II" on top of one another, they make a complete and full track.

The issues here are obvious:

  1. Nobody cares. I do, and that's sick, but like, nobody is actually going to download both tracks and put them in a DAW and time them right and whatever. I'm fine with that, I've done a lot more just to impress myself lol

  2. Each track has to stand on it's own JUST ENOUGH to seem like it can be it's own song, while also having empty and barren parts that gel with the lyrics and the theme of "putting disparate pieces together".

  3. The third part has gotta go somewhere. Once again, I have the final mixed track that is both of these songs put together, but what...a bonus track on Bandcamp? I dunno. That'll come later, if at all. Maybe I can just keep it for myself as a funny anecdote that I'll never tell anyone.

Anyhoo, thanks for reading this if you did, I'm sure we can all relate to making things because you have this idea in the back of your brain that won't go away.

Here is the first track from the first album btw, if you're interested: https://soundcloud.com/brandon-brooks-746737217/short-stories-i

Lyrics

Echo from the forest Just within the trees Is begging me to run But I don't wanna leave.

Fight the "fight or flight" And every little urge To admit that there's a figure Just waiting to emerge.

Right on cue, I'll just give up.

Oh it doesn't make a difference Anymore, The voices come and then The world distorts.

I'll scream until Something responds.

Oh, it doesn't really matter Anyway. The voices fade, and then We're all erased.

Oh it doesn't make a difference anymore. It doesn't make a difference anymore. Oh it doesn't really matter anyway. It doesn't really matter anyway.

Oh the pieces put together aren't enough. The pieces put together aren't enough.

Comments

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cool concepts - and sounds

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i listened to the first one first, and wonder how the two would sound were they placed on top of one another. if you can do it and it works, it might be something to include on your fawm 2025 album (maybe as a bonus track as you suggested.) the first version is a much simpler production and performance and as such i believe may be more revealing. althoug i think the lyrics in part 2 are stronger. this track ends abruptly and i listened to the song again and see it is intentional, and not a malfunction of my system,

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I really liked this as but I'm not sure how to feed back on it as it sounds pretty unique to me. I love the intro as it sounds as if you are listening to the heartbeat of the trees before it kicks in. Love the over-layering of the voices - that works very well. Intrigued as to how you get a third song with this and another song. #tit4tat

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The instrumentation and the vocal delivery are really good on this.

And notwithstanding the idea you had for combining this with another song I actually think this works fine by itself.

#tit4tat

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I really like the heavy echo on the vocals in this track, they fit in well with the synth background. I also really like how the distortion builds through the final part of the song into a crashing conclusion. And I particularly like that you have a self gratifying purpose for the song - that makes me happy too!

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@micklove

Nice delay/echo on the vocal gives it movement. Very nice harmonies and panning. Lots of room and space like a waterfall around the listener. Great ending. I like the in between place here of personally interpretable lyrics but still telling your story.

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-- "Whenever I conceived of this idea to do a trilogy of albums, I had this gimmick-y idea to have a track on the 1st and 3rd album that are two halves of a whole. Like a "secret track" hidden in plain sight, if you layer "short stories I" and "short stories II" on top of one another, they make a complete and full track."

WHAT A GENIUS IDEA!! i love it...

your vocals are especially strong on this cut, which started out clean but then slid slowly into an buzzed out saturated panic. your production skills are really on the up. keep going

((there was a metal band called neurosis. they released an album called "times of grace" and a companion ambient album called "grace". both albums were designed to be played simultaneuosly, creating a third, metal-ambient, album. same kind of approach!!))

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Having a thread from your previous work is upping the intrigue for this one! The driving and careening vocals are giving me shades of Everything Everything

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Thanks so much @hyssop ! Genuinely, it means so much to know I'm not just yelling into the void, lol.

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@hyssop

My face when I saw the title :0 !!!!!!!!! I care! I love this puzzle you've been piecing together this past year and I'm totally psyched to put these together for the secret message. I love the abrupt ending here, the growing distortion, the pieces put together aren't enough and then BOOM done, no answers, just melancholy wondering. The synth sounds are so intriguing, I love the layering on them. I especially love that bell sounding one, its pretty but also really sad (perfect!). The vocals here are wild in a good way, as always. Love it!!

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This is so angsty and haunting! I really want to hear the two pieces together.

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