Inside the Myth 3 Soundtrack
Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 2:33 pm
An old article from a game website talking about the M3 Soundtrack. Since it hasn't been posted here, I thought people might be interested.
Inside the Myth 3 Soundtrack
Zak Belica here, composer and sound designer for MumboJumbo's new game Myth 3 : The Wolf Age. The Myth 3 soundtrack is my 5th game soundtrack to date, of which SiN, Heavy Metal: FAKK2 and Blair Witch 3 are among the more well known. The Myth 3 soundtrack is my most ambitions orchestral score to date, and I think it turned out great, especially with the help of the team and guest performers.
Myth Mania
Before I worked on video games, I did most of my work on TV commercials and films. At the time, I worked for a small production company called CineVox. I was the techy guy of the company, and we all worked on Macintoshes (which are still great; by the way, I use both PCs and Macs). Well, as you may remember, not too many games came out for the Mac in those days, but one that did was Myth. I played it, loved it, and I got the whole office addicted to Myth deathmatch. Well, imagine my surprise years later when I was given the chance to work on that very same series! The Myth 3 team, who are some hard-core Myth hombres, were a pleasure to work with, and really maintained the classic feel of the Myth series.
Who Performed the Parts?
I initially floated the idea of hiring an Eastern European orchestra to play the Myth3 score. However, our music design decision to make the music more "primitive" and budget considerations prevented this from happening. As a result, most of the instruments in this score are from sample libraries, and played back on digital sampler. However, advances in technology and library quality can give very effective musical results, especially when composed within sample library constraints. I did use one live musician in the Myth 3 soundtrack, Cellist Lori Goldston. She's extremely talented, and breathed passion and life into her parts. With her, the score becomes much more intimate and personal.
The Myth Score
Since the game takes place 1000 years or so before the first Myth game, we wanted to make the music a tad more primitive and tribal. To achieve this, we went for a more spare sound, with a few more basic instruments per track instead of giant orchestras. The percussion used is also primitive; I used shield hits, metal strikes and leather/skin drums to give the parts a home-brewed feel. Scott Campbell and I went through the game and created an outline of the kinds of music needed for each section of the game. We came up with headings such as "Journey," for when the player is traveling, "Mourning" for sad events, and "Hero" for when Connacht is in charge, etc. These headings are reflected in the piece names and in the music itself.
Production
The challenging part of writing these sections was that they had to be written before I had even seen them in the game. However, the Myth 3 team gave me excellent feedback, and a set of revisions helped shape the tracks into what they are today. I hope you all enjoy the tracks; they were a pleasure to compose!
The Tracks
• Connacht's Theme
- Philosophy: We wanted a theme that was both regal and primitive, to convey the savage-king that Connacht was. The way this ended up working was a traditional fanfare-type melody, but with the instruments of the highlands carrying the leads.
- Lead instruments: Bagpipes, French horn, Irish flute
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Connacht's Theme (Gentle)
- Philosophy: This is a lower-key variation of Connacht's theme, for when times are not so tense for our heroes.
- Lead instruments: Uillean pipes, Irish flute, French horn
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Gower Dirge
- Philosophy: This is a sad song, for the times in Gower when the future did not seem so bright. However, the people of Gower still had their pride, and it comes through in the melody lines. There's also a murmur of feistiness in the tune, and lets the listener know they're still ready to fight.
- Lead instruments: Uillean Pipe, Highland Bagpipes
- Background instruments: Tibetan horns (Rag-dung), Bagpipe drones, Primitive drums
• Grim (Choral)
- Philosophy: This track is meant to convey the sense that things are not looking so hot for our heroes. The theme is tribal in nature, harkening back to the dark days of Gower, when men were hunted like game by the Myrkridia…
- Lead instruments: Hurdy Gurdy, Fiddle
- Background instruments: Chorus, Primitive Drums
• Grim (Horns)
- Philosophy: A permutation of the grim theme, but this time I want the hairs on your neck to stand up, because something is in the shadows, and it isn't friendly.
- Lead instruments: French horn, Strings, Scary cymbals
- Background instruments: Primitive Drums
• Drums of War
- Philosophy: An all out, knock-down drag-out ode to war. The thunder of troops, the chaos of battle, and the bravery of heroes all come into play, echoed by the giant drum parts and the lead French Horns.
- Lead instruments: French horn, Irish flute
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Drums of War (Connacht)
- Philosophy: A permutation of the Drums of War theme, this time melded to Connacht's theme, to convey the sense that the big C is kicking some tail.
- Lead instruments: French horn, Bagpipes, orchestral bells
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Failure
- Philosophy: The cello wails, lamenting the dead and dying, and the future now destroyed.
- Lead instruments: Cello
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Journey (Cello)
- Philosophy: This track is inspired by the original Myth 1 and the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon soundtrack. The track is meant to give the sense that something is out there, something unknown and dangerous that must be sought out and confronted. Of course, the journey to that something is fraught with peril and loss, and Lori's cello work perfectly conveys these feelings.
- Lead instruments: Cello, flute
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Journey (Voice)
- Philosophy: This is a permutation of the Journey theme, but more subdued, with female voice leads giving the track a sultry feel.
- Lead instruments: Voice, flute
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• March (Cello)
- Philosophy: I wanted to convey a sense of troops trudging through the wastelands with this piece. The cello lead helps to convey the emotional state of the troops, weary and uncertain in a land that holds many dangers.
- Lead instruments: Cello
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• March (Erhu)
- Philosophy: The Erhu, a classical 2-string Chinese fiddle, provides the sense of exotic danger, of a place alien and foreboding to our heroes. Can you hear the wolves calling out to Connacht, and Connacht calling back?
- Lead instruments: Erhu
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• March (Fiddle)
- Philosophy: For this variation of the march theme, the fiddle takes up the lead to provide a jaunty lead for our heroes. I tried to convey a sense that the end may be in sight, and that if they climb just one more hill, they'll see the prize…
- Lead instruments: Middle Eastern Fiddle, strings
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Mourning
- Philosophy: Despite everything our heroes accomplish, they still lose some who are dear to them. This track gives voice to their grief, and the underscores the price of victory. Lori really pours her heart into the cello part, and it shows- it's hard not to feel sad hearing this piece.
- Lead instruments: Cello, oboe
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Ogre 1
- Philosophy: The ogre are fighting for their survival; they know that if they lose their war with the Trow, they will be extinct. Pounding drums underscore their march to battle, and the fiddle bows a dark but defiant tune,
- Lead instruments: Middle Eastern Fiddle, French Horn
- Background instruments: Orchestra, pounding drums
• Ogre 2
- Philosophy: When we first meet the Ogres, they're enslaved by the Trow, and not very happy. Thanks to our heroes, they become free, and I wanted to convey the idea that the Ogre are big, happy, and free after a millennia of servitude.
- Lead instruments: Middle Eastern Fiddle, Oboe
- Background instruments: Orchestra, pounding drums
• Temple (Cello)
- Philosophy: Descent into the dungeons and crypts of Myth is a scary endeavor indeed. I wanted to give the sense that something is waiting around every corner, that there are things moaning and skittering about unseen. This is, of course, true: from Mazzarin's crypt to Syrkrosh's lair, the dark hides the enemy… Lori's cello helps the hairs on the back of the neck stand up
- Lead instruments: Cello
- Background instruments: Orchestra, creepy things
• Temple (2 and 3)
- Philosophy: A permutation of the Temple theme, this time with more creepy-crawlies and threatening atmosphere. Is that Syrkrosh whispering in the background?
- Lead instruments: Bells, strings, harp
- Background instruments: Orchestra, creepy things
• Stealth (Cello)
- Philosophy: Our heroes must occasionally sneak through some very unpleasant places- swamps, marshes, and other lairs not conducive to health. It's a scary business, and the instruments convey it- especially check out Lori's creepy Cello harmonics, sure to give the heebie-jeebies.
- Lead instruments: Cello, oboe
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Stealth 2
- Philosophy: A variation of the Stealth theme, this time with strings and harp carrying the tune. There's a bit of call-and-answer in the second half between the oboe and harp that's quite nice.
- Lead instruments: Oboe, harp
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Trow 1
- Philosophy: They're big, they're bad, they're the Trow! I wanted to convey size and meanness in this piece, so I designed some huge sounding metal instruments, and pounded away. One of the lead instruments is a piece of metal being ground/scraped.
- Lead instruments: French horn, Huge metal slabs
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Trow 2 and 3
- Philosophy: The Trow are on the warpath, and will crush anything in their path. The first half of the track features rapid metal drumming, which I imagine would be the only instrument the Trow would play. The second half of the piece slows down, and lets the Trow strut their stuff.
- Lead instruments: French horn, Huge metal slabs
- Background instruments: Orchestra
Inside the Myth 3 Soundtrack
Zak Belica here, composer and sound designer for MumboJumbo's new game Myth 3 : The Wolf Age. The Myth 3 soundtrack is my 5th game soundtrack to date, of which SiN, Heavy Metal: FAKK2 and Blair Witch 3 are among the more well known. The Myth 3 soundtrack is my most ambitions orchestral score to date, and I think it turned out great, especially with the help of the team and guest performers.
Myth Mania
Before I worked on video games, I did most of my work on TV commercials and films. At the time, I worked for a small production company called CineVox. I was the techy guy of the company, and we all worked on Macintoshes (which are still great; by the way, I use both PCs and Macs). Well, as you may remember, not too many games came out for the Mac in those days, but one that did was Myth. I played it, loved it, and I got the whole office addicted to Myth deathmatch. Well, imagine my surprise years later when I was given the chance to work on that very same series! The Myth 3 team, who are some hard-core Myth hombres, were a pleasure to work with, and really maintained the classic feel of the Myth series.
Who Performed the Parts?
I initially floated the idea of hiring an Eastern European orchestra to play the Myth3 score. However, our music design decision to make the music more "primitive" and budget considerations prevented this from happening. As a result, most of the instruments in this score are from sample libraries, and played back on digital sampler. However, advances in technology and library quality can give very effective musical results, especially when composed within sample library constraints. I did use one live musician in the Myth 3 soundtrack, Cellist Lori Goldston. She's extremely talented, and breathed passion and life into her parts. With her, the score becomes much more intimate and personal.
The Myth Score
Since the game takes place 1000 years or so before the first Myth game, we wanted to make the music a tad more primitive and tribal. To achieve this, we went for a more spare sound, with a few more basic instruments per track instead of giant orchestras. The percussion used is also primitive; I used shield hits, metal strikes and leather/skin drums to give the parts a home-brewed feel. Scott Campbell and I went through the game and created an outline of the kinds of music needed for each section of the game. We came up with headings such as "Journey," for when the player is traveling, "Mourning" for sad events, and "Hero" for when Connacht is in charge, etc. These headings are reflected in the piece names and in the music itself.
Production
The challenging part of writing these sections was that they had to be written before I had even seen them in the game. However, the Myth 3 team gave me excellent feedback, and a set of revisions helped shape the tracks into what they are today. I hope you all enjoy the tracks; they were a pleasure to compose!
The Tracks
• Connacht's Theme
- Philosophy: We wanted a theme that was both regal and primitive, to convey the savage-king that Connacht was. The way this ended up working was a traditional fanfare-type melody, but with the instruments of the highlands carrying the leads.
- Lead instruments: Bagpipes, French horn, Irish flute
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Connacht's Theme (Gentle)
- Philosophy: This is a lower-key variation of Connacht's theme, for when times are not so tense for our heroes.
- Lead instruments: Uillean pipes, Irish flute, French horn
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Gower Dirge
- Philosophy: This is a sad song, for the times in Gower when the future did not seem so bright. However, the people of Gower still had their pride, and it comes through in the melody lines. There's also a murmur of feistiness in the tune, and lets the listener know they're still ready to fight.
- Lead instruments: Uillean Pipe, Highland Bagpipes
- Background instruments: Tibetan horns (Rag-dung), Bagpipe drones, Primitive drums
• Grim (Choral)
- Philosophy: This track is meant to convey the sense that things are not looking so hot for our heroes. The theme is tribal in nature, harkening back to the dark days of Gower, when men were hunted like game by the Myrkridia…
- Lead instruments: Hurdy Gurdy, Fiddle
- Background instruments: Chorus, Primitive Drums
• Grim (Horns)
- Philosophy: A permutation of the grim theme, but this time I want the hairs on your neck to stand up, because something is in the shadows, and it isn't friendly.
- Lead instruments: French horn, Strings, Scary cymbals
- Background instruments: Primitive Drums
• Drums of War
- Philosophy: An all out, knock-down drag-out ode to war. The thunder of troops, the chaos of battle, and the bravery of heroes all come into play, echoed by the giant drum parts and the lead French Horns.
- Lead instruments: French horn, Irish flute
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Drums of War (Connacht)
- Philosophy: A permutation of the Drums of War theme, this time melded to Connacht's theme, to convey the sense that the big C is kicking some tail.
- Lead instruments: French horn, Bagpipes, orchestral bells
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Failure
- Philosophy: The cello wails, lamenting the dead and dying, and the future now destroyed.
- Lead instruments: Cello
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Journey (Cello)
- Philosophy: This track is inspired by the original Myth 1 and the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon soundtrack. The track is meant to give the sense that something is out there, something unknown and dangerous that must be sought out and confronted. Of course, the journey to that something is fraught with peril and loss, and Lori's cello work perfectly conveys these feelings.
- Lead instruments: Cello, flute
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Journey (Voice)
- Philosophy: This is a permutation of the Journey theme, but more subdued, with female voice leads giving the track a sultry feel.
- Lead instruments: Voice, flute
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• March (Cello)
- Philosophy: I wanted to convey a sense of troops trudging through the wastelands with this piece. The cello lead helps to convey the emotional state of the troops, weary and uncertain in a land that holds many dangers.
- Lead instruments: Cello
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• March (Erhu)
- Philosophy: The Erhu, a classical 2-string Chinese fiddle, provides the sense of exotic danger, of a place alien and foreboding to our heroes. Can you hear the wolves calling out to Connacht, and Connacht calling back?
- Lead instruments: Erhu
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• March (Fiddle)
- Philosophy: For this variation of the march theme, the fiddle takes up the lead to provide a jaunty lead for our heroes. I tried to convey a sense that the end may be in sight, and that if they climb just one more hill, they'll see the prize…
- Lead instruments: Middle Eastern Fiddle, strings
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Mourning
- Philosophy: Despite everything our heroes accomplish, they still lose some who are dear to them. This track gives voice to their grief, and the underscores the price of victory. Lori really pours her heart into the cello part, and it shows- it's hard not to feel sad hearing this piece.
- Lead instruments: Cello, oboe
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Ogre 1
- Philosophy: The ogre are fighting for their survival; they know that if they lose their war with the Trow, they will be extinct. Pounding drums underscore their march to battle, and the fiddle bows a dark but defiant tune,
- Lead instruments: Middle Eastern Fiddle, French Horn
- Background instruments: Orchestra, pounding drums
• Ogre 2
- Philosophy: When we first meet the Ogres, they're enslaved by the Trow, and not very happy. Thanks to our heroes, they become free, and I wanted to convey the idea that the Ogre are big, happy, and free after a millennia of servitude.
- Lead instruments: Middle Eastern Fiddle, Oboe
- Background instruments: Orchestra, pounding drums
• Temple (Cello)
- Philosophy: Descent into the dungeons and crypts of Myth is a scary endeavor indeed. I wanted to give the sense that something is waiting around every corner, that there are things moaning and skittering about unseen. This is, of course, true: from Mazzarin's crypt to Syrkrosh's lair, the dark hides the enemy… Lori's cello helps the hairs on the back of the neck stand up
- Lead instruments: Cello
- Background instruments: Orchestra, creepy things
• Temple (2 and 3)
- Philosophy: A permutation of the Temple theme, this time with more creepy-crawlies and threatening atmosphere. Is that Syrkrosh whispering in the background?
- Lead instruments: Bells, strings, harp
- Background instruments: Orchestra, creepy things
• Stealth (Cello)
- Philosophy: Our heroes must occasionally sneak through some very unpleasant places- swamps, marshes, and other lairs not conducive to health. It's a scary business, and the instruments convey it- especially check out Lori's creepy Cello harmonics, sure to give the heebie-jeebies.
- Lead instruments: Cello, oboe
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Stealth 2
- Philosophy: A variation of the Stealth theme, this time with strings and harp carrying the tune. There's a bit of call-and-answer in the second half between the oboe and harp that's quite nice.
- Lead instruments: Oboe, harp
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Trow 1
- Philosophy: They're big, they're bad, they're the Trow! I wanted to convey size and meanness in this piece, so I designed some huge sounding metal instruments, and pounded away. One of the lead instruments is a piece of metal being ground/scraped.
- Lead instruments: French horn, Huge metal slabs
- Background instruments: Orchestra
• Trow 2 and 3
- Philosophy: The Trow are on the warpath, and will crush anything in their path. The first half of the track features rapid metal drumming, which I imagine would be the only instrument the Trow would play. The second half of the piece slows down, and lets the Trow strut their stuff.
- Lead instruments: French horn, Huge metal slabs
- Background instruments: Orchestra