New Release: The Payoff

Here’s another track that’s been sitting on the shelf for some time, 90% complete and just needing a little something. I replaced the drums with a tighter sounding kit and livened up the performance, especially in the hi hats. I gave the B section bass some pop and a little more nasty, with dueling envelope filters that become easily excited with the octave accents. Then I recorded a live conga part, reworked some of the effects and sent off to Charley Webb for mastering.

The live guitar and bass parts by Mike Ryan really help drive the groove straight into the chorus section, while reverb-drenched filter drops hint that something big is about to happen. The A section hits with a piercing string stab to the neck and a massive Arp bassline, confirming the track’s disco banger status.

I am always on a quest for bigger energy in the mid-tempo pocket, which provides much more linear space to play with the transient elements of sound and swing variations. This is my most valiant effort to date. On to the next.