DaSilvaSings Orchestral Maneuvres in the Dark "Souvenir"

[dasilvasings]

Hi to all,


This is another cover I did last year with the BR600.

I was out on holidays, and I only had an acoustic bass and an ukulele. I started the song rather acoustically. Back from holidays, my mother called me - she had found our old Casio VL1. Unfortunately it wasn't working. A colleague from work helped to clean the spilled acid from the batteries, and did some mystical soldering on the ICs. Like a modern analogic phoenix, "rock1" drums and "fantasy" lead tone were happily at my fingers some 25 - 30 years later!

I obviously decided to add it to the song I was working. Unfortunately I couldn't synchronize the drums with the BR600, So I ended up importing everything to Reaper, fixing the tempo, and then exporting everything back to the BR600.

The original ukulele was later replaced with a cavaquinho (it is a ukulele with steel strings), and a flanger was added to the acoustic bass. I also recorded another bass track with a fender (with the 8strings effect from the BR).

This song was fun to make, however i recognise it failed in two aspects: 1. the synchronization with the VL1 was not perfect (it sounds a bit weird if you focus on the tempo of the music and the drums). 2. I skipped a bridge in the middle of the song. I thought it wasn't interesting (and it isn't), however it is essential to cut the monotony of the song.

Neverthless, I hope you enjoy.

Nevermind the bollocks, here's DaSilvaSings,

[Oldrottenhead]

cool as hell. i have an old vl tone in my attic but i cant find the bloody thing.

the yearning feeling of this song is a fantastic accompaniment  to my yearning for my old casio vltone. fantasy was always my fave sound on it.

bravo

[SE]

What a great cover, lot of imagination used here. I had a old casio about 25 years a ago and from what I remember it sounded exactly the same, it was white and was about 12 to 14 inches long, I wonder if it was the same, anyway a great cover enjoyed it.

[Pete C]

I've still got my VL tone tucked away in a drawer.  I remember using it back in the 80s with a Fostek 4 track.  Used it as a bass sim and for keyboards on a few tracks I did.  Must dig it out again.  Nice to hear it being used here DaSilva.

[Flash Harry]

This is a blast from the past! Nicely done. I saw OMD in 1979 in Manchester, it was the first synth band I had seen. I remember thinking that you could slice the sound out of the air with a knife it was so dense. Thanks for stirring the memories.

Great post

[Greeny]

I really really like this! I wasn't a huge fan of OMD (compared to other bands at that time), but this always was a great song. This is a lovely and unexpected cover. I love everything you've done with it. And as a big fan of the Casio VL-Tone, it transported me back to the recordings I used to make with it myself at the time.

In a word: inspired!

[Pete C]

We could have a VL Tone festival !

[cuthbert]

I don't know the original song, but I do appreciate what you've done here, DSS. I'm a big fan of so-called oddball instruments, and a fellow VL-Tone owner as well. This inspires me to record something with it. 

[dasilvasings]

VLtones of the world, unite!

There are lots of things done with the Casio on the internet.

Check this version of Duran Duran:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhuY0wUshls

And last but not least, here is a VST of the thingy:

http://www.polyvalens.com/vl1/index.html

Once again, thank you for your comments,

Miguel

[Gary F]

Cool cover!!
I like it!!
Gary