Dark House/Dark Wave tracks, not sure how to mix/masterize it?

[MandyBlue]

Hey everyone!
I sing and play guitar professionally since 2014, and this year I'm starting to learn music production. I love dark house, witch house and dark trap. I'm having a hard time learning how to mix and master my tracks, if you guys could give a listen to my latest two tracks I would appreciate the feedback! Leave a link to your thread and I'll listen your stuff too

Swimming Pool by MandyBlue19 | Mandy Blue19 | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Free Spirit by MandyBlue19 | Mandy Blue19 | Free Listening on SoundCloud

 

[scenex]

Cool stuff! I really like the unique melodic ideas you have going on through both tracks, very interesting and you do a good job building melodically. One area I would add more focus to is the build up and variation of the drums. They stay static for the entirety of both tracks, with the exception of a a few snare rolls. Simply just removing the tail ends at spots and letting the melodies breathe will allow the track to hit that much harder when they come back in. Also I noticed you don’t use a lot of sweeps/transition sounds. A nice reverse crash at the end of phrase could really make these tracks feel more alive. As far as the mix everything sounds pretty good to me. A solid tip when EQing is to make sure each sound has its own space carved out in the mix. This will fill up your sound space and make your track nice and loud. Cool tracks!

 

[Haive_Music]

Hey there -

Really liked the overall vibe of Swimming Pool. Definitely has more of a dark feel throughout it, and I enjoyed the beat change that comes in at about a minute in. I also like the gated stutter that's going throughout the track.

I think as far as mixing goes, were this my track, I'd try to bring out a bit more high end form the snare. It feels a bit too 'dark' to my ears, and I feel it could bring a bit more energy into the track. The hihat is a touch too loud and a little piercing for my personal tastes. It may be worth adding a bit of compression to it, maybe some MBC to the high end about 4.7k, lowering it in the mix, and perhaps playing with panning a bit more statically to one side (I felt there was a slight auto-pan on it?). Nice bass - the groove fits right in with the track, and I still really love the stutter/gated effect you have throughout the track, as well as the verby hits near the end. The ending, to me, felt very nice - not rushed, not drawn out, and not unexpected either!


Personally, I feel that Free Spirit is mixed a bit better. The bass and kick really punch through, the hats are more balanced and not as piercing. Still loving that gated effect that coincides with the bass. I'm not sure what else to suggest on this track, beyond perhaps playing with some arpeggiation and bringing in some evolution to the track. I thoroughly enjoyed it!




I definitely don't expect you to provide any feedback on an actual album, but since you offered to take a listen if a link were provided, I'd most certainly appreciate a listen should you find yourself having some spare time:

As the Storm Slowly Passes - As The Storm Slowly Passes by Haive Music | Free Listening on SoundCloud