Everyone who pm'd me and provided a link to their latest track has been granted a spot. Despite only looking for 8 entries, 16 people applied that are relatively close in skill. I tried to make the material friendly to those doing trance to electro. So what will happen is that there will be 2 selections. One selection will be 50% voting by TA members and 50% judging by me. Those that remain will be chosen based on a criterion decided by the judges that will be posted in a few days or so. The goal is not to highlight the material but rather to showcase the producer. I only made this material so that nobody can cheat and make a tune that is already done. So as long as you can explain how you implement your content, which you will have to do along with a few other written explanations regarding your track and how you produced it, that is all I request.
(Prizes so far. Figures might go up depending on whether girlfriend pays me back the 6000$ I paid to clear her credit card debt. The last prize must take me out for a dinner no less than 100$ and I get to choose the wine.
1st prize: 250$
2nd prize: 100$
3rd prizeL 50$
Last prize: You get to take me out to dinner.
Anyways, Right, now , I'm about to hit the champers and did my best to finish the material you get to work with. Remember that this is a remix contest. I will elaborate what one can do with certain materials whether it be highlighting a chord progression, interval or set of pitches. I just wanted to post the actual official content so that those that pledged can get an idea of what they have to work with. I will post any midi anyone wants and explain the chord progressions if people need help. This is a learning experience and nobody will be penalized for asking questions.
I will post midi's eventually and some ideas as to how to take something and make something new by transposing, taking the same melody but changing the chords or keeping the chords and changing the melody. It will basically be a tutorial in how to compose a "variation" .
Anyways so far there are 3 choices. Apologize for the mixes. My girlfriend is sleeping and it is all in the headphones so turn your stereo down just in case. Shouldn't be too bad.
A Quite elaborate and the most challenging B Simple and energetic C Uplifting and pretty like Cryo in a bathing suite. Also, I sort of ripped this from Puccini's Turandot which I am a currently a vocal coach for an upcoming production. Great Opera premiered in 1927. It is the famous Aria that Pavarotti is known for called nessun dorma. Not exactly the same but that is where I took it from. The rest of the options were from my noggin.
Contest by Mad For Brad
Anyways, I'm about to go out so I will update as needed. Also know that the prize money will most likely increase by 250 for a total of 700 distributed by the three winners.
Only option A has a piano version as the progression is rather elaborate. I will make a few remarks later regarding each option as to what can be done with it and what makes it special. I will try and be as help full as possible as there is much that can be done with each that doesn't make it sound like the original. For example, option A provides 3 rather convenient pivot chords to go to 3 different keys. The goal is creativity and learning. Whether you are participating or not.
One last thing, a few people asked if they can use the material. Yes. I don't really care. But if for some strange reason someone makes a hit with one of my melodies, only those that pledged will have my approval. Not that I can afford or will ever sue you but ya, that is the deal. I am quite proud of the first one which is quite intricate and rather unique for trance so if anyone makes a hit, good for you. The only thing I ask is that you some how link it to something done by Brad Pitt. Maybe name it after one of his movies or roles. What a great actor. lol. I'm totally kidding by the way. I hate brad Pitt.
Finally
Any questions or clarifications no matter how trivial whether it is a question regarding the content or how much you will have to bribe to win, please sent it all to
madforbrad123@gmail.com as my pm's are really meant for my homoerotic sex chat with Nortek.
Last edited by Looney4Clooney on Sep-27-2010 at 01:44
Sep-19-2010 06:29
TaylorR
Supreme tranceaddict
Registered: May 2005
Location:
right on man. thanks for the uploads.
does the original due date still apply?
1 month minimum. Probably October 23. Don't want anyone to feel rushed including the judges. I actually have to double check that the judges can be available from november to december. One of the judge works at one of the busiest studios on the planet so I'm working around his schedule. The goal is for the money to be given before Christmas or whatever pagan holiday they celebrate in Norway.
I did specify the requirement for a paypal account but I suppose it doesn't really matter whether I send a certified check or paypal. In fact, I fucking hate paypal so that is actually more appealing. I've had paypal freeze my Ebay sales so many fucking times I would rather not ever have to solicit that quasi scam company ever again.
Sep-19-2010 07:26
Raphie
Mastering Engineer
Registered: Jun 2008
Location: Lelystad, Netherlands
All good, so where are the midi's?
___________________
Analogue Mastering
Esoteric sound for the discerning ear
Sep-19-2010 07:52
Looney4Clooney
Supreme tranceaddict
Registered: Apr 2010
Location:
on the way. I just finished the audio and started hitting the bottle. I'm playing the theme to Annie as my girlfriend sings. Fun. sigh. Maybe tomorrow. I will go into more detain regarding the examples and provide examples of how you can do variations that are quite different while still keeping the main melody or progression. I was hesitant to give any of the content a trance setting as I really don't want to inspire any of the final material. I really want to hear the producer's style and not someone that just plugs a melody verbatim. This contest is about how creative you can be. That is what we are looking for as there is no commercial implications. I know Stephen mentioned that the winner would get a release but that is up to him and i'm sure he will pick what suits him. Us as in the judges are looking for the most creative , modern cool track. The guy judging production will be judging how creative your sound design is, how unique your sounds are , and I will be judging how well you meld form with melody and harmony whether it be one chord or the whole thing. And the engineer well, he will be judging your track as if it was an actual project of his he is engineering so he will be rather technical.
Sep-19-2010 07:56
Zak McKracken
tranceaddict in training
Registered: Jun 2003
Location:
first melo (piano and the supersaw) is pretty cool, i can see that work very good in a full-on peak time trance track if chopped up right. also it somehow reminds of something from the 80s movie never ending story (not the theme song but some of the other stuff in the movie).
Sep-19-2010 07:57
Looney4Clooney
Supreme tranceaddict
Registered: Apr 2010
Location:
it is rather cool. It start on a second inversion of a C major chord then the 3rd is flattened going the the VI of C minor. The last chord is a V of V although you can go to V minor, or back to the beginning or E minor as a V vi resolution. It is quite nifty. And the perfect 5th - minor 6th interval that keeps getting repeated can be used for anything, I spent 80% of my time on that one as I wanted something that was intricate but catchy. That one can go so many ways. The fact that the main bass note can be the major 3rd of the scale despite being in minor is quite cool.
The original idea was to go to Ab major then D7 as a Neapolitan chord but it wasn't long enough and probably not catchy enough but anyway, all the small ideas I couldn't include in the main ideas, I will add as time goes by.
Sep-19-2010 08:08
Raphie
Mastering Engineer
Registered: Jun 2008
Location: Lelystad, Netherlands
If you want to go real epic, also play the vocal melody (the lines that pavarotti normally sings
MfB I suggest you should not give more examples, of revoicing and extracting basslines, chords etc out of this piece, as is should be part of the creative engineering of the remixing process.
There are only so many transcribing tricks one can do to go from classical piano to a trance piece.
just put the contestants to work and see what comes back
___________________
Analogue Mastering
Esoteric sound for the discerning ear
Sep-19-2010 08:16
Looney4Clooney
Supreme tranceaddict
Registered: Apr 2010
Location:
anyone that so touches anything pavarotti has sung will be immediately disqualified. Let the poor man rest. Yes as the days go by, I will provide chord substitutions and things you can do with it to make it different but honestly, I think people here have their own style that they will change whatever they don't like to make it suite their style. I could of posted 40 options but I figured these 3 were open enough to do lots with. I did rip nessun dorma but Puccini has been dead for nearly 100 years so fair game. And it isn't quite the same. The melody is somewhat similar and the minor chord change after the first 8 bars is different but essentially, I was running out of time and this was in my head.
