New Music !

I’m thrilled to have a couple of tracks on Big Screen Music’s new album, ‘Dreamweaver’, and Altitude Music’s ‘Innovation’

There are plenty more releases on the way, but these have just become available – so I thought I’d give you a chance to listen.

I’m particularly pleased with ‘Absinthe & Opium’ – When I was talking with Olivia from Big Screen Music, I remember pitching it as
‘Fog-Laden, Victorian, Alternate-Reality London’

In order to conjure up something of an aged feel I made up the palette from a mixture of  sources such as G-Force’s M-Tron Mandolin & Guitar tapes, Spitfire Audio’s wonderful Plucked Piano and Dulcimer, some dusty old wheezy harmoniums ominously breathing in and out, knackered barrel organs, some stern brass and bassoons, and there you have it.

I’d been listening to the beautiful soundtrack to The Elephant Man by John Morris , I loved that feel and wanted it to inform the mood, but the trick was going to be how to subtly modernise it. It’s a delicate balance … too much artifice and all the smoke and mirrors are revealed. But I think a few little synthey touches moving in and out of the frame, as it were, and the odd reverse effect to disorient you and let you know that all is not quite as it seems, might just have  pulled it off.

Also below is Smoke Rings featuring the wonderful Blackjack Horns – Jack Birchwood and Nathan Hawken on Muted Trumpet and Flute. I wanted to go for a dreamy 50’s / 60’s Mancini-esque sound here. I have great memories of sleepy Saturday afternoons at home, the sun was coming in through the windows and my Dad was watching a Blake Edwards film with these kind of Soundtracks, so lush. Been a guilty pleasure of mine ever since, so doing this kind of piece sits very well with me.

The Altitude Music pieces came in a very timely fashion. I’d just finished work on my first Horror score, a very intense process -so coming to write light and positive pieces for advertising couldn’t have been more of a polar opposite. It was very welcome indeed, and so it also came easily, probably out of sheer relief !

Anyway, here are the tracks below. Do enjoy :)