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Keywords:
cosmos (4), sombreros (1), mustache (1), poetry (96), orpheus (1), sappho (2), eleanor wilner (1), skull (1), jar (1), firefly (3), flash gordon (2), collaboration (102), bum wiggler (1)
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Description:
Cosmic Contemplation - a whole mess of it!
Credit where credit is due:
First and foremost the very generous and brilliant poet Eleanor Wilner, whose lines:
release me now
from what I am: a weary cosmos in a skull,
a mind awake inside a jar-if anyone can hear
my plea-release me, release me now...
(from the poem, "Orpheus on Sappho's Shore" published in *The Girl with Bees in Her Hair* and elsewhere), got this whole thing started, and with whose kindhearted permission I am posting this song. Thank you Eleanor, for your inspiration.
apb - Guitarist, Producer, etc, who did all the hard production stuff that I find impossible still
jgurner - featured trumpeter, thanks Joseph for interpreting apb's idea and making it reality
musichead - not just the bass player - we love him! first to hear my first two measely verses and passed them along to apb
joshnyberg - lending his ears (not rears) and giving critical suggestions for the beginning and ending of the song in particular
me - wrote the song, lyrics, original midi bass line that peaks in occassionally, threw in a strings loop and helped arrange, was creative executive (I'm da boss), ha ha, oh yeah, and the singing
Please enjoy!
Lyrics:
Release me from what I am
a cosmos in a skull
Release me
Release me from the eternal
forming constellations that burn
My grey matter creating
sparks tingling down my spine
Release me so that I can
walk out of here
forming constellations that burn
Nobody hears me
my bruises like stars
are silent like stone
forming constellations that burn
Here I am a firefly
beating my breast against
the inside of a jar
forming constellations that burn
© 2007
Hardware:
various Macs and various interfaces
Yamaha APX-8A acoustic, Gibson Les Paul Studio (EMG-ZW pickups)
MXL-V63M mic
M-audio firewire interface
Software:
Garage Band v3
Drums on Demand
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Like it &mdash 03/19/07 - 05:13:07 PM
thanks! &mdash 03/19/07 - 06:48:59 PM
well done chaps... &mdash 03/19/07 - 05:41:26 PM
and chapess!!! a yearning, longing kasbah typah thing!! ty for sharing xox [ Reply to This ]
Thank you! &mdash 03/19/07 - 06:51:08 PM
I appreciate you listening and your compliments......that's a cute little car!
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*estella [ Reply to This ]
Cool then Hot! &mdash 03/19/07 - 06:47:10 PM
This is pretty great. I have a wish list for the mix: take down the tambourine a couple dB, bring the vocal up and lower the midrange EQ on the vocal. A de-esser on the whole thing might help a little, as it sounds a little hissy to me. I don't really hear any bass presence on the song. I think it could be fixed a bit in mastering, but it's usually easier to fix things in the mix first. Things I really like a lot: the panning is really well done, nice stereo space, the trumpet is awesome, and the guitars are all excellent. The vocal is great except that the EQ is off. The lyrics of course are excellent, and the composition is really well put together. What an ambitious collaboration! [ Reply to This ]
Thanks alot Jim &mdash 03/20/07 - 05:00:51 AM
.. really appreciate the in-depth tips. The bass was admittedly done a bit quick at the end (apologies Steve) and it needs to come
up a bit but more importantly be bassier I think (add more
depth to the mix). EQ on vocals: I recall I had a tiny boost on some mid-range (well spotted) it was my taste really (I liked a quality in Estella's voice in that range and I thought it helped to lift the vocals a little from the backing without going too loud .. but I see you think they need to come up a bit too .. that's the alternative and that darn tambourine ..lol .. (was me - it's my spurs!! lol) I have nudged it down so many times, it's close to 'off' but I think it can go down one step - I was trying to balance it with the acoustic really and not lose it completely in the el.guitar sections, there is also a "Kenyan maraca" loop with it.
Thanks again - all good stuff, noted and I can certainly address these prior to any mastering. It was ambitious - got up to my limit (33 tracks) at one point and had to optimize, down to a nice 20 now. [ Reply to This ]
Bass ... &mdash 03/20/07 - 06:59:26 PM
.. I figured out what happened to the bass .. apart from
noticing some ducking down on it (how did that happen? lol),
I realised I mixed the final addition (the bass) with my HD212Pro's headphones only (and they enhance the bass) - I noticed a huge difference with my other headphones/monitors.. will fix this (and mix with the monitors) - was trying to figure out where I went wrong. Live and learn. Sorry Steve ..
I'm such a nonce - always time for a re-mix after feedback :o) [ Reply to This ]
great stuff &mdash 03/19/07 - 06:51:48 PM
this is fantastic.. very dramatic and emotional beautifully sung and well presented and produced ....FAB
[ Reply to This ]
Thank you! &mdash 03/20/07 - 06:59:49 AM
I'm really flattered you liked it. Thanks for listening. Can't wait to hear your music next...
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*estella [ Reply to This ]
You guys work well together .... &mdash 03/19/07 - 06:55:13 PM
... a really lovely song .. and lovely singing by Estellie ... my nit is that I could hear this "cybally ringing hissssss" on the vocal track which was a little hard on the ears - I think Jim probably explained it better - this wasn't as apparent through speakers but through the headphones ..... it was like an ultra-high-frequency pitch ring which forced me to turn down the volume ..... I suspect with a little tweak on the mixing of the vocal track would FIX this right up .... well worth it cause the song is really NICE! And I agree that a little more bass would certainly be good. [ Reply to This ]
Thanks Alannah &mdash 03/20/07 - 05:09:15 AM
.. since I did the production (does that make me a producer Estella? .. oh no, the unions!! ;o)) I'm curious - the drums with more cymbals were specially treated with some filters for variation (might be that?) and I also have a real physical limitation (my ears!) with freqs over ~12.1Khz - so it is very possible you hear something I really can't. I don't think it is the same as Jim is referring to .. could you be a star and give me some .mp3 min:sec time-stamps for when you hear it appearing, would really appreciate it, help me track down what it is. Cheers (send a Note thang)- glad you still enjoyed it overall. [ Reply to This ]
hmm .. &mdash 03/20/07 - 06:50:54 AM
might be sibilant sounds in general and the reduce 's' factor that Jim mentioned. There is alot of 's' words in the lyrics and to be honest, I avoided attempting to reduce any 's' as any time I have tried it before it ends up a bit dull, muddy and lifeless - so tips appreciated on how to go about that without having these side-effects. (the basic EQ preset for "reduce S" doesn't do it for me. [ Reply to This ]
Release me &mdash 03/20/07 - 09:13:34 AM
thank you! &mdash 03/20/07 - 03:54:32 PM
thank you lava! apb keeps adding spanishy flair with his guitars, when I'm the one who's spanish! I don't know how it happens....but i think it's working! I'll have to listen to your stuff....
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*estella [ Reply to This ]
... &mdash 03/20/07 - 04:03:08 PM
Such a great tune! &mdash 03/20/07 - 12:47:06 PM
I just want to say thanks to Estellie and apb for asking me to take part in it. I really enjoyed it. It was great doing something a little different and the song is wonderful. I've always been a fan of the "Spanish" style trumpet. It has a very noble sound and I'm glad I got the chance to try my hand at it. The music is wonderful and Estellie's vocals are just so haunting. They really stick with you.
Thanks again guys for letting me play! [ Reply to This ]
NO, thank YOU &mdash 03/20/07 - 04:01:56 PM
...I think your trumpet lines really add such a beautiful, shivers inducing melancholy to the song. Privileged to have you aboard. Thanks for your compliments.
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*estella [ Reply to This ]
Insert title here &mdash 03/20/07 - 03:37:36 PM
Well, Christ, where to start here?
OK, arrangement and playing is great, the guitar especially deserves a special mention, acoustic and solo are fab. Production is really crisp, although there is a little 'crackle' on the vox, as alannah notes, but no big deal. Love the horns toward the end.
The lyrics are poetry, inspired by and complimented - the join is flawless between your words and Wilners. There's something about
Release me so I can walk out of here
that really gets me.
The singing is your best yet - emotional, raw growling towards the climax ... great structure too, by the way ( clever use of the electric guitar).
So, a big song about big things ... great collab, and the best yet from you estella. This is the sort of song .. i hear it, and it makes me want to stop writing or push me to improve, it's that good.
I've played this 3 times in a row, and going back for more.
I hope this gets the recognition it deserves guys.
Steve [ Reply to This ]
Wow. Thanks! &mdash 03/20/07 - 05:04:35 PM
Hmm...well, gee thanks! I am really most flattered that you think my lyrics blend well with Eleanor Wilner's because she's a hero. And I've often felt paralyzed by the sheer talent of other writers, so I am bewildered that you like mine ("Gentle Machine" rings a bell). And if you'd read the amazing post war poets I've been reading, you'd wonder why any of us have a single word left to say.
But the urgency drives us on...
the idea to step up the song this way was apb's. I just took him up on it, which I was itching to do. and then joseph and steve really made it something else more wonderful. I'm glad you liked our efforts.
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*estella [ Reply to This ]
.. and another thing.. &mdash 03/20/07 - 04:01:21 PM
i really like the fact that you put 'Flash Gordon' in the keywords.
Steve [ Reply to This ]
.. &mdash 03/20/07 - 04:50:41 PM
.. how would you have found the song otherwise? ;o) er ..
you might have guessed by now that was another of my
daft ideas :o) .. now you've opened up the 'guess which keyword was suggested by who' competition now .. :o)
thanks very much for the amazing compliments Steve, praise indeed, too kind. [ Reply to This ]
Nice collab.... &mdash 03/20/07 - 08:43:53 PM
thanks! &mdash 03/21/07 - 02:09:27 PM
Estella! &mdash 03/21/07 - 02:56:43 PM
What the hell is this? You have taken three steps at a time! Just like Steve, I really don't know where to start. I'm simply blown away by the whole song... The melody, the arrangement, your lyrics (wow, your lyrics!) and then on top of this all... a voice that is just astonishing. Big big congrats to all collaborators. Estella, you shine.
- Walter [ Reply to This ]
: ) : ) : ) &mdash 03/21/07 - 03:39:13 PM
Thank you!!!!!! You made my day a brighter one! (am I blushing?) So happy you like it because, as you know, I admire your music (especially your gorgeous voice and your individual style).
(if you hadn't found the song yourself, I was going to seek your feedback on this myself, hee hee)
I'm thrilled you loved the lyrics and the vocals, and the whole of it.
I had extra ears for the arrangement (a great deal of which was done with apb) - some essential listening from joshnyberg. jgurner's trumpet is so beautiful in there and musichead really stepped it up (with his last minute, on the fly recording session). I'm truly humbled by all the great help I received.
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*estella [ Reply to This ]
Wow! &mdash 03/21/07 - 04:15:43 PM
Thank you! &mdash 03/21/07 - 10:05:35 PM
I like what you say on your page about how we're all just here to share our music. Yes, a humbling experience to give and take in this place.
I felt moved singing this. I'm glad all our emotions came through.
Anyway, will have to keep listening to your stuff before commenting. Take care.
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*estella [ Reply to This ]
Wow! &mdash 03/21/07 - 05:30:54 PM
This song reminded me a lot of Calexico, A band I really like! Except this has a lot more powerful vocals! Your voice is spectacular, and the instruments are great. Top scores concerning all aspects of this song! [ Reply to This ]
well, thank you... &mdash 03/24/07 - 05:12:37 PM
....for the major compliments! I'm really loving your work as well, so good to meet you in chat the other day...
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*estella [ Reply to This ]
nice nice nice! &mdash 03/21/07 - 05:41:04 PM
What an assembled group! Very good songwriting and singing, Estellie! You also got some talented backing there, great basslines, super trumpet, awesome guitarwork... makes for a compelling song. I like the lyrics that bring across the tormented frustration of feeling trapped and wanting to break free, without being too blatently teenage-angsty, well-written, and very nicely sung!
ttfn,
Drakonis [ Reply to This ]
phew &mdash 03/24/07 - 05:15:41 PM
Thank you for saying what you say about not being too teen-angst. That was a concern of mine. Thanks very much for stopping by to leave a comment : )
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*estella [ Reply to This ]
Just the bass player!! &mdash 03/23/07 - 07:07:49 PM
I was just the bass player..bwahahaha
and I was the first to hear the demo..
I agree with some of the points in mixing, Needs more
bass but we have talked about that. I hope I dont come off like
a musician that is complaining about his volume.
But if the bass comes up a bit, I think that alot of the high end will fade.
Just a guess. Im still very new to mixing. Thanks to Estella and Alan and jgurner and Josh!!! Its always a blast!!! [ Reply to This ]
I think you're right... &mdash 03/25/07 - 09:41:47 AM
and thank YOU for being such a good sport. definitely a lot to work on with this song, but I'm very happy we got this going. Of course, the bass will be brought up in the next mix. Thanks again to every one who worked on this, and to everyone who wasn't afraid to tell us what they felt needed to be fixed - all of the critiques were really useful. And the positive feedback didn't hurt, either ; )
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*estella [ Reply to This ]
Great! &mdash 03/24/07 - 11:18:04 AM
Great singing, great production, great playing. This is a wonderful collaboration you guys got going, keep it up! [ Reply to This ]
Much appreciated &mdash 03/25/07 - 12:48:24 PM
Very Nice! &mdash 03/24/07 - 05:02:04 PM
I like this very much! Wonderful singing and musical arrangement is great
Slimmie [ Reply to This ]
Thanks! &mdash 03/25/07 - 12:50:23 PM
I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for listening...will have to visit your page as well.
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*estella [ Reply to This ]
Great song! &mdash 03/25/07 - 03:35:02 AM
I really like the song, and concur with all the positives above. I especially like your voice Estella and the guitars and arrangement. The nits which leap out at me are the absence of bass (but I note Alan's comment) and the sound of the drums. The snare and kick just sound wrong to me, which is a real shame, because what they're playing sounds good. I'd really like to hear a remix of this one with the bass up (a lot) and some different treatment of the drum sounds.
Calexico was mentioned, and I agree with the comparison.
Despite my nits (no-one left anything positive to say already - problem with getting to a song late) I really like the song.
Neil [ Reply to This ]
Thanks Neil .. &mdash 03/25/07 - 05:53:37 AM
.funny you mention the snare/kick - comment I got from me
old drummer mate was that the snare sounded "strangled" ..
all the drums are DoD loops at the mo- now that I have
some 13 or so tracks room, I could go down to single
hits and choose each drum sound, would be more
flexible - something to consider certainly for the re-mix-
then I can really get them to match the song better, kick included. I've now since listened to "Frontera" by Calexico and I can hear the similarity, especially in the acoustic guitar styling - had never heard them before - I had a Spanishy Evanescence meets Ennio Morricone in me mind somewhere :o) [ Reply to This ]
voice &mdash 03/25/07 - 01:25:17 PM
very compelling voice. interesting progression. I like the acoustic flaminco-style guitar throughout, I think it's not bright enough or out in front enough when it's the main musical intrument. Drums could be out in front more during the more full part of the song. cool tune, great collab [ Reply to This ]
Thanks! &mdash 03/25/07 - 04:01:58 PM
I appreciate the listen....we'll be thinking of your suggestions...and welcome to macjams! Hope to be hearing one of yours soon when you begin to upload!
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*estella [ Reply to This ]
Oh wow! &mdash 03/25/07 - 08:05:55 PM
Your voice sounds killa! I love it so sultry! Music sounds sweet! Nice job guys! Very cool effects too! Has a tex mex guitar feel! [ Reply to This ]
Dr. Bizarre &mdash 03/25/07 - 08:41:57 PM
Thank you very much. I"m happy you liked it. Sultry, ay? I'll take it.
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*estella [ Reply to This ]
Thoughts from the bull... &mdash 03/25/07 - 10:24:29 PM
jeez louise! this is just sensational! i love the way the piece climbs
like a powerful idea that grows and becomes stronger... then falls
gently back into itself like a fleeting thought. a memory.
by the end of this, i felt like i'd just traveled. it's got such momentum
and vigor behind it. but the best part of this is that i didn't even have
to stop and think about the production. the music, the words, and
especially the deliberate vocal delivery are all fantastic!
this was a real treat for late on a Sunday evening! thank you and I'm
looking forward to what you come up with next! Instant fan, here!!!
[ Reply to This ]
hey boris... &mdash 03/25/07 - 11:26:38 PM
what a beautiful description you gave of the song. I'm glad you were able to enjoy the ride and not worry about the production. I couldn't have asked for better. Thank you for listening - so glad to have met you in chat - let's do that again!
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*estella [ Reply to This ]
golly heck &mdash 03/26/07 - 08:41:19 AM
hi estella - back for another listen. my head musta been in a bad space first time -cuz the high searing synth line is easier to listen to this time around. glad i tried again - your vocal is a thing of passion and beauty. lyrics are killer - and you delivery them with an intensity that builds just right. nice! anne [ Reply to This ]
Wowee! &mdash 03/26/07 - 09:05:17 AM
Thanks. You must be an angel to try again after your first experience. It's a valid thing to think about because we don't want people in the same situation to like, get a headache from listening to the song. APB figured out some magic trick to cut out the really high frequencies that he and I can't really hear but that maybe some people are more sensitive to. This also had the side effect of bringing it down in the mix, which i agree needed to be done. I haven't heard this new version yet. maybe APB can give you a better reply than I. Any way, one day, a new version of this will emerge, but right now both APB and I have other projects to get to...
Thanks for the compliments and extra listen. I'll be keeping my eye out for new ones of yours.
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*estella [ Reply to This ]
Thanks Anne .. &mdash 03/26/07 - 01:42:31 PM
.. actually I heard from others about the high synth string being a bit piercing, so I took a closer look on that track
in Logic with the EQ analyser on .. and found some freqs
in that loop a fair bit >12.1Khz but < 15Khz (limit of my hearing is about 12.1Khz, eh?) - so those with good hearing would undoubtedly have found that a bit piercing. So I'm glad for the comments about this and have since stuck in a freq gate around 12.1Khz and turned them down a bit (re-mix work is ongoing .. I said REMIX WORK IS ONGOING!! lol) [ Reply to This ]
Great song &mdash 03/27/07 - 09:48:40 AM
All around, a powerful piece - great voice and vision - everything has pretty much been said regarding the production and I've nothing to add to that. So the remainder of my comment is to state how mystical and emotional this song is and how captivating the arrangement! Would love to hear a re-take with all elements fired up and in my face! [ Reply to This ]
Dreadmon... &mdash 03/29/07 - 07:59:28 AM
thanks for taking the time to listen. I'm happy you thought it was captivating. Such nice compliments you gave. Can't wait to check out your music.
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*estella [ Reply to This ]
Dynamic &mdash 03/30/07 - 01:01:24 PM
Now that was an earfull of great stuff. Vocals and lyrics are really well done. The guitars solo were amazing and blend so unexpectedly with those fantastic horns. This is a rich collaboration.
I totally love this song.
[ Reply to This ]
.. &mdash 03/30/07 - 06:48:03 PM
thanks. El. guitars are 5 tracks of riffs and effectual noise..2 tracks for the acoustic, I also really like the way they work with jgurner's trumpet parts: Joseph did all that, clever composing and contribution. [ Reply to This ]
Latin Flavors &mdash 03/31/07 - 12:56:59 PM
The picking guitars are so ethnic and spicey. Works great with the soft keys and when that lead guitar gets nuts all over it, it takes my breath away. The horns just push the whole thing over the edge for me. Estella's vocals are so perfect for this song. Too much talent for one song!
Great job kids.
Can I vote twice?
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five extra arms is not what you thought it'd be. [ Reply to This ]
Ha Ha &mdash 03/31/07 - 07:45:42 PM
with five extra arms you could vote five times and that same time, couldn't you? your compliments are too sweet. Thanks!
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*estella [ Reply to This ]
Need a New Brain &mdash 03/31/07 - 04:22:45 PM
I thought I had commented on this the other day, but remember now that I was distracted by something, wandered off and forgot to finish the post. I need a new brain, apparently, because this song is definitely on the list of my all-time favorite songs here at macjams.
Yes, there are some production issues, but every other element is incredibly strong and the songwriting is especially great. Regarding the vocals, sometimes you can reduce the sibilance by going in and just cutting the volume a tad (it doesn't take much) in the extra-sibilant pieces of the vocal, literally right on the 's' portion of the word. I haven't had luck with any computerized sibilance reducer I've tried, even expensive ones. Also, there are definitely spots where Estella's voice are being drowned out. I don't know if it's volume or if there are just lots of instruments battling for frequency space in those spots. Cutting one or two (or three) of the instruments a single dB in the 2000-3000 range will make her voice pop out more in front, immediately and won't be noticeable in the individual instruments sounds, once everything is put back together.
The songwriting and musicianship is just stellar and I love your vocal performance. I'm kind of a sucker for this style of trumpet and think it's the perfect accent for the song. Great job by everyone here.
[ Reply to This ]
wow &mdash 03/31/07 - 07:52:30 PM
what a compliment. thanks. I'm sure Joseph appreciates your comments as well.
Those sound like great tips for the vocal production. Thank you for that.
Alan is working on those right now
(*wi-tish*).
; )
Will be listening to your newest soon...
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*estella [ Reply to This ]
... &mdash 03/31/07 - 08:18:33 PM
thanks very much Lisa, praise indeed. Oh, if you need a new
brain, I have one going spare, hardly used .. ;o) [ Reply to This ]
Hmm &mdash 03/31/07 - 09:50:54 PM
It's not marked "Abby Normal," is it? If not, I could definitely be interested. [ Reply to This ]
... &mdash 04/01/07 - 07:16:32 AM
.. let me check..hmm "APBBY Normal". It's pronounced "Ah"PB actually ;o) [ Reply to This ]
Nicely Done &mdash 04/10/07 - 01:39:43 PM
Good collaboration all around. Estelle your singing is pleasing to my ear and the harmonies work well. Very dramatic guitar solos apb! Love the overall production and feel to this one. [ Reply to This ]
... &mdash 04/10/07 - 05:46:53 PM
thank you Mr bronco sir ..hmm, perhaps a little bit OTT on
the 'flash gordon' in hind-sight .. but I'll take dramatic
effect as the excuse ;o) [ Reply to This ]
Bravo! &mdash 04/14/07 - 11:03:12 PM
I just love this tune and it's presentation. Great vocals and atmosphere- in the lyrics and in the production/arrangement. It reminds me a little of Calexico and Robert Rodriguez. The guitar tone | |
[ Reply to This ]