00:00 00:00
inflicting information
LC 12350
:
2011-05-26
:
2022-11-07
One of our largest releases at 171 cuts, this disc aims for creative and interesting ways of conveying information - while still telling a story. Good For: News, Technology, Light Drama, Investigations
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VH004201
1:30
An overcaffeinated, unrelenting barrage of data and information. Begins with a massive string rise/lift-off that switches @:11 to a cascade of marimbas + machine-like percussion that evokes a stream of numbers, symbols - and possibly Scott Bakula - racing by in 3D. Filled with various breaks and stops/starts, this cut has a wide range of dynamics (fast/slow and quiet/loud) with suspenseful builds and tension throughout. Great for technology, anything-of-the-future, news, science or data overload.
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VH004202
1:20
Smart minimalism. Interlacing marimbas, chamber strings, piano and woodwinds paint an aural picture of progress with a human side. Percolating, organic feel works for decoding complex processes, humanizing medical advances or environmental "we care about the earth" pieces. Ride cymbals and legato strings, in after :30, add layers of movement and warmth, with a warmer, almost emotional, sad/wistful section starting @:59.
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VH004203
1:12
Folktronica cut that organically blends World Music with technology, news and emotion. Opens mysteriously with tuned metals, marimbas, nylon guitar and light percussion then evolves. A full drum kit enters @:20 adding drive and importance. Light synthetic elements throughout create a compelling blend that keeps things from being either too folky or too synthy. Slightly Irish-tinged cut works for scientific explorations, corporate, medical stories or if your news is choreographed by "Lord of The Dance," Michael Flatley. Second half has slightly more urgent/concerned feel.
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VH004204
1:15
Perfect for natural processes and timelapse. Overlapping layers of acoustic guitar and percussion evolve from simplicity to complexity. Useful for showing progress/achievement, displaying information in an empathic way. Begins small and steady with a single shaker and machine-like guitar part then adds complementary rhythmic/melodic parts, until by :16 it's a mass of neutral-to-positive movement and activity with halftime, bright, simple bell-like melodies that protrude from the fast-moving layers like rocks in a cascading river.
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VH004205
1:14
Tense positivity. Dignified news and activity with bouncy, delayed wooden marimbas, synth bass, electronic kick and ostinato low strings signify intelligent/controlled activity, growth, mild tension and complex interactions. In 7/4 time for all of you music-school graduates out there (and don't worry - you'll find a job soon). @:37 we introduce a percolating synth (and stuttering strings @:50), making the cue appropriate for technology, mild suspense, tension and medical stories. Good for news, industrials and fast cutting.
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VH004206
1:16
Bowtie-wearing, common-sense and intelligent, matter-of-fact and dignified way of showing complex information, growth, time passing and evolution. PBS-tinged woodwinds, piano, string quartet, glockenspiel and clock-like acoustic/electronic percussion create a climbing arpeggio that grows faster, more immersive and slightly positive throughout both halves. An alternate mix @:30 starts simpler with a less-pronounced ticking feel and more neutral / bed-like shifting string pads. Good for documentaries, creating financial trust and international news.
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VH004207
1:08
Bright, clean + articulate information delivery system. Positive and earnest, this catchy and supremely versatile track is good for all kinds of neutral to good news/information: personal bests, coffee filter breakthroughs, a modern take on traffic+weather, business busyness, or any vaguely feel-good technology. Marimba (yes, again) melody at the top is joined by bass, drums, synths and, starting @:15, a suspenseful rising tone/feel that climaxes @ :29. A movement-laden, busy piece that gets busiest by :50.
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VH004208
1:09
Time/deadline oriented light drama. Straightforward, clock-like ticking, teletype-esque percussion/drums (with actual typewriter samples) and percussive electric guitars create a bed of activity that suggests industriousness, growth and evolution. Builds linearly throughout both halves, with neutral-to-tense low synth/wind pads shifting and climbing until climaxes @:28 and 1:00. The second half suggests dischord and mystery with heavily processed woodwind stabs building from :30. Good for technology, light news, and information exchange and internet crises.
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VH004209
1:11
Dignified and aggressive - like an all-ballerina SWAT team. An intelligent way of suggesting time passing or simple neutral/positive suspense. Anticipatory and measured, this mid-tempo track starts with a simple marimba progression and percussion (shakers/metallics). As it progressively adds wind, string and piano arpeggios on top, the cut becomes a large, complex web of clockwork-like interwoven elements and rhythms. Gets fastest @:53 with a double-time piano arpeggio added. Good for time lapse, fast cutting or showing evolution.
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VH004210
1:12
Mechanical/clockwork mayhem. Noisy, somewhat harsh Industrial sound collage good for communicating the downside of technology or when those fax/scanner/copiers/printers decide to choke on their own vomit. Kick drums and the rhythmic sounds of various machines are joined by low synths, drum machines and distorted guitar chugging. Clock-like ticking after :30, joined by seriously angry guitars, has a "your life will end soon" feel. Gets pretty mean @1:02, with even nastier guitars.
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VH004211
1:14
Under-the-top suspense and tension. Like getting a death threat delivered by singing telegram, this modern, elegant string-based piece combines bouncy rhythms in a gravitas-suggesting, tragedy-friendly package. Starting with solo cello, this cut builds with intertwining lead lines, adding both more low strings, processed guitars and delayed thumping, atmospheric electronic kick drums to create a track that's good for dignified examinations of weighty issues such as climate change or crises in the Middle East - especially if they were committed by Professor Plum in the study. Also good for human-scale dramas such as missing children, domestic abuse and addiction.
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VH004212
1:06
Gentle, intelligent and dignified mystery that builds in anticipation and complexity, resulting in two definitive conclusive moments. Light bells, oboes, cello/violin, trumpet, piano - and other instruments that rarely impress girls at parties - create a series of gentle, understated, reverbed stabs that form a simple, climbing melody and visually suggest images appearing and dissolving. Builds to a conclusive "a-ha!" moment @:29 then pares down to build again. Good for news, medical mysteries, lactose-intolerant orchestras and suggesting the passage of time.
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VH004213
1:06
Uptempo, thoughtful, sunny and driving Prog/Pop cut that uses circular muted guitars, piano, percussive synths and light acoustic drums to create a generic, movement-filled neutral-to-positive bed. Useful for a wide range of information-based stories, this track opens with neutral guitars then becomes more active and percolating. Really kicks in @:48 with a driving acoustic drum backbeat. Useful for everything from morning news to infomercials to corporate.
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VH004214
1:18
Infomercial-esque, space-filling and simple Funk/Rock that would work as driving, neutral-to-positive background for news, sports, information, weather updates or if your talent tends to strut as if there's a live anaconda in their pants. '70s-tinged electric bass-driven track uses delayed electric guitar, drums and percolating synths to create a non-threatening musical environment, especially during the second half, which offers pared-down loopable beds of the elements. Gets slightly edgier around @:55 with a hint of (gasp) distortion. Sorry - hiccups.
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VH004215
1:19
Eco-concern light suspense and tension that should really be called "The Tree of Life is Depressing the Hell Out of Me". Minor key kalimbas, plaintive and haunting processed vocals and globally-sourced percussion paint a bleak picture of ravaged nature: denuded forests, polluted waters, Mickey Rourke. Filled with breaks and subtle builds, this cut's good for PSAs, documentaries and news.
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VH004216
1:21
Elegant, intimate, artistic minimalism evolves into modern chillout. First :30 features an eclectic chamber group (string quartet, winds, piano, vibes, kick drum) that evokes the creative process, perhaps a painter at work, uptight ballet troupe or an architect drafting. Second half gets smoky and super-French @ :31 with ride cymbal, vibes and a pack of Gauloises. Theme repetition @:44 sets up the track somehow becoming chillout @:55 when drum kit and electric piano enter. '70s-tinged art-house cinema soundtrack-esque track that works as a heady, but emotionally-charged confrontation or a way to bridge the past and the present.
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VH004217
1:27
Fast-paced, urgent information delivery. Opens with flowing piano, synthetics and percussion that create a feeling of concern or importance. They're joined @:19 by an active, overdriven synth bass that makes the piece seem twice as fast and urgent. Second half begins in a slightly more dramatic fashion with lightly emotional piano and bells and edgy guitar accents. @:49 pauses for an almost sad and introspective piano-driven bed, but returns to the bass-driven anxiety @1:01. Could be used for scientific progress, technology pros and cons or medical races against time.
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VH004218
1:21
Suspense/mystery with some dignity. Intimate cello, glockenspiel, violins, acoustic toms/hand drums and washes of processed bells/synths suggest fuzzy images of unsolved mysteries, medical crises or missing children. @:16 the cut gets slightly more busy, adding more drums and building to a climax @:29. The second half offers variations of the mix.
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VH004219
1:02
Egotistical, grand, proud and important, accessorized with modern accents to keep it from feeling too stodgy. Solo trumpet open leads to a big brass fanfare @:12 supported by subtly-processed piano and larger-than-life percussion. Works great for award shows, Olympics, event weddings, news image spots or for prestigious sports events trying to strike a balance between tradition and relevance (golf, sailing, horse racing, horse golfing, etc).
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VH004220
1:31
Newsy percussion beds with wide dynamic range, suggesting determination, pride or really violent massages. Starts with modern-sounding rhythmic processed metals and hand drums rising in pitch until the cut explodes into a full, tom-driven fusillade @:08 with simple processed string hits. Good for sports teams' entrances, investigations or any kind of military advertising suggesting you'll be jumping out of airplanes instead of making 40,000 pounds of tuna salad. Varies between smaller beds and larger, loopable pounding ones throughout.
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VH004221
1:30
Your newscast doesn't have a news theme? This orchestral, positive and hopeful brass-led one will have your chest swelling with pride, or infection if your implants are leaking. From the bed of busy marcato strings, to the movement-filled percussion/drums, bells, timpani and Olympics-ready swells of proud brass, this cut leaves no doubt your God-like anchor is bequeathing the fire of truth upon humanity. After :30, the cut provides a climbing bed of swelling strings and low brass until the celebratory theme @:52.
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VH004222
1:11
Timeless importance. A bed of staccato strings? Check. Urgent - but not too urgent - pulsing, uptempo rhythm? Check. Dramatic change to proud, melodic section: check (@:20). Walter Cronkite still dead? Check. No seriously - check. I think we might have buried him alive. All the basic elements are here to tell any important story, especially political ones. Also good for finance and corporate/ business. We keep it modern by adding a single electric guitar throughout and @:35 what sounds like a crumbling xylophone - probably because it is. Second half is brighter and more optimistic.
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VH004223
1:17
Go from wuss to winner in under :30 with this mid-tempo, measured but celebratory orchestral/pop/rock hybrid! Set the stage for the challenge of a lifetime!! Or on Lifetime!!! A dramatic piano/string-driven open places obstacles in your path, but @:20, you're into positive territory as swelling orchestra and electronic beats cheer on your certain awesometude. Useful for sports, news generics or even celebrity/reality-show comeback stories. Section starting @:31 is a unique, pulsing, electronic kick and tremoloed half-time orchestra that gives the impression of growth, timelapse or evolution. The full, positive, life-affirming mix @:59 suggests someone has won.
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VH004224
1:13
Aggressive and propulsive, driving call-to-action. Your news not tough enough? Do you end your broadcast with "nighty night?" This cut starts with uptempo percussive orchestral strings and thumping electric bass, but wait until :11 and experience the MIGHT AND POWER OF METAL/ROCK-TINGED ELECTRIC GUITARS, DRUMS and uh, really irate string players! GARRRRR! Gets small again @:30, but dynamically bounces between the pulsing, more expected beds of newsiness and violently interrupts them with distorted bass/guitar and drums, creating a hit-filled, aggressive, angry and viola-wielding angel of destruction! Good for sports, news themes, investigations and parodies.
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VH004225
1:13
Problem meets triumphant solution. Begins small and dramatic, with a small, pulsing string section, edited into a choppy rhythm with a small battery of marching/orchestral drums. The size of both the string and drum sections grows, until @:21 the swelling strings and huge drums suggest celebration and victory. Rhythmic ticking and busy pizzicato string samples after :30 are useful as a newsy setup to the musical celebration that jumps back in @:52. Good for comebacks, news and sports.
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VH004226
1:06
There has never been perky, morning-show-friendly, life-celebrating music like this. Probably because of the Geneva Convention and Amnesty International. Bouncy beds of Pop/Rock electric guitars and head-bobbing synths create a comforting haven for joyous glockenspiel melody, angelic choirs, piano/harp-like arpeggios and clap-filled accents. The second half is similar, but adds more dignified staccato low string parts, but just a warning: "dignity" is relative. Good for children's spots, PSAs and unbridled happiness.
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VH004227
1:23
Explosive, intentionally over-the-top news/sports track that drops a bomb on bombastic. If your anchors were issued RPGs and had to single-handedly save America from terrorists while wearing American-flag camoflauge (in my head it's a real thing), this is what you'd hear. This Orchestral/Rock hybrid that does neither side any favors begins with huge drums, orchestral brass, strings, electric guitar and gives you various sections of dramatic overstatement, all culminating in the final, hit-filled climax @1:02, where even the explosions are somehow being blown up. Bonus points for ridiculous manly guitar playing @:13, :21 and 1:15. Good for action, football highlights, political faceoffs, parodies and cable news themes. God help us all.
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VH004228
1:29
Political news positivity, confidence and hopeful growth. Straight-ahead cue that offers up a powerful inspirational message of pride with churning beds of strings, climbing piano, brass and drums that build towards driving climaxes at :28 and the end. Delicate middle section featuring a string arpeggio and simple piano melody @:32 suggests warmer emotional moments - until orchestral hugeness @1:02 crushes the sweetness like baby seals. Whatever you're saying on top of this must be true, and wholesome and good for the whole world. Good for image spots, politics and suggesting evolution.
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VH004229
1:07
Proud, stately way of telling the world something important and positive. Teletype-like orchestral drums/percussion, winds, bells and strings create a busy and bluster-filled brass-led theme, replete with cinematic choir @:12. The second half starts with a woodwind-smaller, more neutral, news-ready bed that builds in tenor (adding atmospheric woman's vocals @:47 for that World Music touch) until it gets pounding and forceful @:59. Good for image spots, sports/Olympics, gladiatorial combat and opens.
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VH004230
1:21
Stately, heroic and annoyingly-proud modern orchestral piece signifies impressive accomplishments. Waves of lush, romantic strings open the cut, underpinned by very subtle electronic elements. Forceful drums enter @:14, embiggening the track until the :29 hit. Second half builds similarly, but this time with a steady kick drum imparting a driving feel. An attention-getting, news-esque fanfare @:57 features big, bold brass and drums against a bed of staccato strings resolving into a hit-filled climax. Good for news, corporate, Olympics/prestigious sports or any big achievement you feel like (literally) trumpeting.
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VH004231
1:41
Pop-tinged, piano-driven feel-good track that's light, energetic and positive all at once. And if you don't get happy, by 1:18 it will pound the happiness into you, dammit. Delicate piano, acoustic guitar, just enough percussion and some unobtrusive synths provide a sense of positive progress, most likely in the emotional area. Good for self-confidence, corporate, morning news or pharmaceutical commercials. Also happens to be in 7/4, if you're counting. Has an emotive breakdown @ :50, followed by a return to the main melody @1:18, which is bolstered by electric guitar hits.
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VH004232
1:08
Old-fashioned, yet timeless, Olympic-esque orchestral pride and achievement. You can practically see a 50s-style globe spinning in black and white as a broadcaster (in a tie of course) announces the name of every country. Afghanistan. Albania. Algeria. Begins spritely, with strings and active snare drums. Then, @:07 a broad-shouldered horn melody enters, later joined by a completely earnest choir @:18. Second half sounds like a sports montage from a bad '80s movie, but who cares, because this is the squarest track in the world - and clearly proud of it. Good for retro-Olympics, newsreels, parades, comedy or parodies.
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VH004233
1:22
Music for current events - with a mix of urgency and importance. A blend of modern Rock and orchestral news, this cut starts with driving low strings, trap drum kit, string hits and a surprisingly understated electric guitar lead starting @:15. Creating a sense of significance and immediacy without going over the top, but teetering right on the edge. Darkly questioning section after :30 is a nice counterpoint to main melody. A good theme for news, serious talk shows or investigations.
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VH004234
1:14
Sounds exactly like its title, especially if your name is Will. Celebratory, grand and swollen with pride and anti-depressants, this insufferably triumphant orchestral track screams that your missing shoe is in adversity's ass. The brass-driven main melody enters @:15 and is supported by strings, drums and the crushed dreams of a thousand souls. Has a wide-screen feel after :30 until the big horns come back in @:52. Good for sports, image spots, Olympics, sports, big achievements and people who refer to themselves in the third person.
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VH004235
1:21
Want marching band drums - but hate marching band drums? Tons of pounding found percussion (cans, boxes, metal sheets, etc.) along with processed drums suggest celebrations, war-like tribal activity or that someone really, really wants to come in. Fast, insistent light drums provide a movement-filled base as large, reverbed drums create accelerating accents that suggest faster visual cutting or a sense of impending violence. Several climbing, jet-like pitched whooshes throughout also add layers of excitement. Gets more spare after :30, building back up to carnage by 1:03. Good for big events or sports.
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VH004236
1:24
Uplifting Indie/Heartland/Light Rock hybrid. Tasteful, driving electric guitars, rock drums and a supporting cast of synths create a happy, yet slightly edgy, way to wake up in the morning, spread the word about a new allergy medicine/fabric softener or promote an overly-perky guest on your program. The momentum is kept up throughout the whole track, which features a catchy melody @:20 and again @1:03. The drums drop out after :30 then build back up with useful drum fill ending @:49.
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VH004237
1:28
A timeless, warmhearted orchestral tribute to tributes. Tinkly, delicate piano goodness is joined by non-tinkly trumpet melody @:09 and orchestra @:19, when piece becomes completely self-important and difficult to live with, suggesting overcoming the odds and emotional climaxes. Is proudest and hugest @1:04 when a choir wanders into the cut, eliminating any doubts as to its own wonderfulness. Good for tributes, Olympics, news and freedom.
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VH004238
1:22
Inspiring, feel-good cue filled with hope. Much better than its companion track, "Loserville Cul-de-Sac." Brings to mind slow-motion shots of runners training alone in the rain, a doctor going the extra mile for a patient or a mailman waking in the dark to deliver whatever it is that people mail nowadays. Graceful delayed piano, determined strings, brass and supporting percussion make this cut widely useful for any inspirational story. Has a softer, inspirational side beginning @:34, then starts building back to a heartwarming full mix @:54.
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VH004239
1:04
Bouncy, vintage, orchestral corniness that plays it completely straight. Reminds us of those synchronized swimming ladies making pool flowers back in the 1950s. Or animated dancing food of some kind. Eggs. Eggs could work. Animated dancing eggs with pantyhose, canes and top hats - perfect. Opens with a slightly magical/holiday feel that also evokes images of a classic Hollywood movie premiere with perky strings/brass, tambourines, bells and percussion that evolve into a driving, positive theme. Perfect for classic entertainment, newsreels, young kids events or even Christmas.
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VH004240
1:36
Slow-motion, emotionally-climatic anthem. A dreamy, blurry piano soundscape is brought into focus with crisp drums @:19. Elegant, peaceful and ethereal but still providing a feeling of movement, the heavily-reverbed piano melodies slowly ascend their way to a payoff @:29. The second half features just piano after :30 and then one long, almost celestial, ascent from :55 to 1:24, with flowing piano and drums adding elements of drama and motion. Useful for creating a sense of peace, hope or wonder in an understated way without being static or boring.
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VH004241
1:10
Hopeful, eager, proud, positive orchestral Copland-esque Americana. The musical equivalent of a Labrador, this cut is always happy to see you, up for anything and, well, just super-psyched about life in general. Features busy piano, driving toms along with catchy hit-filled string/brass melody that just makes you want to run around, play frisbee and pee on people's lawns (to keep the Labrador thing going). Has a brief moment of piano- and harp-driven introspection @:30 then returns to main theme @:42. Good for news, cattle drives and rodeos.
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VH004242
1:15
A serious, modern take on non-fiction drama. Busy, driving beds of strings create a backdrop for reversed piano and subtly sound-designed elements, highlighting the stuttering, contemporary sounds more as the piece progresses. After :30 the cut builds from anticipatory bed to a full, pride-filled reiteration of the theme @:57. Useful for news image spots, corporate launches or any production where you want to communicate a seriousness of purpose without getting bombastic.
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VH004243
1:29
Smaller orchestral/percussive conflict meets uplifting resolution. Muscular and proud - but not completely annoying and over the top - this cut starts with slightly tense, pulsing, plucked guitar-like synths that build into an optimistic theme, adding majestic strings, piano, pounding toms/percussion, all climbing in tenor and pitch until @:21 it's celebrating itself and how it could kick your ass at Scrabble. Good for suggesting growth, image spots and show opens. The second half features more loopable, news-friendly beds and begins the self-congratulating @1:17.
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VH004244
1:14
Celebration and egotism - the mathlete version. Dignified orchestral cellos/violins and harps create a feeling of movement above a bed of looped, processed synths. Electronic and acoustic drums and synth bass provide drive as the whole mix gets bigger and more prideful @:17 with staccato brass. @:30 the cut gets smaller with a tremolando bed of processed flutes, synths, ticking percussion and subtle wave-like swells that slowly builds back up to a fuller, unrelentingly-positive return to the main theme @:58, with anthemic electric guitar chords. Good for informational spots, positive news and technological achievement.
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VH004245
1:12
Positive, celebratory orchestral Power Pop that will make your heart swell with happiness. Or heartworms. Piano, glockenspiel and electric guitar harmonics create a midtempo, cascading melody that @:08 gets big and continues to get bigger, adding brass pads, strings and busy drums. @:32 inspirational, feel-good, delicate solo piano and electric guitar trade off, creating an uplifting, anthemic (but smaller mix-wise) section that someone is overcoming the odds, triumphing over adversity, enjoying a slo-mo victory, or might need to wash their hands more often, Mr. Worms-in-the-heart.
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VH004246
1:02
Proud, celebratory and victory march-like almost to the point of satire, this cut feels like a highlight reel for an all-animated football team. Using busy woodwinds, bells, orchestral toms/timpanis and electronic drums to create a driving undercurrent of activity, a brass-led lead reminds us how Goofy Goat and Herbert Hippo won the big game. @:38 an inspirational choir enters and we relive the parade after the big win and don't even notice Stanley Stink Bug getting crushed underfoot. Good for positive news, '50s animated films, opens and sports.
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VH004247
1:17
Moderately serious piece that shows grit, determination, and a muffin top when it wears the wrong jeans. Begins dignified and measured, with pizzicato strings, chamber horns and winds, synth bass, and crisp drums. Has an air of consequence tempered with a metered, dignified solemnity that makes this description utterly pretentious. Slower more majestic/inspirational section @:30 with a solo violin melody, returning to main theme @:58. Useful for politics, finance, investigations, sports back stories ("from a small town in Canada, he rose before dawn everyday to curl for six hours"), news images or overcoming obstacles in pursuit of greatness.
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VH004248
1:16
Sad becomes proud - in a new genre we're going to call "Cry-umphant." Delicate, heartwarming Pop/Rock acoustic/electric piano is joined by buzzy synth arpeggios and kick drum rhythm @:05. Becomes almost triumphant @:19. Great for emotional reality shows, teen crises, also works especially well for issues like body image, self-esteem, wanting to fit in and other adolescent obsessions, but not including Pokemon or having Jenny Martin steal your boyfriend. Gets more delicate and fragile @ :31, synths reappear @:49 and the piece goes on its now-happy way until the last hit @1:14.
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VH004249
1:21
The clockworks of evil. Creepy, haunting and itch-inducing, this cut suggests being infested with Satanic, mechanical insects that are personified by plucked, tight metal strings, clockwork-like movements, various struck metals, small bits of clattering wooden percussion, heartbeat-like electronic kick and Horror-laden reverbed woman's moans suggesting fear or the worst phone sex ever. Varying between spare, tinkling and furiously busy skittering activity (@:14, :48), this cut works for murder, complex mysteries and really freaking me out.
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VH004250
1:21
Twangy, fast-paced Surf/Rockabilly hybrid with a dark and dangerous edge. A blast of drums and twangy guitar squalls/feedback kick us off, joined by a driving bass @:14 and more atmospheric guitar strums starting @:20. @:41 furious guitar chanks and hyperactive drumming all build to a barrage of nasty hits @:48. Broadly useful for dramatic action, like movie lineups, this one's especially perfect for high-end dramas with bite, modern noir, or any story that has sexy people doing deliciously violent things to each other - like vampires.
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VH004251
1:38
World/Ecological mystery. Spare, foreboding, dystopian bass notes and skittering sound design open this cut suggesting desolation and mystery. @:08 an insistent battery of rhythmic World percussion begins along with atmospheric plaintive women's vocals and synth pads suggest a deepening mystery, conflict or even growth/evolution. Vocals are in the clear @:31, later joined by a pulsing, overdriven electric bass. After a jungle drum breakdown @:52, and a series of stop/start breaks, the cut builds back to the main theme. Good for dramas in exotic places, investigations and innocents in trouble abroad.
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VH004252
1:04
What a denial of service sounds like. Orchestral drama with subtle data-like sound design. Churning, cinematic nail-biter suggesting investigations, spies, mysteries, chases, tense standoffs, time's running out, or someone's hacked your AOL account. Starting with mysterious and suspenseful percolating computer/communication sounds and orchestral percussion, the cut gets big, martial-feeling and fast @:12, adding strings and a lot more drums. @:30 the cut grows again, with slightly more acoustic/expected orchestral instrumentation with a lighter, bouncier wind/brass melody @:37.
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VH004253
1:20
Sexy danger. Being circled by sharks, perfume salespeople or the cast of Jersey Shore? This dark, shadowy Indie Rock/World cut uses watery string instruments, percussion and, @:24, a menacing baritone sax to create a sense of impending danger. @:54 the horns start fresh, providing an alternate start opportunity if you want to jump right to the action. Gets pretty heartless @1:13. Useful for surveillance, forensic investigations, dangerous activities or anytime someone would use the phrase "they prey on the innocent."
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VH004254
1:11
Noir-ish, sad desolation. Slow, tentative, spare atmospheric drama that intermingles longing and loss. Saw your house burn down? Town destroyed by plague? This stark and spacious cue opens with atmospheric electric/acoustic piano, joined by plaintive harmonica/guitar feedback-type atmospherics and drums @:10. Gets slowly more despairing as other elements join in your misery. A striking moment @:40 that leaves itself unresolved for almost :10 could also be a good alternate ending.
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VH004255
1:49
A sense of wonder, mysticism and intrigue with a hint of strange. Slightly clangorous and dissonant bells and tuned metals interweave a bed of questioning melody against shifting synth/string chords, high-pitched ticking metals and rumbling percussion. The cut builds to a mildly tense, dense climax @:29 then returns to a smaller, bed of bells/metals with measured waves of swelling synths and then alternates between this and a tense, active percussive onslaught (@:55, etc). Good for investigations, nightmarish visuals and evil children/toys.
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VH004256
1:24
Thinking music - but with a mysterious and forboding edge. Like if the Final Jeopardy answer was "This contestant was stabbed in the eye for answering this question wrong." Slowly cascading and percolating atmospheric synths, measured percussive tapping and pads of dissonant feedback create mental images of slow dissolves, time passing and plants decaying. Gets slightly positive with a double-time section @:21, returning to spare and uncomfortably quiet @:30. Good for loss, investigations and tough decisions.
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VH004257
1:24
Conveys simple but dangerous beauty. Like droplets on a pond, this cut starts with spare delayed piano/oboe/flute hits that get more frequent until all the different delayed elements build to a climax @:29. The second half also features the "droplets," with the piano/guitar/oboe/string notes playing "Ave Maria." The mood toughens with the addition of drums @:55. Works for watching something evolve over time, suggesting complexity and lost innocence.
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VH004258
1:30
Music for affectionately poisoning someone. Dignified, measured, string quartet, delayed guitar harmonics and synth atmospherics create a sweet, serene setting with a subtle undercurrent of disharmony or the machinations of an evil genius. @:30 low, dramatic drums bolster bigger string hits, suggesting something sinister is trying to kill you with brownies. Walks the line between pleasant and suspenseful darkness and good for detectives, spies and any situation where the visuals are dissonant with the action - like lovingly injecting a Thanksgiving turkey with arsenic or painstakingly crafting a coffin for your rich grandmother.
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VH004259
1:13
Nervous tension and light suspense. Starting with a bed of clock-like ticking shakers/wooden percussion and simple pulsing bass synths and pianos, this cut features a simple melody played by stuttering/shaking piano samples. The cut's jittery, almost unreal quality seems to ask "could rats crawl out of my toilet?" After a brief, more organic bed of multiplying piano ostinatos @:30, the answer comes @:53 with heavy-handed piano arpeggios and pounding bass suggesting that "yes, rats can - and will - bring alligator reinforcements." Good for suggesting a sense of unbalance and mild fear.
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VH004260
1:14
Fast-paced Rock action served with sassy sauce and a wink. Taunting and creepy tremoloed pads of women's vocals begin the track almost calmly, until staccato strings and huge rock drums crash in @:09, creating a lumbering mid-tempo drama cut that gets frenzied @:19. A series of big-ass drum fills starting @:40 would make a great intro/climax. Good for serving up action with a bit of irony, so if your script includes the words Steven Segal, Jean Claude Van Damme or even Vin Diesel, this is your cue. If your script includes the words "sassy sauce," you're beyond help.
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VH004261
1:13
Playful intrigue. This Tango-tinged, smart, Spanish-flavored cue uses swirling guitar figures and insistent piano to create a sense of competing motives. String quartet and more guitars @:09 add to the complexity. High bells, claves and @:50, flamenco-like claps add color and punctuate the activities. Takes a thoughtful pause @:45, has a nice moment @:56 with cascading guitars, then Rhumbas off to the end. This piece is at the intersection of passion and conspiracy, as if two romantically-linked spies simultaneously drugged each other's cocktails. Good for espionage, danger abroad and when a pan of paella starts tailing you.
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VH004262
1:22
Understated mystery alternates with mild bursts of action. Unique, ethnically-uncertain percussion starts slowly escalating the tension. The tempo increases @:12 with breathing percussion that noticeably gets suspenseful, until @:24, a frantically scraped violin and more percussion create a sudden flurry of activity. There's another useful (and creepy) section beginning @:54 with alternating percussion and breaths that leads eventually to a chaotic frenzy @1:06. Works for investigations, menacing mystery or stalkers.
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VH004263
1:21
Expectant, clock-like tension becomes percussive activity and movement. Starts with tinkling, clock-like metallic percussion, shakers, bells, atmospheric electric guitar, washes of low synths and thumping orchestral percussion suggesting the planning phase of a complex attack or non-integer game of Sudoku. @:33, faster, more dense hand percussion suggests military actions, chases or getting beaten up by a drumming circle as the piece builds towards a tense, percussive climax @1:02. Adds a bonus creepy atmospheric build to hit starting around 1:05.
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VH004264
1:14
Mysterious and otherworldly drama cut with darkly ethereal production. Imagine a ballroom in Hades, or a pirate ship that's been sailing underwater for hundreds of years. Begins small and eerie, with low music box and plucked strings playing a ghostly melody. Then gets bigger, and darker, but never totally evil. A delicate music-box section starting @:31 creates a sense of loss and longing for the past. Good for the supernatural, ghosts, ancient secrets or anything beyond our realm of comprehension. Like Jay Leno in Collision Course. Google the trailer.
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VH004265
1:28
Medical mystery. Pulsing and atmospheric, this neutral to mysterious cut combines information with a wistful sadness. Acoustic bass, plunked synths and acoustic guitar harmonics create a web of movement and intrigue, with various breaks littered throughout. @:12 gunshot-like percussive hits create a more dramatic, suspenseful tone. Takes an almost positive, driving feel @:58 with a four-on-the-floor kick drum. Perfect for paranormal investigations, forensic exploration and emotionally-engaging puzzles.
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VH004266
1:16
History Channel-tinged light mystery/drama background/open music. Piano, e-bowed guitar and beats create a feeling of escalating human-scale tension. Gets more worldly and large-scale @:17 with an orchestral string lead and more muscular drums. A delicate piano and bells section @:30 (made only marginally weird by wah-wahed synths and phased percussion loops) progressively gets larger and more grand until huge strings and drums repeatedly hammer home the slightly majestic, four-note theme starting @1:01.
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VH004267
1:33
Smart, intelligent modern drama. Glassy minimalimist, shimmering patterns underpin expressive acoustic guitar/mandolin strumming and drums with an edgy, heartbeat-like feel. Section half opens up sonically, with cut-up synths @:35 joined by edgy beats and ultra-low, whale-summoning bass that lead to a guitar/synth break @:57 but explode into a more minor epic/conflict with a rise to climax starting @1:10. Good for higher-end dramas (HBO/Showtime etc.), dangerous sex, investigations or investigations into why there aren't enough dramas about dangerous sex.
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VH004268
1:26
A modern, mysterious Trip Hop-esque take on showdown music. Just grab one part classic drama music (drones, strings), one part sampled-from-vinyl Spaghetti Western whistling (to our lawyer: don't worry) and add a dollop of really-pissed-off drummer (@:13) and you get this striking, tense cut. Second half starts creepy with whistling and string arpeggios then adds drums and atmospheric hits, building slowly to a foreboding, suspenseful climax. Works for sharp-edged dramas, standoffs, vigilantes, post-modern Westerns, non-stereotypical Halloween celebrations or any movie where a man can wear a pancho and STILL kick ass.
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VH004269
1:15
Attitudinal Rock with a subtle '50s/'60s vibe for the ambitious henchman. Muted spring-reverbed electric guitars, start/stop drums, electric bass and a repetitive processed sax/guitar line (@:10) create a sense of mystery/intrigue. @:21 a hit-filled section piles on the drama and action. Gritty, dynamic, hard-edged in blown-out black and white and punctuated by moments of violence, this cut feels like a vintage musical gangfight. Jumps into ultramodern territory @:53 with glitchy beats with the full mix returning @1:04, blasting its way to the end. This cut's appropriate for crime, investigations, modern detectives/spies/espionage and thrillers.
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VH004270
1:21
Unrelenting, angry, electric guitar/drum-driven Metal/Thrash/Rock assault that feels like you're being slapped awake with your own buttocks. Fast stabs of irritating distorted electric guitar/bass and acoustic drums create a nightmarish array of stop/start violence that uses backward electric guitar ambience (@:30) to further suggest that something's wrong or twisted. Good for fast edits of shocking images, invoking a klaxon/panic alarm feel or extreme sports (like dragster roping).
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VH004271
1:15
Gentle, delicate and tinged with danger, this cut combines music box-esque tinkling bells against the creepiness of angry synth swells and ominous portent of distant slamming hits and rattling metals. Good for creepy investigations, dangerous children's toys, psychopathic Santas or raising the hair on the back of your neck. After a spare interlude of shaken bells, low bass and looped, reversed bells @:32, a distorted music box @:42 provides a break for a full mix to come in @:53, climbing to a final hit @1:06.
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VH004272
1:14
Clock-like, tense, racing-against-time cinematic cut that uses percussive, struck-string instruments (harps, piano, violins, cellos), thumping electronic/acoustic percussion, brass hits/swells and synth bass to suggest building fear, danger and suspense. Goes from large to ultra-hugely stress-inducing @:14 as it climbs in both pitch and tension. Returns to quieter, more subtly stressful @:31 with reversed strings and thumping synth drums, with the mix and tenor increasing linearly until a pounding, stab-filled, orchestral hit-fest @:49.
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VH004273
1:07
"Listen to this special report or you're gonna die/explode/get mauled by a panda!" Dramatic, fast, movement-filled delayed acoustic piano, reversed cymbals, and ticking electronic drums are punctuated with huge, reverbed piano-body hits, suggesting that your famiy IS in danger it's 10 o'clock and you don't know where your children are. @:32, the cut pauses for a brief retrospective, thoughtful piano interlude, crashing back into fast, driving piano drama @:47. Good for local news investigations, fast cutting and remembering what news promos sounded like in 1994.
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VH004274
1:11
Threatening stalker music. A mysterious, scary, slow, atmospheric open with piano, harps, cello, shakers and a building wave of rumbling synths explodes into a mid-tempo, rolling, evil washing machine of violent metal percussion, low piano hits and reversed melodics. @:30 the cut begins its build all over again, with rhythmic and melodic variation, including a bed of growing staccato string hits. Good for investigations, creepy murders, suspense and the sonic equivalent of leaving change in a dryer.
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VH004275
1:12
Urgent bi-polar Gypsy-tinged Rock. Taut, coiled guitar lines begin the cue, with the tension escalating until :16, when the action explodes in a flurry of blustery electric guitars, violins, harmonica and drums. Becomes pensive and introspective after :30 with muted guitars and piano harmonics. A violin-driven break @:52 lead to the final huge reiteration of the theme @1:01. If you have a conflict, violent drama, or tense sport try this.
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VH004276
1:32
A Victorian-era knife fight. Tense, angular dignified classical music with sharp edges. Chamber strings, electronic kick and bed of delayed, subtle bell-like synths create a mellifluous and pleasant tone of exploration and mystery. A harsh violin (starting @:06) introduces tension with a subtext of intrigue and foul play at various points and at varying amounts throughout. Good for off-kilter dramas, any time the phrase "thorny issue" is used and any re-enactment of an Emily/Charlotte Bront? catfight.
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VH004277
1:07
Classic investigation/mystery music with modern flourishes. Minor-key piano melody is coupled with sound-designed strings, ethnic percussion and dramatic banging (in @:18). Mix folds to a vanishing point @:41 providing a good edit opportunity. Useful for mysteries, investigations and news-magazine-type stories like missing children or non-hilarious medical mishaps.