TAXI.com

Here's the listing:

ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION-type INSTRUMENTAL CUES a la shows similar to Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, Extra, etc., needed by a Full Service Music Publishing Company with a great working relationship at a Major Network for use in multiple shows! They're looking for short cues of 60 seconds or less - think "bumpers" and transition music! They said, and we quote: "The key word often used for the music we want is 'urgent entertainment news.' About 60% of the music will be fast tempo Electronica. An additional 30% will be mid-tempo Hip-Hop. The final 10% used is Rock, Country or Dramatic Orchestra that would be used for short stories, such as a story about a country star or an actor due in court, etc." Think about how your music can create the extra punch and energy needed to keep these fast-paced shows moving! Tight, clean performances will work best here. They also added this: "The network uses over 100 cues per day, 5 days a week, so the possibility of much of this material (from TAXI) being used is VERY HIGH."

After reading that, I thought I would try and submit some electronica type cues. Let me add that I don't listen to a lot of Electronica, but I did spend some time watching several episodes of the show and listening to the music that they were actually using in each episode. That being said, I realize that electronica is a bit out of my normal comfort zone, but I thought these were at least in the ball park of what's being used on the show. I submitted 3 tracks and all three were returned (side note: my biggest frustration isn't the returns but instead I'm frustrated with myself that I didn't even attempt to submit a rock piece which is far away my strength in an attempt to at least "get my foot in the door") with the music box checked. But even though it was a Y/N listing, I did get a bit of feedback from the screener on each piece.

Here are the three pieces I submitted (also available on my TAXI profile page) along with the screener comments for each one:

1) Highlight of The Party - This track needed some more percussion, stabs, hits, etc. It felt a little one dimensional and needed a more dynamic approach.

2) Shake Your Groove - This track would have worked better had you played around with the rhythmic elements a bit more. It needed a more dynamic approach and could have used more percussion parts. The melody felt a bit soft when it came in and softened the emotional impact of the piece overall. EDIT: This track no longer exists in the same form that I submitted for this listing.

3) Show Stopper - You had the right idea melodically with this track. But the piece felt like it lacked fire and excitement. You might have tried a little more dynamic performance for this. Taking the performance up a notch would have added excitement and character to this piece.

I'd appreciate any comments or advice from any one with some experience in this particular genre. While I understand how to add more stabs and hits, not sure I quite know how to add the "dynamic" elements that the screener mentioned.

thanks,
-Big Blue

gee........ wow loved your pieces...... don't know why they were not forwared.

Hey Barry. Like you I also studied the type of cues used on Access Hollywood etc and your three sound exactly the style used on that show. It seems from the comments that the screener has not heard what the cues are like on this show and expecting something else not mentioned in the description. Dunno what the heck they were looking for but it differs from the description in some subtle way.....I guess I'm kinda a little steamed since my 3 were also rejected and they seemed to fit the wanted criteria. I don't normally let this get to me but here I'm having a Taxi WTF moment. But sorry back to you. You know these tracks could be extended out, an extra section added and subbed to libraries you already have relationships with and I'm sure they'll just sail through. I really like the bass sounds you got going on. Also the pace and energy are really good.... I think you're well at home in this genre from what I hear.

Derek.

Hi Big Blue,

I'll start by saying these are some very good tracks and I can imagine hearing them on Access Hollywood or Entertainment tonight.
I'm also one of the people whose track got rejected for this listing (seems to be a growing club). I'll post my gripe about that in a separate post. So I'll throw in my two cents, for what it's worth:

Highlight of the Party: perhaps the screener means that you need more noticeable percussion. Maybe some things like reverse cymbals or other dramatic drum rolls or swooshes -- things that can make good intros to or transitions between (visual) cuts. I love the buzzy bass ostinato here. Perfect for creating excitement.

Shake Your Groove -- I think the comments I wrote above could hold true here, too, although I'm not sure what your screener meant with "more percussion parts." (My screener also wrote that I "needed a drum part to add drive..." Hmmm, wonder if it's the same screener.)

I think I do understand a little bit about what the screener was saying with the tracks needing more dynamics. I think this means change in dynamics -- some builds or crescendos, some sudden drops (thinning out) in instrumentation... Your tracks have a pretty constant volume as well as constant instrumentation throughout.

Show Stopper -- this struck me as slightly mellower, more of a cool club sound than AH or ET sound. But only slightly. I guess what I mean with that is that it would be good to groove to inside a club but may not give the sense of excitement and anticipation that's needed. Still, I wouldn't doubt that I've heard something like this on ET or AH.

Hope this can help a little.

I was sort of in the same boat here--rock is my wheelhouse, but I dabble in electronica sometimes, and figured I wouldn't be too put out to come up with a few tracks. I got three returns, and no comments, just the "music" box checked. Oh well, no biggie.

In any case, I listened to your tracks, and they sound good to me. I dig that bass. I think the big thing--and probably my problem, too--was dynamics and variety. It's hard to really develop a 1-minute track, but I think that's what may have been expected here, and what musicalweather was getting at. Changing it up a little more might have been the way to go for this one. How, exactly, to do that in 32 measures is something to work on (for me, too!)


-Nick

Hey BBB,

The first track didn't sound "Produced" enough to my ears (OK, this is the third post I've used that term, just shoot me!).

The third track sound the most produced and yet I agree that it didn't really go anywhere. IMO, the way to build dynamics in this type of music is by adding and taking away layers and also by doing some abrupt cuts or changes. Also adding little arpeggiated things as you go along, like ear candy bouncing between the speakers. Not too complicated, but something that makes it feel like it just went up a notch (or down a notch if you drop stuff out abruptly).

OK, hope this helps, gotta go sleep!

Cheers!

Mazz

Hi Barry,

Seems a lot of us are in the same boat on this one, I was 0 for 2 on it (tracks named "Busted" and "Power Strut"). I feel in very good company seeing your posting and the other people who posted about this. I really researched the genre in "pre-production", and I thought I was on track ... but oh well. I guess there's always next time, and our tracks should land somewhere.

Jim

Got busy and forgot about this thread. Thanks for all the feedback guys. I took one of the tracks and ended up going a completely different way with it and it's not even the same track anymore.

thanks again,
-Big Blue

As music, your tracks sound fine, and it could function as backdrop in various context.

I don't know the particular show. I did not submit to this. I am currently not doing electronica, but I have done periodically in the past.

Electronica is a difficult genre. There are also very many fast changing subgenres, and many scenes are extremely conscious about what is in-fashion.

Your track all sound as rock music. Or too much so, you have definitely picked up many things from your listening.
In order make convincing electronica, I think you will need to listen to more electronica music and mimic it much more closely than you have done.
Your drums and bass sounds too rock based.
For electronica you should change it, ( although personally I think it is just wonderful with cross overs, merging and mingling genres)
I totally agree with the reviwer on the percussion; often you may use a mix of many percussion sets, electronic crunchy sounds doing rhythms and drum loops. Electronica (the popular ones) are typically minimalistic - you have got that idea. You should work more on ways of building climaxes. For dance and radio intensity can move slower than for TV - I think. You should also include stops, break down, rebuild as dramatic structural devices. Then there are a lot of mixing tricks to learn to get the whole track alive, automation of synth parameters, panning, echos, side chain compression for rhythm tricks etc... You can pick up a lot of how-to on the internet. No doubt you have picked up many essential stylistic things already, but it should take years devotion to be good at it. But I already told you I dont know what I am talking about, didn't I ?
But, I hear some beautiful music on your taxi page. Wonderfully played recorded and mixed.


xolv
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http://www.taxi.com/xolv

Appreciate all the feedback. When I get a chance to get back to work on these definitely will be using some of the advice given.

@xolv... I think one of the reasons you're hearing some rock drum and bass is because one of the tracks - "Shake Your Groove" - I submitted I re-wrote almost from the ground up for another listing that was trying to mix hard rock and electronica but left the title the same so it definitely would sound off target for this listing.

thanks again everyone!

-Big Blue