Easy Listening Feedback

[davidagates]

Hi guys,

Hoping for some feedback on the following listing:

[LISTING EXPIRES TOMORROW]
A Bunch of Retro-Inspired EASY LISTENING/LOUNGE INSTRUMENTALS are needed by a very successful EXCLUSIVE Music Licensing Company. This company has a long history of lots and lots of really AWESOME placements, tons of which have been for TAXI members!

They're looking for several Instrumentals that could be heard on a playlist with the following references we got directly from our contact at the Company:

"Autostop" by Bruno Nicolai https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xy_m2v-iug

"Romantic Lounge" by Piero Piccioni https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJcsewjFf4E

"Drive-In" by Bruno Nicolai https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1HZkTbH8Ak

NOTE: This listing is searching for vintage recordings from the 1960s/1970s, or recently recorded pieces in this general style.

Please submit well-crafted Lounge/Easy Listening Instrumentals that sound like they could be heard in a European Film Soundtrack from the 1960s or 1970s! Your submissions should have engaging rhythms (styles like Bossa Nova, Samba, etc.), and dynamic arrangements with forward motion and interest. Instrumentation in the general wheelhouse of the references will work best for this pitch (think piano, organ, acoustic guitar, strings, percussion, bass, etc.).

This Company is looking for Instrumentals, but adding some subtle wordless Female vocalizations (ooohs, la-las, etc.) can also work. Please make sure your productions are balanced and era-appropriate, and any virtual instruments or samples you use are high-quality and realistic-sounding. If you have tracks that sound like they would be at home on a playlist with the reference tracks, send them in!

All submissions should be about two-to-four minutes in length, give or take. Non-faded, buttoned/stinger endings will work best. Please do not copy the referenced music in any way, shape, or form. Use it only as a general guide for tempo, tone, texture, and overall vibe. Do NOT submit any material with unauthorized samples of any other artists’ music, sounds, or any other form of media. Broadcast Quality is needed.

IMPORTANT! Per our client, your Submissions must:

1) NOT be encumbered by ANY other publishing, licensing, administration, and/or exploitation deals (whether non-exclusive or exclusive) including publishing/licensing agreements with CD Baby Pro, TuneCore, DistroKid, etc.

2) Be 100% original – no soundalikes, Covers, and no recordings with samples.

I've tried to keep it in the same wheelhouse, the old adage "on the same playlist as".

Anywho, here's the link and thank you in advance.

https://soundcloud.com/dave-gates-62481 ... al_sharing

[DouglasKnight]

Hey David! I think you're in the ballpark, nice job. However, the drums don't feel quite right to me, but I'm not sure how to describe it in musical terms, just not as forward-moving and locked-in with the rest of the track, if that makes any sense? Also, I'd recommend stopping the bass along with the rest of the track at your edit point, and maybe dial back on the reverb a bit? Don't know if that helps or not, but wishing you good luck on the listing!

[davidagates]

Hey David! I think you're in the ballpark, nice job. However, the drums don't feel quite right to me, but I'm not sure how to describe it in musical terms, just not as forward-moving and locked-in with the rest of the track, if that makes any sense? Also, I'd recommend stopping the bass along with the rest of the track at your edit point, and maybe dial back on the reverb a bit? Don't know if that helps or not, but wishing you good luck on the listing!

Thanks, I really appreciate it. You're spot on with the drum comment, they're too much. I had simpler ones initially but I got bored of them, you know how it is, haha.

I'll tidy up my edit point at the end, massive help. Thank you.

[davidagates]

Hi,
Good job getting a sort of 60's retro vibe, but I hear few things that might hold this one back. It sounds to me like the drums have a swing feel whilst the rest of the track is straight timing without any swing, so the track as a whole isn't solid. Sack that drummer! Also, the brass is a bit relentless, and there's little development going on. Flip between say 33s and 1:33s, and the track sounds much the same.

Therefore, IMHO the track needs a bit more variation (eg have a strings break, then combine strings with the brass later) to provide some relief from total brass domination. Most of all though, the drums need fixing to get the feel back in line with the rest of the track (or v.v. if you want to take the hard route ).

Hiya mate, always grand to have your feedback. Yeah, the drums are just wrong, haha, see above. That's the issue with doing this stuff on your own, you loose perspective.

Totally get where you're coming from re: variation. I'm a bit too keen I think, I chuck the kitchen sink in from the outset, confidence thing I think. Thanks as ever for your cracking insights.