shad79 11 Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 Michael Giacchino Unveils First Track from His Debut Solo Album. The “Travelogue: Volume 1” vinyl is available for pre-order from Mondo Records’ online store now. The label’s Death Waltz Originals imprint will release the album on streaming platforms, digital retailers, and independent record shops on October 30. https://www.indiewire.com/2020/10/michael-giacchino-non-soundtrack-album-release-single-1234590482/ Arpy and Fabulin 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 Huh. Interesting. Not digging the narration tbh (it at least ended a minute in) It's got like a 60s exotica sound to it. With this and his two space program concert works and Tomorrowland, I think it's fair to say that Giacchino is very nostalgic for the Space Race era. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,520 Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 Hmmm. I wasn't aware of this, thanks for the heads-up. Since I dislike 95% of everything Giacchino has ever done, score-wise, I'd be willing to check this out to see if he improves outside the restraints of film. You never know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 That track was pretty boring. It just kinda.... repeated the same idea a bunch. Tydirium 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 8,210 Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 Hmmm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,373 Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 I will listen to this album on the 30th! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Nick Parker 3,040 Posted October 5, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted October 5, 2020 1 hour ago, Disco Stu said: That track was pretty boring. It just kinda.... repeated the same idea a bunch. It reminds me of his piece for Gloria Cheng: once he finds a vaguely interesting idea, he just can't let it go. So here he riffs on the ever popular Neapolitan progression for minutes, with little variations that turn out more vanilla than anything. I like some of the string writing, and a few of the piano flourishes, but they don't do enough to stay interesting for a whole track. You're right in that he was channelling an "exotica" sound, and he could probably defend this track saying that he wanted it to be chill and not go wild with all kinds of movement or anything...but all that's here are superficial trappings. I'm sure he had a lot of fun making this. (An unrelated link to an "exotica" track that doesn't feature more dynamic instrumentation, chords, melodies, etc. and still remain chill AF...totally non sequitur of me really ) So in the end this track is a hollow pastiche of better things that has come before...so actually a perfect representation of Giacchino's creative soul! Disco Stu, Tydirium, Kasey Kockroach and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 1 hour ago, Nick Parker said: So in the end this track is a hollow pastiche of better things that has come before...so actually a perfect representation of Giacchino's creative soul! Pretty much my thoughts. The core idea is simple (Gershwin-lite?) but he's really dressed it up with colour. But better this than the blockbusters he scores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce marshall 1,315 Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 This is like when The Beatles broke up and Paul released " McCartney" 😎 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpy 4,145 Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 This sounds intriguing, I'm guessing it's part of a longer movement that the other tracks will fill out. I like the development in the trailer piece which does sound more exotic. Not going to judge the whole thing on that one track though. Interested to hear the rest of this perhaps with the animations and narration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 1 hour ago, Arpy said: This sound intriguing, I'm guessing it's part of a longer movement that the other tracks will fill out. I like the development in the trailer piece which does sound more exotic. Not going to judge the whole thing on that one track though. Interested to hear the rest of this perhaps with the animations and narration. How often do you listen to non-soundtrack albums, Arpy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpy 4,145 Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 Why? All the time. Do I have to defend my opinions on the one film score board where Giacchino is shat on relentlessly? Yavar Moradi 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 2 hours ago, Arpy said: Why? All the time. For one, if you didn't, I'd be curious to hear how it "flowed" for you, as album storytelling and film score storytelling are often very different. Which leads to my second reason, being that generally speaking, I feel like a track can give much more a sense of a standalone album than the same for a film score album. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpy 4,145 Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 Well, as you've pointed out and as Giacchino has said in the article above, it is of the 50s/60s exotica sound so I'm guessing the rest of the album might go in a similar direction, but the thing I've often encountered with non-film score albums, be it jazz, rock, pop etc. - one track isn't necessarily indicative of the album. There are albums of some alternative music I've got that have some absolute stonkers on there that I would burn in an instant, yet they're mixed in with some of my all-time favourite tracks. I've found artists by listening to one track and then going to their catalogue and finding absolute shit. I get the sense that even if this isn't a film score, there still exists a narrative both in the spoken narration and the visual aesthetic of those promo videos. I'd be interested to know if that was some of Giacchino's work too, owing to the fact he started out doing visual arts... Also, forgive me for being a little defensive when a critique is aimed at Giacchino where other composers don't get the same treatment, especially when we get a 2 minute track from an unreleased album. You might think it's 'creatively hollow', yet I think if you're tired of his fondness for pastiche now, you should've jumped off the Gia train ages ago. Instead, every major thread announcing his work there's the usual condescension about how he's a dud. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe this is the greatest thing I've heard, I'm merely interested to hear what else the album offers, even if I'm biased towards Giacchino's work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheUlyssesian 2,478 Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 It's nice enough to have on in the background. It's the kind of music you hear in the background of youtube listicle video. Or a mobile video game on loop like candy crunch. God, hate to say this but Gia often sounds very hack-y to me these days. I actually loved him some years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 1 hour ago, Arpy said: There are albums of some alternative music I've got that have some absolute stonkers on there that I would burn in an instant, yet they're mixed in with some of my all-time favourite tracks. I've found artists by listening to one track and then going to their catalogue and finding absolute shit. I've definitely encountered this, too, both qualitatively and tonally. It's not necessarily the norm in my experience but you're completely right in stating the possibility that there might be some surprises. What I meant moreso is that on many, if not most albums, they are collages of individual tracks, united by an overarching concept more than anything else, whereas film score albums tend to be a tapestry where distinct tracks can be more difficult to discern, just by the very nature of what film music usually has to do. Let's take a famous score such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, we'll say. The opening track, In the Jungle...it's moody, filled with all kinds of tense and mysterious instrumental colors and harmonies. I love it, and I love listening to it. But would I really call it a standalone track the way I would, I don't know, "Doin' It Right" by Daft Punk? Hell no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpy 4,145 Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 Yet for the score, even tonally distinctive pieces are united through the context of the film. It's apples and oranges. It's a tapestry either way, though Raiders has a strong thematic integrity beyond the introductory action set pieces with Marion's Theme, the Ark Theme etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faleel 5,359 Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 2 hours ago, TheUlyssesian said: It's nice enough to have on in the background. It's the kind of music you hear in the background of youtube listicle video. Or a mobile video game on loop like candy crunch. God, hate to say this but Gia often sounds very hack-y to me these days. I actually loved him some years ago. *Ukelele intensifies* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpy 4,145 Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 CD release is in the plans! #saynotovinyl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 People who care about having plastic space takers can argue over that. I just want everything to be released digitally. With booklets! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpy 4,145 Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 Everything's a space filler in the end - even digital files. #nihilismforthewin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shad79 11 Posted October 13, 2020 Author Share Posted October 13, 2020 New track Sidereal Day 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkgyver 1,645 Posted October 14, 2020 Share Posted October 14, 2020 Is he having some sort of midlife crisis, or what's with the holiday resort commercial narration? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpy 4,145 Posted October 14, 2020 Share Posted October 14, 2020 Sounds like he's having fun making music in the lockdown and managed to put this together from his home with other musicians long distance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artguy360 1,844 Posted October 14, 2020 Share Posted October 14, 2020 Gia's music is consistently just alright while also lacking originality or anything that would motivate me to listen to it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,373 Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 This is out now 1 Exoplanet Data Archive 1:15 2 Sidereal Day: 1 6:23 3 Sidereal Day: 2 5:03 4 Sidereal Day: 3 4:29 5 Sidereal Day: 6 4:04 6 Sidereal Day: 8 5:36 7 Sidereal Day: 15 6:02 8 Sidereal Day: 23 5:40 9 Sidereal Day: 35 5:41 10 Sidereal Day: 39 5:53 11 Remembrance 5:01Total length: 55:07 lossless:https://tidal.com/browse/album/156977200https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/travelogue-volume-1-michael-giacchino-and-the-novelle-modernica-orchestra/qz4ut8670ndeb https://open.spotify.com/album/1ztAvks60RhdU7Alv7pfEh?si=_YDTobOIRvSNdUpmMXLhww lossy:https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B08KFPCMVLhttps://music.apple.com/us/album/travelogue-volume-1/1533831366 physical vinyl:https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B08KMGJ79K Quote Death Waltz Originals is proud to be the home for Academy Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino's debut non-soundtrack album. A masterfully constructed concept album titled Travelogue Volume 1. TRAVELOGUE VOL 1 by Michael Giacchino and his Nouvelle Modernica Orchestra takes the listener into a journey of both space and time, unlike anything they have heard before. The record follows a space traveler seeking solace on a planet that isn't as broken and lost as her own distant world, upon discovering earth the story unfolds throughout it's 11 captivating tracks. To say more would be to spoil the journey and interpretation of the listener as the story is told. The songs have a beautiful, timeless, hazy feeling that transports the listener to their own imagination. Musically, it's indebted to the easy listening wonders of such legendary musicians as Martin Denny and Lex Baxter (both of whom pioneered the lounge music of the '50s & '60s). While Michael continues the tradition of using driving jazz-infused rhythms, he updates this timeless sound with synths, samples & a full string orchestra bringing it into 2020 and making it his own. His melodies (as always) are incredible, weaving in and out of tracks with a boundless fluidity, and the record is so much fun you'll find yourself listening to it again the minute the needle hits the run-out groove of side 4. The cover artwork by Henry Abrams compliments the music perfectly, it's effortless beauty is something to get lost in as you listen, truly wondrous. Sit back and let Michael Giacchino and his Nouvelle Modernica Orchestra transport you to a place both familiar and strange as you let the sounds of yesteryear take you into the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpy 4,145 Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 CD links soon, apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,373 Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 Yea, CD pre-order here: https://mondoshop.com/collections/music/products/michael-giacchino-and-his-nouvelle-modernica-orchestra-travelogue-volume-1-cd Also, I found this Ollie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,373 Posted November 1, 2020 Share Posted November 1, 2020 Jon Burlingame article: https://variety.com/2020/music/news/michael-giacchino-film-composer-solo-album-1234820110/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,373 Posted November 1, 2020 Share Posted November 1, 2020 Finally listening to this now. There's dialogue over ever track that is incredibly annoying. How unfortunate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,373 Posted November 1, 2020 Share Posted November 1, 2020 I finished the album. It's mostly really fun music! A lot of relaxing, lounge-y type stuff for a while, that builds to a big climax that's a lot more upbeat, with a nice denoument after. However, the dialogue over the music really ruins the whole experience, at least for me. I hope someone makes an edit with the dialogue parts removed, and that Giacchino considers releasing a version of the whole thing without dialogue in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faleel 5,359 Posted November 1, 2020 Share Posted November 1, 2020 Probably won't, seeing as that seems to be the point.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ollie 1,059 Posted November 1, 2020 Share Posted November 1, 2020 Pre-ordered the CD. Yeah I could do without the narration as well but that’s Giacchino’s intended preference for the whole project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,091 Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 Listening to this. Fun background music while working. On 11/1/2020 at 4:35 PM, Jay said: There's dialogue over ever track that is incredibly annoying. How unfortunate. Then you probably don't like this gem either: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,373 Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 Never heard of it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,091 Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 But do you like it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,091 Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 Travelogues volume 2 announced: The Vagina Travelogues KittBash and Sweeping Strings 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweeping Strings 2,363 Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 A documentary in which Giacchino travels the world 'scoring' ... but not for movie projects. Jurassic Shark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,091 Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 It's a very personal project for him! Sweeping Strings 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,373 Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 Today I took the shrinkwrap off and listened to my physical CD copy. I haven't heard this album since the one or maybe 2 listens I gave it when it first hit streaming. I liked the music then, but was annoyed by the dialogue. Now 2 years later, that had not changed; I like the music, but find the dialogue only detracts from the experience, not enhances it. I wish the physical CD edition had been a 2-CD set where disc 2 was the whole album again except without dialogue. Oh well. Still, putting that to the side, there's some really nice music here. I hope he does a Volume 2 some day Arpy and Yavar Moradi 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony 572 Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 1 minute ago, Jay said: I haven't heard this album since the one or maybe 2 listens I gave it when it first hit streaming. I liked the music then, but was annoyed by the dialogue. Ha, I listened to this for the first time in ages last week and my thoughts are exaclty the same! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,091 Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 At least the dialogue voice is a pleasant one, which is an important factor to succeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,373 Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 It's a shame he went in that direction, or at least went in that direction exclusively. Oh and I forgot to mention the physical CD edition has some nice artwork, and a nice 2-page spread that lists every musician and vocalist who contributed. Andrea Datzman is "The Voice of Home" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 12,091 Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 Have you listened to Philip Glass' The Civil Wars? It's also got a talking female voice, and it's very well integrated and performed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tallguy 3,401 Posted June 22, 2022 Share Posted June 22, 2022 I'd never heard of this. So yesterday I gave it a spin. I didn't have any complaints about the spoken word parts. They're clearly part of the design. I suppose I wish they had been confined to their own tracks so I could include the tracks in playlists. But the music is terrific. It's an interesting illustration of what Gia can do when he's not dealing with the various constraints of movie making. The last track (Remembrance) is very John Barry. I like some of the more big band sounding tracks. I especially like the saxophone bits. Anyway, good listen. I'll probably come back to it. Jay and lostoman17 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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