This blog exhibits the various projects that I have produced, as well as the other multimedia works that I have engaged myself into. The Dynamic Expedition is about my continual quest in turning my ideas into reality by molding my capabilities into finished outputs.
Well, it's been a while. Anyway, I actually started working on this cover last May along with Runaway. It was my second (easier) option if ever I really couldn't finish the other. Fortunately, after quite some time, I did finish it. So I then proceeded working on Sweet Escape by Alesso. I found the song on my Soundcloud feed and I decided to queue it on my list since I liked the melody.
Just days away from the semester's opening, I managed to shoot all the rhythm clips but I was aware that I was already running out of time. I knew I couldn't finish it as I hoped.
After two stressful and exhausting months of college, we were given a one week break. I went home and took the opportunity to continue my unfinished project. It was good to be home because those two months were tough and terrible. As I departed the city, I wanted to leave all my worries as well. I guess I really needed that "Sweet Escape" out of my college miseries.
Okay, talking about the shooting and editing. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be especially for the chorus part where I had to shoot the lead melody by short clips because it was too fast to play and I couldn't shoot in one take. The structure isn't really the same as the previous songs; but it isn't as hard because I just had to repeat the verse and chorus twice. It's still quite exhausting but I was fulfilled in taking a new challenge.
Anyway, there's not really much activity on this video but it's memorable for me because of how the title of this song described what I felt in the process of making it.
I am so relieved that I have uploaded my third cover! The previous one was uploaded last May 15 and this one was last June 1. For a span of two weeks, I took a break from producing covers and I also had an island getaway for a day. Initially, my goal was to upload a video every week; meaning I should have had 5 full-cover videos at the end of the summer; but well, things don't really work out so smoothly as we expect them to be. Two days after I uploaded Safe in the Sky, I decided to take on the song "Runaway" by Dennis Sheperd and Cold Blue featuring the vocals of JES.
I've heard this song on Dennis Sheperd's album "Fight Your Fears". The album is an excellent compilation of the German producer's progressive trance songs. I've been a fan of him since 2012 when I heard his song, Edge of the World, which was also the song that got me into trance music. Up to this date, he is one of my favorite progressive trance producer because he's very consistent with his productions. He can incorporate his style into his every song without being too repetitive. Anyway, I was sure I would be covering one of his songs from the album but I just did not know which one was the best option. I tried working on 2 or 3 songs but I ended up doing Runaway because it was the song which stuck on my mind. It's not my favorite song from the album (and I can't choose any) but I like the chord progression of the song and the mood that it generates. One of the reason why I'm into this genre is because I like how the songs are structured and the chord progressions are more creative and interesting than mainstream songs. I guess many people wonder why I choose this genre because I know it's not really popular (especially in this country). If I were still into mainstream stuff, I'd probably have more views; but of course, I'd rather play the songs that I like rather than what pleases others. But the good thing also is that I have no competition in this genre. I know there are famous pianists who cover electronic music (Evan Duffy, Yana Chernysheva) but I don't know of any guitarists who do; so what I'm doing is something new and unique.
Always the first thing that I do, I listened to the song on Youtube and broke it into parts. The reason I use Youtube is because of the speed option; with this, I can listen to the song in half-speed and it helps me get the lead melodies. It was not that hard to get the chord pattern so it took me just a night to somewhat dissect the song. However, it was a combination of laziness and a drought of ideas that made me abandon the project indefinitely. I just could not find suitable plucking pattern for every part of the song. I wanted to preserve the mood of the song but I was really having difficulty. By now I think everybody should have known that I am a musically-inclined person; but to be honest, it's not really like I want to play guitar everyday (same goes to as being a writer). Sometimes that part of me is just not accessible and I don't want to force myself to. It's only on some occasions that I get that sudden surge of passion to play. That's also the reason why I am not considering being a musician as a main career. I am aware that I lack the creativity to be called a musician; and I believe I would not survive for long in this industry if ever I enter it. Although there is no doubt that I love what I do, I think it would be best if I do this for leisure only.
On the 28th of May, after having an unproductive week, I went back into shooting for this project. As I've said in my previous post, I rely on spontaneity and I keep on experimenting on new plucking patterns to suit to the song. Before I did that, I discovered something quite monumental for me. This song was on capo 2 with an Am-G-D-F-G pattern. It's a totally different progression from the first two covers that I did. When I tried doing the progression, I was uncomfortable with the D chord since its bass is the higher D and it sounded softer than the other bass notes that are on the E and A strings. Then out of nothing, I just had that "what if" moment. I freed the low E string from the Capo 2, leaving only the 5 other strings. I thought it was a crazy idea at first but I ended up using it for the whole project. It gave me more convenience in playing since I could now use the bass D note (actually the E but D in capo 2). If you don't get what I mean, here's a picture of it:
After that moment of serendipity, I was so motivated again to finish the project. I eventually found good patterns for the each part. There was not really much trouble after that; but on that week, the temperature ranged up to 34 °C; my lip actually cracked because of the heat. It was really hot shooting; after a minute of turning off the electric fan my shirt would already get soaked in sweat. (turning on the electric fan or the air conditioning would add background noise so I had to deal with it for 10 mins at most) Especially for the rhythm clips, it was challenging since I kept making mistakes and the heat added up to my agitation. But of course, I did my best to be patient and eventually, I finished shooting them in 3 sessions.
On the lead clips, I did not actually expect that this would be more sophisticated than the previous one. For this project, I reached 3 layers of audio for certain parts and it required more effort for me to put them together. It was a tough task. I've reached a point where I hated listening to it over and over again that even before I went to sleep it was still playing in my head. But despite all these, I was pretty sure I wanted to finish it as soon as possible.
I decided to tweet a screenshot of my project just for the sake of announcing it and unexpectedly, I got a response from one of the artists.
I thought it would just go unnoticed but wow, I somehow managed to get attention.
I could've uploaded this 2 days earlier but I was stalling on 2 particular parts of the song where I couldn't think of a lead. For the breakdown part, I knew it would not be good if I repeated that same melody for the entire part; so half of it was my own improvisation. I thought of adding the scales just to try something new and a random simple lead. It took me a considerable amount of time to create the short leads and finally lay them on the rhythm; and that delayed the whole project.
After rendering the video, it gave me a great sense of relief. I know there were a lot of things I've left unfinished; but this time I managed to overcome that. However, I did not have much expectations for this video; I thought it would end up the same as the previous two. For a moment I actually felt sad that I didn't have many views for both my videos. But then I remembered that my main objective in doing all these is not about getting views or heaping praise. Of course that's also important but if that were the case, I would've stopped with the second video. For me, the journey is more important than the destination; I find fulfillment in what I do and that keeps me going. This project was a symbol that I tried again because I didn't succeed in the previous attempts. Although it is stressful at times, it gives me a sense of direction and a goal that I like to work towards. I've always had that feeling that by now I should have created something; and this has been it. I know I'm a person who has my own world and I'm sure that's strange for other people. I admit if I were a different person I'd probably not understand why Daryll Evan is always posting these things. But well, I am that person who is engrossed of turning my ideas into reality and in the process, I slowly build that world of mine.
Anyway, I uploaded the video, did my usual thing posting on social media and reaching out to the artists. With the earlier connection I've established to one of the artists, I gained a little hope; but I knew it would still not be easy. I was not really that confident at all.
The next morning, I saw a post of JES on my newsfeed and I decided to give it a shot. I posted my video as a comment hoping it would get noticed. I left my laptop for a while and when I came back, what awaited me was one of the most important notifications I've ever received in my life.
I finally got a response I was overjoyed to know that I will finally be getting a share from an artist.
Maybe it's not so much of a big deal for others; but for me, it was a dream come true. I felt happy that my efforts finally paid off and it was great to hear sincere feedback from the artist as well. I am running out of words to fully express myself right now and I've posted a lot about this on social media; but I am just really thankful for this moment.
Right now, I am more inspired to continue what I do. I only have 3 days left before I leave for the city and go back for college; but I hope I could produce a last cover video for the summer. This summer has been really fruitful for me and I don't want it to end this soon; but I can't do anything with that. I have to fulfill a greater ambition, my main career as a civil engineer (hopefully).
Currently, I am still working on an easier cover. I don't have much time but I will do my best.
update: already heard from Dennis as well
more update: I couldn't finish my fourth cover, I ran out of time but I'll have to work on it as soon as I get back.
Here's another cover of mine; and it's a bit more different than the first one I did. This time, it's an uplifting trance track, while the previous was a progressive one. I know it's not really a popular genre but it's the kind of music I've been listening to for the past few years and it's what gives me inspiration. Basically, a trance track has higher tempo/bpm than a progressive one. It starts with a monotonous intro then as it progresses, the melody is introduced. The breakdown part is where it gets heavier but at the same time inducing that uplifting feel. Vocals are of course a plus factor but some still could stand alone and be a good track.
Anyway, this was my second project for the summer and I chose this song entitled "Safe in the Sky" which is produced by Lee Osborne and with vocals by Roxanne Emery. There are actually 5 other uplifting songs by Roxanne Emery on my playlist that I love but I chose this one first. After I finished my previous cover, I did not have a concrete idea of what was next. Although I have a list of songs for me to take on, I had to consider which was most achievable. That depends on the chord progression of the song; I'm most familiar with F-C-Am-G so it's what I've always been using.
Like I always do, I listened to the original mix of the song for me to somehow dissect it, know the elements, and familiarize with the structure. It was more challenging since it's structure was far more complex than a pop or progressive song. I had to write it down so I could take it on by parts.
It's the first time I've done this and I admit it's not the perfect way to translate my envisioned sound into text. I always mention that I only play by ear and that I can't read/write notes. Anyway, it still was helpful for me to know how many repetitions of a certain pattern I had to do for every part. The previous cover was less sophisticated so I just did everything mentally.
This project was so challenging that I almost wanted not to continue it. I have already shot a few clips for the rhythm part, then I kind of lost momentum when I kept making mistakes. It was not easy for me to cope up with the tempo. I almost opted for a slower version instead - almost similar with the first one; but I realized it didn't sound good. I realized it was best to preserve that trance element brought by the tempo, as well as its wonderful complexity. I also want to avoid being too repetitive; as much as possible, I must have a different approach to every song that I take on.
I wasn't really feeling motivated because I barely had ideas for this cover to take shape. I tried to continue shooting but strange enough that I did not enjoy it; I felt rather obliged than driven. As someone who is kind of a perfectionist, I did not want to fall short from the standard that I have set. I needed to have ideas but there were none. On that moment, it was pointless for me to continue so I thought of giving myself a break.
Two days later, I opened the project file and gave it a listen and realized that what I started wasn't really far off from what I imagined it to be. The other day, I thought of deleting it, thinking there was no way to finish it; but now I felt relief that I left it as it was. I found the motivation to continue and as I worked, the ideas arrived out of spontaneity. In two days, I managed to produce the rhythm and lead clips. Although there were some clips I had to re-shoot, it wasn't really that burdensome since I had set my focus on my goal. Simultaneously recording and arranging the clips was like constructing the puzzle pieces and putting them together. It's something I enjoy doing, and seeing the end product is just the greater consequence of it. Hearing the clips harmonizing together and achieving the complexity I wanted to replicate makes me feel contented. Once all these fell into place, I decided to apply modifications on some of the audio clips. I played the project through speakers and I noticed the bass drowned out all the other elements so I had to do something to reduce it. I don't really know much on audio editing but with the help of the internet, I was able to solve the problem.
I didn't really have much trouble on rendering except that the video was almost 5 mins so it took an hour to produce the final video file but of course it was worth the wait. I've uploaded it and right now it has very little views; but that's fine by me. I guess I just have to leave it there and wait. Anyway, as I've mentioned, there are 5 other trance tracks with Roxanne Emery vocals that I'd like to do as well. I hope in the future I could work on them; but right now I have a long list and I still have to think consider a lot of things. For the last weeks of summer, let's see what I can come up with.
Update: I have successfully interacted with the producer, Lee Osborne and it's great to hear feedback from him.
Hi, it's been a while since I uploaded a full cover video, 4 years actually; so right now, I am really happy to have produced something new. More than a month ago, I posted an audio clip of my cover on the same song. From the previous post, I explained on how I discovered the song and why I chose it. I've also said I wanted to make a complete cover since what I made was barely half-done. Recently, I got a webcam and it's video and audio quality are quite good so I did not have any hesitation to start shooting. I listened to the song again to familiarize with the progression and the lyrics. I realized that my chord progression from my earlier version was wrong so I changed it to suit to the correct one. With this change, it was easier to play the rhythm part. Unlike my previous one, I opted for the original arrangement of the song and I took out that part I made up.
There was not really much problem in shooting the video since the webcam doesn't run out of battery and it was easier and more efficient to use for recording. However, the background noise from the laptop is noticeable and other sounds as well (birds, chickens, etc) but I think it's not that bad anyway. I was recording and editing simultaneously to make sure the audio clips were synchronized. On the drop part, I decided to overlay lead tracks just to not make it sound bare. Before this,I didn't have any experience in doing my own leads so it's just actually improvisation. I've worked on the project for 4 days and used only Sony Vegas to put everything together. Apparently, I still have to shoot by parts since I'm so error-prone that I find it impossible to do a one-take shot. By this way, it's also easier to arrange the audio tracks. On the fourth day of working with this project, I was already done with it; but my next problem was on rendering. The problem with Vegas is that when you render the project as it is (same format from the video clips used), the file size is ridiculously large and takes too long to render. I searched on the internet on the best file type and found out that mp4 would be the best. The quality is preserved with minimal size, and I read it's also a good option for uploading to the internet.
When I was uploading the video, it was kind of nostalgic for me since for the past three years, I have been wanting to do this - to produce my music based from the kind of music that inspired me to do so. Right now I don't have much views but I know I have to give it some time. It doesn't really mean that I would just stop on this one, I'll surely give another try to keep myself going. It's what I love to do, and that's enough to fuel my persistence.
Anyway, I've reached out to the artists themselves through Facebook and Twitter and luckily, I got a favorite from the vocalist, Jonathan Mendelsohn himself; and I think that's already an assurance that he's seen it.
It's been a while since I made covers so here's the latest one I have came up with. Summer has just started and from the very first day I knew exactly what to do. I have been working on a lot of stuff lately and this one was the newest entry on the list. It may seem pretty odd but this was actually unplanned. After I took my last exam for the semester, on that afternoon, I immediately tried to improvise an arrangement for the song.
The first time I heard this song was on Armin van Buuren's radio show A State of Trance (episode 700 part 2). The song is entitled "This Time" and it is produced by Nic Chagall (1/2 of Cosmic Gate) and the vocals are by Jonathan Mendelsohn. I really love the melody of the song especially on the intro part; and I think it is really captivating.
In 4 days, I spent 5 sessions working on this one; each session ranged from 2 to 4 hours. I only used the tablet for recording so it's not really high quality (but I think it can suffice). What made it difficult was me being so error-prone; sometimes it takes me 20 or more clips to finally record the right one. Aside from this, I also had to avoid having background noise especially I have to layer the audio clips.
After some time spent in shooting and editing for this project, the end product is just probably 60% of what it's supposed to be. First off, I wanted to create a video but along the course of the project, I did a lot of editing on the audio clips that they wouldn't correspond to the video clips anymore. Also, this one is just a part of the whole ideal cover. I had to take the first two parts away since I really had difficulties in putting the rhythm and solo clips together. They just didn't seem to harmonize and that got me so frustrated. But of course it's better to produce some little output rather than letting the whole project go to waste. I also had to go home to my hometown the next day and leave my college apartment so I rendered what I could.
I know I may not have produced a 100% output for this project but working on it still gave me a sense of fulfillment. For me, it feels great to have produced something and this feeling motivates me to produce more in the future. Right now, I am staying hopeful that I can finish the things I have started so I could finally make the best of what I can today.
