Who is Axyss?
I'm a musician and composer from Scotland and I've been writing music on and off for 6 years. I have an almost obsessive interest in music and especially in how it affects us, an understanding of which I incorporate into my music to the best of my ability. I have even studied it at university; I have a BSc in Mathematics and Music and this site will contribute to the experience I will need to study some form of music composition at a master's level in the future.
What music have you written so far?
I started in 2005 on very simple software using MIDI and samples. My first song was called "The Revelation", a recording of which can be found on my AxyssTV YouTube channel, but not to download, and is a rock song based very heavily on the Nightwish song "Nemo". I made a full album of songs on the software using distorted guitar samples in 2006 called "Rotatin' Round Its Axis" (cheesy I know, did I mention I was 16?) which included "The Revelation", with 15 songs ranging in length from 1 minute to 13 minutes. While most of them embarrass me today, I am quite pleased with "Still Time on the Clock of Life" also available on my YouTube channel but not to download.
Since then my output has been relatively sparse due to academic commitments but I assure you it was time well spent, as I learned a lot about music during this time. Highlights include "The Vine" and "Falcon", both available on my YouTube channel but not to download, and "Citadel", which can be found in the library on this site and on my channel. I also worked with the Edinburgh band Unborn during its brief lifetime 2009, and I continue to work with some of its members, having written their song "Tinnitus" around a riff they sent me.
The vast majority of the music I have written has been in a rock style but I write all kinds of music.
Since then my output has been relatively sparse due to academic commitments but I assure you it was time well spent, as I learned a lot about music during this time. Highlights include "The Vine" and "Falcon", both available on my YouTube channel but not to download, and "Citadel", which can be found in the library on this site and on my channel. I also worked with the Edinburgh band Unborn during its brief lifetime 2009, and I continue to work with some of its members, having written their song "Tinnitus" around a riff they sent me.
The vast majority of the music I have written has been in a rock style but I write all kinds of music.
Can I guarantee quality?
No-one really can. I have the beginnings of a rating system in my library but it isn't operational at the moment. In time, I am hoping to improve that and add a comment system of some sort. At the moment, this is the best I can do.
Do you, or will you ever, have scores?
At the moment I don't. I may in the future depending on demand and my own interest but right now my first priority is building up my library.
This piece sounds like <insert song name here>.
I take the greatest possible care not to have any piece of music sound too much like existing songs. As you can probably imagine, this is not an easy task. We live in a world where more people have access to music writing and recording equipment than ever and so more and more people can make music. Since most music is based on 12 notes, eventually there will be crossovers, and it is entirely possible that it will be a coincidence. I ask you not to rush to rash judgements about who I may have ripped off and to instead submit a query to [email protected] if you feel a piece of music in my library is dangerously similar to an existing piece of music. However, I reserve the right to ignore the query if I feel that the similarities are acceptable as a composer who honoured them all probably couldn't have a music library!
Your library is quite small at the moment. Will it keep growing and if so how fast?
It is very small at the moment. The library is still very much in its infancy and I am just starting out in taking my music writing to a professional level. I don't really have a daily routine at the moment, so I can make no promises about the future of the library, but I am hoping to have at least 10 pieces of music by October 2011.
How do you make your music?
I have a cheap Yamaha keyboard which I use to fumble for ideas, but I mainly use Magix Music Maker (no samples, only the Vita and Revolta synthesisers) and FL Studio at the moment. As you can imagine, I don't have access to an orchestra or studio musicians at this very early stage. Don't write off what I can create with the software too soon though!
Can I use your music in commercial projects?
Yes. All music in this library has been made in accordance with necessary copyright laws. You are free to use my music however you like as long as I am credited. It should also be noted that my role in the project is solely that of the composer and I do not, if applicable, necessarily endorse the viewpoint a particular project is trying to portray.
If it's free, how do you make money?
As with every aspiring composer, I can't yet live off of my music and there's no guarantee I'll ever be able to, so I work. The site is also Adsense enabled so simply visiting is a contribution. Thanks by the way :)
Do you take requests?
Yes, see this page for details.
Do you do arrangements of existing music for your library?
Legally, I think this is too risky and murky at the moment so no.
I was looking at your YouTube/Facebook/MySpace page and found a song I liked which isn't in your library. Can I use it in my project?
Only if it's not a commercial project. For example, my song "Falcon" uses Magix Music Maker's soundpool which is a legal grey area. If you are using it in your YouTube video and you're not a YouTube partner, that's absolutely fine, but if you are making money from your project, no matter how this achieved, you may ONLY use music from the library on this site.
I have more questions/suggestions as to how you can improve.
Please submit them to [email protected].