Kitschy retro track for the hustle and bustle of transportation in a metropolitan setting. I imagine a scene from the first act of a comedic movie in the 50's/60's. There's a little bit of Gershwin influence in the orchestration (but not a lot).
This track is available for scoring, and also acts as a demo of some of my stylistic capabilities. If you'd like to commission custom work, please get in touch. I'm always interested in new projects.
If you'd like to use this track, please message me for attribution requirements.
"File:Bristol Greyhound bus 2150 (FHW 156D), 2011 Bristol Vintage Bus Group open day.jpg" by Chris Sampson is licensed with CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
"Broadway ave." by MC SimonE is licensed with CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/
It started out like any other job: follow the suspect, gather intel, and report your findings to HQ. Never once did it cross that thick little skull of yours that the alleged double agent would be a dame. It was an amateur assumption. Your training readied you to deal with all manners of thugs, firearms, and dangerous scenarios, but nothing could have prepared you for the sultry stare of those emerald green eyes. Sometimes the most dangerous weapon is the sweetest whisper.
This track was inspired by classic noir fiction by the likes of Dashiell Hammett, Mickey Spillane, and Raymond Chandler. I wanted to do something sneaky, light, and a little seductive. Musically, some of the inspiration came from Gabor Szabo, Mel Young, Henry Mancini, and John Cacavas.
If you intend to use this track for film, some of the horn stabs may conflict with dialogue or other on screen events. Because of this, I've provided versions of this track with them as well as the solo horn stabs for maximum editing flexibility. I've also included a brief stinger so you can edit an ending to the track should the need arise.
In an odd but welcome coincidence, I was working out the melodies for this piece when I got news that a game I had written a bunch of "spy jazz" for was finally released. If you enjoy this track and would like to hear more in a similar style, please consider checking out Burglars Inc. on the Apple Store. The demo version is free and allows you to play for hours before hitting a paywall.
As with all the things posted here, this is freely available for use in games and/or animation projects. It also works as a sort of demo of my style and abilities. I’m actively looking for new gigs, so if you enjoy anything here please get in touch to discuss some custom work.
I’ve provided separate intro/loop files for ease of editing. If you would like to use this free loop, please message me for attribution requirements.
You say we'll get coffee at quarter to 8
you make a promise you won't be late
you must have lied again
cause baby, it's half past 9
You say we'll split even but you're always broke
won't buy packs, but you'll bum a smoke
you'll trade five for ten,
Well you ain't no friend of mine
Okay, those lyrics are terrible; nobody ever accused me of being a librettist. Most music from this genre/era originated as a song, so it's fitting to think of something singable when writing a melody. I tend to think more in terms of syllables, general character, and plausible phrasing than concrete words (though "ain't no friend of mine" seemed to fit pretty early on). I figured the lyrics would have been something in the spirit of "The Lady Is a Tramp" or "Hit That Jive, Jack". The rest was improvised for this post. What do you want from me?
This track was inspired by a humorous montage of "Things Animation Girls Say"created by the very talented Rebecca Parham of Let Me Explain Studios. I was impressed by the writing, artistic style, and overall execution. Despite the absence of music I kept hearing this gypsy jazz-ish clarinet riff in my head. I had some time before I needed to start the next project, so I sketched out fragments of the melody and changes over the next few evenings while riding the subway to and from various engagements, and produced the track in a little over an evening. While the production is a little rough in some spots, I'm happy with how this one turned out considering it's a first attempt at producing something in this specific style of jazz.
This is the original video which inspired the music. While Rebecca was extremely supportive, she was understandably unable to alter the video without losing the current number of views, commentary, and general stats in the process. Please subscribe to her YouTube channel. It's full of creatively awesome things.
This loopable track is distributed with several options. Clarinets have the tendency to fight with the frequency range of spoken word, and the guitar solo may be too busy to work as background material for your project. Because of this, I've included a version with JUST rhythm guitar, drums, and bass as well as a sololess version with separate stems for the clarinet and guitar. This way you can edit together whatever version of the track works best with your project. I've also included the ending tag melody as a separate stinger so you can edit in an ending wherever you see fit.
As with all the things posted here, this is freely available for use in games and/or animation projects. It also works as a sort of demo of my style and abilities. I’m actively looking for new gigs, so if you enjoy anything here please get in touch to discuss some custom work.
I’ve provided separate intro/loop files for ease of editing. If you would like to use this free loop, please message me for attribution requirements.
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted something. I’ve been working on a more epic track, but I’ve run into a few snags and it’s taking a little longer than expected. In lieu of that, I present a (non-loopable) piece I wrote as an intro to a film that was unfortunatelyabandoned before release. This is dark and ominous with violent undertones. Themes of murder, assassination, international treachery, double agents, and false identities all come to mind. Imagine a close up of drops of red ink falling onto a sheet of white paper, or black ties and socks neatly being placed into carry-on luggage by a faceless entity, and shoes that are just a little too well polished. Or, if we want to get creepy with it, a slow pan across disheveled carpeting and a tattered teddy bear slumped in the corner. Crikey!
This was written a number of years ago when these particular instruments were still pretty new to me. The character of some of the swells in the woodwinds is a little off-putting, though I’m not convinced many people would notice had I not just pointed it out. Let’s just pretend it was intentional and adds to the creepy factor ;) Production quagmires aside, I like how it came together as a composition.
No loop files are provided with this one as it’s not really a loop. I’ve provided a direct download in the event that I reach my max on Soundcloud, though. If you would like to use this royalty free track, please message me.
