LONG SHADOWS

Here’s my latest song, together with a short behind the track look at how it was recorded.

This was a bit of a departure from my usual style, however when I’m writing I try to go with the flow, as a song develops I find that there are often key stages that determine which direction a track is going to go and other choices seem to follow on from that point.

In this song I used what I think is a fairly convincing acoustic guitar sound from the Omnisphere synth, I tried to play it in the same style as a guitarist, that being a picky appregio that runs the course of the tune, but has some strummed chords at the end of each chorus.

I experimented with a real Berong (a kind of small drum used in folk music) that I was given as a gift, and using the tapered beater that came with it recorded a rhythm and some rolls on the side and skin of the drum.

staying with the acoustic sounds, I then used a couple of small lengths of wooden curtain pole that for some reason I’d hung onto. Again I recorded a clave type pattern that features through the track, I panned it left in the mix and added some reverb which I panned to the right.

In the instrumental break, I had wanted to record me whistling, however I found that it’s more of an art than one would think to get a perfect take and sound, so I resorted to a harpsichord sound which I think adds a touch of the medievil to the feel.

Finally I put a vocal harmony on the chorus and a glockenspiel appreggio at the end, and the track was complete.

I did toy with beefing up the last verse, but I kind of liked the natural feel, so decided to leave it as it was. The thing is that songs are usually adaptable so there are several takes and genres that can be applied if I later want to re-record the song entirely.

As for the lyrics, well they are of course quite morose as usual, and perhaps a bit of a twist at the end!

Chris x