Spy-Style Instrumental

[MJLeeman]

I have been working on the following track in response to the Taxi dispatch listing below. Any and all advice and comments would be greatly appreciated:


https://www.taxi.com/members/nwRU7pygQr ... per-sleuth


TAXI DISPATCH
Lots of SPY-Style INSTRUMENTALS are needed by a great Music Library with lots of success in Film and TV placements.

They’re looking for Mid-to-Up-Tempo Instrumentals in the general stylistic ballpark of the following references:

"We Are Going To Rob It" by Daniel Pemberton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InAM6fE4C2Q

Payback Theme by Chris Broadman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFW64QrTPMo

"Escape From East Berlin" by Daniel Pemberton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D5r_8FBhmk

Mission Impossible Theme by Danny Elfman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLo9k8Gifb0

Please send top-notch Spy-Style Instrumentals that could be heard in films like Ocean's Eleven and other films in that genre. Engaging motifs, infectious retro grooves, Jazzy instrumentation, and plenty of cool swagger and great energy are all musts for this request. Instrumentation that is generally similar to the references will suit your submissions best – think punchy horns, exciting electric guitars, funky bass lines, etc. Your arrangements can range from classic/retro Las Vegas-inspired Ocean's Eleven style to a bit more modern take with cutting-edge ear candy. Whichever approach you decide to take, please be sure that your production and any virtual sounds or instruments you use are high quality – nothing obviously MIDI-driven or dated will work for this request. If you have cool, groovy tracks that could sound at home in a Spy movie, '70's-style cop flick, or Las Vegas-set film, this company wants to hear them!

All submissions should be about 2 to 4 minutes long (give or take) with non-faded, buttoned/stinger endings. Do NOT copy the references in any way, shape, or form. Use them only as a general guide for tempo, tone, texture, and overall vibe. Broadcast Quality is needed.

This company offers an EXCLUSIVE deal. You’ll split any upfront sync fees 50/50. They’ll get 100% of the Publisher’s share, and you’ll get 100% of the Writer’s share. You must own or control 100% of your Master and Copyright. Since this is an EXCLUSIVE deal, please be sure the material you submit for this pitch is NOT already signed with other Libraries or Catalogs. Please submit as many Instrumentals as you’d like, online or per CD. All submissions will be screened and critiqued by TAXI. Submissions must be received no later than 11:59 PM (PST) on Thursday, March 10th, 2022. TAXI Dispatch # D220310SY


Cheers
Michael

[johndalenow]

I really like what you've done with one glaring exception. Your lead synth sounds waaaay too much like your high brass licks. At times they are indistinguishable from each other. Maybe making the synth lead sound much more "flutish" could be a good option. Give it a try, but whatever you decide change the synth lead timbre. Also, I'm not sure what's going on with the timbre of the initial solo guitar chord, but I DO like that it reminded me of that first great chord at the beginning of "A Hard Day's Night." Somehow it doesn't sound like it's part of the rest of the ensemble though. Hope that gives you something valuable to ponder and make a few important adjustments. All the best! John

[melodea]

Hi John

You defenetely got the mood. BUT everything sounds way too Midi driven. These requests have an incredibly high bar when it comes to instruments sounding realistic. I learned that the hard way! Anything sounding even a little bit less like the real thing compered to the references have IMO little chance to get forwarded.

Good luck

[MJLeeman]

I really like what you've done with one glaring exception. Your lead synth sounds waaaay too much like your high brass licks. At times they are indistinguishable from each other. Maybe making the synth lead sound much more "flutish" could be a good option. Give it a try, but whatever you decide change the synth lead timbre. Also, I'm not sure what's going on with the timbre of the initial solo guitar chord, but I DO like that it reminded me of that first great chord at the beginning of "A Hard Day's Night." Somehow it doesn't sound like it's part of the rest of the ensemble though. Hope that gives you something valuable to ponder and make a few important adjustments. All the best! John

Thanks John

I think that you make a good point. I have now added some lead and supporting woodwinds into the mix as well as a piccolo trumpet and I have tried to give the instruments a bit of space so as to help the listener distinguish these two parts. Maybe the timbres of the 1. melody instruments and 2. brass licks/stabs still need to be more distinct, but I think that I will go with the changes for now. I'm not sure if I will abandon the introductory chord. I included it as a attention grabber, though I didn't set out to make it sound like the opening chord to that Beatles' song. But as it's only a chord, I would have no problem in eliminating it if could be seen to detract from the style as per the reference tracks.

Here's an update:

https://www.taxi.com/members/nwRU7pygQr ... th_revised


Cheers
Michael

[Casey H]

I have to agree with melodea here. Good ideas, but this is high bar as to your sounds being natural, not stiff & MIDI. Definitely lose the opening chord, almost sounded like "A Hard Day's Night" there.

It would be great if you could find a co-writer here to do a re-mix with better sounds, etc. The composition is there.

Best,
Casey

[cosmicdolphin]

The right sort of music but It all sounds too fake & midi to me...I suspect it would be a very difficult style to pull off without some live players being involved

[MJLeeman]

The right sort of music but It all sounds too fake & midi to me...I suspect it would be a very difficult style to pull off without some live players being involved

I could write out the music score, no problem. But of course, there's the logistics, expense, etc. of live recording. What a (first seems okay, but on reflection, I might have to re-consider) type of project!

Thanks and cheers
Michael

[Casey H]

What a (first seems okay, but on reflection, I might have to re-consider) type of project!
Thanks and cheers
Michael

Choosing the right type of listings to go after is definitely important. The more out front you need to be with virtual instruments such as strings and brass, the tougher. From what i hear, brass is an extremely tough one to crack. I definitely wouldn't run out and find live players over a single Taxi listing.

Best,
Casey

[MJLeeman]

Thanks for your input John, Melodea, Cosmic Dolphin and Casey

I acknowledge the shortcomings production-wise. I shall keep trying.

Here's the final version for now. I think that it is somewhat better in some respects.

https://www.taxi.com/members/nwRU7pygQr ... l-version-

Cheers
Michael

[MJLeeman]

I listened to the first version a few days ago, and its not easy to say that I think the latest version has moved even further away from the target.

What I liked about the first version is that it was more open sounding and the octave part that underpinned it was quite attractive (if too repetitive). As others have said, I also thought that some of it was a bit too midi sounding. Now though, I feel that the attractive octave part has been buried by the addition of a lot more of the parts that sound too midi-driven (particularly some of the brass parts that sound a little like home keyboard sounds, although there are odd phrases that sound much better).

Also, I can appreciate what you're going for with opening section, but on first hearing as a casual listener it sounds discordant and sort of messy and random to me, but its your art and your choice whether or not to include it. IMHO I doubt that a library or a music supervisor would hear that as a useful part of the track that they could slot into a show.

As always, these are just my thoughts for you to take or leave, and I voice them simply to provide some idea of how the track comes across to other listeners. I hope they help in some small way, and that you can steer this one towards becoming a usable track. Good luck .

Thank you Telefunkin

As suggested, I have reworked the somewhat jumpy opening section and tried to add some lower layers back into the main melody.

I think that one culprit as regards the arrangement being too midi driven are the East West pop brass samples used in the brass stabs. Much of it does sound like close position chords played by the right hand on a digital synth like a DX7. Next time, my approach for this type of close position brass ensemble will be to play in separate parts using different samples, which I did elsewhere in this piece, rather than playing three-note chords on one track using a single brass sample, maybe along with some velocity taming in places, and see if that leads to an improvement.

Here's the final version which I will submit to the listing for the screener's further feedback, and I reckon that I will resist the temptation to rework the whole track yet again from an earlier version so as to control some of the reverb, which I think I may I have overdone.

https://www.taxi.com/members/nwRU7pygQr ... per-sleuth

Cheers
Michael