New Remix Under Review Installment:
Flying with the Funk

T|M is back this week with a new installment of Remix Under Review and this time around, we’re taking things back into the past with a classic: Donkey Kong Country.  I have been a huge fan of this game every since I bought it for my SNES years ago.  OCRemix came out with a remix album a few years back for the game and there is one track from the project that is still one of my favorite remixes of all time.  It was done by composer and remixer Jordan “bLiNd” Aguirre and his track is called Aerofunknamics AND is a slammin’ house track!  Well, years after the remix was released, I decided to do a remix of the source material myself.

The source tune:

The Remix:

This remix represents one of the first tracks I did in Logic but there is also a healthy dose of Reason in there as well.  The main elements of the track came from several different third party plugins.  The drums primarily came from Sylus RMX with some additional help from Native Instrument’s Battery; the main synth lead came from Native Instrument’s Pro-53;  the bass came from one of Logic’s preset samples; the majority of the synths came from Reason, and most of those came from the Thor sample collection.

When I sat down to do this track, it actually started out as an original track and not a remix.  After working on it a little, I heard the theme song from the game fit into the track, so I decided to turn this into a full fledged remix.  Since I haven’t done a lot of just straight up electro Drum n’ Bass tracks, I wanted to try something using the new production tools I had at my disposal.  It was great to dive into the genre.  The automation with the LFO, filtering, gating, and everything else was a blast to work with.  I’ve never used the mod wheel on my keyboard as much as I did for this track!  This track, while it has the melody line in throughout, was an attempt to pay more attention to the textures of the sounds and the soundscape of the whole track.  I’m quite pleased with the results.  This track also marks the first ever synth solo that I’ve done for a song.  Not being much of a piano player, I can can say with complete pride, that the solo was played live with minimal quantization!  All in all, I feel the track turned out very well.

This ends another episode of Remix Under Review!  As always, be sure to check back soon for new updates as they will be here very soon!

Tweex Music Composes New Music for Delta Airlines Commercial

Tweex Music is back this week with a new airline commercial for you!  This time around, T|M presents new music for Delta Airlines.  Tweex Music did a another spot for Delta back in 2008 and had music from my debut album, Alter Ego, featured in the spot, which you can LISTEN TO and DOWNLOAD for free!

This time around, T|M was able to compose an original piece of music for the spot.  The idea was to come up with something peppy but also laid back.  Being a big fan of genre fusion, I decided to create a piece that had classical elements (chamber strings), contemporary guitar solo, electronic synths, and tribal/ethnic percussion.  If you had to categorize the piece, it would probably be in the ever so popular Classic-Hop-Contemp-Electro-World genre!  Or as we in the business like to call it, “Indie” .  The final product came out quite well.  Check it out for yourself:

As always, the spot can be found of the SFX PAGE along with all the other airline spots that T|M has had the priveldge to work on!  Tweex Music continues to keep very busy and has some exciting updates on the way so be sure to check back soon!

Interview with Shanelle Gray, Actress for Kingdom Hearts and New Music!

T|M is proud to present the first of several interviews done alongside Gaming Union!  This first interview comes from the Kingdom Hearts game series and features the talent of Shanelle Gray, who voices the character of Larxene from Kingdom Hearts 2 and Re: Chain of Memories.  Shanelle talks about her involvement in the series, how she got into the franchise, her background in voice acting, and what the future may bring for her and her fans!

GU released a promo for the interview that features a new composition from T|M.  The track is orchestral in nature and follows the same genre as the Kingdom Hearts Union main theme (which can be heard HERE).  For those of you who have played KH, the music was crafted to sound much like the battle music that might be heard in a KH game in a location like Traverse Town or something similar.  You can hear the promo here: LARXENE INTERVIEW PROMO.  And you can hear the music by itself here:

The interview can be found in several places.  You can listen to it directly here: LARXENE INTERVIEW.  You can also subscribe on iTunes to the podcast series that produces all the interviews.  GU has released a few other interviews such as Richard Epcar and Quinton Flynn, and I strongly recommend checking them out.  There are many more on the way, so subscribe so you can check them out as they are released!

New updates coming very soon!

T|M Introduces New Podcast, New Remix, and New Project Announcement!

Greetings to all!  It has been quite sometime since I last posted news here and there is much to cover.  First allow me to announce that the Tweex Music studio has officially relocated from Nashville to Atlanta, GA.  The move went smoothly and quickly and I was “down” for less than 48 hours which is much better than I expected!  Now that things are back up and there is a slight lull in project work, let’s play some catch up!

T|M has been very busy working with Gaming Union for the past couple weeks and has produced several new podcast episodes and several new pieces of music, but more on the music in a future post (coming soon).  However, GU released Final Fantasy Union Episode 35 yesterday and it is quite the special show.  The episode is GU’s focus on Final Fantasy XIII (13), which was released about a week ago.  Also, in this episode, I (Brian) was a guest on the show and sat down with the guys to discuss Square Enix’s recent decision to terminate its music department.  It was great to be on the show and talk about an area of the music/sound industry that I have really been experiencing in the past couple of years: outsourcing/freelancing.

Episode 35 also marked a debut remix/rearrangement from Final Fantasy XI!  I released the first FFXI rearrangement back in July of 09, Battling Despair as Dawn.  This new Remix is entitled City of the Humes and comes from the source tune, The Republic of Bastok.  For those not familiar with the game, this is the theme for one of the major cities.  The original song is unbelievably catchy and the rearrangement turned out exceptionally well.  In the show, the hosts asked me a few questions about the process of making the mix and why I did it.  Be sure to check the full episode out.  For those of you are are interested in hearing the section of the show that I’m in, you can can find an edit of it here: Podcast Edit with Brian.  And make sure that you check out the new remix which is here:

The debut of the remix also marks the first “announcement” of a project that T|M is working on.  Details will be forthcoming, but there is much more on the way!  Anyone who is a fan of Final Fantasy 11 or orchestral/cinematic music will be pleased with what’s to come! Take a listen to the show to get a little more info!

There are several new projects that T|M has recently completed and will be announced very soon!  A new string arrangement for a classic song and a new airline commerical are among a few of them but more info on that soon.  Don’t go too far as there will be more updates VERY soon (i.e. the next day or two)!

New Music for Gaming Union Podcast Series: Kingdom Hearts Union

T|M returns this week to present the final installment of new music for all of the Gaming Union (GU) podcast series.  The last two weeks, we’ve presented new music for Final Fantasy Union and MiniGUP.  Last, but certainly not least, we bring you the music for Kingdom Heart Union!

T|M and GU teamed up in August of 2009 to work on the theme song for the newly created KHU podcast series.  The theme was inspired by a song from the Kingdom Hearts game and was received especially well!  Needless to say, when we evaluated the work we needed to do in the KHU series, creating a new theme song wasn’t one of them!  T|M posted a news article about the new theme back in August, but you can listen to it right here:

Today Episode 8 was released on the GU site.  We put in a lot of time and energy in creating new internal cues that matches the tone, genre, and feeling of the main theme.  In other words, we wanted to create epic orchestral cues that each had their own little theme.  The results are nothing short of fantastic and the music has already been complimented by the GU listeners. For those of you who would like to hear the cues by themselves, then go no further:

Now that the Gaming Union podcasts have been addressed from a music standpoint, we are setting out to provide new material for all the GU followers to enjoy and experience.  Needless to say, don’t stray too far and make sure you check back in often for new updates to the Gaming Union repertoire.  And as always, be sure to come back to T|M for other exciting updates as there are quite a few on the way!

T|M Composes New Theme Music for Gaming Union Podcast Series: MiniGUP

T|M is back again with new music.  Apologies for the delay in this week’s post.  There were a couple unavoidable time line issues that prevented the release of these pieces of music.  However, the wait is over!

Tweex Music and Gaming Union have been working hard the past week to bring new music for the MiniGUP podcast series.  We created a new theme song and internal cues for the show and I can say without any hesitation that it rocks hard!  Episode 3 of MiniGUP was released yesterday and featured in it was the new music!  Take a listen to the main theme:

This genre is fairly new to the T|M arsenal and was a joy to make.  The internal cues were just as much fun to work on as they are each small themes on their own!  Listeners will actually be able to hear a temporarily unreleased internal cue.  The Member of the Month section of the MiniGUP podcast wasn’t done this episode, but the music cue has been completed and can be heard with the other internals here:

The music for GU is developing exceptionally well and has been received by the members of the community with praise.  We love providing new materiel for our listeners.  We are working hard on the new music cues for the Kingdom Hearts Union (KHU) podcast and I have to say, they sound phenomenal!

We’ll release the new cues next week when KHU Episode 8 is released (should be Tuesday the 23rd).  Until then, take a listen to the music, check out the newest MiniGUP episode, and check back soon for new updates!

Tweex Music Composes Original Theme for Gaming Union Podcast Series

T|M is back this week, albeit a little later than usual (apologies), with new music for the Gaming Union podcasts.  This past week and the next two weeks, Tweex Music has been and will be writing new theme music and internal music cues for the different podcast series.  The first podcast in the lineup: Final Fantasy Union.

This week, GU released its 33rd episode of FFU, and T|M’s brand new musical pieces accompanied it!  Tweex and Gaming Union worked hard to develop a new theme song that will brand the podcast series for years to come.  Even though the genre of the theme may change in the future, we intend to keep the melodic theme constant.  A lot of work went into creating a piece of music that is memorable, catchy, and that can be taken into new genres.  Needless to say, we are very happy with the results.  Listen to the main theme here:

This podcast also marks the use of a new sonic element that we will be introducing to all other podcast series: internal music cues.  When listening to a radio show, many of them have sound effects and/or short music pieces to re-enforce what ever segment of the show they may be in.  For instance, if the show is moving into their news segment, they may have a short piece of music play that identifies the segment.  Well, GU and T|M have gone to great lengths to do the same.  The internal cues are little themes in themselves and reflect the same genre style as the main theme!  You can hear the internal music cues here:

This episode of FFU begins a new journey that GU and T|M are embarking upon.  We are working hard on the other two podcast series, Mini GUP and Kingdom Hearts Union (KHU), so be sure to check back soon for new music!  In the meantime, head over to the iTunes store, subscribe to GU, and listen to FFU Episode 33.  You will not be disappointed!

T|M is Audio Creative Director for GamingUnion.net

This week brings some very exciting news.  T|M has been brought on as an official staff member for Gaming Union, a popular video game news and discussion website.  GU offers a variety of services to the community: daily news articles, game reviews, and the extremely popular podcast series (Final Fantasy Union, Kingdom Hearts Union, and Mini GUP).  T|M will be spearheading the audio needs for all of GU with new music, themes, sound design, and lots of other sonic elements!

T|M was introduced to GU back in 2008 when a VG remix done by Tweex (REAKTR.1) was featured in one of their podcasts (Episode 4 of FFU).  Another remix (Of Fiend and Man) by Tweex was highlighted on another episode of FFU (Episode 24).  Soon after, T|M was contracted to do a theme song for the new podcast series Kingdom Hearts Union (now on their 7th episode; to be released today).  The KHU Theme Song has been used in each episode and has been well received by the fans and listeners of the show.

T|M and GU will be working together to bring new sonic elements to the entirety of the Gaming Union community to help brand GU, its podcasts, and the company itself.  Be sure to check out the new episode of FFU (to be released next Tuesday) for new music, sound design, and sonic elements.  It is sure to blow you away!

In the meantime, check out Gaming Union, join the forums and become one of the community members, listen to the podcasts, drop them a line on Twitter, and have fun exploring GU’s take and angle on a very popular industry.  I guarantee you wont be disappointed!

Check back soon for some more very exciting news!

Tweex Music Composes Theme Music for New Educational Web Series

Monday is here again, and T|M brings a new project for you to hear!  Tweex Music has composed the main theme for a new educational web series call Dawg Talk.  The project is being completed by professors at The University of Georgia.  John Kundert-Gibbs, the writer, director, and editor, is a professor in the Theatre and Film Studies Department and has spearheaded the creative production.

The project has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the series is meant to inspire thought on issues in today’s society.  The first video entry deals with the ever growing problem of our economy and its effect on peoples lives.  The series is meant to be portrayed as a “web cam” type production.  The show is hosted by a college student who is going out to find answers and interview different people.

When talking with John about the creative direction of the music, he conveyed an interest in something that would be upbeat and that sounded like a marching band.  Since not all episodes will be focusing on issues this intense, we agreed that the music needed to be peppy and catchy!  Well, T|M answered the call with just that:

The video is still being completed and is not ready for release quite yet, however, when it’s finished, we will post details on how to view it.  Having seen the edit so far, the production is excellently done and really does make you think on the issue.  This first installment is the “trial run” for the series.  We are hoping to take this concept on to new heights with the help of the NSF.

Enjoy the music and check back soon for details on how to see the movie as well as new T|M project news!

Tweex Music Presents New Installment of Remix Under Review:
Frozen Landscape

T|M brings a new track to the ongoing series, Remix Under Review.  With the frosty weather outside, it’s only appropriate to feature the track Frozen Landscape which set out to convey a feeling of intense cold.  The remix comes from a song from Final Fantasy 7, called Buried in the Snow.  Here is the source tune:

And here is the Remix:

This track, like Final Panic, was created using Reason.  The majority of the synths and instruments used came from Reason’s default library.  However, when starting the track, I scoured the internet for some really nice and chill sounding samples to use.  That’s how I found the synth pad that is first heard at the very beginning of the track!

The concept of the piece was found in a previous remix done by Daniel ’sephfire’ Floyd called Snowfall on Forbidden Lands.  It is a fantastic piece of music that successfully gives off the chill/cold vibe.  By listening to Daniel’s track, I found some fantastic ideas for how to craft Frozen Landscape.  The percussion was the first place I started by getting a couple short 8-16 bar loops.  What I found was that the percussion, without any synths around it, sounded as though it could be either cold or hot.  It wasn’t until the cools pads and chilled bells were added that the snow feeling came in.

The toughest challenge came in trying to change the time signature from 3/4 to 4/4.  The source is very scarce in materiel and main melody line is very simple.  But by adding the gated synth, the down tempo bass line, and pulsing drums, the track filled itself out quite naturally.  The guitar was a fun addition that didn’t come into play until close to the end.  I was picking on my acoustic one day and just stumbled across the chords by accident.  After a little practice, I set up the mics, opened Pro Tools, and laid it down.  It was a great bridge section that helped break the track up a little bit.

I initially picked up the song to do because it was one of the unclaimed tracks on the OCR FF7 project Voices of the Lifestream.  When I sent the track to Andrew ‘zircon’ Aversa (the project coordinator), he was diggin’ the sound but had some suggestions.  Well, needless to say, his input really helped take the song to the next level.

Compositionally, Frozen Landscape is one of my best pieces.  The soundscape turned out perfectly and the arrangement worked excietionally well with the source material.  The track name was inspired by the main synth that is heard at the very beginning.  The name of the patch is Frozen Landscape and when I saw that, I knew that would be the name of the remix!  It’s a fantastic track that stands a long side over 40 other tracks on the FF7 VotL project.  Be sure to check it out.

That concludes this installment of Remix Under Review.  There are some very exciting projects going on here at Tweex Music, so check back soon to see (and hear) what’s new!