This project started as a quick remaster of a track called Eighty Seven that I released on 2021-10-04.
The original name was taken from the release date of the original Ensoniq SQ-80 that inspired the Arturia emulation that was used exclusively on the track.
The SQ-80 is a digital/analog synthesizer with a very typical retro sound from that era.

At first I was not 100% satisfied with the final result and started an alternate version as a subproject.
Then after working more on the original I got the sound I liked and released it on 2021-10-04.

I revisited the alternate subproject a few weeks ago and liked some of the changes I had experimented with, especially for the drums and bass that had more punch. That did not work well with the original lead part so I decided to create a remake as a distinct release with some new lead sounds. I named it "Eighty Eight" for lack of inspiration but the name stuck.

The chord structure and rhythm remain but the harsh digital guitar-like lead was replaced with a combination of an analog arpeggiated lead and some digital SQ-80 orchestral stabs.
I also shortened the track to make it fit better with the new arp + stab elements and avoid repetition.

The Arturia SQ-80 is still used on most of the tracks but I added the Cherry Audio Mercury 4 (Jupiter 4) for the analog lead.
I think that the contrast between the colder SQ-80 and the warm analog arp lead is interesting.

I am listing the plugins that I used, including the ones from the original:

Cherry Audio Mercury 4: Lead Arp
SQ80-V : Bass, 2 Pads, Background Arp, Percussion, Orchestral Stabs
Wavesfactory Spectre: Orchestral Stabs, Mercury 4 Lead Arp, Reverb, Bass, individual drum tracks
Valhalla Plate: Reverb bus
Cherry Audio Stardust 201 Tape Echo: Echo bus
U-He Satin (on most tracks)
Klanghelm SDRR2: Bass
Klanghelm DC8C3: Drum bus
Klanghelm MJUC: master bus
Boz Digital Labs Transgressor 2: individual drum tracks for extra punch
TDR Molot GE (on busses: Melodic, Background, Rhythm)
TDR Slick EQ GE (on most tracks)
TDR Kotelnikov GE (on Reverb and Echo busses)
Melda MAutoDynamicEQ (on Bass as dynamic EQ and ducking for Kick, on background Arp and Pads)
La Petite Excite by FineCutBodies (as a subtle exciter when Spectre is not used)
iZotope Ozone Imager 2: Pads
iZotope Neutron 3 Gate: Bass
SPL Transient Designer Plus: Bass
SPL Vitalizer MK2-T: Bass
Brainworx bx_subsynth: Kick
TDR Slick EQ M (master bus)
TDR Limiter 6 GE (master bus)
Voxengo TEOTE (master bus)

Massimo Fasciano (2021)

Eighty Eight

feels like the end

Galactic Love

Slippery Slidey

5am and the water slides on the pavement
slips like glycerin, shining to the black
shivering skin tight, squirms, withdraw, withdraw, withdraw
yellow and blue beams glance the scattered surface
Hard wetness, hard wetness, cold concrete hard wetness
splashing dead silence, alarms flood alarms
Leather soles, wet like skates
It's 5am, yellow beams shiver in the sliding air
close to you, stuck to you, it's all close to you
Tight and cold and wet, like fish upon your back
like fish upon your back

Slippery Slidey (with narration)

Guitar: Marco Pisu @marco-pisu-511634437
Yamaha Reface DS synth: myself
Synth percussions (modular analogue): @houseofthejanas 


Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@hans_isaacson?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Hans Isaacson</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/brown?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>

Percussivo No. 165

Living in Peace

Thanks Degs for allowing me to write this deeply personal song for my Mom (Thelma)to this Track.  The cruelty of Dementia has no bounds and everyone affected would turn the clock back in a heartbeat. That's the theme here.

When it Began (lyrics).....

I wake up every morning and
Hope that there's a smile upon your face
But deep inside 
The feelings rise
and tell me that somehow
I lost my faith

I shielded my eyes
I bowed my head and walked away

I don’t know how it all began
I don’t know how to
Make a happy end

Your candlelight was burning bright
Nothing could extinguish your sweet flame

And if you could just return today
Then we can just forget
When it began

A call an invocation and
Hope someone out there can hear 
my prayer

But what my heart can’t understand
Is why no answers 
come to stem your tears

But if I could find some explanation
We can just forget that it began

When it Began

All your lights were burning bright
All your expectations and your dreams


You always held me oh so close
Always tried to chase away my fears

Now at the time you need me most
You're so out of reach but I’m right here

When It Began (Song for Thelma)

Bar None/ Come To The Stool

KRAE-    ~ SHAKE THE COCONUT TREE ~        _Instrumental with my chop weird vox_

Dedicated to Dr. Santiago Soto Obrador, thanks for everything.

Piece For Piano T

Spanish Harlem

INTRODUCING “MADEGO”
Hello soundcloud dudes  MADEGO (mad-ego) is/ are Derek Evans and Deon Ashton. We met whilst posting our original songs over at MP3Unsigned.com. It was only recently that we came together and realised that we had very similar musical tastes, and that we could marry our two styles together to form what you will find here. 
We both find melodic rock/pop, song with strong melody, harmony and good writing a real buzz and aspire to achieve these qualities, though you will have to judge to what extent we do so.  So, yeah, we are both really excited about this new found partnership (Feb2012) and are putting together (we feel) some nice catchy tunes which we hope to get critiqued on the site. We really do value your comments and advice on our new musical adventure. And as with most of us, this is all homespun stuff, so we appreciate all help in making the tunes as best we can.
So sincere and big thanks to you for all for dropping by and listening
All the Best
Degs & Deon (MADEGO)
