IMAscore...overhyped?

[Danny]

Liseberg are doing well at marketing a flat, they're essentially displaying a campaign that we'd expect from a coaster. Heck, even getting its own audio from IMAscore is huge. At the end of the day, it's a bog standard attraction tarted up with theming, marketing and audio. No long winded back story that slows the ride down, or special effects to attempt to make it an all round experience.

There's no excuse as to why they can't invest in flats. Thankfully other parks in the UK are doing it now, so hopefully we see a game changer soon.

 

[Alastair]

Heck, even getting its own audio from IMAscore is huge.

No it's not. IMAscore aren't the only people capable of producing soundtracks you know? I really don't understand the hype over them, is it because they have a brand name and aren't just one person?

 

[Danny]

No it's not. IMAscore aren't the only people capable of producing soundtracks you know? I really don't understand the hype over them, is it because they have a brand name and aren't just one person?

Or perhaps because they're yet to produce work in this industry that isn't satisfying or doesn't live up to expectations? It's nothing to do with brand or how many employees they have, it's the quality of their past work and how they're gradually growing towards the top of their game in the industry.

 

[TheMan]

Perhaps it's just those of us who have worked in the industry, or are around high quality musicians, that IMAscore are good, but there's just as good if not better out there.

 

[Alastair]

Or perhaps because they're yet to produce work in this industry that isn't satisfying or doesn't live up to expectations? It's nothing to do with brand or how many employees they have, it's the quality of their past work and how they're gradually growing towards the top of their game in the industry.

Perhaps the reason they're yet to produce work in this industry that doesn't live up to expectations is because almost all of their major scores have been in effectively the same style - techno influenced, sample based soundscapes with very, very basic melodies and heavy dubstep elements. Everyone that hires them basically wants them to produce the same thing. I'm willing to bet "Mechanica" will have a gritty, electronic, dubstep influenced score. Almost 100%.

 

[TheMan]

Totally agree @Alastair

Their work is exemplary at times no question, but having been around the sync market and hearing composers/producers etc, there is a lot of talent out there.

They've found a niche, and are making a great name for themselves, I applaud their success naturally, but they're not the pinnacle of what's out there.

I do wish them all the success in the world though as they're very creative and the music is great and clearly is very well received and in general, compliment the rides perfectly.

I have yet though to hear from them a beautifully melodic and hypnotic classical piece for example.

 

[Alastair]

I have yet though to hear from them a beautifully melodic and hypnotic classical piece for example.

I mean, to be fair, they did do the Blue Fire soundtrack which is mainly orchestral based, and the new Heide Park coaster has a vaguely choral theme - but they seem to be averse to creating natural sounding scores, they all sound deliberately sample-based. They have somehow created this hype, which many on here have succumbed to, which is allowing them to secure multiple commissions and produce work that could easily be bettered by numerous normal film composers. I'd love to hear someone like John Powell's take on a ride soundtrack for example, but the first place parks turn to now is IMAScore simply because they've done other rides.

 

[TheMan]

@Alastair

Two words mate. Music industry.

 

[Alastair]

@Alastair

Two words mate. Music industry.

True. But still, it's hardly as if John Powell has a bad CV, working in Hollywood on major films and all...

Someone just hire a film composer for a ride! Please

Anyway, I feel this should have been made into a new topic. We've gone quite off from flat rides

 

[James]

I think they're good, but very much limited to a similar music style. They are probably recognised more as they are a relatively modern and new business, and due to that they have a well thought out website for a modern audience, and they're more in key with social media and the likes.

That and the fact they're probably the easiest modern composers to find that have worked with theme parks we all have visited.

 

[Benzin]

Chiapas' theme is one of the best overall ride themes that I've heard...

Whilst their tracks do follow a very simplistic style at times (i.e. the repeating core chords), is that a bad thing? Some of the best ride music is the stuff that gets into your head, is simplistic (Nemmie/Vampire are both simplistic and catchy for the main part of their soundtracks), and produces an element of adventure...

I'd say Flug's soundtrack is their weakest, especially compared to the other stuff they've done for Heide... It's too background atmosphere based (similar to Swarm) rather than the in your face of most of their other stuff...

Stuff like Chiapas and Helix could well slot into a film soundtrack, and since parks keep coming back to them they must be doing something right... At the end of the day, a ride theme doesn't require subtle layers of transistion or feeling that a film soundtrack needs to convey on a regular basis, it all just sounds a bit (from someone who knows zero of the music industry) hoity-toity because they've created simplistic but expansive themes and are becoming the go-to company for ride themes...

 

[Alastair]

I have nothing against them, I just think it's odd that people consider them a benchmark of a good ride/coaster. As though they produce truly the greatest music the world has ever heard. They seem to have carved out a business in an area (ride music) that was previously incredibly neglected, and whilst that's good for them, their music is as a whole no better than the output of 85% of film composers.

The difference between, for example, IMAscore's work and Hendrik Schwarzer's work at Europa is staggering alone. Schwarzer is leagues ahead, technically and compositionally.

 

[Imagination]

I agree with you @Alastair , whilst I do love Mystery of Hocus Pocus Hall, certain parts of the Smiler's area theme and the new Blue Fire on-board audio, I do feel people think IMAscore are the best thing since sliced bread. Yes, music and texture I feel is extremely important to the overall theme and they do create some lovely stuff but I really don't think IMAscore the strongest out there.

If anyone has heard the new Test Track audio click here (that's the main theme) and here (this is a recording of the queue line ambience)...that's what I call impressive. Instead of the same chords over and over, each element of the music is so beautiful and incredibly catchy instead of repetitive, more so than anything IMA have ever produced in my opinion. The music is composed by Paul Leonard-Morgan who's done stuff for countless films, USA Olympic themes and adverts.

I feel that whilst IMAscore are great they just don't quite cut it compared to some other ride soundtracks developed by other companies/composers which have so much more "richness" to their soundtracks.

 

[TheMan]

I'd like to add to this, that IMAscore in general write themes that are more conducive to music I actually enjoy listening to in general.

The Smiler is clever, let's not forget a big chunk of that isn't even original music.

It really does suit the Smiler the music is brash and catchy and actually doesn't tend to get boring which is credit to it given the STUPID QUEUES this ride still gets at times. However, even in the Electronic genre, I'd choose to listen to someone like DeadMau5 because there is a depth of feeling and emotion present in the tracks. I don't really feel IMAscore do this.

Again, I am being quite hypercritical and actually I do take what you mean @Benzin with the "hoity-toity" comment, I don't think it's unfair to suggest that musicians that are classically trained like any elite performer can sometimes be a bit snobbish about music. However, my basis isn't in classical, it's in rock/mod/dance/electronica though I have had a fair bit to do with successful film/game/pop music producers so I've met many folk from these genres. It is true, some are indeed "hoity-toity" but rest assured in this case I really don't feel anyone means it this way. It is a genuine critique that is fair and quite unbiased. And as I say, it's actually closer to the style of music I listen to for pleasure, so if anyone should lap their scores up it's me - but I don't.

They really are amazing in places, but in others, I don't know, they feel a bit empty of true feeling. Functional, adaptable, eminently listenable and absolutely exceptionally well produced and engineered - but variety is needed, and the kind of not-so-serious-but-serious Smiler theme is now beginning to lose it's shine.

It won't age well, in 5 years time, people will be well fed up of it.

 

[Benzin]

But when you look/listen to things like the Magic Valley at Toverland, or Chiapas at Phantasialand, there is variety... It's not techno based (Chiapas was even done by a film ochestra), so how is this not showing that the company is providing some variety in the genres they are attempting?





Considering as well how the score changes constantly when riding Chiapas (including the brilliant rave scene), it's probably the difference between producing a basic background score like Smiler or a fluid music that changes within each scene like Chiapas'...

For a 5 year old company that's been doing ride soundtracks for 3 years, they're clearly doing something right for the masses...

 

[Alastair]

I still hear nothing to detract from my original assertion that their music is very one dimensional. Fair enough, the two scores you've posted above have quite a bit of variety in terms of instrumentation - but ultimately the compositions are very simplistic - using one theme and repeating it over and over, with minimal harmonic variation/complexity. Perhaps this is what they're tasked to do, in which case again it seems odd that they've created so much hype.

I do like the Toverland theme, it does sound very reminiscent of Zimmer's "Millennium" soundtrack however.

 

[Sam]

IMAscore are such a mixed bag.

Some of their work is good (Blue Fire on-ride), some of their work is exceptional (the entire Chiapas suite) and some of their music is abysmal (The Smiler). Some of it is good but far too repetitive, and lacks enough variety for a long piece (Helix).

The quality of the piece and the effort they put in probably depends on how much you pay them for their time. I imagined Phantasia paid them quite a lot for multiple compositions with a variety of themes, that sound like they have been recorded by a live orchestra. If Towers paid them a lot for the dreadful and irritating Smiler soundtrack, I hope they kept the receipt.

 

[Burbs]

How many different Chiapas variations are there? There's obviously the main theme, the calm slow one and the funky one with the shouting every 5 seconds or so.

 

[Sam]

Quite a lot of variations! I took this screenshot of the soundtrack which is available on iTunes.

It also confirms that it was indeed recorded by a proper full orchestra. Rides with orchestra recorded soundtracks simply sound better than those that don't. Hex is a great theme but is sadly let down by the poor quality of the recording and the bad sound system on the ride.

 

[Burbs]

Ooh, might have £8 knocking about somewhere.