Welcoem to posts!!
in the future - u will be able to do some more stuff here,,,!! like pat catgirl- i mean um yeah... for now u can only see others's posts :c
Excuse my tardiness, but a big thank you to all who supported me throughout 2024! The last four months in particular have been quite a ride; all the Astro Bot and Moana 2 stuff really boosted the channel, and even the odd tutorials in between for the likes of Zelda, Sonic X Shadow and Wallace & Gromit seemed to get a bit of attention! Whether you're new or have been here for awhile, thank you again for tuning in, and for all the wonderful comments you've written - genuinely means so much.
Before going on, I wanna apologize for breaking my word regarding releasing more original music in 2024 (something I mentioned in a post at the beginning of last year). Truthfully, I have some stuff in the works, but I think it might suit an eventual EP release better. Rest assured I haven't neglected it!
Beyond that however, this year I really want to double down on the stuff that you seem to like the most. Yesterday I released a tutorial for the full score of W&G: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit, and next week I've got one of many more Astro Bot tutorials for you! I've also been working on something else Astro Bot-related for awhile now that I can't wait to show you in due time!
If you happened to subscribe for my Moana 2 tutorials though, you may be interested in a mega tutorial for another Disney film that I've been working on for a couple of years now! That one should be out in a few weeks, and will be my longest tutorial to date!
As for those who have been here awhile, you can be assured that I will get back into arranging the remainder of Caravan Palace's discography once things with Astro Bot settle down a bit.
Finally, 2025 happens to mark 10 years since I started making piano tutorials! To celebrate, I'll be posting some tutorial compilation videos throughout the year for various categories and music genres, all containing stuff I've posted over the last decade. Hoping this will help make the catalogue of 300+ tutorials a little more accessible!
If none of that interests you though, there will be plenty of other stuff in between it all too, don't worry :)
Anyway, happy belated new year! Wishing you all the best!
Ezrato
34 - 1
Wallace & Gromit fans! I've just seen the new W&G film at a special pre-screening here in Australia and loved it! If you have any questions, feel free to comment below! Otherwise, here's my non-spoiler review:
8/10
The biggest question going into this was whether Aardman still had it in them to make something in the tier of the previous W&G films. 2015's Shaun the Sheep movie was arguably the studio's last "great" outing, but it's been a mixed bag ever since without any standout film that's hit those same highs.
Bringing back their prestige franchise amidst this lull definitely felt like a make-or-break moment to say the least. I was able to look the other way for Nick Park's missed opportunity with Early Man, and even came to terms with the anticlimactic Chicken Run sequel, but trying a new Wallace & Gromit was definitely playing with fire.
I'm happy to report however that Vengeance Most Fowl continues the W&G legacy without (much of) a hitch. The plot - whilst not as grandiose in scope and ambition as the previous feature, Curse of the Were Rabbit - knows exactly what it is and is executed with tight focus (yet, without feeling rushed, even at a short 79 minutes). Jokes are aplenty (about in line with the shorts in terms of frequency) and most importantly, consistently land (my theatre crowd of all adults was laughing out loud on many occasions).
Regarding characters, Fowl is all about the return of fan-favourite villain Feathers McGraw, the ominous penguin from The Wrong Trousers back in 1993. Once again, he steals every scene he's in, and brings the entire film up a notch. His introduction into the plot (beyond a flashback) isn't established particularly early, and this does leave the beginning portions of the film with a noticeable lack of stakes.
Once Feathers makes his entrance though, things really switch gears. Beyond the stakes he introduces, he is also responsible for some of the film's funniest moments, many of which are throw-back gags to his Wrong Trousers debut (along with plenty of new material, don't worry).
Outside of the titular bird, this one also sees the introduction of some new faces, including Wallace's new invention - a "smart p̶h̶gnome" named Norbot, voiced by Reece Sherarsmith. With his artificially joyous attitude, there was definitely potential for this character to grate on my nerves, but I'm glad to say that this was not the case. The writers are definitely self aware here, and so his bubbly personality is fully played for irony (bar a few moments that were - surprisingly - genuinely tender).
Some other notable mentions need to go to Wallace and PC Mackintosh, or more specifically their voice actors here. Ben Whitehead has taken on the former's voice following the late Peter Sallis, and deserves high praise. If you're a mega-fan, you may still notice minor differences, but the improvement from his early days in the role is night and day.
Peter Kay meanwhile - who voices Mackintosh - brings a healthy dose of comedic cynicism to the film, balancing out the otherwise sprightly cast (including his new assistant, PC Mukherjee, voiced by Lauren Patel).
With strong performances across the board, a consistently comedic and highly focused plot - not to mention, a score containing many pleasantly surprising throw-backs to musical moments across the series - Vengeance Most Fowl is (mostly) able to hold its own alongside the rest of the franchise.
The mild hesitance in saying this however comes from the film's main (perhaps minor) flaw - its lack of atmosphere. One of my favourite things about previous W&G entries was that most of them took inspiration from classic film noir, evident in the cinematography, music and most importantly the subtle building of tension. They were imbued with a sort of sinister undertone that made you feel as though something was just a little off, often before the threat was even formally introduced. This time around however, that sense of delicately looming dread has been all but done away with.
This new direction isn't nearly as jarring as say, the tonal shift that this year's Chicken Run sequel made from its predecessor, but it is arguably the film's main flaw, particularly for those who are very familiar with the franchise. There's still a sense of peril that's present here, but it tends to come in the form of action scenes and clear plot developments, making it far less subconscious.
I should stress however that newcomers or anyone ignorant to the franchise's history likely won't have expectations about this and therefore are unlikely to care all that much. The more common criticism would likely relate to the execution of the film's message. As you may or may not be aware, Aardman have something to say here about society's over reliance on tech and the dangers of it replacing things of meaning and value to us.
The message itself is admirable, and Wallace's obsession with his inventions is certainly a natural fit for a story with this theme, however on the emotional level it's aiming for, the film falls a bit short. The relationship dynamic between Wallace and Gromit vs Wallace and his inventions is meant to be a point of emotional contention, but it never quite manages to invoke the levels of heartache as say, that one scene in The Wrong Trousers, or the final moments of The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.
These minor criticisms aside though, the film succeeds on virtually every other dimension, making it worthy of the W&G name in its witty comedy, tight story and lovable cast. Whether you're a fan or a newcomer, you'll likely find this highly entertaining.
41 - 7
PSA: I'M NO LONGER OFFERING MY MIDIS
Hi all,
I'm writing to announce that, for legal reasons, I will no longer be able to offer MIDIs for download.
I realize this may come as a sudden shock and I wish there was a way for me to lighten the blow, but unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a way around it :(
I was previously under the impression that distributing MIDIs would fall into a legal grey area, since they (possibly?) don't require a mechanical license. I assumed this to be true since they (in my opinion) are not "audio recordings" but rather instructions for how virtual instruments should be played.
Regardless of whether this is true or not however, I recently discovered that they still fall into a category known as a "derivative work". Unfortunately, to distribute anything under this category also requires a license from the copyright holder - something virtually impossible to attain for smaller entities like me.
As frustrating as these laws are, I don't want to risk facing legal consequences, particularly as my channel grows. Even if I fly under the radar and avoid this however, I'd rather not base this project on unlawful practices.
I will continue to post my piano tutorials on YouTube, which offers an infrastructure that usually attributes a synchronization license to cover/tutorial videos automatically, when necessary.
I'm aware that many of you have made a pledge on Patreon to access my MIDIs, and it pains me that I am no longer able to provide this to you. Of course, I completely understand if you'd like to cancel your Patreon subscription now that I cannot fulfill this anymore.
I'm currently trying to think of another benefit I can offer to replace this "Download my MIDIs" tier. If anyone has any suggestions, I am VERY open to hearing and considering them.
In the meantime - for what it's worth - I want to offer consolation in the form of free downloads for many of my own original songs along with my "100 FL Studio Themes" pack for the next three weeks. You can find both of these things on my website here: www.ezrato.com/
Note: you may be redirected to an error page after purchasing (I'm currently building some custom thank you pages but they're not ready yet, hence the error redirect) but the downloads should be sent to your email almost immediately, so you can access them from there.
Offering apologies for any inconvenience caused, and I thank you all for your continued support.
Best,
Ezrato.
17 - 5
So this just got announced...
While you await the return of Feathers Mcgraw in "Vengeance Most Fowl" this December, you can check out my tutorial for the full "The Wrong Trousers" score here, which includes Feathers' iconic theme: https://youtu.be/qUmzrESfupA?si=5ghiJ...
11 - 8
I've now made tutorials for all tracks from Gangbusters Melody Club! See them all along with the rest of my CP tutorials in this playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLH...
11 - 0
Not sure how this happened, but my GMC review seems to show up first thing, as part of the album's dedicated info section when you Google "Gangbusters Melody Club" 🤯
15 - 6
It's been awhile since I've released any originals, but that's about to change this Friday! Stay tuned :)
13 - 1
It's times like this I'm grateful for Aussie timezones - getting to hear new albums before most of the world 😎
(I'll review this eventually, but for now, I think 81 Special is my fav from the album)
18 - 10
What a dream this would be
12 - 1
Subscribe for weekly melodic & jazzy piano tutorials + more, every Friday!
I also produce original music and do piano covers and album reviews.
If you like melodic film/game soundtracks, classic jazz, pop & electronic music with melodic chord progressions or anything in this realm, you've found the right community!
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