Retro Activate
No need for time machines, we’ve assembled a gallery of albums from our Modus Operandi Production Music label with retro themes that place a listener back in time for era-specific dramas, archival throwbacks, or comedic placements.
Retaining the defining characteristics of each period of history and style, each and every song has at least two other songs that have been intentionally created with the same fundamental musical building blocks of key and tempo, making them easy to mix and match and easily edit for long-form programming.
Time to Retro Activate and bring back the sounds of the past.
Midcentury Newsreel (MOPM-092)
Vintage orchestral scores hearkening back to post-war society filled with promise and propaganda
Signs of the Times: Bustling, Optimism, Confidence, Naive
Our Summary: Exciting, whimsical arrangements reflect the mindset of a generation, this album includes archival mixes that can drop straight into period pieces as well as restored audio mixes for modern placements.
If you want to channel Leave It To Beaver, this album is as wholesome as you want it to be. Or go the irreverent and absurd route like Ren & Stimpy or The Simpsons.
Leisure Suite (MOPM-029)
Elevator music for cubicle daydreams, office romance, awkward waiting rooms, & retro lounge tales
Signs of the Times: Smooth, Campy, Funky, Laid Back
Our Summary: Vintage elevator music is a goldmine for comedic moments, satire, or quirky ads for pets and laundry detergent.
With flute melodies and soothing electric guitars, this album contains a few flugelhorn surprises and variations that take it out of the cheese department while holding true to the oddball nature of lounge.
Patriotic Parade (MOPM-079)
Classic marches full of fanfare and dogfights for every whistle stop on the campaign trail
Signs of the Times: Bright, Noble, Energetic, Pride
Our Summary: These marches harken back to the popular Sousa marches of yesteryear, still conjuring images of parades past and present, carnivals or political rallies of any decade in the twentieth century.
But let’s not forget about door-busting or holiday-related sales, or anything that needs that extra pompous flair.
Retro Game Show (MOPM-039)
Vintage daytime quiz show themes & clock backdrops, prize money, flashbulbs, bonus round, host toupees
Signs of the Times: Energetic, Groovy, Anticipation, Kitsch
Our Summary: Taking a trip back to the heyday of the 60s and 70s game shows with unhinged (possibly inebriated) celebrity guests and eager contestants, this album contains themes for fictional quiz shows that are more authentic than the host’s toupee.
8-Bit Invasion (MOPM-035)
Lo-fi themes and bit-crushed grooves for adventures old and new, robot sprites and technological irony
Signs of the Times: Adventurous, Silly, Magical, Cheesy
Our Summary: From the green, block graphics of old school Apple computer programs to the quarter-consuming arcades of the 80s, the sound chips and early synthesizers have embedded themselves into popular culture.
These bits take inspiration from those vintage games with all the whimsy, quirks, and memorable melodies to score adventures in coming-of-age stories or viral Tik Tok moments.