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band name : FISHBALLmusic album name : CAROUSELyear : 2021Composition and Arrangement : © All songs, music and lyrics written by T. Yahaya Abdullah (Yala)Distribution, Publishing & Licensing by TuneCorePerformance : Programming, Guitars and Vocals by YalaProduction : Recorded and Mixed by YalaCover : Photograph by Puteri Aria Kamaria Charles-T.Yahaya
LYRICS
LYRICS
Accompanying photos by Yala
Carousel
Carousel
▪ We were always meant to be
That time was only you and me
Wasting time to wait and see
Let me take you by the hand
Maybe I don't have a plan
I just know you'd understand
♦ One more time, around the carousel with you again
One more time, let's do it all the way the same again
▪ Who was right and who was wrong
I looked around and you were gone
The dreams that haunt me on and on
Watch the wheels go round and round
We don't have to turn around
Our feet don't even touch the ground
▪ Don't know what you want to say
I couldn't make it go away
We never needed it anyway
I can't tell the reasons why
I don't know but we should try
So long as we never say goodbye
I Don't Mind
I Don't Mind
▪ I don't mind if you're going out tonight
I don't know if I'm going to wait for you
You don't see it's just no fun for me
The silence tells me there's no more chances
♦ Because tonight I'm free from you
Maybe I'm running away from you
Just let me go
▪ I don't mind if you're coming home late again
It's true I'm not good enough for you
You don't see it's no concern for me
I'm not the fool who's crying over you
▪ I don't mind if you're staying out tonight
I don't care if we're not going anywhere
You don't see you're not changing me
Miss the water when the well runs dry
Echoes Of Today
Echoes Of Today
▪ Sitting here in the dark
A temporary silence in my heart
I dream of your secrets
When the lights have gone away
♦ Listen to the footsteps
Like waiting for a kiss
Hear the rain outside
The echoes of today
▪ Take a look out the window
The feeling in my eyes
A moment of weakness
You can look the other way
▪ Sleeping with a shadow
A blind familiar hand
Not another love song
A reason for me to stay
▪ The trace of your smile
And your arms around me
One more look at you
Before I have to go away
Never Be
Never Be
▪ I don’t know if we’re trying
I can see you've been crying
But you should walk away
Maybe you were on my mind
Somehow someone I left behind
Something we thought was real
♦ You don't know how long it took me to realise we're lying
Try to understand I'm not that man, don't want to see you crying
It's just a memory of maybe you and me
It's just a fantasy ‘cause we could never be
▪ I know it's been years
Just wipe away the tears
Just turn away from me now
There's no point in waiting
Or is it hesitating
It still amounts to nothing
▪ It's not what it seems
It's only in our dreams
I'm not the one you think I am
We should be thinking aloud
Away from the maddening crowd
No more words to explain
From My Window
From My Window
▪ From my window I see you, walking by everyday
You don't know, that I'm looking that way
I try to call to you but, what's the use
Every way I play it, every way I lose
▪ And when I'm talking to you, everything's okay
But after a while, there's nothing left to say
So we walk back together, side by side
Saying nothing, as if our voices had died
♦ Why are we pretending? What is there to hide?
Don't you worry baby. I’m on your side
Why are we pretending? What is there to hide?
Don't you worry baby ‘cos I’m on your side
▪ And now the window is broken, torn down
Broken pieces, scattered all around
But I can still see through the window of my mind
It's over, I can seek but I won't find
▪ From my window I see you, walking by everyday
You don't know that I'm looking that way
With nothing left to say
You weren’t there that day
In This Heat
In This Heat
♦ Keep on dancing, keep on dancing, keep on dancing
Keep on dancing, keep on dancing, in this heat
Keep on dancing, keep on dancing, keep on dancing
▪ Waiting
Without learning
Something burns
And I turn in my sleep
▪ It creeps up my skin
I never looked again
I melted away that day
I couldn't get away, away, away, away
▪ I twist
And shouted aloud
Peeling off the layers
The pressing humid bodies
▪ The wall of bursting heat
And sweat fills my breath
I prayed for rain, rain rain rain
Shadows spoke to me again and again and again
▪ Pry through the vapour
The spicy taste
Mingle in the mouth
And I spat, spat it out
It's Alright
It's Alright
▪ He said that he was going away
He'd be home soon another day
He always loved to travel in style
The stars were shining brightly all the while
♦ Even though many years have flown
with constant people we've always known
We sometimes see the fading light
But it's alright, it's alright, it's alright
▪ He grew up in a little old town
Nothing was gonna keep him down
First chance he took to live life afar
The twinkle of a little star
▪ It's late again while he's still not home
He just doesn't wanna be alone
He's somewhere busy socialising
The night is young while he's still dancing
▪ It's not perfect but it's alright
It's not perfect but it's alright
In A Dream
In A Dream
▪ I heard your song dancing with me
The wind clawed at my face and hands
I wonder if you felt the cold
Giving poison to the hungry
♦ We turned around and we laughed
The light touched you for a second
And I saw the lines on my hands
A silence kissed me in a dream
▪ The tinkle of glasses return
And remember the ice down your back
But once we walked by in the dark
The sound of acid on the floor
▪ The innocence of playful words
Another smile in the mirror
The smell of sleep melted away
Lying awake without thinking
▪ The cloudy scene under the trees
And my awaiting mouth is dry
Something like a wilted flower
And feeling sad on rainy days
See You Again
See You Again
▪ Sometimes things get left behind
Innocence so hard to find
It can't be easy to hold on
When so much of you has gone
♦ I'm here for you now. Old feelings I know
Memories from so long ago
I'll see you again sooner than before
Try to talk with me a little more
Just a little more
▪ Some days you're lost in the rain
Sometimes senses go insane
We feel we're living in the past
All our memories fading fast
♦ I'm here for you now. Old feelings I know
Sorry I just have to go.
...
▪ Some things better left unspoken
Win the game but it's still broken
Even when you're wrong you're right
Not so gently into the night
▪ Forgive me,
I forget you
Forgive me,
I forget you, some days
♦ I can't see you like this. The feelings I don't know
Sorry I just can't let go
...
♦ I'll see you again. Now I look for the door
Because I can’t stay here anymore
Watching You
Watching You
▪ You're in that timeless place
where things appear unreal
Thinking of new reasons
They spin you like a wheel
Unsure of your decisions
Mistakes now seem surreal
♦ I'm watching you as time goes by
Small glimpses of my own before
In just the blink of an eye
You'll find your destiny and more
▪ Time with the faded pages
The meanings not always clear
Some moments to remember
And friends you held so dear
The dreams you held so precious
Your finish line's so near
▪ Some day are full of wonder
Or confusion in a haze
Starting a new chapter
brings hope in many ways
One day you'll realise
These were the best of days
You'll find your destiny and more
PERFORMANCE & PRODUCTION NOTES
PERFORMANCE & PRODUCTION NOTES
ALBUM SOUND SET - The entire album was created using Propellerhead Reason 9.5, now called Reason Studios. In general, I used one "set of sounds" throughout.
I would have liked to have used the latest version of Reason Studios but I don't think my old laptop just can handle it. I suspect the laptop can't handle the graphics rather than the audio.Bass was a hybrid Synth-Bass design as follows:-
High Attack : Analog Synth sample using NN-19 SamplerMain Bass : Reason Electric BassSub-Bass : Sine Wave using Little LFOIn this design, the lowest bass-note is D2 and the Sub-Bass is filtered out below 36.6HzDrums were using Kong. The sound set for drums was chosen from the factory presets, mostly tuned down by 30-50%.
The kick-drum was a preset which was resampled with the attack-portion pitched down by about 50% (to sound good) and the boom-portion pitched down to 33 Hz; so as not to clash with the Synth-Bass. I use Audacity to recombine the attack and boom portions.Piano was using Radical Piano.
My piano playing is a "meandering" style so I didn't really need anything with more processing or effects. Just a plain good piano.Strings were PX7 (FM Synth) combined with NN-19 or Korg PolySix or SKRock Aurora or Subtractor.
The remaining Gamelan or Bell-like sounds were all PX7.
Overall, I use a lot of DX7 sounds so I was surprised that Reason Studios have killed off the PX7. It's going to be difficult to collaborate if the other musician can't get access to the same synths.
Reason Electric Bass
PX7 (FM synth)
Reason Subtractor
Carousel - Verse and Chorus use the same chord progression. The only real distinction is that Verse has guitars while Chorus has piano.
The slow brassy strings are a combi of NN-19 & Subtractor. Gamelan bells are a combi of NN-19 & PX7.
BasslineC\ E/ F, F/ D\ F/ A, A/ Guitar ChordsCM7 [x 3 5 4 5 3]Am9 [x 0 3 2 1 0]D7sus4 [x 5 7 5 8 5]Am9 [x 7 5 5 5 7]
I Don't Mind - Mostly a guitar song where the main verse riff is played sliding on the 2nd, 3rd strings with the rest of the strings open. Verse is Em, Bm, D, Am, C. Chorus is G, F#, Am, C and then a Gap change of Am, Bm, C, D.
The Xylo-bells are a combi of NN-19 & PX7.
I know the opening guitar (var.1) audio has "finger squeaks". I thought about re-recording that part many times; but somehow those squeaks have a "real world" character to them.
Guitar Chords Verse
var.1 var.2 var.3
[x 7 9 x x x] [x 7 9 0 8 0] [x 7 9 0 0 0]
[x 2 4 x x x] [x 2 4 0 0 0] [x 2 4 0 0 0]
[x 5 7 x x x] [x 5 7 0 7 0] [x 5 7 0 0 0]
[x 0 2 x x x] [x 0 2 0 0 x] [x 0 2 0 0 x]
[x 3 2 0 0 x] [x 3 2 0 0 x]
Guitar Chords
Main Chorus Gap Chorus pt.2
[3 2 0 0 3 3] [x x 2 0 0 0] [x x 5 7 8 5]
[2 0 0 0 3 3] [x x 4 0 3 0] [x x 2 4 3 2]
[x 0 2 0 3 3] [x x 2 0 1 0] [x x 7 9 10 7]
[x 3 2 0 3 3] [x x 0 2 3 0] [x x 5 5 8 7]
Echoes Of Today - Originally written on Xmas 1982, I did a big rewrite in 2020 as I changed the Key from Am to Dm. I wanted to keep the guitar as open string chords but the change to Dm meant 1 less string. So a new piano part was written to cover that. The song is a bit long with 4 verses and so the second guitar part (palm-muted staccato) was added for variety.
Strings are a combi of PX7 & Aurora.
Bass VerseD\Bb/C\G/Bass ChorusG/A/Bb/C\Guitar Verse[x x 0 2 3 0][x x 0 2 3 1][x x 0 2 1 0][x x 0 2 1 1]Guitar Chorus[x 5 3 3 3 3][x 7 5 5 5 5]
Muted Gtr Verse[x x x x 3 5][x x x x 3 3][x x x x 3 1][x x x x 3 0]Muted Gtr Chorus[x x x x 3 5][x x x x 3 3][x x x x 1 3][x x x x 1 1][x x x x 3 3][x x x x 3 1][x x x x 1 1][x x x x 1 0]
Never Be - Bassline has a "trigger pattern" based on [^^.^^.^.^^^.^.] where "^" is the trigger to play a note and "." is a rest. The trigger is for every 16th of a bar and this pattern repeats after 14 of them. The verse chord progression is Am, Am, F, G 'tho the bassline runs differently.
The chorus is in 2 parts using the same chord progression of FM7 (notes= F, A, C, E) and Em7 (notes= E, G, B, D); where the first part plays the progression for 2 bars each while the second part plays for only 1 bar each. The chords being 7ths means we can have fun messing about with the root (bass).
Strings are a combi of NN-19 & PX7. Both Bell-sounds are combis of NN-19 & PX7
BasslineVerse A,A, A\G/Chorus pt1 F/A\ G\E/ D\F/ C\G\Chorus pt2 F\E\ D\C/ D/E/ F/G Guitar ChordAm add9 [x 0 7 5 0 0]
From My Window - This was the first song I wrote (Oct 1979). It was originally just the arpeggio in Am while the bass moved down (Bach style) A, G, F, E. I liked the mood but it was a bit predictable. In this new version, the song in in Bm and the guitar portion now includes all the bass-note changes. The verse bassline is B\ A\ G\ F#. Playing semi-open chords in Bm key causes the last chord of F# to be played as [2 4 4 3 0 0] which sounds partly like an E chord. For the chorus, I changed to a progression of Em, F#m, G, A.
The guitars for the chorus are the same clean sound as the verse. The chorus' "distorted" guitar is a separate track of ID8 guitar "clean electric" through a Kuassa OD3603 overdrive.
Strings are a combi of NN-19 & PX7. The intro Strings are using Aurora. The verse strings are very simple 2-note chords during the sung portions.
Guitar VerseBm [x 2 4 4 3 2]Bm/A [x 0 4 4 3 0]Bm/G [3 x 4 0 3 0]F# [2 4 4 3 0 0]Guitar ChorusEm [0 2 2 0 0 0]F#m [2 4 4 0 0 0]G [3 5 5 0 0 0]A [5 7 7 0 0 0]Strings Verse C# F#D F#D GC# GStrings Verse IIF#AB D F#A C#E G B DE F#A#C#E Strings ChorusG B D A C#E G B D A C#E
In This Heat - An old song from May 1982, I wrote this song after coming home from a sweat-box night-club called Club 100. This song has 2 guitars and no keyboards (bass is not counted). I've only added one more variant for the second guitar; as well as the "Keep On Dancing" bit.
Verse Guitar 1 Guitar 2 [x 7 9 9 7 7] [xxx 14 12 12][x 7 9 7 8 7] [xxx 14 15 12][x 9 11 9 12 9] [xxx 14 12 12][x 5 7 7 5 5] [xxx 14 12 15][x 7 9 9 7 7] [xxx 12 12 14]Chorus Guitar 1 Guitar 2 [x x 5 7 8 5] [x x x 0 3 3][x x 7 9 10 7] [x x x 2 0 0]
It's Alright - I considered naming this song "Constant People". The verse chord progression has an alt- folk feel (not sure what the chord-names are). The chorus is a little jazzy using a 2,5,1,6 progression. The electric guitar was made to sound acoustic by putting it through a very slow phaser. (You can hear the phaser after at the bridge, after the gap). Then there are 2 other arpeggio guitars; one going through a chorus and another through a phaser.
Bass VerseA/C#/D\B\A\G#/D\E/Guitar Verse Aadd9 [x 0 7 6 0 0]AM7,9 [x 0 6 6 0 0]D? [x 0 0 7 7 0][x 0 4 0 3 0]
Bass BridgeG#\F#\E/F#
Bass BridgeG#\F#\E/F#
Bass ChorusB\E/A\F#\Guitar ChorusBm7 [x 2 4 2 3 2]E7 [0 2 0 1 0 0]CM7 [x 0 5 4 5 0]F#m7 [2 4 2 2 2 2]Guitar BridgeG#/E [o 6 6 4 0 o]F#/E [o 4 4 2 0 o]E [o 2 2 1 0 o][o 4 4 2 0 o]
In A Dream - Originally written in Jul 1982, it was always a laid-back song with 3 verses at the front -&- 1 verse really far at the end. The 2020 version only adds the Dsus2 & Csus4 in the "guitar chorus part 2" as well as the reprised verse "guitar verse part 2".
The "whoosing wind" was created on Subtractor using the Noise Osc where the Cut-Off and Resonance are heavily modulated by Little LFO.
Strings are a combi of PolySix & PX7. The Harp & Clunky-bells are PX7.
Bass VerseD\C/D\C/D/F\D\C/Guitar Verse[x 5 5 5 5 x][x 5 7 7 5 x][x 5 7 5 6 x][x 5 5 5 5 x]Guitar Verse pt2 Dsus2 [x x 0 2 3 0]Csus4 [x x 3 0 1 3]
Bass ChorusG/D/F\C\Guitar Chorus[x x x 10 10 10][x x x 10 13 10]Guitar Chorus pt2 Dsus2 [x x 0 2 3 0]Csus4 [x x 3 0 1 3]
See You Again - This was written on piano. The right-hand chords are quite static, not moving much; while the left-hand does the bass arpeggio.
Strings are a combi of ID-8 & "MX Slow Strings" from Analogue Monsters 3 refill. The string parts are simple long chords. The bells are PX7.
The palm-muted guitar part is uses each pair of notes being played 3 times in 16ths timing; so, counting 16ths, the sequence would be 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2.
LeftHand RightHandPiano Chorus Bb . C F A G . C F A Bb . C F A F . C F A Piano VerseF . E G C A . E G C G . D F Bb C . D F Bb
GuitarPalm-MutedChorus[x x x x 6 8][x x x x 6 6][x x x x 6 5]Verse[x x x 5 8 x][x x x 5 6 x][x x x 5 5 x]
Watching You - A tiny bit experimental, I had no idea where this song would lead to. Even as I was finalising the mixes for the album, I was still rewriting the music (several times). It began to take shape after adding the synth arpeggiator lines; created using Subtractor. And then I added the distortion guitar solo; the only appearance of a distorted sound using the Avid Eleven rack.
The lyrics also underwent several rewrites before settling on its present form.
String are a combi of PolySix & PX7. The Piano-bells and Clunky-bells are PX7.
RECORDING
I'm not using a high-end computer; it's a Lenovo laptop 2.4GHz i5 with 8GB RAM on Win-7. As I'm writing this, I realise I really should have upped the RAM (silly me, lol).
All the sequencer parts were actually input in "step-time" [ie note by note using the mouse]. I have a Casio digital piano but it's in a different room (umm, don't ask) so I usually memorise stuff and then input it slowly for the sequencer.
Most of the guitar audio was recorded clean (dry) using the Zoom UAC-2 into Reason. It has USB3.0 but it seems to not work well except in USB2.0. For guitar, I used a PRS Santana SE guitar and recorded in "middle select" (both pick-ups). It all sounded clean but a bit lifeless. It really needed compression and a bit of grit; so I ran the audio through Softube Amp [Settings: amp= Twang, cab= bypass, gain= 5. bass= 0, mid= 8.5, hi=0.5, gain2= 4], exported to Wav, and imported back. Actually I had to us Audacity to clean up the exported wave file due to distortion/ clipping (from the Softube Amp, I guess).
Microphone is a SE X1 A. The vocals are processed through a Focusrite Voicemaster with light compression and de-essing. This goes through an Avid Eleven rack as the audio interface. This worked out quite well.
Later, I recorded the guitar solos for "Echoes" and "Watching" with effects (wet) using the Eleven rack.
My equipment set-up: SE condenser microphone X1 A, Zoom UAC-2 audio interface, AKG K72 headphones, Avid Eleven rack, Focusrite Voicemaster. The "rack" is Ikea Samla storage box.
TRACKS SUMMARY
DRUMS - In Kong, each drum has its own pitch (sample playback) and Reverb (Bus FX) control. I use the built-in Compressor (Master FX).
BASS - My Synth-Bass setup separates Sub, Main & High frequencies into specific spectrum-bands. Timbre is created my the mix of Sub, Main & High. It has its own Compressor at around 6:1. (see my Synth Bass article).
SEND EFFECTSReverb= Plate - only for VocalsReverb= Room Delay= usually 3/16thsChorus= Flanger & Chorus with LFO shifted 90° (see my Flanger article).
MIX-DOWN - I recorded and mixed the album using AKG K72 closed-back headphones. I've included several YouTube videos which helped me a lot in my overall "mixing philosophy".
Here are the general track settings:-
Drums - EQ: HPF= 26.5 Hz -/- Send: Reverb= -17 dB.
Bass - EQ: HPF= 33.3 Hz.
Guitar Bus - EQ: HPF= 240 Hz, LoMid= 550 Hz @ -4.5 dB, HiMid= 2.2 kHz @ +6 dB, Hi= 4,4 kHz @ +8 dB, LPF= 5.5 kHz -/- Send - Room= -4.5 dB, Delay= -12 dB, Chorus= -3 dB.
Insert FX = Audiomatic \ "Tape" preset. I had earlier set up a chain of EQ and effects but somehow Audiomatic's "Tape" preset was just better. Lol.
Vocals -
Insert FX = 2x Selig DeEsser ->- MClass Compressor.
● Selig DeEsser : default setting [Listen = D-S, CrossOver = 2kHz, Gain Reduction = 6 dB, V-S Sens = 0]. You need to use 2 DeEssers for stereo processing.
● MClass Compressor : Input = 0 dB, Threshold = -28 dB, Ratio = 2.8:1, Attack = 40 ms, Release = 90 ms, Output = 3.8 dB.
I actually go through the vocals word-by-word to decrease the volume of sibilant words by about -4 to -8 dB. But during the Mastering check with reference music, I needed to increase Highs by +6 dB to conform. This boosted up the sibilance which I needed to suppress using the Selig DeEsser.
PARALLEL BUS - This is used to boost the quieter instruments in the mix. Basically, every Track (or Bus), except for the Drums, is sent through a FX SEND/ RETURN and processed as:-
MClass Stereo Imager {High band output}->- Softube Saturation Knob ->- COMP-01 Compressor
● MClass Stereo Imager : CrossOver = 589 Hz, High band Width = +31. Only the High band separate output is used.
● Softube Saturation Knob : Saturation = 5.0, Type = Keep High.
● Comp-01 : Ratio = 4:1, Threshold = 30, Attack = 15, Release = 15
This Parallel Bus processes the higher frequencies, widens their stereo image, saturates to create high harmonics, and is heavily compressed. This effect is controlled by the Return knob = -5.5 dB. This Parallel Bus is only heard when the loud sounds have subsided, bringing up the high frequencies (via saturation) of the quieter parts. This is an alternative to a heavy Master Compressor.
MASTER SECTION
Insert FX : Omega Trimmer ->- MClass Stereo Imager ->- Red Rock MultiBand Compressor.
● Forgotten Clank Omega Trimmer : HighPass = 25 Hz @ 48 dB/ oct.
● MClass Stereo Imager : Lo Width = -64, CrossOver = 147 Hz
● Red Rock MultiBand Compressor : CrossOvers : Low = 144 Hz, Mid = 586 Hz, High = 2.9 kHz, mode = LR8
Band Sub Low Mid High
MakeUp 1.9 -3 0 6 dB
Ratio 2.5 1.9 1.9 1.9
Knee 0 1 2 3
Attack 9 30 25 20 ms
Release 66 99 88 77 ms
Thresh -22 -21 -21½ -26 dB
I used Omega Trimmer to filter out sub-Bass frequencies below 25 Hz. I used Stereo Imager to force the sub-Bass frequencies below 147 Hz to be in mono. Using a MultiBand Compressor here allows me to do the audio "mastering" in one go. Under High, 6 dB boost is quite high.
Mastering Reference Song List:-
INXS - Need You Tonight ; for Low & Mid.
Johnny Hates Jazz - Shattered Dreams ; for Mid & Highs.
Bananarama - I Heard A Rumour ; Highs (max).
End of Document
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