Mitchell Leonard Creates A Hunting and Cinematic Piece from a Classic Pop Single

The latest release from Mitchell Leonard brings together some of the best elements of cinematic backdrop, vast undertones, and emotional pull with a very unique set of approaches to reinventing a track originally released in the early '80s.

"Overkill" is a song originally released in 1982 by the band Men at Work. A hugely popular band throughout the early and mid-80s for having a few hits all over the radio waves. 

The original track itself had a bit of an upswing, featured saxophone, and plenty of pop overtones, some of the staples that made the band popular during that era.

What Mitchell Leonard has done is taken some of the heart of that track and reimagined it with a much more cinematic depth, basing it mostly on piano, synth pad, and vocals.

This version of the track really ends up feeling engulfing. It's got a heavy-handed mood to it, and you're able to focus a lot more on those lyrics.

The track boasts a very spacious feel, and you can certainly hear the emotion behind the performance.

The piano is performed with a very dynamically balanced touch. Everything is sort of delicate, in a sense.

The synth pad floating through the ether of the song gives it that distanced feeling. It adds a new layer of texture to everything and really helps that cinematic backbone I mentioned earlier.

As the song grows, you start hearing strings come in in an orchestrated sense, the song builds up and focuses more on the melody and progressions.

The piano performance is gorgeous. It really does wrap itself around you and keep you right where it wants to.

The tone of Mitchell's voice really has a particular way of blending with those pianos. It's a deep vocal, but if you listen carefully, there are several layers, including one that sounds whispery or airy. Those vocal layers bring a sort of thickness to the song along with the entirely unique and very atmospheric soundscape.

Some of the vocal tracks almost feel just like instruments themselves. They really do add great layers of texture to everything, along with the keys and synths, bringing the whole thing to an aesthetic that can swallow you whole.

The release is an actual EP with the same title, Overkill. 

The EP contains two different versions of the song itself. The first is the one I've been explaining. It is actually dubbed "Overkill (down)"

The following version is called "Overkill (up)", as  I believe it is an octave higher than the first version. Pianos, vocals, since, and everything else come through in that higher pitch and tone, and this adds a different kind of vibe to the song.

Personally, I like the (down) version most because it has a heavier hand to it. The mood is bigger and pulls you in deeper.

That's just my opinion. Others may like the (up) version more.

The third track of the EP is called "session operators", which also boasts a very atmospheric and vast tonality, still bringing piano and since, but this time with a little bit more vocal effect. You can hear certain kinds of vocoders and overlaying effects on the vocals, giving this a sort of electronically driven vibe.

Finally, we have the last track, "Clair de Lune", which is a big one, spanning over 7 minutes in length, and this has its own thing going on.

To me, this is the most electronically based track of the group and takes you on the biggest journey.

It is more experimental in its tones, synths, keys, and even vocal approaches.

You can tell there was a lot of attention to detail in terms of the tones of the instruments, the mix of these songs, and how he wanted to create this universal overtone and aesthetic throughout all of it.

This is a record that you should listen to from beginning to end simply because each song, even the two different versions of "Overkill", gives off a very particular sound, and it all comes through in a way that feels almost like an escape.

The whole thing has a way of pulling you away from whatever you're doing for wherever you are, and putting you in this different atmosphere for a chunk of time.

This is absolutely an EP you should listen to with headphones on as well. This is just my opinion, but listening with headphones will give you a deeper escape into all of those layers that are swirling around.

I listened to this record with headphones on, and it felt amazing. You literally feel like the record is swimming in the air that's around you, and it's a very unique feeling.

Even though it's only four tracks, the whole thing is over 17 minutes, and when it's done, you have to snap yourself back into reality again.

This was a beautifully crafted and very well-woven release that showcased an artist who knows how to reinvent, reinvigorate, and rethink classic songs to make them his own, and showcase someone who puts a lot of thought into the production of his pieces.

Don't just take my word for it, though, pop on some headphones and listen to this.

Remember where you heard it first.

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