Hello Composers, Mike here! =)
Ah, so you want to make Race Music? Music full of drive, energy and intensity! Music suitable for a race scene in a movie, tv show or video game. 
Let’s listen to a couple of live examples of music compositions in this style! =)
David Olofson – Infinity Race Extended
David’s description: Trance-ish video game soundtrack. May or may not be vaguely inspired by some game where one drives a red thoroughbred car on public roads.
- Cubase Pro 10
- NI Kontakt, Action Strikes, Rise&Hit
- kHz phaseplant, Transient Shaper
- VPS Avenger (PSY, Trance Invasion, Cinematic 1, Atmospherica)
- Eventide Blackhole
- FabFilter Pro-C 2, Pro-MB, Timeless 2, Saturn
- TC VSS3
- Ozone 8
- Heavyocity Gravity
- Spitfire Chamber Strings, Studio Woodwinds Pro
Siegfried Schüßler – Speed Racer
Siegfried’s description: I have used heavy guitar-leads with dive-bombs and other whammy-tricks in order to get a feel for roaring engines. For an overall feel of speed, I have chosen a few synthesizer-tracks with constant motion.
This track is at 180 bpm, but I tried to make it also feel comfortable and not nervous. My imagination was a fast glider like in the F-Zero game on the Super Nintendo, mixed with metal-sounds. This track was a good opportunity to play the guitar again which has to stand in the background normally due to my work on orchestral music.
Brendan Hayes – Driven by Glory
Brendan’s description: I kind of had the vision of two rivals battling it out on the racetrack. The serenity of highly engineered cars sitting on the grid is quickly disrupted when the final light goes out and it is a scramble for all, but the two rivals only have focus on defeating the other.
It is almost like a pas de deux where they take turns chasing or defending throughout the race but their admiration for each other never falters all the way to the final straight where only one claims the checkered flag.
I wanted to give the vibe that the machines and racers are at the pinnacle of today and they are at a constant chase with small moments of success that is always threatened up until the crescendo at the final straight. I also used a couple of sound effects from Formula E cars as well.
Mike’s Tips on Race Music
- High Tempo for Energy
- Make the Percussion Mix intense
- Focus on Driving Rhythms more than Anything
- Keep the Flow & Pulse as much as possible
- Use Stutters/Glitches/Gating for Extra Energy
- Insert short Breaks/Drops for Dramatic Effect (slow motion moments)
- Think Riffs more than Melodies
Now take Action!
I always recommend you to take action, to learn from doing, experimenting, and creating. So go ahead and compose a new track in the style of “Race Music”. =)