Google just used this track, “Palladium On Two” for their latest hardware/spyware device, the Pixel 8. Palladium On Two is an Afro-Cuban dance music from New York, popular in the 1930’s and 40’s, doused in Mambo, and when they say Mambo, my immediate go to is the Maestro Rhythm King MkII drum machine by Gibson, who’s preset ‘Mambo’ is next level, brain scratcher, aka, the funky sound to Drake’s ‘Hotline Bling’, as sampled from Timmy Thomas ‘Why Can’t We Live Together’. In fact, you can barely hear it in this mix. It’s there though. Background flavor and starting point to another classic.
Quick vocal job here. Ravi needed vocals that sounded like a stadium chanting “LA Galaxy” for a set before an LA Galaxy soccer game at their Stadium in, yep, you’ve guessed it, L.A. Multiple layering of as many different variations of singing LA Galaxy into an sm-57, add a bit of reverb, some OTT, job done. His 10 min DJ set before the game was killer and included a track by Knock2 called “Dashstar”, which has a killer drop and well worth looking up.
One of the Toyota uses of the track, ‘Freehand’. They seem to be makin’ fun of it. loool. Or rather, Ad creatives making fun of the ubiquitous average white man who can’t and should not dance. Full length version below/scroll down. Also on Spotify under the name Ape X Instrumentals.
A track for a conference in San Fran and subsequent digital ads. (early version of/the version I like). A collab with Ravi Drums and Steve Wreck, both of which are amazing. Ravi is an amazing performer and producer, killed it on this. I just played a bit of guitar and sung a rough chorus and “whoohoo” hook into an iphone and he took it from there. Adding the amazing voice of Steve Wreck, who sounds like how I think I sound like in my head, lol, but even better than that and changed woohoo into aaaahaaah, which is even better. This is what a vocalist is supposed to sound like. I’ll add Ravi’s contact in ‘contacts’. Great TV/Film/Records producer and all round star talent.
A track called ‘Endurance’. Large global media buy all day every day for a year or so. This was an early version of a requested ‘hybrid’. So, using a little more electronics. Well, I took it upon myself to rip the v8 out of that sucker and put a Tesla motor on each wheel. No dice. So, back to some strings, which are sounding a little off here, but there’s a good use of a drum track by Trevis Bick. Superb Gretch kit recorded with all the right stuff and sounds great as a home run build. Trevis’ drum tracks have been amazing for me for a good few years. I drop em into Ableton, they line up to click, I barely have to touch them, lots of variations. His contact is on contacts page if anyone needs dr,dr,drums. But, they eventually settled for something like this. You wouldn’t believe how the guitar was recorded, but it’s sounding pretty decent. They asked for some guitar and I gave them 80’s long hair Fabian, Ferrero Rocher, which they didn’t like, for some reason, so I gave them Chris Martin from Coldplay, or whoever plays lead guitar in Coldplay. I am forever reminded of the Ricky Gervais series Extra ‘Hi I’m Chris Martin from Coldplay’. lol.
Just licensed this to Cadillac, again. I don’t have picture yet, but I will post it if I can get hold of it. Whatever, it’s badass. Just a “doodle”. Something from my extensive library of certified bangers.
This film has been on tv a lot recently and I have never posted the music I did for it, because I had completely forgotten about it, so here is. “Love Sweet Love”. This is the flute version, but there was also a vocal version with vocals by Zoe Scott. I have no idea which version was used in the film and I cannot find Zoe’s vocal version in any of my archives. The film is actually pretty good and Matt Dillon doesn’t age. Like, at all..
Movie night – track is called ‘Me Oh My’, which was originally made for a Clinque ad, I believe, some time ago. Guitar and rim shot doused in spring reverb. Probably a plugin by Overloud. I wish using hardware was simpler, as opposed to the ease and quickness of plugins. I own a spring reverb unit by Quad 8 that came out of the Los Angeles Motown studio. Allegedly used by the likes of Marvin Gaye and who ever else was signed to Motown in the 80s. Though, you cannot beat the Pioneer sr-101 for stereo tube spring reverb. Me Oh My
Huge global Volvo campaign. All day everywhere. Ah yes, the obligatory trap production for all things EV. Happy to contribute. I cannot believe trap has now been around for over ten years. Not the TI type trap, but the UZ, Baauer, Yellow Claw type, that started showing up around 2012 ish. It retains a fairly fresh aura. Even from overkill. 808 snares, hats and bass. The 808 drum machine has had a longevity similar to that of the jazz drum kit, or the rock drum kit, both of which didn’t morph their signature sound for decades. Drum maketh the genre.
Still airing across Europe, Switzerland, France, Czech Republic, and the U.K. Aired constantly throughout the pandemic across North and South America. Three vocalists. Wow. Just wow.
Cameo. Music approved by Snoop, cuz he has a stake in the company, and most likely had to be approved by Ice T, also.. Doo Wop vocals by Kitty and I, and that’s the sound of my beautiful Steinway tinkling away in the background, recorded in mono with one mic and nuthin on it. Amazing. Track is called Doo Wop Group.
There is a voice over for this, and it does help the spot, especially as I always use a voice over like a singing vocal, but we’re here for the music, sorry Gigamon. A track called ‘The Industrial North’ – I’m thinking Manchester, UK, late 19th century, industrial revolution, factories, coal stacks, L.S Lowry, etc.
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