Hip hop track for review

[melodist]

Hello Taxi boards!This is my first post on the forum! I've been a Taxi member for a few years, but just now getting serious about it. I quit my day job, moved to a cabin in the woods, and am challenging myself as much as possible. I am submitting this track to an upcoming hip hop listing, and could really use some feedback.http://www.damiansol.com/mp3/Cabin-Fever.mp3NEW LISTING -- HIP HOP INSTRUMENTALS IN ALL CURRENT STYLES are needed by a West Coast-based Music Publisher who typically supplies music to companies such as Muzak (tracks for retail shops, restaurants, malls, etc.) and also wants to find great material for TV projects, as he has prominent contacts in that world as well. Be sure there are no vocals on these tracks and no uncleared samples. He's asked us to be extra selective in what we forward -he wants quality over quantity -so your performances must be excellent.Here are some specific questions/comments:- Would you consider this track as a "current style"?- Is the ending considered a "button ending"? - Does the "gangster lead" sound too dated (I think it might be coming back??)- Does the vocal sample violate the definition of an instrumental track?- Does the clarinet violate the definition of hip hop?- I feel like I need to add a crash (or other washy element) in the beginning of each chorus (needs to pop more in contrast with the previous part)Thanks a lot in advance for any feedback,Damian

[marcblack30]

not my genre at all, but, i think it sounds really good.i think it sounds current and original, it does have kind of a 70's feels to it but i would still say it's current.i don't think the vocals violate the def of inst track, not absolutely sure though.ending sounds fine, i would say it's a button ending and i think the instrumentation is fine from the gansta lead to the clarinet.i do think the claps are a little too out front, i would make them just a bit more subtle, they do sound fake but that may be ok, i would just move them back in the mix.again, just my .02, but i think it's worth $5

[slideboardouts]

Hey Damian,Hip Hop can sometimes be a difficult genre to peg because it is so open. I like your track and I think with the right MC it would make a cool song, but as an instrumental IMHO it is a little too borderline for a hip hop cue. Its a little too melodic based whereas hip hop is usually a little more rhythmic based.I would generally leave the vocals out just to be safe, but there are plenty of libraries that have little vocal samples in their instrumental hip hop collections.-Steve

[melodist]

Hey guys,Thanks to both of you for quick replies. Now I hve to go reply to some other threads to get my forum karma up. =)@marcblack30 -- Thanks for the kind words, great feedback there. I agree about the hand claps, but it's funny because I recorded and produced that sound from scratch, nothing fake about it.@slideboardouts -- Thanks for the honest appraisal. It's exactly what I was thinking when I finished it -- more melodic than typical HH instrumentals. I guess I was approaching it as if, because it was an instrumental track, it had to "make up" for not having vocals by having extra layers. In your opinion, are they looking for instrumental tracks that are "MC ready" rather than "making up for" the lack of an MC?Thanks again guys,Damian

[slideboardouts]

Feb 16, 2009, 8:47am, melodist wrote:Hey guys,Thanks to both of you for quick replies. Now I hve to go reply to some other threads to get my forum karma up. =)@marcblack30 -- Thanks for the kind words, great feedback there. I agree about the hand claps, but it's funny because I recorded and produced that sound from scratch, nothing fake about it.@slideboardouts -- Thanks for the honest appraisal. It's exactly what I was thinking when I finished it -- more melodic than typical HH instrumentals. I guess I was approaching it as if, because it was an instrumental track, it had to "make up" for not having vocals by having extra layers. In your opinion, are they looking for instrumental tracks that are "MC ready" rather than "making up for" the lack of an MC?Thanks again guys,DamianI think that they are looking for instrumentals for media (tv, film, ppt slides...who knows what) and not cues that they would then have MCs work with. You are actually on the right track by approaching it in a way that makes up for the lack of lead vocals. However, with hip hop instrumentals you generally don't want to do this by making it more melodic . Play every instrument more rhythmically and then tweak the arrangement by modulating your lead melody, layering other instruments, changing up the bass line, etc. Thats how you want to make up for the lack of an MC is to have the cue be a little more dynamic.Your track may certainly find a home with a library, but for a listing asking specifically for Hip Hop Instrumentals (or any genre really) I would want to remove all doubt as to what genre it is. If you put the screener on the fence as to whether it fits into the requested genre chances are you will get returned.I once submitted a dance track to a listing asking for "High Energy Electronica Instrumentals" knowing full well that it didn't quite fit in the "High Energy" category but more in the "Dance" category. Well, the screener gave it 8's and 9's, said that it was a"Great dance track," and complimented me on pretty much every aspect of it but didn't forward me because it wasn't quite "High Energy." And he/she was right.It is, however, only 5 bucks so you could take your chances and see what happens as I did with the dance cue. If it comes with a critique it might be worth it to see what a screener says. If it is a Y/N listing though I personally would let it go or edit the cue a bit.Good Luck-Steve

[trieglaffrock]

I'd say submit this to something that mentions Beck or a southern rock/hip hop vibe rather than current hip hop. Sounds good though!

[ideascapes]

Damian,You're getting some good advice here. I'm certainly no expert on the genre, but think that the standard Hip Hop listing would be looking for a more synthy bass (with sub), a sparcer arrangement, and fewer organic instruments (more of the synthy whistle thing you have going). Having said that, you might be creating a new genre so I'd hesitate to stop you from that!Vince

[ig88]

Not a bad beat, melody is great. that beginning clap is wayy to loud and dry. Nice east coast lead. Good switch to the ride but it needs more velocity automation overall. Those voice samples sound wack no one is gonna want to flow over that. Nice piece though. what do you use?

[partyofone]

Hey bro,Been on a hip-hop piece myself recently. I think you have a very cool piece going and here's my 2 cents.I think biggest thing is to take any verb off the drums (especially claps) because most modern hip-hop I hear has super dry drums. I agree on removing vocals.For drums sounds I can't rave enough about modernbeats.com. $40 is going to land you a gaggle of SUPER high quality hip hop sounds that are used in chart topping hits. (I sound like a salesman ha ha)- Would you consider this track as a "current style"? Yes and no.. not really what I hear on radio but not necessarily dated sounding either- Is the ending considered a "button ending"? not sure on that one.. I'd think you'd want to end on a drum hit- Does the "gangster lead" sound too dated (I think it might be coming back??) no- Does the vocal sample violate the definition of an instrumental track? no- Does the clarinet violate the definition of hip hop? no (a lot of Dr. Dre uses tons or orchestral stuff)- I feel like I need to add a crash (or other washy element) in the beginning of each chorus (needs to pop more in contrast with the previous part) .. not sure on that oneI agree on the comment about needing to be more rhythmically focused. I'm hearing too much verb somewhere in the mix that is bothering me a bit. Just my opin though.You obviously have chops man. Good luck!

[ontariolightning]

sounds like reggae + soul to me than hip hop