Download link: HERE
New mixtape incoming! A sequel to last year’s Walternate’s 80’s Simulation mix - Electro Fighter presents… Walternate’s 80’s Simulation mix 2: Digital Days.
Showing posts with label Mixtapes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mixtapes. Show all posts
Friday, 18 January 2013
Saturday, 1 December 2012
Electro Fighter vs Fenech-Soler mixtape
Thursday, 2 August 2012
Electro Fighter vs Marina & The Diamonds - mixtape
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Download Link: HERE
Continuing on in the “Electro Fighter vs…”
artist focused series is this new entry – a mixtape of various Marina & The Diamonds remixes.
Monday, 21 May 2012
Electro Fighter vs Chromeo - mixtape
I’ve wanted to do
this mixtape for such a long time now – and this past week I’ve finally got around
to doing it.
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
New mixtape! Fauxlivia's Alternate Universe Remixes
Following up my
experimentation with new software Ableton, here is my new mixtape!
Click the player to have a listen:
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
New mixtape up! - Walternate's 80s Simulation mix
I’ve just posted up my new mixtape this morning so click on the player below to have a listen.
It’s another Electro House type mixtape, but this time its 80s styled, inspired both by my love of 80s music but also by the character of Walter/Walternate in the US TV series Fringe.
Being a science fiction based detective show, Fringe introduced the idea of an alternate universe into its main story – in particular one that is very similar to ours in many aspects and yet also subtly different. All the characters that appear in our universe also exist there, albeit most are slightly different in their personality, mostly as a result of their environment and what has happened in their life.
In our universe, Walter Bishop (played by John Noble) is a brilliant yet socially awkward scientist and in the other alternate universe the other Walter – dubbed “Walternate” (also played by John Noble) is a dastardly, ruthless and ambitious genius – now also the Secretary of Defence. The main reason for these wildly differing personalities being the former’s incarceration in a mental hospital for twelve years, and the latter being on a personal quest for vengeance ever since he had his son stolen from him many years ago.
Anyway, the point is that at one point in time these two were very similar and it was these major events listed above that contributed to how they turned out later in life. This is shown in a few episodes of Fringe were it is set in the 80s and we see what happens to both characters.
Anyways… I’m off track again. So this mix is an 80s ‘simulation’ – because although its definitely 80s styled, all the tracks in the mix are actually fairly recent ones – hence the title.
Now a couple of technical notes on the mix.
I used Sound Studio again – and because the software isn’t really meant for this kind of thing, lots of weird annoying things happen when making the mix which usually means I spend a lot more time checking and correcting things in post than in the actual mixing.
Specifically, there are occasional audio spikes that appear randomly causing nasty clicking sounds and in turn, this caused the audio after that to suddenly drop in volume (I think this is an automatic countermeasure). This means I have to go through the track and manually remove all the clicks (usually by zooming in on the wave and editing) – but also annoyingly have to go around fixing all the volume so it’s consistent through the whole mix.
The most annoying thing however, is the randomness. I could have a totally fine mix, and then after having added more tracks and saved over and then reopening the file, would find MORE clicks or volume drops added. Aaargh!!!!
I’ve scoured the interwebs but to no avail. Nobody else has this problem as they don't really use Sound Studio to make mixtapes, nor have I found any similar problems on any forums.
Previously I thought the variable formats and bit rates of different tracks used may have something to do with it and so I converted all the tracks prior to mixing but the problems did crop up eventually as before in previous mixes. I am now starting to think that it may be to do with volume levels and so although I did lower each tracks volume prior to mixing, next time I will put together the whole mix at a much lower volume than usual and just raise it all at the end – or even use an entirely different software to amplify the volume at the end before publishing.
Anyway, that's the idea (a new mixtape is already in the works) so we’ll see if I have better results then. I’ve rambled on for long enough - so if you haven’t already done so have a listen to this mixtape by pressing ‘play’ in the embedded player.
Enjoy!
Oh- and if you want to check out my previous mixtapes click HERE for my mixcloud page, or HERE for a more detailed writeup and links for each one.
17 Jan 2012
It’s another Electro House type mixtape, but this time its 80s styled, inspired both by my love of 80s music but also by the character of Walter/Walternate in the US TV series Fringe.
Being a science fiction based detective show, Fringe introduced the idea of an alternate universe into its main story – in particular one that is very similar to ours in many aspects and yet also subtly different. All the characters that appear in our universe also exist there, albeit most are slightly different in their personality, mostly as a result of their environment and what has happened in their life.
In our universe, Walter Bishop (played by John Noble) is a brilliant yet socially awkward scientist and in the other alternate universe the other Walter – dubbed “Walternate” (also played by John Noble) is a dastardly, ruthless and ambitious genius – now also the Secretary of Defence. The main reason for these wildly differing personalities being the former’s incarceration in a mental hospital for twelve years, and the latter being on a personal quest for vengeance ever since he had his son stolen from him many years ago.
Anyway, the point is that at one point in time these two were very similar and it was these major events listed above that contributed to how they turned out later in life. This is shown in a few episodes of Fringe were it is set in the 80s and we see what happens to both characters.
Anyways… I’m off track again. So this mix is an 80s ‘simulation’ – because although its definitely 80s styled, all the tracks in the mix are actually fairly recent ones – hence the title.
Now a couple of technical notes on the mix.
I used Sound Studio again – and because the software isn’t really meant for this kind of thing, lots of weird annoying things happen when making the mix which usually means I spend a lot more time checking and correcting things in post than in the actual mixing.
Specifically, there are occasional audio spikes that appear randomly causing nasty clicking sounds and in turn, this caused the audio after that to suddenly drop in volume (I think this is an automatic countermeasure). This means I have to go through the track and manually remove all the clicks (usually by zooming in on the wave and editing) – but also annoyingly have to go around fixing all the volume so it’s consistent through the whole mix.
The most annoying thing however, is the randomness. I could have a totally fine mix, and then after having added more tracks and saved over and then reopening the file, would find MORE clicks or volume drops added. Aaargh!!!!
I’ve scoured the interwebs but to no avail. Nobody else has this problem as they don't really use Sound Studio to make mixtapes, nor have I found any similar problems on any forums.
Previously I thought the variable formats and bit rates of different tracks used may have something to do with it and so I converted all the tracks prior to mixing but the problems did crop up eventually as before in previous mixes. I am now starting to think that it may be to do with volume levels and so although I did lower each tracks volume prior to mixing, next time I will put together the whole mix at a much lower volume than usual and just raise it all at the end – or even use an entirely different software to amplify the volume at the end before publishing.
Anyway, that's the idea (a new mixtape is already in the works) so we’ll see if I have better results then. I’ve rambled on for long enough - so if you haven’t already done so have a listen to this mixtape by pressing ‘play’ in the embedded player.
Enjoy!
Oh- and if you want to check out my previous mixtapes click HERE for my mixcloud page, or HERE for a more detailed writeup and links for each one.
17 Jan 2012
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
The Electro Fighter Mixtapes
In this article, I want to talk briefly about each of the mixtapes I have made so far. The software I used is called Sound Studio and it is only available for Mac, although it is just a fairly simple sound editor so I am pretty sure there are similar things out there for PC users.
I have made other mixtapes and short mixes for use in dance shows previously with this software and so I was pretty used to editing with it but the beat matching and then cross fading and cutting and equalising were further challenges I had to meet.
Anyway, here’s is a short description of each mix to date.
Electro Mix 1 – Dec 2010
As you can see by the imaginative title, at the time I didn't really know how far I could go with this – if anything it was just a test to see if I could actually make a DJed mix using this editing software.
Similarly, the track selection was a little more random and unfocused than later mixes as at the time I only had a very limited number of tracks to choose from. Two tracks from Daft Punk’s TRON soundtrack featured as bookends as well as multiple tracks by Chromeo and Tigersapien. In later mixes I have tried to be more diverse and not repeat artists.
As far as mixing goes it wasn't too bad but as of yet I haven’t uploaded this one to Mixcloud.
Super Electro Fighter II Turbo – Mar 2011
With my second mix, Electro Fighter was born! Combining my love of TRON and Street Fighter, I wanted the cover art to be somehow a crossover of the two – something which became a running theme for the cover of other mixes.
I also had a collection of Street Fighter samples from a previous audio project – some of which I started to use in this mix.
Again, I used a TRON track as an intro. I wanted to use Armoury from the album but then having re-watched the film I found that using a direct sample from the film with its vocals and sound effects was far more fitting.
I found this mix to be far more consistent in terms of mixing and track selection.
This was also the first mix I uploaded to Mixcloud. You can listen to it here.
Super Electro Fighter III Third Strike – May 2011
Continuing the theme here with more great tunes – focussing more this time on tracks with vocals. There was no TRON intro this time, but the influence clearly remains with a cheeky sample tucked away right at the end.
For some reason, during this mix I had some problems with the track formats I used to edit in (.m4a and .aiff) that either led to annoying clicks over the music or sudden dips in volume that occurred at random. Although I really like this mix in terms of song selection and mixing, the sheer amount of going back and fixing things and repeatedly testing different formats and ways of saving as a result of these problems was really frustrating.
We got there in the end though. The mix can be heard here.
Electro Fighter III vs Pop Remixes – The Fête of Two Worlds – June 2011
Whilst looking for tunes to use in various mixes, I came across loads of good remixes of well-known pop/rock songs and thought it would make an interesting mix.
The title comes from another similarly barmy crossover – the Marvel vs Capcom games – the series that originally started as Street Fighter vs X-Men.
Remixes range from tracks that were fairly similar to the original but with a dancey edge to ones that were totally different in their remixed form, which provides a nice variety I think. I even put two totally different remixes of the same track next to each other –Ellie Goulding’s Starry Eyed.
This mix was fun for me. Although it could be a little cheesy and tongue in cheek at times, I genuinely like the tracks used.
Perhaps this one will appeal more to those that aren’t that much into dance music – there are many surprises thrown in there to keep you listening.
This mix can be heard here.
Future mixtapes?
At the time of writing, I am planning two further mixes. Super Electro Fighter IV Tournament Edition – featuring all new tracks; and also another ‘concept’ mix – a mix entirely made up of alternate remixes of previously used tracks in the first three mixes.
The reason for the latter is that I often found myself having to choose between multiple remixes of a particular track, so this will be a chance to go back and use some of those. I also think it will make an interesting listen to those that are familiar with my previous mixes – one for the fans if you will.
I’m sure I’ll write and update when these mixes are ready.
27 July 2011
Making Mixtapes Again
Of the many creative endeavours I occasionally partake in, one is making dance music mixtapes.
Years ago I used to DJ as a hobby – decks, vinyl the whole shebang. Back then not many people used CD mixers, mp3s didn't even exist and pretty much all beat matching and mixing was done by ear. I owned 2 sets of deck, mixers and stacks of vinyl but had to eventually give it up due to the sheer expensive of having to continually purchase new vinyl just to stay up to the minute.
The internet too was not too prolific then either, and so the only way I could hear new music was to stay up to record late night radio shows or listen to a selection of vinyl in a record shop. All in all, it proved too much of a drain in finances and when I ended up going abroad for my second year at uni, my career as a DJ was put on hold indefinitely.
As time went by I dabbled more widely in my musical tastes including hiphop, soul, electronica, rock and metal. I listened to pretty much everything – but the progressive house music that I mainly DJed gradually faded away for me.
In the past couple of years, however, with the growth of iTunes previews, youtube and sites such as Soundcloud, exploring different artists and their music has become easier than ever and most recently I’ve been getting back into Electro music. With that my desire to create mixtapes came back again.
As I also became more proficient in using certain sound editing software, I realised I could create mixes like I used to back then, but this time using mp3s and being more precise and creative with my mixing.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, I have made four of these mixtapes since December 2010, three of which you can currently listen to now on Mixcloud.
At the risk of sounding like an old man… kids today really don't know how much the internet has changed our lives even in the past decade… grumble grumble…
26 July 2011
Years ago I used to DJ as a hobby – decks, vinyl the whole shebang. Back then not many people used CD mixers, mp3s didn't even exist and pretty much all beat matching and mixing was done by ear. I owned 2 sets of deck, mixers and stacks of vinyl but had to eventually give it up due to the sheer expensive of having to continually purchase new vinyl just to stay up to the minute.
The internet too was not too prolific then either, and so the only way I could hear new music was to stay up to record late night radio shows or listen to a selection of vinyl in a record shop. All in all, it proved too much of a drain in finances and when I ended up going abroad for my second year at uni, my career as a DJ was put on hold indefinitely.
As time went by I dabbled more widely in my musical tastes including hiphop, soul, electronica, rock and metal. I listened to pretty much everything – but the progressive house music that I mainly DJed gradually faded away for me.
In the past couple of years, however, with the growth of iTunes previews, youtube and sites such as Soundcloud, exploring different artists and their music has become easier than ever and most recently I’ve been getting back into Electro music. With that my desire to create mixtapes came back again.
As I also became more proficient in using certain sound editing software, I realised I could create mixes like I used to back then, but this time using mp3s and being more precise and creative with my mixing.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, I have made four of these mixtapes since December 2010, three of which you can currently listen to now on Mixcloud.
At the risk of sounding like an old man… kids today really don't know how much the internet has changed our lives even in the past decade… grumble grumble…
26 July 2011
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