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New York, NY (July 21, 2004)
G&E
Music has been making great inroads in the commercial spot world
recently, creating original music for three
national spots for NYC-based ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi. Having
worked with G&E principles Glenn Schloss and Erik Blicker before,
Saatchi lead writer Kelly Coveney initiated G&E's demos for the
first of the three spots, Crest White Strips. Nailing the music for
the first
spot,
G&E was given a shot at two others and came through on all three--not
an easy feat in the competitive and fast-paced national spot biz.
With so many music houses in NYC competing for spot work, G&E stands
out with a diverse profile, deeply established in music for television
programs and network branding packages. "It’s a thrill when
somebody seeks you out based on work they have seen.” notes Blicker. "Creating
a tight one-on-one working relationship allows us to collaboratively
develop some cool ideas.” Case
in point is the score submitted for the Crest White Strips spot. Providing
direction was an Ella Fitzgerald swing track chosen by the Saatchi
creative team. Instead of recreating a unique version of the track
just to eliminate licensing fees, G&E was asked to deliver something
new and fresh, while evocative of the style. "We created a younger,
hipper version of the traditional jazz skat, brought our own unique
vibe to that style," explains Blicker.
After completing the Crest White Strips commercial,
Saatchi enlisted the G&E
team on another spot, this time for Head & Shoulders. "We had just finished
up the previous campaign for Crest and there was some great chemistry between
us all.” shares Schloss. “They were looking for a sort of jangly
bluesy track, so we recorded acoustic guitars, live bass and drums. Kept it simple.
It fit the picture real nice.” G&E worked with Blue Rock Editorial
for the Head & Shoulders spot, with Laura Milstein as editor. Again, Saatchi
was pleased with the results.
"Glenn
and Erik are such incredibly intuitive and inventive musicians and
composers," offers Saatchi's Coveney, as to G&E's repeated
success with the agency. "Their approach to commercials is fresh
because they approach it from a music writing perspective, instead
of a jingle perspective. They are able to interpret abstract direction
and get the vibe of what needs to be accomplished, delivering unique
story-driven :30 and :15 compositions."
The third spot, for Olay, completed the hat trick for G&E, who on this
third occasion was the only music house Saatchi called on for the score. The
guys had to get creative, give the agency enough of a variety to choose from. "We
sent them six or seven demos, and the very last one they heard was the one
they went with," recalls Schloss. “We had a lot of fun with it.
We brought in a sax player and layed down a Bossa groove, then dropped in a
little James Bond secret agent man vibe at the end--kind of a playful, sneaky
music for the woman who's fooled her admirers.”
Facilitating G&E's fresh compositions for these
Saatchi spots was their new Pro Tools HD rig, and G5 Macintosh. Sure, the guys
are always refining their sound, but the technology's enabling them to work more
quickly and with more sonic options than ever. "The new set-up is just blazing," notes
Schloss, "really facilitates us getting our ideas out immediately, and the
clarity is great. Plus with all the plug-ins, especially the Waves and Bomb Factory
plug-ins, we can really mix on the fly, which is a growing trend in the post
community--being able to mix and write at the same time is extremely valuable,
it's a huge part of how we work."
According to Coveney, the G&E sound was a sure
thing for the spots, something that obviously transcends just technical aspects
of the project. "They get it every time," says Coveney, "Their
music makes our spots come to life. It is such an incredible team effort, and
it takes a load off of my plate to have such incredible talent at my fingertips." As
to their continued success in new areas, such as this high-profile spot work,
Blicker reflects, "We actually have a real flavor, Glen and I, a real musical
voice, and we feel that it's stronger than ever. We can really dive into a project
and bring our own voice to it, no matter what the style--free jazz, techno, rock--there's
a real attitude and voice coming out of us as a team."
G&E Music
www.gemusic.com
Crest Whitestrips Olay
"Hotel" Head
& Shoulders "Matty"
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