Silgrad Tower from the Ashes

Gideon has been quite a challenge. On one hand, composing music that is weird somehow is certainly interesting, but I didn't want it to drown out the beauty and majesty that I think Gideon has.

That being said, here's Our Visitant Threnody, the longest public piece of them all (4 minutes). It has a few repeated themes throughout, one of which is quite aberrant. The first two minutes are predominantly of the latter, where as the rest of the piece lets out what I think is the other side of the city.

Also, here's a picture of the tower right at the entrance. I like the architecture and overall design of this place.


Edit: Also, the score is at around 70 minutes in total, and I don't think I announced Rayan Lament.

....dang. I really loved "Our Visitant Threnody". It sounded weird (like you wanted), and yet with nicely Gothic tones. I really liked that piece.

I listened to "Rayan Lament", and it was nice as a woodlands explore music.

Koniption

Thanks, Kp. I really appreciate it. I've added Our Visitant Threnody to the soundtrack page.

Now, I'll be shifting focus to the Soulrest sign textures. I've made some unannounced progress already and I should have an update ready by this weekend.

Edit: Oh, and I stumbled on some idle Spriggans while I was making my way into Gideon. They'd be great enemies if they were quite massively up-scaled to be jungle titans.

I'm actually more of a fan of Rayan Lament although I'd like to hear a little more of the gentle 'plink-plonk' stuff at the start (god, I'm so technical!) rather than the strings. It's got quite wide scope in parts so that, if there were more 'plink-plonk' it would therefore make the rise of the strings more of a surprise. Plus I thought the 'plink-plonk' was simple but suggested a slightly weird, alien edge combined with the strings to indicate open spaces. Hence, the alien and less-cluttered landscape of the Vudai Marsh may suit.

I think I'd have appreciated Our Visitant Threnody a bit more if it sounded a little darker and the quick, little up-down beats were a little darker and more strident...like something lurking round every corner. It's growing on me though... :yes:

It's so funny how tastes vary. I like the Gideon track much more than Rayan Lament.

I used strings in the opening to make it similar to The Commonlands. I'm not sure if by 'plink-plonk' you mean the harp or the triangle. I didn't use the harp in the beginning because it's quite rare in the woodlands music, and the triangle is there to embellish the central motif by contrasting the drums in the opening.

Quote:Originally posted by Ibsen's Ghost
I think I'd have appreciated Our Visitant Threnody a bit more if it sounded a little darker and the quick, little up-down beats were a little darker and more strident...like something lurking round every corner.

I visited Gideon for the first time (purposely) right before I started composing the music. This way, my first impression of the city would be as close as I could get to experiencing it as a player. I thought it was a very beautiful city. Among other things, the slightly curved architecture led me to the subtly Asian motif throughout the piece, and those big towers with the suspended walkways have a quite magnificent quality to them, hence the dramatic spiccato segment. Coupled with the request that the music reflect how the city is slightly off in some ways, and that's about it (if a very simplified explanation).

In other words, I didn't feel any darkness coming off of Gideon. Admittedly, this is a lot because Oblivion is a very light-hearted fantasy in itself.

Funny side note on that subject. I have a friend who's played Oblivion several times and the critique I get from them on the Black Marsh score is consistently "It's too cool for Oblivion".

Too cool for Oblivion is definitely a fine compliment! :yes: I think I can see where he was coming from too.

Gideon is supposed to be a bit creepy and a bit Gothic. Whether that comes off or not given OB's generally sumptuous environmental set-up remains to be seen. But given that there is supposed to be something lurking in the sewers and that it is the home of the Shadowscales, Gideon should have a more threatening overtone to it. However, the original design was Tlo1048's. I'd have probably done it creepier but I stuck to it because I wanted Gideon to have an element of Imperial majesty to it, considering its proximity to Cyrodiil. Its second modder and I then opted to make it more filthy and weird. Hence things like the carnival, the lower class district and the medieval buildings by Helborne.

So Gothic is the intent. I remember the name of the Swedish ambient industrial band Raison d'être was mentioned in relation to the city at one time. There's also supposed to be a little of the old New Orleans in there with the balconies and the carnival on show (and the voodoo theme as personified by the presence of Anaster Marrowmir).

Quote:Originally posted by Ibsen's Ghost
Gideon is supposed to be a bit creepy and a bit Gothic. Whether that comes off or not given OB's generally sumptuous environmental set-up remains to be seen. But given that there is supposed to be something lurking in the sewers and that it is the home of the Shadowscales, Gideon should have a more threatening overtone to it.

The problem with threatening and darkness in music is that they disabuse it from other characters. Gideon appears quite relishing, with the little creek and a bridge over it, magnificent tall structures and lots of flowers. That, to me, is the immediately apparent quality of the city, and to that I can add an overtone of oddness, like what's in Visitant Threnody. Now, if I were to compose a dark, creepy and threatening theme to the city, all other qualities would be drowned out.

That being said, I've walked through the city listening to several dark and threatening pieces, such as Inon Zur's track for Mistmoore, and it feels silly. Oblivion cities just aren't dark or threatening.

Well, the best way to check is to use the music walking around, definitely. I'll defer to your judgement then. After all, we wouldn't want it to have a kind of 'dungeon' theme to it...yet there remains the hint of threat you put in already...

I've just had a listen to the latest two tracks - both sound great!

The was one thing that I found slightly jarring in "Our Visitant Threnody", however. At two points in the track (about 0:55 and 3:02) there are imperfect cadences with a suspended fourth resolving to the third. To my ears they sound a little too pretty for the surrounding sections. Perhaps it might take harsher suspension (a sharpened fifth or flattened ninth), or possibly include a flattened seventh for some added tension. I love the overall feel of the track though, and the detail with which it's been arranged and orchestrated.

Just my opinion - I do tend to favour very strong cadences (i.e. Muse, Rachmaninoff, Chopin), though I have been moving away from them recently and going for more Debussy-esque movements.

I'm glad you like the pieces.

You're referring to the chord that resolves into the Asian theme. As of right now, it becomes a root position IAC along with the first chord of the following cadence. By virtue of being the fifth measure in its cadence it sits more or less in between the two as something unexpected to emboss the transition. As it stands, I couldn't make it stronger without changing the melody line (since the Asian theme begins on the third). I could simply flatten the third which would soften the cadence considerably. Come to think of it, if I leave the second iteration of the cadence in major that could add a nice contrast between the two.

I'm not sure. Interesting thought, though. Do you compose music yourself?