Sugar in the Static
by Velvet Rae
- Genre
- rnb
- Tags
- #dilla #e-minor #harmonica #neo-soul #quiet-storm #rhodes #slow-jam #swing #velvet-rae
- Duration
- Published
Prompt
Original Dilla-feel neo-soul, 86 BPM in 4/4 with a drunk 16th swing (kick early, snare late, loose hats), E minor (dorian) lifting a minor third to G minor for the final chorus. A chromatic-harmonica hook (B-D-E, falling back D-B) is teased on Rhodes in the intro, inverted in the verses, climbed as a rising sequence in the pre-chorus, stated and pushed up to G in every chorus, stretched in long notes over a chromatic Bbmaj9-Am11-Abmaj9-G13-Fmaj9-Em11-Ebmaj9#11 descent in the bridge, transposed and reharmonized (Cm11, Ab13#11) in the final chorus, and played softly in the outro. Voice oohs echo it in the late choruses. Rhodes with voice-led stabs that change rhythm every bar, finger bass laid back behind the kick with chromatic approaches, a clean-guitar answer lick, muted-guitar 16th scratches in the choruses. Chords: Em11, A13 (dorian), Gmaj9, F#m7b5-B7#9, Cmaj9-F9 (tritone sub), B7b9#9, Dm9-G13 backdoor, Cm6-F13 (minor iv), Bm11-E7b9, D13sus-D7#9 pivot, Ebm6-Ab13 and a Gm9 ending. Cross-stick verses, ghost snares, shaker in the second half, a stop-time snare build into each chorus, a bridge breakdown that builds back, strings, claps and tambourine in the final chorus, and a ritardando outro.
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