Metafilter Music Collaboration: deadline looms.

November 6, 2007 5:49 PM

Reminder: the deadline for the Metafilter Music Collaboration is this Friday. So if you want to contribute, now is the time.

Fifteen contributions so far. If you want to submit a part, email me for the starter tracks.

posted by goodnewsfortheinsane (staff) to MetaFilter Music at 5:49 PM (40 comments total)

Can we get a little sidebar thingy on the blue? When GNFTI, first mentioned this some of the discussions I had with folks on MeFiMail were about how this could be a cluster F with so many submissions, but that's clearly not the case.

OK all you MeFi closet musicians, break out your sax, mouthharp, kazoo and xylophone and kick some ass.

RE: "There's no room to do anything really creative with this...", you know man, I really have to give GNFTI a lot of credit and thanks for setting this thing up.

It's the last week and there is plenty of pie for everyone!
posted by snsranch at 6:27 PM on November 6, 2007

goodnews: I'm totally bummed, cause I wanted to contribute something to this, but computer problems (as mentioned in earlier MeFiMail to you) have put a stop to all my recording activities, including, sadly, this Collaboration. My laptop's in the shop, and all I've been able to do for days now is email and such on my wife's computer.

Might I suggest extending the deadline on this? Not just for me, of course, but because it seems there's been relatively few contributions so far. I think people need more time for something like this. Well, anyway, if the deadline needs to stay where it is, that's just the way it is, but hopefully the Collaboration can happen again and again, with different folks submitting base tracks. I'd like to see it become some sort of feature at MeFiMu, actually, like the Challenge. Maybe not monthly, but, I dunno, seasonally?
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:43 PM on November 6, 2007

Heh, I've had this melody floating round in my head all day and trying to figure out what it was until I realised just now it was gnfti's vocals in the chorus playing backwards, due to rewinding excessively to play over and over again!!

(In other words I ain't done yet!!)
posted by TwoWordReview at 6:43 PM on November 6, 2007

flapjax, I second that emoooootion!

(don't know how to insert musical notes)
posted by snsranch at 6:48 PM on November 6, 2007

I'll sidebar it.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:09 PM on November 6, 2007

I sidebarred it.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:11 PM on November 6, 2007 [1 favorite]

I am going to record a lead vocal track, it'll be in either Friday or Saturday.
posted by davey_darling at 7:14 PM on November 6, 2007

jessamyn rules! (Now if we can just get you to record your droning banjo style!{I guarantee that if you send me something, I'll make you sound awesome!})
posted by snsranch at 7:26 PM on November 6, 2007

if we can just get you to record your droning banjo style!

I'll get to it around holiday time, promise. I'm not trying to be precious I literally can't play the thing, but I like the noises it makes.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:30 PM on November 6, 2007

Well, you don't need to try, and I can't wait!
posted by snsranch at 7:48 PM on November 6, 2007

I definitely second the idea of making this a recurring project. I had a great time recording my part for this one and I'd love to do it again on another song.
posted by tdismukes at 8:46 PM on November 6, 2007

Me too, and perhaps instead of having it at fixed intervals it can happen every time someone feels up to the task (which seems like a major one).

Hey, gnfti, have you got drums yet? if not perhaps I could do a track of shakers and a track of Brazilian pandeiro, are you done with percussion?
posted by micayetoca at 4:14 AM on November 7, 2007

It's not showing up on the sidebar for me.

jessamyn: I literally can't play the thing, but I like the noises it makes

YES! It's the only way to make music, if you ask me (okay... only way for *me* to make music)
posted by Kattullus at 4:49 AM on November 7, 2007

Weird, it's on the sidebar now, thanks for the heads up.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:52 AM on November 7, 2007

micayetoca, there's never enough percussion. Do it!
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:39 AM on November 7, 2007

yeah, you are right, cortecs. I was asking more about the shakers than the pandeiro, because if there is already a shakers track another one is a bit useless. The thing is that the export of every track from my studio into the machine is a bit of a pain in the ass, so I wanted to save that effort if it was not going to be used.

So, summarizing, I'll do the pandeiro, and if you don't have shakers, gnfti, let me know and I'll shake my money maker (or record shakers, rather).
posted by micayetoca at 7:18 AM on November 7, 2007

Thanks for the sidebarrin', jess!

micayetoca, not done with percussion at all - and no shakers yet, so by all means go ahead.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 12:45 PM on November 7, 2007

yikes, i will try but as of this moment i barely have a voice. boo.
posted by loiseau at 1:11 PM on November 7, 2007

I have two electronic beds to throw your way, and possibly a cheesy electronic drum track -- unfortunately, schedule conflicts and kid sleeping issues prevented me from doing anything requiring a microphone and volume (ie uke and vocal.)

I will throw in the beep boop buckets remix I did, for your amusement.
posted by davejay at 11:59 PM on November 7, 2007

I'm definitely not going to get my vocals in because I literally have no voice right now. It hurts to breathe! If there's any point at all I can still do it on Monday (assuming my condition has improved). Otherwise I'll have to catch you next time.

I propose that for the next one (maybe in the new year?) we do an original song as a round somehow; someone writes a drum beat, the next person adds a bass line, etc.
posted by loiseau at 8:40 PM on November 8, 2007

Sent the link to the shakers and the pandeiro, they are in your MefiMail, gnfti.
posted by micayetoca at 8:41 AM on November 9, 2007

A link to a singing saw track and a badly singing me track are in your gmail gnfti. Thanks for organizing this and to all who contributed. Can't wait to hear it!
posted by verysleeping at 11:03 AM on November 9, 2007

singing saw? really? an actual singing saw or a computer imitation?
posted by micayetoca at 12:17 PM on November 9, 2007

Yup, a real singing saw, played with a cello bow. I've been playing it for about three years, though sadly have not improved much in that time. It is a real quirky instrument hugely affected by odd variables: temperature, chair height, fabric of the slacks you're wearing, rust accumulation, etcetera, all change where you find notes and as you might imagine make it hard to lock in consistently good performances. That said, I've not studied technique or anything... just got a saw, made a handle from a dowel and wingnut and used an old bow.

There's a song I've posted at Music that has some sloppy sawing on it -- the first twenty seconds or so in the right channel, over here.

If that doesn't turn you off and if you ever need poor sawing on a song, give a holler!
posted by verysleeping at 2:34 PM on November 9, 2007

UPDATE: 27 tracks (31 counting stereo tracks as two) from 10 people, not counting my own.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:08 PM on November 9, 2007

Oh man, I don't know how I missed that song before. I'm mind blown at the moment, and I'll definitely take you up on your offer, I'd loooooooooove to have some saw.

also, I'm checking out your band's website and it's beautiful, man, congrats to whoever does the design
posted by micayetoca at 5:29 PM on November 9, 2007

So excited to hear the final product!
posted by escabeche at 6:50 PM on November 9, 2007

I'm currently cleaning up and comping tracks, and so started work on the gargantuan task of making a vaguely coherent mix out of this wonderful mess.

By which I mean to say thanks immensely to everyone who has contributed, and you can hereby consider submissions closed.

You're going to have to wait a bit for the final result - a few weeks at the very shortest, real-life obligations and the favour of the music gods permitting. But when it's done you'll hear from me.

Thanks.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:37 PM on November 10, 2007

Will you make the raw tracks available for anyone else who wants to try doing a mix?
posted by tdismukes at 6:46 PM on November 10, 2007

Sure! I'll make the raw tracks available somehow as soon as the initial mix is done.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 9:19 PM on November 10, 2007

Cool!
posted by tdismukes at 1:11 AM on November 11, 2007

This thread, and the previous one, feature several folks saying, "yes I play such-and-such an instrument, and I'd be willing to play it on other people's songs -- drop me a line!"

Man, I think it would be neat if there was a list -- permanent, updateable -- of MeFites willing to be exploited in this manner. A list of names and the instruments they play. Want some dumbek? Banjo? A Soprano? Take a look at the list, send out a MeFi Mail, see if they have the time this month.

I dunno. Maybe I just like outsourcing.

(My cymbal-playing robot monkeys are ready for gigs.)
posted by Karlos the Jackal at 1:45 AM on November 11, 2007

P.S. GNFTI, did my re-uploaded files work out for you? I'm not very good with "technology."
posted by Karlos the Jackal at 1:46 AM on November 11, 2007

Man, I think it would be neat if there was a list -- permanent, updateable -- of MeFites willing to be exploited in this manner. A list of names and the instruments they play. Want some dumbek? Banjo? A Soprano? Take a look at the list, send out a MeFi Mail, see if they have the time this month.
posted by Karlos the Jackal

This would a kickass feature to have in MetaFilterMusic. Would it be hard to put in place?
posted by micayetoca at 8:19 AM on November 11, 2007

I, of course, stand behind this idea 100%.

They unzipped fine this time, Karlos, but I haven't been able to add them to the project yet and check them out.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 9:57 AM on November 11, 2007

Apologies for not getting anything in for this. Ended up having a pretty busy week so didn't get a chance to produce anything particularly worthwhile! Ah well, I'll get in on the next one when I actually have the ability to record again!
posted by TwoWordReview at 8:21 PM on November 11, 2007

"Man, I think it would be neat if there was a list -- permanent, updateable -- of MeFites willing to be exploited in this manner. A list of names and the instruments they play. Want some dumbek? Banjo? A Soprano? Take a look at the list, send out a MeFi Mail, see if they have the time this month."

I third the motion.
posted by tdismukes at 11:52 PM on November 11, 2007

What tdismukes said.
posted by snsranch at 4:25 PM on November 12, 2007

I posted a tiny little "teaser" here.

Because I'm cruel.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 7:02 PM on November 15, 2007

So cruel, and such a damn tease too! But that was a great teaser!
posted by snsranch at 7:28 PM on November 15, 2007