CarstN

Sounds pretty good to me. Working with percussion really seems to be one of your strengths when it comes to composing. Also I like the pitchbends you're using in your composition and some of the piano chords and the bass line are nice as well. There are two things that I didn't particularly like about the composition though: 1. There are too many different themes in your composition. Of course it's nice to have some variety, so the piece doesn't get repetitive, but your composition sounded rather like a medley to me in parts, so it doesn't seem very cohesive to me anymore. It wouldn't really set a certain mood within a battle but kind of jump back and forth between different styles, which might be a little confusing for the player. 2. As I said, I like the drums a lot but I think they are kind of dominating the theme too much and pushing the other instruments into the background. This could be changed with a different mix, some volume changes or by adding a few more non percussive instruments to make the melody and the chords sound stronger.

I'm not allowed to remove the narrator from the mp3 because the producer of the show is afraid somebody might steal the music. :happy: Also the music is supposed to blend with the narrator, so it belongs together and wouldn't be complete without the narrator. Any other comments?

This is my latest composition. I was assigned to compose the music for a mystery/science fiction series similar to Outer Limits/X-Files/Twilight Zone. I really put a lot of effort into this composition. I worked on it for almost a week to make everything sound just the way I wanted it to sound. The final version is already combined with the narrator, so this is music and voice. The narrator is talking in German, just in case you are wondering :D http://h1.raphaelstudio.ch/Da%20Buzz-Twilight%20Mysteries.mp3 Please let me know what you think.

I've always wanted to create a waltz kind of song, so I gave it a shot today and this is what I came up with. I wouldn't call this one of the most innovative song I've ever created, but it was a fun song to write and I hope you enjoy listening to it. Da Buzz-Windswept Waltz The theme loops at 1:40 (2 half steps higher), so don't be surprised if the second half sounds familiar. If you like this composition, feel free to check out some of my other compositions at my website Original Videogame Music by Da Buzz or my old composition thread on these forums: http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/carstn-aka-da-buzz-original-composition-thread-237.html#post2152

Hi CK, Thanks you for your very detailed comments. I don't know why I haven't put Alamo in this thread. I must have just forgotten to put it in there. I might add it later though. Distant Universe served as the background music for a gaming magazine disc which featured some freaky and futuristic jump and run. The big "Oh!" thing in "Knights in the City" is part of the dance. It occurs in every one of the three dance parts. I felt like it added a bit more life to these parts. The composition is for listening pleasure only. It doesn't serve any other purpose than that. My client just gave me one of his melodies and told me to turn it into something orchestral theme mixed with dance elements just to see what can be done with his melodies. I agree, these are some of my major works... I just need to find someone to move this thread :P

Can someone please move this thread from Orchestral to Incidental Music and Soundtracks?

I've just added my latest composition to this thread. I was hired by a guy who has created a melody and wanted me to come up with an orchestral background. It was a pretty difficult task and I spent about a week working on the project, but finally it's done. The song is called 'Knights in the City' (download in the first post). It's about a group of people, happpily dancing in the city unaware of the fact that an army is about to ambush them. The song switches back and forth between the army and the people in the city. Towards the end of the song they start feeling that something isn't quite right.

Interesting stuff! Some parts are just orchestrated in such a rich and powerful way. I love that. Technically it's very good stuff. You don't seem to have any problems at creating a rich sound in your pieces. Your use of drums, choir and strings is great. Just a small criticism regarding the quieter parts. I think you should pay a little more attention to the individual instruments in the softer parts because especially in solo parts or when you have little backing instruments, every rough spot becomes obvious. I think you should round off some of the quieter parts a little more, for example by using the main volume controller. Anyway, very impressive composition!

Great job! It takes a lot to successfully imitate John Williams/Media Ventures style and I think you did a pretty good job on it, especially when keeping in mind that this was your first attempt at composing this kind of music. I like how you gradually build up the theme and how it develops this more intense sound. The instruments are well used. Unfortunately the poor sound quality on soundclick kind of spoiled the fun for me and I couldn't find a high quality version on there.

Sounds pretty experimental to me and in a way very unique as well. It took me a little while to get used to the style but I actually like it because it's different and makes sense in a distorted way. The chords and the way you use various instruments are very interesting and inspiring. You seem to know what you are doing. Thanks for sharing these tracks.

This is my latest composition. After releasing a dramatic orchestral theme and a soft ambient composition on these forums, I decided to do something more fun this time and post it here. :) I created this little composition for a game featuring a bunch of pirates. Does anybody remember the adventure game "Monkey Island"? The style is kind of similar to that. Anyway, it is a very short character theme for a cartoonish pirate villain. I had a lot of fun composing it. Carsten Jessen aka Da Buzz-Rivalry (The Snap Song) Hope you enjoy it and I look forward to reading your comments.

Yeah, I can hear a lot of Klaus Badelt in the part beginning at 0:40. I was actually thinking of Pirates of the Carribean when I listened to that part. SO very good job on imitating that particular style. Even thought the sound is similar, you made it your own. Trying to recreate some of the very big movie themes like Hans Zimmer or John Williams stuff is indeed a very useful exercise, at least if you are good enough to even dare to work with such high ambitions. You learn a lot in the process and acquire a lot of ideas and composing methods. I do this all the time... that's basically how I learned to compose... listening and then trying it myself. Good job. Interesting that you mention your rare use of the midi keyboard because I'm just the same. I'm at the point where I would really benefit from recording my songs with a midi keyboard because they are getting way too big, but I'm just not good enough at playing the keyboard so I'm working with the mouse click method, too. This can result in weeks of work on an individual piece because some of my projects are just too big (like "Alamo", also posted on these boards). Seems like you're making frequent use of the "tempo" midi controller because your pieces flow very well and it doesn't really sound like mouse click method. I should take a closer look at the Vienna Symphonic Library and East West Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra. I'm also working with sample cds, but I haven't been able to find that ONE library that can cover all my needs (if only for orchestral purpose). My sample collection is quite a mess.

I love the beginning. The chords throughout the composition deliver a very nice and special atmosphere. Just a little critique: I think some of the instruments kind of spoil part of the song, at least in my opinion. The synthetic instrument starting at 00:24 The "Honky Tonk Piano?" starting at 3:11 Exchanging them for something slightly softer or in the case of the synth sound less synthetic might improve the overall sound of the piece. Other than that there's not much to say... It was a very enjoyable listen. Thanks.

Mitchell: Thank you very much for your kind comment.

Welcome to the forum! I like your demo reel a lot. It's very high quality stuff. It shows that you are capable of a lot of different styles. I like your use of melodies and chords and your mixing techniques are consistently good. The music seems very adequate for all kinds of films. The melodies are nice, yet stay in the background in a pleasant way and your orchestration makes the individual pieces flow pretty well. Some parts of your demo seem to tell some things about your influences... Is Hans Zimmer one of them? What kind of samples do you use? Do you record the individual tracks with a midi keyboard?