Spaghetti Western - Looking for comments

[bmoBauhaus]

Here is my track. This one is a rough mix and I plan on polishing a little more but would love any comments on the mix/music/tempo. I sort of developed this one organically so the orchestration is a little wild and fat.

?subject=The Passionate Goucho by Brian Morales, composer at TAXI&body=https://www.taxi.com/members/N5SOUeh_Qe ... ate-goucho

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Below is the listing

TAXI # S211206SP
SPAGHETTI WESTERN INSTRUMENTALS are needed for an (up to) $2,000, Direct-to-Music-Supervisor placement on a Streaming Children's TV show!

This Music Supervisor is looking for Instrumentals in the general stylistic ballpark of the following references:

"The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (Main Title)" by Ennio Morricone

"I Giorni Dell'ira" by Riziero Ortolani

"Per un pugno di dollari (Titoli)" by Ennio Morricone

Quoting the Music Supervisor: "We're looking for fun and/or menacing Spaghetti Western Instrumentals for a fight scene."

Please send well-composed Instrumentals that capture the vibe and sound of classic Spaghetti Western music. Your submissions should have engaging motifs, driving rhythms, and typical Spaghetti Western instrumentation – think strings, brass, and winds mixed with twangy electric guitar and maybe even some non-lyrical vocal chants. We think you can have a lot of fun with this one! Please be sure that your production and any and all virtual instruments or samples you use are high-quality and sound like the real thing – nothing stiff or obviously MIDI-driven will work, here.

All submissions should be between 2 and 4 minutes, give or take. Do NOT copy the referenced artists or songs in any way, shape, or form. Use the references only as a general guide for tempo, tone, and overall vibe. Broadcast Quality is needed.

[AlanHall]

Very nice, Brian! I think you've perfectly replicated the spaghetti western sound. The composition is perfect!
My comments are that the hand percussion seemed to be swimming in reverb; not sure what I was listening to, a ratchet? And beware of letting the high notes on the violin get too shrill.
Thanks for posting, and good luck!

[bmoBauhaus]

Hey Thanks! There's snare drum, violas and trombones playing that driving rhythm. I do feel like they are dominating the mix a little bit as well. Thanks for those comments.

[Merryband1]

I love it, Brian! It definitely has the spaghetti western feel! Nice job!

The only thing that disturbed me had nothing to do with the piece, just the title. When I looked at it, I thought it said "Groucho." When I double-checked and it said Goucho, I remembered that the word is spelled, Gaucho. I'd change that if I were you.

Here's hoping you get a forward and the piece signed!
Merry

[AlanHall]

Hey Thanks! There's snare drum, violas and trombones playing that driving rhythm. I do feel like they are dominating the mix a little bit as well. Thanks for those comments.

It's the part before the violas and trombones come in where I have an issue. On a different set of speakers it sounds like maracas... but I still can't be sure. I mention it because I'm very guilty of letting the mix get muddy; a mortal sin in this business.

[bmoBauhaus]

I love it, Brian! It definitely has the spaghetti western feel! Nice job!

The only thing that disturbed me had nothing to do with the piece, just the title. When I looked at it, I thought it said "Groucho." When I double-checked and it said Goucho, I remembered that the word is spelled, Gaucho. I'd change that if I were you.

Here's hoping you get a forward and the piece signed!
Merry

Thanks for the heads up. I'll revise it after I re mix it.

[Merryband1]

You're welcome! You never know what tiny little mistake will make someone think twice. It's a great piece!

Merry

[MJLeeman]

Brian

I listened to your track with a view to concentrating on first impressions, i.e. to see whether the music immediately and unmistakenly suggested scenes from a spaghetti western, particularly noting TAXI's suggestion in the listing to have fun with this one. I might say that your music for me conjured up images of stereotypical spaghetti western characters (including a definite Mexican flavour) and I could easily imagine scenes of the southern USA during the 1800s with the Tijuana brass style trumpet, electric guitar, even castanets. I was mightily impressed with your melody and chord patterns, and I liked the deceptive cadence just before the last phrase. And, to my developing engineering/production ears, that side of things sounded fine to me, but more important than that, the track has musical merit. Here's hoping for a successful forward with this one.

Cheers
Michael

[teleblaster]

Great job creating a composition that really embodies the genre! Super cool chord changes. Here's a few suggestions
- Look for ways to carve out a unique space for each element in the mix using EQ, panning and depth(reverb)
- Look for ways to add more 'human-ness' to each midi track (articulations, automation of volume, and other params)

Hope this is helpful.
Erich

[karafinman]

I didn't have time to listen to all three references. Do any of them drop the groove and go into a more ad-lib like yours does? If not, then that section is off-target.