Album Review: Justice League (2017)

                          “Danny Elfman returns to the world of super hero film. Can he succeed in capturing the likeness of the Justice League?”

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*NOTE* This soundtrack does include non-orchestral tracks. These will not be covered in this review. This review is strictly based on the orchestral score. 

Ah, Justice League. Many waited for this movie to come for ages and DC finally steps up to deliver it. However, I would like to start this review by pointing out a few things. Firstly, I have yet to see the film. So I’m going into this score with an unbiased view based solely on the music aspect of the film. Secondly, I may be in the minority here, but just as with other soundtracks I’ve heard, I don’t think this is as bad as everyone makes it out to be and a lot of the negative comments regarding it are, to be honest, pretty obscure and small arguments blown out of proportion due to the drama surrounding the actual filming of the movie. (I will go into detail more below). This score is MASSIVE to say the least, coming in at over 20 tracks. And again, I will NOT be commenting on anything regarding the actual film as I have yet to have seen it. Now, onto the review!

Starting off with “The Justice League Theme – Logos”, I assume this is to the equivalent of Marvel’s film openings/title reveals (which was written by Brian Tyler, fun fact).  This short track (coming in at only 0:48) seems to try to set the tone of the over all themes. You have a touch of heroics and grand scale with the brass melody lines.  I would like to point out here however, there are certain parts that do indeed remind me of past themes Elfman has written. In this case, mainly the original Spider-Man theme from the Sam Rami trilogy.

“Hero’s Theme”. This has your typical action/super hero styled music down. Short string sections opening into the brass playing the main themes. You can hear hints of the original Batman theme from Batman 1989 (Tim Burton) mixed in with the new Justice League themes. I believe you can also hear hints at the Hans Zimmer/Junkie XL themes for Batman (Batman v Superman) here as well, albeit a bit more subtle.

“Batman on the Roof”. This one is a bit more ominous, for obvious reasons. Batman isn’t exactly a bright and lively character. He’s more dark driven. You can especially here the original Batman reference here in the theme.

“Enter Cyborg”. This cue is much different from most others in this score. This is very toned down and more intimate. Soft pianos and woodwinds fill this up with strings giving great emotional themes and support throughout. It’s a nice change and for the most part a much more happy sounding cue. You can almost hear sadness in this one as I assume during the film, this is a big moment for Cyborg trying to deal with what little humanity he has left and seperate himself from machine.

“Wonder Woman Rescue”. I won’t comment much on this cue but you can hear your typical Elfman styled woodwind stabs in this. Very reminiscent of past quirky films like Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride. Glad to see the original Wonder Woman theme come in here as well because let’s be honest, it’s a great theme.

“The Story of Steppenwolf”. I can only assume this is a backstory section of the main villain. This does have a very dark feel to it, especially when bringing in the male choir sections. You can clearly hear an orchestral/string version of the quirky theme from Batman v Superman when Lex Luthor is around. So it seems that theme as taken over as inspiration for dark/evil villain themes in the DCU. However, again as with the main Justice League-Logos track, this one seems very similar to the Spider-Man theme from 2001.

“The Tunnel Fight”. There’s lots to cover on this one, but I will try to be as brief as I can. This one has a LOT of nods to other themes, both in this film and in others all over an action heavy cue. You can clearly hear elements of a new Flash theme developing here (more on that in a bit). You still have the main Justice League theme here as well and you can clearly hear nods to the Batman theme development as well. (More on this in a bit as well). The new Flash theme comes in pretty well a little over half way through this cue. Now, as most have pointed out, it’s similar in nature to the Flash theme from the CW show, stylistically. I’ve seen a lot of people comment on how it’s “ripped” off of the show. This is simply not the case. Looking at it from a music standpoint (and being a musician myself), when you create a theme for The Flash, you want it to represent the character. Something fast, light and even “feathery” perhaps. This is done perfectly here, in my opinion. You have the right amount of light and fast with the short string runs and yet the power comes in with the low brass sections. I will also touch on the batman theme in another track below (also a subject of a lot of controversy).

“Home”. This I can also imagine as being a part when Superman comes home. Lois and the world for that matter, have thought Superman dead. This cue is everything it needs to be. Soft, soothing and with just enough emotional turmoil to really help feel that emotion come through on the screen. You can almost feel how two people have been reunited after each thought they would never be again. I feel the emotional context was hit almost right on the nose with this cue. Also, while I’m on the subject of emotion, the next cue “Bruce and Diana” I feel is also well done regarding emotional context. Another very soft emotional ballad compared to the rest of the score which is full of gigantic “hero moments”. It’s nice to be able to take a breather.

“The Final Battle”. As the title states, this is the climax of the film. You hear a LOT of things going on in this one. Aside from it being a very action heavy cue. This cue features nods and snips of all the themes presented so far. You hear Flash’s theme, you hear hints of Wonder Woman’s theme and melody lines dedicated to other characters like Aquaman and Cyborg (**as both of these characters do not have a specific them set to them as of yet, they are more of thematic ideas). There’s even a direct easter egg/nod to the great John Williams and his work on Superman (1979) which was amazing to hear. And alas, THIS cue of all else, probably provides THE MOST controversy I’ve ever seen on a film score…

…The Batman Theme. Yes, this is a direct snip from the original 1989 Batman film, which Elfman also wrote. Many have argued; it doesn’t fit within the universe, it’s lazy writing, he ignores all of Hans Zimmer’s work, he ignores all of Junkie XL’s work. You know what? I think it’s glorious that it is used here. Not only is it a bit a fan service (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing) but it weaves much better in this action heavy moment than Junkie XL’s theme. I will also touch on said complaints. Right now.

First up; “It doesn’t fit within the universe”. To this I would have to disagree. Sure this is different from Junkie XL’s theme from Batman v Superman. But that is the intention. His theme, while touching on one element of the batman character (specifically the dark aspect), just wasn’t a heroic theme. It was dark as hell, but it wasn’t heroic. At the end of the day, Batman is still a hero, albeit a dark hero. Within the context of the rest of the score being more heroic in nature, this “new” batman theme introduced in the film fits a bit better. The dark, brooding theme I think would sound odd smacked in the middle of the epic and heroic Justice League Theme’s and Wonder Woman Theme (which itself is even more heroic sounding than Batman’s) or even the Superman Theme from “Man of Steel” (which if you hear in it’s full glory, is a very uplifting and heroic theme).

Next; “Lazy Writing”. Again I have to disagree. Many people assume that repeating a theme is being lazy. If this is the case, Hans Zimmer has been doing “lazy” writing for the better part of his career in the last decade. The Pirates movies are all based around three main themes (there’s 5 films), the Nolan Dark Knight trilogy has two Batman themes written throughout. That’s the thing about sequels. You can’t create a new theme for every movie as that theme has been tied to a character. So using the argument “lazy writing” isn’t a very good one. In this context, if he were to straight up repeat the themes from Hans and Junkie, it would be the same ideals.

Lastly; “He ignores all of Hans Zimmer’s and Junkie XL’s work”. Again this is untrue. Sure he created new themes and theme ideas for the likes of Cyborg, Aquaman, Flash and some villain themes. But he also uses themes from Batman v Superman as well as elements of Man of Steel. While they may not be very direct, but you can clearly hear elements of Junkie XL’s Batman theme as well as Hans Zimmer’s Superman theme. You can also clearly hear Lex Luthor’s quirky theme, given it’s in a different light, but it’s there. Much of this score was inspired by elements of the previous entries.

**As stated in an interview with Danny Elfman regarding the score for Justice League

SUMMERY:

While the score itself is a typical action blockbuster score, there are both elements of greatness and elements of mediocrity. What sets this film score apart is the vast amounts of work that was done to try to keep all these themes under one roof, which is no easy task by any means. A typical movie has a main hero theme, a villain theme and maybe a few others but can weave those throughout the narrative. This film has many characters, many with their own thematic ideas. Set aside from the controversy and drama regarding both the film and the music (which I, for one, think was vastly blown out of proportion by many people both critics and fans alike).

All in all, this is a very enjoyable film score.

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Tracklisting:

1. Sigrid – Everybody Knows
2. Danny Elfman – The Justice League Theme – Logos
3. Danny Elfman – Hero’s Theme
4. Danny Elfman – Batman on the Roof
5. Danny Elfman – Enter Cyborg
6. Danny Elfman – Wonder Woman Rescue
7. Danny Elfman – Hippolyta’s Arrow
8. Danny Elfman – The Story of Steppenwolf
9. Danny Elfman – The Amazon Mother Box
10. Danny Elfman – Cyborg Meets Diana
11. Danny Elfman – Aquaman In Atlantis
12. Danny Elfman – Then There Were Three
13. Danny Elfman – The Tunnel Fight
14. Danny Elfman – The World Needs Superman
15. Danny Elfman – Spark of The Flash
16. Danny Elfman – Friends and Foes
17. Danny Elfman – Justice League United
18. Danny Elfman – Home
19. Danny Elfman – Bruce and Diana
20. Danny Elfman – The Final Battle
21. Danny Elfman – A New Hope
22. Danny Elfman – Anti-Hero’s Theme
23. Gary Clarke Jr. and Junkie XL – Come Together
24. The White Stripes – Icky Thump
25. Danny Elfman – The Tunnel Fight (Full Length Bonus Track)
26. Danny Elfman – The Final Battle (Full Length Bonus Track)
27. Danny Elfman – Mother Russia (Bonus Track)

Favorite Tracks: 
The Final Battle (Both regular and Bonus Track)
Home
Bruce and Diana
Hippolyta’s Arrow
Wonder Woman Rescue
Spark of The Flash

Least Favorite Tracks:
Then There Were Three
Justice League United
A New Hope
Anti-Hero’s Theme

Album Rating: 
7.8 out of 10.

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The Many Faces of Dance Music: Acid Trance

Welcome to “The Many Faces of Dance Music”. In this series, I try to dive into the world of electronic music and explain the differences between multiple genres of electronic dance music (EDM). Genres are a plenty with countless sub-genres; such as techno, dub-step, trance, house, drum & bass and more. My aim is to help educate as well as entertain on just what makes each one of these genres tick.

Today’s journey will take you into the edgy world of acid trance.

Acid trance is a sub-genre of trance that rose during the late 80’s and early 90’s. The main focus on this music form was the sound of acid synths (created by the TB-303 synthesizer). The acid sound was produced by programming a sequence and adjusting various knob parameters such as cutoff, resonance, accent and more. Acid trance is also considered to be a descendant of acid house, as the genre of trance was still developing and wasn’t officially created yet.

Many acid trance artists were eventually grouped together with other artists in the goa and psy-trance genres. While sometimes similar sounds were used in those genres, goa and psy-trance feature softer synth lines as acid trance usually featured harder synth lines and almost exclusively used the TB-303 as its lead synth.

Acid trance can be described in various factors. Most notably is the use of the TB-303 “acid” sounds as the main lead elements. The background and even some basses use the TB-303. The rhythms are programmed and played over minimal techno inspired beat. In most cases the format and structure of the songs are simplistic, but the creativity comes with the filtered lead lines. Even though the genre itself is deemed mainly that of the past, it helped pave way for use in future productions as accents as acid lines over top tech-trance beats or uplifting trance basslines, to help give edginess to a track.

Listed below are some examples of acid trance.

Art of Trance – Blue Owl

Josh Wink – Are You There?

Ultraform – Sense Your Mind

 

Album Review: Deadpool

“Junkie XL embarks on a journey to superhero                                           films…and he’s brought chimichangas”

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Before he helped take on the Man of Steel and the Bat of Gotham (with Hans Zimmer), he dove into the nutty and insane world of Deadpool. The Deadpool world in and of itself, is not your typical world, even for a comic book character. The self aware character needed music that was as much odd as the film was, and Junkie XL was a very good option. His use of electronics and sound design, helped create a unique musical world. There’s action set pieces, quirky moments and even some subtle orchestral moments that gets shared with the love interest of the film. All in all, the film has a very special take on film scoring.

*NOTE* Since the score/soundtrack does contain tracks done by other artists licensed for the film (example: Shoop, Calendar Girl, etc.), I will not be including them in this write up. This is just about the actual film score itself and not the licensed material.  

Right off the bat, you realized this score isn’t your typical film score. Most comic central films focus on big, epic fanfares with huge orchestras. Deadpool’s central theme of the film relies on it’s differences from other comic book movies and thus, the film score follows in tone.

The first track you really hear is one titled “Maximum Effort” as claimed by the titled hero in the film itself. You’re introduced to a synthesizer world of arpeggio synths which in a way, become the hero’s theme of sorts. Backed by pulsing basses and powerful drums, it fills this track with power and style. Not to mention the great use of the same synth sound used in Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” song.

“Small Disruption” reveals the full orchestra for the first time, giving way to thematic writing akin to the genre. “Twelve Bullets” dives back into that synth driven style set up by the first track. This time, it’s thrown in with some rock type elements (drums, guitars, basses). It’s almost a hybrid of a hybrid type of sound.Of course, once again, the “Beat It” synth makes it’s return as the heroes theme.

“Liam Neeson Nightmares” offers the first sense of emotional connection with the music. Powerful sweeping strings provide a delicate melody in this track, compared to the sea of aggressive tracks that fill up the score. “Back To Life” has the same effect, using the same melodies but fleshing them out more with bigger swells and a more wide sound than before.

“Let’s Try To Kill Each Other” is your typical climax fight music. Powerful drums, fast strings and a continuous energy and rising tempo.

“Stupider When You Say It” brings back that soft emotional feel, but quickly morphs and twists into something completely opposite. This twist warps your emotion from hopeful to terrified in an instant.

“Four or Five Moments” gives us that happy ending theme you always want when your hero comes out victorious. Sweeping strings and brass bring in an epic and climactic ending to the heroes fight.

“A Face I Would Sit On” originally gave me chills the first time I heard it. Starting off with soft and beautiful strings. This brings us back to the main emotional theme of the film. Providing a glimpse of sadness but with the overall feeling of hope. Some of the better writing of the film happens within this track alone.

Overall, this score brings something new and different to your typical blockbuster film. Deciding to take a chance, Junkie XL delivers a soundtrack with creative sounds, unique ideas and even manages to write some very emotional music within a story that is loaded with craziness and lunacy.  I wouldn’t say you’d want to listen to it on a daily basis, but if you’re looking for something unique and different, this one may be right up your alley.

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Deadpool [2016] (Junkie XL)

Tracklisting:

1. Juice Newton – Angel of the Morning
2. Junkie XL – Maximum Effort
3. Junkie XL – Small Disruption
4. Salt-N-Pepa – Shoop
5. Junkie XL – Twelve Bullets
6. Junkie XL – Man In A Red Suit
7. Junkie XL – Liam Neeson Nightmares
8. Neil Sedaka – Calendar Girl
9. Junkie XL – The Punch Bowl
10. Junkie XL – Back To Life
11. Junkie XL – Every Time I See Her
12. Teamheadkick – Deadpool Rap
13. Junkie XL – Easy Angel
14. Junkie XL – Scrap Yard
15. Junkie XL – This Place Looks Sanitary
16. Junkie XL – Watership Down
17. DMX – X Gon Give It To Ya
18. Junkie XL – Going Commando
19. Junkie XL – Let’s Try To Kill Each Other
20. Junkie XL – Stupider When You Say It
21. Junkie XL – Four or Five Moments
22. Junkie XL – A Face I Would Sit On
23. George Michael – Careless Whisper

Favorite Tracks: 
Maximum Effort
A Face I Would Sit On
Liam Neeson Nightmares

Least Favorite Tracks:
The Punch Bowl
Easy Angel
Scrap Yard

Album Rating: 
7.5 out of 10. The album itself is pretty enjoyable. The quirky and almost uncanny (see what I did there?) blend of musical styles suites the film perfectly. If you’re looking for more blockbuster orchestral film score music, this probably won’t fit the bill, but if you’re looking for a score that completes the movie in every way, this one is for you.

The Many Faces of Dance Music: Vocal Trance

Welcome to “The Many Faces of Dance Music”. In this series, I try to dive into the world of electronic music and explain the differences between multiple genres of electronic dance music (EDM). Genres are a plenty with countless sub-genres; such as techno, dub-step, trance, house, drum & bass and more. My aim is to help educate as well as entertain on just what makes each one of these genres tick.

Today’s journey will take you into the vocalized world of vocal trance.

 

Vocal trance came to light in the early 90’s when trance was still being developed and refining its sound. Vocal trance’s origin can be traced back to Europe, mainly dominated by German producers. Belgium and Holland soon followed and vocal trance began to spread worldwide. Many early vocal trance producers used the sources of studio musicians/singers to help with their productions. Most vocal trance features strong female vocalists.

Vocal trance can be described in a variety of factors. Even though many trance records can feature vocals, vocal trance still has its own style. Vocal trance actually has more in common with genres such as pop and dance than any other genre. Vocal trances structure is usually set up with a beat, bass and chord progression with a melody gradually coming in. Vocals are placed on top and featured heavily, typically with harmonized parts as well as a typical verse-chorus-verse type structure. At the end of a track, the melodic elements fade and the beat/progression from the intro returns, sometimes with variations on the intro.

Listed below are some examples of vocal trance.

Delerium – Silence (DJ Tiesto Remix Edit)

Ian Van Dahl – Castles In The Sky

Traci Lords – Fallen Angel

The Many Faces of Dance Music: Hard Trance

Welcome to “The Many Faces of Dance Music”. In this series, I try to dive into the world of electronic music and explain the differences between multiple genres of electronic dance music (EDM). Genres are a plenty with countless sub-genres; such as techno, dub-step, trance, house, drum & bass and more. My aim is to help educate as well as entertain on just what makes each one of these genres tick.

Today, we dive into the fast paced, energetic world. Driving beats, fast rhythms and pulsing basses. Today’s journey will take you into the hard lined world of hard trance.

 

Hard trance is a sub-genre of trance that came around from Western Europe (Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands). This style of trance began to rise in the early 90’s, deriving from the want to experiment from happy hardcore and UK hard house artists and producers. The peak of hard trance seemed to be in the late 90’s and very early 00’s as newer forms of trance began to come to light and shift into popularity. Hard trance was mainly associated with huge raves, consisting of thousands of ravers. Gaining popularity in the mid 90’s, major record labels even began to notice the shift in music popularity and began to heavily market compilation CD’s in various forms of media. As time moved on, so did fans and producers alike, thus having hard trance fall into the background. In most cases of hard trance in today’s world, it’s mostly hybrid type of trance, with multiple genres tossed in to create a new version of dance music.

Hard trance can be noticed by many different factors and takes influences from various other genres including techno, acid techno and even happy hardcore. The overall feel of hard trance is a more fast paced, aggressive type of sound. Typically in the bpm (beats per minute) range of 148 up to 160 in speed.

One of the main aspects of hard trance are the aggressive nature of the kicks. Hard, punchy and even sometimes down pitch shifted, they are one of the most prominent things in a hard trance track. Big resonating basslines are also found as well as techy aggressive synth lead melodies over top. Hard trance can feature emotive breakdowns and melodic elements as well to counter the hard, aggressive style of the rest of the track, but eventually, the aggressiveness returns and the hard acid lines, melodies and basses come back full force.

Listed below are some examples of hard trance.

Showtek – FTS

Mario Picotto – Iguana

Jones & Stephenson – The First Rebirth (MegaDJ’s Remix)

Album Review: Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice

“Hans Zimmer returns for more Batman and                                                                     Superman, this time he brings help.”

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One of the most anticipated films of the year has finally came. Ever since word of the film came about, fans and the film industry as a whole united in “jumping for joy”. For the first time in history, the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight would be appearing in the same film together. Not only do we see that for the first time, but why not throw in Wonder Woman as well? Still not satisfied? How about we give you the holy trinity at its finest…for the first time in history.

This film in every way was a HUGE step in DC Comics film properties. However, we won’t be talking about the film itself here. Today, we will dive into the film score.

Hans Zimmer returns once again to help out on the musical aspects of the film. After tackling Superman in “Man of Steel”, he comes back to try a new take on Batman. Hans seems to have put himself into a very tricky spot on this film. Previously he was daunted with the task of renewing Superman after John Williams iconic theme still stuck in many fans heads as THE Superman theme. Then he comes and was able to re-invent the character. To be honest…it worked. Now, here he is again. This time with yet another challenge. Multiple, in fact. First he has to do yet another Batman theme. How do you follow up and create a brand new theme for a character that you have already created a theme for in the past (and to be honest, 10 years of your lifes work) without risking a chance that you copy what you’ve already done? Easy, you have someone else do it.

Hans brought in Junkie XL, who you may know from the Deadpool and the Mad Max scores. He has a very different sound from Hans. While Hans likes to use big drums and booming brasses, Junkie XL likes to incorporate various electronic music styles into his scores. It’s a nice trade off between the two. I won’t be going into detail on every track, but will highlight a few aspects. Let’s dive in.

The score begins with a powerful theme in the track “Beautiful Lie”, hinting at the new Batman theme, right off the…bat. You begin to sense this will indeed be a dark movie. As you progress through the first track you hear hints of some emotional themes that will occur throughout the score. The track “Their War Here” shows the power and energy of the action set pieces that will take place. Fast drums and string lines play throughout with some slower moments to let you breath from the action. Which brings us to our next track.

“The Red Capes Are Coming”. This is, by far, some of the albums better work. This is where you hear Lex Luthors theme. Playing on how the character interacts with others in the film, it’s a suiting theme. Strong piano themes and a quirky yet, classical composition style. Almost chaotic in nature but still with structure.

“Day of the Dead” is where you will hear the inevitable Superman theme we know from “Man of Steel”. Soft piano, bringing in the heroic theme. The theme gradually turns into a more darker version of itself, until it overall brings in a new theme.

There’s also a track that focuses heavily on sound design. “New Rules” brings in many of those elements that will straight up frighten you (similar to the Joker theme from The Dark Knight).

“Do You Bleed?” is the epic fight music between The Last Son of Krypton and The Bat of Gotham. This track has all the action elements you would need in any super hero film.

“This Is My World” calls back to those classical compositions once again, but this screams with heart. There’s so many emotions running through this piece. From soft strings and a solo vocalist. You can almost feel what is happening in the scene, without even seeing the what’s going on onscreen.

“Men Are Still Good (Batman Suite)”. This is pure meat. Everyone wanted to hear it. Everyone was surprised by how powerful it was. The new Batman theme is powerful and dark. It does, however, seem to mimic slightly that of the Nolan Batman films in style. The theme itself is only two chords played in a rhythm. Still, it’s a powerful theme and is worthy of the new direction of the Batman character.

And the last highlight I would like to point out, is probably my favorite of the entire score. It’s actually the Wonder Woman theme. I myself, was very curious as to how they would pull off the WW theme. Would they use more of a tribal type score to accent her Amazonian ways? Would it be drum heavy to help with the warrior aspects? What we in fact got was something of the two. Hans actually began writing a theme. Junkie XL literally picked up a guitar, played a riff and there we have it. From the very first moment you hear the Wonder Woman theme, you know she is someone who can hold her own and let’s be honest, if you’ve seen the film, you know she was one of the BEST parts of it.

As a whole, the score really had to step out and cover a ton of ground. It had to bring back the Superman theme we all now know, but in the same run, it had to introduce new themes for Batman, Wonder Woman and Lex Luthor. That’s a tough challenge to do in one film. Somehow, the combined efforts of Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL pulled it off and what we end up with is a massive score full of action, emotion and a few surprises (a la: wonder woman theme).

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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice [2016] (Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL)

Tracklisting:

1. Beautiful Lie
2. Their War Here
3. The Red Capes Are Coming
4. Day Of The Dead
5. Must There Be A Superman?
6. New Rules
7. Do You Bleed?
8. Problems Up Here
9. Black And Blue
10. Tuesday
11. Is She With You? (Wonder Woman Theme)
12. This Is My World
13. Men Are Still Good (Batman Theme)
14. Blood Of My Blood
15. Vigilante
16. May I Help You Mr. Wayne?
17. They Were Hunters
18. Fight Night

Favorite Tracks:
Is She With You? (Wonder Woman Theme)
This Is My World
Men Are Still Good (Batman Theme)
The Red Capes Are Coming

Least Favorite Tracks:
Must There Be A Superman?
Vigilante

Album Rating:
8.5 out of 10. Very good album. Highly recommended. It is your typical Hans Zimmer score, but the new themes and ups and downs will have you excited far beyond the film alone.

The Many Faces Of Dance Music: Psy-Trance

Today, we dive into the world of dance music once again. We will journey into a psychedelic trip. Driving beats, organic sounding leads and pulsing basses. Today’s journey will take you into the mind trip of psy-trance.

Psy-trance can be characterized by it’s arrangements of synthetic rhythms and complex layered melodies with a high tempo drive behind it. Slowly evolving through the track, psy-trance takes you on a ride through the senses (in short, a sonic acid trip).

Psy-trance was mainly recognized in the underground and hardcore scene. In recent years, it has branched out and became more popular in the dance scene. While it has become more popular, it is still on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of dance music diversity. The genre itself has spawned many sub-categories and genres of it’s own including, but not limited to the likes of “full on”, “dark psy-trance”, “progressive psy-trance”, “psy-breaks” and “psybient”.

In most cases, psy-trance and goa trance are included in the same lot due to their main concepts being essentially the same. (Specifically the origins being from a place called Goa and not necessarily due to it’s sound) However, after years of reshaping and reforming, the term “Goa Trance” didn’t seem to fit with the new style that emerged and thus, a new term was coined and psy-trance began spreading.

Psy-trance typically has an energetic sound and fast pace, around the 140 to 150 bpm mark. A sustained feature in the genre is a driving bassline (typically on the up beats) that layers various synth rhythms on top to add to the drive. Modulated and filtered synth work fills in the rest with, usually, haunting sounding pads in the background to help fill in the space. A typical psy-trance track can feature multiple lead sounds [main melody sounds], which can change frequently, even in as little as eight bars of music. Track length is normal for dance music, around 6 – 8 minutes in length but can run longer in some cases. As stated earlier, the main leads and melodies often feature heavy modulation on “cutoff/filter” frequencies, sometimes rapidly and other times slowly and evolving. In the case of vocals, there are usually none. However, in some cases, audio clips from the likes of news programs, movies and TV shows are inserted into the “breakdown” aspect of the track. Usually these clips have heavy effects on them such as reverb and delay. For the drums and percussion aspects of the genre, usually minimal is better. Your basic bass drum is on every down beat and high hats on the up beats. Percussion is used very lightly, if any, and is typically pushed into the background to help accent the rhythms on the main basslines and synth work.

Psy-trance offers a different and albeit, darker form of dance music. Gone from this genre are the highly melodic aspects of popular known dance music and in return, are given repeated sonic rhythms and driving modulated synth leads. The genre does as it should. It takes you on a trip. If music was a space odyssey, psy-trance would take you to the edge of the cosmos and then..push you further into the unknown. It’s all about the journey, not the destination nor the start.

Listed below are some examples of psy-trance.

Astral Projection – The Prophecy

Outside The Universe – Other Dimension

Killerwatts feat. Waio – Wake Up (Symbolic Remix)

 Gaudium – Laws of Nature

Interview Spotlight: Meet Sophia Kounoupias!

Welcome to Interview Spotlight! This is where I will feature interviews or discussions with various musicians and learn more about them, what they do and how music affects them.

This week, I am pleased to showcase the talented and lovely Sophia Kounoupias (aka The Daunting)!

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where you from, what do you do?
“Hi my name’s Sophia and I’m from London. I’m currently in my last year of training for my acting degree but music is also a significant factor for me.”

How are you involved in the music world? What do you do musically?
“I write and compose music in my spare time and have done so for the past 10 years. I’m not a traditional musician at all. If you asked me to sit at a piano and play a piece of sheet music I honestly wouldn’t know where to start. I compose my music entirely through virtual technology and am influenced by artists such as Massive Attack and Air. I am also a singer who is often referred to artists such as Kate Bush and PJ Harvey in terms of my vocal style. However more recently I have started experimenting more with using opera in my work; more recently my music has taken quite a cinematic feel to it.”

Are there any previous associations or bands you were involved in before?
“I have never been part of a band. I prefer working solo. I have however collaborated with several artists internationally which is a project I enjoy practicing when I have spare time. You can both teach each other something in the process.”

How did you begin your journey into music?
“I got a keyboard when I was 9 years old and I was ecstatic. I suppose I started experimenting with music and song writing from that age and I just started figuring out what sounded good and what didn’t. I spent hours practicing and teaching myself various chords – I suppose this was the basis for my work really. Five years later I  then went on to do a music qualification and then after that I did a higher qualification in music technology where I began to experiment more with virtual instruments. I had acquired some music equipment during this time and composed some songs over the years, teaching myself along the way, but the training really did help. It took my work onto a new level. “

How would you best describe your music?
“This is quite a difficult question to answer. I think there is probably no definite answer for this one. I don’t like to classify my music under a certain ‘genre’. But I would have to describe my music probably as a mix between trip hop, cinematic and ambient genres. Every song is very different – I don’t really stick to a certain ‘feel’. And the exciting thing is that I have no idea what my next track will sound like. It’s always so different and new from anything else I’ve written. “

How has your music evolved over the years?
“Through experience and knowledge the style and feel of my music has changed entirely in the past 6 years I’ve been publishing my work online. I think also the fact I have had time to mature since the age of 14, when I first started posting music online, has determined certain elements in my songs.“

Is there any direction you’d like to explore musically that you haven’t before? If so, why is it you choose that direction?
“I think I have just begun exploring a new genre, so this question is interesting. More recently I have been looking at this new kind of cinematic quality to my work which is something I have always been intrigued in but didn’t really feel I had the experience to look at and explore. “

What’s your creative process like? How do you go from a blank page, to a completed track or album?
“Life events. Seriously. Once something triggers within me so strongly, I just have to write about it. I will sit at my keyboard for hours playing around with sounds until I find the right melody that suits how I’m feeling. Sounds weird, but its how it is. I also like to start working from various loops early on just to experiment with sounds.”

Have you done any type of tours or special venues?
“Never toured, no way. How can I? I’d have to get together a band and transcribe everything electronically to sheet music. Who’s got time for that, seriously? But it would be cool. ”

What’s your studio like (if applicable)? What type of equipment do you often find yourself using to help write and record or inspire you?
“I’m no tech pro. Just got a computer, keyboard, a few wires, microphone, Sony equipment and that’s about it really…”

What song of yours are you most proud of and why?
“Pffft. Okay this one is difficult. Every single song of mine has a different meaning and value to me. I would have to say ‘The Soldier’s Friend’, ‘Beryllium Dreams’ and ‘Cellophane’ all for completely different reasons.”

What music, other than your own, have you been listening to lately? What are some of your favorite artist to listen to in your down time?
“Sparks – they’re playing on the CD player right now and most recently Ryuichi Sakamoto, a Japanese artist, who composes sound designs and soundtracks for films and stuff…his work has a creepy sound…”

If you can remember, what’s the first song you wrote? How does that compare to your current releases?
“The first song I ever wrote I think was called Heaven. I was a curious child!”

If you wasn’t doing music, what would you see yourself trying to pursue?
“Haha being an actor! ”

What would your advice be to someone who is trying to get into the music world? What should they look out for?
“Don’t’ look at me, I’m not even in the music biz. But I can give you some acting advice?”

Final question, what’s your favorite type of food?
“Italian food…it’s in my genes.”

Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/thedaunting
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/The-daunting/102162566246

Thanks to Sophia for the great interview and giving us all a chance to see and hear about herself and how music works in her life. Make sure you guys give some support and check her out!

If you’re a musician, artist, composer, DJ or anything to do with the music world, big or small, I would love to hear from you! If you’d like to be showcased, interviewed or be involved in the blog, please contact me through my website at www.derekpalmermusic.com or connect with me on my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/derekpalmermusic

Interview Spotlight: Meet Jason Juarez!

Welcome to Interview Spotlight! This is where I will feature interviews or discussions with various musicians and learn more about them, what they do and how music affects them.

This week, I am pleased to showcase the talented Jason Juarez!

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where you from, what do you do?
“My name is Jason Juarez, I live in Los Angeles and right now I’m a full time student and work at Staples as a computer tech. I’m studying Audio Engineering at Citrus College in Glendora, CA. I hope to become a full time engineer and continue production full time on the side as well.”

How are you involved in the music world? What do you do musically?
“I’m involved in a group called Blue Fire with my friends Kamron Schrader, and Joe Lyons. I also produce by myself using literally only my computer and headphones. No MIDI controllers or actual hardware or anything. Literally just my PC and my headphones.”

Are there any previous associations or bands you were involved in before?
“I was never really in a band. Just didn’t sit right with me for some reason. I’ve always liked “bassy” music and rock wasn’t my think. (I’m a rebel, huh?)”

How did you begin your journey into music?
“I used to sing in choir in high school and sang in Carnegie Hall and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City in Winter of 2013. I started learning piano at 4 years old, taught myself guitar at 8, trumpet at 10, and then composition at 12. I didn’t start producing till I was about 15 and took it to the next level only a few years ago.”

How would you best describe your music?
“Emotional, and driving. And sometimes even mysterious.”

How has your music evolved over the years?
“I have went from “Soundgoodizer” to basically owning all the iZotope and Waves libraries. In other words, I went from an aspiring noob, to a basically world renowned prodigy soon to make a breakthrough.”

Is there any direction you’d like to explore musically that you haven’t before? If so, why is it you choose that direction?
“I actually have a weird obsession with Festival Trap. It’s just so funky and like, bouncy and fun to just dance like an idiot and get away with!”

What’s your creative process like? How do you go from a blank page, to a completed track or album?
“I usually start with kicks and bass. As long as my bassline is groovy or powerful enough or just right, I structure the track to what fits. I normally make up melodies on the fly and then transpose as I work in case I don’t like the way it sounds in a certain key or what not. Then I just keep adding ideas and adding more ideas and processing at the same time. Eventually it all turns into a finished track.”

Have you done any type of tours or special venues?
“Nope, only my High School’s Prom my Senior Year, which was pretty interesting since nobody knew in High School that I produced EDM or even DJ’ed so needless to say, I impressed a lot of people and even my date ;)”

What’s your studio like (if applicable)? What type of equipment do you often find yourself using to help write and record or inspire you?
“I just have a desk, my PC, trusty pair of headphones (Audio Technica M50x’s) and my Blue Yeti Microphone. And normally I just use my surroundings around me to gather atmospheric ideas, and a lot of the time I find I make melodies humming to myself and then I put it on FL and bam, new track!”

What song of yours are you most proud of and why?
“I’d have to say the track I’m most proud of was “Isla Campana”. I released it on EDM.com as my older alias, Pyromax. It truly defined the style of Trance I wished to create and it gave me all the connections and inspiration I have today for EDM and Trance.”

What music, other than your own, have you been listening to lately? What are some of your favorite artist to listen to in your down time?
“I’ve been starting to listen to more relaxed and soft Uplifting Trance, like stuff found on Always Alive or Pulsar and Adrian & Raz. And every now and then in my downtime, I enjoy smooth jazz to just liven up my thoughts and to cool down. Also hearing Jazz Chords by Paul Hardcastle and Kool & Klean does inspire me for good chord ideas anyway ;)”

If you can remember, what’s the first song you wrote? How does that compare to your current releases?
“Wow, the first song I ever made was actually a remix of Alt+F4. I wish I still had it somewhere to show everyone, but it was SO bad compared to stuff I make now. However, I will admit, I think my originality was way higher back then than it is now though hahahaha.”

If you wasn’t doing music, what would you see yourself trying to pursue?
“Probably film, or theater. I’ve always had a secret desire to do showbiz or something along those lines.”

What would your advice be to someone who is trying to get into the music world? What should they look out for?
“Be careful of trends. They change all the time. And don’t be afraid of the current saturation levels of EDM artists. The more you practice and stick to what you love, the more you will stand out and be recognized for your work. NEVER GIVE UP!”

Final question, what’s your favorite type of food?
“Pizza. Forever and ever and ever.”

Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/jayjuarezmusic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jayjuarezmusic
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jayjuarezmusic
Instagram: @jayjuarezmusic

Thanks to Jason for the great interview and giving us all a chance to see and hear about himself and how music works in his life. Make sure you guys give some support and check him out!

If you’re a musician, artist, composer, DJ or anything to do with the music work, big or small, I would love to hear from you! If you’d like to be showcased, interviewed or be involved in the blog, please contact me through my website at www.derekpalmermusic.com or connect with me on my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/derekpalmermusic

The Many Faces Of Dance Music: Progressive Trance

Today, we dive into the world of dance music once again. This time, we progress into..well progressive trance. That being said, progressive trance is a hard one to nail down exactly. Mainly because in recent years, all the forms of trance have begun to merge and cross paths. To be honest, even a lot of the chart topping releases seem to have a touch of progressive trance in them (much like Anjunabeats as of late).

The main difference of progressive trance that you may find is the lack of over the top melodic content. You usually will not find loud, high pitched synths wailing a melody over huge, energetic buildups. Instead, what you will find is very long and subtle builds and breaks. In terms of cooking, if uplifting and melodic trance are rolling boils, progressive trance is a small simmer.

Progressive trance is still in a good mid-range bpm area. Not too fast and not too slow. The name progressive comes from the feeling of “progressing on a journey” throughout the track. Songs tend to be on the longer side (7-8 mins) and progress much more slowly than typical dance music tracks. The buildups and breakdowns are drawn out much, much longer than other iterations of dance music (trance specifically). You also don’t get that huge sense of energy or excitement with progressive. It’s not so much the destination, but the journey to get to that destination. In the end, the payoff is rewarding, almost like the final battle in an action movie. The building and tension is created slowly but effectively.

Another key aspect of progressive trance is the emphasis on rhythmic elements rather than melodic elements. There is a lot of focus on percussion or background arpeggios and synth work. This rhythmic focus pushes the track forward like a rail car on the tracks. The slowly evolving background synths, pads and minimal melody, help push the track further on its journey.

Many different artists have at least touched their hands into progressive. Most noticeably, the likes of Markus Schulz, Christopher Lawrence, Gabriel and Dresden, James Holden and Sonorous. All dance music in a sense have the same concept, but the journeys and destinations are vastly different.

Christopher Lawrence – The Dark

Sonorous – Second Sun

Gabriel and Dresden – Rise Up