+1 jond. Very interesting...thanks for pointing this out to everyone!
Anyone Else Here In To LIBRARY/PRODUCTION MUSIC?
Well, I've really gone down the rabbit hole now.
I've always been a fan of soundtracks and some esoterica, musically. (I love the internet station Luxuria Music!)
And I was aware of the famous British KPM music library, which has been heavily sampled by DJs/Rappers for many years. I've had several downloaded KPM albums for many years in my digital collection. I love the lush orchestration and happy vibe in so much of their pieces.
But getting in to vinyl with a new turntable has cranked up my dive in to Library Music big time. Part of it is the way youtube's algorithms have become all the more amazing at leading one to discover new, great music, and just going down the path of a library piece or two reveals so many others posted on youtube.
The other is getting in to discogs where all this stuff is actually available on vinyl to explore and buy easily.
I'm just in a state of wonder at how vast is the Library Music genre. It's like an entire alternative universe of music that was occurring while I grew up that I wasn't aware of, or only dimly so as some of it was incorporated in to familiar cheap movies, or TV shows, or documentaries etc. It's such an intriguing phenomenon: talented composers and often highly proficient musicians, gathered to churn out music based on possible themes and moods for movies, tv, commercials, industrial videos etc. I've always loved music that sets a strong mood, so this stuff is glorious. I remember how much I've always liked the themes for old 70's cop or adventure shows, and late 60's early 70's superhero cartoons. The themes were these muscular, balls-to-the-wall jazzy, funky, big-band horns blaring pieces that were so vivid and evocative. Library music is where some of this came from and there are just tons of examples of lush, vibrant, funky, energetic, creative music in there.
I'm particularly smitten with the Bruton Music Library at this point, as I find it most consistently delivers the type of music I enjoy - everything from lush, almost experimental, moody analog-synth based space-scape sounds from the 70's, to lush orchestration, to creative funky grooves, to blaringly energetic action themes.
The recording quality is often absolutely fantastic - bass guitar is big rich and tight, with great character, drums are up front and punchy played with great enthusiasm, strings and horns recorded with wonderful richness and warmth. Plus, the players for Bruton are tight as hell. It makes sense when you have a group of excellent musicians who day after day churn out tons of music that has to be played often as one-take. You are going to get chops and synergy happening there. (Though I have found the opposite in some other Libraries, with other bands, some of the playing is a bit to loose for my liking).
I also find the covers for Library music - Bruton being a great example - compulsively collectable and enjoyable in of themselves. There's both a comforting in their utilitarian consistency of design, and yet within that, some great creativity.
It's intriguing that generally speaking, these records were never meant to be available to the public. They were only created as demo vehicles, to be sent out to a TV/Movie production house, where the editors listened to the vinyl, selected the tracks they want, and then they were sent (click and pop-free) tape versions. Thus these records were often just tossed away after, and even the Library companies producing the records had little compunction about just throwing out or destroying the records after they were used. It's amazing as many survived as can be found on discogs/ebay.
Am I the only nut here who enjoys this stuff?
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If anyone else cares to read about it this is very well written........ https://pitchfork.com/features/starter/9410-library-music/ |
Glad to see someone finds it an interesting topic. Here's a site with a whole bunch of Bruton Music covers. You can see how the designers had to work within the somewhat idiosyncratic "block of cubes" graphic designer signature of the company. I find quite a few attractive and creative. Love the Bold As Brass cover (great album!): https://maraid.co.uk/blog/2015/11/bruton-music-library-lp-covers/ I purchased a new book on the history of library music, Unusual Sounds, which is fun to read when listening to these wacky albums. Info here: https://elephant.art/unusual-sounds-hidden-history-library-music/ |
I don't know if we can post youtube links, but if you google these you can get an idea of one flavour found in these library recordings: Alan Hawkshaw - Fuel Injection - Bruton Music Library Beach Journey - Alan Hawkshaw For old school keyboard fans, there's lots of clavinet and synth grooves in Alan Hawkshaw's stuff (though he spans from experimental electronic to jazzy big band and orchestral music as well). |
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