Hey y'all.

Been away for awhile, mad props to those who still remember/support me! Been touring France & Switzerland and raising enough money to make my back catalogue available to buy online hopefully by May.

Been trying to finish album #5 but have been inundated with loads of work especially now that my old band "Sirocco Rituals" (www.siroccorituals.co.uk) have reformed while I am also playing with a new band "Zen" (www.zenuk.com) who we have just recently got Gordon Raphael (The Strokes) to produce a number of tracks for our album.

Anyway, I hear that ol' project two is in full effect, any1 who goes 2 the NFO site will have read the blurb but have not heard the track. I did say that I'd reveal it on March 30th, but I just can't wait!

"Is This A Dream" - The DreZone NFO2 Contribution

http://www.dresounds.ukf....stream.m3u

or

http://www.dresounds.ukf....stream.mp3

'dre

p.s. I'M BACK!!!

oh man what the fuck is going the fuck on man! This is my tigga right here ya'll! Ya'll dont know nuttin bout Dre man he da shit! Been there since 01 man!

I am DL the track rite now. Im glad that u r doing big promo and projects. Wish I had things like dat goin on 2 dawg.

It's been a long time

U shouldnt have left us

Without a hot song 2 flex us.

and if ya dont know...now ya know..

Sweet suculent synth sacrement!
or something...

Lordy, lordy... Funk-on sporty!

Fresh Funky Freak-ay from the U-K!

FREAK BEAST in the EAST!

Piano-ramo-bo-bam RAMBO!

Ok, what I'm trying to say is I obviously like it a lot!
F.M.R.

Welcome back!

Cool track. Kinda reminds me of 6 by Madhouse, just the rhythm and the vibe of it. The ending is a TRIP. I listened with headphones. Great breakdown with the funky guitar.

From 3:00 its just STANK!!! The piano, the weird voices.... I LOVE that!

That's y i love u man! U never cease 2 bring something new and exciting 2 the table! Like u said very different fomr "Fuck The Taste..."

I never heard u use a vocoder b4! U always always sound different everytime I hear something u come out with. Even I was unxexpected! Damn this is tight!

OOOOHH shit as im listening it keeps getting better and better! "oh please..oh man!!" HA Ha!!!

Dre what is goin on man! U guys need 2 hear this cut!!!!

shit im so jealous :box:

paisleypark4 said:

I got back yesterday and got stung by the need to release from real dirtFunk so I spent the whole of last night doing the second half of the song!!!

I programmed the vocoder carrier sound myself, it's not Roger T. but it has it's own dredentity I guess!

I used 2 use a vocoder years ago, I just hooked it up again when I saw your design for NFO2 and Zapp came to mind by default!

Creativity + creativity = SLAMMIN' creativity <- Get the point? Good! Let's Dance! "I wanna C U bouncin'"!

'dre

DreZone said:

Thank u man! And u definitley know it was funky 2! Damn that song is tight! Wish I had ur coder

sorry im ridin' ya balls, but man, i just played it over 5 times again!

CUTE!

i like the way u use da vocoda...smoothy funkitude...

feB said:

Interesting!!!
[This message was edited Thu Mar 18 13:53:34 2004 by DreZone]

Hey,this is so cool!!!!
I really love it how the song turns around in the end.
Great minimalistic funk./peace Manki

Dre, u have done it again. Funkier and funkerer.Good production.Clean.

Man, u really took it up a notch.Excellent.Roger would be very proud of u.

feb said




and DreZone replied





mate would u b so kind 2 give a listen 2 what i've done?it's in the forum...

"stream if u will the mp3"

Will do Feb!

Good 2 C ppl have rejuvenated checking other ppl's progress since I was last here... didn't want to take The Ride as and 14 is my bad luck number.

Thanks Tal 4 the Roger acknowledgement and for particularly Manki's comments as the song has his inspiration imlanted into it!

I see what U mean about the "6" thing Vina. I wrote a song over "6" back in 1998 called "1+1=2" (I find this all very bizarre in retrospect) but wanted to do my own "6" thing so I guess this is kinda residual from that time.

I must confess, I started writing this about 2 weeks after Zapp & Roger Troutman died back in April 2001 but shelved it as I didn't think I could do Roger justice and never used my vocoder again until now.

Great sense of community here again though.

'dre

Hey DreZone!

I'm gonna check you out when I get home!

Can't wait to hear it Bro!

Welcome Back!




Jshua
[This message was edited Sat Mar 20 5:37:19 2004 by Styles]

Dre,
Ur song is really cool, I am a huge fan of Roger & Zapp (they r my fave band ever) and the vocoder effects on the song r awesome too.

What sort of vocoder did u use?, Roger used a 'talkbox' and Teddy Riley uses a talkbox too as did Herbie Hancock (on 'I Thought It Was U'..I'd like 2 hear a funky remix of that song!), the talbox effect can also b heard on alot of Westcoast rap music such as songs by Tupac, Tupac & The Outlawz (Worldwide etc), LV (Throw Ur Hands Up) and many more. Also Roger's late son, Roger Troutman II used the talkbox on his CD, 'The Second Coming' and Roger's nephew, Rufus Troutman III uses the talkbox on 'No Compromise'.

Very cool Dre and I'd like 2 hear some more Roger & Zapp type songs, perhaps a Roger tribute CD could b made, that would b great.

thetimefan said:

Trust me, I am only too aware of the arsenal of the talkbox used by a4mentioned artistes!

I didn't use the same settings as Roger (or even Teddy 4 that matter). The carrier is a sound that I programmed myself and I had to rewire my efx unit to my mixing desk to get the desired effect.

However, on the credits to the track I acknowledge the vocoder as a 'talkbox' in homage to Roger T. although I don't use the original Heli talkbox, tube and amp.

'dre

Ahhh

Finally got a chance to hear it---very innovative stuff!

I especially dig how you've set up the interplay of voicings with the beat--it changes, but always stays interesting....





Jshua

Very cool track Dre, would like 2 see some more Roger & Zapp type tracks too. There is a free program called Zerius Vocoder 4 the PC which is cool & is easy 2 use 2. U have 2 record vocals as a wave file and then u can use the carrier file with the program or record ur own using a keyboard/etc. so u could possibly b able 2 get the talkbox sound, I have only tried it with the file with the program and its a cool effect.

It can b downloaded 4 free from:

http://www.epiphyte.ca/co...coder.html

AJ
[This message was edited Sat Mar 20 14:41:37 2004 by thetimefan]

DreZone said:

With a vengence!

You the man, Dre! You know I like my shit fonkay, and this sure is fonkay! On the one!!!

thetimefan said:

not bad, call me ol' fashion'd but I must admit, I do like to use the real-time hands-on stuff because improvising gives me so much freedom that I don't even think about where vibrato has to start etc....

I do have the same patch that Roger T. uses for his DX100 - but I don't have one, although I use the Casio counterpart the CZ-101 (which Joe Zawinul has retrofitted into one of his grand Pianos). The difference being that the DX uses FM synthesis and the CZ uses PD synthesis.

'dre

Jus2letUno, this will NOT B the version which appears on the NFO2 CD!

The NFO2 CD version will be practically ther same thing but there are a few subtle yet prominent additions that are not on the on-line version!

to find out, y'all will have 2 buy the CD now, huh?

'dre

DreZone said:

? This is not the version on NFO2? Nfo2 is not avaliable 2 buy? Or du u mean on ur cd? im confused my black european brutha.
[This message was edited Wed Mar 24 7:03:30 2004 by paisleypark4]

paisleypark4 said:

Basically, when NFO2 is complete and made available, the version that will appear will be slightly altered in comparison to the version you have already heard on line.

'dre

DreZone said:

Thanx 4 the info 'Dre. Stevie Wonder uses a talkbox on 'Music Of My Mind' so what type of talkbox did Stevie use?. I read in the booklet 4 the Roger & Zapp anthology CD that Roger played his C3 Organ (smaller version of the Hammond B3 Organ) through a Lesley speaker and also his vocals through the same cabinet 2 emulate the talkbox sound. This is why on early tracks like 'Freedom' and 'Truth Be Known' the sound is kinda different 2 what is later heard on the 'New Zapp IV U' album where the talkbox has a different, more clear and audible sound 2 it and also more vocal effects r used.

Anyway is it possible 2 re-create the same sound as Roger?, Teddy Riley has only started emulating the sound were its almost exactly the same. Listen 2 the talkbox on Guy's album and u can hear a different effect used, same with the 1st Blackstreet album. Only since 'Another Level' in 1996 has Teddy been able 2 sound like Roger, however, again Roger made the talkbox his own IMO. Also on 'Whats Ya Flava' by Craig David a different sounding talkbox is used, sounding more like a vocoder.

If u have more info on the talkbox etc. then it would b cool,

Thanx