MUSIC MIX PORTFOLIO
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GENRE: FILM SOUNDTRACKS
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“STANDOFF” ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
by Dan Dukich
Mixed and mastered by Mike Hallenbeck
“Standoff” is a Western-themed short film directed by Lisa Channer, written by Savannah Reich. Composer Dan Dukich, who often performs and records under the Daniel Bonespur moniker, crafted a musical score that spans pastoral tranquility and hovering tension, employing instrumentation from traditional orchestral voicings to folky acoustic guitar to atonal percussion and FX. I added a little definition and grit here and there to help bring it all to life.
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“contact traces” ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
by Andy McCormick
Mixed and mastered by Mike Hallenbeck
Mixes of Andy McCormick’s musical score for Kevin Obsatz’s enigmatic short film “Contact Traces”. McCormick, known for his work with the ensemble Dreamland Faces, incorporated instruments like standup bass, marimba, accordion, and musical saw. The score broods via thick droning textures, slow pitch bends, and arrhythmic staccato repetition.
McCormick sent me the individual multitracks, which he recorded in his home studio, for me to mix. While I did a little scrubbing of the tracks to clean them up a bit, I sensed that leaving the rough edges on was appropriate. I allowed the score’s starkness to speak for itself, keeping each voice out of the way of the others.
In a couple of instances Obsatz wanted a more ethereal texture than a current draft allowed; I offered the solution of “de-mixing” a couple of the cues, reversing notes phrase by phrase to construct a more ambient composition out of the same material.
GENRE: SINGER-SONGWRITER
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10 ITEMS OR FEWER
Post-skiffle/ X-treme indie folk/ flyover country/ psychedelia
from the album “The Fossil Record”
Mixed by Mike Hallenbeck
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MIKE MERZ & THE CAN O’ WORMS
Singer-songwriter/ rock/ pop/ psychedelic/ experimenal
Mixed by Mike Hallenbeck
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GENRE: HIP HOP
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LUCKY TIGER
Two singles by hip hop impresario Lucky Tiger. Mixes by Mike Hallenbeck at Cool Cat Audio.
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GAME DAY ROYALTY
An orchestral hip hop track mixed by yours truly, co-written by myself and Dan Luedke. Originally aimed at placements for NFL programming; eventually placed in NBC Sports coverage of skiing and snowboarding. Hear “Game Day Royalty”
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LIVE RECORDINGS
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29:11 INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE
29:11 International Exchange is a group from South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo, made up of eight singers and four instrumentalists. Live audio recording and post mix by Mike Hallenbeck, commissioned by Minnesota Public Radio to document 29:11’s visit to St Paul’s Harding High School in 2024.