576 replies to this topic

[swan_song1977]

I think it's been the same effect since escorpion just at different levels but I'm not a musician

[issordni]

Yeah but what is it? It's raspy and distorted and almost like a loudspeaker.

[Andrewf]

Overdrive/distortion/fuzz+ a lot pf compression and reverb. Maybe some lofi preset. I have a vocal preset on my line 6 usb soundcard that has a similar vocal preset. I will check out what it is

[issordni]

Thanks Andrew. I fucking hate it and can't see why anyone would go to the trouble of making their vocals sound like that.

[Jabberwocky]

Is that a new version of the cucumber pie joke ?

[issordni]

wha

[Andrewf]

Because he wasnt as confident in his vocals at that time probably. He hid it behind effects just like he did with guitar

[patsyinclined]

Thanks Andrew. I fucking hate it and can't see why anyone would go to the trouble of making their vocals sound like that.

its really frustrating on most of the Ipecac albums, and I think its because he couldn't decide if he liked his voice or not and half assed both singing and applying the filter. On this album, SSM and Doom Patrol I think it almost would have been better to go full USM/Equinox style vocals just to really enhance how disorientating the music is

[Alderetism]

He's just not a very compelling singer.

[swan_song1977]

he has his moments. lick the tilting poppies is fantastic and xenophanes and escorpion are great too

[xpgno]

he has his moments. lick the tilting poppies is fantastic and xenophanes and escorpion are great too

That's the thing that gets me. I always considered xenophanes and escorpion to be excellent vocally, to the point where I thought to myself "Omar doesn't even need Cedric anymore." It wasn't until the new round of albums came out that the narrative became "Omar just isn't a singer." Could it be because those tracks were basically demos that got polished up and released? Idk 

[swan_song1977]

i think so maybe, i do think context is the biggest factor though. i cant imagine anybody doing justice to escorpion other than him. he has that menace in his voice all over it. i dont really subscribe to the "he doesnt think his voice is good" theory though. hes not cedric or ximena but he sang with TMV on those last tours when it wasnt necessary (and something i missed a lot on the studio album tbh), and with bosnian rainbows. i think los chidos has something to do with it too as that came out in 2010/2011 and has distorted voices in it. maybe he got inspired by it or vice versa. im a sucker for vocal effects (or any really i guess) though, even the cheesy indie move of the megaphone i think is a cool play

[Andrewf]

Some of the ipecac albums have good omar vocals

[Alderetism]

he has his moments. lick the tilting poppies is fantastic and xenophanes and escorpion are great too

Oh yeah, I love Escorpion.
Everything after that though, nothing has really caught my attention. The whispery tone of voice, the mic sound, the uninspired melodies. As soon as the vocals come in I've mostly lost interest. Weak listener, maybe but yeah. Not my thing.
Maybe if I understood spanish.

[Carl]

You're not describing corazones, umbrella mistress, bien y mal nos une, ensayo de un desaparecido. You oughta give those a try if you haven't: those are omar-sung albums without the whispers and lofi nonsensical noodling and with actual melodies. The first two of em are in english

[Andrewf]

Zapopan

[patsyinclined]

Listening to this for the first time in ages and liking it a lot more than I remember. People can change over 3 years huh? Vocals sux tho

Am I crazy or is the guitar from No Little Man interpolated from something else? It sounded so damn familiar