NOTE: It seems that iOS dislikes most audio files. I have replaced the audio file with one coded in .MP3, so let me know if there are still issues on your platform of choice.
Happy Sunday evening (or Monday morning) to you all.
Quite possibly against my best interests considering that I am coming out a bit with a truly frightening prospect for anyone who knows: a full song recording that I’ve been working on with some bloke I know named Michael singing. He’s not the best singer out there, but hopefully his contribution to this composition was at least serviceable.
As you know, when time permits, I’ve been working on trying to work on getting a few music snippets out that play with a modified 80s-era post-punk sound influenced primarily by early Cure and Joy Division, with hints of all of the other bands from that era to more modern bands like The Eden House and Kælan Mikla. More than just playing around with sound, I felt I should finally commit to making a full song.
The song was developed over the past two weeks, beginning with a similar-sounding “songlet” (but is an entirely different composition from that from beginning to end) that I posted at the time. I took some lessons learned from that effort to create the current song, “again”.
As always, it might play better in a browser than in the WordPress Reader. If you are having problems with hearing this audio file, copy this post’s address and open a new browser window, paste and play outside of the Reader environment.
The lyrics are from a post written for the previous site on February 10, 2025, with some minor modifications:
again
shapes like splinters
her teeth like wood
pictured dark gardens
dance her shadowed room
she wytched, she crashed
towards many years ago
trying to find her way home
trying to find a home
again
again
home again
again
home...
For those interested in the composition, I wrote it using primarily “real” instruments, with an exception made for the obvious use of a saw-voiced synth and some electronic drums. I sequenced or played all instruments included.
The other instruments include:
- an electric bass with an applied chorus effect and some EQ
- an electric guitar for the rhythm portions, with an applied chorus effect, digital delay, front-end gain and a hint of phaser.
- an electric guitar for the solos, with similar effects as the rhythm guitar and a slight distortion added, no phaser — different tonal settings on the guitar and on the applied effects
- my voice, with chorus (to smooth out my lack of practice) and a limiter to balance out my volumes
All of the instruments, real or otherwise also had added reverb, EQ, echo and compression in post-processing. I also did some cleanup of the pitch on all instruments post-recording to eliminate some artifacts that appeared while recording (slight bending of the strings giving a fraction of a semitone out of key notes), with the largest use being on a few notes I didn’t hit spot-on with my vocals on takes that were otherwise acceptable takes. In the old days, we would have to record it over and over until you got a clean recording, but I think the cats might have started yowling if I tried that as my solution.
I’m not real good at music theory but if you can believe the AI when I asked it about such things, it told me that it was in F# minor Dorian. While I didn’t have that particular thing in mind when I started, I purposefully chose to start the chord progression on a black key (F#) to force myself to think outside of standard key signatures when writing this piece.
In ways, things turned out better than I expected, almost as much as I hoped, and without being as bad as I feared.
Now that this project is out of the way, I plan to focus on continuing to work with a few folks who have reached out to collaborate, but I needed to get this one “in the can” before I could readjust my focus. As I told Chris Nelson, I’d been farting around with this piece so much that I was hearing it when it wasn’t playing, which meant it wasn’t going to leave until I finished it.
Thanks for giving a listen (if you do). I hope you enjoy it. Constructive comments are always welcome below.
40 responses to “full song | “again” [updated]”
The audio file in your post is blank. 😢
It plays for me. Sigh. I’ll try again in a different format in a bit.
No worries. Our technology sasses us all the time.
The thing is that it should work. All major browsers support the format and it is higher quality than mp3, with “less lossy compression”.
I’m always confused why things don’t work that should work. Maybe I’ll drop it to mp3 quality. I just tested Chrome, Firefox and WordPress Reader and it played in each.
It very well could be me. I’m on an iPhone.
I haven’t pulled out my iPad yet. But Safari and Opera are supposed to be compatible too 🙂. Technology sometimes just gets the better of us.
Looks like there’s something up with iOS where it doesn’t seem to like anything but MP3 for me on my iPad (no matter which browser I use). The browsers I tried are all supposed to be compatible with all of the file types I’ve tried (including Safari, but maybe not for iOS), so I have no idea what is up.
Converted to MP3 to increase accessibility.
Later, I’m gonna do some laptop work. I’ll try it again and let you know. ✅
Sounds good. If I need to start sharing as MP3 instead, that’s good to know.
Couldn’t make it work, but I want to hear it! You put a lot of work into this🤨
Looks like it might be an iOS issue. I’ll post in another format
Yep, I’m using an iPad
Yeah, I think the mP4 is apple, but knowing them, probably only works with iTunes. MP3 is probably still the most translatable. I’m always interested in these experiences. How does what do you create look (or sound) when it reaches me? Thanks for doing the legwork.
It’s no fun if one select group of people can’t hear it. I’m glad I sussed out the cause of the broken format. I might try a backend test of various formats to see what the least lossy format is that works across the board. I might as well put my iPad to use that way too.
Hey come on, this thing is hellauseful. Why I ate dinner off it just the other night. And if you want a tray to slide a secret note under a door? Where else are you gonna look? Also, it holds all my music. And lets me talk to you. Seriously, though, it sounds good.
Thanks, Ted. I really appreciate it. And thanks for the additional ideas on ways to put my iPad to work!
Looks like it is a matter of iOS hating everything except MP3. Even non-Safari browsers are rejecting flac, ogg and M4A. The first two are open-source formats, so why Apple is not supporting them on iOS is a mystery. The third is proprietary, and I thought Apple, so that one is a mystery. MP3 (or WAV, likely) is apparently the way to go.
This is fantastic. You nailed that the vibe. The instrumentation and vocals are great. Really well done!
Thanks Bob. I’m hoping that it doesn’t sound too much like any particular act and more just “familiar”.
Thanks!
I think you tuned into the vibe, but made it your own. That’s really cool you put a song together.
I really miss the songwriting I used to do with others. I can do it on my own, but it is always more fun with other folks adding to the mix.
I’ve already got an older piece that I never took anyplace that I have been meaning to redo. The only problem was that it was recorded on an outdated DAW and I think I may have lost the original files. It would require reinventing the wheel completely. And yet, it feels right to resurrect it again.
Thanks again, my friend.
I hope all goes well reinventing the song. I’m sure it will come out great.
I’m not so sure 🤣
I originally sequenced the guitar instead of playing it and I don’t know if my ear is up to snuff on trying to figure out what I did. Earlier today was… welp! Maybe not!
We’ll have to see.
I like this (who’d have guessed!) – see, all that farting around paid off!
Initially I got a touch of the Cure sound, but, for me, the song developed its own personality as it progressed. I think that the lyrics and the mix of the vocal work well – the repetition at the end adds an air of almost frustration and melancholy (which is good).
What I like most, perhaps, is the warm/cold contrast; the chorus effect adds a touch of soulful warmth and yet the keys are colder and more dispassionate in a way, which lends great juxtaposition. A bit Lebanon Hanover sounding.
I may have to pre-order the album!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Album…. My last one sold 4 copies when Lulu was still pressing CDs on demand. I’m surprised it sold that many.
But thank you. I’d probably do it like I do everything these days, free. If I came up with enough songs for a short album, I might do a bandcamp thing if I could say pay what you want.
Thanks for your thoughts and kind words. I’m glad you liked it!
My pleasure…and I’ll look forward to it!
Awesome. That was cool. 👏🏻
Thank you, Jolene. 💕
Yaaaaaaaay!!!!! Cheering so hard, Michael. For this song, and for your generosity in posting. I was so disappointed that I could not hear the songlet after multiple tries across platforms (now it makes sense that it’s an iOs issue). I could have this on loop for an afternoon.
Aww, thank you Stacey. My voice could stand a bit of work and is nothing compared to yours. I really appreciate your compliments. 🙏💕
love love love
❤️
There we go. Sounds great!😎
Thank you very much sir.
I think this is a great song! You did a fantastic job with it! And I think you’re too harsh on your singing. ☺️
Thank you, Jenn! 💕
I’m having fun, which is the important part. And if other people really enjoy it, even better. My singing is unsteady (and out of practice) and I’ve dealt with a lifetime of criticism about my singing skills, so I prefer to downplay any talent I might or might not have. “If you don’t expect too much, you won’t be disappointed” approach.
Thanks for listening.
Michael! I love this! Really enjoyed listening. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Thank you Tara. 💕
Love, love, love this! So glad you redirected me to it. I look forward to more!
Thank you very much. It looks like the one lost, then found piece is almost entirely intact, so it might be a matter of just coming up with lyrics and laying down a vocal track (and engineering tweaks).