Clear Air. Wide variety of applications. Try it. Is nice. :-)
And as a public service, I'd like to highlight some very odd piano pieces that have been up for a while, but will be useful in the ever-popular Silent Film genre... The Mad Pianist
Check out. Again. For the 1st time.
November 06, 2009 - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
Someone (I can't find who) requested a dark version of "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy".
I couldn't find the originals, but I did redo it this week, and made 3 versions. There is still the version I did in 2006 (and wow, you can hear the difference 3 years makes!).
This is a new style of working for me. It is almost a "mini-album". This comes in at about 15 minutes total for 6 pieces.
If you are putting together a short film and use one of these, it is very easy to use any of them and maintain the same music character.
October 17, 2009 - Nice Exchange 2009, Volume Two!
The first offer is over and done, but a new one is just begun, and chances are, you're already registered!
This one works like the last one... but easier.
And finally - a piece where I was playing around with a new sample set "Evolve" from Heavyocity. After a few hours of playing with the giant percussion - I ended up with a piece that sounded like a Blue Man Group performance piece. Way too much like them, actually - I was a little scared that I had inadvertently covered one of their pieces... I did some research, and checked with my local experts. It is not a Blue Man piece. (whew!)
And an often requested ender-sting: Der Kleber Sting Dun dun DUUUUN!
August 04, 2009 - New music of wide assortment.
Often the things I post are unrelated, except having been written at a similar time. These pieces are so unrelated, I'm having a hard time thinking that I made all of them... much less made them all within days of each other.
Padanaya Blokov - Slightly humorous electro-folk. I listen to this one over and over - so sayeth the play count in iTunes. For some reason, it doesn't get old to me. Consider it for a video game background.
Symbiosis - Gorgeous Steinway grand piano played at unreasonably soft levels, progressing to a relationship with a pure electronic percussion instrument.
Petulant March - There is a preset sound in Logic by the name of "Kronky Organ". What would one do with a Kronky Organ? Well... this sort of thing.
Unpromised - Beautiful and austere. Solo boy vocalist and harp with slight percussion, joined by a bass flute.
Night of the Owl, Thunderhead, Birch Run, Black Bird, Firesong.
July 03, 2009 - Dream Composing
I usually have a soundtrack when I dream. This time, I was able to get it recorded before it flew off into the ether. It is a simple piece with an odd feel... in that it is mostly a 3/3/2/3/3 feel... but not always.
From the blurry nether regions of YouTube, comes an awesome little iPhone app called "Melodica".
It is $0.99. Seriously people. I don't care how musical you are or are not - this app is a blast. Go get it!
You can get the file under a Public Domain license at FreePD.
Did I say Public Domain? Oh yeah. Public Domain.
May 07, 2009 - Stuff I Use
> I was wondering if you would do a blog post that mentions all of the
> different software and hardware you use to create your music.
> - Ken
Sure thing!
Hardware:
I have 2 computers, one iMac, and a white MacBook. 4 gig of RAM in each (depends on location)
MIDI controller: Axiom 61 from M-Audio
Audio Interface: 1 Firepod, and an AudioBox (depends on location)
Monitors: Mackie 824s
Software:
Logic Studio (sometimes Garageband)
Garritan sample sets, all the Apple Jam Packs, Steinberg Virtual Guitarist 2, and East West Symphonic Choirs.
Huh. I thought it was more complicated. Well, there you go!
- Kevin MacLeod
April 23, 2009 - Overdue New Music
Oh, I've been working - just not posting much... here's round one of catch-up posting.
Closing out is a mildly experimental piece with big drum, chants, and some hammered string instrument that I'm not really sure what it is.
- Chanter
Cheers all!
March 14, 2009 - Blue Paint and Corncob
Blue Paint
Calm piano solo centered around a repeating Ab motive. 20 seconds before end, the motive expands slightly with an added harmony. Could be used to underscore a somber montage, or the carrying out of something regretfully important.
Corncob
Bouncy country tune featuring virtuosic banjo picking and a grooving drumset shuffle. Good for underscoring a hoedown or a fast-forward video of barnyard chores.
March 08, 2009 - Some love for the video game makers...
These are all built to be looped, and are unobtrusive for background goodness!
Here's some awful facts about this recording...
Originally written in 1874.
52 page score.
478 measures long.
13 sections. (spooky)
13,950 notes were entered for this piece*.
48 virtual instruments were used.
Somewhere in the neighborhood of 120 hours to assemble this over the course of 9 days.
I think this is the last crazy project like this I'll be doing for a while.
Let me know if you like it... I could seriously use some encouragement after that beast.
(and yes, I know exactly all of the places that don't sound quite right, thanks. :-)
* There are fewer than 13,000 notes in the printed score, but you end up with more because of tremolos, trills, and part doubling.
February 02, 2009 - Episode 6
A few more hours in, and there's a nice trumpet line, and I love how the trill with the ornament turned out in the violas.
February 02, 2009 - Episode 5
I'm getting the solo violin playing better, but the pulse of the piece isn't here yet.
February 01, 2009 - The Danse
I've decided to start sharing a project in progress, and a rather nasty one at that.
For some reason, I've wanted to record Danse Macabre from Saint-Saens.
Here's what it sounded like after about 4 hours...
I started with pizzicato violin... and a lot of other pizz from the string sections...
Then I figured my working method was impossible - and started entering notes from the score, instead of from that I was listening to.
I know, in retrospect - the other way is crazy. Turns out the opening was indeed a harp!
I couldn't get the turns to work with my flute sample, so I didn't even put them in.
Dun DUN!
I still don't know if I'll be able to get the resonance on the violin open double stops.
Am I speaking English?
And... just a few hours ago - to measure 101 or thereabouts.
I replaced the flute, and but back in the ornaments. It is better, but still bad... and I think I have to double check my notes in the pizzicato section around 45 seconds in... something feels wrong there.
Onward to Measure 502! Estimated arrival time... end of the month.
I'm such an optimist.
January 20, 2009 - True Previews
True music previews are starting to come online now. These are very small mono previews (about one tenth the size of the big downloads).
Everything should have a preview available by January 21st (about 6 hours after this posting).
Cheers, all!
January 13, 2009 - 3 Pieces: Soundtrack Tuesday!
The Whip The Whip (Extended Version)
This theme was designed for "The Whip" podcast, located at http://www.thewhip.us. Its an intense, driving hip piece. Starts off with an awesome drum roll, and then continues all the way through with rocking guitar. Great for show openers. Voice over friendly! The Extended version is also provided which adds three more minutes to the middle section of the piece, for any of those longer applications that you might need.
News Theme
A bright, driving piece originally created as a news theme. Short piece, great choice for a news theme. It is reminiscent of television news themes using bright, bold horns throughout, with a short fade out at the end.
January 12, 2009 - 3 more pieces!
Dirt Rhodes
A slow blues piece with prominent kit. Great to use as a backdrop for a scene since it has a long fade out at the end. Great, "cool" sounding piece.
With a Creation
An experimental piece designed to emulate a keyboardist playing with her robot.
To the Ends
Starts bright, then descends into darkness by the end. Has a definite "Lord of the Rings" style riff. Fades out a lot darker than its entrance.
January 10, 2009 - Musical Mother Load
Vulcan
A mysterious piece featuring a disjunct flute melody juxtaposed with two lower warbling flutes. Also featured are triangles, bells and low drums. The texture stays constant throughout. This piece sounds otherworldly and could work underscoring intergalactic travel. It could also be used as world music. The plodding drums could represent marching or travel.
Smooth Move A simple grooving dance line. Smooth bass line accompanied by high hat and snare. No fade out at the end. Could underscore dancing, spy movement, or somebody being cool.
Basement Floor
This is a suspenseful and driving piece fueled by slap synth bass and processed percussion. Beeping and high-pass percussion keep the piece moving throughout. Chorus enters at 45 seconds in. Phasing, reverb, delay and reverse used extensively. Bass drops out for the last 25 seconds to just leave the percussion. Sounds like a secret mission.
At Launch
Here is an epic journey of military might and spirited adventure featuring brass, marching snare and timpani, and lush strings. Alternating between the suspenseful and uplifting, this piece invokes visions of preparing for battle or flying through a stunning natural panorama. Marching snares and rising chords in the low brass begin the piece as a Harmon trumpet and flutes offer a delightful melody. A short chorale begins 20 seconds in. At 58 seconds the piece becomes more suspenseful and at 1:28 the snare pauses while full brass, strings and timpani take over. The last 35 seconds of the piece feature a large chorale and uplifting flutes.
Snowdrop
A somber solo piano improvisation featuring a repeated melodic tone with arpeggiated shifting chords in the bass. About 45 seconds from the end is an uplifting moment. Reminiscent of Chopin's Raindrop Prelude. This work looks out a window on nostalgia, regret, and peace.
Divertimento K131
This is an arrangement of Mozart's Divertimento (K131) for bells, harp, chimes and celeste. It is light and bouncy, with an accelerando around 45 seconds in. The work is played two times with a slight ritard at the end of the entire piece.
Dark Star
Dark Star is a orchestral fanfare featuring a rising motive led by the brass and strings. The piece builds gradually and finishes with a full orchestral climax. Chords shift along side of changing orchestral textures. The melody is carried by the brass at the beginning and end with the strings and bells sharing the melody in the middle. This piece depicts triumph.
Spider Eyes
Spider Eyes is an eerie soundscape created with distant high strings, dissonant non-percussive piano textures, and alternately tuned bells. This piece features much sustain and space as dissonance decorates silence. Bells blow in the wind through the first half of the piece and low morphing strings are featured in the second half. It could underscore a child walking through a dark forest.
Dreamy Flashback
This piece features repetitive triplet arpeggi and a lydian scale to invoke a dreamy feel. Pizzicato strings, harp and bells add to the piece's mystery. The pattern is a continuous loop with two arpeggiated chords. It begins and ends abruptly. It could underscore a flashback or a whimsical journey through a gumdrop land.
Frost Waltz (Alternate)
Here is alternate take of "Frost Waltz." It features arpeggiated bells and strings oscillating gently between minor chords. Bells give way to high strings 30 seconds into the piece. At one minute staccato strings give the piece a more mysterious feel and 30 seconds later sustained strings smooth the story. The last 15 seconds feature solo bells. It could underscore an underwater journey or a child flying through an enchanted forest.
Gustav Sting
A grooving sting featuring percussion and low staccato strings. A high-pitched click drives Gustav as he darts through his spy-like adventure.
Greta Sting A somber orchestral sting with a gentle rising motion. Greta is sad today. She met defeat.
I've been working on a secret project to get even more music out to people in an even better way - through the Public Domain.
Many people already confuse Royalty-Free music with the Public Domain, so I did not want to keep them both on one site.
The new site, FreePD.com will allow for more interaction - user accounts, and even the ability for other people to contribute music into the Public Domain. I've been taking some of the older pieces off of my main site to get it started, and there are dozens more that I still need to post there.
So, if you're looking for a specific piece of music - it may have a more liberal license, namely - none.
January 02, 2009 - What Happened to the Previews!?
In truth - the "Preview" function was not a preview at all. Each time someone previewed a piece of music it would actually download the ENTIRE really big file. So, I'm in the process of doing everything the "right" way - and it is going to take some time.
So, while I get the "real" preview going - I just pulled off the fake preview workaround.
I'd like to say when it will be back, but I really don't know how long it will take. Don't feel bad to just download everything (as far as the website was concerned - it was what you were doing all along!)
January 01, 2009 - Album Art Selected!
Congratulations to Aidan Keith-Hynes of Starlight Productions for the album art to be included in my mp3 files!
Thanks to everyone who submitted art as well! I got a lot of very neat pieces (some of which I may use for special releases in the future).
Here is a driving dance piece with a distorted synth lead, synth bass and drums. There is heavy phasing throughout. The energy and drive is constant until the last seven seconds which feature an exposed drum part. It could be used for a club scene, action sequence, or altered-reality sequence.
Here is a somber solo piano piece that features a repetitive descending arpeggio motive. This piece is sparse, mysterious, and at times unnerving. It contains a few uplifting moments (a shorter one begins at 1:40, and longer one at 2:14) but each generally gives way to the more unnerving descending motive and ominous bass notes. The last minute contains slightly more motion than the rest of the piece and fuller chords. It could be used for underscoring contemplation, rain or secretive behavior.
December 11, 2008 - Please Help Out!
I need "album art" to be included on my download-able files.
It should be... square? Seriously, I'm out of my depth here, folks.
Please send jpegs to kevin@incompetech.com.
I'm not offering any prizes at the moment, but I might!
End date is the end of this year, and I'll announce the winner sometime after that.
Here is a lumbering tuba piece with some nice baritone counterpoint and a heavy backbeat. This one was written for a short film called "Happy Boy." It could also underscore a mischievous boy or any number of other characters. It's a comic piece that could also be used for a theme song, credits or title sequence.
November 27, 2008 - Electronic Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! An electronic piece added today:
One Sly Move
A slow relaxed electronic piece. If you like the pairing of EPs and Synths, then you'll definitely like this piece. This piece heavily utilizes the EP as well as the Synths.
Just Nasty
A bit of horn section with a nasty beat and a smackin' snare.
Flutey Funk
The flute carries the main line while the bass and the kit are the background. This is a much lighter piece and will work in the background of sections that have voice work.
November 22, 2008 - Sunny Saturday
In contrast to many of the dark, dark pieces I've done of late - I've been getting requests for something less glum. This piece is downright shiny!
September 08, 2008 - New traditional and non-traditional musics
Two new pieces are now available, go have a listen!
Cool Intro - a short intro Double O - an electronic piece - not quite glitchy
August 31, 2008 - new experimental music
Due to issues with IE, the preview players are no longer on the front page.
No worries, the players are available on all the other pages.
Two new pieces today, titled from Yeats' poem "The Second Coming". It is an Eerie piece with kit, trombone, french horns and some strings. There is the instrumental version, and one includes a partial reading of the poem "The Second Coming" by Yeats.
I don't often do music for ads, but I had a commission opportunity today that seemed a good idea. Two guitars with a simple clean slight swing style. Rhythm guitar is doubled, melodic guitar has quite an aggressive chorus on it... but the effect is still subtle.
You want new music? I'll get you new music. It is both retro and progressive and unlike most anything I've ever heard... possibly with good reason. It's based on a 1904 recording of a tribal dance, and souped-up with... a plethora of sounds and styles.
If you listen to this and ask yourself "what the heck is going on here?", then you comprehend it perfectly. Like it or hate it, it is certainly new.
"Yak-Sized Piece of Grit That Flew Into My Eye, Causing 15 Seconds of Painful Disorientation" for oboe and pianoforte. The full release of the piece detailed here before.
Though there seems to be little rhyme or reason to the music from my site that becomes popular, there are a few trends... and this piece should hit on several of them. Be the first on your block to use this one, before it becomes overused. That way you can say "Yeah, I had that in my video months ago, they ripped off that idea from me!".
So, what happens when you're all medicated and logy and can't keep a harmonic structure in your brain to save your life? A solo piece! In this case, it is a bass clarinet solo, that I later added low strings to.
I've spent far too much time crafting the mix and feel of this piece, so it is quits-time, go-time, time to put this piece out before I go crazy with more and more fixes. This piece was finished 9 times, and was always not quite right. The 10th time might not be right - but it needs to be "done" sometime.
And just for fun contrast, you can take a listen to what it sounded like in its first incarnation.
July 16, 2008 - Recut of Backed Vibes
After a few requests for "Backed Vibes" but without all the beeping, I'm putting that cut online as Backed Vibes (clean).
Enjoy!
July 15, 2008 - Name That Tune!
Well, today's offering is a doozey.
I wrote this piece, and I really, really like it... but have no idea what to call it.
I can't even tell the genre.
Please send your ideas for titles to: kevin@incompetech.com With a subject of "Title Idea".
Thanks, and enjoy!
UPDATE!
Thanks to Bill for his suggestion of "Monster's Stroll"! I did end up going with "Monster Promenade" for reasons that it is annoyingly difficult to make a title with an apostrophe in it.
Thanks to all who sent in your suggestions!
July 14, 2008 - Minimalishtic Piece
This is a sort of shrill piece all on its own, but I wrote it during a quite nasty and hot thunderstorm, and it compliments that setting very well.
I've had this one on repeat for a few hours already... yeah - my life is that exciting.
So you're thinking of doing a revival tour, but you don't have a band to back up your inspirational speech? Good news, good news indeed. This piece starts very thin, and builds a couple of times.
People seem to love the long pieces of music, this one is remarkably versatile and listenable, given there are only 2 chords.
Achilles - Written as theme music for an epic drama. This starts broad and kicks into awesome at 0:27.
Bass Vibes - This piece gets a little atonal in parts.
Takeover of the 8-bit Synths - This... uhh... hmm... let's call it 'experimental' piece starts out with vanilla guitar and rock drums, and gets progressively crazier as the 8-bit synths take over the piece. Maximum anarchy starts around the 3-minute point.
14 pieces that I've not yet mentioned in several genres.
These have a decidedly African-feel to them, as they were all made for the same project. African - Infados, Night Cave World - Confused State, Witch Hunt Soundtrack -End of the Era, Exotic Battle, Ignosi, Myst, News of Sorrow Stings - Morocco Sting
This one I like a lot. I recorded it when I was sort of out of sorts one morning, and heard it later, and it turned out very well! Contemporary - Gagool
Also this week: Militaire Electronic, Vintage Education, and Phat Sketch.
Cheers!
March 16, 2008 - on Choosing instrumentation for a Project
and some of the pieces mentioned in the clip, and a pile more
Silent Film Score - Keystone Deluge, Water Droplets on the River African - Monkoto World - Expeditionary, Arid Foothills Classical - A Little Faith, Mourning Song Soundtrack - Serpentine Trek, Plans in Motion Stings - Light Sting, Mystery Sting, Flutey Sting
We are currently working really hard on a new Music Database user interface, as the number of pieces of music available is becoming a little crazy. It should be awesome. More on this as it develops!
Sometimes I'm in the mood for odd requests. There's no rhyme or reason to these... I just got an email requesting a tango today. So I did some research, and figured out what a tango is. I got some help from Apple's loop library, and checked out Wikipedia to see what the heck they are.
Here's the result:
Also, I updated the "About" section of the site. It had some mention of incompetech not being able to make money, and and outdated rant about web design. So - that's all fixed.
January 26, 2008 - Soundtrack - Volume Two
And... here's some more music. All orchestral and soundtrack-like.
Ok, I've been holding out on you guys. I'm working on a feature film right now, so I'm kind of taking the time I used to use for posting new things and using it to create new things.
Here's a selection of pieces.
There are bunches and bunches of new tracks now online from my good friend Jon M. T. Roberts!
He's a super-talented composer and performer, and I finally got him to go online with it all.
The music is all licensed Creative Commons: By Attribution (just like my stuff), so go and get it people!
His site looks and works a lot like mine, so there shouldn't be much confusion. :-)
And don't forget to send him emails. I promised some emails... so... I need your help with that.
January 02, 2008 - Quirk Sells
Ok, both my main controllers are out of commission still. I'm left with a 25 key mini controller.
So I made a little quirky percussion study. Human Beat
And here's a quick percussion bit I whipped up as a short-order request: Asian Drums
Cheers.
December 13, 2007 - Sketches
Five new pieces... that aren't really full pieces. In each of these, there is no development. There is just a groove or a hook.
What else do these pieces all have in common? You can juggle clubs to them.
Don't tell anyone. It is a super secret project.
Today's entry marks over 400 piece of music on my site. Yay! Not sure what I can do to commemorate this... I mean... it isn't like I can have a sale.
Seven March - Who remembers Torgo from "Manos: Hands of Fate"? It occurred to me today that this is a sort of 21st century version of that theme music.
Cherry Blossom - perfect for most situations... where nothing else works.
. . . And Six More (in Soundtrack and Horror)!
December 03, 2007 - Cha Cha and Happy
Today's update includes a... ok, I have no idea what this is - but I quite like it. Future Cha Cha
I think it is a dance/club piece... for very very odd clubs.
Spy Groove - A hot mix of cool sounds. I had this one laying around for a while... I'm not certain what it was originally intended to be... it kind of just looked like a template - but I threw in some dissonant rock-like things. Fun piece.
ReignReign - Written for an animation, this has a giant change-up in the middle, so its uses are somewhat limited, but it is quite a nice piece.
November 30, 2007 - More unclassifiables
A neat piece featuring Logic's UltraBeat, the EVP88 electric piano, the EVB3 organ, a few new synths, and a voice from Apple's Voices add-on.
Uses? No idea.
After an extended trip out to NYC, I picked up a few ideas (to say the least) - so here's one of the first, a very warm trance-inducing piece. Opium
I was considering doing an entire collection of pieces like this - as it was quite fun to make.
Also, I have no idea what that bowed stringed instrument is called - so, if you do - please let me know.
November 15, 2007 - Redoing Other People's Music
Last night, I went to see Saltimbanco from Cirque du Soleil. While the acts were fine, the music was very dated, and often not appropriate to the performances. For me - it detracted from the show quite a bit (though I will say most people enjoyed it, as it got a standing ovation).
This music replaces the music in the hand balancing act. Power, precision, and grace, yeah? Not exactly Sunday jazz in the park. [original after the jump]
What can one person do about this? Answer? iPod. I rescored one act last night for a couple of friends of mine who were going to see it today.
So take your iPod along, and hit 'play' when the people in white tophats rush downstage.
Hand Balance Redux. The timing might get off near the end... as I obviously can't play this live for you.
If this goes over well, I might rescore the whole show, so let me know what you think!
I'm just finishing up a pile of sing-along Christmas pieces for a stage production. Being seasonal, I decided to get them out as soon as possible.
Super-peppy sing-alongs! Right now, they are the first four pieces on this page. "Up on a Housetop", "Jingle Bells", "Deck the Halls", and "Oh, Christmas Tree".
Cheers, everyone!
October 21, 2007 - Short Update
I've been doing lots these last couple weeks. But not much made it up here... including 2 musicals. But here's a small pile of things...
NewsSting - a simple news-y intro Eyes Gone Wrong - an intense but reserved transition Disco Sting - 1980's Style intro Darkness Speaks - unsettling transition Bama Country - Taken as a request for a super rural country tune. It is listed as "Unclassifiable" just because I have only one country piece available. Nice fiddle, though the tremolo run didn't turn out as well as I'd have liked. Vibe Ace - Cool, cool hybrid Folk Round - Sort of... medieval campfire-like. Colossus - Ahh... this one's cool... in that theatrical epic sense. You need to listen at least through one minute 52 seconds.
October 04, 2007 - Soundtracks
For the first section: pieces written for a video game.
Vampires! Halls of the Undead
Werewolves! Shamanistic
Elves! Frozen Star
and... for those of you who are always bugging me about the giant battle music...
Orcs! Stoneworld Battle
Oh man... I've had quite my fill of Westerns... not to mention a pile of scrap music that doesn't quite work. I think these will be the last 2 in the genre for a bit.
Western Streets - an all percussion chaotic thing Martian Cowboy - umm... yeah. "Dark, Eerie, Epic, Somber, Unnerving" about says it.
September 17, 2007 - All over the board
Craig and Tony came over the other day, and I showed them what I was working on for Westerns. They said it sucked, and gave me some actual Westerns to look at. So I did. And my music was hideously wrong. So here's my shot at making it right. Smoking Gun
But my Westerns were interrupted by an emergency request for a new-age Celtic (Scottish) piece. It is quite different-sounding than the last Celtic piece I did... due to the new-agedness of it. Skye Cuillin
Some days I wonder how such dissimilar music can come out of me in a single day.
September 15, 2007 - Celtic-sounding
Sandy had an idea... "I need something Celtic, but nothing really upbeat."
Ok, this one clocks in at 90 beats per minute, which isn't really upbeat - but it isn't slow either. I probably won't be doing this kind of music again soon, as the number of hours spent on learning that darned whistle part almost doesn't seem worth it.
And having vanquished all the ethnic requests from the queue; one thing that has been abundantly clear in the last few days is that everyone wants Westerns. I'm looking at four requests from completely different people. I'll see what I can do!
September 14, 2007 - Logic Studio
Well, I didn't get as much work done today as I had hoped. My brand new copy of Logic Studio showed up today... and it took about 4 hours to install the thing... and another 8 hours to play with it.
Here's what I did do...
Chris had more ideas... "the paradise cantos?"
While not exactly paradise, this is certainly ethereal... and very cantos. Maybe that'll make up for it. Arcadia
Jonathon had an idea... "Is there any way you could make some Maltese music?"
I have no idea. I'm not really an enthomusicologist, but I was provided with some samples.
I don't even know what instruments they used - but I tried to get close. East of Tunesia (as a side note to Chris, this also may be useful for ancient Sumer)
I was having so much fun with the Maltese music, I kept going... and ended up in a disco. Balzan Groove
And now, a complaint about Logic Pro 8. There used to be a way to change the routing of an instrument. It is STILL in the interface (e.g. "CoreAudio: Inst 1") but you can't change it! It is greyed out, and is making me crazy!
Yes, I CAN add multiple lines routed to the same poly-synth, but muting one mutes them all, and soloing one solos them all (changing the icon changes all the icons, etc). It properly opens old projects where they are routed correctly, but seems to be confused when you change something.
Anyway Apple; I LOVE the new interface... please ungrey out that line for me.
Thanks.
September 11, 2007 - More Requests
Keep them coming, folks!
Forrest had an idea... "More Kevin Organ!"
Okey Dokey. Here's some crazy funky musics with a B3 monster organ in it. Fork and Spoon
Chris had an idea... "Wandering through the land of the dead."
I'm not sure about you - but here's what that sounds like to me... Land of the Dead
John had an idea... "[I'd like something] about 4-5 minutes long, start off with a theme that builds towards the end, with a feeling of hope and potential. Something piano based, with perhaps more instruments towards the end."
This one took longer to get than I thought... Eternal Hope
And I actually had an idea. I've been seeing the "Deliberate Thought" piece show up in quite a few places, so I made a sequel by taking out all the things people like, and amping up that parts that people don't care for. While I do understand this is possibly the worst way to make a sequel, it certainly was fun. How it Begins
Also, for Chicagoland peeps:Get Downsized, a play I did the score for is playing for the next couple of weeks. Go see it.
September 08, 2007 - Some Requests... sort of
Here's the first batch of requests from people... They're not all exactly as requested, and I certainly did not do them all!
Erik had an idea... "I think it would be cool of you to compose some Japanese or Chinese music (classical type music, not the modern stuff)."
Well, I don't know anything about the genre, so I just listened to a few clips off of Amazon. I might have this completely wrong - but this is what it sounds like to me. Ishikari Lore
Lynette had an idea... "How about some music that could go with footage of driving on a roadtrip? "
Okey dokey. Here's another genre I have little experience in. So, I cranked up the GarageBand to see what it can do. Matt's Blues
Kristin has an idea... "How about some ancient type music. Or something that's reminiscent of the Roman Empire. Like harps and flutes in a minor key."
This one is a quite reserved sort of formal dinner kind of ancient music feel. I still might do another one that is more militaristic. Temple of the Manes
And, I have an extra one... "Ominous Intro". This one was written for a stage production that opened yesterday in Chicago. So if you're in Chicago, go see this. It is very VERY good. And really REALLY inexpensive pound-for-pound considering the enormous entertainment it dishes out. Get Downsized. I personally guarantee you will enjoy it... and I don't care what demographic you're from. mmm... maybe not Goths. But maybe! If you're a Goth, and you go - let me know what you think of it!
August 08, 2007 - Heaping Pile Update
What happens when I don't post for a month? Too much. Today's offerings include bits from a film, 2 animation projects, 3 stage shows, and some odds and ends.
Thanks to Chris for the titles of the French-sounding pieces... and for requesting them in the first place.
June 25, 2007 - Cavalcade of Depression!
I was justing finishing off a pile of fragments I had on my desktop today. Wow, some seriously dark stuff...
A Turn for the Worse Piano, Violin, and Clarinets. Years from now - this will be classified as a "fragment". But it is still long enough to be useful for some applications
Grave Matters Holy lush strings! Good background. The front and back sections are independently loopable.
Simple Duet A simple piano and violin duet. Still getting used to that cursed violin. Touchy, touchy instrument, that violin is. This one isn't so depressing as the others.
What a fun, fun day!
June 13, 2007 - Late Entry
I've been posting music to the site... just been forgetting to tell you all that I've been doing it... so these may be old to you:
- Dragon and Toast
- Sonatina in C Minor
and a few others I've already forgotten about. oops.
May 14, 2007 - Month of Music Continues!
More musics. This batch includes pieces from 2 projects (a musical and a stage performance) as well as some other pieces.
Here was the plan. 50 pieces of music in one month. Well, that was the plan... the NEW plan is one piece of music every day. Keeping up the former pace was causing me too much stress for a stupid challenge.
Today is the 6th, so here's the first 6 pieces:
Gearhead Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! All your Hard Rockin' Prayers are answered!
Riptide This is another rock piece... written for a different documentary... on a subject that had nothing to do with rock music. But that's why there are large gaps in guitar (much narration).
There you have it! The Month of Music hath begun! Just 25 more pieces to go...
April 22, 2007 - InDigital
I was watching the latest episode of InDigital with Wil, Jessica, and Hahn and thinking... "You know? That music is 'ok' but it isn't perfect." It should be more of a fusion of straight-up rock (with a little clean funk), and crisp electronica. There are people talking about tech. Get it? The people are represented by the rock, and... ok, you get it.
Not only that, but the music should sound reasonable at low levels, and not stomp out the human vocal range.
It should be exciting and peppy without being blatant about it. So, a super fast tempo - that doesn't sound rushed.
And it needs to be long and loopable... for folks who can't get a review accomplished in four minutes. :-)
So those were my requirements for this project, and here is the result: Tech Talk
A strong ending would be good... but I didn't hit that one here. It ends fine, but at low levels you don't get the subtlety of the guitar fading out. Are you listening editors? Crank the ending if you use the ending!
April 12, 2007 - Too classifiable
In the past, I've had a hard time classifying the music I do. Now I have a piece that fits into 2 categories: African, and Electronica. Problem is, I only built the database with the ability to put pieces in one category.
I encourage you to listen loud.* You'll need to in order to hear the toke bell part.**
* Please don't sue for any hearing loss.
** I know, I know... the toke can go much much louder than that... I think it is being played with a coat hanger.
April 07, 2007 - North and South Waunobe
I've been getting a lot of requests for marching band music recently... actually, no. I haven't. But I did write a piece for a theater production. It is set in a small town, with a small town marching band, so that's what you get! A bare minimum of 23 musicians, not all of whom are very good. Each part was recorded individually, and no mistakes were fixed in post.
I know, a minute thirty doesn't seem like much... but you try to play all those parts over and over again while arranging them in your head! (it isn't that difficult - I just enjoy complaining)
March 23, 2007 - The Show
For one of my spare-time projects, I did a rock theme for a podcast by Paul Hughes. So, here's the opener!
Ok, if everything went well, you should notice no difference in how you get music from my site. However, it is all changed. The backend is a full-blown database, which means easier updates for me, and more music online in the long run.
Here's some that have been waiting in the wings for too long... In order from longest at 3:18 to shortest at 9 seconds.
This is a very round analog piece with a subtle choir. Keep listening. They're in there!
March 01, 2007 - All over the board... again.
Netherworld Shanty
First I must say, I like this one. A lot. Too much. The idea for this piece was "If purgatory had a marching band". So, there's a very badly played tin whistle, an accordion, a bassoon, and a bunch of other stuff. I'm pretty sure the melody is catchy - and the fact that it is stuck in my head is not just the result of mixing the piece for hours... Like Great Cthulhu, this piece is wonderful, horrible, and awesome. You mind will forever be marred by it.
Phantasm
I'm not going to lie to you - this piece made me ill. No joke. That being said, the music that causes me the most trouble tends to be the music that everyone loves. If you don't have a subwoofer - you won't experience the pain inducing aspect of this piece. All of the bass notes are the same volume. I guarantee it. You can tune your equalizer with this piece if some notes are louder or softer. Careful not to get sick, though. This thing has a power. Be careful with it.
Lasting Hope
This has a sort of similar purpose as the last piece, only it won't make you sick. This is one of the first things I've done with a choir. It has an almost organic synth, and some neat - if sparce - percussion. This was mixed entirely on a Mac. One day, I hope to switch to all-Mac production, but right now - I've too much invested in software on the other side... and just enough things aren't available.
Perigrine Grandeur
This piece started on my dry erase board as the rhythm you hear in the first 2 measures. But that's all I really had. It shows. The agogo was the next thing that made it into the mix... and then the hammer dulcimer. The who what? Hammer dulcimer. Yes. It is the thing that sounds like a guitar. I put it through a distortion unit and a guitar amp simulator. The result is an odd World-music hybrid that sounds like it belongs in a Cirque show on the strip in Vegas. I gave it an odd name figuring it would be hard for people to find. That's just me being mean.
This piece used to have so much more in it... but I cut it back to the bare bones. It had bridges and multiple melodies, and just a lot of stuff... but it became difficult to listen to and the coolness of the original 2 measures was lost.
February 26, 2007 - Massive drums and Light fun
A bit of warning for this first piece. The bass is very heavy. It will punch you in the gut and blow out your speakers if you turn it up too much. You'll get about 30 seconds before it hits... so don't say I didn't warn you. Big Mojo is the kind of piece you'd hear in a very loud action sequence in a very loud action film. There are plenty of cut-outs for dialog and other explosions.
At another edge of the musical spectrum; Mariachi Snooze. This is a nice light fun swing piece in a very very major mode. Nothing to offend here... just light fun.
Also, I received a great little voice-over sounder from S. L. Slaughter. If you like the sound of it and think you have a use for Voice-Overs in your own project, I suggest you contact him. The man can make anything sound exciting. Even a quilting bee. (to my knowledge he has not done voice work for a quilting bee... but he could... if you paid him money.)
February 14, 2007 - Tibet, Ireland, and Germany
Interesting day today. I continue to play with my new world music samples, and I got a request for Wagner. Wagner? Who requests Wagner? Well... she didn't know she was requesting Wagner, she wanted a recording of that traditional wedding march piece. There's quire a few wedding marches out there - but it turns out she wanted the "Bridal Chorus" from the Act 3 of the opera Lohengrin.
It is known around these parts as "here comes the bride"... the actual words start out "Treulich geführt ziehet dahin,
wo euch der Segen der Liebe bewahr'!" translation: " Faithfully guided, draw near to where the blessing of love shall preserve you!" [wikipedia]
I recorded two versions; one with a pipe organ, and another (new arrangement) on piano. Bridal Chorus's.
Just picked up a new pack for Garageband that has some nice world music samples in it. I'm still learning how to use it - but I've had requests for various ethnic musics which I've been unable to do until now. Expect more world music soon.
Plain Loafer Similar to "No Good Layabout", but not at all similar. I need a new genre for things like this...
Radio Martini I really like this one. A cheery sort of ditty. The presence of the clarinet means you probably can't use it under scenes with dialog, as they occupy about the same frequency range... but the piece I wrote this for didn't have any dialog, so it does a good job of filling in the space. Also, I love clarinet.
Keep the comments and suggestions coming. Also jobs. I can use more jobs. :-)
January 29, 2007 - Odd combos
Well... I finished off 30 audio pieces today ranging from 3-second sound design cuts to a 7-minute piece for a musical. I'll assume you don't want a sound effect of a talking fish and just post some music.
People have already asked what that drone instrument is in the bass. Well... I made it up. It is a combination of a tuba, a pitch-shifted bass trombone, and a trombone with a cup mute. The instrument in the melody is a soprano sax pitch-shifted up an octave.
January 23, 2007 - Vacation Compositions
I've been off on vacation, and was just killing some time at my friend Pete's place... when I needed to write some music. I just really needed to. Problem One: I had no software with me. No worries - Mac OS X comes with Garageband. Second problem: there's no MIDI setup there. Garageband has a little app where you can key things in with the normal 109-key typing keyboard. Problem three: No studio monitors.
Ok, problem three is a bit bigger. No studio monitors... no headphones available... no external speakers of any kind! Just the little tinny built-in mono speaker in the G5 tower. This is not really an easy thing to deal with. The bass lines were inaudible. I played them in a couple of octaves up, and trusted they'd sound ok in the final mix. Also, the kick drum was completely missing. I mixed it visually based on the meters.
After I got home and listened, it turned out pretty good!
I've been getting a lot of requests for these synth-based light... 'compositions', so I also did one of these. This is interesting in that I played it in at 150bpm, and then slowed it down to 68. Those layers of pedals get a little tedious at normal-speed.
Not much new lately? Well, not that I've been idle - I just finished off the soundtrack for a film that will open in New York in April. But today, I bring thee, two pieces of rock music! Down Home Rockin is a sort of guitar-driven 12-bar blues-rock piece with a nice little piano solo. Pretty straightforward.
The other piece, Neolith, is a little harder to put my finger on. It is certainly rock - and fast rock at that, clocking in at 145 beats per minute. The guitar mostly in the right channel has a hard gate effect on eighth notes, giving it an almost percussive drive. The one on the left is extended power chords with a hint of a major mode to them - as opposed to the traditional unqualified (open root fifth) or minor chords that you usually find in hard rock pieces. The effect is striking at times.
Both are interesting. Enjoy!
December 23, 2006 - The Weasel
This piece came out of a piano sketch I did a few days ago, but really took flight during the orchestral arrangement. The very low English horn line brings a lot of character to the piece. It is supported by bassoons, and later, a bass clarinet.
Unlike last week's Bach Sinfonia, this piece has a lot of potential for film. Animators out there, you listening to this?
On December 1st, Brian Lemin paid me a compliment by saying that every piece of my music was "good for something". A challenge was born. Could I make a piece of music which was literally without use? It is quite a challenge. A random cacophony of noises are useful in some situations, so it had to be structured. I think I may have the answer: a fusion of Bach's Sinfonia No. 3 with a contemporary beat. Surely, there is no use for this music!
Also new today are a couple of ragtime pieces, as I see the Silent Film Score music is pretty popular these days: Mister Exposition, Matter of Facts.
Wizardtorium - Orchestral; I think I used to have this on the site, long ago. It is worth a listen.
Easy Jam - Reggae in a minor key. C minor, to be exact.
Man, I was in the mood for reggae...
Enjoy!
December 02, 2006 - House Cleaning Part One
I have a lot of music hanging out on my PC. iTunes informs me there are 1146 pieces that I wrote weighing in at 1.7 days, and 11+ gig. This is not the entirety of my stuff. I have a lot of projects that I started, and never made it quite to the end. To rectify the situation, I started putting finishing touches on things I started over 4 years ago. And that's a chunk of what's available in this update.
In Electronica I've added: Misuse, Thinking Out Loud, Cognitive Dissonance, The Way Out, Long Time Coming, and Overriding Concern.
In Rock, I added Aitech. Peppy Pepe is a new contemporary piano piece. Peppy Pepe in Latin. Exotics in unclassifiable. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies in holiday.
None of the compositions are really new - just unreleased. The new ones are starting to pile up as well... I'll get them online when I can!
Cheers.
November 18, 2006 - Wheaties, Breakfast of Champions
It's fun time, everbody! I recently picked up a keyboard. It is kind of old, but no worries. It is a Technics KN700. Just today I found the best setting ever. Style #10: Folk Rock. You'll recognize it as Wesley Willis' favorite auto-music generator. These don't really fit with the rest of my music, so I didn't link them off of any page.
I still don't have the "fill button" skills down, but if you enjoy one of the few men who has his own genre, you will enjoy these tracks.
It seems the KN700 is the same vintage as Willis' KN1200, but it doesn't have the auto harmonizer that you hear in songs like "Kill Whitey"
November 15, 2006 - Electronica Jam II
A revision and a new piece today. It seems that the uber-happy synth line from Shiny Tech has been done before. A lot. It was pointed out by my friend Kelly that a very very similar line appears in Trainspotting when they go to London. She brought over the DVD. Indeed, the line is very similar. Anyway, I did a retake - and pulled down the 'pop' on it.
The new piece is my favorite so far (of these kinds of things). Harmful or Fatal. It has speed guitar in it, but it behaves alongside and in compliment to an electronic instrument. I need an audio engineering degree - because this isn't as loud of a mix as I would have liked. I'm missing something. The length of this one got out of hand, but it really requires the time to develop. It might be even better longer.
Today's piece is a crazy Slavic-sounding folk-ish thingie. It is deliberately rough-around-the-edges and features a nice accordion. There just aren't enough pieces of music with accordion these days.
I wrote this for a possible stage show. I forget the exact constraints, but they included a small ensemble and a raucous mysterious feel... or maybe I just made that up.
In the project, there are lots and lots of instruments that didn't make the final cut. Harpsichords, clarinets, triangles, drum sets... bunches of things. But even at its 4-piece level it is quite chaotic.
November 11, 2006 - Electronica Jam
Two new pieces today. Both electronica dance, and completely dissimilar.
I wrote these both a possible sketches for an upcoming film I'm scoring. Shiny Tech is a full-bore happy peppy dance/techno piece. Were it a real techno piece - it would probably be three times longer than it is. The themes are introduced and killed off as quickly as possible to allow for fast development. I recommend!
In a Heartbeat, on the other hand is a nasty piece of music. It is hardcore ugly and produced to be very very loud. By "nasty", I don't mean it is bad. It is gritty and grating... the kind of things the kids are into these days. This piece has quite an effect on my affect. After about 4 hours of working on various blips and screams - I was downright angry.
Yes, music can make me angry. This is not a surprise, but it does make one lose perspective. I wasn't quite sure if it was good - or if it just made me angry because it was not good. I'm pretty sure there will be another version of this piece... there is just something about the structure that is unbalanced right now. Of course, that may just add to the anger - so maybe it is a good thing. We'll see.
Also, I found out that quite a few people subscribe to the RSS feed on this site... Thanks, everyone - keep the feedback coming!
November 02, 2006 - Dramatics
I scattered a few new entries around the site, but most are in the Drama section. They range from minutes' long fight sequences to just a few seconds' worth of finishing touches.
We Got Trouble, Power Restored, Time Passes, Ambush, Action, Quiet Panic.
A few of these are from audio dramas, a few from movie scores, and one is from a stage play scene change (Time Passes).
October 21, 2006 - House Cleaning
Here's a few projects that have been on my desktop way too long.
That's one polka down, about 3 still left to be finished. As for the rock and pop tunes... I don't often finish them because I rarely like them. The exceptions here are that I actually finished them, and I like one of them. I'll leave it up to the listener to figure out which...
October 18, 2006 - Back on Track
A friend of mine (Mr. Craig Knitt) shared with me an idea for a film that I was pretty excited about, so I started doing a soundtrack for it blind. These are the first two pieces. Who knows if they'll make the cut...
I'm not a big fan of horror movies; but I am pretty excited about the music.
October 14, 2006 - New Age, and... something else...
Here's today's new offerings! The piano piece I did as a special request for a photographer, who liked the smaller version I wrote for him. Cut Trance was an exploration piece (I just got some new software, and needed to try it out) - also, someone requested something with a clockwork piano, and techno stuff going on... I think that's kind of what's going on here.
Well... it isn't entirely latin... but close enough to land itself on that page.
August 01, 2006 - Cool Side and Something else...
Today's new music (and probably the last new music for a few weeks) includes a piece which started its life called "alternate uses for acoustic guitar overtones". It was just an 8-bar sketch that I started laying things on top of. It ended up being something... uh... well - something. I have no clue what it is, so I put it under Experimental. I can say this - the mix is great.
The other piece, [i]On the Cool Side[/i], is more in a genre - but it isn't hardcore jazz. It has some bluesy notes, and a jazz ending note. It is quite cool. Cool in the jazz sense; not cool in the absolute sense. I'll stop typing now.
I need to come up with a better way to categorize these. It is getting out of hand. There's another piece online called Pride... I forget what page it is on.
There you go, everbodys! Five new pieces today. And four more that I should have uploaded but was too lazy. They're piano solos - I'll get them up in a bit.
July 20, 2006 - Polka / Durge
Ever wake up in the morning and think; "I want to write a super-crazy polka!"? Oh, come on... Seriously? Never? Well... I'm not weird if that's what you think. They've been running radio ads for a polka-fest in my area - they must have gotten into my brain early on.
This is the proof-of-concept piece I did for an upcoming series. It went well, so maybe the others will make it up here... but the new ones'll be better. This was a 3-track impromptu.
July 19, 2006 - Nice Atmospheric
I've been busy, but not everything is online. I've done 5 commission pieces and a musical this last week, but here's some pieces for you - the loving public.
"Bathed in the Light" is a simple airy synth piece I did in Garage Band with my new MIDI controller, the Axiom 61. I've waited a long time for this controller, and it is all it is cracked up to be. It is the best MIDI controller for real-time performances I've ever seen. The only downside is that is doesn't come with a manual - I had to download one. Why, M-Audio? Why would you not include a printed manual?
The piano solo is an old one I recorded 8 years ago on a dull-dull sounding Steinway. It sounds ok, but I like the brighter-sounding pianos these days.
July 13, 2006 - 31 minutes; Fun for all
I know, it has been almost a week since my last update. I've been slacking. All I have to show for it is nine new tracks totalling 31 minutes.
In the Horror Genre I did five new background pads; Heart of the Beast, Inner Sanctum, It is Lost, Spacial Winds, and The Voices. I also put up a children's song... because it was creepy. Few things in life are as creepy as a corrupted children's song. Someone is bound to build a horror movie around that thing.
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I also took a request for a crazy funky piece of music like what might be found in a certain genre of 1970's... cinema (most probably Super-8 format)? That one is called C-Funk. I personally like ProtoFunk a little better for that sort of thing. But you can take your pick.
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In the piano section, I found an old piece that I thought I put online ages ago. Sapphire Isle.
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And now - the moment you've all been waiting for: The best contemporary piano solo in existence! Sovereign.
That's right. How often do I say something is 'the best'? Or even 'great'? Never. That is why you should listen to me. Here is my one piece of hype for me - a composition destined to become the Fur Elise of this century: easy to play, elegant, and most of all beautiful.
Money back is not impressed.
This is possibly the most accurate and worst title of my career. It is an electronic-soaked variation of a theme or 2 from Beethoven's Egmont Overture. If you know the original work, and recognize the title, you'll probably download and not like the piece - because it doesn't have any of the brilliance of Beethoven's pacing.
If you like dance/techno, you probably won't download this because the title makes it look like something classical.
It has a weird polyrhythm feel because the Overture theme is in a different time signature than the rest of this piece. I did change up the theme in bits and parts, but I mainly kept the off-time feel. You can let it wash over you and be fine - if you think too hard about it - it gets... tough.
Starting scant days ago, I just got better reporting softwares for my web site. It is now apparent that people like the rock music... which is interesting - because I'm not very good at it, or at least I don't _think_ I'm very good at it.
I don't understand rock. I don't understand what people like about rock. I just plain don't get it.
What's the difference between a good rock piece and a weak piece? I don't know. If there was a seminar on the matter, I would probably attend. It might be one of those things you have to be brought up with to understand.
If anyone would like to forward their theory of rock music production to me, that'd be great. I have a feeling much of it will revolve around singing and lyrics, though.
July 04, 2006 - Vision of Persistence, Cryptic Sorrow
Both of these are very quiet and light.
"Vision of Persistence" is a piece based on a rhythm on a single note.
"Cryptic Sorrow" I put together as a response to a post in an earlier article about filmmakers looking for longer pieces of music for longer scenes, or scoring over multiple scenes.
I really wish I had more to say about these, but I was pretty tired when I recorded them, and I'm pretty tired now. So feel free to make up your own commentary on them.
June 26, 2006 - Piano Solo and the Creative Process
For some reason, I got 4 unrelated emails in 4 consecutive days - all about my African compositions. That is very very odd. That brings the one-year total to 6. I took it as a sign, and wrote another piece.
Five new pieces that will help round out your silent period films. Most were made with a small band consisting of Tuba, trombones, trumpets, clarinets, piano, and various percussion things.
Two new - and very very different pieces. Porch Blues - you know, marginal blues from the front porch... if your porch has a piano like mine does. Intractable - A sort of light jazz/funk confection with lots of vibe and a flugelhorn.
