Oh The King

A tune about an odd man who used to roam around my neighborhood as a kid. He wore a crown sometimes. Featuring chococat on drums.

This is one of my first tunes on my new DAW so please excuse the inevitable issues with mixing and levels that I'm sure abound... I'm still learning all that and I don't really know what I'm doing. Many thanks to chococat for his awesome percussion and the low droning bassline.

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posted by ORthey (13 comments total)

Yeah, this sounds pretty bad dude.

Kidding! It actually sounds like your new DAW is working great for you. This is intricate and interesting. It's a very appealing "sound picture." Your vocal performance is great as always. If I were to change anything at all, it might be the deep vocal you hear starting around the 1:30 mark. It's mixed, on purpose I'm sure, to sound a bit muddy. I'd try to have it set apart from the other vocals in some other way, or maybe just less, somehow. But, it feels silly to try to give you advice when you so clearly know exactly what you're doing. Beautifully done!

For the first time, I noticed a subtle similarity between how you sing and how the vocalist of Goldspot sings. If you ever have the time and inclination, check out this KCRW show. I think you could pick up some ideas from his vocal stylings (and then do cooler things with it).
posted by edlundart at 8:48 PM on March 30, 2010

Yeah, that's bad... bad-ASS. Super-clean, wicked awesome sounds, bitchin harmonies. This is just great. I'm a sucker for little ostinati like you've got going on all over here.
posted by uncleozzy at 5:30 AM on March 31, 2010

I think it needs a big ripping guitar solo. Not really. Good stuff ORthey (and chococat).
posted by doctor_negative at 8:17 AM on March 31, 2010

Congrats ORthey! There's a lot to be said about this. It's a beautiful song and an awesome collaboration. As edlundart mentions, it really does have a great sound picture-Very enjoyable on good headphones.

While I'm no techie, my ears don't lie and this sounds GREAT. At one point your vocal harmony rings so hard and true I swear you could break glass.

I can't wait to hear more.

chococat...great drumming, man. They're very expressive and perfect in this song.

Woo Hoo!
posted by snsranch at 4:14 PM on March 31, 2010

WHERE'S THE AUTO-TUNE
posted by decagon at 4:45 PM on March 31, 2010

(In all seriousness, this is really good.)
posted by decagon at 5:17 PM on March 31, 2010

This is really nice. Well done.
posted by Pecinpah at 5:36 PM on March 31, 2010

Not often I say this, or (bitter experience) would necessarily recommend it, but you should seek a record deal my son. This is very special. If you do get embroiled with the music biz suits - be wary, trust no-one, be true to your muse.
posted by MajorDundee at 4:24 PM on April 1, 2010

So good. The vocals are spot on, ORthey, and I especially love your bass line, chococat. I do agree with edlundart on the muddy vocals around 1:30. That's the only part that took me out of the song a bit. I have always preferred your voice free of effects, though, so maybe I'm biased. Really great track, nonetheless.
posted by Corduroy at 5:14 PM on April 1, 2010

Thanks folks - really appreciate the lovely comments. And you are absolutely right about the vocals at around 1:30 and was in fact wondering if that would get mentioned. For some reason I just couldnt get it to sound right (perhaps because it comes in as the previous line is fading out) so I gave up. I'll keep working on that part!

It sure is nice having a great drumbeat dropped into your song.
posted by ORthey at 5:56 PM on April 1, 2010

Bloody hell, this is fantastic. It's like you joined a band of ORtheys. I love everything in it and I think this "setup" fits you very well. You should try more songs with drums.

Joining the Major, I hope someone in an advertising agency will find this, license it for a big, expensive commercial and give you lots of money, that way you'll reap the benefits without having to deal with the worst parts of the biz.
posted by micayetoca at 9:09 AM on April 5, 2010

Wow, you sure got bizz-ay on this song since I last heard it.
Sounds awesome.
But you didn't credit me for the W. T. Rogers Call Bell.
Also, I confess that I had to look up "ostinati."
Great work, man. Seriously.
posted by chococat at 4:44 PM on April 5, 2010

I actually thought it was a typewriter! I should get one of those.

I also had to look up ostinati. Thank you uncleozzy for the vocabulary lesson - that is a great word.
posted by ORthey at 5:09 PM on April 5, 2010