100 replies to this topic

[Pastorius]

A Veteran's Last Stand on SoundCloud with free download.

A Veteran's Last Stand on YouTube.



A Veteran's Last Stand on the official Hawken Twitter feed.

A Veteran's Last Stand on the official Hawken Facebook pages.  

A Veteran's Last Stand Wallpaper


A Veteran's Last Stand was written and produced by Pastorius and the Hawken Community.

Musicians:
Jonny Hull (Pastorius)  - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Fretless Bass Guitar, Midi Programming.
Warren Parker - Electric Guitar Solos
Katherine Johnson - Piano

--------------------------------------------------------------- Video ---------------------------------------------------------------

As you know, I have been asking people to make a video for my track and I am happy to say that I have been approached several times and I am already really happy with the results. I’m going to post them below for everyone to enjoy.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dezaray24

Dezaray24 is just 16 years old and is fairly new to Hawken and indeed, this forum. He was so enthusiastic about wanting to create a gameplay video for the track that I simply couldn’t refuse.

I think it’s important that we show Dezaray24 all the support and encouragement we can as he has worked very hard on this video over the last few days and I for one am delighted that he has been inspired to create this piece.

So, without out further ado, this is the first official music video for A Veteran’s Last Stand by Dezaray24

A Veteran's Last Stand - first Official Video on YouTube.



Awesome!

If you too would like to make a video for this track with some cool gameplay and perhaps some moody spectator shots_ I can supply a re-mastered version of the track without sound effects to anyone who is interested. If you are, please feel free to drop me a PM.


----------------------------------------------------------The Original Post--------------------------------------------------------

Hello folks, one morning after a clan practice I had a niggley little track brewing in my rather empty head and I decided to record it. The track is inspired by the Hawken concept. I started with one verse, a chorus and a basic chord progression and I posted it here for people to listen to and offer advice on how the track should progress.

The people on this forum have been fantastic and have done just that. I have very much enjoyed the project so far.  

I'm going to keep the older posts here so the progression can be seen and the difference that the community has made to the track is clear. I have tried to act on all the constructive advice and I'm pretty sure it shows in the later work.

Anyways, the song is supposed to be about a veteran pilot getting boxed in for the last time and then pondering his own existence_

Let me know what you think and please be kind, I'm keen to hear constructive feedback but I'm a sensitive artistic type so bear that in mind

Also, please remember that I'm a percussionist and a bass player when you hear me sing


----------------------------------------------------------FINAL VERSION--------------------------------------------------------



Edit: 20/04/13 - Here is A Veteran’s Last Stand (Final Version) on SoundCloud.

I have also made it available for FREE DOWNLOAD.

A Veteran's Last Stand was written and produced by Jonny Hull AKA Pastorius and the Hawken Community

Musicians:
Jonny Hull (Pastorius)  - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Fretless Bass Guitar, Midi Programming.
Warren Parker - Electric Guitar Solos
Katherine Johnson - Piano

Notes: 20/04/13 – So it’s been just eleven days since this project began and here is the final version of A Veteran’s Last Stand. This has been a fantastic shared project and special mentions have to be made to Subdivision, CaseSwitch, Aims, Funnydeath1, TazzGo and ReachH who have all contibuted both by posting on this thread and offering advice behind the scenes. This is as well as everyone else who has been kind enough to post their comments and views over the last couple of weeks.

Thank you.

So, on Thursday afternoon I finally got around to re-recording the bass parts (we were thinking exactly the same thing Aims!) and I think they are a lot more solid now. I haven’t been playing a fretless for long and it’s pretty hard going to keep it in tune. On Friday afternoon I sat down with the guitarist and the piano player and we recorded the final tracks. They are both fantastic players and so in no time at all the track was lifting again. Thanks Sub, for suggesting the piano as I now think the track wouldn’t be the same without it and Katherine seemed to know exactly what it needed. Warren was an absolute pleasure to work with and his very subtle blues solo in the middle section seems to work very well indeed. I just told him to go for it at the end and he improvised that in one take_ Awesome. Hope you like it Funnydeath1 and TazzGo_

Anyways, thanks again to all of you that have contributed to what I think is a testament to the creativity of the Hawken community.

Thank you for indulging me with this and I really hope you enjoy the track. Please feel free to carry on posting your thoughts.

------------------------------------------------------------THIRD VERSION--------------------------------------------------------



Edit: 11/04/13 - Here is A Veteran's Last Stand - C on SoundCloud

Notes: 11/04/13 - Right, as promised here is the latest version of A Veterans Last Stand.

I think It's pretty much there as a composition now. I have completed a second verse, last chorus and outro sections since the last post. I have left a section in the middle for the "Slash" style guitar solo. I have tried to play one myself but I'm afraid my talents don't stretch that far. I have a guy in mind who is an awesome player but that will have to wait until next week I'm afraid.

I hope you like the second verse, I wanted to tell a story that would hopefully ring true with the concept of Hawken and my original idea. I've added some in-game SFX to the outro to help describe the "Butch Cassidy" moment when he charges out to meet his certain death.

Thanks again to CaseSwitch and Subdivision for the great advice and if you haven't already checked out what CaseSwitch does then you can find him on SoundCloud here.

Anyways, as always, keep the feedback coming and I'll be sure to post the final version as soon as I can. Thanks for listening.

----------------------------------------------------------SECOND VERSION----------------------------------------------------------



Edit: 10/04/13 - Here is A Veteran's Last Stand - B on SoundCloud

Notes: 10/04/13 - Right then people I have loved all your feedback and I have to say I'm finding this a great way of writing and composing. I have now uploaded another version to SoundCloud (See Above)

I had a great PM from Subdivision yesterday full of fantastic advice and so I have ditched the synth in favor of some symphonic strings and have added a "melodic meandering piano" as he suggested. I would love for him to come and bust a kit part out for me at some point but we'll have to see

I had some great advice from CaseSwitch about the vocals and I agree that it should be a male part so in the absence of another singer I have recorded my part again. I've made some acoustic adjustments and got the cleanest sound I could and I have just added a touch of plate reverb. I also decided to drop the dodgy American accent and I have tried a more natural approach to annunciation. I think it's helped.

Other than that I have just levelled the parts and added a few variations to the drums but that's about it.

Keep the feedback coming folks. Like I said, this is an awesome way to work. It's like a community composition

------------------------------------------------------------FIRST VERSION--------------------------------------------------------



Edit: 09/04/13 - Here is A Veterans Last Stand on SoundCloud

Notes: 09/04/13 - Hi folks...right...erm... I'm writing a piece of music inspired by Hawken. This is absolutely a work in progress and something that just seemed to write itself the other day. I've put together a ruff mix of the first verse and chorus to give you an idea of where I'm going with it. I'm not intending to sing it in the final version. I actually quite like the idea of a female voice and please bear in mind that I'm a percussionist and bass player when you hear me sing

Anyways, the song is supposed to be about a veteran pilot getting boxed in for the last time and then pondering his own existence_

Let me know what you think and please be kind, I'm keen to hear constructive feedback but I'm a sensitive artistic type so bare that in mind

Edited by Pastorius, May 26 2013 - 09:35 AM.

[ReachH]

This is the song playing in the bar in the evening after a long sordid ordeal, losing several long-term pilots. A toast to the heroes of Illial D:

[just for the record, my last stand song would have a lot more maniacal laughter]

[Funnydeath1]

Nice work, but i think a guitar solo will fit really good with your song!

[TazzGo]

Funnydeath1, on April 08 2013 - 07:29 AM, said:

Nice work, but i think a guitar solo will fit really good with your song!

Great work! And I second this ^ but I think it'd have to be a kind of laid back solo, something too energetic would kill the theme behind the song

[EnergyFlameD]

This song is so awesome mate .

You are awesome!

[Kazma]

Great work, but I don't like it

[Aims]

Haha getting a strong Guns n Roses - Knocking of Heaven's Door vibe from this.

I play bass and drums too, high five.

[Pastorius]

Hey, thanks for the positive feedback guys

Aims, on April 08 2013 - 11:11 AM, said:

Haha getting a strong Guns n Roses - Knocking of Heaven's Door vibe from this.

I play bass and drums too, high five.

Yeh man, I guess I had a little help from Bob Dylan for the chord progression. Maybe TazzGo and Funnydeath1 would be happy with Slash taking the guitar solo_ High Five back at ya Aims!

I'll give it some more work over the coming weeks and re-post it. Thanks for listening folks

[SilentJacket]

dunno man, that voice sounds eerily like my roommate singing in the bathroom

(the fact that the vocals are coming somewhere off to the far left doesn't help )

great overall though

[Pastorius]

Thanks again for your comments folks, SilentJacket your right about the mix. I guess I was just trying to wash my voice in effects so it didn't sound like me too much.

I've remixed the track with dry vocals and added it to the OP. (Just a vocal compressor and a maximiser helping me out now).

I'm working on a guitar solo but now all I can hear is Slash and it's not helping

Edited by Pastorius, April 09 2013 - 01:34 AM.

[CaseSwitch]

great work - fits to your introduction of a pilots last call of duty.
wouldn't use a female vocal here - male voice fits to the current style (dylan...yes! ).

but you for sure should push up the vocals in soundquality. WHAT i hear beneath the muffle sounds good, so why hide behind plugins. layer your dry vocaltrack with some reverb.

btw.: cool idea to tell a story about the pilots outside the fights in a musical way.

sad story: for myself i seem to be unable to play/create something aside of traditional folk-picking or axing metalcore (for strings: playing egg-cutters mainly, bass only when i have to ^^). don't feel comfortable when it comes to -strumming- a western...maybe thats why i always end up in the more cinematic/fast-paced style of music (and why i always got the beer but never the girls when sitting around a fire  while summercamping ^^).

[Pastorius]

Thanks for all the advice folks! I have uploaded a new version to the OP and added some notes to let you know what I have been up to. Thanks for the help and advice and I think you will agree, it has made quite a difference to the track

[Giar3579]

AWESOME WORK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CaseSwitch]

awesome work, i agree. vocals are much clearer now - sounds great. you for sure don't have to hide your vocals!

[kubikiri]

was not expecting that AT ALL, when it started playing l was like wtfb is this_
and then the lyrics started and i just started laughing for the entire two minutes,
wow thanks for raising my spirits before i go into night shift at work!

completely great!

[Gookywun]

This is awesome ! Nice stuff man

[Pastorius]

Hey, thanks kubikiri I hope that's positive but either way I'm glad it lifted your spirits, ready for the night shift. Thanks to you too Gookywun and I like your post on the Hawken music. Very cool, I agree.

I have added the latest version of A Veterans Last Stand to the OP and re-edited it so it makes more sense. I'm keen to show how the community has contributed to the completion of the track.

Anyways, it's now 3.49 minutes long and has a second verse

I hope you like it and thanks for listening.

[Gookywun]

The new version just as awesome! I hope the HWK team have had their listen to this, i can imagine them putting it in a future video or something. It's really nice to see somebody that is dedicated enough to Hawken to actually sit down and put a song together. Whens the music video out_

[TazzGo]

Gookywun, on April 11 2013 - 08:13 AM, said:

I hope the HWK team have had their listen to this, i can imagine them putting it in a future video...

I was just thinking the same thing XD

Awesome work dude, couldn't really make out the lyrics before when it sounded distant but the stories pretty cool, works really well! A solo would still be cool, but the song is so good already I don't think I can stress enough how it would have to be pretty chilled out, when you say a slash style, I keep thinking of G'N'Rs more energetic songs lol and think that would ruin the tone, but I'm probably just thinking of the wrong Slash stuff. I'm not sure how well I'm explaining this and I don't wanna suggest a solo that'd ruin the song, but I was thinking of something at a similar pace to the main riff, but maybe slightly more melancholic but still somehow retains that kinda acceptance that this is what he's gotta do. Really not sure how clear any of that is ^ but I hope you can decipher it XD

Fantastic work dude!

[CaseSwitch]

very very good. and thanks for not removing versions A and B as a reference where you came from - nice example of progression.
great one on the 2nd verse.

Edited by CaseSwitch, April 11 2013 - 08:16 PM.