This is a song about war and a bit of hope.
Scorched Earth https://soundcloud.com/user-296497130/scorched-earth

I imagined coming back to my hometown and see there was nothing left. That's also how the lyrics start.
I hope to hear what you think of it.

Hans
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Scorched Earth
I visited my hometown today
For too long I was away
There is only rubble everywhere
Deep craters I see there

My parental home I can not find
All is destroyed, crossed my mind
A pungent odor I became aware
The smell of death hung in the air

Chorus
I only see scorched earth
Where children once had fun
Now there is nothing
Bombs made them all gone

My home, my country all a ruin
I don't understand what we're doing
Even the cemetries exist nomore
Now my tears I can't ignore

Chorus
I only see scorched earth
Where lovers once kissed their dreams
Now there is nothing
Rockets made them scream

Bridge

Chorus
I only see scorched earth
Where people once had hope and faith
It came from out of nowhere
Now wiped out by grenades

I only see scorched earth
And now there is nothing -2x-
I only see scorched earth
But there, a green sprout out of nothing...
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Style: Poised. Key: G Tempo: 90

Instruments:
RealTracks 2474: Bass, Acoustic
RealTracks: 3101:Piano, Electric
RealTracks: 3545:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking
RealTracks: 1543:Synth Pad, PopBelieve
RealTracks: 3141:Fiddle, 5-string
Loop in Song: Dubstep\Dubstep - straight_gee_70_drum_loop_1_a_minor ev8.wav
Loop in Song: Chillout\Chillout - colours_75_drum_loop_a_minor ev16.wav

Keyboard in Logic pro and some loops
Vocals, bg-vocals

Hi Hans. I really liked your use of effects throughout and the percussion with its interaction with the acoustic guitar and keys was very nice. To my ears, the kick drum was a bit loud, or boomy, but please take that with a grain of salt. I'm not very familiar with this genre, so it may be exactly what you were shooting for. I really liked the last line of the song where you turn everything around with just one sentence.

Hans,

Love the intro with that four on the floor beat...it really sets the mood! It's a sad and serious subject matter but you handled it well! Your vocals are really great in this as well as the background vocals! There are a lot of little subtle touches with the instrumentation that did not do un-noticed by me! You did a pro-level job with the whole production!

Thanks, Torrey

Very creative use of BIAB. The loops work great and the arrangement has a very strong, spatial sound to it.

The subject is grim, but the song is effective for sure.

Well done!

Rob & Anne-Marie

Your vocal is really good - a little separate from the band but that suits the narrative - the processing isn't obvious and there're not harsh frequencies dominating. Well done.
A sad story well told.

Hans

Very effective backing tracks, extremely well produced. A serious and sad topic, well sung and written.

Good work all round.

Peter

Hi Hans,

This is excellent work - good song, superb backing and good mix.

I particularly liked your singing with the big reverb which works really well with this song.

Best Regards
Nigel

I like the combination here, Hans.
Maybe take the kick drum down a bit though.

Vic

Hello Brad and Torrey,

I'm glad you came by for listening to this somewhat heavy song.
Although it's summer and the sun shines bright, I had to make this song about Ukraine.
I don't mention it by name, because I think it's obvious.

This country is getting so brutally destroyed now, while you can see we are losing interest in this event.
That makes sense in a way. It is going on for 5 months now.
But I had to think about what it would do to me if I grew up there and see what it looks like now.
Then I made the song.



Hi Brad, thank you for your nice comment. The loudness of the kick drum was done on purpose. I wanted it to sound a bit like a heart beat, to give the song it's tension, together with the second bass. I doubted it for a while, but I left it as it was. At first that last sentence was something like "and I? I felt nothing", but changed it into a bit of hope.



Hi Torrey, thank you for this! Yes, that is why I had those loud kicks in the song. Nice of you to mention the amount of touches of instruments. This is the first song where I've used a lot more of my own instruments than RT's from BiaB. So, thanks again!


Have a nice day today,
Hans

Wow, quite a strong opening to this one. You draw a bleak picture, Hans. Damn, I can see so many people experiencing this tragic sensation. Everyone from the youngsters seeing their playground in ruins, teenagers seeing their neighborhood flattened, wives knowing their husbands will not return to see this tragic scene, old folks realizing the final resting places of their friends and loved ones has been obliterated. Man, you are so good at building a song and supplying it with the perfect band and arrangement, Hans. The mix, of course, is a shining example of your craftsmanship.

Hans,

Powerful.

A strong, dramatic write. Good vocal.

Outstanding tracks! Love that big kick (all the percussion, for that matter).
Tons of interesting stuff going on, but never sounding "crowded".
Awesome Music.

And an excellent mix.

Art.

fj

Very cool write Hans!!! I think the music fits the subject perfectly!! Always like your vocals! Great stuff!! Take care. Greg

Hans,

Wow, what an opening. Wish I could get the percussion to resonate like that . . . and your vocal is so rich here. So in synch with your signature sound . . . but then you up the game with those brilliant harmonies, BGVs. Love that hint of synth on the left side . . . adds such depth. Brilliant!

Best regards,

Deej

And, those BGV harmonies . . . THEY ARE KILLER!

The massive sound resonates really well with the vivid images of the dark lyrics. Excellent set of instruments, the synths and loops create a landscape that is also mixed very well. Nice vocals. I really appreciate your creativity, your songs do not resemble each other, but still they have certain recognizable feel. Let the sprout grow strong.

Janne

loved the lyrics and the arrange.
i really dig the intro and also the bgv's.
tons of thought/work went into this.
well done. and a tension at end.

best
om

Hello RnAM, Ray and Peter,

Thanks for your nice replies on the song. In a way it is unreal I had to write these lyrics. Something of the times of WWI and II, but here we are facing these horrible things that are going on and who nows how they continue...
But about the song: your posts are very kind and gave me the idea I've improved my 'song making' skills somewhat more.



Hi RnAM, actually I used more instruments myself in Logic than from BiaB. For the first time! But the base was of course BiaB!
Thanks for your compliment.



Hi Ray, I had to think about that 'separate'line. I had no idea I was a bit loose from the band? The band always has to do what I told them to do; following me! But I like a little explanation if you want to. I'm curious of course.
And this was also the first song I used 'Tonal Balance' from Ozone from the beginning to the end. Man, I used some wrong words now and then! But when I read your comment on the frequencies, I then knew it was worth it. Thanks!



Hi Peter, glad you mentioned the BGV. They gave me a headache during the mixing process...
Thanks for the compliments

I wish you all a very nice weekend,
Hans

Hello Hans
really good song
The lyrics get under your skin
Great fitting music and vocals
Excellent work Hans
Really very emotional
Many greetings
Andi ;-)

I really enjoyed this one. Grim subject, yes, but what a way to write, sing and produce a song about it. Original, professional and sophisticated. An absolute joy to listen to (which is quite a feat, given the subject!). No criticisms in any way :-) - you really put in the work with this one, and we are rewarded for it. Bravo.

Loved that intro Hans. The mix is excellent. Loved the kick in the loop. Really had my sub pumping. Very cool. Really gets your attention. Very sad lyric. Super vocal and excellent choice of instruments for your back track. Well done

Hans I found this to be an outstanding picture of a war torn town - brilliant!

I found it interesting that you thought of the kick drum as a heart beat as the first thing I thought of was the pounding of boots, i.e. much like a marching army.

Anyway your vocal and lyrics were fantastic.

The mix was excellent

Loved it

What an excellent lyric, Hans, and it is so sad to think about how many people all over the world experience these wars.

We like the band and all the little nuances of percussion throughout the song.
Nice Logic additions also.

The choice of tracks and mix are both outstanding and so well support your vocal and the theme of the lyric.

As always, your vocals are great and soulful.

“I only see scorched earth
But there, a green sprout out of nothing...”

Thank you for the hopefulness at the end of the song!

Kudos,

J&B

Hans ...

In my opinion, this is your best song of all that have heard. Strong - powerful - passionate. You nailed it! This song says more thasn just the words and music. It moves the soul and makes the listener's brain think. Excedllent! Totally loved it! best toy ou ...

Alan

Hi Nigel, Vic and Marty,

Thanks so much for your comments on the song! Very nice to read them.



Nigel, I was hesitating a bit on that reverb and delay in the vocal tracks. Changed it several times, but came back to my initial settings...




Vic, the drum were loud because I wanted them to. They had to pound in your head. Actually I used for kinds of loops for these drums. But thanks for thinking along :-)



Marty, it's me who had to say 'Wow' for this complioment of yours. What nice to read this, although it's a bad situation the song is about.


Here we now have a real heat wave. Tomorrow will be worse. So in a way, I myself live on scorched earth, but I still can recognize my house...
Have a nice day,

Hans

Hi Floyd, Greg, Deej, Janne and Mo,

Thanks a lot for listening and commenting on the song. we had some very hot days (looked like the title of my song). We haven't done much more than trying to survive the heat. That went ok, but now I have to do my homework I left waiting...
But it's no obligation at all! You had so nice responses!



That's a huge compliment from you Floyd. Thanks for that!
That 'big kick' or drumtrack was build up with the use of six different drum loops. It was not so easy to keep them in line, as the BG vocals. But I learned some more on mixing ;-)



Hello Greg, that's very nice of you to say about the vocals, or actually all you said about the song. Like I told Floyd; every time I learn some more on putting the songs together.



Hey Deej, a 'wow' from you! Thanks for that. The percussion was a puzzle, because -as I wrote to Floyd- I used 6 different loops for it. I wanted a different sound than from a drumkit in this song. The pounding of the kickdrum had to sound loud throughout the song, but not (too) penetrating. But hey, was I able to make you jealous? Cool! And did I understood you liked the BGV's? Ha ha!



Hi Janne, well you live near the country I had in mind. I was pleased by your post, especially the last two lines. And yes, let's help the sprout to become a tree...



Hello Om, thanks for this reply. Yes it took some time to figure out what I want it to become. I changed tempo's, keys, instruments and when I had a kind of melody I like, I still had to find me a proper way to sing the melody and also the kind of lyrics that suit the sphere in the song. I mostly write lyrics after the melody is found. Sometimes I know exactly what I want to sing about, but it's mostly the other way around. How do you do these kind of processes?

I hope the temperature in your countries is nice enough, so you won't melt.
Have a nice day,

Hans

Hello Andi, Musician, Scott and Mario,

Thank you all for your posts on this song.
I think the focus on the war in Ukraine is waning, although fortunately there is still a lot of support from many countries.
but other things like inflation compete for first place. But your comments on the subject are great!



Hi Andi, thanks for these nice words. Enjoyed them!



Hi Musician, you really know how to express about it all. Thanks a lot!



Hi Scott, thanks for your compliments. And I'm proud I let your sub pump ;-)
But yes, sad lyrics for a tragic event. If we had done this song together, you would have gone mad by all my changements during the proces of making it...




Hi Mario, When I read how you thought about the kick (marching boots) I got inspired. At first in changing those kicks into a boot sound, but then changed my mind. In this song no marching boots fit. But I also didn't want the kick sounds like a 'real' heart.
I saved your thought for a new song, alright?

Thanks,
Hans

Hi Janice, Bud and Alan,

It was nice reading your posts on this song. The subject is unfortunately terrible and unfortunately does not only apply to Ukraine.
But I had Ukraine in my mind while composing the song, although I did not mention it.



Hi Janice and Bud, that was a very nice post you sent! At first I ended the song with no hope at all. I sang: "And I, I was nothing"
But then I changed my mind. I think we always need hope to hold on (I'm not religious). And there was the sprout...
Have fun cycling!



Hi Alan, thanks a lot for your so nice words. I think never before you called one of my songs 'my best song'. So I am very honored by this compliment!
But on the other hand a bit sad... (I'm kidding).
If possible, send my best wishes to Di.

Have a nice day,
Hans

You have outdone yourself with this one, Hans!

Man, that percussion track is fantastic. Everything sounds great, one of the most creative uses of BIAB I've ever heard actually.

Excellent write and vocal, mix sounds great also.

One of your best!

Hello Dave,

I thought you were on holidays. It was so quiet with you.
But what a nice review on the song. Thanks for that!
But as I recall you called al my last 10 songs one of my best.
So now I know for sure I'm improving...

Hans