life raft
by @burrMod
Liner Notes
#Psychedelic #ChamberPop #Orchestra #FolkRock #Fuzz #Flanger
some of my favorite records are weirdo folk/rock/pop albums with orchestras but also synths and fuzzy guitars, like jeremy enigk's "return of the frog queen," beck's "sea change" or "morning phase," and my brightest diamond's "all things will unwind" or "this is my hand."
i've been collecting orchestral VSTs for a couple years with the goal of trying to do something like this, and i'm sick of using my 4-track by now this FAWM, so decided to go back "in the box." last week i wrote an EP where i asked an AI to give me a "roadmap" of BPM, meter, song structure, and instrument suggestions, and i wrote songs to those constraints. i did that again for a "chamber pop" EP and this is what i came up with based on its suggestions for track 1.
i used ezdrummer / ezbass / ezkeys for the core of it, and then painstakingly "divisi'ed" the keyboard part i rounded on across all the orchestral voices (ditching the original piano plugin). i tried to make it sound realistic, but i'm sure real winds players would get pretty mad at not letting them breathe when they needed to! but hey, i'm pleased with this as my first attempt at the vibe...
i'm NOT pleased with the vocal take, but it's FAWM so... moving on...
i pretty much had all the instruments recorded before writing lyrics and melody, although i had been humming the "slowing me down" line very early in the process. i don't know if i'll get through the other 3 songs in this EP before FAWM is over... this one took me 2 days and was a LOT of work! but i'll try. going to post them as i finish them, though, and not all at once...
Lyrics
i remember feeling weightless here as the vessel surged on and disappeared diesel and seaweed why are we are speeding so fast it's throwing me down and the life raft just spins me around
floating adrift on waves of uncertainty losing a grip on what matters to me white knuckles gripping why are we are slipping so fast it's slowing me down and the life raft just spins me around
the azure expanse, brutal but beautiful in a way we ride out the storm, or we drift away
Comments
thanks carley!
I wanted to hear a couple of your songs, as well as thank you so much for all you do. Should have thanked you long ago - this is my 18th FAWM. What a cool, dreamy song - lyrically and musically. Such a trippy blend of instruments - sounds awesome in headphones!
Wow! This is great. It makes me want to try some orchestral components in my music. Thank you for a great listen and the great liner notes.
The pulse and groove of the production work so well with the vibe of the lyric. The EZBassist was getting down and doing work! I love the kitchen sink production. All the sounds and little dynamic pulses create a great sense of space for your droll vocal -- I certainly have no complaints over that performance. This is a very cool thing you've made. Interesting to see how you went a little wild once you removed the limitations of the 4 track.
I like the midi woodwinds and “orchestra”, that is nice! The shift in chords and feel at “white knuckles” was great, and I really loved the ethereal vocals at the chorus (10/10 would sing along in the car). Nice work all!
That vocal melody is great, especially on the first lines, the floating adrift... and losing grip... parts. The slowing me down also jumps out. I really gravitated towards the vocals while listening, although some polishing would be needed they are already quite solid. There is some dreamlike quality here. Almost like a floaty feel. I like this a lot.
I'm hearing Beck crossed with Magical Mystery Tour in this track. Really interesting mixture of sonic layers and textures. I'm loving getting lost in this.
Love it right from the start! Drums are crazy and perfect.
This is pretty great, Burr with a good, strong message. The instrumentation which is also cool is well done but it's the message, man that hits home. I think I can see the Beck influence, too.
I really love the arrangement you've put together...you put in a lot of work and it shows. All the diverse elements come together to make a marvelous bowl of sonic chili that beautifully underpins the picturesque lyrics. Excellent!
I'm a sucker for pop/indie/rock songs with unusual instruments. This is so good. Well produced, and the different sounds all work so great together. I always wish I could write songs like this
this is so . . . . big.
love it, love it. love it.
this is music to sit down and listen too, i suspect each time you've find something new in the composition.
I like this idea of making a series of EPs during FAWM, and I like the use of AI to give you a starting point for each song. I don't know the albums you're referencing, but I'm curious now.
This vocal melody and rhyme is quite engaging, it just keeps drawing the listener forward. Nice job!
The diesel and seaweed line is great.
The keys give a sense of being on the water.
Has a feel of the Beach Boys, Good vibrations era.
Also - good memorable chorus- was singing along by the end!
The vibe is entirely correct, including the vocals. I want a whole album of this.