#45: What Merchandise Should Your Band Sell? | Synth Pals Virtual Pub

THE SYNTH PALS VIRTUAL PUB
This is a great opportunity to connect with fellow artists, network, and share ideas. At least one question and a pub-based beverage or snack are mandatory. If you would like to join me and my synth pals at the next Synth Pals Virtual Pub, book your seat here: https://calendly.com/synth_music_mastering/synth-pals-virtual-pub

To follow Neon Highway, click here: https://linktr.ee/neonhighway
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Transcript

Marc Matthews: 0:21

You're listening to the inside the mix podcast with your host, Mark Matthews. Hello, and welcome to the inside the mix podcast. I'm Mark Matthews, your host, musician producer, and mix and mastering engineer you've come to the right place. If you want to know more about your favorite symp music, artists, music engineering, and production songwriting, and the music industry. I've been writing, producing, mixing, and mastering music for over 15 years. And I wanna share what I've learned with you. Hey folks, and welcome back to another episode of the inside the mix podcast. Now this is another synth Powells virtual party, but it has been renamed to the synth Powells virtual pub in this instance, uh, what being British, uh, as I am, I thought it'd be quite apt to, to, uh, bring in the pub notion. So I've got five individuals with me today, uh, five producers, artists. Um, so I'm just gonna say a big hello to everyone. Just go around the room. So first we've got aisle nine. Hello. Hello. thank you very much. And Debbie, how are you doing? Yeah, I'm very well, thank you. I'm very well. And then we've got neon highway. Hi gates, lovely staff. And then we've got ghost Georgie. Hey, uh, to hi. Yeah. Hello. And then we've got Carmen noodles. Hello? Yes, we, I set off air. I'm gonna come back to that name. So, uh, this is the second episode of this. Now the first one turned out to be, um, relatively popular. Hence why we're doing this again. Um, and for the audience listening, if you've never actually listened to an episode of the inside of the Miz podcast, uh, first of all, I'll say, why not? Um, or why. and also, um, this episode is basically just we're, you're talking about music essentially. Um, so the idea was to come to this with a question that you would put forward to the rest of the group, and, um, we just come up some ideas and, and sort of go from there. So, um, off air, Carl neon highway kindly agreed to go first with his question. So, uh, I'll preferably open it up to the forum of which it is, uh, Carl, uh, go ahead. What is your question? So I guess I was thinking about,

Neon Highway: 2:20

I see a lot of artists talk about their influences and sense we've seen. Um, and a lot of people tend to go with modern artists. You know, a lot of people say the midnight F 84 Lewis types of guys, and you don't see a lot of people given or seen as retro. You don't see a lot of people hearken back to the eighties and going, ah, the cars and, uh, do you know whoever, whoever else it may be in eighties, but it always tends to be modern. So I guess the question is, do we see our, these more. As modern retro artists or do a, this go back to those originals.

Marc Matthews: 2:59

That's a, that's a really good question, actually. Cuz it's a question. I always ask artists right at the beginning of an interview's, like what influenced them growing up? Oh, what influenced them way back when and um, admittedly I think when I'm writing music, if I probably look for the reference bank of artists that I have predominantly modern artists, except if I'm doing like the dance music side of things, then it goes back to the nineties. But in saying that like yesterday I brought myself as sisters of MES, uh, vinyl, um, nice. Which I cannot wait to, to, to get to grips with. So there is an element for me that wants to channel the older influences, but I seem to always just gravitate to the, I dunno why it is. I dunno. Was everyone else's thoughts? Anybody? Uh, got a thought on that one. Well,

Aisle9: 3:38

I, I mean. My, I know that neon highway, I know that both of us will cite are, are sort of love of things like joy division and new order. And like, you know, I mean, quite I've, I've heard you talk quite a lot about, you know, um, older artists and I do as well. I mean, I sort of, I fear that that's just because I'm older and nothing to do with everything else, but like, you know, I mean, I do sort of, I mean, a lot of the things that craft work and all these sort of things, I do put them in my bio because they were probably the things that originally turned me onto liking synth based music at all. Cuz I hated synth both music. I thought it was crap. Um, and basically I was into rock and nothing else when I was sort of, you know, first started getting into music and then somehow that changed and it was a certain group of artists that changed my mind into that. And I think. That's how I ever got into synth wave at all. I don't think I would've been producing synth based music at the minute had at some point I not discovered that synth music, um, or electronic music could be interesting. Um, you know, next to just rock music, you know? So, um, yeah, they were definitely an influence on me, but I, I listened to loads of modern artists as well. So I dunno, but I, I would say that they probably influenced my sound more than like any particular modern artists, but obviously like the kind of production style that we are in is a sort of hybrid. We aren't, most people aren't just making records. That sound like the eighties. I mean, they are making records that. current and don't sound like anything else they sound like now to me, um, I could be wrong, you know? Um, and I, it's probably eclectic mix of wherever you come from and whatever you've listened to. So I don't think it's just like, I don't think I sound like people keep telling me pet shop boys or something. And I, and it was just interesting cuz they sort of say my voice reminds me of the pet shop boys or something. And it's like interesting, cuz I didn't really like the pet shop boys. Um, but like, you know, they're seminal band and all that, but I just didn't really like them. I like Western end girls. I thought it was a great single, but you know, but it's funny. People will say that. And then I go like, well I did love new order and I always thought the pet shop boys are sort of ripped off new order. So I guess I did, I sort of like pet shop boys enjoy division were probably a big influence on new, old, uh, sort of influenced by new order and that sort of thing. So yeah, it's weird. Like it's a mixture of all these things. That's my answer inconclusive as usual.

Marc Matthews: 6:16

that's a great answer. Um, go around the room again. Has anybody got anybody else, um, thinking like in terms of their influences, do they hark more towards modern or is it, um, older or maybe an amalgamation of the two?

Ghost Georgie: 6:27

Um, for me, it's, it's kind of both, um, I, I really love sounds scapes. So anything that I feel like is a rich sounds scape for me, keyboards are just my thing. It's just my. Dominant instrument. Like I, I studied piano, music theory and stuff. And so like, piano was just kind of where writing music started for me. And so I, I, it's not specifically so much, um, the eighties, but it's like, anything that I feel like has, has really rich layers. Like for instance, even like, um, seventies, Frank Zappa, when he was first, uh, starting to do like a lot of poly synths and stuff like that. Um, like that's, uh, very influential to me. Like, um, when I started, uh, working on the Halloween 77, like I, I assisted on that box that it, it was just incredible hearing, like all the different tracks. Um, and I really love those vintage tones. So there's so much, there's so many layers and there's so much like going on. So that just kind of is the main thing kind of that, that inspires me whether it's, um, you know, obviously this isn't specifically synth wave it's dream pop, but like, whether it's. Whether it's beach house, whether it's washed out, like on the modern end or something like, like Zappa, because he, you know, was a composer first and foremost. So there are so many layers. Um, and every time you listen, you can hear something new. So that that's kind of what inspires me the most

Aisle9: 7:49

weasels rips. My flash was of favorite of mine from Zappa. So there we go. Nice. Never heard that weasels ripped my flesh by zapper mm-hmm yeah, it's a great album. Yeah. A very weird cover.

Marc Matthews: 8:00

I've never given zapper enough time. You know, I had a friend, I was in a band a few years back and he would bang on about zapper all the time. Ultimately he left the band, uh, for various reasons. Um, but maybe that's

Aisle9: 8:11

why it's not easy. Music is what I'd say.

Marc Matthews: 8:14

It's quite, but I've heard it's very, very influential. Yeah. It's clear, clear stuff. Yeah. What about yourself though? So I'm going around the room now. What about influences from your

Totta: 8:24

music? I always feel perspective shit when people ask me about influences, cuz I'm so. Bad at what I listen to I'm I mainly listen to a lot of hip hop to be fair. Um, but I have this, um, large or insane love of eighties aesthetics and I've, I kind of honestly fell into at going at all towards the synth wave genre through vapor wave art. I got so obsessed with the art, uh, the same way that I would get obsessed with. Oh, what a cliche. She loves blade runner, but everyone shocked and appalled. Uh, but you know, the, the visual together with the, the soundscape and the music of it, uh, there's something to that retro futuristic. Extremely nostalgic and extremely dramatic, um, vibe, both visually and, uh, through the music of it that I was extremely drawn to. Um, and then I think it's kind of, it's funny how you said you had a, uh, a background in classical piano, uh, right. Georgie. Cause I, I have the same upbringing. My mother was a pianist and I've always played the piano. Um, and then I fell into playing the drums instead. Uh, and then like everyone who produces music, apparently I played in a punk band cuz that's what you do first, before you start making beats. Um, So it's, um, I can't honestly say that I keep up with modern artists that much. Uh, I think I pull a lot from movie soundtracks from the movies I would watch as a kid and just eighties bangers. And also the, I have a background in musical theater of all things, and it's, again, the kind of extreme over the top drama. It just lends itself to the kind of eighties nostalgia vibe, um, which I never knew that I would love creating, but I, I absolutely just fell in love with. And, uh, so it's not specific artists as such. Uh, but I would say I leaned definitely more towards actually eighties material rather than modern artists. But I think that's because I didn't, I, I didn't know a lot about synth wave until I started making it. Um, so now through this community, I'll go check out. People's. Instagrams and drop a follow, see what they're producing and, uh, get really, really inspired. But I think as well, it, I feel almost as if I'm coming at a side angle into the synth wave genre because I focus so heavily on, um, on the vocals as well, writing big, uh, big vocals rather than writing really cool tracks. That's just because I'm not a good enough producer yet to write really cool tracks. Um, but I, I get really inspired by people who can make instrumental tracks that are extremely, um, uh, yeah, still, still dramatic and. Have a curve and a dynamic that's uh, that's

Marc Matthews: 11:24

impressive. Yeah. I think, um, that, that whole aesthetics comment is, is one that's prevalent for all the interviews I do in particular. Like, it's quite interesting, like with that eighties aesthetic, and probably not just the eighties, there is like, if you look at the nineties, never those genre, but you can almost be influenced by the, the visuals before you even start writing music. Uh, which is, which is the coolest thing about it. Um, but what you mentioned there about not knowing Zinth wave before you started writing, it is actually a conversation I had with the guys from year as the year, year of the fall, which was a couple weeks ago. I think it was, that came out that episode and they said the same, they started writing music and then they didn't actually know what it was until they started listening to other music. And then they found it quite liberating. Cause they didn't sort of make, they didn't follow a formula per se, which is, and always an interesting con concept and conversation. But no, I totally agree with the, the visuals impacting the music. Um, The fact that I've got a neon light on here behind me, pretty much. It's pretty much Testament to that. And there's really, really garish light in the corner, which is really annoying. Um, but the actual lights in the roof don't work and you get those feet.

Totta: 12:27

It's incredible. I can come at it from such an, uh, uh, a genuinely like original point of view and still end up in my case, making very unoriginal music. Uh that sounds a lot like a lot of my friends' music, you know?

Marc Matthews: 12:43

Yeah. Um, it's quite cool though, that you've, that you've come you've predominantly sort of like that hip hop influence, cuz I think, I think it's yourself and is testing my memory. I think it's Herman from the future kids who is a big hip hop, um, lover, but as, as, as, as you mentioned previously it's and I think you said there as well, the, the folk band, uh, not the folk, the punk band I was thinking of Opeth then that's that's another conversation, isn't it? The whole Opeth one. Uh, I was, yeah, that was amazing. Well, maybe we'll come onto that a bit later. Um, but yeah. And have we all come from this, this band. Sort of direction, which is amazing. Um, I'll go around the room again. So Carmen noodles, but first thing first, what, what, where where's that name come from? That was the first thing I was talking. Yeah, that's that's quite a

KamenNoodles: 13:26

um,

Marc Matthews: 13:26

it's safe. Is it safe for the, uh, podcast before? Oh, definitely. Oh, that's right then. It's it's it

KamenNoodles: 13:31

is, it's a lot less interesting than it might. Um, it seems basically I'm a massive video game geek, so I was sort of looking around video game titles to try and figure out okay. Originally I knew I wanted to do something that was sort of infused with in the same way that sway is very eighties nostalgia. I was like, okay, I want to try and tie myself to something with video games cuz that's what I'm crazy about aside from music and uh, there's a Zelda game in particular that I'm very, uh, crazy about called uh major's mask.

Marc Matthews: 14:01

Yes. And

KamenNoodles: 14:03

the Japanese title of that game has, uh, the word common in it and I was like, oh, that's cool. That sounds cool. Um, so I was like, okay, that. And then obviously there's, there's quite a famous anime. That's uh, also got KA in it. So I was like, can't just be calm. It was like KA kind of sounds like Ram

Marc Matthews: 14:21

yeah. Originally that's what I was thinking. Yeah. That, that it

KamenNoodles: 14:23

is a pun. I love a pun. I'm a sucker for a pun. Uh, that, and originally it was just supposed to be like, yeah, it was supposed to be like little guitar bits, uh, bits and pieces. So it's like, yeah, I'm, I'm a classic serial noodler. So, uh, that's, that's sort of the merging of those two. Uh

Marc Matthews: 14:42

is where the name come from. I get it now. And I realize, is it, how did you pronounce it? Is it cause it's supposed to be Carmen? Yeah. Like, like ramen, but with the, I thought I was being incredibly British in saying carbon a posh English accent, and again, it's totally wrong. Um, but yeah. Yeah. So go around influences again, mate. I know you, you are sort of, you've sent me stuff and it's, you've got that synth music direction sort of thing. Um, you've also got the game. So would you say you're heavily influenced then by like, um, I haven't heard chip tune. Did you do chip tune? Um, I, I have tried,

KamenNoodles: 15:16

I have tried drastically to try and incorporate a lot of chip tune, uh, stuff into it, but it's like using the authentic way that they program it is it's completely rewiring your brain really to relearn like yeah. Different, you have to use tracker software, which is like, you have to like write in yeah, yeah. Notes on a, on like a scroll bar and then it scrolls it's it can be quite a oh God. Yeah. For another time.

Marc Matthews: 15:38

yeah,

Aisle9: 15:39

yeah, yeah. Yeah.

KamenNoodles: 15:40

I definitely incorporate a lot of video games since , but yeah, it was quite interesting that especially, I think soundscapes, especially, uh, with, I think it was, uh, I think it was Georgie that mentioned about sounds scapes, which is ironic , but, uh, that we, uh, but I, I would agree I'm very much like, uh, sounds scapes, I would say is very much my, uh, influence and then just the love of hip hop, sort of over that and trying to mesh those two, uh, those two world

Marc Matthews: 16:30

worlds together. yeah, there we go. Another hip hop, one that tracked it. This, this is a total tangent. Now that track you sent me recently, did that have any hiphop elements in it? The one that the I listened to, um, I'm trying to

KamenNoodles: 16:42

no, so that, that was a, so that was a synth wave. Uh, yeah. That's, uh, that's yet to come. Uh, but, um, yeah, that's more of a, quite a synth wave sort of vibe, but,

Marc Matthews: 16:53

um, I was experimenting with trap wave recently. Um, but I got so trap wave. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It sounded quite good at the beginning I put in this, um, I went with Foley sounds, um, as you know, George I'm, I'm a big FA Foley days and, um, and I've got this whole Foley sequence at the beginning and it sounds incredible, but, and I, but the rest of the song I'm not sold on, but because the intro's so good, I might run with it. Um, but anyway, yeah. Oh, excellent stuff. I'm well aware of time and I can, this time can really get, get away from you on these things, cuz really sort of like almost a half an hour in. So next, moving on to another question, has anybody else wanted to put a question to the, to the forum before? I probably choose one of George's here. I've got, uh, I've got them up in front of me.

Aisle9: 17:39

I was gonna ask a question, which was um, well firstly, out of any of us, do any of us have merchandise? Have we sort of gone into the merchandise thing and secondly, you know, sort of coming on from that, at what point do you go into that? You know, what point do you feel it's justified to move out of just going like, well, you know, who wants to buy merch off me? You know, should I make merch or am I just gonna be selling it to my grand, you know, um, who, who wants it? Um, and so, you know, and also I suppose finally on that would be. If you are into it or going into it, how are you gonna fulfill it? How are you gonna do it? Are you planning on doing it through sort of like someone who fulfills it online or make you gonna get them printed? And just like, I'm just merch in general is a question, a whole topic that I'm interested in and sort of to see how many of us are getting into that, because I'm told pretty much it's the way forward in, in terms of making some revenue back from your music eventually is to, is to do merch because no one pays for music. that's apparently the basics of it. I

Marc Matthews: 18:51

think that's a, a fantastic question, Tim, um, with merch, cuz I've, I I've been toying with the idea of like podcast related merch and in particular I was thinking, um, um, oh boy stickers, or thank you for the support, um, stickers or, or something along those lines or t-shirts I was gonna roll up with something like a monthly giveaway or something. So I, I, but much, like you said, then I can, I have a mug of what stage. I'd like I can have mugs. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I might, the podcast mug would be really cool Stein as well. Stein's be quite cool. Something along those lines. Um, yeah, but I remember being in a band years ago, we had merch and we, we, we, we probably released an EP and then we were like, oh, we'll go out and buy loads of merch. And we got lumbered with 500 CDs. We never sold, um, and loaded t-shirts that we ended, ended up thrown into the crowd, um, of which there were about 10 and it would just be on the floor. Um, but no, I, I dunno what the answer is to that. At what point you do. Cause I've seen a few artists now I know Pensacola missed the away on their podcast a few weeks back. They've just released some stickers and the stickers look insane. They look so good. Um, but I don't know what, what, at what point did you have to wait? I don't think followers, like if you look at your social media following, I don't necessarily know if that's a, a metric to use because I dunno how many of them would. I don't know what the engagement would be on that. I dunno what anyone else has thought. Yeah. Back to your original. The first question has anybody got me? I,

Ghost Georgie: 20:18

I have stickers, um, and CDs like the stickers. I pretty much just give them away. Like I do giveaways, uh, pretty re uh, regularly. And I'll just say, does anybody in this region wanna sticker? Like, and comment. I, I usually do it on Twitter and then people will, um, participate and then I'll just send them stickers and I'll send them a little letter and a sticker and people just enjoy it, you know? Um, and they're, they're cool. They're holographic. So I just kind of give those away. I haven't sold any, um, but people do really enjoy them. And then I have CDs. I haven't sold that many of them. Um, and I have given a lot of them away, but it's just kind of good to have as an option. You know, I, I did a limited run of them cuz I knew I wasn't gonna sell a ton of them. It was the debut EEP and you know, I don't have a massive fan base, um, at this point. So, you know, but just have something available and. I have it just up on band camp. So it's there, if anybody wants it and it's there, you know, if, cuz I'm planning to start playing, um, more in person shows soon, I've only been doing like live streaming, um, for a while. So, you know, just to have it, if people need it. Other than that though, I haven't, but I think it's a good to have something even to just give people like a sticker, you know, something that's not too expensive, but just people enjoy that. I think.

Marc Matthews: 21:35

Mm. I definitely think if you're playing live, having something tangible mm-hmm being able to give away, um, is, is fantastic. Um, definitely haven't been down that road, but I think if you are, cause I don't how many, cause I know you perform live, um, Georgie. Totally. Do you, you perform live as well, don't you? Yeah. Um, I dunno about you, uh, there, George, do you perform, are you, are you in a band at the moment? Do you performing live? Uh, sadly not with this,

KamenNoodles: 22:01

not with this outfit. Uh, not under this Monica, uh, yeah. It's bit different with the kind of music I'm making anyway, uh, to try and translate that to live

Marc Matthews: 22:09

is . Yeah. Yeah. It's a whole nother cat, the fish, but it'd be interesting whether if you are just a, sort of like a studio producer, I think at what point you bring it in. Cause I think if you are digging, it's useful, as you say, to have something that you can hand out, like stickers. We used to have bus, I don't know why we had business cards. Um, we weren't , we weren't really a business. Um, but. It probably just got used for Roach paper, to be honest. Um, yeah. For the audience listening. That's what you put when you have a rolled up cigarette. I dunno if that translates to other countries, um, at the beginning anyway. Um, yeah. At what point you have it as a, as a studio producer in terms, what merchandise would you, if you were to get merchandise in, what would you go for first?

Aisle9: 22:50

Well, you know, I mean, T I mean, this is the thing I think like you don't wanna avoid your garage being filled up with merch is my concept. So if you were to come up with a good design, that can go on a t-shirt on a mugger or whatever, like t-shirts seem like me. T-shirts, you know, um, I might well buy a t-shirt I guess other people might, um, I mean like car Zoe Lee seems to be doing well with their t-shirts. They seem to be everywhere. Everyone's wearing a car and Zoe Lee t-shirt, um, you know, uh, so I, I think I might do that, but I think the way I would have to do it is through one of these kind of companies that sort of does it on demand so that, you know, when somebody actually buys one, they make one and someone out, which obviously you get much less money per t-shirt, but then you don't have a garage full of them. And if nobody buys one, I assume you're not outta pocket. So that would be the sort of way of looking at it, I think. But, um, I know that it's even in Spotify now that you can connect Spotify with it. I think it's through Shopify, isn't it or something like that. They they've got a way of connecting you now and like, you know, so it's coming to Spotify, I think in a bigger way. I think it, we will see it happen more and more so that you can just be on Spotify, listening to stuff and go. Oh, I actually wanna buy some merch off of this and buy it through the, through the app. And of course that would be a way that I can imagine lots of people doing it, you know, and they might just be listening to your music, like your music and buy it. So, you know, guess that's what I'm looking at. So, but I'm, I'm not sure that I'm there at all for making it yet. Um, but you know, I don't wanna jump the gun, but I'm thinking about it, you know, Leon on highway buy one. I reckon I

Marc Matthews: 24:30

buy one as well, mate. I, I think you could

Aisle9: 24:32

test the waters. You buy one, I've got two Georgie. Anyone else? Yeah, no, I'm just, um, yeah. You know, test the

Marc Matthews: 24:39

waters done with the, with the what'd you say is, um, on demand, isn't it? Um, yeah. Would be the way to go. Um, I think I might look into that at some. I, I was,

Neon Highway: 24:48

I was talking to star madman last week about this, and I think she uses red bubble, which I've purchased loads of t-shirts off red bubble, just things in the past geek t-shirts. But I never, I didn't know that they, they would do kinda custom stuff for artists, but she seems to do it that way. And it's, it's on demand. It's it means that you've all got a garage go of, of merchandise there. So that that's possible way forward. But again, like you said, Tim, you might not make that much money might end up like a pound 83 off each t-shirt yourself. But, and I think also if I think about more established artists that know some artists that have got tens of thousands of followers that I follow, and I don't even tend to buy merchandise a lot of them. So I'm kinda like nobody's gonna buy my family. Wouldn't even buy a t-shirt for, I put one out. So I, I think for me, it's, it's, it's not a possibility at the moment. But it's, it's a really good question about when, when do you pass that threshold and say, it's time to start getting into

Aisle9: 25:49

that? I dunno. Maybe I'll make tote bags. Everyone's got one of them. Yeah., you know, they're, they're crazy in a, put your shopping in an aisle nine bag. See, I mean, it makes sense as a supermarket connection there. I think we've mentioned

Neon Highway: 26:04

it last time. I think the last time we had a chat had just been at the nine inch nails gigs and they were doing tot bags. It was like 35 pounds for geez, a nine inch nails tot bag. And I was like, I can get a t-shirt for 30. I quit or I can buy a bag to put it in for 35 quit. It was, it's just crazy prices for a tote bag. Absolutely.

Marc Matthews: 26:21

Man's mad considering what it is to make a tote bag. Exactly. I'm assuming it's just a press it's just press on. Yeah. Unless it's made out of like hemp or something along those lines, they've got incredibly

Aisle9: 26:32

niche. Yeah. May, maybe I'm just gonna have to come up with something that other people don't try and sell as much as something unique. Like, you know, I don't know, sort of ware or something by R nine or something, you know, something, something different beer R nine beer. Well, I've got beer tonight. This is the best of the west country. I have to say. I'm not sponsored by them, but, um, this is called, but come. Yeah, I know buck come very well and. Yeah. Yeah. You don't pronounce it as co when you are in the west country. No, I was told this. I'd always said, but co being, you know, nicely brought up, but no, apparently Coom is produced. Come, so it's butum yeah. Great. Have you been to the breweries? No. Bristol? Yeah. Yeah. Bristol. Yeah. Bristol Bo apparently. So,

Marc Matthews: 27:23

yeah. Yeah. It's just as you come to Bristol airport, it's gonna bore everyone now. Um, Buckham is just before Bristol airport. You'll see a sign for it. Um, it's very nice. Isn't it? Uh, it for Queens in many other pub down this way.. Yeah. Yeah. Very good. Um, for those transatlantic, the transatlantic audience, whoever in the UK, um, yeah, seek it out. It's it's very good. I've got Bera Merei so I've gone slightly into more international today. I, I was gonna have a bottle of Bishop's finger, but I went against it and got this one instead. Oh,

Aisle9: 27:51

we could have had back come and Bishop's finger it. Would've been good.

Neon Highway: 27:56

A bit of Boriss IPA.

Aisle9: 27:59

that's fantastic. It's a

Neon Highway: 28:01

hazy UN transparent beer, much like it's N sick.

Marc Matthews: 28:06

Yes. Yeah. Yeah. I, I didn't even know that existed. Imagine all those three, one the Bishop's finger buck and then Boris, it's quite quite interesting when isn't it. Yeah. Anyway, uh, sorry.

Aisle9: 28:17

Get into sort of product placement here.

Marc Matthews: 28:20

No, I'm still, I'm still looking out, um, or in, in search of that sponsorship. So. Who knows the way it's the podcast is growing. It could happen, you know, it's, it's, it's growing quite nicely. I'm not sure

Aisle9: 28:30

I'd wanna be sponsored by buck come. Actually, I think it could by, I

Marc Matthews: 28:34

Don be fair knocking at my door. I wouldn't say no. Anyway, uh, its like, it's like addressing load the tone where merchandise wasn't it? Yeah. Merchandise mm-hmm um, going back to what you said just now about Karen it's Karen, Zoe Lee. Isn't it. The name I always get the, the Zoe and the Lee around the wrong way. I do find, because I see so many of the t-shirts though part of my brain's like, oh man, I wanna get one of those t-shirts I wanna get one purely because I see it so much. However, when they look, when I see. Yeah, yeah. But when I see in larger artist and you see like every man in his dog, let's say with like a metallic t-shirt and then I'm just like, I I'm indifferent, but maybe it's because I'm more inclined to support. More independent, more an independent artist. Yeah. Yeah. Who is your presenter? Yeah. Proliferating. Yeah. Yeah. But yes, it's tricky. Isn't it? You just basically got get Kar. I just say it's good for the

Neon Highway: 29:31

artists as well. You know, there's, there's actually been quite a few artists have discovered through K teachers, like, cause she'll repost it and our patient, like, who's that now? How are we listen to them and go, they're absolutely brilliant. So it, it's it cross promotion, you know, this whole sense way of community we talked about last time, the networking it's, it's so invaluable and is brewing and the support that we give each other that I think that's just another part of it. That's whole set T shop promotion. She's gotten to go. It's fantastic.

Marc Matthews: 29:59

If I, if I were to do it personally, it's like a podcast, I suppose it's slightly different as an artist. I dunno if I'd create merch for my own name. I think that's very, very just Mark Matthews merch. I might be quite narcissistic of me. Um, but I think. If I, the podcast, I think I would just give my plan was to give it away. I was gonna do like a monthly thing whereby somebody, if you share a post that I put out for the podcast and then I'll do a, like a, Tombo say Tombo yeah. Will be Tombo something like that. And I'll pull a name out of a hat and then just fire them a free t-shirt that's that's the thought process as I was gonna have, cuz obviously I'm not live on the road. If I was on the road, I'd just be throwing t-shirts out to a crowd. But it's a tricky one. When, when you start doing that, when do you get merch? Maybe I think the, the on demand one is probably the way to start. I would say, I think with, with you, mark, you need to,

Neon Highway: 30:50

you need to have that tagline on the t-shirt big, bold letters. It says if you're in sense music, you know, your intro that you do from the podcast. Hi, I'm Mark Matthews. If you're in sent music booming in the logo,

Marc Matthews: 31:00

like that'd be excellent. Yeah. Yeah. I need to refresh that. I need to refresh that intro.

Neon Highway: 31:05

It so ingrained now, every time the podcast episode comes on, it's like, here we go. You know, it's, it's like when you watch star wars and the 20th century Fox comes up, I think common

Aisle9: 31:13

noodles might have a problem because I think if you do, t-shirts common, uh, if you do t-shirts, I think you're gonna get people trying to phone up an order. Like they're gonna want to just D what you, you to deliver them can have some calm noodles, please. They're gonna, you're gonna have to start off a franchise. I think it'll become, it could work in your baby. You never know. I, I almost want to eat some calm noodles already tonight. So there we go. that

Marc Matthews: 31:39

that's an angle. You could work though. You could have like merchandise and then it's just like noodles, you know, as long as it didn't

KamenNoodles: 31:46

have my phone number on it.

Aisle9: 31:47

yeah, no, I wouldn't do that. Yeah.

Marc Matthews: 31:51

But I think, I think you were gonna mention something about vinyl then.

KamenNoodles: 31:54

Yeah. Yeah. It's interesting that nobody really mentioned vinyl. Cause I've, I've noticed, especially in like the synth community, like, uh, Finals, like been quite massive, at least from what I've noticed, most synth artists are yeah. Cassettes as well. Yeah. Definite, but I mean, yeah, it's a bit different, I guess the t-shirt's really, uh,

Ghost Georgie: 32:12

finals seems so expensive, like to, to print.

Marc Matthews: 32:17

Yeah. Is it, it is, you've

Aisle9: 32:18

gotta put a lot of money out for it. Yeah, for sure. And you can't get it on demand on budget. Do have to, yeah. You have to put it up front to get 'em made. I I'd love to get some vinyl done, but a, I feel like I'd have to have something justifiable to put on it. I don't feel like I've made something worthy of vinyl and, um, I I'd, you know, it's is a lot of money to put up. Um, but I'd love to do it one day. Yeah. Cause I'm a bit of a vinyl one. It'd be great.

Marc Matthews: 32:44

Wouldn't it? Yeah. I, to toyed with the idea of getting a lathe, um, I'd never used one before, but um, there are a few thousand. Um, so I. Um, but no, I'd love to have a vinyl LA and start cutting vinyl. Um, there's a place, I think it's in Bristol actually, where they do that. And, um, no, no, Toton I tell a lie, my hometown, you get vinyl cut there, loud mastering. They've done some huge records in there and for sleepy Toton Madonna, um, massive, massive records. Um, but no finally was really sure about

Aisle9: 33:13

cassettes. Anyone else?

Marc Matthews: 33:15

I mean, I'm, yeah, I've been the same. Hmm.

Aisle9: 33:20

But it's big, isn't it, people love it, but quite nice physical things, but, you know, do you think

Marc Matthews: 33:27

they listen to the cassette though? Or is it just a, for a visual thing I could

Aisle9: 33:30

sell 'em without audio and see I could just sell blank records and see if anyone listened to them as well. Blank tapes.

Marc Matthews: 33:43

uh, I think we're talking about cassette.

Totta: 33:46

Oh, yeah, no, just that, uh, because I've been thinking about having something to sell after performing more live with this solo project. Um, because I, I've also felt like nobody's gonna buy it if that doesn't come and see me. But when I played live, people did ask for stuff. Uh, so I figured it'd be good to have a, a very tiny selection and just completely off the books, produce it myself and, and sell it there. And I didn't wanna go vinyl, cuz it's been, it can be a bit tough to sell and they're pricey usually from what I've done it with bands. And it's different if you have the backing of a, of a label, of course. But even with that, we would like at times almost struggle to break even, even though we had a decent following. So I figured as a, as a solo artist on the scale that I'm working, it was just. Reasonable, but I didn't want something that nobody could actually use. So I'm considering actually printing custom USB sticks with my songs on them and perhaps an added bonus track of commentary or some such, but with like a cool retro looking logo, I figure it kind of fits into the vapor wave aesthetic as well. If I make it look like a data chip in an old movie or something, um, that could be quite cool, but I, I can't seem to scrounge up the money to do it. I keep just recording new shit instead. Um, but you know, that's what I think is most fun, but eventually I think that I might give that a try, cuz I feel like it's something useful as well. Everybody loves a USB stick. Uh, it's kind of nice to have,

Marc Matthews: 35:27

but yeah, I geeked with a band a few years. I did that. They had USB sticks and they were the sticks in my mind. They were really popular actually the USB sticks. Yeah. I think it's a great idea idea. Cheap enough as. reusable. Would you make it so they couldn't. I don't know. Would you make so no,

Totta: 35:43

of course not. I'm like this use be is only for my music. yeah, no, the point is for it to be useful because I know that anybody can just listen to it on Spotify or YouTube. I know someone artists,

Aisle9: 35:55

the music's out there for free for anything else. Sorry. we would

Totta: 36:01

lock it down only, only what was it? But come premise. Oh yeah, yeah,

Neon Highway: 36:06

yeah.

Marc Matthews: 36:08

Get a, but come USB stick. I'd love anything did

Aisle9: 36:11

that. I don't even know what you'd do that. Right.

Marc Matthews: 36:18

There we go. There we go. Yeah. Terrible. This is gonna be on the explicit ear. I got to put the, on this one for this episode. Yeah. Um, no. Yeah, me is an ongoing one. It'd be interesting to see what people do for merch going forward. I see a lot bit banded about, I think for me as a podcast, I think it'd be good on mugs. Syringes be flagging. What was that? Sorry, Tim, what?

Aisle9: 36:42

Syringes? Sorry. It was a random comment.

Marc Matthews: 36:49

I'm not here.

Aisle9: 36:50

Shape yourself with oh nine. No, sorry. No, no. I'm I'm, I'm being very random. Just ignore me. Yeah.

Marc Matthews: 36:58

I not, how

Totta: 36:59

much should do like, uh, mouse pads, the sound scoops that

Aisle9: 37:03

you make? That'd be, I'm being random. I mean, its that sort of thing of thinking out the box actually is like I wasn't being serious, but like, you know, just, just different things. Yeah. Like I think the USB six, a great idea. I think like something that, you know, isn't, you know, the U the norm, but is useful as you say is something that is just a bit different, but like ho hopefully doesn't cost you a fortune to produce, but you know, promotes you and actually people might buy cuz the wood like mouse pads, you know, all kinds of things stationary.

Totta: 37:33

I thought it could be cool. Like a. If someone buys it and brings it to the next gig, they get the new songs for free on the used B stick. Like you can make a whole thing out of it.

Marc Matthews: 37:46

Yeah. Encouraging for that repeat customers. Exactly.

Totta: 37:50

Exactly. Show up to the gig

Marc Matthews: 37:52

like yeah. Or you could do it whereby you could like give no, you can't really have half a USB stick. You can give half of something away here and you have to come to the next gig and you get the other half they third. I dunno what that would be. Can't give away half a year or, or you give away the USB stick and you have to come to the next gig to get the encryption key for it to actually unencrypt the USB. I mean, that's a lot commitment on their behalf. that's pretty

Totta: 38:17

cool.

KamenNoodles: 38:18

Selling faulty goods.

Aisle9: 38:22

you just have a sort of like, like sort of treasure hunt going on, whether you got a clue each time, eventually you would finally, after buying all of these things, finally get to the end and get the prize. No, sorry. It's

Marc Matthews: 38:35

like you have to buy, I don't see if you've ever heard of that. Yeah. Yeah. Geocashing you could do that go. Here's the first clue. Um, it's on this USB stick. You can listen to the music at the same time as well. You're solving this riddle and then it'll take you onto the next thing. I mean that, that's a lot of input on your behalf as an artist to come up with this whole elaborate sort of. Crystal May's scheme.

Aisle9: 38:56

This is the whole question with merch isn't. It is whether it takes you away from the music, which is what really you want to make. And it's the question with artwork that it's lots of things you can get into in music. And they're telling us all the time that rather than just making music in order to make a living out music or to fund your music or whatever you need to do other things. And the trouble is a lot of us, as artists would say, like, what we want to make is music. We don't want to be sidetracked into doing all these other things, but sometimes I think they can be extensions of your creative process, extensions of your music, extensions of what you're trying to do. And then they become more interesting as an artist. If you think, oh, this kind of extends what I'm trying to do or say, or communicate, then it's interesting, but you don't really want it to be like, oh no, I've got to produce all this stuff. Because if I don't produce this, I won't be able to make the next record or whatever. So, you know, I think that's the question.

Marc Matthews: 39:54

I think it kind of reflects you, I think, as, as an individual, as, as a creative, as well, going back what I said about geocaching and getting them to go down some sort of pathway where they solve these riddles and these various locations and stuff, it starts to reflect your own personality. Yeah. Um, yeah.

Aisle9: 40:09

Which could be good for somebody cash, but it could work

Marc Matthews: 40:12

well. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's sort of, it's a break away from the. Use your, um, use your merge. Isn't it. Let's take a quick break from this episode so that I can tell you about free resource that I made for you. It's a PDF checklist that describes what you need to do to properly prepare a mix for mastering. So you've done the hard work and you love your mix yet. Suitably preparing a mix for mastering is often overlooked by musicians resulting in delayed sessions, excessive back and forth conversation and frustration on both parts. I want to help fix that. So if you want this free resource, just go to www dot synth music, mastering.com. As this checklist will help and guide you to make the mastering process as smooth, transparent, and exciting as possible. So again, the URL is www.sy music, mastering.com for this free preparing a mix for mastering checklist. Let's get back to the episode. I'm well aware of timeframe. We're 40 minutes in. So, um, we've probably got enough time for one more question. Has anybody got a pressing question they would like to put to everyone else? Uh, I think, well,

KamenNoodles: 41:13

this one out of the ones I suggested, I think was the best I was, what trap should Novi producers be aware we of, and basically I've noticed sort of, obviously I think all of you have been, been a novice at some time and, um, you know, with, so there's so much information, so many tools available to new producers that I think it's quite, you know, there are a lot of things. Sometimes you have to buy the ticket and sort of yeah. Be, yeah. There's some things you have to be wary of. I think, as a new producer and I like, it's amazing, like on YouTube, I've gotten so many like adverts for things that like, if you just take a second to think about it with maybe a more of experience you like, do I really need this or spend there's a lot of quick fixes in, in the. Modern music production. So, uh, yeah, I was wondering if, if you, if, you know, if you all there like encountered some of these and what you could maybe advise the

Marc Matthews: 42:08

audience against, it's a, it's a good question, mate. Go, go. Yeah. I mean,

Neon Highway: 42:13

personally, for me, you touched on it recently, mark. Um, and this is purely for me. It might work for somebody else, but we talked about these master kinda. Programs that are online, you know, the E master, or I can't remember what some of the other ones were. So if let Nova producer is struggling, um, they've got their track, they've mixed it and they just need to get the master done and they're uploading it to this algorithm. That's doing it for them. And it's spit out a fairly decent master. But I, I did a trial of that once and I thought it was okay, but mark, I think we had a conversation about it and we agreed that the best thing is your own ear is your music. You know, you master it, um, or working with somebody collaboratively to get what is ultimately your end vision. But personally, an algorithm is something that I would stay away from. Um, it, as a, as a final sort of an ultimate solution there, you know, certainly as an interim to give you an idea or pointing in the right direction. Yeah. It might be a stepping stone, but I don't see that as a viable. Everything you produce a track, upload it to the algorithm and natural

Marc Matthews: 43:21

master. Yeah. I remember having that conversation with you about, about that. And it is, um, work. I think the, the key phrase you said there, it's up up a minute is collaborating with someone. If you, if you're gonna like outsource your music to them and working with them to, um, sort of create your vision for your music. And interesting. I just did a, an interview with an artist just before this and we were having that exact same discussion. So I asked him, like, what advice would you give for someone who's looking for a mix or mastering engineer or a producer. And he said someone who sits in your genre and also someone who you need to build that relationship, that working relationship with. Um, it's an interesting one that, uh, I know, um, Georgie, um, you, you mix, uh, you're an audio engineer by trade aren't you? What, what are your thoughts on that?

Ghost Georgie: 44:06

Um, as far as, uh, just kind of like the algorithmic mastering pipeline thing or, or in general, just thanks to watch

Marc Matthews: 44:13

out for. Let's start with the, the, the algorithm pipeline and then move on to the, yeah. To the next one.

Ghost Georgie: 44:18

Yeah. No, I, I completely agree. I think it's really important to, um, have that collaborative aspect. I mean, it's, um, you know, it's, it's never, it's gonna be kind of like a, just like a template where there's, there's not that many possibilities and, you know, kind like we were saying it's it's it's okay. But it's, it's really not gonna be as good. I think it's yeah. Best to have a working relationship with someone. I mean, like, you know, for instance, for me, like when I, when it came time to do the mastering, um, for my EP last year, I, I, um, I sat down with, um, uh, my mentor actually, um, Craig Parker, Adams, who I, I had done like a lot of, I was his assistant for many years, um, on different projects, we sat down and we just went through everything and, um, you know, and I don't know, I think that's best, um, you know, either do it yourself or do it with somebody and where you can have like creative control, because yeah. I mean, just kind of to echo. It's it's your vision, it's your ear. Um, and you kind of have to like trust that, you know, as long as, um, you know, as long as it's feeling good, nothing's, um, you know, it's, it's sounding good and it's feeling good and it's, it's a quality that is, um, professional. I mean, I think that's, you don't really need that kind of, um, gimmicky algorithm

Marc Matthews: 45:34

stuff. No, no, I, I would agree on that. I think the, I, I have, I, I had a beta version of one platform. I, we disclose was one, but I use it as a, as a tool, just if I wanna do a quick master for referencing purposes, or I wanna send it to someone to check out, but I think I would always, always go with a set of ears over, um, over a template, as you say. So the, I think going back to what George's original question was, um, was it novice producers be wary of wasn't it George? Yeah,

KamenNoodles: 46:03

yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Whether it be like a plugin or

Marc Matthews: 46:06

like a course or something like that. Yeah. I think, um, There are so many things. I dunno about you, as soon as you start shopping online. And I see, as you say there about art, about, um, adverts and I see so many adverts selling me the next silver bullet to make a hit record. And I see a lot of those or a silver bullet to come up with a, a, a chord progression, um, like hit a on the mid keyboard and it'll come up. I mean, if you're stuck for ideas, it's great. Don't get me wrong. But I think as you say, there are so many things that you have to sort of sift through and also information as well. Like there's so much information out there specifically, if you scroll for Instagram, there's loads and loads of videos and stuff, and I'm, I'm guilty of doing it myself to be fair. So I can't really knock anybody else for putting, um, information out there. Um, but for me personally, I think it's, it's things like that it's being wary of like the silver bullet, um, as, as a, as an artist and you can easily spend a lot of shed load of cash. I think thinking that this is gonna be incredible for you, but, um, yeah. Yeah, that's, that's my thought.

KamenNoodles: 47:08

The chords, thing's funny that you touched on that. There's one advert in particular that I laugh at quite a lot because it's like, you know what you need, you don't need simple chords. You need pro level chords. And I'm like, what? What's a pro level chord.

Aisle9: 47:21

yeah, that

Marc Matthews: 47:23

that's exactly. Look at ACDC. I mean, status quo, they made a career out of like three chords for Christ sake. I mean, how did you define a pro level chord?

Aisle9: 47:33

Yeah, none of them got it. They, it was just add a nine and it's a pro level chord, simple and they all missed it and, and they would've done so much better if a ACDC had not been ad and E but a nine D nine and E nine. Of course they would've been a better band. Obviously he

Marc Matthews: 47:50

says not being serious, somebody to go through their back catalog. And do that, just go through the AC back catalog and add like, yeah, just add us to augmented notes.

Aisle9: 47:59

yeah, yeah, no, it's just, yeah, it's a ridiculous thing. Isn't it was a pro level chord. Yeah.

Marc Matthews: 48:07

Did it say what a pro level chord was it, sadly,

KamenNoodles: 48:10

didn't give an example of it, but it was like the reason your music is, uh, you know, it's not sounding good enough. It's not getting into playlists cuz you don't use pro

Marc Matthews: 48:17

level chord. I often find I see those and usually it's a case of like, and they just say, just move the chord on up in octave. And then it's something becomes a pro level cord. Um, I've seen that a few times moving up in Octa. Um, to be fair. I do that

Aisle9: 48:31

though. It's great to. Move your triad and find that there are different inversions. That's a wonderful thing. Isn't it? The inversion of chord is something that some people miss out their entire musical career and you go like, Hmm. Okay. Would've been really interesting. Had you discovered that it doesn't have to start on the root night, but there we go. Yeah. Um, yeah. Yeah. It's what I mean is simple changes. Oh,

Marc Matthews: 48:55

just yeah.

Ghost Georgie: 48:56

Changing up the voicings and converting cor I mean, it doesn't have to be something crazy complicated to be good, but I mean, yeah, just, um, switching the note order. I mean, it, it changes the

Marc Matthews: 49:04

vibe. I think cord's a massively important. I interviewed, um, ed sunglasses kid a few weeks ago. Um, and he said that he said whenever he starts outta track, he gets the chords down. And, uh, he'll flesh the whole thing out with chords and he'll put it down like basic, um, kit over. Doesn't get hung up on what a kid sounds like. Cause he's gonna go and replace it LA today where he just flushes the chords out or base sometimes a baseline. Cause we had the exact same discussion. Um, and he mentioned, he said about chords. He's like the chords can make or break it light in terms of the core progression. And a lot of the time he says he gets, when he gets, he asks, he gets asked for feedback or mixes and mastery or mixes. And he says a lot of the time it's nothing to do with the mix it's to do with the core progression in terms of like where they're gonna take the song. Um, so that's, I think that's, that's key chord. I know it's slight deviation for the original point, but yeah,

Neon Highway: 49:54

I mean it can come through really strongly and it stuff like sunglasses kept for me for not listen to it. I'm I'm basically listening just to hear what core progression is gonna do next. It's just amazing. It's so emotive and mystical and like there's so much depth to it is beautiful, beautiful stuff to

Marc Matthews: 50:09

listen to. You'll love that episode cuz he, um, he is a wealth of informa. I basically just sat back like that and just listened to him and every now and again, just chimed in with a question, but uh, no he's brilliant. Um, one thing I did take away this tangent again, I think actually this is good for novice producers and new producers is presets in terms of, he said he's he uses presets all the time. He's just like, well, why re why? Why reinvent the wheel? I know sound design is great and I do it as well, but I think that's another thing don't be afraid to just like if you've got a preset bank, explore it and see what's in there and use it. Whereas I know that can be a bit of a, a contentious thing. I see. I, I put a post out recently where I said it's okay to use presets and or loops. And somebody disagreed with me once I walk away shape or form. But yeah, I think that's another

Aisle9: 50:56

one. It's another one that's like, you know, like you were saying with preset banks and things, it's not, it's very easy to think like, oh, if I sort of, you know, bought a better plugin that doesn't come with my DAW or something that will make. The sounds automatically better when actually, I mean, it is quite possible that you could produce a fantastic track with the sounds in your DAW without ever buying an additional plugin. Yes. I have lots of additional plugins. I love plugins, but like, you know, um, and I, I, I do have a voracious appetite for just trying new things, but like, you know, you, don't, it's weird. I did a mix with someone the other day and I was trying to do a mix within my DAW with just the, um, just the plugins that come the stop plugins that come with it so I could send it to them. They could open it in theirs and then they could listen to what I'd done. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have used those plugins. I've got other plugins that I tend to use a lot, but I suddenly sort of discovered how much I could do pretty much everything that I would normally do with just what was in my DAW anyway. So I was like, yeah, actually it doesn't really sound that much different than all the other expensive plugins that I just spent ages buying. Yeah. And I think it's so much about learning about, you know, you've got a compressor, how do you use that compressor? You know, what's different than the vintage one to the standard one or whatever they call it in your DAW, you know? And, and just, you know, it's very easy to think if I had this. I mean, it's pretty much what you were saying, mark, but like, it's like, you know, if I had this, then my track would be good or my, no, it's probably. Bare bones of your track is the important thing like the, the, you know, the lyrics, the, the vocal, the, um, you know, the vibe, the groove, the core progression, the, the bare bones of your track, the sound, you know, the, the way you are putting different sounds together. I mean, that's another bug bear of mine is why people think that, although there are people who can make multiple lines work or simultaneously, most people can't, that would be my one thing. It's like, how many elements does your track actually need at any one time to be really good? Cuz so many, the things that really get to me is when somebody goes like I've got like 10 elements all going on, doing something melodic or something and I'd be going like, yeah, it sounds like garbage mate. I really don't know why you think that, you know, and that's just to me, but like so many records are great. don't do that. Why? Because most of us can't, I mean, Frank zapper might be an exception, but like, you know, why can't you sort of like, can you can't cope with listening to all of these things and keep attention on them all the time. So often if you're doing too much, you are gonna confuse people. You are gonna lose people. So maybe par it back and try and work out what elements you need to make it work. So

Marc Matthews: 53:51

less is more.

Ghost Georgie: 53:52

Yeah. And just really dialing in those particular elements is more important than having a bunch of different things

Marc Matthews: 53:57

happening. Yeah. Rather

Aisle9: 53:58

than having loads of expensive plugins or different things, whatever dialing in those elements. Yeah, definitely.

Totta: 54:04

I was about to, to the original question. My only tip was to use, um, use free plugins first. Don't buy expensive things straight away thinking that it'll guarantee you a, a top track. What you're trying to do in the beginning is become your own producer, right? Become your own own songwriter anyway. So use tools that are free so that you can like in a pressure free environment, just create, um, that, what, what was the last

Marc Matthews: 54:35

part that you said? I think it was less, is more, isn't it? I think with the dance. Yeah, the track I was

Totta: 54:41

thinking in the, in the dance world for, we say, kill your darlings. Uh, the things that you, um, that you like, but that are unnecessary are over the top. Uh, it like to always check your track and remove if it doesn't actually, if you can remove it and the track doesn't feel like less of the song, then remove it. Um, you don't want necessary elements in there and a way to just a little bit of a side note, but how I try to catch. What I actually want the track to focus on. If I've got too many elements, is I'll the way that I, when I present it to someone else and they kind of sing along to it. If they're not singing along to what I'm thinking of in my head, if I'm thinking of the baseline, but they're singing along to some chord progression that I've added on top, I'm like, oh shit, no, I should take away. Um, the keys that I have on top of my baseline in this particular, uh, part cuz obviously what I want the listener to listen to right now is the baseline that I'm humming. So just noticing what yourself listen to in your own track and then prioritizing that to build a dynamic. If you have a lot of different elements going on.

Marc Matthews: 55:54

Yeah, definitely. Yeah. That's a great tip that that is. And it's um, it's I, I do something similar, but I never thought of doing it that way, which is I I'd play it. played to my girlfriend. And if she hums the melody, uh, later then I know it works, but I love the idea that if she I'll look out for that, now, if she doesn't hum the main melody, something totally different, then I'll know that something's gone slightly awry, but it sort of, it also echo I had this conversation with an artist earlier today. Again, we were discussing how, like, if you, um, a part, these key bit of information he was given was much that it just like less is more and that he's some of the top artists will say that. And if you look at the records they produce or released, they are simp simple in comparison to a lot of like what's Tim was saying there about having 10 different things going off the off of the same time, um, which I've been guilty of. And one of the things I, I now do when I, when I, before I mix is, is what you said the day, which is I'll go through, I'll mute everything and I'll add it. And then if it doesn't add anything, I just. And I'll go through the whole thing and get rid of it. Cause I've release, I've released one track and I listened to it. I'm like, oh man, that it sounds so muddy in places. Cause I got too much shit going on. Um, and uh, I got my fingers burnt a bit, so yeah, I totally agree with that one there. I think folks it's, we're almost at an hour now. um, and I've realized Tim's spot on the fancy lights in the background there for if you're watching this on YouTube. So, uh, and very, very good. So what we'll do is, um, I'm gonna put all your information in the episode notes as I always do, but if we just go around and then just, um, if you just want to shout out where the audience can find you online, um, and maybe just like, uh, I should, I should have set, maybe I'll do this next time. Like elevator pitches, that'd be quite cool. Um, but like a, a brief description, uh, or of, of your music. Um, brief, brief description of your music and then, uh, short, uh, then your sort of tags online. So I'll go around. I'll sneak around. So Tim online, do you wanna go first? Okay.

Aisle9: 57:49

Yeah. Um, I guess my music has sort of, um, synth way based, but like, you know, synth, pop, retro, pop, various other things come into it. Um, and, um, uh, you know, some of my music is vocal and some of my music is instrumental. Um, uh, it's all a little bit, I guess I'd like to think it's all got a little bit of a quirk to it. Um, you know, it's not too sort of by numbers. Um, so, um, and, um, you can find me. On, you know, all the streaming channel, Spotify and whatever, um, and apple music. Um, you can also find me on Instagram a lot on, at R nine music. And you can find me on Twitter, TikTok, all the other social media things normally at R nine music sometimes at our online synth wave on Twitter, I believe, but like, yeah. And YouTube, um, I'm around

Marc Matthews: 58:43

I'm around. Yes. Go check out his YouTube actually. Cuz I think the, the walkthrough you did of your track was, was great. I really enjoyed that. yeah. 20 minute walkthrough. It was, it

Aisle9: 58:51

was, it wasn't as good as the tea commercial. Yeah. Mm-hmm

Marc Matthews: 58:56

you should have done that as like a prelim to the, to the release of it. Although what I realized with YouTube is you just, I dunno, I just get a lot of thumbs down for the stuff I put up, which I quite like to be fair in a, in a weird, weird sort of way. There you go. Um, The own highway, we'll go around yourself next. Uh, yeah, I mean, I, I guess it

Neon Highway: 59:15

produced what I would say, synth music, not strictly synth wave, but as rotator guess in synth wave. Um, so exploring being electronic and kind of more darker sounds at times as well, uh, which I'm a big fan of, um, easiest way to find is at neon highway synth on Instagram, um, the music's streaming on all sort of usual platforms, as well as band camp SoundCloud, et cetera.

Marc Matthews: 59:42

Lovely stuff. Lovely. Uh, we'll go down again. So to, yeah. Uh,

Totta: 59:46

so. For the music itself, uh, it's vapor wavy, synth, wavy, um, retro, eighties, nostalgic. Uh, but I, I truly am not afraid to take any influence. Uh, so they sometimes go off the rails. Uh, if you're looking for purely synth wave music. Um, but I, I think you should give it a try. Um, you can find the music on any streaming services as with everyone, Spotify, apple music, and such and socials. I guess my Instagram is most active. So at Tata's voice on Instagram and you'll see little sneak peaks and videos of stuff.

Marc Matthews: 1:00:28

Marvelous lovely stuff. Right? Common noodles. Uh, yeah.

KamenNoodles: 1:00:32

So, uh, if you like, uh, beats guitar and synth, then maybe you'll like my music. I don't know. uh, you can find it on Spotify, Instagram at, at common noodles. Um, yeah, I guess technically the genre would be below fi, but there's a lot of Sy in there. So if you're a synth way of lover, a synth waving, as I've heard many times on this, uh, podcast,

Marc Matthews: 1:00:54

then, uh, maybe, maybe you'll like it. Are you, you still in the Netherlands? You still in the Netherlands, right? I am. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. From rise VI in the Netherlands rise bike. How far is that from Amsterdam? I judge everything by distance from there.

KamenNoodles: 1:01:09

I actually, I actually went to a jam session yesterday in Amsterdam and it talked to me about an hour and a half daughter door. Yeah.

Aisle9: 1:01:17

Are you from the Netherlands originally or not? Um, I'm

KamenNoodles: 1:01:22

I've yeah, co no, I've lived here a long time, but I'm originally from, uh, my family from

Aisle9: 1:01:28

Manchester. So I did think that that was a, an accent that probably hadn't originated in the Netherlands. Yeah. it's just outside

KamenNoodles: 1:01:37

of Amsterdam. Everyone sounds like

Aisle9: 1:01:39

this. Oh, right. Okay. That's good.

Marc Matthews: 1:01:42

And, um, ghost Georgie. Um,

Ghost Georgie: 1:01:46

yeah, I, it's not so much synth wave as it is. Um, dream pop and, um, synth pop, you know, a lot of synths, but, um, as far as really sticking to that genre, you know, I don't, it's very vocal. Um, as I mentioned earlier, you know, soundscapes and, and, um, you know, vibey. Um, so it's not super 80, sometimes it kind of overlaps, you know, but, um, but yeah, if you like, um, chill. Pop synth, pop, singer, songwriter kind of stuff. Um, you'll dig it. Um, I'm on, uh, Spotify, apple music, YouTube. Um, I'm also most in, uh, active on Instagram. Um, and it's all at ghost dogie. Um, but I'm on Twitter as well. And, um, my website is, uh, just ghost dogie.com. If you

Marc Matthews: 1:02:33

wanna, you know, find me fantastic folks. I'll put all that in the episode notes. Thank you for listening to our show. If you like what you're hearing, make sure to rate our show on apple podcasts.