Music (2005)

All featured clips are in MPEG-3 format and are copyright © 2003-6, Tim Halbert. All rights reserved.
If you've got unanswered questions, feel free to write to tim ...@... timhalbert ...dot... com.

Bar None: Live (The Talent Contest) - theme - 0:31, added 1/1/05
Disco string/bass combo and warbling rhodes is the only thing that'll save this late-night showdown for showoffs. Started out as my Windows XP login tune, the individual cues of which I might upload sometime.

Chopper (incomplete) - 0:43, added 7/1/05
Not really sure what this is. Testing 7ths, perhaps?

Deal or No Deal (conceptual) - intro - 1:53, added 9/9/05
First started this crunchy beast sometime in the early summer of '05, when a fellow fan of the UK version of The Apprentice challenged me to imitate the industrial mayhem of the holy one-and-only Dru Masters. The resulting over-compressed craziness became the working theme for an alternative psychology format of mine which never really got off the ground (The Exchange), before being shifted onto the award-winning Internet puzzlefest Psychopath. It retained its title until the launch of a British version of international format Deal or No Deal was announced, and an extremely half-hearted attempt to squeeze into a comfortable daytime slot on Channel 4 failed.
The sudden contrasting section in the middle is supposed to sync to something. What exactly? Who knows! Let your ears decide.

Deal or No Deal (conceptual) - cases - 1:51, added 9/9/05
This was originally a spin-off to the original Exchange theme, based on the contrasting section in the centre. After aiming the original at Deal or No Deal, I extended this one and added a bit more low-end with a spacey bass and a few more pads. This one does grow on you.

Deal or No Deal (conceptual) - quiz - 1:33, added 9/9/05
This never had anything to do with The Exchange; it was more a question of having to produce something to show 'them in charge' up at Channel 4, really. Chuck in a satisfyingly out-of-place snare and electronic weirdo noise, and away you go! The original Dutch theme is in there somewhere.

December (incomplete) - 1:22, added 13/12/05
Eerie, seasonal, ambient/house crossover.

Don't Stop Pretending (incomplete) - 1:26, added 17/4/05
Ah. Right. This is one of the less dumpy pop vocal tracks I've managed. This is actually a very early demo. There's a 75% chance that the full version of this (which includes a vocoder module you can't hear here) will be on the CD, so if you really can't get enough of that sexy synth-pop goodness, buy it when it comes out. Look out for the distinctly Michael Jackson-esque grunt in the chorus!

Deus Ex - Area 51 - fight loop, remix - 0:40, added 7/4/05
Deus Ex - Bunker - fight loop, remix - 1:15, added 7/4/05
Deus Ex - Oceanlab 1 - fight loop, remix - 0:57, added 2/6/05
Some tribute reorchestrations of a couple of fight songs from the sublime Deus Ex soundtrack of Mr. Alexander "God" Brandon. Considering the guy had to use MOD files (it was law in those days for great gameplay to look crap), he did an unbelievably good job. Well done, that man!

Highly Strung (incomplete) - 1:54, added 1/1/05
A test song for my new string samples, a test song which has been downloaded far too many times for its own good, if we're being completely honest. All that vibraphone sounds like a shopping centre.

In the Mind's Eye - 2:42, added 7/7/05
Ooh! Sinister! This one was written purely for Psychopath, and it's the only time I've ever used an orchestra hit as a snare drum (you won't find it, though).

Insecticide (incomplete) - 1:26, added 9/9/05
This one was for Psychopath, but never went in. I'd actually say this was one of my better tracks, just because of the huge variety of colour and texture in the sounds. I wouldn't know what to do with it after 1 minute and 26, sadly, though.

It Cannot Be True (incomplete) - 1:01, added 12/10/05
You can't get enough of that filter sweeping to beat those October blues! Actually, you can. Another electronic Arab, but with some quite good EQ this time. Check the reverb on the melody that switches on and off in time to the music, creating an unexpected pounding effect. But yet! We seem to be slowly slipping back into the habit of using nothing but saw waves for melodies again. Purity alert!

Kitchen Sink - 0:34, added 1/1/05
The 1950s Guide to the Perfect Housewife. Because I can.

Mist - 1:23, added 1/1/05
Some very fast pizzicato in a massive echo chamber, followed by absurd power chords. Next!

No Chance in Hell (conceptual) - clock - 3:12, added 22/3/05
Oh, boy! This is a long story. If you're me, and have followed this site ever since its original inception, you'll have noticed this song crop up several times. No Chance in Hell was another format I did, and the song was just to help the image along. One day, I decided to put a thumping drum loop behind it. The rest, as they say, was history. What a stupid waste of a cliché.
Yes, this was in Psychopath. No, I had no idea it was going in there. Yes, I'm very surprised how popular this one is.

No Chance in Hell (conceptual) - waiting - 3:12, added 7/7/05
You want more of the same thing, right? There you go. It's the same length an' all.

Otherwise (incomplete) - 1:18, added 24/10/05
This was a wee test to see if I could use synth pads to create a climax into ethnic percussion using the element of suspense alone and without the alteration of dynamic. The result wasn't really what I intended, but it sounds bizarre enough to warrant a place on the site.

Opium Factory (incomplete) - 1:12, added 17/4/05
Grrr! Yah! Boo! Anarchy! The full version of this goes all melodic on you after a while, and is going on the CD with 99% guarantee.

Pink and Orange - 2:40, added 7/7/05
Dreamy pianos and pads, and then, lo and behold! It's over-compressed distorted bass all round! Psychopath for you.

Poof Juice (incomplete) - 1:41, added 1/1/05
Remember the Pointer Sisters? You don't? GOOD.

The Noise (incomplete) - 1:50, added 7/1/05
Bless my poor little sister, victim of the sampling freakishness of Professor Tim Halbert himself. None shall escape!

Tickling Jesus (incomplete) - 0:39, added 7/4/05
If you ask about the name one more time, I'm going to @%$*&£ you, right in the spleen. Have you never even considered the possibility of tickling Jesus? What would happen? Think about it. Then listen to this distorted harpsichord for as long as you can bear it.

Treason (incomplete) - 1:21, added 22/3/05
Why is it always the incomplete, demo songs that capture the public's imagination? This one was testing Propellerheads Reason 3.0 and a bit of Arab scale. Psychopath, again, without any warning whatsoever.

Spawn (loop) - 1:27, added 13/12/05
Leftovers from a discontinued K2XL game. Some weighty ethnic chord clashes, there.

Stick Avalanche 2 - In-game loop - 0:47, added 12/2/05
Stick Avalanche 2 - Menu loop - 0:15, added 12/2/05
Stick Avalanche 2 - Theme - 1:02, added 12/2/05
The phattest set of tracks I ever had to do. These took several weeks to perfect, and in turn was my biggest success story to date. The full versions will finally be made available to the public on the upcoming CD release. More information on the conception on the Stick Avalanche 2 page.

Stick World 2 (conceptual) - Beijing Underground - 1:09, added 17/2/05
Stick World 2 (conceptual) - Beijing Ricehouse - 0:43, added 2/5/05
The long-awaited Massive Multiplayer Online game that never was. These tunes, were, however, really good fun to write. Authenticity factor 10 for you, Mr. Wong!

TCT X0 - fight (incomplete) - 0:28, added 7/1/05
A mophead made me do this. The whole project got shafted because of the filter sweep on the guitar, so I gather. Ha!