R.U.R

I did not use AI support at any stage in the creation of this piece.

When I started composing this piece in December, after buying Spitfire Originals Intimate Strings on sale, I had these thoughts: If this is what the future is going to look like, I didn't sign up for it. Although in my youth I read and watched a lot of SF films presenting both utopia and dystopia, I always preferred the bright future. However, what I see on TV, on YouTube and outside my window is starting to resemble the latter...

Despite this, I hope you like the piece at least a little bit

To make this track I used:
Ableton Live 11 Standard
Spitfire Originals Intimate Strings
Spitfire Originals Cinematic Percussion
Spitfire BBC SO Discover (free)
Soundpaint 1928 Vintage Steinway Grand Piano (free)
Arturia Augmented Voices
Arturia Augmented Mallets Play (free)
Strezov Sampling Afflatus Minimalist Violins Legato Freebie (free for Kontakt Player)

Beside plug-ins I used 3 samples:
Two from BBC Sample Library:
- Rioting - Riot in Belfast - with breaking glass, rubber bullets, distant cries and chants
- Chatter - Club atmosphere, busy mixed chatter at mealtime (mid-distance) - 1981 (1C25,reprocessed)
and from Freesample.org
Real War - Marines in Firefight Gunbattle (Raw audio) by qubodup

Picture in cover: Freepik

Future Perfect?

EDIT 2025-07-16: I am very happy to announce that thanks to this piece I won first place in this competition! 😍🥂🥳

EDIT 2025-07-07: I reuploaded track because I've messed a little in "original" part. Now "my part" is much more different from the original

No AI was involved in creation of this track.

Track made for Spitfire LABS Discord competition.

At the beginning (up to 0:18) and at the end (from 2:23) – a short fragment of the theme song for the AppleTV+ series "Severance" by Theodore Shapiro which can be heard in its entirety at the link below. I highly recommend it! The opening credits of this series, as well as the entire series, are worth seeing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmS3m0OG-Ug
Yes, I know, I've bite off more than I can chew, but whatever... I guess it's worth tackling such a great and catchy musical theme ;)

The idea was to "Write a short piece (1-2 mins) that starts with a recognizable melody in it’s original form, and then take that melody and reinvent it in your own style. Use one or more of the first 10 LABS packs that were released for this, but feel free to incorporate any other tools you’d like."

To made this track I used:
Ableton Live 11 Standard
Spitfire LABS Libraries:
(Original Theme)
Soft Piano
(Reimagined Theme)
Amplified Chello Quartet
Strings
Electric Piano
Intimate Piano
Lap Steel
Wurli
Beside LABS I used:
Strezov Diamond Jazz Trio Freebie
and two MIDI loops (both from Ableton Live packs)
Gravity Werks Kit - 105 bpm and
Shaker Chance 126 bpm

Picture in thumbnail is a part of original poster from the show: http://www.impawards.com/tv/severance_ver2_xlg.html

Severed ("Severance" Theme Reimagined for Spitfire LABS competition)

That was assembled (put together from bricks of ready to use samples) for fun in DanceMachine software in late '90.

Free download enabled.

Dance Machine

Try to Dance (Free Download)

Hello, Welcome to TBD.
All these creations are made by hard work and years upon years upon years of practice and trying to explain this world and the human condition to myself in the process through poems & songs. Thanks for all of your wonderful support.
Peace and Love to Everyone,
Carl Culliton


PS: The world needs good art and new ideas from the mindsets of artists living authentic lifestyles. In a world where we are poisoned by labels I think it's more honourable for humanity to show your true colours at the hard issues and lay them bare for a better future and in my opinion this should be more important then the success of whatever brand you are trying to create as a musician or artist. That's why I am The Beautiful Dark. My name is unlikely to help me become affluent and successful but it lays bare that this world has many dark inhumane ideas and mindsets to transcend and get on top of to move our existence on a path to a greater good for all life. So I'll do that for my children and I won't apologise for not trying to please people with any shallow so called truthful status quo. I'll share my actual truth from my whole being and you can use your own discernment to process that if you decide to embrace it. Cheers