[electronic / post-rock] I'm giving away my recent (solo-bass!) EP for free!

[ktrh]

...because, if I'm honest, it's not like anybody would pay for it!

I recently collected together some of the tracks I'm proud of and released them as an EP, mostly as a demo to give away to anybody I think might be interested, but also because I've just moved house so it seems a good way to draw a line under what I've done so far and start a new chapter. Something along those lines anyway. Now I've put it online so you can download it; why not, eh?

I make electronic post-rock style stuff as szdl and I've been compared to Four Tet and Mogwai, which is pretty flattering. I've also had a track featured in Computer Music magazine, which was really quite a high (until I read what they said!).

By the way, does it still count as solo bass if I use drum machines? Maybe accompanied bass then! I know it doesn't always sound like it, but it really is just myself with a bass guitar and some drum machines. Feel free to ask me questions if you don't believe me!

To listen to a couple of tracks, either check out my Soundcloud page or click these links for a couple of mp3's.

To download it as a 47MB zip file, go here or here or here or here.

Please let me know what you think, I'm looking for any way to improve the music I make!

I'm also in a radio competition at Dirtyradio.org, to get one of my tracks added to permanent rotation on their station - please go and vote for me here!

Thanks in advance!

[Barkless Dog]

Thanks, cool music.

Some of the songs seem to be recorded where the track/bass distorts a bit too much ? To high recording levels?

Also I think the songs could use to be more dynamic, in that they build, contrast & take you somewhere in their arrangement, production.

[ktrh]

Originally Posted by Barkless Dog

Thanks, cool music.

Some of the songs seem to be recorded where the track/bass distorts a bit too much ? To high recording levels?

Also I think the songs could use to be more dynamic, in that they build, contrast & take you somewhere in their arrangement, production.

Thanks for listening!

That's weird though, I'm always careful about my recording levels and I don't remember any of it clipping - that's something that would make me do another take.

I do however use a lot of distortion, maybe that's it? Or maybe I'm overloading your speakers - I do have a habit it using too much low end - I am a bass player, after all!

I agree with what you're saying about the composition - that's one of my biggest weaknesses, and it's what I'm trying to work most on! Keep your ears tuned for the future!

[bassbrad]

I enjoyed the songs and thought it was a very good start. The mix is a bit bass heavy. You have to be very careful with bass distortion it can very easily overwhelm a track, perhaps you should explore what you can do with a piccolo bass or other higher instrumental sounds.

[ktrh]

Originally Posted by bassbrad

I enjoyed the songs and thought it was a very good start. The mix is a bit bass heavy. You have to be very careful with bass distortion it can very easily overwhelm a track, perhaps you should explore what you can do with a piccolo bass or other higher instrumental sounds.

Thank you very much!

Of course the mix is bass heavy, I'm a bass player! I think the problem I've been having is not that bass distortion has overwhelmed the track, but that everything else has in an attempt to get some kind of climax.

I wish I could afford a piccolo bass! This has all been recorded with one bass guitar, as that's all I have! I've been trying to get by with it, by getting different tones from it, but there's only so far I think I can go.

Thanks for listening though! And I've uploaded it to bandcamp as, really, it's so much prettier than file sharing sites. Go here for it!