FAWM: "Vendetta Computer"

Vendetta Computer

Liner Notes

This tune started life as an acoustic-based phone snippet I recorded in June 2024 (the chorus) mixed with something from April that year (the verse chords).

Had high hopes for it, but something went terribly amiss in my decision-making around what kind of arrangement/sound would suit it, and I ended up with this. It's not one of my better productions - I'm still learning not to trust amp sims! But this is one of those songs where I was changing the exact chords as I went, which is much easier to do with a sim than a real amp.

Very quick vocal, thank god for Melodyne and reverb. Ran out of time today thanks to taking on an extra shift, and during the mix I realised I wasn't really happy with... anything, so slammed it into the compressor and called it a day.

Just! A! Demo!

I do think the song has potential, just not in this particular form. Suggestions? (And don't say 'spend more than 10 minutes doing the vocal without any warmup' 😂)

Drums: SD3 Fields of Rock. Bass: Scarbee Rickenbacker through Bias FX2 Guitars: Artist Grungemaster through Bias FX2 Synths: UAD Polymax

Plus loads of processing, effects etc, mostly Abbey Road / UAD.

Get my proper stuff: koshrecords.net

Lyrics

sleep with the enemy, you've got a frenemy a sabotage from the future

forget economy, you've got a history vendetta computer

we never had our own digital megaphone just photocopier modem

wake up, dead boy the time has come it's not safe for any of us wake up, dead girl the time - it has come it's not safe for anyone

you never needed a reason before there was no pressure to viral you want a manifesto? you a put a pen in the neck of a nazi, yeah

wake up, dead boy the time has come it's not safe for any of us wake up, dead girl the time - it has come it's not safe for any of us, any of them though they are us, though they are us you disagree? get in the sea

and in the end i cannot believe that i was a collaborator

wake up, dead boy and/or girl

Comments

@odilongreen 4d

Notwithstanding your reservations, I rather like it. I think I may have mentioned in previous years that I really like synthpunk songs, and although probably not squarely a synthpunk song itself, this definitely has that synth-and-guitar aggressive energy that I find so appealing. Don't be too quick to disregard it for future further development!

@gordonanderson 4d

Another banger! The opening riff is almost something from a haunted house. Love it.

@mace66 4d

Great 90's indie-rock sound with added Mike Batt style vocal delivery on the chorus. Interesting structure that keeps you engaged - I wouldn't change it.

I don't think that the bass or guitar sound any the worse for being DI'd. Amp simulators sound brilliant to me (and yes I do have the gear to mic up amps if I wanted to) - but considering that most people listen to music on laptops or phones with ear-buds these days (not high end Hi-Fi separates) I don't think the majority of people would be able to tell the difference.

(Lets face it, most punters* enjoy AI slop these days...)

*Just thought - not sure if 'Punter' is an exclusively English term - in case it is, it's not rude, it just means 'Customer'.

@mattwdunn 4d

Brilliant song. I love that main riff. There’s something off kilter and unsettling about it. I think the arrangement and production sounds great. Strong chorus. Listening again. You are smashing it this Fawm