Snejk

Hey Ron, a good ass kickin' might be needed at times haha. Good to see you again

Singingnewbie; thanks for listening. The "No Time For Us" is half a cover of a Broder Daniel-song but I changed alot in the melody and made the piano arrangement/melody myself (the original is simple guitar strumming). Most of the songs on my SoundClouds are original songs however, only a few covers and when I cover I always change alot of things (because hey, why try to sound like someone else when you can sound like yourself instead? )

Thanks Vali It may be a cliché but it's true :> Can't really see myself as whole unless I sing ._.;

So, life has been tumultuous for a long time, for a long list of reasons and I decided to give up singing. However, as things slowly are getting better, I do see some light and with that comes the will to try and create music and sing.

The voice needs constant maintenance and I have indeed lost ability, but hopefully I'll get it back and eventually become better

So, this was an idea for a song that I came up with, it's only a verse and a bridge quickly recorded with my phone as to not forget the idea so I'm aware of the out of tune notes xD (Though, taking a break from music I must admit that my pitch has become worse ) It's in Swedish though so bear with me xD There are no high notes at all.

Quick translation, pretty much everything is lost in translation and without the rhymes, oh well

Hope you're all doing well, I hope to start posting here again, provided life continues to improve :>

---

Have you forgotten the sun

That may have burnes you at times

When you reached too far

Have you forgotten that life lives within you?

Frozen solid, for thousands of years

Preserved so cold

a dream and a fall

Have you forgotten how life lives within you?

Nothing turns out to be what you expect it to be

Turn around, there's your friend

Those who once were there, will still be there for you

If you'd only try again

So when you see the road

the one that leads you forward

the one that leads you home

Do remember then, that life lives within you?

To the contrary, I appreciate your input and your honesty

I think it's my ADHD or something, but I have always had problems recording covers - singing the same line twice is often excruciatingly boring to me. In originals I always improvise while recording so if I'm not happy with the sound, the re-take of just that simple line will most likely be slightly different in melody, tone or whatever. Not because I forgot how I sang it the first time, but because it bores me to sing it the same way twice.

Keep in mind that in this song, I doubled -all- vocal lines, lead and harmonies except a few words. That took some discipline I tell you, singing the same line twice, all the time ; I lost focus sooooo many times and it took 6 hours to record the song lolololol

Bob Dylan never stuck with me because, while I do fancy his words, -alot-, I could never stand his voice and the monotony in his entirety. I, as you, listen to the "music" before the lyrics. Melody is everything to me. It's after your goosebumps have settled after hours of looping a song that you contemplate the actual words. When recording you have to know the words, know the story, otherwise you'd end up with maybe a catchy song but lacking depth because of the disconnect.

You are spot on with the 'overdoing' part, and it can be really hard to restrain yourself at times xD The balance in giving stuff your own artistic touch, heh... :>

MDEW; You think? Heh, I hope that proves to be consistent as I post stuff then... Would love to have 'it' xd

Snejk, granted, I only listened to it once. I'm also more of a "music" than a "lyric" guy, so take that into consideration. I'll give it another listen and try to absorb the lyrics a little better.

I did notice the changes in timbre, and frankly it made it sound a little like 3 different people were singing. I wasn't sure if that was your intention. It's possible you're too emotional about it at this point(?) These things can be overdone (I've been guilty of that myself), and that can distract from the message. Wear it in like a good shoe, sing it naturally, and let the overall feeling take over. :cool:

That was indeed deliberate :3 The Highwaymen consisted of Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash singing one verse each. So, while I can't match four unique voices, I could attempt to make it more varied and interesting by altering my voice a bit and add some different harmonies (like the falsetto harmony in the last verse). Singing the four verses with the same timbre, the same exact melody and no harmonies would not only bore the crap out of me, but also be boring to listen to :p

Well MDEW, Linda Ronstadt maybe didn't have my mindset :> A lot of people never doubt themselves. I think I am an amazing singer but there are 13 a dozen of those and it takes much more to reach out. And I don't think that I have "it", yet.

Ron; Yeah. I do not know why people are like that. One part of me believes it's jealousy; alot of people lack the creativity or haven't dared to explore it. Another part of me believes that people ACTUALLY believe in the crap they say.

Jim; Thanks Though I must say, I don't think I ever put more emotion into a song than I did in this. The first verse is a bit fragile and contemplating, the second and third more assertive and statementish and then I sang the fourth one light, airy, curious and brittle. This is the second song I ever sung where I actually made myself tear up when listening ; *PRETENTIOUS_GUY_84*

Thanks MDEW! And yeah you're both right, I've gotten many comments lately about "doing things the wrong way", either because I do something that's not metal or because I sing things different than the original I think it's a limiting way to reason.

Not sure how I would go about it and to be frank (but not entirely Zappa), while I do think I pulled it off well, I don't think it's good/special enough to warrant that :p

I liked the mix. And I really like how you did this song and I have heard the original and I have been fans of the "outlaws" who comprised this supergroup. I have sang along with Waylon on "Luchenbach," with Willie on just about everything. And so on, and so on.

Really, seriously, you should pay a fee to ASCAP or, in your case, SESAC, and record this for release with pretty much this arrangement and mix. Being "outlaw" means doing what you want, regardless of genre and being pidgeon-holed by others.

Bravo, Patrik.

Thanks Ron! I did put a bit more effort into the mix this time and tried not to super-overdo reverb/delay like I always do, simply because the song really moved me and I think I sang it well enough for my voice to carry it without too much FX this time :3

This song is no technical challenge but I think a full F#5 in chest or whatever is easy as crap compared to trying to tell a story where you try to feel every word you sing. Subjective thing though, since others may think it sounds emotionless while others don't, either way, practicing that more now :P

A friend showed me this song today and said I should cover it my way. The song is pretty awesome, four country legends doing their stuff Usual disclaimer, I can't mix at all.

Please tell me what you think :3

https://soundcloud.com/archdementh/highwayman-cover

Thanks. Plenty of goosenfrabe for you in there I reckon ;D

"Redneck engineering", why does that make me think of a father and his brother/son, both named Cletus, hammering nails into electric outlets? xP

So I posted this on youtube with a video to it (just took me ages...) :3

I did some thing different with it, also, I sing it in Swedish. The lyrics are written by Jan-Ã…ke Rickard.

Please listen with an open mind :3

I tried to sing lighter, more tenor-like here.

(Anecdote; I McGyver'd the pop filter :>)

Best Regards

Unfortunately not, new projects keep piling up But I'll pick it up soon.

Oh, yeah, now I becomes clear xD Jack Nicholson's eyebrows never lie :>

I've heard enough country to know that it's just as technically challenging as anything Specifically I heard a Garth Brooks song that really stretches the lows AND highs...

Aye, I will continue to write original stuff and do it my way since I am glad that I have found "my" way... The second band audition for a metal band of really skilled musicians on thursday, and it would be so awesome to be in a band again where I don't have to imitate Dickinson

Herman; I hear you, I was actually a bit "hmm" in regards to it myself. But when recording I just try stuff out that I have not planned, like that part which is going from falsetto to full chest without break or register-flip. But that would be the one part I'd redo if I could

The guitar sound though, I have no opinion about other than the dynamic shift from the acoustic, that I like :P

Awesome song Snejk. Sometimes we do not know what we are capable of doing or who we are inside until confronted by adversity. 2013 was a hell for me and my family also. Nothing major but still the worse in a long time.

Keep strong and keep on singing.

Thanks!

You got that spot on, it might not be as evident when you're down in the rabbit hole and hope was a friend who now is impossible to get ahold of.. But when you're back on your feet and clear in mind, you realize that you are stronger than before and that there is a reason that you eventually did surmount the dire.. Sorry to hear about your year :/ Hopefully you are all back on track now

I like the harmonies. Your singing sounds very emotional as it should be in this song I guess. I cannot say anything technical about your singing as I've been a singer only for one year myself. Maybe there is one spot where I would like to hear it in a different way but I liked it a lot overall. You can hit very high notes.

Glad you liked them :> I do my best to sing as if I tell story, not just putting tones to the words. I use some frail semi-crackly voice in the first verse which I think is suitable. The part in the song that I gave myself a pat on the shoulder for is the part after "lightning up the skiiiies", I love the falsetto harmonies in it :>

But I am curious, what spot was it that you'd have liked to hear differently, I am curious The highest notes are in falsetto, so it's not a big feat at all. My highest falsetto note is pretty much the most common roof note for males (unless you count whistle, which I don't) :P

Thanks, Pat. I speak German. I notice most nordic languages pronounce the letter j as kind of a 'y' sound. So, at the beginning of a word like juno, it would be yuno. In a word like snejk, it would be silent, like it is in the englush word, stay. Though americans like to dipthong and might pronounce it as steh-ee.

Spanish has a difference. J at the beginning is like h except for some words, like the months of the year. June becomes yun-ee, July becomes jul-ee, phonetically.

I've always been curious about that, are you fluent in German? You mention "gosenfrabe" sometimes and consitently perplexed by that which I am unable to fathom, I sometimes ponder the question; "who is this Gosenfrabe, and more importantly, where did his legend begin?". Oh Mr Gosenfrabe, a man so mythical, shrouded in the mist of a man's mind - never far away, but always out of grasp.. *sighs*... Oh well, that's enough retarded nonsense from me, however I do find your keen sense of picking up the subtleties in languages fascinating. Not a common trait in the States from my experience.

Our months have some vague similaries then; Jah-nu-A-rih, JU-nih, deh-CEM-behr etc.

Not exactly. There is a bit misconception of the internet when it comes to imitations. Through experience I have learned to focus not on embellishing covers with things not found in the original, but to focus entirely, mentally, and physically on imitating that specific sound. It is produced a certain way, and the only reason to do a cover (unless performing it) is to learn how it is done.

On the radio in the U.S. country music has a very large audience, and is one of the most popular genres.

Alright, I see where you're coming from :3 I view covering more like paying tribute to a song that made a special impact on me. That's why I do embellish the hell out the songs Some like it, some don't, but it's important for me to "make the song my own" in a sense. But I do understand your point of view. I guess I spent too many years failing to sing the high chest notes that my idols could hit and I just gave up and became a pretentious douche instead xP Joking aside, I've learned a lot by attempting to imitate the sound a singer have with just one rule - it must never hurt.

"To qualify for a “Spotlight Video” the video MUST be live. Either onstage, in the studio, videos with backing tracks, or videos that contain "instructional material" (i.e. instructional videos by our coaches,Subject Matter Experts {SME’s}, etc.)."

I'll get to recording one in the days coming Thanks Adolph :>

You are right on both counts :> When it comes to imitating, I hear what you're saying, but I meant the "mental" projection of who you are as a singer; if all you want is to sound like your idol and do covers, go for it. But imitating as a part of exploring and evolving your own voice, absolutely. Am I making sense?

Country is very regional, but I know how big it is in places (actually, I don't, all I can think of when I hear the word "country" is 'Nashville' xD). Here in Sweden it's not a widely practiced genre, but I reckon Sweden's not the frame of reference for exactly everything I guess the country-scene doesn't kick in your door and announces itself as indiepop, dubstep and all the crazy stuff kids like these days, do :P

Exactly. And it's okay to find that you actually a good singer once you find the right path for you, rather than the one that everyone else has followed. I have been finding that for myself. And discovered it is so for a famous singer who has been all over the world and met presidents and other dignitaries. All from switching from the style he "thought" he was supposed to do to the one that really expressed what he was trying to say.

And when I sing, I am not doing so for technical achievement, I am doing so because I like the song. For example, I recently covered a country song and got one comment. But, then, again, I knew the audience was limited, so I changed my perception and expectation accordingly.

And so, even if you don't receive wide-ranging applause, connecting with "your" audience is what matters. And it is okay to sing clean and I could hear a seemless flexibility in your voice, where you can change tonal feel, still in the clean sound. Now, that's dynamics.

Aye.. That's why I feel a bit bad when people only cover songs and try to imitate the original singer, not adding anything of their own be it their own voice or harmonies/alterations. If that's what people love, then that's what they should do, but if one wants to improve and grow with the singing then those shackles must come off. My humble opinion of course.

Country nowadays is even more obscure than Black Metal it seems. Shame, because country can be really good.

Most songs I do, I think "I hope people will like this, I know I do.", nothing wrong with that because I still do my thing, but this particular song I did set the ego aside and tried to get something more real into the song, so while I do love people's feedback, the ego was not part of creating the song.

Dynamics = what I value the most. As I've said, I don't want to have just one voice, I want a hundred xD

I quite liked it, Pat. Several influences in here. Some parts make me think of Bryan Adams, parts of Justin Timberlake, especially on the backing vocals. Post-industrial and prog metal arrangement, an unholy marriage that will produce the spawn of Satan, no doubt.

Well done. And this is your true strength, writing originals. Nothing wrong with others doing covers, for that is their strength. And you could do some covers, but do them like this, the Snejk way.

Just had an idea for an album title, and a play on words from a movie - "Snejk on a Plane."

I'm too funny, I should stop, now ....

Hah, that was the driest pun ever xD Most non-Swedes pronounces Snejk as "snedgk". Always makes me smile

That's quite an analysis I love Bryan Adams (or, well, the two songs I've heard from him xD). No idea how Timberlake sounds though, I think he's a part of The Lonely Island?

I like doing covers so long as I can make them "mine", adding and changing stuff (usually fans call it "butchering" ), but I prefer originals way more Going to cover Bridge Over Troubled Water as soon as I can muster some energy, always wanted to do that one.

Im feelin it man , harmonising with all the concepts of addiction and loss , get it out of you via voice and music is the only way - im not that good a singer or id literally harmonise with you ! lol KEEP THE FAITH BRAH , STRENGTH AND HONOUR

When things were at it's worst, I tried desperately to hold on to my singing but even that abandoned me.. Was a really scary period... But I got through it and I am smarter and hopefully a bit wiser now :>

Singing is never about how good you are, that's just the ego, but it's, for me, a way to feel something genuine and some sort of brief clarity that I can't feel in other ways. Man that sounded pretentious! xD

So long as you love what you do, that's all the reason you need right? :D

AWESOME !!! Was just thinking that if it weren't for the "still shot", this would make a Great Spotlight video :cool:

A redux, perhaps ???

Aawww! Damnit, missed a spotlight chance xD What's a redux? :O

You have a good base voice and once tamed I think you will have a very wide range. I think you need to find support though; most notes sound wobbly and "unsure".. When you do find it, pitch will improve automatically. Diaphragm, that's where I would start :>

Keep up the good work :>

Thanks a lot guys :> I'm doing my best to preserve a clean voice :}

I think I posted some half-done version/mix of this or so earlier, not entirely sure, but either way, I finally got around to put it on YouTube with the lyrics... The instrumental and mix was done by Vinni, a friend from the other side of the globe.

Please take a listen if you have a few spare minutes, would mean a lot.

This song is about my 2013, the hardest year in my entire life thus far, where the walls all came down at the same time and I was not far from calling it a day.

It's always a big decision, you know, wether to put one's private self up for public view, but I figured, meh, I have a lot of regrets, but I will not be ashamed of who I once was, who I am today and who I will be tomorrow.

Best regards...