Hand a producer a bucket load of cash for a high profile genre production with a vivid musical legacy, and what does he do? Hires a virtual nobody (Leopold Ross) with no ideas or voice of his own — someone who probably attends weddings, funerals, bar mitzvahs and raves shopping for gigs with his "Beats for All Occasions" sample library on his phone.
Yeah, pretty disappointing on the first episode ( not wowed by the show yet but I’ll give it time). Just the usual background blandness. You never know though, sometimes these things seem a lot better when you listen to the albums.
Hand a producer a bucket load of cash for a high profile genre production with a vivid musical legacy, and what does he do? Hires a virtual nobody (Leopold Ross) with no ideas or voice of his own — someone who probably attends weddings, funerals, bar mitzvahs and raves shopping for gigs with his "Sounds for All Occasions" sample library on his phone.
MEH
Perfectly put! I have watched the first 2 episodes but I have to say for all the production value, it's very underwhelming. The music is the least of this series' troubles. The writing is bland and cliche'd, the acting is... um, pedestrian at best, except for Russell who always brings something to the party.
Could they have not gotten someone from Bear McCreary's team to score this? The obvious electronics have little place in what is ostensibly a period piece (at least for much of the screen time I've seen). I mean, synths in 1952? Really? At the very least Ross could have channeled an Odes Martinaut or Theremin through some interesting processing... I dunno something.... And it's not even the synths per se but the techno element that is completely out of place in this universe.
The Monarch music is flat and doesn't add anything to the story- if anything it distracts and takes from what little merit the series has displayed thus far.
I don't mind the synths. Film music doesn't have to reflect the period the film is set in. IN THE NAME OF THE ROSE is a wonderfully atmospheric synth score for a medieval story. But I was also underwhelmed by the score when I sampled it yesterday. Textures that didn't really go anywhere.
That being said, I look forward to seeing the show itself.
Listened to the album a bit today and…still meh! There’s nothing wrong with it as such for this kinda scoring and a couple of good enough rythmic pieces were okay, the problem is it is entirely forgettable and has no real ‘voice’ for the show. This score could literally be dropped into any of the current action type series that the streamers are turning out, and be as functional there as it is here. Shame! Such a wasted opportunity. Makes me worried for the new Godzilla/ Kong film. Who knows what crap approach they’ll take with that one if this is what they're putting into the series!
Listened to the album a bit today and…still meh! There’s nothing wrong with it as such for this kinda scoring and a couple of good enough rythmic pieces were okay, the problem is it is entirely forgettable and has no real ‘voice’ for the show. This score could literally be dropped into any of the current action type series that the streamers are turning out, and be as functional there as it is here. Shame! Such a wasted opportunity. Makes me worried for the new Godzilla/ Kong film. Who knows what crap approach they’ll take with that one if this is what they're putting into the series!
Well Junkie XL is returning so that should tell you everything you need to know.
The music is the least of this series' troubles. The writing is bland and cliche'd, the acting is... um, pedestrian at best, except for Russell who always brings something to the party.
I'm not as downbeat about it as that.
For a show aimed at the 8-13 demo (not the 18+ demo) it's… fine. The narrative has momentum, the production values are more than adequate, and the '50s trio project an air of high adventure. I don't share the same feeling about the 2015 trio, however, especially as regards Cate and May, who both come off as habitually disagreeable and over-entitled, while hapless Kentaro doesn't appear to have any other role at the moment other than being their punching bag.
Could they have not gotten someone from Bear McCreary's team to score this?
Not a Bear & Assoc. fan, sorry.
****
Film music doesn't have to reflect the period the film is set in.
I won't disagree. But you'd better bring something special to the table besides cold leftovers.
****
This score could literally be dropped into any of the current action type series that the streamers are turning out…
And we're completely certain Leopold isn't an AI or a figment of Atticus' imagination?
****
There hasn't been a good Godzilla soundtrack since David Arnold.
Bite your tongue.
That would have made for a banger of an opener to the series.
****
Well Junkie XL is returning so that should tell you everything you need to know.
"In 1952, the RCA (Radio Corporation of America) developed the first synthesizer created by Harry Olson and Herbert Belar, capable of artificially creating sound."
Did you say the same about CHARIOTS OF FIRE and THE BOUNTY?
Didn’t like Chariots of Fire but I do like the Bounty. You have to remember that the 80s was the explosion of synths in all areas of music so it was fashionable to have them everywhere (I got my first synth in 1985). I did add that the techno elements in Ross’ score are the real problems I have with it rather than synths in of themselves. If someone like Amin Bhatia was on this project you can bet I’d be much more engaged. Please don’t lean on the straw man argument and try to insinuate I just hate synths because I’ve been using them for almost 40 years now. If done right, they can be quite good but I dont hear evidence of anything like that in this case.
I’m going to stick it out and see how the show develops however. It might find its footing….
Please don’t lean on the straw man argument and try to insinuate I just hate synths because I’ve been using them for almost 40 years now.
Yes, but you seem to have a somewhat troubled relationship to them.
I can see how some of my comments on the forum might suggest that. However I do enjoy synths quite a lot. I just don’t care for their application in Monarch. It’s all very generic and at times grating. If Ross wants to use presets, I recommend U-He’s Repro-5 patch called “12,000 Fog Horns” which sounds amazing (especially that slow portamento effect). That would be marvellous in the context of this show’s universe.
The score I've heard so far in this series is so generic and "cut and paste" that I find it depressing. I don't mind the use of synths of they are using in interesting ways; so far in Monarch everything I've heard is predictable and unimaginative.
Like David, I'm familiar with some of the sounds in the sample and synth libraries, and the pre-recorded "cut and paste" sound design library "elements" that can be dropped in a track. That kind of stuff is all over this score. It just smacks of laziness. And it's so generic the entire score itself could be cut and pasted into just about any action / sci-fi show. There is nothing unique about it that adds any subtext or additional depth to what we're seeing on screen - it's all surface.
