stephan

stephan, 1 day ago

@andijah heard it the first time consciously this fedivision, and I'm torn between

"if folks use it to create something beautiful they wouldn't be able to do otherwise… why not?"

and

"this is utterly wrong and shouldn't exist. at all."

I mean I have been in the situation myself where I was desperately looking for someone to sing my songs, absolutely no one was interested, and it would have done me a world of good not to be in this hole and have someone supporting me in my endeavors.

(1/2)

stephan, 1 day ago

@andijah

(2/2)

otoh, I simply think, no, it's not right. Singing is an art form, a mode of expression, something personal and human. Having it synthesized in a way that it can be mistaken for a human singing… well. it just feels wrong.

And maybe not having someone to sing my song was the thing that was supposed to happen to me at the time. So I did something else, and came back to songs with vocals when I had the people to do it…

stephan, 2 days ago

[KAST] "Open Your Eyes" by @ferociousdesigns

As a child of the 80s, I really dig this, not only because it conjures up a time when pop music was both intelligent and creative, but also because it's very well execute, and frankly an excellent earworm!

#fedivision

2/?

stephan, 2 days ago

[BELT] Fire Me Straight Into A Falling Star by @Sakti

Love the lush production and the wideness of the track. Also it doesn't use your run-off-the-mill-sounds but some very nice programming here. A track to get lost in for sure.

#fedivision

3/?

stephan, 2 days ago

[UDIL] "7Lives, Part 2" by @yours_truly

It might come as a surprise, but I love me a good club track. And this is a good club track. The only "problem" is, it should be at least four times as long! 🕺

#fedivision

4/?

stephan, 2 days ago

[BINK] "Son señales" by @Langile

Ok, I have a confession to make. I love this voice. I love the profound feelings that are conjured up by this only seemingly simple a capella track.
The deepness of emotion that's conveyed in this track is simply astonishing, and the bells at the end are brutal but fitting. An instant favourite of mine.

#fedivision

5/?

stephan, 2 days ago

[NOTH] Misaligned Aardvarks by @keefmarshall

If there was a big Fedivision bet going on, and if I had the money, I would bet a good amount of money on this track to reach #1.
Why, you ask? Oh come on. Not only is this track really well made (good production, superb 70s prog rock feel, very nice guitar and synth work!)… much like last year's winners it also caters to the Fediverse's prevailing preference for nerdiness and whimsy (a preference I share, so, no bad thing there!)

#fedivision
6/?

stephan, 2 days ago

[ODTH] "In the Wind" by @bittersweetdb

The whole thing has spelled "unique and evocative" on it from beginning to end.

I love the minimalist approach, I love the innovative sound design, and of course the 6/8 signature (6/8 is this year's thing, if you haven't noticed)

Quite honestly. This is a track I could listen to again and again.

#fedivision
7/?

stephan, 2 days ago

[INTK] "She's all of Me" by @MTP

A very touching song – and you can tell from the music and from the performance it's honest and sincere – without the use of a 100 instruments, a team of producers, a big management and PR department. This is what songwriting is all about.

#fedivision
8/?

stephan, 2 days ago

taking a break from listening, as I have to catch a train. will continue later this day… watch this space :)

#fedivision

stephan, 2 days ago

[DEEP] – "BBB (Big Boomer Bænd)" by @lminiero

A track like a breath of fresh air. I like it when something comes around that sounds both vintage (in the best sense of the word) and also daring, and this track definitely is both. Super nice guitars, very driven and groovy, and the horns… I honestly wonder how this was done. Are those real ones? And if not, single note samples or whole chords? The producer in me is intrigued :)

#fedivision

9/?

stephan, 2 days ago

[CBMC] – Laden läuft.mod by @herr_irrtum
Ok, here's my 2nd confession today: I don't care for modern chiptunes too much. But I liked them back in the day when computers were getting 'good enough' to do more intricate stuff – and I do enjoy this one immensely, because it's bloody awesome in form and function. It's true to its roots. It can be played on a real Amiga computer, it's available as ADF file, and it doesn't take itself seriously. It's what we call "Gesamtkunstwerk".
#fedivision
10/?

stephan, 2 days ago

[CABA] – "Tap My Toes" by @elsemusic

Whoa. Easily the one of the most "musical" tracks that are happening in this year's fedivision.
There are so many unexpected delightful things going on here, from the percussion to the background vocals to the lyrics… it's simply a beautiful song. And it's making me tap my toes.

#fedivision
11/?

stephan, 2 days ago

[SNOR] "Snork (We're OK)" by @DuchessOfSnork

Gotta love a quintuple time signature track that effortlessly mixes shades of Ween, Jazz and 60s surf tunes. What a combination!!

#fedivision
12/?

stephan, 2 days ago

[FOSS] – "The Funniest Thing" by @MyLoFy and @convolution

A very fine piece of retro pop that manages to sneak under your skin without anyone noticing – it's one of those tunes that manage to come across lightweight and funny, and then suddenly (at the latest when the guitar solo comes in) it strikes you and makes you think. Well done!

#fedivision
13/?

stephan, 1 day ago

[MOUL] - "Webpunks" by @MOULE

Here's the thing: I so wholeheartedly agree with the message that I want to get up and dance. In a crowded train, and that's saying something.

Honestly, I think this is definitely another contender for at least the top 3, because of its good production, dancability (is this a word? it sould be!) and by virtue of being routed in nerd culture.

#fedivision
14/?

stephan, 1 day ago

[EMPW] – "Without You" by @socool

Love this track for its ethereal minimalism, the beautiful lyrics and the fitting vocal performance. It sounds natural and sweet while sending shivers down the spine, in a good way.

#fedivision
15/?

stephan, 1 day ago

[TCRE] – "Federation" by @Synchro

Let me put it this way:

"An impressive feat of technology, yet leaves me pondering the essence of musical creation. Does AI-vocals enhance or detract from the human experience of music? A question worth exploring. (Written with AI assistance) #Fedivision"

(this feedback was provided by GPT-4 after parsing my background. Does that make it less valuable than my other feedback?)

#AI
#fedivision

16/?

stephan, 1 day ago

PRNY – "Shoot Away Pain" by @Jamezytee

Rap on fedivision... to my knowledge, this is a first. The connection between gun violence and mental health/poverty being a nightmarish premise that the track gets across very well. Even after the track has long ended, I can't stop thinking about how messed up it all is.

One of those tracks that really makes you think.

#fedivision
17/?