acoustic beach music

[lesmac]

Hi folks. Any mix thoughts on this one for the listing below.

ACOUSTIC GUITAR-Based INSTRUMENTAL CUES are needed for several (up to) $500, NON-Exclusive, Direct-to-Supervisor Placements in a new TV show. They’re looking for Mid-to-Up-Tempo Instrumentals Cues that could fit in the general stylistic wheelhouse of the references below:

“Neva Give Up” by: MISHKA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GLUbdLhlII

“Oxygen” by Colbie Caillat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-wyZpAByIE

“Upside Down” by Jack Johnson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqUdI4AIDF0

NOTE: This request is for a show based in California, so submissions so should have that strong “California vibe” - think lazy days on the beach, surfing, etc.

Give them well-crafted Instrumental Cues that are rhythmically and melodically captivating. Instrumentation can vary for this pitch, but should be predominantly acoustic driven and in the general style of the references mentioned.

Structure your Cue around a central melodic idea, while adding and subtracting layers of instrumentation as your Cue progresses to add dynamics, interest, and forward momentum. Please avoid submitting anything that sounds busy, as it could interfere with a scene’s dialogue.

All submissions should be between 30 and 90 seconds long with non-faded, button endings. Do NOT copy the referenced music in any way, shape, or form. Use it only as a guide for tempo, texture, tone, and overall vibe. Broadcast Quality is needed.

The estimated license fee for this placement is (up-to) $500, depending on the ultimate placement. This is a Non-Exclusive, Direct-to-Music Supervisor placement, so you’ll keep 100% ownership of your Copyright and Master Recording, plus you’ll also get 100% of the Master License Fee and any applicable performance royalties. You must own or control your Copyright and Master Recording to pitch for this opportunity. Please submit as many Instrumental Cues as you’d like, online or per CD. All submissions will be screened on a Yes/No basis – Short critiques only. Submissions must be received no later than 11:59PM (PDT), on Tuesday, September 18th, 2018. TAXI #Y180918CG

Here's the track; https://soundcloud.com/lesmac-1/sand-in ... le/s-sRXlc

[johnnyrowing]

My two cents . . .

Maybe consider delaying the introduction of the tremolo guitar until about the :10 mark. Let us catch the vibe a bit longer before adding in something new . . . and clean up the possibility of using the simplest part of the arrangement for a clean splice point.

It sounds like you have some kind of "wind sound" that enters around :13 - it reappears more loudly around :30ish. I might delete that entirely and keep the track free of anything that sounds too close to natural sounds. If you are wanting something long to fill that space . . . maybe try a different sound that feels more like an instrument?

As the tracks instrumentation increases, so does its overall volume. You might want to do some work to keep the output a bit more even throughout the track - volume riding/compression/etc.

The entry of the "xylophone/marimba" at around 1:05 is great! Very welcome addition. It pours through the mix perhaps a bit too much at around 1:14. I think it is because it is in a higher register. The listing states to avoid being too busy . . . I wonder if bumping it back in volume just a bit would help to keep the space a bit cleaner for use as a cue.

Definitely feels very "acoustic/beach" to me.

I like your use of panning in the track.

Good forward momentum around a central idea.

[lesmac]

Thanks for your input John, much appreciated.

I have made changes and incorporated some of or all of your suggestions. I have stripped things back and cleaned the tracks up a bit for a more sparse feel.

I have changed the panning. I didn't mind the first version but this one could be better for a cue, more vanilla flavour.

Thanks the ears.

[johnnyrowing]

Oh man! It scares me that you applied some of my feedback. I thought I could just throw out some comments and not cause any harm. Ha!

I just listened to the version uploaded to your Taxi site though. I gotta say . . . I sure do love it. I hope it gets a forward man.

Best wishes.

[lesmac]

johnnyrowing » Thu Sep 20, 2018 12:58 pm
Oh man! It scares me that you applied some of my feedback. I thought I could just throw out some comments and not cause any harm. Ha!

I just listened to the version uploaded to your Taxi site though. I gotta say . . . I sure do love it. I hope it gets a forward man.

Best wishes.

Haha, no worries. I sometimes can't see the wood for the trees after throwing things together and then trying to sort them out.
It takes some guts really to critique others' tracks but its a learning process for both the giver and the receiver.
You don't have to take what others say to heart but its great to get a new perspective.
Thanks again.

[funsongs]

Thanks for your input John, much appreciated.

I have made changes and incorporated some of or all of your suggestions. I have stripped things back and cleaned the tracks up a bit for a more sparse feel.

I have changed the panning. I didn't mind the first version but this one could be better for a cue, more vanilla flavour.

Thanks the ears.

Hey Lester... just joining your party here.

Listened to your TAXI homepage version first - then the ref tracks -
the first of those sounded more Reggae to me;
the 2nd more Country/Americana...
and Jack Johnson's stuff just seems to float and fit anywhere...

SO:
of the bunch - yours sounded the most convincing as a laid-back beach tune... even though there's no ukulele.
That could be good or bad - but it won't be a surprise if you get the forward for your tune;
it's simple & clean and straight-forward in a manner of stuff that gets placed.

Good luck, Amigo.

[lesmac]

funsongs » Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:53 pm
lesmac wrote:
Thanks for your input John, much appreciated.

I have made changes and incorporated some of or all of your suggestions. I have stripped things back and cleaned the tracks up a bit for a more sparse feel.

I have changed the panning. I didn't mind the first version but this one could be better for a cue, more vanilla flavour.

Thanks the ears.

Hey Lester... just joining your party here.

Listened to your TAXI homepage version first - then the ref tracks -
the first of those sounded more Reggae to me;
the 2nd more Country/Americana...
and Jack Johnson's stuff just seems to float and fit anywhere...

SO:
of the bunch - yours sounded the most convincing as a laid-back beach tune... even though there's no ukulele.
That could be good or bad - but it won't be a surprise if you get the forward for your tune;
it's simple & clean and straight-forward in a manner of stuff that gets placed.

Good luck, Amigo.

Hey thanks Peter. Guess what! In the meantime I got a return for "a more island feel than Californian". What a quick turnaround that was. I can go with that though.
Thanks for popping in Pete.

[funsongs]

funsongs » Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:53 pm
lesmac wrote:
Thanks for your input John, much appreciated.

I have made changes and incorporated some of or all of your suggestions. I have stripped things back and cleaned the tracks up a bit for a more sparse feel.

I have changed the panning. I didn't mind the first version but this one could be better for a cue, more vanilla flavour.

Thanks the ears.

Hey Lester... just joining your party here.

Listened to your TAXI homepage version first - then the ref tracks -
the first of those sounded more Reggae to me;
the 2nd more Country/Americana...
and Jack Johnson's stuff just seems to float and fit anywhere...

SO:
of the bunch - yours sounded the most convincing as a laid-back beach tune... even though there's no ukulele.
That could be good or bad - but it won't be a surprise if you get the forward for your tune;
it's simple & clean and straight-forward in a manner of stuff that gets placed.

Good luck, Amigo.

Hey thanks Peter. Guess what! In the meantime I got a return for "a more island feel than Californian". What a quick turnaround that was. I can go with that though.
Thanks for popping in Pete.

No worries. I don't go to them - but around So Cal beaches, one popular thing is DRUM CIRCLES... basically a meet-up, group jam. Makes me wonder if something with more of a percussive center would have satisfied the client; cause that would certainly be "realistic"-sounding.
Cheers.

[johnnyrowing]

. . . Guess what! In the meantime I got a return for "a more island feel than Californian". What a quick turnaround that was. I can go with that though.
Thanks for popping in Pete.[/quote]

Man - sorry to hear that it didn't get a forward. That was super-fast.

[lesmac]

of the bunch - yours sounded the most convincing as a laid-back beach tune... even though there's no ukulele.

It's funny there is a uke there, maybe I just can't play it properly. I think John said he thought it was a marimba.

Its a cheap plastic one called a Waterman, you know you can surf and play it at the same time, possibly drink beer out of it. It seems to be very noisy rubbing against your clothes and general handling noise too.

I don't think the screener heard my updated version tho it probably wouldn't have made any difference.
At least Ive got one island instrumental in my catalogue.

Thanks for the ears fellas.