Freedom! Socks! New gear!
Posted by virt on May 13th, 2007 filed in Music ReleaseHello, friends!
First off, a new song: Sock Patterns, An unapologetically cheesy early-90s pop song in the style of Janet/Michael Jackson, and other Teddy Riley new jack swing-style stuff. If you don’t like sugary indulgent pop, you should avoid it. But you also should go die.
I made this using only sounds on my new Motif XS6, as the “demo song” I’m obligated to write when I get new gear. Keyfax’s Motifator site is even featuring it as one of their unofficial demo tracks for the XS series! I’m loving this synth so much – using it heavily in Press Start, for all sorts of pianos and pads and drums and stuff. About time I got a new main keyboard. The XP-30 treated me well, but by now it’s “vintage”.
NOW for the big news: I’m officially a free agent. Working at Gameloft was fun and a stable paycheck, but I reached a point where I had to decide between becoming a “company man” and abandoning my freelancing career, or going full-time independent. It was getting to the point where I was working 20 hours a day, health and sanity slipping away, and something had to give.
So, I decided to risk it all: I resigned, and spent 3 weeks going all-out on 8 different projects. I have more lined up, and it looks like I’m going to succeed as long as I keep networking and making friends. If you want to be on my STREET TEAM and support your neighborhood badmen, pass along jake.vgmix – word of mouth matters, so if you like what I do, you can help a lot by linking, blogging, and spreading buzz. Thanks so much to you dudes who already do. I’ll make burritos for you when you come visit.
As for the future, I’d like to move out west (San Francisco or LA) and build a studio where I can work outside of my apartment, and hang out more with local game developers, filmmakers, animators, and whoever else makes pretty stuff that goes well with music. There’s a lot of planning involved, so I probably won’t do anything drastic for at least a few months.
May 14th, 2007 at 12:45 am
Good luck buddy.
May 14th, 2007 at 6:03 am
good luck for your project ! but you’re the best, it should help.
May 14th, 2007 at 6:05 am
– about the new songs it realy let me think to a mix of Lost Vicking taste and Sonic.. great great work
May 15th, 2007 at 2:25 am
Funny story. I went to the initial meeting of the “Game Audio Society” at my school this past Saturday. They talked about a lot of stuff like freelance audio and in-house audio (sound effects and music) and I made sure to drop a few names and links while I was there as I was the only person who really knew anyone other than the teacher (despite me being the ONLY person there who was neither in Recording Arts nor Game Programming, which was a lawl). HOWEVER when I tried to plug VGMix and so forth the projector showed a face full of “Server Not Responding.”
I TRIED MAN, I REALLY DID. Anyway I’m gonna be going to their other meetings and doing a few things with them in the next few weeks. SO THERE’S STILL TIME!
May 15th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
Hey man, you should organize an official street team, and it members could be called “The Virtuosos”
Haha, get it? The VIRTuosos!
Oh man, I just crack myself up.
Congratulations by the way, I’m pumped to hear about your successful endeavors.
May 18th, 2007 at 6:56 am
Hello Jake. A friend of mine introduced me to your music a while back and I became a huge fan. I’m extremely impressed with your creativity and your instrumental virtuosity.
In your latest post you mentioned the MOTIF XS6. I purchased a MOTIF ES8 back in December and am trying to figure my way around it. I’m a total noob when it comes to music production, but I’m interested in any pointers you may be willing to give (if you have time). My first question is how did you make the awesome shred guitar solo? I can do slow guitar stuff with the onboard sequencer, but shredding like that has eluded me.
My second question: how can I get a good distorted guitar sound out of the motif ES8? The samples they have sound rather artificial. Will I need to download samples for a PC based sequencer and work from there?
Third question: could you recommend a website or two to me that could help me figure out how to do some slick sequencing?
Congrats on your career move! With your talent, you’ll make it work. Thanks for your time.
May 21st, 2007 at 11:47 am
Hey Virt–good luck on the freelancing. I plug your site every time on my show and I make sure everyone who listens knows where I got the tunes. If my show starts getting more popular, I may contract you to write actual music for the program. I don’t think I’m quite to that point just yet, but when I think I am you’ll be the first person I contact.
May 22nd, 2007 at 3:34 am
Good luck and congratulations. Your music made my task of reviewing Scurge: Hive far, far more enjoyable. You’ve also made many a car ride much more enjoyable via FX 1-3, various game mixes, music and other random things found here. I don’t have any game dev friends, but I always pimp your work every chance I get and will happilly continue! And I need to pick up Legend of Kay one of these days.
May 24th, 2007 at 12:30 am
You know I still check back at your site every month or so to get new music… always hoping for some more disco funk or MC Nach! If you’re ever in San Francisco, drop me a line. The link there is the studio I have with my dad – I’ve been recording/producing rock bands recently. Whether you choose SF or LA, best of luck. You rock.
May 27th, 2007 at 3:01 am
Hey man, nice meeting you at VGL. I sent you an email! Congratulations on going independent, looking forward to hearing your upcoming projects. Rockin bass in Sock Patterns!
Regards,
Sonicade / Crimson
June 11th, 2007 at 8:41 am
Great news, doode! Leave the ball and chain of regular paychecks and company vacations behind! WOOOOOOoooowait, rent…
June 20th, 2007 at 11:10 pm
Quick, follow Matt out here to the west coast, the land of opportunity!
June 26th, 2007 at 12:43 am
Best of luck with your new direction, Virt.
And move to LA, dangit. :)
September 17th, 2007 at 8:15 am
Sock Patterns – Jake,man,those chords are great.
And even a guitar solo.Muy Muy bueno.
October 18th, 2007 at 10:26 am
I approve of this sugary, indulgent pop even more than the wonderfully cheese-tacular “Next To You”.
Good luck, dude. You have got /talent/.
Oh my gods. A guitar solo.