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Great Video Game Composers And Their Disinterest In Film


Dixon Hill

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Great thread Grey. Looking forward to checking out some of the examples you've posted for Soule and O'Donnell.

I'm familiar with Wintory find him to be a fantastic colourist. Just what the next generation of film music really needs.

To add to your list, I recommend checking out the Banner Saga as well. It's a wonderful mix of stirring brass chorales, aleatoric woodwind colours and some ethnic elements.

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I'd flip the comparisons for Wintory and O'Donnell, and would probably compare O'Donnell more to Mansell than to Goldsmith, what with his string writing and darker electronic texturing, but all three I think are really underrated.  I'd love to see what Soule could do with a film, although I have to admit the only example of Wintory's film work I've heard (Majid) left me pretty underwhelmed.  Either way, you left out two of my favorite Wintory scores.

And here are a couple more fun O'Donnell and Soule pieces.

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Both Soule and Wintory are composers whose work I have kept my eye on for years now. They write great and interesting stuff. I wish Soule could transition from sample libraries to real orchestras and film scores. I think he could do something really special with live musicians although his work for something like Guild Wars showcase excellent hand in orchestration, colours and melody even with his sample libraries. Wintory seems to have managed to get into films to a degree and I'd love to hear from him in movies but honestly in any musical form.

I have no experience with O'Donnel's music but will certainly take a listen to more of his work after this recommendation.

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Typically the STAR WARS clip is the lamest one. Rarely was something gained by trying to plod along Williams' lines though i admit some cues on the OLD REPUBLIC game were fun.

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O'Donnell is the biggest discovery for me. On the other hand my opinion on Soule hasn't changed. It's colourful, thoughtfully written music, but it lacks rhythmic vitality to my ears. I miss syncopation, polyrhythms, isorhythms, phase shifts and a general sense of unpredictability. It's too comforting, too safe, not free enough.

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But, I'm not terribly familiar with him outside of the Elder Scrolls games.  There could well be better examples of what you're after elsewhere.  And again, whether or not these guys have done it, I think they can.  I'll post more from Morrowind later. Actually, the album is short enough so everyone should check it out. It's very singular music.  Certainly not predictable.

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Thing is, would Soule *want* to do it?

Yeah, he has oddball opinions on some styles.

That's my biggest frustration with him as a composer. Dude has some serious talent and potential, but he seems to limit himself. We all know limitations can be freeing, but in his case they seem to confine him to his comfort zone.

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Don't we already have a thread about video game music?

Another thread for you to troll is another source of sweet sweet post count bumps.

"They have taken you from the Imperial City's prison,

first by carriage and now by boat,

to the east to Morrowind.

Fear not, for I am watchful,

you have been chosen."

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O'Donnell is the biggest discovery for me. On the other hand my opinion on Soule hasn't changed. It's colourful, thoughtfully written music, but it lacks rhythmic vitality to my ears. I miss syncopation, polyrhythms, isorhythms, phase shifts and a general sense of unpredictability. It's too comforting, too safe, not free enough.

Speaking of comfortable, I have a serious question: has Giacchino ever written anything as unruly, obnoxious and fun as this:

https://youtu.be/VmVV2Fy1McI

Because I'd love to hear it. The end credits from Cloverfield don't do much for me, before anyone links me to it.

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Post 'em.

--------


This was in my original post but it's one of the ones that didn't get embedded. So I'm putting it here again. Because it's SO DAMN BADASS

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Listen to this (TGP posted it already) from the beginning...to appreciate the haunting passage from 0:58-1:39

The fact that there is similar lovely interdependence in each piece hints at the level of "architectural" attention Soule gives his music. You can't just jump midway into the music and get the full effect, you have to actually listen from the beginning.

This piece I always thought was analogous to what "Aboard the Executor" was to "Imperial March." It's the Dragonborn/Skyrim theme, but a bit more brassy and a bit sharper to my ears. The superior version!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I approve of this topic.

Prey Overture : the ending of this track is rousing.

Speaking of comfortable, I have a serious question: has Giacchino ever written anything as unruly, obnoxious and fun as this:

https://youtu.be/VmVV2Fy1McI

Because I'd love to hear it. The end credits from Cloverfield don't do much for me, before anyone links me to it.

Give Small Soldiers: The Videogame a try. Musically it's essentially everything Giacchino isn't these days. I love its balls to the walls fun-ness..

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  • 2 weeks later...

Listen to this Soule piece that plays under one of his Kickstarter updates. I assume it's a "sketch" for the symphony, and not from one of his scores I'm unfamiliar with. But how beautiful. It's wonderfully pure and clean music. Like Sibelius said, "cold spring water."

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/499808045/from-the-composer-of-skyrim-soule-symphony-no-1/posts/430577

Very GreyPilgrim music. ;) Shades of Beneath the Ice from A.I.

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It's similar yeah.

 

On 8/10/2015 at 10:07 AM, DreamTheater said:

Now THIS is a march ! :rock:

Right on, that's my go-to example of his music to appeal to the Williams masses. ;)

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  • 1 month later...

Great piece. Aside from the main Elder Scrolls theme, there are only three or so other musical ideas that recur over the three scores, or even just within individual ones. This one first appeared in the Oblivion setting of the main theme. Love the icy string accompaniment in the reprise of the A section.

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He seems a bit vague, even though i like the meditative pieces on ELDER SCROLLS: SKYRIM) and when he's 'on' (like the Potter video game scores), i can't really stand the old-fashioned patina.

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Great piece. Aside from the main Elder Scrolls theme, there are only three or so other musical ideas that recur over the three scores, or even just within individual ones. This one first appeared in the Oblivion setting of the main theme. Love the icy string accompaniment in the reprise of the A section.

The contrapuntal movement in coupled octaves and the general modality is reminiscent of Hans Zimmer, Only thing missing is some synth pads and the basses and tenors vowel cycling (a-e-i-o-u etc.) ad lib.

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Morrowind really features him at his most strange/inventive/colorful, since the game itself is all those things at a level that Bethesda hasn't returned to yet.

I'd love VI to be set somewhere in the game world that aesthetically justifies Soule's return to that more singular sound. IV and V are certainly more "traditional" fantasy in how they feel thanks to the quasi-medieval or Norse settings and cultures. Morrowind was just weird! Some vague Eastern influence on the world and stuff but very much different than anything before or since. I dunno, does Sharky or anyone detect a particular influence on that score? It's always seemed sui generis to me.

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Did you even listen to the piece Pilgrim linked first?

(and yes, i of course possess and like these pieces, as the release of ES:SKYRIM is one of the lengthiest entries in my itunes library).

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  • 11 months later...

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