mr dave

this is cool, sounds more like an artists' collective than a traditional band.

the revamped comp is coming up as temporarily unavailable. i'll try it again later or something.

i do plan to finish commenting on the rest of the comp but just like you i've been dealt with a rather stressful hand of crap in the office this week

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Freebase Dali

Sorry for dragging ass about it (Currently setting up for a move), but here are my comments for the comp submissions:



1. DF - Saving and Enslaving the World (from Mr. Dave)
- Loving the experimental sound of this. The guitars are the highlight. I wish the quality was a little better, but it adds to the character of the song.

2. Dave, Evan and Jef - sail to the sun (from Mr. Dave)
- This is my favorite submission from Mr. Dave. The dreamy quality of the elements presented here work together very well and give me an emotion that feels like it's experienced through half-opened eyes on the edge of sleep while drifting, lost, in the middle of an ocean on nothing more than a leaking raft. The vocals remind me of MewithoutYou, but they really fit the song and I don't think there should, or could, have been any way around the necessity of doing it that way. It's perfect. Again, I wish the quality would have been better... mostly just so I could hear the instruments more clearly, even through the necessary distortion, but it's still an excellent track. This goes in the playlist without a second thought.

3. Panda Go Panda - Rather Warm, But Wet (from Mr. Dave)
- Liking the funky flavor mixed with the ashes here... Would fit perfectly as an intermission song on an album. Makes me want to bust out my old DJ Spooky album and do a mashup with some abstract turntablism.

4. Unchained Ballad - Somber Ways
- Nice, lazy atmosphere with an edge of just the right amount of "creepy". It feels less like a song than a really wide ambient pad. Which isn't a bad thing at all. I might have to hire UB to make some atmo structures for me.

5. Unchained Ballad - The Wanderer
- I liked the vocal clip inserts. They added a focal point and let the guitars become a background to them. In this form, this could really serve as an intro.

6. Unchained Ballad - Whale
- This one had some good ideas as an ambient atmosphere. I want to process it to death! Gimme.

7. Vatos Locos Guitarristas - Los Caballeros del san Mondell (from Tore)
- This song made me smile the entire time. The imperfections were charming, the song doesn't take itself too seriously, the vocal inserts sound great, and I can't figure out whether someone is playing drums with horse hooves or what. The singing comes in, the horse neigh, and this is the point where I actually LOL (in a good way). If you are depressed, you should listen to this song. I don't see how it couldn't put a smile on your face.

8. Mette Marit - Flammenes Regent (from Tore)
- This one definitely brings back memories of this sound way back when. I can relate to what went into this, and although it's most certainly a dated sound, it feels pleasantly nostalgic to me. Makes me want to bust out all my old Electronic tunes and relive the whole thing.

9. Milo - Going Home (from Tore)
- All I can think of are those flash games at Miniclip.com!!! Haha... it's soooo online flash game. This is practically the essence of online flash game music. Fantastic.

10. Space is the Place - Life Metal (from +81)
- (didn't download the new version of the comp. Sorry! Maybe if you can provide a link so I don't have to download the entire thing again?)

11. Space is the Place - The Coral Sea (from +81)
- Immediately liked it because of the Nintendo-Fi sound. Reminded me of The Postal Service without vocals. Love the melody. It makes me want to play with Legos. Then that whale synth comes in, and wow, that's a cool synth. Good transitions throughout. I just feel like there should be something else to add contrast to the song. Maybe some 8-bit drums, or some vocals... something to switch focal points. Anyway, it was a nice tune and it's my top pick from +81.

12. Space is the Place - Blood & Milk (from +81)
- The music was good. Liked it plenty. The vocals kind of distracted my attention though with the left-panning and key issues. Very good choices for the music and progression though.

13. Stone Birds - A Breeze On the Sea
- OMG... I don't think I've ever been this surprised at something before. Stone Birds, you really knocked this out of the park and this is not only my favorite submission by you and everything I've heard by you, but possibly my favorite submission in the whole compilation. Keep in mind, I'm reviewing the "accidental" version without the samples. I heard both versions, and I like this better and the "intermission" quality of it. The only problem I come up against is towards the end how the singing gets a little bit out of hand... But in the beginning and middle, especially your vocals and how they bent around the music and landed in all the right places, there was a moment that was perfect. I absolutely loved half of this song. If you ever do another version of this song with the singing fixed in the later half and maybe extend the song, I would buy this. Great work.

14. Stone Birds - Flying Machines
- I really like how the vocals used that Oriental-sounding string line to make the vibe presented here. This really highlights the sonic quality of the vocals, even if they're imperfect in tune. I get hints of Chino Moreno, and that's a big positive for me, as I love the Deftones.

15. Stone Birds - Saviour
- Another good submission. The depth and separation of elements are all balanced and sound really good. The musical ideas presented here are nice. The vocal tune is the only thing that detracts from this, but the production quality is excellent. Stone Birds, you have surprised me yet again.

16. Krill-Whale-Human - Boardroom (from Janszoon)
- When I listened to this, it was my first time hearing anything from Jans.. and how eclectic this is! It's my second time cracking a laugh during this comp, and it's because that "brrr" sample. Haha. And I do not mean this in a bad way. The song is fun. The vocals are awesome.. nicely set apart from everything else in tone and emotion. Interesting song, no doubt.

17. Krill-Whale-Human - Mega-Awesome Dragon (from Janszoon)
- Loved the pianos. Made me want to make an underground Hiphop track based solely on them. Nice introduction of the IDM-style percussive elements. I almost feel like this is a secret song on Mario Bros. 2. I love the fun aspect of this.

18. Vegangelica - Evergreen
- I liked the old school sound to this. There be a ton of lyrics, holy crap... I liked the melody changes in the chorus and how the vocals played into it. The violins were a nice addition when they came in.

19. Vegangelica - Free
- I just realized that I have created a massive comparison of Vegangelica to Peggy Hill from King Of The Hill. I don't know why. That is now what this song means.

20. Vegangelica - Isle
- Best submission of Vegangelica songs IMO, and the lyrics, although as dense as how many deer there would be in one spot if you burnt down a forest and funneled the only exit through the opening of a 20 ounce Sprite bottle, they're interesting, and her voice is fun and the music is put together well.

21. The Disintegration Tapes - Identity Song [Demo] (from Rickenbacker)
- Nice punk voice! I think that's pretty much all there is in the song to comment on.

22. The Bullet - Out 2 Haunt U (from The Bullet)
- I don't mean to perpetuate a downward trajectory with my comments, but I didn't like any of this. At all. I wouldn't call it music, and I don't really like listening to a nearly 13 minute long random collection of sound effects, so this did nothing for me. Sorry The Bullet. It would have been more damaging to have lied.

23. AFDEX16 - Funkology (from Antonio)
- Nice licks. Nice licks. Nice licks. Nice licks. Nice licks. Nice licks. Nice licks.

24. AFDEX16 - House of Dead (from Antonio)
- The acid-style bassline is cool. The sound is a lot dated, but the ideas work in the context of the song.

25. AFDEX16 - Warhead_Weapon of Mass Destruction (from Antonio)
- Another cool bassline.

26. Lawn Chronicles - Negating Expectations (from wolverinewolfweiselpigeon)
- Absolutely stunning. The vocals are perfect. I did not know WWWP could sing. If WWWP's vocals and Vegangelica's vocals got into a fight, WWWP's vocals would win. The lyrics are good as well. The progression works well, the mixing is good except maybe the harmonica could be turned down a bit.
Love the harmonies. Seriously, this is a huge surprise. Excellent submission from WWWP.

27. Freebase Dali - 1up
- Utter crap. Peeing on Spin Magazine sounds more aesthetic.

28. Freebase Dali - Caesura
- Sounds like a cat stuck in a dryer with crappy, unfashionable clothes. Awful. This guy should be banned.

Arya Stark

I didn't read your username and I thought someone was being really rude to you.
I was about to whip some ass, I have to say.
Glad I didn't need to. =P

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+81

Since it didn't make the first draft, here is my abandoned track.

Life Metal.mp3

The full titled is actually 'Life Metal/Bat-Bombs'.

I'll try and do a write-up soon but so far I'm quite impressed with everyone's work.

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mr dave

holy crap thanks dude


as for the quality it's because everything was recorded from the floor directly into the built in mic on our friend's beat to hell macbook from like 5 years ago. there was no such thing as a second take or separate tracks with us, everything happened live in the moment or never at all. the funky interlude was from the basement jams - recorded on a pair of hanging mics from the ceiling into a cassette deck, actually got semi-decent quality mixes after establishing room settings on all the gear.

oh yeah, i only have 2 hands and therefore there is only one guitar on any track. hehehe



might as well do a few more too hehe

Milo - Going Home - didn't check this one out last time and disappointed. very subdued U-ziq stylings, probably my favourite of the bunch. really liked the bass note slide near the end.

Space is the Place - Life Metal - i liked the intro way more than the song until the fuzzy bass kicked in.

i'll try Saviour again now - very Caribou with less autotune i have a hard time making out the lyrics at times and the parts that do come clear could be taken as somewhat spiritual but it's hardly to the detriment of the music.

alright... VEGANGELICA. 12 minutes eh?... i thought about sending a 35 minute track

Evergreen - i've been on a Luscious Jackson kick lately and this fits in nicely. a little more folk-ish than funky but still cool. the violin is very nice and smooth. ever listen to Imani Coppola? holy crap it's over but it never felt long, i can't imagine talking that much for that long let alone singing it haha

Free - the chorus on the guitar makes this feel very 80s to me. at times it sounds quite a bit like 'Eye in the Sky' by the Alan Parson's Project in the way it's put together. again holy wordy hahaha the instrumental bits remind me of mellower King Crimson too, very nice.

Isle - PUNK ROCK! i like the vocal overdubs. where you obviously enjoy singing basically non stop have you ever thought about writing separate vocal parts for each channel? also was that banjo near the end or plucking the strings on your violin?

Rickenbacker Identity Song - more punkish stuff and i like it. the vocals come through nice and clear. wasn't expecting that folky switch, liking it. reminds me of the untitled half of John Frusciante's first solo disc. but less tweaked out screeching.


The Bullet. Out 2 Haunt U - WAY ambient. reminds me of Fantomas' Delerium Cordia but less chaos. the only time i liked listening to it was for background noise while playing a video game. and yeah, it sounds like humping. then fapping. microphonic feedback is never nice to the listener either. you could make a decent haunted sounding track from the material you have here, but like FD said, it sounds like a sound effects reel, the solos were interesting (especially the last one with the wah) but felt tacked on and out of place from everything else being very processed.


Antonio - i remember checking out your youtube tracks way back when and i dug them quite a bit. i get the impression jamming with you would be ultra fun.

Funkology - the first few seconds said Jane's Addiction then - what the hell kind of wah is that? - kicked in. and a super noodly solo to top things off. very Hendrix-ian, awesome

House of Dead - wasn't expecting electronic stuff but i definitely dig. like funkier Selected Ambient Works.

Warhead - WMD - as heavy as that last one was ambient, but based on that first track it begs the question... why no blazing solos?


WWWP - your name is way too hard to type. sorry hehehe

Negating Expectations - wow. really like the vocal overdubs for the chorus. really like the way the harmonica fades itself in and out too especially earlier on. just wow though.


Freebase Dali

1up - i'm a sucker for super layered dub-ish electro stuff like this. really like how it transfers smoothly through so many different elements.

Caesura - i can't help but think Mogwai before the trip-hop shift but the crushing guitars never come. then again it wouldn't get played on tv with crushing guitars hahaha. reminds me a lot of the Boom Boom Satellites after switching, mainly because of the 'sonar' beep that keep hitting on time. really good track, i quite like it.

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Janszoon

It's funny, I don't think I would've made the connection to either of those bands myself, but I do love both of them so I certainly take those comments as a compliment!

Haha! I'm glad to hear my stuff makes someone laugh. Humor is definitely something I try to make a part of a good amount of my music, especially a song like "Boardroom" which has totally satirical lyrics. And it's interesting that both you and mr dave made an IDM comparison on "Mega-Awesome Dragon". It's funny how other people can see thing in your own music that you can't. I never would've connected that song to IDM at all but now that you two mention it I can totally hear it.


I sorry I'm taking so long to write up my reviews for all the tracks, by the way. It's been a really busy week at work and I'm heading out of town tomorrow so I may not be able to post anything until next week.

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Stone Birds

thanks for all the wonderful comments on my songs

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mr dave

it's all good i tend to have an odd way of relating music to itself. the vocoder and old school keyboard lead is really what sealed the comparison for Boardroom in my mind.

the atonal piano loop from Mega-Awesome Dragon (awesome title btw haha) is something i've associated with Mouse on Mars for years as well.

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Janszoon

I'm glad that title makes someone else laugh. It was one of those decisions you make while stoned then later wonder whether it's funny to anyone who wasn't there that day or if it just sounds dumb.

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mr dave

that's pretty much my entire feelings on all the jams my friends and i recorded back in that dirty old warehouse downtown. i'll always know what it was like to be in the jam room - hazy as hell and loud as sin. only instead of funny i worry about coolness haha

there was only 'one' band in the warehouse (out of about 15 rooms) that was louder than us. we happened to share a wall with them hahaha only happened a handful of times where we were both there at the same time though. but when they were there... wow loud.

one of the street punk kids that jammed there said my bass sounded like a lawnmower once. i took it as a compliment

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