Modern Toys Music GbR in Hamburg

Modern Toys Music was founded in 1986 as an independent music production company with a clear focus on original music for advertising and visual media by Kelvyn Hallifax and Lothar Brandes. Its roots go back to the creative and technical experience of musicians, composers and studio producers who had already been working professionally in the music industry throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. This included work as performing musicians, songwriters, arrangers, sound designers and studio musicians, as well as the early development of electronic keyboard sounds and music technology.
The move into advertising music came naturally from this background. In 1987, Modern Toys received its first Gold Clio in New York for music created for a Marlboro cinema commercial. Further awards and distinctions followed at the Cannes Advertising Festival, ADC Berlin and other international competitions.
Since then, Modern Toys has created original commissioned music for cinema, television, radio and visual media. The productions range from atmospheric and cinematic compositions to contemporary, rhythm-driven music, always developed with the specific picture, narrative and emotional context in mind.
Today, Modern Toys Music combines decades of experience in composition and production with a flexible, contemporary approach to music for film and media. Productions are created in a fully integrated workflow, with composition, recording and production in one hand.
The music is produced in Logic Pro and can be delivered in adaptable formats, including stems and alternative versions. This makes the productions suitable for editing, adaptation and different durations — from complete pieces to short, precisely cut-down versions for visual media.
No AI. Original music. Full control from composition to final production. One step licensing.
After graduating from high school, Brandes studied music education in Braunschweig and completed additional studies at the University of Music and Drama in Hanover. At the same time, he taught piano improvisation as a lecturer at the University of Education in Braunschweig. This was followed by arrangements and compositions for theatre productions at the Schlosstheater Celle.
In 1984, Brandes was faced with a choice between joining House of Music in Munich as a sound designer or working as a studio musician in Hamburg. He chose the latter. During a studio session he met the musician and producer who would later become his long-term creative partner. Kelvyn Hallifax and Lothar Brandes founded Modern Toys Music in 1986 as a music production company specializing in advertising music. Winning a Gold Clio in New York in 1987 for a Marlboro cinema commercial marked the beginning of a successful career in music for advertising. Another Gold Clio followed, along with numerous awards and distinctions at the Cannes Advertising Festival, ADC Berlin and other international events. Modern Toys continues to produce commissioned music for cinema, television and radio commercials.
Alongside his work as a musician, composer and producer, Brandes co-founded the CC – Composers Club, the professional association representing commissioned composers in Germany. Since 1989, the organization has advocated for the interests of composers working in advertising, film and other commissioned music.