ViolaGhost Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 (edited) So, obviously, nostalgia is a very subjective feeling, and maybe it's completely driven by personal associations with the music. I'm working on a track now, and I want to give it a "nostalgic" feel. I think the following four songs have a nostalgic feel to them. What do you think? Can you help me figure out what these four have in common, or is it really just by association/all in my head? "Sunlight" by The One AM Radio "Smile Like You Mean It" by The Killers "Shadow" by Southland (with the awful drum mixing ) "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane "Hackensack" by Fountains of Wayne "Kids" by MGMT I have a feeling that bass with a sidechained compressor (off beat bass) has something to do with it... Edited September 30, 2012 by ViolaGhost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gravity Jim Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 A bass with side chain? You're looking for a production technique that induces nostalgia? Yeah, there's a plug in for that... "Weltschmerz" by Native Intruments. Just place it on your final mix, turn the "Longing" knob up to around 3 or 4, and watch the tears of regret roll down your listener's cheeks. Keep in mind that in the AU version of Weltschmerz, the "Look Behind" feature is disabled (TDM only for that). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViolaGhost Posted September 30, 2012 Author Share Posted September 30, 2012 A bass with side chain? You're looking for a production technique that induces nostalgia? Yeah, there's a plug in for that... "Weltschmerz" by Native Intruments. Just place it on your final mix, turn the "Longing" knob up to around 3 or 4, and watch the tears of regret roll down your listener's cheeks. Keep in mind that in the AU version of Weltschmerz, the "Look Behind" feature is disabled (TDM only for that). Very clever I understand that my question might be a little muddled. What I'm saying is, these songs all have a feel of nostalgia to me. My questions are: 1) Do you think they have anything in common instrumentation/harmony/production-wise? 2) Are there any common techniques used in songs with a nostalgic feel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tristancalvaire Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 A bass with side chain? You're looking for a production technique that induces nostalgia? Yeah, there's a plug in for that... "Weltschmerz" by Native Intruments. Just place it on your final mix, turn the "Longing" knob up to around 3 or 4, and watch the tears of regret roll down your listener's cheeks. Keep in mind that in the AU version of Weltschmerz, the "Look Behind" feature is disabled (TDM only for that). I may have googled this for validity >.> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eriksimon Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 VG, it would help if you posted some links. I'm just not willing (too lazy) to do 5 or 6 google searches, and sift though the results. So, without having heard the actual songs, I will add that this "nostalgic" sound (started perhaps by Boulevard of Broken Dreams?) is a combination of instrumentation, plugin effects (reverb, bandpass filtering, lots of tube-based effects). Amy Winehouse has a sound that I'd call "nostalgic", and so does "our" (Dutch) Caro Emerald. Also: don't underestimate the imagery used for the videoclips this "genre" (retro-rock?) is often twenties, thirties, fifties and sixties inspired. This will reinforce/amplify/intensify the nostalgic feel to the sound to a great extent. But, I'm saying all this just gambling what "kind" of sound you mean, since I haven't heard of any of the bands/artists/songs you mention... well, I know some of Keane, I vaguely heard of The Killers... in fact, I simply do not know which period in (musical) history sounds nostalgic to you - I'm thinking of dance hall days, Glen Miller, the Andrew Sisters, Count Basie, the Rat Pack, in short, music from before the four B's: Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, the Beatles and the Beach Boys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gravity Jim Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 See? Nostalgia doesn't happen in the mix, but in the mind of the listener. I can't know what will produce that feeling in anyone, just as you can't know what would produce that feeling in me. So there's no generic production technique that makes something "sound nostalgic." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViolaGhost Posted October 1, 2012 Author Share Posted October 1, 2012 Got it - you guys make some great points; I think rather than trying to come up with a nostalgic sound, I'm just going to draw on inspiration from the artists I listed and do my own thing. Thanks a ton! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eriksimon Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 Found this thanks to this Q., had to share. Gorgeous music & production.... and wonderfully sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teedoff087 Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 I think it all begins with songwriting and a good producer/mixer. If your songs are good, and they're mixed right, they have the potential to be "nostalgic." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gravity Jim Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 I think it all begins with songwriting and a good producer/mixer. If your songs are good, and they're mixed right, they have the potential to be "nostalgic." Or "angry" or "whimsical" or "soothing" or any of the 1,001 emotions that music might produce in a person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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