Tuesday Tunes
I try not to ride the hype train, which often leaves me stranded at the station. There is always something that is the ‘brand new thing’ and it’s usually terrible. Whether it was the newest trend, latest movie, great new game, or a smashing new band riding the charts, one way or the other I won’t get the memo. But I kind of like it that way. Once all of the hype has died down and everyone has moved on to the next station, there I am, sifting through the remains of popular culture and finding my own little pieces to enjoy. I can get swept up from time to time: i.e The Marvel Cinematic Universe (I saw Endgame thrice in the theatre). But mostly I like things to age, that way when I do find them, I’m discovering it for my self, without the opinions of others to cloud my judgement. Here’s one of those things …
The Song(s)
Song: Build a Wall (Zia’s Theme)
Artist: Darren Korb
Album: Bastion Original Soundtrack - 2011 - Supergiant games
Method of discovery: Playing the videogame: Bastion
Theory: I’ve mentioned previously that one of my favourite musical terms is ‘anacrusis’. This song is a great example of it. Most music starts on the first beat of the first bar, which may seem pretty self evident. The easiest way to think of an anacrusis (or pickup) is that it takes place on the beats before the first bar. I know, weird. Think about the ‘Happy Birthday’ song, the ‘Ha-ppy..’ takes place before the first significant beat: ‘…birth-….’. Nobody starts that song with ‘One, Two, Ha-ppy…’, and if they do, they are doing it wrong. The verses are an ‘AAB’ call-and-response, popular in blues tunes. The chords under the call and response are vi-ii-vi-iii-vi. The Chorus gives us a relief from the blues and a nice major chord with I, but then pulls a weird change to let you know that not everything is right when it alternates with VII. All is not as it seems.
Research: Supergiant Games was, for the creation of Bastion, seven people. Darren Korb was in charge of Music and Sound effects, and it’s clear that he was along for the entire ride, because the music and the sound blend effortlessly into the game; nothing seems out of place. The game (for which I have not yet completed the main story) is set in the remnants of a world just after a world ending event: The Cataclysm. However, these story elements were built as a reason for the creators to display a sky in a game that usually could not. The album was not originally meant to exist, but the fans of the game asked for it, and so they released it for everyone to enjoy.
Personal thoughts: There are few things I like better than an experience you can get lost in, and Bastion is one of those. The Narration does a lot so draw you in, and the sounds are unique, yet familiar. The game was extrememly popular and very well recieved when it came out, but I let that train pass by. Even when my friend said I would really enjoy the music, I still didn’t play it. I think I got it in a humble bundle a few years ago, but it has sat in my stack of shame until very recently. When I started playing it, love of the game poured in from friends seeing me play it online. They all reminisced about how much they enjoyed the game. Some at work have even started to narrate to me as they pass my desk on their way to meetings or meals. This song is about building a wall, but Bastion, for me, helped to scale some I didnt’t know were there.
Give it a go: If you want to hear a cool anacrusis
Give it a miss: If thinking about ‘Ha-ppy BIRTHday…’ made your brain hurt
[links]
Spotify: Tuesday Tunes, Build a Wall (Zia’s Theme) by Darren Korb
Wikipedia: Darren Korb, Bastion, Anacrusis
Darren Korb: Bandcamp via Supergiant Games
Supergiant Games: Website