Not Lazy

October 17, 2010 8:41 PM

"I'm not lazy, but I'm not ambitious."

A song about ambivalence re conventional definitions of "success."

posted by ZenMasterThis (11 comments total) 3 users marked this as a favorite

You wrote this song about me, and it's hitting me real hard right now. Don't know whether to laugh or cry. That's a beautiful fine line to tread. A great vocal performance and nice sparsity to boot. This is the kind of music I want to make. You are an inspiration! But I shouldn't get to excited, it'll wear off soon enough...
posted by abc123xyzinfinity at 8:56 PM on October 17, 2010


Thanks, abc123xyzinfinity, it's great of you to say so.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 5:27 PM on October 18, 2010


Very cool. Did you record it all by yourself? Are the drums synthesized? Am I making too many questions?
posted by micayetoca at 3:28 PM on October 19, 2010


micayetoca:

Thanks.

Yes.

Yes (MIDI-driven samples of actual drums).

No.


I recorded this with Apple Logic 8 Express on a MacBook.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 5:12 PM on October 19, 2010


Well, I asked because for the first few bars it does sound like a bedroom song, but it starts "growing" and the instruments seem to be "interplaying" more and more, which is something I find very difficult to do when recording by myself.

It's fantastic where recording programs have evolved to. Some years ago "programming" a part like the break you do at 1:58 would have been such a pain that most people would just avoid it, I think. Is Apple Logic 8 Express one of those programs that lets you "draw" the part on the screen?
posted by micayetoca at 6:04 AM on October 20, 2010


The only thing that's programmed is the drums. Actually, I used a different drum kit (sample set) on a different track for the instrumental break at 1:58 than the one on the "quiet" parts.

The drum tracks are "drawn" on a "piano roll" within Logic.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 8:57 PM on October 20, 2010


Great - in all aspects. Particularly the low-key vocal and the inventive lyric. I could quibble about certain mix elements (kick is a little hot for instance, and the electric guitars have a bit too much reverb and are panned too wide which, combined, tends to prevent them from sitting nicely in the mix) but - bollocks - I like this. Let's have the lyric ZMT? Haven't heard any of your stuff before - looking forward to hearing a lot more.
posted by MajorDundee at 1:56 PM on October 22, 2010


Oh, and to ensure that abc doesn't feel too lonesome, this has got me to a T as well. Not exactly lazy, but I just ain't got those elbows or that much I need to prove.....
posted by MajorDundee at 3:14 PM on October 22, 2010


Lyrics.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 5:26 PM on October 22, 2010


Whoops, forgot to mention that the electric piano is programmed, too.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:52 PM on October 23, 2010


I think you wrote my theme song here.
posted by JDHarper at 9:14 PM on January 2, 2011


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