Of course, when was Qawalli written? I heard it spring last yr on a blackdown mix, maybe goes back before then...? Surely the reason it doesn't drop is cos its a more subtle proposition, it wouldn't really make sense to have it drop into a massive writhing bass bit, he's being respectful to the sample I think, and the whole Qawalli concept...
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conceptually it'd make no sense to have it drop hard, i always thought it must have been his intention to approach things from an unconventional perspective, to draw on his influence/source in more ways than just jacking a sample
its my understanding that he made it quite a considerable amount of time before it surfaced, im pretty sure he worked on it for quite a long time before coming to the final product, i remember hearing word of it in winter 04 i think, so presumably it was going on for some time before that still
the war dub 12" has always interested me, as he made it with the breaks producer 30hz (P Dutty), and so ive always wondered what the creative deal was. i always imagine alien tongue to be much more pinch's work of the two sides... war dub being more overtly large, quite big mid-rangey synths and chunky, stomping beats (all indicators of a breaks producer's work). sick 12" though, completely underplayed imo, both pretty unique tracks
its my understanding that he made it quite a considerable amount of time before it surfaced, im pretty sure he worked on it for quite a long time before coming to the final product, i remember hearing word of it in winter 04 i think, so presumably it was going on for some time before that still
the war dub 12" has always interested me, as he made it with the breaks producer 30hz (P Dutty), and so ive always wondered what the creative deal was. i always imagine alien tongue to be much more pinch's work of the two sides... war dub being more overtly large, quite big mid-rangey synths and chunky, stomping beats (all indicators of a breaks producer's work). sick 12" though, completely underplayed imo, both pretty unique tracks
viktorvaughn
Well-known member
Pinch is the man, i love both those tunes.
haha, i do love a bit of post-rationalisation. I First heard Qawalli in about 2004, i'm sure it doesn't 'drop' because of Pinch's production skills at the time were still growing. This is reflected by the 30Hz 12" which Pinch didn't engineer.
Out of curiosity, do you know when he did the VIP version?
really?
it seems to me that there are aspects of that track which would require a far far more advanced technical ability than the construction of a basic drop
you may be right, im open to it as a possibility but i find it very improbable ive got to say
this is the difference between writing music and studio engineering. one needs inspired ideas one need learned technical skill.
MankyFiver
Well-known member
its low key which i like, not flashy
As you get better in the studio, you get good at doing the recognised tropes like drops, because you work out the little technical trick to do them. But sometimes that can interfere with your creativity. However when you are starting out you find yourself forced into doing different things than what is the norm in your genre because you a). don't have as many preconceptions but more importantly b). you don't know how to do half the little cubase or logic tricks like automation and whatnot.
Disclaimer - I know nothing about Pinch's history or approach to studio work so this is all general observation and probably has no bearing on anything!
The thing is Qawalli is only averagely engineered. Hmm, well, above averagely, but each percussion sound is fairly standard, nothing too amazingly ear-candyish (unlike "Punisher" where he's clearly stepped up the engineering game on his hi-hats)... but "Qawalli" stands leagues above "Punisher" (admittedly- they are obviously pursuing distinct goals...) mainly due to the level of restraint, delicacy, and its measured, balanced feel. No individual element (except the sample and the technoid synths) needs to be amazingly well eq'd or anything, they simply form a pleasing latticework each serving the track. Its probably more a case of musical ideas over engineering prowess I think...
hmm i guess it depends how one defines good engineering... i think im being too wide in the way i see it. the fact that you would struggle to replicate elements of the track means a lot to me, as does the fact that it very much has a unique tone and texture. another good example is burial... while perhaps traditionally one might say its poorly engineered, the fact that he has found such a beauty of tone makes it wonderful engineering to me. but i think its fair to say that one might want to be more restrictive in defining 'good' engineering, to leave it as a more objective issue.
i guess the thing is that i personally find it much easier to make a really clean, tight sound than i do to get a unique texture with more depth. think of mala, his sound is so incredible, but for me its the imperfection that makes it so...
i guess the thing is that i personally find it much easier to make a really clean, tight sound than i do to get a unique texture with more depth. think of mala, his sound is so incredible, but for me its the imperfection that makes it so...
You know that Pinch writes all his tunes on just Fruity Loops, right?
After he finishes the album, he's gonna be investing in a better system..then we'll see some seriously advance shit, trus'...
After he finishes the album, he's gonna be investing in a better system..then we'll see some seriously advance shit, trus'...
Is that true Gutta? He must be an utter master at Fruity then.
Burial's drum sounds are fucking nicely engineered, the eq-ing is perfect, the use of reverbs to define spacial relationships inside the drum pattern... his bass/melodics are mucky, dirty, but that's cos they are manipulated (and often dramatically pitch shifted) samples. Burial's drums are just nicer to listen to on the simple level of fatly produced pleasure than anyone else in Dubstep (possible exception- Distance- his drums are brilliantly crisp and yet full). A lot of dubstep to me sounds a little thin and techy-- sometimes that's a part of its charm, but not always.
Burial's drum sounds are fucking nicely engineered, the eq-ing is perfect, the use of reverbs to define spacial relationships inside the drum pattern... his bass/melodics are mucky, dirty, but that's cos they are manipulated (and often dramatically pitch shifted) samples. Burial's drums are just nicer to listen to on the simple level of fatly produced pleasure than anyone else in Dubstep (possible exception- Distance- his drums are brilliantly crisp and yet full). A lot of dubstep to me sounds a little thin and techy-- sometimes that's a part of its charm, but not always.
noel emits
a wonderful wooden reason
FL Studio is not THAT primitive! Soundwise, and with plugins, there really is no reason (!) why you can't produce lovely things with it. In fact the simplicity of the sequencing side can really help with getting arrangements finished without getting dazzled by too many options.
Fruity is actually a sick program, people just don't think so because of it's shareware history. I'ved used most if not all of the major sequencing suspects and when I buy my PC one of the main reasons for it will be to run Fruity. If you like 16 step sequencing it's a very nice interpretation of that idea with a few original implimentations.
As far as Pinch's Qawwali I think the tune is pretty perfect, and NO not every tune needs to have a big drama-time hands-in the air rave drop in it. I have no special information but I assume the tune is that way because it's just a beautiful, meditative tune, not because pinch was incapable of putting a drop in. Also, just to note, drops are not that technically challenging to make, it usually just involves muting a lot of elements (or just the drums and bass) and then bringing them back in, maybe with a tension building sound effect. Few drops are more complicated than this, from a 'technical' perspective.
As far as Pinch's Qawwali I think the tune is pretty perfect, and NO not every tune needs to have a big drama-time hands-in the air rave drop in it. I have no special information but I assume the tune is that way because it's just a beautiful, meditative tune, not because pinch was incapable of putting a drop in. Also, just to note, drops are not that technically challenging to make, it usually just involves muting a lot of elements (or just the drums and bass) and then bringing them back in, maybe with a tension building sound effect. Few drops are more complicated than this, from a 'technical' perspective.
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