Track for the Electronic/Trip Hop listing

[markhimley]

Hello All! So I just wrote a track for this listing, and would love some feedback - thank you very much in advance! I have a link to my track on soundcloud below the listing

MOODY ELECTRONICA/TRIP HOP INSTRUMENTAL CUES are needed by a UK-based Music Licensing Company with a very long list of great placements in Film and TV. Please submit Instrumental Cues in the general stylistic wheelhouse as acts like Massive Attack, Portishead, Hooverphonic, Lamb, etc., etc., etc. Take a careful listen to the following references to get in the vibe-y stylistic ballpark:

“Black Milk” by Massive Attack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=li-adM-qOwI

“Numb” by Portishead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6rJn_TEu5Y

“2 Wicky” by Hooverphonic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy_8LqenvGA

“Bonfire” by Lamb: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak95HYiFIQY

Quoting the source: “We’re looking for music for our ‘Dark City Moods’ library album. Instrumentals only and at least 2 minutes long. Looking for gritty sounding tracks that could be used on TV programming about crime, gangs, drugs, etc. Acts such as Massive Attack are good forms of reference.”



My Track -

http://www.soundcloud.com/markhimley/tr ... ive-threat

[Russell Landwehr]

Hi Mark.

Good luck on your submission. These Trip-Hop listings can be very subjective.

This Peer To Peer part of the forums is a great place to get feedback on stuff when you've got time to make revisions before the listing (if you like the helpful comments you get that is )

Again, welcome to the Forums!

Russell Landwehr

[markhimley]

Thanks Russell! I hope to get my tracks up sooner in the future so I can have time to make revisions, but as I just recently joined I've just been cranking out tracks in a day to meet listings due the same night.

[andygabrys]

+1 to what Russell said. Especially the part about Trip-hop listings being tricky to figure out, as by definition Trip-hop includes a smattering of many different styles. On the other hand, they have given a number of references for this one.

One thing that I hope will be constructive for any listing:

a mix of a seemingly fine production can be returned as not being broadcast quality if its not balanced finely enough.

Turn down your monitoring system until you can't hear the music, then turn it up one notch so you can barely hear it, at a level where you can easily hear yourself breath over the music.

now play the 5 ref tracks, skipping through to the quiet and loud parts.

Now do the same with your track.

You might find the keyboard synth part that starts at 0:25 to be very loud compared to the track in general - and fairly dry.

If nothing else, authentic Trip-hop is mixed masterfully with respect to ambience, and balances between instruments.

Good luck

[TheElement]

Nice cue. Welcome to the forums!

I would have liked to hear definite and clear edit points.

It seemed a little repetitive to me. More elements to build with would be good.

On the master channel I would bring up the highs. Or maybe have to go back through each channel and maybe do some high shelf on some. The highs felt missing.

[markhimley]

Thank you very much for the feedback! Lots of great points made that I can improve on, thank you

Andy - I tried listening quiet like you recommended - wow! You are definitely right, the arpeggiated synth part sticks out like a sore thumb. Definitely gonna be using this trick in the future, thanks!