Asdru & Anthony Present and Perform with Cindy Gomez

Asdru and Anthony were invited to David & Goliath by founder and CEO David Angelo to present their work and perform as part of a Thirsty Thursday showcase on October 22, 2015. In the morning, they spoke about multicultural music and how they collaborate and get a more efficient workflow with creative teams. In the Afternoon, they performed 2 long sets with vocalist Cindy Gomez and drummer Alex “Gonzo” Gonzoles. Homemade food was prepared and served by Sabrina Luna-Sierra. The trio was on the “Brave” stage for 2 hours amid much dancing and partying with everyone at the agency.  What a way to end the day!

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David & Goliath:
“On November 19, 1999, David&Goliath was founded. Built on the simple idea of thinking like a David—being nimble, resourceful, creative, and most of all, Brave. And we believe that with this Brave mindset, we can do more amazing things together than alone.  We are a full-service independent creative agency, ready to take on Goliath marketing challenges.  We pride ourselves on developing innovative brand solutions through our courageous approach to creativity—because great ideas can come from anywhere, if you’re Brave enough to look.”

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SHOOT Magazine: Music From The Start - by Anthony Marinelli

This article was originally featured on page 3 of  SHOOT Magazine and online here.

Anthony Marinelli

Music is considered a vital element when married with picture, but is usually left to the end of the production schedule. The day is here where technology allows us to create the story, the picture edit, visual effects, sound effects and music at the same time. What are we waiting for?

While the producer is telling composers it’s too early to be thinking about music, the film editor has already picked a piece of music and presented it with picture. Someone was thinking about music from the start, it just wasn’t a composer. This decision puts a lot of extra burden on the final music. Most editors prefer cutting to music as it helps create atmosphere, determines pace, and motivates cutting/extending a scene, etc.

The film editor, by default, is often the sole decider of the temp music. This creates a ripple effect as the project progresses. “Just find something to cut to” becomes “everybody loves the temp music.” The editor, by default, is dictating the direction of the music.  Any other music created later is a replacement by definition.

A composer’s job is to create the best option for the picture (not just beat the temp). “Temping” without a composer’s input does not make this easy. Human beings get attached to things, especially when they’re working well. “Temp Love” however, may be blocking a better idea.

Agencies may turn this “replacement process” into a competition amongst composers, music houses and libraries to beat the temp. Agencies feel like they need a lot of choices, but that doesn’t allow for direct collaboration with the composer of that music.

A worse case scenario is hiring a composer that must spend valuable time reacting to the temp and navigating around complications like potential copyright infringement.

An Alternative:
- Decide on tempo and tone utilizing the knowledge of a composer along with the editor and creative team.

- Sort through temp music via streaming services or iPods for inspiration when editing, but quickly leave this dangerous territory

- Just as an editor creates rough edits that lead to a final approved edit, composers can organically create rough original tracks during the editing process that lead to the final music version.

- Composers can set up a laptop and MIDI controller near the editor to create an original temp score. This way the edit and music can be updated together.

- The entire creative team can be in constant dialogue through this type of proximity to react to developing ideas.

It’s time for agencies to think music from the start.

Composer/producer/musician Anthony Marinelli heads up Los Angeles-based Music Forever.

Microsoft Collective Project Wins at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity

Happy to say that Microsoft's Collective Project won both a Gold Lion and a Bronze Lion at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity!  Here's a spot we worked on to recap the entire campaign.

From Possible.com

The Collective Project

Tasked with increasing awareness and engagement for Microsoft OneNote, we set out to inspire a student audience by showing them how the note taking software could benefit their lifestyle.

To do this, we fostered an emotional connection before driving to product downloads. OneNote chose organic social and events to DO stories instead of just telling them, giving the campaign a better chance of fostering engagement with millennial students. Expressed primarily through documentary-style video content, the campaign showcases Microsoft’s dedication to positive change, telling a brand story in lieu of a conventional advertising campaign.

The video above highlights the best of the 200 pieces of content we created for social. Our unscripted video featuring Robert Downey Jr. that you can view here, has reached over 50 million views with two billion impressions, giving unprecedented exposure to OneNote and the students’ projects alike. Additionally, the work has been recognized with a gold Lion and a bronze Lion at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Score for Midnight Return Revisits Sounds from Oscar-Winning Midnight Express

Brad Davis as Billy Hayes in Midnight Express

I've just finished up scoring music for the documentary Midnight Return.  It's an insightful and exciting look into the story behind the story of the classic 70s thriller that scared us all, Midnight Express.

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U.S. Premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 12, 2016

Starring Billy Hayes
Written & Directed by Sally Sussman Morina
Executive Producer Anthony Marino
Produced & Edited by Sean Fanton
Music by Anthony Marinelli

On Facebook

A non-stop unbelievable story (Academy Award for best Screenplay, Oliver Stone) and a musically daring score (Academy Award for Best Score, Giorgio Moroder) launched Midnight Express into worldwide fame and notoriety.  Midnight Return looks at the true life experience of the man who inspired the film, Billy Hayes, and its surprising effect on the world, even to this day.

Here's a song I wrote for the score inspired by the complex story that we see both on and off the screen.

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Here's the famous music that won Giorgio his first Oscar.

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Update!  I Had the wonderful opportunity to meet Billy and his wife at the premiere.

New Music for MLB Prostate Cancer Foundation's Home Run Challenge

It was a pleasure to add original music (solo acoustic guitar) to this beautiful spot for a wonderful cause.  Thanks again to the team at Possible for the opportunity to work together!

As a result of this year's home run challenge, $622,024.84 was raised toward finding a cure for prostate cancer.

You can find more information at https://www.homerunchallenge.org/

From PCF.org:

20th Annual Home Run Challenge to Raise Awareness and Fund Research for Prostate Cancer

• 1 in 7 U.S. men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer
• In 2015 there will be over 220,000 new prostate cancer cases
• Over 27,000 will die from prostate cancer in 2015

Santa Monica, CA, June 18, 2015 -- The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) and Major League Baseball (MLB) are once again stepping up to the plate to hit home runs for prostate cancer research and encourage fans to "Keep Dad in the Game" as part of the 20th Annual Home Run Challenge. This hallmark event will take place during the six days leading up to Fathers' Day and will help raise crucial awareness and much needed research funding for prostate cancer.

To make a pledge for the 2015 Home Run Challenge, baseball fans can visit www.homerunchallenge.org

During this year's Home Run Challenge, MLB and PCF encourage baseball fans to make a pledge–ranging from $0.50 to $1,000–for every home run hit during all 105 MLB games from June 15 through Father's Day, June 21, plus 15 bonus games. Last year, 148 home runs were hit, raising approximately $1.9 million for prostate cancer research.

"We are especially proud of our partnership with MLB, which shares our commitment to 'Keep Dad in the Game' by finding new treatments and cures for prostate cancer," says Michael Milken, PCF founder and chairman. "We are grateful for the generous support of baseball fans everywhere who have contributed nearly $45 million to PCF over the last 20 years."

To show support on Father's Day, MLB representatives and players will wear blue armbands and ribbon decals on their hats and uniforms. Home Run Challenge donors can direct their pledges to their favorite team's home runs or to all MLB home runs hit throughout the week.

More progress has been made in prostate cancer research during the past five years than in the preceding decade. Support of the Home Run Challenge by MLB and its teams has helped bring six new FDA-approved drugs to patients in just a four-year period. PCF is also helping to advance precision medicine, meaning that one day we will have treatments targeted to each individual patient.

Funding from PCF provides resources for a range of programs including support for early career scientists, creative research ideas and multi-year research programs. In 2014, PCF provided nearly $32 million for research programs that would otherwise have gone unfunded.

About the Prostate Cancer Foundation

The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is the world's leading philanthropic organization funding and accelerating prostate cancer research. Founded in 1993, PCF has raised more than $615 million and provided funding to over 2,000 research programs at nearly 200 cancer centers and universities. The PCF global research enterprise now extends to 19 countries. PCF advocates for greater awareness of prostate cancer and more efficient investment of governmental research funds for transformational cancer research. Its efforts have helped produce a 20-fold increase in government funding for prostate cancer.

Composer Anthony Marinelli is EP for Grammy-Winning Bassist Brandino's Latest Jazz Release

7-time Grammy-awarded producer, composer, arranger, and bassist Kevin “Brandino” Brandon has just released The Many Faces of Brandino. I've known Brandino for many years and was honored to be able to be an executive producer on the project.

For more information please visit: http://www.brandinosoundbox.com/

Shoot Online: What Does "Blurred Lines" Mean For The Ad Community? - Article by Anthony Marinelli

This article was originally featured in Shoot Online in their front page news section.  You can view it here.

By Anthony Marinelli

The recent legal decision against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams in the “Blurred Lines” music lawsuit may be blurring the lines even more for today’s spot composers and making things even harder for agency music producers.

It’s no joke when the integrity of the whole ad campaign you’re working on is in question due to an alleged music copyright infringement. It doesn’t even have to be a legitimate claim to start turning stomachs (and opening wallets). If there is a claim, all fingers will immediately point to the composer since he is ultimately liable for the originality of the music even though other participants may be contributing to its demise. IT IS his responsibility, not the ad agency, to do whatever homework is needed to protect the project from infringement claims. Unfortunately, there can be a lot of land mines in the way.

If a composer lived on Mars and could prove that they never had access to hearing the music in question, then I should think he’s safe. A more likely scenario is that we should come to expect a songwriter to be influenced by many songs or even an entire genre. We should assume that all of us have been influenced by what we’ve previously heard, and that there are some conventions that must be followed closely to define musical style.

When it comes to copyright infringement, there are a number of other factors that can be weighed.  Beside access and intent, instrumentation, sound recording, melody, lyrics, harmony, bass line, beat, tempo, etc… are more components that can potentially add up to a costly verdict of plagiarism in a complicated judgment process.

I think it was unfair for a jury to make the “Blurred Lines” decision and not a qualified music expert. If the verdict is not overturned, they may be setting a new precedent based more on the songwriter’s stated intent to be reminiscent of a genre and less on a burden of proof from musical components contained in the song such as melody and harmony. I think the jury did the right thing based on what they were given and told to consider, but it’s a flawed process.

So, what can agency creatives and spot music composers do to keep lawsuits away? It’s not easy, especially if judgments now include not just similar melody but “influence of genre.” In the fast paced advertising world there is typically a need for quickly relatable ideas that move us emotionally. We like familiar phrases that we can sort of predict. The artists that shine most tend to find clever ways to satisfy us with familiarity while adding refreshing changes of pace to it. That’s part of the popular music art form. It’s a fine balancing act of managing familiar beats and melodies, but putting a wholly original spin on it. The right amount of “different” is what makes an artist great, and hopefully keep them out of court. Popular music is rarely about putting together “never heard before” collections of beats and melodies. Most songs follow verse, chorus, bridge patterns while repeating familiar four bar phrases. They’re typically not so original in the musical form department. It’s also not easy to remove an infectious pop song hook out of our head. We hear it, then we repeat it.

In a perfect world, advertising creatives will stop asking composers to sound exactly like familiar songs or temp scores (temporary music used for editing purposes) they have fallen in love with. Someday, maybe, consumers will not change the channel so quickly whenever they hear something new. Someday, composers and consumers will discover that new, original music can have a profound positive effect on their lives. Until then, music composers and producers must leave no stone unturned in their quest to avoid a random lawsuit.

Anthony Marinelli is a composer of music for the advertising industry, with over 500 spots to his credit. He is the principal of Los Angeles-based music and sound house Music Forever. Marinelli is very familiar with Marvin Gaye’s music, having produced in 2006 a lauded redo of the artist’s classic “What’s Goin’ On”  with The Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

SHOOT Online: Anthony Marinelli / Music Forever Grooves Back Into Spots

From SHOOT Online

Anthony Marinelli, one of the music world’s most lauded composers, is back to spot work after writing the soon to be Broadway musical Bollydoll. Marinelli is probably best known for his creative collaborations and music for some of the ad industry’s most iconic spots (Apple, Shell, Portland Gas, Mercedes, along with PSAs for the California Department of Health Services and the “This Is Your Brain on Drugs” campaign by the Partnership for a Drug Free America). In addition to spot work, Marinelli has composed music for over 70 features films, in addition to musical collaborations with such iconic talents as Herb Alpert, Lionel Richie, Chuck D and Michael Jackson.

The Making Of Bollydoll
Marinelli has spent most of the last 2 1/2 years writing Bollydoll, a Broadway musical, animated film and dance spectacle. Created by Amrita Sen and Marinelli, Bollydoll incorporates immersive visual worlds, dancing and singing to infectious vocal hooks that channel funky East Indian, African and R&B influences. The show, featuring forty songs, thirteen dancers, and projected animation, opened with Sia for Deepak Chopra’s Sages and Scientists Symposium, and was first presented in a geodesic dome at Vortex Immersion/LA Center Studios. “What really sets Bollydoll apart is how it deliberately and seamlessly integrates original story, characters, music choreography, artwork, animation, fashion and education into a unified experience for the audience,” says Marinelli.

Jaguar Campaign/Extended Songs For Social Media 
Marinelli’s pre-Bollydoll spot work included an ongoing campaign for Jaguar. The composer was tapped by the Spark44 agency creative team to come between picture and music in a unique way. The resulting spots, “Jaguar at Play”, “A Little Less Conversation”, “Heritage”, “Machines/How Alive Are You?,” “More Alive” and “It Plays Well/No Mere Machine/Everyday/Too Much” owe their musical inspiration to composing on the fly. “We went mobile,” says Marinelli. “We set up a recording studio at editorial so that ideas could quickly flow in either direction between all creatives as picture was being put together.” Working with an orchestra, analog synthesizers, soloists and vocalists, Marinelli crafted 15, 30 and 60 compositions, plus some extended “song” versions (“El Remedio” and “Machines”) for social media, based on the musical hooks and messages in the ads.”

Artist Collaboration
For part of the campaign Marinelli collaborated with neo soul rock band “The Heavy” and three time Grammy winner Asdru Sierra from Ozomatli. The campaign “Jaguar at Play” features a mix of flamenco guitars, Afro Cuban percussion and Asdru Sierra’s take on Tuvan throat singing. “Little Less Conversation” is a cover of the famous song written by Mac Davis and Bill Strange, made iconic by Elvis Presley. “Heritage is an emotional anthem composed of South American guitars, electric and acoustic guitar, live drums and bass, all performed to electronic pulses. ”It Plays Well/No Mere Machine/Everyday/Too Much” features stunning vocal performances by Amrita Sen and Sierra over driving flamenco guitar rhythms and Cuban percussion. “Machines” features industrial music and sound design created with analog synthesizers and drum machines with vocals by Heather Bradley. “More Alive” was recorded with a real 60-piece orchestra.

“I loved working with the Spark44 (creative director Bruce Dundore, managing director Miland Ravel, producer Kris Roberts, copywriter Ryan Moore, art director Jim Kowalski and director Vic Huber),” says Marinelli. “Advertising offers creative people a unique opportunity to communicate through music, sound and picture, all at a very high level. This campaign was a great opportunity to cultivate new relationships that exist outside the ad world.”

Score Catalog
Anthony Marinelli has compiled a special catalog of scores for agency creatives to access. “This is not a music library,” says Marinelli. “This is my personal catalog of “real” film scores, that have been vetted to the standards of the most demanding film directors and producers. I have written music for orchestras, small ensembles and live performances by hit-making musicians. These are not demos. There are fresh, emotion rich, long-form ready scores, perfect for ad and social media campaigns. Score catalog offers clients the advantage of one stop licensing (to avoid negotiations and unpredictable outcomes from multiple rights holders). It also allows creatives to take advantage of music that has not been overused or exhausted.” Spot credits utilizing the Score Catalog include work for Washington Lottery, Adidas, DHL, Lipitor, Ortho, IBM and Habitat For Humanity.

Sound Design/Palette Building
In addition to superior music work, Marinelli continues to work on sound design and its application to spot work. “When I first got to Hollywood, music and sound effects came together only at the end on the mixing stage,” says Marinelli.  “I saw no reason for this separation. Analog and computer synthesizers took music and sound to a whole new place. I continued this pattern of marrying sound design and music, first with “This is your Brain on Drugs” campaign early on in my career, but most recently for Jaguar ‘Machines.’ I often build a palette of sound design effects or pulses to incorporate into my traditional orchestral scores. I enjoy working with all the sounds life has to offer.”

About Anthony Marinelli/Music Forever 
You’ve heard Anthony’s work in hundreds of iconic spots for Apple, the memorable “This is Your Brain on Drugs” spot, Super bowl ads for Budweiser and Accenture, work for Shell, Jaguar, Mercedes Benz, Fancy Feast, Boeing, and more. He’s composed classic Disney jingles, logos for Paramount and Morgan Creek, along with original music for over 70 feature films including Young Guns, 2 Days in the Valley, Planes Trains and Automobiles and Leaving Las Vegas. He’s arranged and performed for the Olympic opening ceremonies, the FIFA World Cup and Super Bowl XXVII's halftime show. He’s played keyboards on records with James Brown, Lionel Richie, Chuck D, Afrika Bambaataa, and Michael Jackson’s mega hit album “Thriller.”  For the past several years, Anthony and Amrita Sen have co-created an entertainment venture called BollyDoll Entertainment that expands an existing retail brand through their original songs, live dance shows, and animation.

Anthony Marinelli is all about music, with a unequaled talent for creating tracks that everyone loves and remembers. Along with his Music Forever team, Marinelli has the right contacts and a love for collaboration, combined with the ability to solve problems and a relentless drive to find for his client that musical “needle in a haystack.” From effortlessly hip collaborations with some of today’s great artists to award-winning music/sound design for movies, spots and theatrical productions, Anthony Marinelli continues to excel. To have him work on your special project go to www.anthonymarinelli.com.

Contact: 

Media:
Steve Fisher
RPG
818-688-1502
 

Contact: 

SAXON+PARTNERS LOS ANGELES

Carissa Gipprich
Contact Carissa via email 
8350 Melrose Ave. #13
Los Angeles, CA 90069
Office: 323-380-5152
Cell: 610-451-5430

Owen Taubman
Contact Owen via email 
8350 Melrose Ave. #13
Los Angeles, CA 90069
Office: 323-380-5152
Cell: 831-428-2323

SAXON+PARTNERS SAN FRANCISCO

Mary Saxon
Contact Mary via email 
101A Clay Street, #226
San Francisco, CA 94111
Office: 415-398-9998
Cell: 415-290-6500

Afternoon Conversation: A Hero’s Story. Pop music. World Class Dance

Excerpt from "Afternoon Conversation: A Hero’s Story. Pop Music. World Class Dance"

As part of Deepak Chopra’s Sages and Scientists 2014 symposium, Anthony and Amrita had the pleasure of discussing their creative process as co-creators in BollyDoll.

About Sages & Scientists

The Merging of a New Future will explore a series of fantastic emerging facts designed to include forward thinking Sages and Scientists who are leading experts in the areas of science, consciousness, leadership, wellbeing, peace and justice, social and economic issues and art and culture. – Some of the most urgent questions facing our future evolution will be addressed.

About BollyDoll

BollyDoll was co-created by acclaimed visual artist and singer Amrita Sen & composer and electronic musician Anthony Marinelli.  BollyDoll is a place in the galaxy where funky East Indian, African and R & B influences reside. Where Electro pop dance music pulses to exhilarating animation and dance.  Movement, sound and color will fill your senses. Experience BollyDoll, the science fiction fairytale.  “It’s a trip to the moon, around the sun and beyond...

“It’s musical theatre’s trip to the moon, around the sun and beyond…”

BollyDoll is an original story of two princess sisters that band together to restore order in the universe through a life changing journey of self awareness in the deep cosmos. With the help of the Sun, Moon, a prince and a sagely comet, they return home transformed to reunite their kingdom with true love, leadership and enlightenment. The princesses learn to improvise, overcome and adapt to the obstacles that stand between them and the realization of their dreams.

Timeless characters dance through animated worlds projected on visually stunning giant screens surrounding the audience.  Unforgettable songs, where hip hop meets Bollywood, live singing and other-worldly sounds present a soundscape of heightened imagination.  BollyDoll transports audiences of all ages to a distant time and space centered around classic India.

BollyDoll was co-created by acclaimed visual artist and singer Amrita Sen & composer and electronic musician Anthony Marinelli:

You may remember Amrita from the performance of “Jai Ho” at the 2009 Academy Awards, where she performed the winning song from the movie Slumdog Millionaire  Amrita has sung on records with Weezer, Timbaland, Pitbull, Ozomotli and Justin Timberlake and has written and performed multiple movie and film titles with her signature Bollywood vocals. You can hear Amrita in various commercial campaigns including Honda, Jaguar and Sprite. Amrita, is also a trained visual artist, who debuted her illustrations at Art Basel in Miami Beach, sponsored by Illy Coffee and presented by Timbaland.  BollyDoll merchandise brings colorful characters and patterns to a comprehensive array of fashion accessories (handbags, scarves, costume jewelry, and sterling silver jewelry) and home goods.  Amrita’s hand illustrated designs are currently featured nationwide in Nordstrom, Dillard’s, Fred Segal.  “BollyDoll for MAC” cosmetics is upcoming.

Composer Cribs: Anthony Marinelli — Los Angeles

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Enjoying the experience: Anthony Marinelli, a bounty of Barefoots, and a mean synth stack.  (Photo Credit: David Goggin)

Featured in Sonic Scoop

By David Weiss

Seeking synth heaven? You’ll find a pocket of paradise at the studio of Anthony Marinelli in Los Angeles.

Packed with analog synths, this is no keyboard museum. Marinelli puts it all to good use, and this constantly curious composer has got plenty to keep him busy. First off there’s thousands of commercials in his portfolio, including 30+ Apple Computer spots, and clients including Microsoft, Nike, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Budweiser, and even the “This Is Your Brain on Drugs” campaign.

And then there’s the movies. If you’ve seen Hotel, American Gun, Young Guns, Internal Affairs, Timecode, Leaving Las Vegas, Demolition Man, Let It Ride, and Planes, Trains & Automobiles, then you’ve heard what he can do.

It all comes down to a smartly designed studio, an outstanding assemblage of gear and instruments, and a sharp sense of when to delegate authority. Not to mention a willingness to share the secrets of his success — which he does without further ado below.

Composer Name: Anthony Marinelli

Website: anthonymarinelli.com

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Soundtracks Served: I started my professional career as a teenager playing synthesizers for records and movie sessions. During that time I also co-founded a synthesizer group called the Synners. We performed Classical works such as Beethoven’s 8th Symphony, Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, some Bach Organ Works, exclusively with synths such as 2 Yamaha CS-80’s, 2 ARP 2600’s, ARP 2500, Prophet 5, Mini Moog and a Tascam 80-8 tape machine.

Our live radio broadcasts got the attention of some movie producers and established Hollywood composers that asked us to program, orchestrate and perform on their films.

Those credits, along with working on Thriller with Michael Jackson, created opportunities to write music for my own projects. I composed hundreds of television ads covering almost all musical genres. This gave me extensive experience to regularly work with string quartets, large orchestras, ethnic instruments, Zydeco bands, choirs, you name it.

I began formally studying conducting since I was primarily working with acoustic instruments for my feature films during this period. I’m still not sure why, but I sent all my analog synths into storage. I didn’t even see them for about 10 years. I now use them every day. They are hard-wired to my console so I can play and record all of them in real time. They are well maintained and sounding better than ever, and I’m back to preforming live with them as well.

Over the last two years I’ve been co-creating BollyDoll, a Broadway musical with songs, score, effects, dance and animation. Working in all these genres has had a profound influence on how I perceive creativity, music, sound, technology and it’s artists.

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An analog environment

Clients/Credits: Young Guns, 2 Days in the Valley, 15 Minutes, Thriller – Michael Jackson, “BollyDoll” – currently co-creating with Amrita Sen (Broadway musical, animated feature film, workout video, fashion….)

Big Premiere: I designed and built my first commercial recording studio in 1977 in the pool room at my mom and dad’s house. In 1981, the room was upgraded with a New England Digital Synclavier II, a 3M Model 79 – 24 track analog tape machine with a Trident mixing desk. I used Dolby SR noise reduction for the films. The last version of that room had a Sony 3324 Digital tape machine and a Synclavier Direct to disk system.

I moved everything to a commercial building in Hollywood in 1984 and stayed there for the next 23 years. I ultimately restored the building’s interior/exterior to its original 1913 Art Deco style including a billiard room, poker parlor and commercial kitchen. It was the home for my music operation and my mixing facility Levels Audio Post. The studios were outfitted with a lot of gear that shared a central machine room. We operated with a staff of about 12 employees between the 2 companies. We could deliver pretty much any type of audio content from original music, sound design, television mixing, sound effects, VO recording/editing to final film mix on my dub stage.

Analog Inspiration: I’ve always required my studio designs to consider the contribution of musicians, singers and engineers.

I compose music either in my head or with a pencil on paper. My approach is to take those abstract ideas and determine what tools will best make those musical ideas come to life. So I decide on the software or the people I need after the music is written. I learn about the latest technology available to me much like a conductor learns about all the instruments in the orchestra.

The conductor, however, doesn’t spend his time performing them all. I rely on the experts for that. Consequently, I have always employed a full-time recording engineer. This process keeps my creativity free of conforming to any particular process, including any given DAW. I’ll use whatever new or old techniques it takes. We have so much sound power available to us these days by incorporating old and new. We can blend acoustic instrument performances, soft synths, plugin effects, analog effects, quantization, live feel and hand-drawn dynamics.

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Another angle on the synth oasis. (Photo Credit: David Goggin)

The magic that happens when collaborating with great artists, rhythm sections, orchestrators, producers, directors, soloists is of utmost importance to me, so I try to keep the atmosphere of the studio inviting to its guests.

Key Personnel: Beau Bonetti has been my full time First Engineer on most projects over the last four years. He is a master of so many concerns at the studio including: recording, mixing, fixing, live performance, back catalog, video and computers. He of course always offers valuable creative input.

Beau Chimes In On What Anthony Needs From His Engineer: Beau — In a few words, speed and transparency.

I keep waiting for the day when Anthony says I’m too fast.  His musical mind is so rapid that I’m constantly trying to find ways to make our setup and workflow more efficient and the technical concerns less restrictive.  We used to have a one-computer setup which did have its benefits, but our new two-computer setup allows us both to be working at the same time in a session.  Anthony can spend time getting a new sound while I’m making the existing mix work.

And if one computer crashes (which never happens lol) the other one isn’t affected.  It’s a very common setup for a reason.  Also, we’ve got a mix-as-you-go approach. Everything is additive.  So the mix is constantly evolving and being reworked as the idea develops.  But in the end my most important responsibility is to capture the performances and ideas before they disappear.

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A Presonus Studio Live 24.4.2 mixer is the DAW in the center of things.

Transparent Workflow: Anthony — My main instruments are a Yamaha CF III, 2 ARP 2600’s, ARP Sequencer, Mini Moog, Jupiter 8, Prophet 5, MS-20, Fender Rhodes, Hammond C3, Clavinet/Pianet Duo, Roland Space Echo, Echoplex, and lots of vintage guitar pedals.

They are all wired up via a PreSonus Studio Live 24.4.2 so I can hear/play any of them in real time. My virtual instruments are on a loaded up iMac with a big screen. I have a lot of loop libraries, sample performing libraries, software synths and effects plugins onboard.

I’ll usually hand-play my performances with the engineer running the transport on either Pro Tools, Ableton Live or Logic depending on the required task. I program and sculpt my own sounds before my engineer records the performance. He will then do his own thing to the performances with his rig later in the chain.

My favorite “machine feel” performing hardware is the Dr. Click. It allows me to fire sounds via converting the session click track into two channels of clocked gates, triggers, control voltages, LFO’s with any rhythmic subdivisions of the click. I will sometimes play the pitches on the keyboard while the Dr. Click is actually triggering the sound. I’m able to achieve spontaneous and endlessly long sequencer patterns this way.

My engineer will typically handle all the final recording and mixing in Pro Tools with an Avid D Command. He’ll record through my Neve, API, Pendulum and Grace preamps incorporating his selection of effects plug-ins at the mix stage. We monitor with a very fine 5.1 Barefoot Speaker array.

Listen In: Before I got the Barefoots, I had four pairs of very high-definition monitors. I had eight of them, because I rotate them into the 5.1 arrays I’ve had since I bought the first pair from Michael Jackson. They were his speakers and I just liked them and never could find any replacements.

Then the Barefoot MM27′s showed up after about 20 years and they were the first speakers that truly spoke to me and said, “I’m your new speakers.” The sound of the Barefoots translates the best. It doesn’t hype the sound when I’m recording. It gives me the full audio spectrum from lows to highs. They’re very quick. The transients are very rapid.

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Real keys: A concert grand piano, Fender Rhodes, and Clavinet Pianet Duo

I deal in a lot of different genres of music and it’s not like I use a certain kind of speaker for one kind of music and another kind of speaker for another. It’s across the entire spectrum. My analog synthesizers have very sharp transients and deliver sub sonic force. Orchestral recordings require speakers to define subtleties across a wide spectrum. In the end, the speakers are what everyone hears. If we don’t screw up the music or the mix, I can always count on the Barefoot’s to deliver noticeable star power.

Picture This: We project video on a 20’ white wall for cinematic playbacks and for our dancers to use as a backdrop set. I use a standard plasma display of extended desktop for scoring to picture.

Audience Accommodations: I make sure that every recording session and music playback is an entertaining show for the musicians, director, the studio, the producers and of course for me too!

The atmosphere is very important to me since I’m recording performances. I like capturing exciting and emotional moments “on tape”. We all go home happy that way.

Complex Cue: BollyDoll, my current project requires every ounce of creativity I have.

My co-creator Amrita Sen and I are integrating story, music, lyrics, animation, dance choreography, costume design, new theatrical technology along with in store merchandise that she designs. She is a gifted fine artist, lyricist, singer, storyteller and conceptual artist. The project demands excellence, so I push myself pretty hard.

The music and lyrics must tell a narrative story over 90 minutes, but still breakdown into a collection of individual pop songs. We are learning new animation software, audio software, live show production, TV production, always something new. We often require (or discover by accident) more efficient work flows to meet the projects evolving needs as we exploit new categories such as a workout video.

This project takes sound and video from a 2-dimensional space to a 3-dimensional space. The technical concerns expand exponentially.

Priceless Advice: Work hard and learn something new each day so you keep getting better. Keep your personal and family relationships as healthy as possible. Take care of your ears and your overall health. Listen to everyone, but do your own thing after making sure you’ve listened to yourself. Talk to old composers and musicians, they can save you some time (and money).  Triple back up your hard drives often and spin them up at least every 6 months. Keep the drama in your music and out of your life!

– Anthony Marinelli

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The beloved Dr. Click, with the MS-20, Mini Moog and ARP Omni.

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Audio fun: Space Echo, MIDI to CV, Distressor, and API Mic Preamp

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The DAC 1 stand alone sampler DAC 1. 

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Outta this world: Jupiter 8 and Prophet 5 

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Imagine your hands on this Hammond C 3.

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Rrrrrhythmic: The beloved Linn Drum.

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Marinelli talks it out with his SVC-350 Vocoder and Echoplex.

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Teamwork: ARP 2600′s, a Sherman Filter Bank, ARP Sequencer, and ADA Flanger.

Rick Ross Samples "This is Your Brain on Drugs" Ad

Here's a cool find.  Rapper Rick Ross’ new album features a sample of the sound design I did on the classic "This is Your Brain on Drugs" PSA.

And here's the original:

About “This Is Your Brain On Drugs”

The PSA, titled "Frying Pan" (a.k.a. "Fried Egg" and "Any Questions?"), was conceived by art directors Scot Fletcher and Rick Bell, copywriter Larre Johnson and creative director Paul Keye at Los Angeles-based agency Keye/Donna/Pearlstein. It was directed by Joe Pytka through his own Venice-based production company Pytka Productions and produced by agency producer Harvey Greenberg, Pytka executive producer Jane McCann and Pytka producer John Turney.  Anthony Marinelli scored the spots.

Vintage King Debuts Barefoot Sound MM45 & SSL XL-Desk

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Photo by Dante Marinelli

I had a great time down at Vintage King the other night.  Looking forward to more opportunities to work with the great people behind these awesome products.

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Photo by Dante Marinelli

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Photo by Dante Marinelli

Here's an excerpt from the article:

Author: David Goggin

Two of the top pieces of gear to come off the AES 2014 floor, the Solid State Logic XL-Desk and the Barefoot Sound MicroMain45 monitor, are getting special demos at Vintage King Audio in Los Angeles and Nashville.  As an exclusive to Vintage King enthusiasts, these special events offer attendees the first time to demo both of these innovative new products.

Following a sampling of his award-winning scores through the new XL-Desk and Barefoot MM45 monitors, composer/producer Anthony Marinelli commented, "The sound of the Barefoots translates the best. They don't hype the sound and give me the full audio spectrum from lows to highs. They're very quick. The transients are very rapid.  I deal in a lot of different genres of music and it's not like I use a certain kind of speaker for one kind of music and another kind of speaker for another. The Barefoots are just the truest that I've ever come across.”

See the full story at Mix Online or Sound on Sound

Pictured at Vintage King Los Angeles are (L-R) Jeffrey Ehrenberg, VK West Coast Sales Mgr.; Fadi Hayek, SSL VP Music Products; composer/producer Anthony Marinelli; and Tedi Sarafian, Barefoot Sound CEO.  Photo by David Goggin.