Die Schwarzen Ladas - "Puoli seitseman"

New, almost instrumental progressive rock tune from my band, Die Schwarzen Ladas: 
http://www.dieschwarzenladas.com/dsl/mp3/Die_Schwarzen%20Ladas_-_Puoli_seitseman.mp3


This is the song we tracked live (drums & bass) in front of the TV cameras in my studio. I played keyboards and guitars,  mixed and mastered it the same day. 
Drums & bass was really recorded in one take and without pre-arrangements!!! It was an insane idea of reporter to ask us to compose a song this way but the final tune is quite decent and I don't need to feel shame.   

Song begins with eternal, delayed bass. I made it using E-Bow (live take). Reberb was added later in the mix.  At this point of drummer was not yet sure if I had already started the improvisation. Well, I had... He came in with a long fill and after that we played a riff reporter had whistled us few minutes earlier. Drums & bass riff should groove better but now it's the honest first take.  In the middle of the song (2:55) drums stop and I continue playing staccato bass notes thru wah wah and analog delay. I thought I make something over it later... but I left it as is for two rounds. At 3:53 is a guitar solo, one full take. End riff is made in the spirit of TOTO's Dave's Gone Skiing. 

Main riff is played in 7/8 time signature in the end part of the song. It was not rehearsed either. We had just agreed we'll play something in 7/8.  Before 7/8 part I play bass break in 6/8.  Now I can confess it should have been 7/8.

Our singer was sick and he could not participate in the recording but I imported two lines of his singing from an unused song demo. Originally those lines were in different tempo and key. I used V-Vocal and clip editing to fit lines in this song. 
All guitars are recorded using Fractal Audio Axe FX II. Also bass was reamped thru Axe FX II in the mix phase. No real amps were used this time because I wanted to test my new toy. :-)


panup playing bass...

 A really nice work Panup. I didn't know you could play too. Now I do! The pic makes this look older than it probably is. I like listening to songs played on the fly so to speak and you all did a great job on this one!

That Axe FX sounds great and the performances are very good as well.  The level of the bass may be a little high, but that's not a show-stopper.

I enjoyed that very much.

Awesome Panu! Nice production, mix and I especially love how tight the low end is in that bass guitar. No flabbiness at all...great kick/bass relationship. This is a good representation of what a good kick and bass guitar should sound like in a mix. Not crazy about the distortion on the bass, but that's me....kinda like a woman that gets tats and puts them in places where a man would....I'd rather one without tats like I'd rather a bass without distortion. It does sound good though and it fits...it's just one of those things I've never been down with. Some guys use a little to where you can't really hear it...but when I DO hear it...well, it's just a sound that has never sat well with me.

But this is really nice brother...well done considering the circumstances. Good guitar tone and licks as well! :)

-Danny

Excellent!!

Hi Rimshot! 
Thanks! Here's a photo from my control room straight after the live take:


 
panup overdubbing & mixing while drummer makes sure there's enough bass...




This kind of guitar playing images are not to be shown for fans... I should be on stage with pyro fx, not sitting in a chair in front of SONAR.

One more pic, taken during our interview just before the live take:





Reporter: How do you...(I don't remember the whole question)?
- I just play whatever comes into my mind. I let ideas fly from my subconsciousness while the organized part of my brains tries to control the big picture.  I try to imagine guitar and keyboard melodies while I play bass. 

Yeah, something like that... 

This is just terrific.  I, for one, do like the tone of the bass.  I tend to like things out of the box and not so predictable.  First class all the way.

@Lynn & Wookiee 
Thank you for your comments! :-)

Danny, I accept your bass sound taste, especially after your thorough explanation. Somehow, in an odd way, it reminds me trauma I have of redhead girls (not going too in-depth but one  of my redhead ex in the ancient past made it).  Bass distortion <--> redhead.