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Vocal Trance - How NOT to make it cheesy?

Ok there is some really good trance with vocals, but a majority of it is TOTAL CHEZ. DJs and producers listen up, cause I want to start a discussion on exactly how to make your songs CHEESE FREE. First off, let us analyze a few examples:

Not cheese:
Coast 2 Coast - Home
Oakenfold - Southern Sun
Chicane - Autumn Tactics, Saltwater
Traveller In Motion - Believe (key south rmx)
Sholan - Can You Feel

Total Cheese:
Solid Sessions - Janeiro
Fragma - Toca Me (vocal mix) - my vote for the absolute worst vocal mix ever. Way to ruin a decent instrumental.
Lange - I Believe
Iio - Rapture
Motorcycle - as the rush comes
ATB - Let You Go

Ok so what do the non-cheesy tracks have in common that makes them not cheesy?

1) Lyrical Integrity
2) Lyrical Integrity
3) Lyrical Integrity - the most important way to make your song not cheesy. Some "professional" tracks have lyrics that sound like something off the notebook of that weird depressed girl in 7th grade who wrote "really deep" poetry (in reality it was just gay).

4) Subtle, non-obvious melodies - it seems like the best trance tunes have rather subtle melodies. They are usually a bit complex as well, not cheesy 3-5 note main melodies repeated ad-nausem. And most of all, DO NOT make your vocal melody exactly match your music main-melody.

5) Non-repetitive - a lot of vocal samples and melody lines are repeated WAY TOO MUCH. Break that cheesy verse-chorus-verse formula too. The most interesting songs usually do this.

6) Lyrics that can be interpreted in a variety of ways - the lyrics of the best songs (of any genre) can usually be interpreted in many ways. They dont really make any specific statement or message.

Anyway, anyone care to add more way to make songs not cheesy? Or to elaborate on the list of CHEESE and NON-CHEESE tracks?

The KLF- Justified And Ancient

Now that's totally cheesy. Stop complaining.

Yeah, the lyrics to IIO - Rapture are very chees3h, BUT, the singer's voice makes it so fucking good. The instrumental part is also very different from other cheesy tracks. (none of that stereotypical supersaw etc.)

i think the lange is a non cheese classic...from isos 1. love that track...

add grace - not over yet for non cheesy imo

Take the whiny "Baaaaby" out of Oceanlab - Satellite

quote:

Originally posted by Ory Yeah, the lyrics to IIO - Rapture are very chees3h, BUT, the singer's voice makes it so fucking good. The instrumental part is also very different from other cheesy tracks. (none of that stereotypical supersaw etc.)

+1 Definitely agreeing with that. IMO, same can be said with Svenson and Gielen's remix of Delerium's After All. The lyrics in that song are really cheesy/sentimental, but the production is a masterpiece, and the effects on the vocals really touch it up. I love the bass in that song (even if it is kinda simple)... pads are very very nice as well.

Re: Vocal Trance - How NOT to make it cheesy?

quote:

Originally posted by Froofy-D Total Cheese: Solid Sessions - Janeiro Motorcycle - as the rush comes

Shame on you.

quote:

Originally posted by Wretched Take the whiny "Baaaaby" out of Oceanlab - Satellite

word, and possibly change the vocalist to someone that can sing

Re: Vocal Trance - How NOT to make it cheesy?

quote:

Originally posted by Froofy-D Not cheese: Oakenfold - Southern Sun

Aye whatever

Re: Vocal Trance - How NOT to make it cheesy?

quote:

Originally posted by Froofy-D Total Cheese: Fragma - Toca Me (vocal mix) - my vote for the absolute worst vocal mix ever. Way to ruin a decent instrumental. Motorcycle - as the rush comes

never call classics cheese. they may seem sorta dull now but they had their day just like darude-sandstorm did.

i think you forgot cass & slide - perception (vocal mix) in your non-cheese category

how come just because as the rush comes gets popular newbies are calling it cheese?

wtf

I have the perfect way to make a song super cool and NOT Cheesy.

Just through into the Lyrics:
"Shout out to the man in the ice cream van" or "Siberia the place to be" and your a sure hit!

quote:

Originally posted by Jackson I have the perfect way to make a song super cool and NOT Cheesy. Just through into the Lyrics: "Shout out to the man in the ice cream van" or "Siberia the place to be" and your a sure hit!

Haha... Scooter forever!!!

Will never be better than DJ Sammy, though.

Iio - Rapture

Iio - Rapture..... r u crazy man? you dont know what vocal trance is man

quote:

Originally posted by Wretched Take the whiny "Baaaaby" out of Oceanlab - Satellite

Thats what stopped me from buying that tune!

Re: Vocal Trance - How NOT to make it cheesy?

3) Lyrical Integrity - the most important way to make your song not cheesy. Some "professional" tracks have lyrics that sound like something off the notebook of that weird depressed girl in 7th grade who wrote "really deep" poetry (in reality it was just gay).


This is my biggest pet peave of trance music...some really great tunes have been totally ruined this way!!!

Example: Armin Van Buren--Burned With Desire
Very decent tune and uplifting melody, then vocals come in with a sweet melody, everything is fine and all of a sudden she's singing about "cupid's wings"! Totally blew a good thing.

I like vocals that are somewhat tangential, as you said, they talk around a topic instead of stating exactly what the meaning is supposed to be. Also, I think if they are too loud in the track it can detract, better to sit back and blend in with the instruments...and of course novel and interesting effects can take them to the next level.

Cass & Slide Perception is one of my faves, and James Holden--Nothing, 93 Returning Mix, even though you can't make out any words!

then listen to the original mix, its got non distorted vocals

Hmm...As the Rush Comes by Motorcycle is very borderline. Could go either way. I think it leans more towards cheese myself.

Iio Rapture - sorry to inform the Iio supporters out there, but it's cheese. If you use "La la la la, la la la la" as a verse in your song, its chez.

Wasnt aware that Fragma had nothing to do with the Toca's Miracle remix. Thank god. Man is that song gay.

Sorry but Lange - I Believe is cheese. If you use the words "fantasy" and "reality" in back to back verses in a song, Your song is cheese. No questions asked.

Wow I didn't know there was a vocal version of Cass+Slide's Perception. Gonna have to check that out.

Re: Iio - Rapture

quote:

Originally posted by snayk Iio - Rapture..... r u crazy man? you dont know what vocal trance is man

Too bad it's house. lol

boy you people sure are experts on what is and what is not cheese. all i say is if you like it then by god listen to it. fuck who says it's cheese or not.

Good point; cheesey is an adjective, not a genre.

quote:

Originally posted by Wretched Take the whiny "Baaaaby" out of Oceanlab - Satellite

i say just remove the lyrics completely. half the time songs like these make no sense anyway.

quote:

Motorcycle - as the rush comes - total cheese

,

no it isn't. Some might say the track is overloaded with vocals, but the ways she sings are very different, especially at the end when she repeats "as the rush comes" four times in different manners - nt every singin' girl could repeat it

I love the vocals that aren't lyrics, but part of the actual melody of the song and contribute to the sound rather than turn it into a lyrical song, just my opinion.

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