This folk/rap collab drops today, which I took on after completing Bucket’s The Spider and the Butterfly album, detailed on my new MIXING page and below.
I received voice and guitar tracks set to a percussion loop, and feeling it needed some bottom, performed two bass tracks and drumset. The novelty is how I subtly transitioned between a live-band mix in the choruses (drums + 5-string bass) to a rap mix in the verses (loop + synth bass). This mirrors the lyrics about nature striving to thrive amidst urban chaos. Analog versus digital. (Or “technology versus horse,” as screenwriter Donald Kaufman once put it.) Can’t wait to hear the alternate hip-hop mix on BK’s next album.
Bucket is releasing The Spider and the Butterfly as maxi-singles including “campfire” versions as a live take of vocals and acoustic guitar. Two remain, which I’ll add to the playlist below.
Collaborators distinguish this album and provided a new challenge. “Wings” features strings, inspiring me to create a bonus mix showcasing them. Octave mandolin haunts “Walls” with a homey vibe. I even tossed my axe into the ring to perform stunt guitar throughout “Angry Little Planet.” While “Looker Down” has a great chorus driven by percussion, “Wishbone” makes for a strong campfire version with its clever lyrics. Some songs really transformed in the mix, like “Biggest Batch of Losers,” where I withheld tracks to let it build. Click the links for insights from songwriter Jason Heim.
