Music for the BBC
30/01/08 12:34 Filed in: Testimonials
I've enjoyed Darkroom's music for ten years, and I've been using their tracks on some of the things I do for BBC news for some time too. The Tonbridge Robbery trial, which I was looking after for BBC South East, seemed like a good opportunity to take things a step further by seeing if Mike and Os would like to make some music just for this project.
I'm delighted to say they agreed. I sent them rough cuts of the three pieces I was working on, which included "temp tracks" indicating where I wanted music. The tracks were also indicative of the mood of the music I was after, but not necessarily the sound. I didn't want cover versions of the temp tracks - what would be the point?
As I understand it Mike and Os recorded the music in just four hours, remarkable given their usual method of working, the amount of material and the variety of tones needed. The music had to move from sinister to dramatic to sad to purposeful all within a few seconds, and all with recurring themes for each of the story's "characters": the robbers, the family caught up in the raid, and the police.
The music I received (before the deadline! Always appreciated) was exactly what I was after, and all, for better or worse, without a single telephone conversation. As far as I'm aware this is the first time original music has been commissioned "just" for a news programme, not documentary.
I would recommend anyone in need of incidental music with a twist to get in touch with Darkroom. SO much better than those shelves full of dull library music.
Richard Smith
I'm delighted to say they agreed. I sent them rough cuts of the three pieces I was working on, which included "temp tracks" indicating where I wanted music. The tracks were also indicative of the mood of the music I was after, but not necessarily the sound. I didn't want cover versions of the temp tracks - what would be the point?
As I understand it Mike and Os recorded the music in just four hours, remarkable given their usual method of working, the amount of material and the variety of tones needed. The music had to move from sinister to dramatic to sad to purposeful all within a few seconds, and all with recurring themes for each of the story's "characters": the robbers, the family caught up in the raid, and the police.
The music I received (before the deadline! Always appreciated) was exactly what I was after, and all, for better or worse, without a single telephone conversation. As far as I'm aware this is the first time original music has been commissioned "just" for a news programme, not documentary.
I would recommend anyone in need of incidental music with a twist to get in touch with Darkroom. SO much better than those shelves full of dull library music.
Richard Smith