RASCAL Music's Vision for a Connected Creative Future

Being founded in 2021, RASCAL Post (relatively speaking) is a bit of a spring chicken within the post production space. But that freshness of being seems to have worked purely in its favour. In a mere three years it's already considered one of the best creative studios in the UK, rated in the top five ‘Best Post Houses’ by Televisual. 

To date they’ve been known for all things VFX, colour and sound. Now however, they’re announcing their next escapade – RASCAL Music – a full-service music offering boasting connection, synergy, speed, and creative alignment. This expansion is an initiative between the studio founders, and is headed up by James Bargent. 

Music for James is an obsession – and he’s intimately acquainted with the inner workings of the entire lifecycle of sound. After studying musicianship professionally, he spent time in composition and sync, before hustling for a near decade at Massive Music where he ended up heading production. Nowadays he’s head of music at RASCAL, and is raring to go with an offering he believes will increase creativity by connecting advertisers, filmmakers, and culture-shapers more fluidly with the world’s music artists. 

LBB’s Tará McKerr caught up with James, as well as creative director, Mateo Akira Notsuke, and Rebecca Williams, EP at Uncommon, to find out how RASCAL Music is gearing up to elevate creativity. 

LBB> Can you explain how RASCAL Music's integration with visual and sound artists enhances the overall creative process for your clients’ projects?

James> The best creative ideas are often not laboured over and happen through a moment of flow. We provide a space which removes barriers for the light bulb moments to occur. Our clients hop between sessions and achieve more, all to the same world-class standard. Music often overlaps with post-production in the schedule, so why not integrate the workflow and spend more time on the craft?

LBB> Can you provide an example of a project where this integration was particularly effective?

James> Sirius XM’s ‘Metal Sweater’ film called for a Scandi black metal track. Funnily enough, I’d spent the evening in Stockholm a couple weeks earlier catching up with one of the sound designers in our network who’s also a guitarist in the band Mörk Gryning. Given that RASCAL was providing VFX, colour, sound and music, we were able to discuss music earlier, clearing their catalogue in lightning speed. Post-production often involves experimentation, and being in the building meant I was able to advise and act quickly regarding the use of the artist’s work.

Rebecca Williams> Our Metal Sweater film for Sirius XM had a very niche brief with an exceptionally challenging budget and timeline. None of this phased RASCAL Music, who we brought on as creative partners early in the process. They offered a number of truly authentic options, finally solving our brief by finding the perfect band, clearing their whole back catalogue, all within budget in around 24 hours. Being able to collaborate with them whilst we also worked with RASCAL on the visuals and final sound mix also streamlined the workflow, saving valuable time and allowing us to focus on the creative and experiment.  Their understanding of the creative and relationship with the band made the whole process, including licensing, super simple and very efficient.

LBB> RASCAL Music aims for maximum creativity with minimal fuss. How do you achieve this balance in your work?

James> I see scripts when they come through the door for VFX, colour and sound bids. This is typically much earlier than music conversations begin, but it allows me to provide some initial advice that could save a lot of time and money later on. I dissect the ambition and can suggest how to fit the commercials more effectively to achieve the big goal, stretching what’s possible. A strong alignment on creative, plus a commercially smart approach to the craft leads to the best result. From the initial interaction to finalising a project, I aim to keep the commercial side as simple and concise as possible so that creative and craft is kept at the fore.

LBB> RASCAL Music emphasises its independence in the industry. How does this independence shape your approach to creating and delivering music?

James> It’s the same across the whole of RASCAL. Being independent means we set our own agenda. It’s a more personal approach where the founders are not only artists, but know our clients and their needs on a personal level, so decision making is always grounded in what matters for the craft and client experience. We’re quick, agile and can experiment enough to make magic happen. We can invest where we believe it is deserved and are free to pursue the best creative outcome above everything else. Specifically with music, we have no exclusive deals, which means we’re free to work with the best artists, tracks or partners for the project.

LBB> In the GQ Men of the Year project, you created a bespoke track with a sophisticated blend of classical and electronic instrumentation. How did you achieve this?

James> A-list celebrities are conscious of looking good. And you only look good if you sound good. The challenge was to create something that felt effortlessly sophisticated and elegant. Working with composers who are defining the genre themselves as recording and touring artists gives instant authenticity. In this case, we worked with the immense talent of Grammy Award winning Dan Stephens (Nero) and Franz Novotny (Modern Tales).

Mateo Akira Notsuke> For GQ MOTY 23, RASCAL Music offered the opportunity to sit with the artist in the studio, so we achieved the result in a single session. The music was extremely well received and brilliantly executed.