Whatever Unfolds

Whatever Unfolds

My Ep is, Whatever Unfolds by Eric Cripe, these are some songs that I put together. If you read my blog on  RT VIII, then I'm going to repeat some of it here. I took a  little liberty and used a few recording templates that had a drum beat and added guitar and lyrics to. I also remembered a couple tips from your reviews and applied them. I used a voice peddle board to add a fun tone to my voice on a couple of the tracks. These songs have no collective story or over all view just things that came to my head when playing and recording.

Over all these songs are just fun and funny and may just tug at your heart. Again I am not a technical guy so I cant even tell you a single name of the gear that was used but Mike does and has told me and I was impressed. So far the mixing has been done by me so the levels are a little all over the place but that's the fun of it.

Track Listing (in order as they appear)

1. Steal a Minute

2. B.F.V.U.

3. Man with a Mic

4. Jollien

5. Single Cat Lady

6. Chimpmunk Dirt

7. New

Whatever Unfolds

Finally found time to post a blog before the week is thou  I have finished recording my solo EP, Whatever Unfolds, now becomes time to master it and bounce it. I am unfamiliar with this part. Mike G. is the man to that I usually hand this over too  but we have began to set up for our follow up to, A boy and his Demon. Plus I use his recording gear.  Whatever Unfolds are some songs that are similar to my last EP, JabberJay, just me and a guitar. I took a  little liberty and used a few recording templates that had a drum beat and added guitar and lyrics to. I also remembered a couple tips from your reviews and applied them. I used a voice peddle board to add a fun tone to my voice on a couple of the tracks. These songs have no collective story or over all view just things that came to my head when playing and recording. I have my plan for my album art. Over all these songs are just fun and funny.
Today Mike, Brad Shearer, and I are setting up gear to record "A Boy and his Demon 2". Tomorrow we are going to have a full session and put the music to the scrip. It should sound awesome because we have some great and expensive gear piling into the studio. Again I am not a technical guy so I cant even tell you a single name of any of it but Mike does and has told me and I was impressed. So Just to say the least that I am STOKED.
I also now that this is only the beginning of the because next week, we get to rock all this awesome music. I get to listen to whatever I want at work so I plan on playing them all and reviewing them all. I felt bad when I realized that I did not review every-bodies last record time. My apollogies, spell-check fail, and this time I will or you can write a song about how much of a liar, I am.
Keep  the Music Alive

At long last, my final installment of reviews!!!

Audio Adrenaline - I’m Not the King
A nice, solid cover.  All of the instruments sound great, but I think your voice sounds the most impressive.  Especially the growl at 0:30!  Overall, the mix is nice and balanced, but it might sound even better if you try panning the electric guitars out to opposite sides.  That will give the kick and snare space to stand out.

Brad Adams - Mr. Brew
This song is great!  Genius even!  I love the instrumentation and the mix, it fits the style and lyrical content perfectly.  The vocals, especially, all sound really nice.  All of the different tones/voices you used make the song come alive.  This is definitely one of my favorite tracks on RTVIII.

Daniel Clark - Songs relevant to my life at the present time
I love how different each of these three songs are.  Until the Surface Fades has kind of a ‘90s indie vibe to it, Its Mine almost has a grunge feel to it, and Over When It’s Over sounds like more melodic industrial music.  I hear a lot of Minus the Bear influence, especially in the first and third tracks.  Everything sounds great, production-wise, but I REALLY enjoy your guitar tones.  They have a subtlety to them that is very hard to achieve.  Great work!

David P Larsen - Faded Forms
I can’t say that I have listened to much spoken word in my day, but any that I have listened to has not had nearly as unique backing music.  I LOVE the chorus section in Precipice.  The chord changes you use, combined with the vocal harmonies, give it a really unique feel.  The drums have a really cool pseudo-swing going on in Shades of Miles.  The words/lyrics, in the first and third tracks, are really great!  I’ve always struggled with putting words to music, and hearing projects like this really makes me want to practice and get better and more efficient at lyric-writing.

Eric Cripe - JabberJay
This album was a great undertaking!  I always love hearing people do concept albums for Record Time, I don’t know why.  There is something romantic (for lack of a better word) about picking one idea or topic and spending a week of your life just writing about that.  I had just finished reading these books when I listened to this record, and I think the lone acoustic guitar with the rain in the background is a fitting soundtrack to the story.  Great Job!

Marta - Tucson
What a cool collection of songs!  Ha ha, in my last review I just mentioned how much I love concept albums in Record Time, but I ALSO really love albums like this: simple pop/folk songs that all kind of sound the same.  And I don’t mean “sound the same” in a bad way, I’m referring to the fact that I can hear your distinct personality in each one.  I really enjoyed this album, thank you!  Also, At Least You’re Not a Serial Killer is another one of my favorite tracks from RTVIII.

Pigeon - Good Times, Hot Chicks, Limp Dicks
My favorite track in this collection is definitely the second one, Not all of this is meant to be taken literally.  Its got a killer melody, and your voice sounds great singing this kind of music.  I love how simple the instrumentation is, and then when the drums and bass enter halfway through the song it really takes it to a new level.

Randy Stary - Child of the Night
A cool little tune!  You have a really nice voice, its so relaxing to listen to.  I think the thing that really makes this song, for me at least, is the backing echo-voice in the verse.  When the songs are more simple, as far as instrumentation and chord progressions are concerned, every musical line has to be very purposeful, which is what sounds so great about this song.  Nice work!

T Clax - What the Heck Johnny
Man, this song is great!  I love how dynamic the beat is, it seems to be constantly changing in subtle ways to match up with what the vocals are doing.  Much more musical than most pop or hip hop beats I’ve heard.  I like the vocals a lot, too.  You have a great hip-hop voice, and the lyrics are well thought-out and witty.

Logan Bradley Vol 2 Reviews

ClassiCal – Sefirah EP

Very soothing. Great sound, tasteful use of effects. I really enjoy the mix of found sound and composed music. I think Kill Em With Kindness is my favorite track. I love that water sample and the way you utilized it.

Dick Reynolds – Record Time Shizz

Interesting collection of songs. I wish the vocals were higher in the mix, they sound good. Those To Come strikes me the most. It's playful, relaxing, and the melody lines in the guitar and whistling are fantastic. The whole thing has a shoegaze vibe which is cool.

F.E.A.R. - Why

Damn, entropy pumps like a motherfucker. It's pretty cool in this context. I really like the end of entropy, gets strange. Psych is nonstop crazy. I think I like the sounds used in recluse the best. Nice continuation of your last RT.

Kevin Lee Todd – Magnus Ociel Marcello

As everyone has said, very impressive overall. I believe I said last time that I really enjoy your voice. Reminds me of Maps & Atlases a bit, tons of character. The mix on this RT seems way stronger than your last. The balance is great and there are a lot of textures that pop out at me. Zombie may be my favorite track. The percussive clicks in that are delightful. Great cover too, did you make that?

Kris Eckman – Burl's Great NoNo

Another heavy, weird album. I think the double tracking on the guitars really adds a lot to your sound. Your riffs and playing seem a lot stronger too. Jimmy Dean is the standout track for me. Nice groove goin on. Good choice switching up the vibe so much on the last track. I like the distorting drums and having the guitars still there but low in the mix to let the synths shine. This one was a real leap forward. Can't wait to hear what you come up with next.

Paul Marquissee – Favorite Place

A departure for Paul. I was pretty excited to listen to this. Nice mix, good arrangement, very pleasant overall. I like the expansion of sound in the bridge. Great job Paul, especially since this isn't necessarily your comfort zone.

Aaron Webster – Snails

Aaron and I have already talked about this track. I know he wanted to do more, but I really enjoy this song. Even more so than what he did last RT. There's some really fun stuff going on compositionally. I love the last 10-20 seconds of this track. Nice chord progression, creative drum parts, and as this was done in FL a lot of midi work. Thumbs up.

Reviews 2 - Kevin Lee Too

So here's my reviews for the rest. Who's still reading these things anyways? I feel like I'm alone in a cave of gratitude.

Strange Battery - 

Oh, so that's how you play mandolin? Thank you again for showing us all up with your overall musicianship, lyrical authorship, and production prowess. So I'm pretty sure YOU win. But if you wanna concede being the winner of the non-contest to me this time around, then I'll gladly take it. So back to the album. I was a little concerned when I saw you only had four tracks, but then I realized they were each lengthy little mini-operatic mashups, and all was well again. After only a few listens I'm having trouble getting past the catchiness of the first half of the title track. I find myself singing out, "Got a piece of wood, little piece of wood!" randomly throughout the day with no context for those around me. As for the rest of the album, I think an all acoustic, all found percussion, nice clean record sounds terrific out of you, as you seem capable of  tackling any genre. A lot of the instrumental parts make me think of a Tim Burton movie set in a swamp. I guess that would be Big Fish though. Well, then this is more of what Big Fish should've sounded like. Move over Danny Elfman, there's a new Dan in town. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the process. Can't wait to here how the musical is coming along.

Logan Bradley - 

I have no idea what to make out of this album. It's weird, it's funny, it's heavy as hell, and just really well done. The production sounds super tight, with great effects and balance. I especially enjoy the way all the songs kind of run together. Excellent job.

Fav track: Time Sink    Fav Line: Call your friends and family, leave a dead bird on your neighbor's porch. 

Luxi -

Great sounding record. Your voice is absolutely hypnotizing. I'm a huge fan of the lyrics and the trippyness of the whole thing. I'm definitely bobbing my head to this. Kinda wish I knew how to dance and that the bass hit a little harder. Overall, really original sounding stuff. Great job.

Fav Track: Dancematica    Fav Line: Know I should've raised my hands for you to shoot electric chance never meant to sneak attack upon equation's helpless back

Girlbeard - 

Yes, wow, is right. Helluva effort, Mike. Guitar riffs abound! Great collection of songs here. All the instruments sound nice and tight and well played, which adds a nice contrast to the heaviness of the effect on your voice, which I still wish was a little clearer in the mix. But oh well, it still sounds baller. As always, your lyrics are super quirky and weird and occasionally profound, which I feel is how all lyrics should be all the time. So, don't change a thing.

Fav Track: Falling    

Lobster Shanty & the Crab Rangoons - 

Everything from this record time sounds good this go round, but I think you guys do such a good at making professional sounding stuff. It's all in the bass I guess. Just above and beyond. Good job pushing your song writing further this time around. I really like how much more varied things are. The breakdowns and effects on Modern Society especially. Also, love the man on the street parts hooking it all together. Nice!

Fav track: Modern Society  Fav line: A head turn toward the west, planning my next move, I love a good sun, but the midnight won, planning my next move

And thanks again to all who participate. I really enjoy listening to everyone's stuff, and hope we all keep upping the ante for new and crazy music in the future. For me, I think I'll try something wild next. I may opt for professional quality over just mass quantity, since it about killed me this time around. We'll see.

Kevin Lee Todd's Reviews: Read them or not, here they come!

Hello everyone, or whoever is still checking this. Sorry it's taken me so long. Work is a killer, blah blah and other excuses. Actually a legitimate would be the fact that all the sleepless nights during Record Time literally made me sick directly following my submission. Missed work and everything. And apologies to all speed reviewers for slowing you down with my lengthy album.

Okay, onto the reviews. I'll have to submit the rest tomorrow. Sorry.

Daniel Clark -

Great sound, solid mixes. Enjoyed the balance between being listener friendly while still being dark and angry, a nice line to walk. That's a tasty breakdown in track one. Also, there's some really nice hooks in here, especially "It's Mine". And an excellent and fitting outro in track. Nice job. 

Fav track: Over When It's Over 

Fav line: I'd write you another letter, if I ever wrote before, trying not to make it seem so cold.

David Larson -

Excellent production value. All the parts sound great, even better together. Love the percussive ringing in track 1. You've got a real original feel and groove to your music. That's some sexy ass trumpet in track 2. Who is that? And damnit if I don't love a good bass solo to follow. I'm a huge fan of the sound of your spoken word poetry, especially in Pure Emancipation. Pure emotion in my opinion.

Fav Track: Precipice

Fav Line: So stand at the precipice and I will throw my heart to you, and pray that my arm is strong enough.

Dick Reynolds -

Really like the feel here. The heavy ambiance and instrumentals with minimal percussion I think works in your advantage, gives it a dreamy quality. I'm not real familiar with these covers but it seems like you picked some great ones. I'm trying right now to find the originals. My only wish is that I could hear the lead vocals better. Bump em up a tad, not too much though. A few dB should do. Otherwise, good stuff man, keep it up.

Fav track: Those To Come

Eric Cripe -

This makes me feel like I'm being told a tale by a troubadour. Like you just came into my village on a rainy day and sat down on my porch with an old guitar and started playing for a few pence. As always, I'm a fan of stripped down music with just a well played acoustic accompanied by a world-weary voice. Makes me wanna listen to some Nick Drake afterwords. With that said I would've loved it if occasionally another traveling bard came and sat down beside ya with a flute or a background vocal every now and again. But alas, record time is often an adventure you must go at alone. Great work.

Fav track: Come On Out

Fav line: Sister taught me how to sing, but her voice could really ring. Songs about shin sahs?, and sad ones about the bombs.

Eric Putnam -

That guitar sounds great, especially with the backing instruments. Nice sounding recording, great balance. Very soothing and intimate feel. Just wish there was more. Only thing I might change is how “synthy” that lead synth sounds on Listen. Maybe not though on second listen. What do I know?Excellent track. Look forword to hearing more next time around.

Fav Line: I hope you listen, and I hope you'll see what this means to me.

Marta

-

As I said before, nothing seems to cut through quite like a single guitar (or ukulele) and vocals. Most songs are short, sweet, to the part, and quite darling. I have no doubt that your stuff will only get better and better with time. Maybe you and I should do a She & Him kinda thing for the next record time so we and us could blow their and them's minds. Sorry, too much? Anyways, really enjoyed it.

Fav line: At last you're not a serial killer, cause serial killer's don't make friends.

Pigeon -

Big sound. Wonderful melodies. Great lyrics. Reminds me a little of a band called Girls. Vocals sound fantastic. But yes, I too wish I could hear them a little clearer, mostly just on Ghost Rider though. This has a great relaxed retro vibe. I'm definitely gonna be playing this on a lazy afternoon this summer.

Randy Stary -

Love the back and forth of the vocals. Lil bit of a simon & garfunkel feel. Solid balance with the mix, clean and simple. Excellent track.

Fav line: The truth is, I don't know what the truth is.

T Clax -

Wow, what the heck can you say about this track? Terrific production, excellent rapping skills, great overall sound. Had to read the lyrics to realize this was a Christian song. I'm not super religious but in a sea of what is often sad, angry, and sinful music, it is nice to hear something with a positive message, especially in rap music. So kudos for that.

Fav line: I’m strapped with knowledge homie I ain’t talking college homie,

I’m talking no falling homie cause I’m in the word like all in homie

ClassiCAl - 

Just beautiful stuff here. Superb production. I can tell you spent a long time getting all the parts just right cause there's just so much going on, and it's all in the right place. Kinda reminds me of some slower Incubus stuff. And I mean that in the best possible way. Am I the only one here that still likes Morning View? Sorry to get off track, but yeah, very full and accessible tunes, which is not easy to do in such and experimental way.

f.e.a.r -

Look at you go. Very wild and chaotic, but purposeful chaos, and that makes it all the more effective when it does finally break into a typical groove, like in the middle of "psych." To me, I feel like this music is the essence of Record Time. Being able to push the boundaries and ourselves creatively into areas we may not explore without it. And for me, I don't listen to this kind of music very often, so it pushes the listener as well. Very well done.

Fav track: psych

Kris Eckman -

I may be the least likely to listen to this kind of music, but that's what this whole thing is all about. Going out of our comfort zones. With that said, I actually found these tracks really enjoyable. Nice big sound, especially the guitars. Hello of a bite on em. Great tone and effects throughout, and I welcome little change of pace on Good Luck. Plus, Fargo soundbites? What's not to like? Solid music here.

Fav line: I don't like my chin, but at least I have one

NEW REVIEWS! (Part 1)

HEY. I’m finally writing reviews. Since I’ve listened to all of this stuff on my iPod every morning at work, I haven’t listened to it volume by volume. So I’m going to do my review alphabetically, in two parts. I’ll do a paragraph or so for everybody, but I’ll sum up my thoughts at the end and enclose a one sentence review in bold. Expect part 2 sometime tomorrow.

 Andrew Miller – Bharata: This was nice and chill. Definitely could see this in commercials or movies. The production is great, the (I’m guessing) vocal sampling is awesome, and the little electronic noises floating around in the background really give the song replay value. It drifts between being totally mellow and subdued sinister-ness. [chill-ass tune, very enjoyable and trippy enough to keep things interesting.] 

 Audio Adrenaline – I’m not the King: Ok, I don’t know who did this, since I’m figuring it’s an Audio Adrenaline cover. At any rate, this was rad. I had friends in high school who were really into AA, and I remember this song. This is a really gnar re-imaging of it. Super gritty cover, and I’m really digging the super fuzzy low end of your guitar tones. Vocals are really, really well done. This got me bobbing up and down. [A gritty reboot that keeps things catchy.] 

 Brad Adams – Mr. Brew: HAHA. This is mad fun. It makes me want to chug beer. On the real. I’m at work right now, but… after work, I am getting a brew. And I may very well put this on while I down it. This really is super fun, and definitely an outlier in any of the RT material I’ve ever heard. [Get your lager and lederhosen and get ready to feel just wunderbar.] 

ClassiCal – Sefirah EP: Majorly enjoyable! It feels like a mix between Air and Pink Floyd. Ideally, I’d want to listen to this album while curled up in four cozy blankets while watching 3 feet of snow accumulate outside. I know that it has the sounds of babbling brooks and birdies, but I’d still like to cuddle up with this. That’s how I feel about this album, really. It’s cozy. I like how towards the end of Unknown Knowledge, the bird sounds kind of meld into some of the higher tones, like they’re mimicking each other. Nice touch. [A wah-filled crystal wonderland of bright tones and muddy beats.] 

 Daniel Clark – Songs Relevant to My Life: Ah, you’ve got a great sound going on here. It feels like it fits nicely between the Smashing Pumpkins more ballad-y stuff, the band Snowing, and this old band from the Kokomo, IN area named Away With Vega. I love the first track, with the overdriven guitars striking out clustered chords. It’s Mine has this really cool feel to it, like a slicked back Dead Meadow. And the last track, dude. I’m so stoked you made this. It’s seriously badass. I love the screeching electronic buzz mixed with the snaky distorted riff, especially the section from 2:12 to 2:44. [Three really interesting tracks that each pull off a different sound, allowing the tracks to grow progressively darker until it all falls away in a sonic swamp.] 

David P. Larsen – Faded Form: Let me start off by saying that I’m not normally a fan of spoken word albums. That being said, yours is the best I’ve head. I know everyone has said this, but your voice fits this style REALLY well. I also really appreciate that just because you didn’t have “melody” at the forefront of this album, there’s still a lot of really great stuff going on musically, constantly. The vocal chorus towards the end of the first track is freaking beautiful. The trumpet and bass solos in Shades of Miles were excellent, and the organ in the background has just enough tremolo to give it a sense of movement without jerking it around. I love how the last track just builds and builds into a short little line of badassness. Great lyrics and music here, man. [A spoken word album that has great musicianship and a feeling of cathartic release.]

Dick Reynolds – Record Time Shizz: I don’t know the original versions of the first and third tracks on here, but I really enjoyed them. They felt a lot like the old Swirlies EPs from the nineties. I dig this really fuzzy, shoegaze sound. Your cover of Those to Come is just super duper pleasant. The whistling is a nice change, the dreamy guitars throughout the whole album really make this a relaxing listen. [Covers done by fuzz pedals drifting down from the sky on a rainbow rope]

Eric Cripe – JabberJay: Eric, I want to start off by saying thank you for giving me such a thorough review a few weeks ago. I was cracking up the entire time, so really, thanks man. I’m sorry I won’t be able to go as in depth with yours. ANYWAY, I immediately noticed how your voice sounds awesome on this album. It’s got a nice folky vibrato to it. I like the little tiny sounds in between the tunes, muffled by the rain. Mike, everything on here sounds extremely clean, so thumbs up on the production. I remember seeing a few people on here saying that this album would be cool to hear with more instrumentation. I agree, especially with Come On Out. It’s got a definite White Stripes feel to it. I’d love to hear this with a nastily distorted guitar and some caveman style drum smacking. All in all, this is gnarly. Next time you come to Muncie, bring your set and we’ll jam a few of these tunes! [A rainy collection of acoustic tales that bleed epicness and sincerity.]

Eric Putnam – Listen: The first track sounds like it could be in a major film during a scene where two lovers have finished a fight and are looking at things really pensively. In other words, the tones here gave me a distinct feeling of emotional value, which is really an excellent feeling. I’m a little bummed that there are only two songs here, because both are pleasant as heck. [Nicely arranged instruments and vocals to feel emotions to.]

F.E.A.R. – Why?: Where do you even start when reviewing these recordings? Everything here is so crazy and off the wall. The production is huuuuge. I’m listening to this on mixing headphones and it sounds like I’m in a giant cavern with a gang of self-aware Casio keyboards, KMFDM, and Trent Reznor all playing as loud as they can at the same time. And it fucking rules. I really wish I could point out something specific here, but all I can say is that this album is a [mighty little beast of production and trippy-as-hell effects, like dropping an entire sheet of acid on your way to Hell.]

Girlbeard – Girlbeard: This sounds amazing! I mean, Record Time usually produces some pretty crazy stuff, but this is crazy in that it’s an entirely legit, sounds like it was done over the course of a few months pop punk album. I can’t really get into specifics here, but I really dig what’s going on in this album. The drums and bass have a NoFX feel to me, and the guitars and vocals fill everything else out nicely. I think this may be the most coherent, closest to a legitimate LP I’ve heard from Record Time yet. [A full-length, slick-sounding-as-hell energetic listen (with heart), reminiscent of NoFX, Saves the Day, and Bad Religion.]

soon soon soon

ahhh!! I'm sorry, I haven't had time to write reviews.  Just so happens I got an opportunity to move again and have been packing/sorting like cray cray... they're still coming! I promise.

Just a bit longer.

I'll be starting/posting my reviews later today. EDIT: Today actually means tomorrow.

Finals are over.

Reviews coming soon.




xoxo

Vol. 2 Reviews

Volume 2 was quite excellent as well, here are my reviews!

ClassiCal - Sefirah EP
Great sounds!  This is the perfect chill music, its not too distracting or consuming, it just sounds good.  I loved the way the various instruments/sounds would cut in and out.  It’s a technique that hip hop and electronic music use a lot, but you did it in a very cool, out-of-the-box kind of way.  Cool record, you should be proud of this!

Dick Reynolds - Record Time Shizz
I wish the vocals were a bit louder on these songs.  The vocal melodies are GREAT, and it sounds like the lyrics are probably pretty stellar as well, but its hard to hear them.  I really like how clean and unassuming these songs are; there is something magical about using just vocals, bass, tambourine, and guitar feedback.  Cool music!

f.e.a.r. - Why?
This is intense music, not quite like anything I’ve heard before.  There is so much going on it is hard to comprehend upon first (even second or third) listen.  Every time I play it, something new jumps out at me, like a panning tambourine, or some new synth countermelody I hadn’t noticed before.  I’m not generally a fan of the industrial genre, but this doesn’t really sound like industrial either.  Great work!

Kevin Lee Todd - Magnus Ociel Marcello
Holy cow, 46 minutes?!?!?  And not just 46 minutes of rubbish, but 46 minutes of well thought out material.  Very impressive!  I really dig the musical vibe you have going on in this album.  I like how sloppy it is, and I love your use of banjo and mandolin.  This album definitely sounds like a more refined and well-executed version of your last Record Time album.  Great work!

Kris Eckman - Burl’s Great NoNo
I like the guitar tone a lot, especially on the leads.  I’m not really a fan of this kind of metal, but I really like and can appreciate a lot of the little things you threw in there, like the shouting at the beginning of “Eat Jimmy Dean” that gradually fades up underneath everything else.  “Good Luck and the Lost Turf War” is really cool, especially right at about the 50 second mark when the drums kick in harder.

Marqs the Spot - Favorite Place
I like the band name.  Not only is it clever (you know, cuz your name is Marquissee), but it fits with the theme/title of the song.  Every aspect of the mix sounds great, but the vocals could have maybe been a little more upfront.  Cool tune, solid production.  Its a shame you were only able to churn out one tune, it would have been really cool to hear a few more like that from you.

R. Aaron Webster - Snails
This piece is a lot more complex than I initially thought it was.  There is a LOT of subtle variation going on in that synth pattern, and the rest of the instruments follow along perfectly.  This is the kind of stuff that is really arduous to program, and always takes a lot more effort to make than it maybe sounds like to most people.  The only thing I might have done differently (MAYBE) is, halfway through the song, I might have switched up the main instrument to something else, or maybe added another layer on top of it.  

Volume 2 reviews coming tonight!

I'm almost done with them, its just taking a me a while to really absorb Kevin Todd's opus (sounds like a recurring issue).  As with Volume 1, really great music, and really great production quality!  I'm very impressed.

Wilinski's Volume 3 Reviews

So instead of a typical review of what songs I liked, didn't like as much, what bands I think you sound like, etc. etc…I'm going to describe to you exactly where the entire album or particular song brought me.  I've tried to write the most unadulterated image of what I imagined when closing my eyes while each submission gently blared through my Sennheisers.

In addition, I want to provide constructive (yet, perhaps opinionated) feedback that I hope isn't taken as being offensive or overly critical.  I am fully aware of the time restrictions of this project, and know that although everyone's projects are pretty solid, improvements can always be made.  We all want to hear how we can improve, or at least, I do!  I suppose it's hard to define where everyone is at musically, so I'm not sure how to gauge these recordings against something else you may have done.  Regardless, Record Time has definitely pushed me to grow as a musician, and honestly, as a person in general.

I'll throw in a single word remark about your artwork.  No one ever talks about the artwork...

===========

Eric Cripe's JabberJay

The Image:

I've entered into a medieval time period where a horse drawn carriage harboring a time traveling guitarist playing and singing is trudging along in a  damp forest where Robin Hood is lurking, waiting to rob the 1%, only to suddenly be whipped back into present day, transported to an airport runway, nearly run over by a lightweight Boeing 737.

The Critique:

I can definitely hear the hunger game influence, and I like your approach towards a concept album!  My one gripe when listening to everything is that I think that the vocals sound almost improvised.  I think your voice has a pretty excellent timber.  If you work on your confidence when singing the actual melody and vocal lines, it could have been that much better.

The Artwork:

Granular

Marta's Tuscon

The Image:

The scene flips between an almost unnoticeablely slow zoom out revealing a lone girl singing, narrating, sitting on a neatly made bed in an earthy themed room and the vivid memories and dreams that are running through her mind.

The Critique:

Honestly, this album is really great.  I think that this could have been improved with more advanced recording techniques.  BUT. BUT. BUT.  I would not want to take away from the intimacy that really shine through on these recordings.  It's almost like you would want the more advanced recordings to sound like the lo-fi recording that you've made.  I think some of the harmonies and doubles could have been sung a bit tighter.  Again, great job.

The Artwork:

Jazzy

Randy Stary

The Image:

The year is 1973, and Randy Stary is perched on a 4 legged stool on a dark stage with a single spot light shown upon him.  His paisley shirt has a collar that is bigger than yours.  An amateur's camera with a small propagating crack in the lens is filming this live performance, the performance right before he springboards into fame, making it big with his new single, Child of the Night, ready to be released in the upcoming weeks.

The Critique:

I want more voices on this track.  I also wish the lyrics were given a little more creative thought, but they definitely work well with the melody.

The Artwork:

N/A

Daniel Clark's Songs Relevant to my Life at the Present Time

The Image:

4x real life speed, I'm watching the close-up of a tan colored grasshopper jump from grass blade to grass blade.  A lizard suddenly slurps and eats it.  The focus racks from the lizard's wily eyes to a man on a ladder brush painting a wooden paneled house with a bucket of pearl white paint.  Time lapse even faster, I watch the man quickly finishing the entire wall in a matter of minutes.  The hot sun is shining overheard.

The Critique:

These songs are really excellent.  I wish the overall production gave a little more OOMPH to everything, particular the drums.  The drums could have been a little more in your face pounding/driving overall.

The Artwork:

Screenprint

David P Larson's Faded Form

The Image:

9pm, Thursday evening.  An experienced poet wearing a black button down shirt preaching at a podium in a full but silent lecture hall.  There's an intermission with half dollar sized cucumber sandwiches and organic french toast sticks paired with all natural Vermont Maple Syrup.  The wine is sweet with a pleasant bouquet of oak.

The Critique:

Dude, super sick.  My only critique is that I wish that every instrument on all the tracks were played by real players.

The Artwork:

Black

Pigeon's Good Times, Hot Chicks, Limp Dicks

The Image:

Wintertime is ending, and the ice is finally thawing.  There's a stillness in the air, and I can cut my breath with a knife.  I'm exhausted, and I'm huddled beneath a blanket in my north woods cabin.  I'm able to hear the trickle of a stream that's a quarter mile away, and every once in a while there's a slushing noise of ice and snow breaking away from the shoreline.

The Critique:

I think that the vocals could have had a little less reverb.  But the verb does in fact give a nice softness, and I can still hear what is necessary to understand the lyrics.

The Artwork:

N/A

T Clax's What the Heck Johnny

The Image:

Jesus with a well trimmed beard hanging out with his disciple homies, breaking bread, earning respect, loving life and triumphantly walking into Jerusalem as his followers are waving palm leaves at his well washed feet.

The Critique:

I think this is unique, and it's the first Christian rap I've ever heard.  The clave sounds a bit like a click track in the beginning.  Great sound effects throughout, but I think the main verse vocal could use a bit of vocal treatment for some added interest.

The Artwork:

N/A

Audio Adrenaline's I'm Not the King

The Image:

A pitch black muscle car comes barreling down a twisty red rock canyon-like trench.  It's pushing 95 mph, squealing its tires around each turn, rocks being thrown in every direction, almost losing control.  There's a glimpse of the inside of the car, and there's a man tightly wound with a thick gray rope up in the passenger seat, and a woman driving with one hand on the 8-ball shifter, knowing exactly what she's doing.

The Critique:

Great guitar work, but I think that the entire track lost a bit of focus.  There are a lot of ideas jammed into this single song.  Lots of cool progressions and riffage, but I think that this tune could be broken up into several, with each respective lick and riff expanded on as separate identities.

The Artwork:

N/A

Brad Adams' Mr. Brew

The Image:

I'm about to fast forward through the commercials between the show that I DVR'd.  But I can't help but stop and listen to the entire polka jingle of Mr. Brew, having it stuck in my head for the rest of the week, inevitably buying a Mr. Brew coffee mug that I accidentally leave on top of my car after juggling too many things when trying to enter through the car door.  The coffee mug falls off the top of my car as I drive away, and is picked up by my neighbor who steals my Mr. Brew coffee mug.  It becomes a collectors item.

The Critique:

This is a fun tune.  I don't have much critique about a composition like this.  It's exactly what I think it's supposed to sound like.

The Artwork:

Smorgasbord

Nick's Reviews - Volume 3

Last batch of reviews / thoughts / comments!


Disclaimer: the following comment is not endorsed by Dan and/or the Record Time administration haha... but like Logan said on Facebook, "POST REVIEWS AND RESPOND TO REVIEWS!"  My 2 cents is that this is an invaluable part of the process. We all deserve each other's praise. But on that note, I think we also all deserve each other's constructive criticism. That's really the more important part here in my opinion - to maturely and honestly suggest improvements for each other. Iron sharpens iron... and all that good stuff... (although that's been admittedly hard for me because this crop of music is so damn good!).


Audio Adrenaline - I'm Not the King: I'm really impressed with this tune. I love the vocal melodies and the lyrics. It's a well put-together, serious tune. My favorite part is the chorus hook - "I am not anything without the king of kings." Good choice going to the IV chord there... and those ascending / descending licks. Kinda wish I wrote that line and used it in a funk tune lol I think adding lots of vocal harmonies would have been good for this tune. Great work.


Brad Adams - Mr. Brew: I just read in Dan's review that Audio Adrenaline / Brad Adams / and T Clax are all the same person(s)? Nice... I wouldn't have noticed from how different the 3 tunes are. Anyways, fun tune man. Are all these horns real? They sound cool to me.


Daniel Clark - Songs Relevant to My Life at the Present Time: Really like "Until The Surface Fades." Cool herky jerky kinda rhythm. Great vocals and unique vibe... dig the harmonies. Maybe snare rim shots would have been cool in the bridge with the lowered intensity. "It's Mine"... more of the same goodness. Dig the drum movement. Third track... the wild card! I like all the production and madness. Also, great artwork - simple, but awesome.


David P Larsen - Faded Form: Cool, atmospheric stuff. I like the delivery of the spoken word stuff and the lyrics. Very nice backing vocals in "Precipice." I like how they subtly move in dynamics, and then you add those extra ones towards the end. I'm a sucker for harmonies. The 2nd tune started playing before I caught the title, and I thought hmm, delay and reverb on a trumpet... reminds me of... "Shades of Miles" indeed. Also, a BASS SOLO! Nice. The strange, abstract delivery of the spoken word stuff reminds me of Microsoft Sam, and also the song "Droides" from Record Time VII. I like the sung chorus in "Pure Emancipation." I think you could have hit those notes cleaner if you allowed yourself to sing it louder, more chest voice... belted it out a little more ya know. Great ending to the tune. Great work!

Eric Cripe - JabberJay: Cool concept, unique to Record Time. The rain does put you in that gloomy Hunger Games mind-set. Maybe it coulda been buried more in some places, but I think you automate it in and out most of the time, which is great. Same thought as Logan that additional instrumentation would really spruce up the tunes – and also harmonies! I think the concept and lyrics are great and ambitious. Good work, look forward to hearing more.

Marta - Tucson: Really nice stuff! Very sweet, honest tunes. I like the chorus of the 1^st song. I like how the lyrics interact with the fact that you’re, ya know… playing guitar haha Nice vocal overdubs! I think everything's panned pretty straight down the middle (or I'm going crazy). I'd suggest getting those overdubs out of the middle and EQing them differently so things occupy their own sonic space. Overall, really cool stuff. Some spit and polish to the production and it'd be even better. Also, great artwork! 

Pigeon - Good Times, Hot Chicks, Limp Dicks: Nice atmospheric stuff. Dig the verb on the vocals in "Ghost Rider," just can't make out the lyrics too much. I coulda sworn you said "rusty trombone" in there at one point. If not, my sincerest apologies haha Nice harmonies at the end of the tune. Very cool stuff, overall. Nice melodies. Reminds me of the movie Garden State for some reason... sorta that melancholy vibe. Nice work.


Randy Stary - Child of the Night: Great tune! Great voice, very enjoyable. Love the call and response vocals. I could picture lots of harmonies and backing vocals. Nice job throwing reverb on the guitar and sending the signal 100% wet into the right channel... I recently started doin that trick myself. Seems like the attack on the reverb is slow though, causing it to act more like a delay... which I'm not sure you were goin for. Also, maybe roll the high end off of it so you just sense that it's there, but don't make it out distinctly. Love the lyric about 8 and infinity. Nice work!


T Clax - What the Heck Johnny: Great performance. Nice hook. Kudos on all the lyrics. I like the production of the vocal and all the ad libs. Cool effect treatment to the chorus vocal. Nicely done, not a lot else to say!




Cheers and congrats again to everyone!
-- Nick

f.e.a.r. why?

first off i want to thank everyone who put this together, secondly for letting me do my music that takes like years for me to do to allow it on here. And finally whoever took the time to record stuff in a week, and put it together! You guys did a great job all of you, personally i will not be doing reviews. =( Sorry guys.

I wanted to elaborate on what i decided to do. with this music. I love industrial, and post punk with all my heart and soul so i wish to bring these two together in a blender so i throw the usual ingrediants in, bats, machine noises, vampires, gears, and this is what came out of that blender. So i hope you like it all. It takes usually 1-2 months for one song for me to finally get together, i am trying to be really serious and no bullshit about it.

Recluse= a mixture of  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSr0aeHYMSc the cure one hundred years,  the intro and some of the synths. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI7bm-5rpX8 foetus satan place, with the drums (you can barely hear it in the foetus song)i tried to overlap the bass drums and the regular beat and it came out really cool, like the synths are like a scarier simpler version of kinda i want tos synth. NIN Mixed with a really psychedelic like bass spinning around it. Cannot find a good inspiration on that one. With the chorus, i made something that sounds like Double dare by bauhaus, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z9djjD2XnM mixed with some organ thats very similiar to the psychedelic bass.

psych i might change the name to entropy= NiNs thats what i get very repetive but sounds good synth/mixed with the beats of kinda I want to. (not the same exact ones)  i mixed it with the airy/ dark kinda sound of bauhaus in the flat fields http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yur_mH_AXwQ Then  for the break down, what i had was a darker version of a synth that had a similiarity of kinda i want tos synth. mixed with a drum beat i added, mixed with super duper programming of panning put on your headphones the synths/drums bounce back and forth. I also put this synth that was really high pitched, kinda on par to what bauhaus does with their high pitched stuff sometimes. Then I added this super fast bass with strings distorted to sound scary. While overlapping the synth. Then the chorus, is what i call the dancy  psychedelic synths which really is not a influence, well maybe one thing the distortion is alot like grunge, with this chorus i wanted to indusrializegrunge it, very fast beat, with the dancy synth, creates something brand new and pretty cool. The ending took fucking forever as well. holy shit. I wanted to do a kinda i want to ending to it. And i am very happy with what i came up with

entropy i might change the name to psych. this is just a demo.
Right now the main influences is NIN/ only time mixed with bauhaus bela lugosis dead. It also has a little bit of gangster rap and a tiny twinge of black metal influence in it. I will talk to you more about it later, but for right now, i cannot because i think of something brand new i want to add to it everyday, it might sound totally different by the time its done. I have also done this with another one of my songs. http://soundcloud.com/fearband/night which was a demo, that took another month to make into a song.

After i am done with entropy/psych whatever i choose the name to be or another name. It is vocals i work on, and my vocals are going to be very dark/grungy/opera/numetalish. http://soundcloud.com/fearband/night-terror-verse Then i will make it my ep and i will send it to everyone on the planet and their mothers. but for right now i am working my butt off on this last song, wish me the best of luck.

Sorry for the grammar mistakes, and everything. With me i just type and just let it loose. If you wish to contact me. Hit me up on here. or message me on http://soundcloud.com/fearband Thank you for checking this out. You all have a great day now =)

Nick's Reviews - Volume 2

Reviews continued... took me a while to wrap my head around that crazy-ass owl.

ClassiCal - Sefirah EP: Really chill and slick stuff. Very well produced. Love the speech in the first track. Love the crazy arpeggio sounds all over the place. Reminds me of this keyboard my old roommate had... it had an arpeggiator that sensed your hands like a theremin... so you could manipulate the number of octaves generated by moving your hand up and down. Love the water sounds... did you and Dan both go to the same well? haha  Love the bird and nature sounds. There's so much to LISTEN to in so many of these records... so many sounds. Also, awesome artwork! Great job.

Dick Reynolds - Record Time Shizz: Cool covers man. I wasn't familiar with them, but checked them out online. I dig how you took them all in different directions and put your own spin on it. "Drive It All Over Me" is a cacophonous racket, in true Record Time spirit haha  I dig how you whistled the guitar part in "Those To Come." Maybe vocals could be more up front? Nice spin on everything and good work.

F.E.A.R. - Why: Once again, so many sounds to listen to here. Great job on being really creative and showing off all these production techniques. Sort of a side note, but I find Record Time the perfect opportunity to test out all the tricks we have up our sleeves... stuff that we may consider too gaudy for other tunes. Sounds like you were able to really blast out a ton of new tricks in these tunes... and it works in creating a totally chaotic atmosphere. I don't have a lot to say... sort of hard to latch on to specific things to mention... but that's kinda saying something in itself. Great job, and great artwork.

Kevin Lee Todd - Magnus Ociel Marcello: This is some fucking wild, wild, stuff man. Unbelievable job well done. As I noted above, I'm still re-listening several times to better wrap my head around the plot, but I think I got the gist of it now (then again, I'm horrible at following plots... I could be watchin cartoons and still gotta ask my girlfriend what the hell's goin on haha). As for the story itself: amazing job making this whole thing up, and the enormous set of lyrics that go with it. I wish all of lyrics were on the sheet so I could follow along to the whole thing. You did a great job building this fictional world through music and words. I love the song sequence of sung lyrics and then spoken word.... helps the slow folk like me follow what's going on. I also love the difference between your singing voice and your spoken voice - both are unique. As for the songs themselves... lots of great tunes. I think "Black Rain" and "Zombie" are my favorites. Stylistically, I love how jangly and LOOSE everything is. Not everyone can pull that off (for me - if it ain't tight, it ain't right). I been listening to The Band a lot this week after Levon Helm's death, and your stuff really reminds me of that loose, folksy vibe. But at the same time, it all sounds very intentional and well-produced. I love the spooky music during the spoken-word vignettes. And great artwork too. Awesome job!  ... Can we see a transcript of the Langsdorf Doctrine? haha

Kris Eckman - Burl's Great NoNo: Really heavy stuff. Good guitar playing and really syncopated parts. I dig the guitar parts around 15 seconds into "Night Trains Kill." And the trumpet parts too... totally random! Dig all the cool production in "Eat Jimmy Dean." Cool reggae vibes in the last track. Cool stuff, cool guitar playing. Great job man.

Paul Marquissee - Favorite Place: Great tune! Reminds me of that huge single from Train last year. I love all the vocal adlibs towards the end. Great job, not a lot else to say. Good, solid pop tune.

R. Aaron Webster - Snails: Very cool and unique. This sounds like... what extraterrestrials would head-bang to haha. Cool sounds, cool production techniques, cool snail crying blood... Great job.

In the near future...

... I shall post reviews.

By this I mean, once finals are over I'll be all over it like poop on porcelain. So about a week and a half? Sorry, its the best I can give you if you want me to legitimately listen to all this awesome stuff.

- Aaron

Logan's Vol 3 Reviews

RTVIII, Volume 3

Everyone started with Vol. 1, so I'll help to balance by starting with 3. I really enjoy this collection of albums. Almost all of them seem like peeks at some really fantastic music down the pipeline. If everyone took what they did here in tone and style and had more than a week to work on it, I know some really incredible stuff would be made. That's not to say these albums aren't great, I just want to hear more!

Disclaimer: I say “nice” roughly 60 times per sentence.

Brad Adams, Clayton Witt, Logan Witt

Three very different tracks, that's always fun. King of kings has some good riffin, the mix is solid, and tight song structure. Mr. Brew is delightfully goofy. “Later I will urinate you” may be a completely unique sentence., at least to those who speak English as a first language. It's probably been muttered in broken english in a seedy setting or two, but not for the same reasons. Anyway, What the Heck Johnny has a nice beat, good flow, and some really strange lyrics. Nice mix of songs.

Daniel Clark – Songs Relevant to My Life...

I really like the overall vibe of these tracks. Reminds me of a criminally unknown band, Adios. Guitar tone has a nice jangle to it and I like the angularity of some of the riffs. Drums are very minimal, and I think it works well with the tracks. Last track switches it up, nice choice on the vocal distortion. Finish with a lo-pass filter, another nice choice. Like I said, I really enjoyed these. If you ever do a full length in this style, I'd love to hear it. Oh yeah, also enjoyed the minimal cover art. Good font choice and simple cloth texture.

David P Larsen – Faded Form

This is one of the most unique RT's I think I've ever heard. Music is very relaxed, really nice harmonies, I really like when the “chorus” enters in Precipice. Shades has a good amount of smokiness, and emancipation has a nice darkness to it. The spoken word sections are pretty great. Your voice really works for this spoken style and the lyrics are interesting enough to make it work. These tracks are genuinely interesting. I hope we hear more.

Eric Cripe – JabberJay

Another unique vibe, so far this RT is delivering. I'm a big Murder by Death fan, and this album hints at a lot of the same moods and styles. I could see taking these songs, adding cello, found percussion, and some big reverb, but that's for albums not done in one week's time. The ambiance is a nice touch, adds an air to the whole album. Nice mix of songs, with more driving songs and more mellow tracks. I think Come On Out is my favorite track. It's has a nice structure and the payoff in the chorus works every time. Thumbs up.

Marta – Tucson

Lovely tracks. Beautifully precious. Your voice works very well with the playful guitar lines. I have to agree with others, Tucson is my favorite track. The syncopation, the lyrics, the double tracked chorus, the vocal melody, it all really comes together. Serial Killer is also quite fun, kinda reminds me of Garfunkel and Oates. With more than a week for a slightly crisper production (not too much mind you), these tracks and this style would fit right into a quirky indie movie. I mean that in the best way possible.

Pigeon – Good Times, Hot Chicks, Limp Dicks

Very nice atmosphere. Good guitar tone, low key vocals, tons of layering. My first listen through I just let my mind shut off in the same way I do when listening to GY!BE or Mogwai. Vocal harmony toward the end of Ghost Rider gives me a fleet foxes vibe. Nice switch up with the more forward vocals in Rubber Soul. Cool unique vocals. Really enjoyable listen.

Randy Stary – Child of the Night

Nice dual vocals. Almost sounds like it was tracked live altogether, which if there's only one of you would be miraculous. Another beautifully mellow track. Very nice tremolo in your vocals. Hope to hear more.

My Third Eye on Your (part 1)

Not sure exactly how to right a review so these are my thoughts as I listen to the music.


Andrew Miller - Bharata
- Is the singing in Indian, it blends with the rythem
 that is tight. My mind raddled on with it till my shoulders were moving to the beat.
 If only I would have had a poster of an elephant walking through a jungle or
 pulled up one of those movies on youtube of riding around on the back of an elephant.
 Do people ride giraffs? I would and ride one throught the african plains.
 I think the structure of the it was good, I liked the brakedown and build ups. My favorite part was
the built up at 2:24 where it drop to just the small bongos sounds and the Singer gets down with it
and I can picture them dancing around a fire. Then it works around with the electronic sounds and giving
this futuristic view. The cover art fits it. Thanks it is a good listen.

Kris Eckman-Burl's Great NoNo

-Right off the bat Bearcat, got my ears ready with the back and forth sound and then a rush of metal slip my brain. Instantly my body began to bang and my legs though this was the perfect time to mosh. So there I am moshing alone in the garage and the first pause comes and I look over at my shadow and scream bring it on  It can be said that I enjoyed this track multiple times and will continue to enjoy this. I liked the guitar tone at 3:30, it added a nice taste to breath before the ending primal scream. 

-Night trains kill is that true? To be the title of a song it must be. And if I was Jerry, I would not push it any further. If it was Burl that was taking then I Putting together the movie in my split brain. All the blood has not ended up on the floor. Its so metal and trippy at the same time. I watch as the pools on the floor start acting like a lava lamp. Rolling around the floor as my feet track a circle as it path. The trumpet is nicely squeezed into the metal and pscyodelic grooves. Like Coltrain was rising a rattle snake out of the soundwave. 

-Eat Jimmy Dean And I will. Or should I not sense this is Burls NoNos. If I have to make a decision and since I am the one who is typing, I do have to make the decision. I decide that Burl is so addicted to Jimmy Dean that this is his hunger calling to him. There is no fighting such a bad habit as Eating Jimmy Dean, I tried once to quit and two days later I found myself on the street corner begging for change just so I could get a hook up. I got so bad that I got kickout out of walmart for eating a tube right in the meat department. This song rocked that feeling right into me and again. I can feel the call.

-Good Luck and the lost turf war bought me back together. The opening told me what I need to hear to drop my nasty addication and I began to stitch my cranium back together. The brass riff and the pick up of the guitar, drums, synth on top of synth and some dubstep sonicly minded my brain. I felt every nurve find it connect from my finger tip to my toes. The rubbing my sweat from my eyes, I found that this was only the begining and that was past but I can revistit anytime. I really enjoyed it, Thanks.

Nick's Reviews - Volume 1

Congratulations to everyone on a job well done! RTVIII has been a tremendous learning experience and a tremendous amount of fun, as usual. To pull sounds out of thin air, create things that weren't there before, and preserve them in recordings is something very special... and we did a shitload of that last week. Here are my thoughts on the music in Volume 1 (2 & 3 to follow):


Andrew Miller - Bharata: Really cool piece of music. This has a really professional sound-track vibe to me. I can imagine it being used in some sort of action/thriller movie taking place in the Middle East. Great samples, great production. Like how it just sort of meanders from one vibe to the next.


Eric Putnam - Listen: Very nice, peaceful, honest. I dig the use of pads throughout. I like the singing and especially the harmonies in "Listen." And the bell sounds in "In the Past." Maybe roll off some of the lows on the acoustics to suck out a little muddiness/boomyness. Nice work.


Girlbeard - Girlbeard: Excellent work. Excellent production. Awesome guitar and drum sounds. The drum performances are pretty damn bananas... break-neck playing... reminds me of Rancid. The loud, far-forward mixing of the guitars reminds me of that Foo Fighters sound. There are some killer vocal hooks and melodies in here - "Broken System" and "Cats=People" are some of my favorites. Ooo the bass entry in "Intermission"... nice. Great bass sound overall, too... and good low-end. I agree with Dan, I wish the vocals were brought up a bit. I do like the distorted vocal effect, maybe just not on everything.


Logan Bradley - Hamburgers and Hotdogs: Insane production as usual. Not sure how much of this album is satirical haha or if you are into the death metal vibe with your other music. While the genre isn't my cup of tea, this is a remarkable accomplishment in 7 days, or in any days. Everything is really tight. My favorites are the tracks that stick out like sore thumbs: "Cat Yoga," "Hamburgers and Hotdogs," "8 Bit Dipshit," and "Stay Fly." Also, holy cow that sound in BFG. What the hell tuning is that? haha Great playing and really interesting stuff as usual. Awesome artwork too, as usual.


Luxi - Infinitesma EP: What a beautiful, ethereal album. I love the vocal treatments. Really great production throughout. You have created really amazing atmospheres and soundscapes here. Lots of exciting sounds coming in and out and all over the place... like waves washing over everything. I love the ascending sound in "Dancematica." And I really dig the Intro - a fitting way to start the album. Great artwork too!


Strange Battery - Piece of Wood: Another display of complete demand of yet another musical genre. I'm always amazed at how you head out in a different direction for every Record Time, but can manage to make it sound like you've been there forever. Not sure what I'd call this music anyway, but I love how organic it is. It really does sound like a piece of wood haha Really beautiful melodies and harmonies, as usual. I love all the varied percussion. I really dig the last sections of "Where Will I Go When I Die." It's sort of uplifting, despite the lyrics. I can imagine that tune being in The Hunger Games movie. Love that line 25 seconds into "Piece of Wood" (and throughout the tune). Love all the sounds at the end of "Piece of Fuzz." Killer job, as usual.


Cheers,
Nick

Reviews for Volume 1

Every time, I promise that I am going to review every submission, but I haven't yet.  Well, this time is different, I swear!  Here are my reviews for Volume 1, the rest are on the way.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


This whole volume was AWESOME!  Seriously, all of the music was great, and the production quality on everything was top notch.  This was an especially cool volume to listen to because everyone on it was a veteran to Record Time, so it was cool to see how much we have all progressed over the years.  And we all have.  Seriously great work!  I think, if the time was taken to promote it and whatnot, every record in this volume could be released online by the artist and could probably get quite a few fans and do really well.  That is, after all, the whole point of Record Time, right?  To prove that making cool music isn't REALLY as hard as we all think it is.

Andrew Miller - Bharata
Andrew, your stuff always sounds amazing and super professional.  I can totally picture this in a Mission: Impossible-style action movie where the hero has to tiptoe and dance around all of the alarm lasers as he/she sneaks into the enemy base.  Its a pretty repetitive piece, with no drastic change happening throughout its entire 8 minutes, but the way the instruments subtley change and weave in and out keeps it from getting old.  As always, great work!!!

Eric Putnam - Listen
Before I even hit play, the artwork jumped out at me.  I love its simplicity!  The music was great as well.  Completely not what I would have expected from you, since your last RT was almost entirely electric bass and I don’t think you even picked the instrument up for this one.  The acoustic guitar tones you got sound awesome, the whole thing sounds like a much less pretentious Bon Iver, I really like it.

Girlbeard - Girlbeard
Teh vocals suck on this onee

Lobster Shanty and the Crab Rangoon - Downtown
Wow, this sounds great!  It always blows my mind when I hear music that people produce for RT and it completely sounds like a real, serious music project that someone spent months writing, weeks in the studio, and lots of money making.  The drums/perc. sound really great. I love the way the live drums blend with the overdubbed cymbals and stuff, and how the shakers and tambs. mesh right in.  Everything else sounds great too, I’m just a drummer at heart so thats what I notice first.  The whole thing is mixed very well, all of the elements fit together perfectly.  Musically, I think this album is a great next step for Lobster Shanty.  While your last RT resurrected the energy and emotion of P-Funk, this endeavor takes a more “disco” approach.  Its great, it has its own distinct feel that I love!

Logan Bradley - Hamburgers and Hotdogs
Your albums are always so full of creativity, and this one is no exception.  There are more killer guitar riffs in this 20.5 minute album than I've written in my whole life, and you touch on so many styles of music, it is really impressive that you can get it all done in just one week.  Plus the production value is killer and the artwork is amazing too.  Wonderful wonderful music!

LUXI - Infinitesma (EP)
This is a really cool record!  I tried to follow the blog pretty closely this time, and it was neat reading about the process you went through making this EP.  The whole record has a very distinct and cohesive sound to it, especially the vocals.  The effects you dialled in with that floor vocal pedal sound great, they really compliment the atmosphere you have created with this music.

Strange Battery - Piece of Wood
“You know me, I’m that guy.  Not that guy, that’s another guy.”  Dan, this is an awesome record.  I made a comment on one of your blog posts about how when we first started Record Time you did EVERY single instrument digitally in the computer.  Its so cool to hear you make a record where every instrument is played live and miked up in your bedroom.  Parts of this record really remind me, both in production sound AND in musical content, a lot of the album Floating World by Anathallo, which is easily one of my favorite records ever.  As always, way to set the bar high for the rest of us!