Sim City (Chris Tilton)

Personally, I hadn't heard of Chris Tilton before this and while he doesn't boast such an extensive list of credits as perhaps other film/game/tv composers, with Sim City he's managed to come up with something truly special. Not even in soundtrack terms but in music man...music.

I mean listen to the main theme. Which begins just like the break of dawn before going through so many awesome themes that I lost count. There are just so many sounds and instruments rushing from one catchy melody to the next, capturing the emotions of a city perfectly and in a way you don't hear very often. I dare you to put this on when you're out and about in town. Things shift into place and suddenly everything just makes sense. (Might just be me though.)

The album goes from lively energetic (even life-affirming), to brooding and worrisome, even throwing in some night mixes of the tracks which makes for great background music around the house. (Unless the people around you hate that/you.)

Every different "view" of a city seems represented here. The busy rush to get to and from work, the quiet lunch break looking at the clouds, the bustle of the everyday, and some almost heroic themes that give off a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Even in the game the score adjusts to what you're seeing/doing. Zooming in close to your city will get you a simpler and more intimate version of the score while zooming out will give you the real deal, even adjusting to the size of your city, saving the best sweeping themes for your masterpiece of a metropolis.

Score Rating:
****

Sophisticated, often iconic melodies that take you on a musical journey through a bustling city. Does the game justice and has, for me anyway, far outlived the actual game. Of course this is mainly a matter of taste (also this whole blog) but at the end of the day Tilton has crafted some fine music that makes you feel good. It does what it promises, and a little bit more.

My Top 5

While I appreciate their attempt at casual small-talk bonding, when people ask me "What music do you like?" its never an easy answer.  I usually also never know any bands that they mention.

While the list that is my top 5 songs is an ever-changing tapestry of new game/movie/trailer-album releases, I do have some that I always come back to.

Brace yourself for my top 5 favorite songs!

 

 

1. Atlas

(Power of Darkness) - Two Steps from Hell

 

Oh boy, on full volume, this undergarment-shrinking beast of a trailer track is what I consider to be "My Jam". I wish I could buy any and all rights to this song and have it play when I attempt to catch the tube.

2. Beowulf Theme 

(Beowulf) - Alan Silvestri

 

This used to be "My Jam" before I found out about Atlas. This track by Alan Silvestri channels monster slaying, ale horns, and ample testosterone like no other. This was actually the music I played during my high-school graduation, I'm just saying. 

3. Shards of the Exodar 

(World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade) - Russel Brower, Derek Duke, and Matt Uelmen

 

Don't underestimate the power of World of Warcraft music. Even if you don't play the game, the soundtrack is still something you need to make yourself familiar with. If you're ever at the spa, walking on the beach, or recovering from flappy bird, then this is the song you need. Also get some wind chimes for gods sake. 

4. High Charity  

(Halo 2) - Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori 

 

Yes, I love ambient stuff, and this one is a beach favourite of mine. You feel destiny's grip as you look up at the wispy blue sky and behold the moon, like some surreal painting. We'll get to Halo one of these days.

5. Unyielding

(Halo 2) - Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori

 

Man, this song makes me miss my keyboard. (Piano that is, my old computer keyboards suck.) One day I want to sit in Heathrow and play it on one of the pianos they seem to keep around there. JUST BECAUSE.

Great song, simple but effective and I love energetic piano.

Elysium (Ryan Amon)

Ryan Amon got an email one day asking him to score a movie. That movie was Elysium. While that is pretty jealousy-inducing for other aspiring composers, what does that mean for us?

Well, the music is interesting. Apparently most of it was made without seeing the actual footage, so it was inspired by certain key words such as "Darkness" or "Spiritual", and that's pretty much what you get.

I really like the different array of sounds and noises that are used, and then turned into a tune. Such as with the above track "A Political Sickness", where the robotic drones suddenly become a driving melody.

That being said, I feel like it can get rather spiderman 3 at times where the music is plainly "Bad-guy" or the same exotic singing choir for the emotional bits. The album as a whole also feels disjointed, possibly due to the unorthodox way they went about it, but no 2 tracks are the same, and barely any themes are reiterated, making them feel like "one off's" and could probably have used some cohesion.

But hey, not bad for your first movie Mr. Amon sir!
There are indeed some pretty cool tracks in this album, and the sound is instantly recognizable if you've got it on a play-list, which means they're doing something right.

Score Rating: ***
Unusual as far as movie music goes, in a good way, but I wish it would captivate more and have more consistent ongoing themes throughout the album. Even without that, Ryan Amon has made some sweet songs that definitely fit into the world of Elysium. (Which seems like it comes directly from the DeviantArt sci-fi design section)

Batman: Arkham Origins (Christopher Drake)

Obviously whenever a Batman game comes out I make sure I keep an eye out for the soundtrack, and I hadn't heard of this Christopher Drake fellow before then. I was not prepared!

I was never really too impressed with the music for Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, but as soon as I heard the theme to Origins I knew I was in for a treat.

My favourite part starts at 1:24. It slaps you right in the face and soars into the night, as far as that's possible for a song.

The game takes place during Christmas, and where does ol' Batman spend his time? In the city of course, throw the roast to the dogs, Alfred! They even did Carol of the Bells as Joker's theme!

 

Christopher Drake has crafted a score that might be inspired by Zimmer and Elfman (Especially since it takes place during Christmas Eve, so you can't help but add some bells in there.) but feels like a very refreshing take on superhero music in general.

The score truly embodies the Dark Knight's struggle against what some might consider to be too many villains. The orchestra feels great, there's some great midi/synth stuff in there, its got some cool variety, and all signs point to the fact that Christopher Drake should do more movies. My movies! 

For now, he's with DC making music for their animated movies, and next time we'll take a look at one of them!

Score Rating: ****

This album has some awesome tracks that, if it's your thing, will keep you listening for quite a while. It gets a little repetitive at some points but hey, its a Batman game with a great soundtrack, that's all you need to know.

PS: Deathstroke (Pictured above) is supposed to be one of the world's most dangerous assassins but is somehow piss-easy to defeat in this game. Half the time I was expecting him to make a comeback, but he never did. FOR SHAME. Batman even steals his gun...

Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty (Glenn Stafford, Derek Duke, Russel Brower, Neal Acree)

Oh boy, Starcraft II, the holy grail of video game soundtracks. I listen to this stuff far too much. These people should start making movie scores.

I mean, just listen to this. This is better than some Hollywood scores, I dont know why this doesn't get more publicity. 

I was browsing through my ipod a few years ago looking for cool stuff I hadn't listened to yet, and then I stumbled on this little album, I liked a few of the songs, but hadn't listened to the whole thing. When I did however, I didn't stop. There's few video game scores around that match the quality of this soundtrack, with the large orchestrations, choir, synth pieces, etc. Often, one track will have a variety of different pieces of music within, so you never know what you might find.

Dayum! The themes, instruments used, and general sophistication of the score blew my mind! The epic cinematic feel of the game is really the only reason I played Starcraft II. You can keep your silly keybinds and tactics, I'm in it for the story yo. (As is mostly the case) 

At any rate, Blizzard has themselves a top-of-the-range team of music makers. I can only hope they score the Warcraft film now properly in the works, and that one day down the line, my films will capture the images and feelings that this score evokes.

Score Rating: *****

Definitely one of my favourite albums ever.
It's rather ridiculous how awesome this is, and better yet, there's a sequel! (With another on the way!) So stay tuned as we tackle the rest of the series.

Man of Steel (Hans Zimmer)

Ah yes, Man of Steel. I had a chance to watch it again recently and I like it less than the first time. Superman sinking into a pile of skulls? Amy Adams' character feels useless, Laurence Fishburne is almost wasted, and I'm far too tired of the overpowered fighting by the first Smallville battle alone!

Anyway, the score by Hans Zimmer, one of my favourite film composers ever, has managed a score that is decent, but nowhere near anything remotely Inception shaped.

There are definitely some fun elements, the guitar segments are very nostalgic, there's some cool drums, but something about the score always makes me think it's something from a trailer music album.
While that's usually not a bad thing, it might mean that it can be rather generic at times. Also probably the reason why I was never much a fan of Superman.

There's a whole song from the oil rig scene that's literally just very loud drums. The whole score can be somewhat noisy at times, which coupled with the intense action made the film somewhat tiring for me. 

There are some interesting things, for example the General Zod sounds which I guarantee came from the sounds of The Bat from The Dark Knight Rises but fun to listen to nontheless.


Score Rating: ***
Has some cool segments here and there, but overall very noisy and lacks some depth. (Just like the movie!)

Shogun 2: Total War (Jeff van Dyck)

Shogun 2 is very Japanese. The menus are in Japanese fonts, the box looks like bamboo, the manual seems ages old, and every little detail feels so authentic, that if you have a little thing for Asian culture, the experience is indeed rather favourable.

This is a great soundtrack. I wish more film scores had the amount of cool melodies, drums, and shouting that Jeff van Dyck conjured up with this video game album. You can easily imagine scenes of a crazy Samurai film, or fantasy shogunate culture if that's your bag.

 

Put this song on and walk the streets with purpose! Even though I haven't played the game for almost a year, I still continue to listen to the music. There's a great rhythm in almost every one of the songs, and if you're feeling like something exotic, then this is one of my first choices. 

This is the music that plays when you win a battle, but it should be the music that plays when you win in REAL LIFE. I find it interesting how this was composed by someone from Canada, so hats off for doing your research Jeff van Dyck!

The Taiko Shuffle is one of my favorites. Clever use of instruments, great rhythm, what more do you want?! 

Score Rating: *****
For what it does, it's a fantastic album. For me, it far outlived the game itself, and I'll probably keep listening to it for quite some time!