San Feliz
San Feliz (track #2 of the Somió release, “Deva”) is now complete, barring levels, volume rides, a little compression and limiting here and there, the swells are not too swell and mastering. OK, so not finished at all really.
My goal with this piece was to create something very lazy and sunny. As I mentioned in another post, “San Feliz” was inspired by long summer days reading Murakami in the garden in Spain. With that in mind, I started by writing an eight bar turnaround with some bluesy chords and just let that roll.
It’s a pretty conventional piece and will probably be the most accessible / least experimental on the album. But there’s always room for one composition like that and – to me at least – it conveys all the memories from last summer, an easy couple of weeks and a genuine “time out” from the day-do-day.
I may also reduce the overall length or add a bridge. It’s a touch repetitive, but then again, I kind of like the way it just drifts along, in keeping with the pace of those afternoons and the feel of Murakami’s writing (can’t remember which book it was, but probably Dance Dance Dance).
I think I’ll leave this for a few days and turn my attention to something much more experimental: Cosecha.
Update: 06/06/09
Final version uploaded. Re-arranged, new instrumentation (Spanish guitar and some pads), remixed and mastered.
Thrilled to say that this track has been selected for PublicSpaces PS010 compilation.
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Hello Kieron,
As promised here are my comments:
1. Overall it sounds perfect for the setting in my mind. Subtle, soft, dreamy.
2. I for one would work on the “percs” beat a little, get it more fluid a bit more “surprising”.
3. I think that the chords start a bit abruptly.
4. The same goes for the ending.
Keep upi the great work!
Fernando
Excellent feedback. Thanks Fernando.
I’ll look at all of that, but first I’m going to take a break from this one and turn my attention to Cosecha for a couple of days. Return to it with fresh ears.
There’s a lot to like in this. I agree with Fernando that a little more diverse percussion would not go amiss. It does have a Cafe del Mar feel to it, that kind of long lazy hot day feel… more of that lovely gated synth would be nice
Let me know when you have it completed and mastered 
Hi James,
Thanks for this. Yeah, amazing how clogged up your ears get when you keep looping round and round. Left this alone all day yesterday and had another listen. The percussion is very stilted and the drums could do with a little more “interest”. Going to try to get back to this one before the week is out, but I think I’ll stay away for a couple more days.
Thanks again for stopping by and taking the time to comment. Greatly appreciated.
New instrumentation • re-arranged • remixed • mastered • selected for PublicSpaces netlabel release PS010.
Final mastered version uploaded above.
Great track. Sounds ever so lush. Super work Kieron and nice mastering from @Pure_Tone