This blog is focused on music and its many forms and existent styles. Looking at what we've come from to how it is used in various industries. Brought to you by ShinyMuso, a team of students; Janice Hui, Jerome Varlet-Green, Nathan Beard and Joseph Kizana. Giving different opinions and varyingly informed views on each topic discussed.
Vogel im Käfig
is one of the main musical themes.This piece is first heard in episode 1, where
Eren and Mikasa witnesses their mother being eaten by a titan. It is often used
in scenes where characters die and when Eren are having flashbacks, especially
about his mother.
This song is
sung in German; some of the important lyrics are:
"The
inner fortune of people is
like colorful
light which shines through colored glass"
"We will
fight against our fate
We must not
give in to our fate."
"With
sorrow and confidence in our hearts
we show the
will to move on
No one shall
be willfully deprived of their life"
The instruments
and vocals heard are: main vocal singer, choir vocal singers, brass
instruments, strings instruments and percussion. The main vocal is needed
because there are lyrics to be sung. The choir vocals contributes to the mood
of humanity crying for help as a whole, and humans fighting against the titans.
Orchestral instruments such as strings and brass are western orchestral
instruments, they contribute to style of piece. Percussion is used for
emphasis, it represents when the people decides not to give up, and to fight
until their last breath.
The tempo of
this piece is Largo (very slow). Slow songs make listeners feel sadness and
peacefulness, also makes the song sound mournful. There are many pauses in this
song, which represents change of mood and thoughts.
This piece is
in Dorian mode, one of the Medieval music modes. This fits the anime series as
it is set in the Medieval times.
The overall
dynamics of this piece is soft. The dynamics does not change much, suggesting
that the people are tired, they don't have a choice but to fight and survive.
Soft dynamics represents sadness and quietness. It also suggests that people
are "voiceless"; they are crying for help, but they are not heard.
A narrow range
of notes are used. Again, this represents sadness. - sadness, peace
Complementing
harmonies are used and no dissonance is heard. This suggests the temporary
peacefulness and relaxation.
The structure
of this piece is through composed. Similar to ətˈæk
0N tάɪtn, it suggests that we could not go back in
time, and the determination of not looking back.
Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) is one of the most popular Japanese anime series, and I would be surprised if you haven't heard of it! This anime had brought me from the western video game and TV series world back to the Japanese anime/manga world. It contains some of my favourite soundtracks by my favourite anime composer, Hiroyuki Sawano. I'll be analysing one of my favourite soundtracks from the anime: XL-TT, the main theme of Attack on Titan.
OST 1 track 14 XL-TT
XL-TT is the
fourteenth track on the first Attack on Titan original soundtrack CD. It is one
of the main music theme used. This soundtrack is in E minor, key changes are
used to match the change of mood. The tempo changes in different sections, but
the metre is 4/4 for the whole track. This soundtrack is used in the scenes
where people prepare to fight Titans and in scenes where many deaths are
involved. This soundtrack is first heard in episode 1, where the Colossal Titan
breaks the wall and people are under attack by the Titans.
This piece is
sung in German to fit the theme of the anime and the main character - Eren.
Some of the
important lyrics that represent the mood, story and character:
The
instruments are: choir vocal singers, brass instruments, strings instruments,
electronic sounds and percussions (synthesisers), electric guitar and bass.
Vocals are used because lyrics had to be sung. Choir singers are included to
create the intense and powerful feeling, which also suggests an army of
soldiers fighting against the titans. Brass instruments are used because they
are usually related to military. Electronic sounds and percussion are
non-traditional instruments, they are used because the advanced technology that
exists within the series. Electric guitar and bass are used to give it a
distorted and heavy tone colour, making the piece a little similar to heavy
metal.
This
soundtrack starts with a rapid drumroll building up to the powerful entry of
choir vocals. The use of drums create a dramatic atmosphere. The tempo is
Allegro (quickly), and the dragged out notes are an augmented version of Attack
on Titan, another soundtrack that shares the same main melody line. The choir
vocals sing in unison with the strings, representing the unifying of mankind
against the Titans. The synthesised percussion is heavily distorted,
representing the explosions and destroying of houses while the Titans attack.
The brass instruments play the harmony, adding a rich feeling to the tone
colour. The bells play crotchet notes and they are repeated over and over,
creating a feeling or urgency, because bells are used as a reminder of
"the time has come". The melody is repeated again, with strings
playing an octave higher, creating layers and emphasising the dramatic
atmosphere. The synthesisers harmonises with the melody but creates dissonance
with melody, matching the chaotic situation.
Section B is
focuses on the rhythmic layers at first. There is repetition used in the drum
section, the bells play in semi-tone in a stepwise motion, representing the
hesitation of the people who had to face the Titans - the motion of stepping
forward and backwards repeatedly. The synthesiser continues to create
dissonance to represent the on-going chaos.
Section C has
a thinner texture and is quieter than the previous sections. The strings play
low pitched quaver notes repeated, suggesting the action of people running, and
some of them hiding. The pitched synthesiser represents the explosions, it is
also a syncopated rhythmic layer formed with long and short notes, representing
the Titans walking around.
The choir
vocals are heard again in section D, they sing the main melody, which again is
an augmented version of the Attack on Titan theme. When the melody is repeated,
the brass joins in with the vocals, gongs and bells also joins in, creating a
more intense feeling.
A new melody
is introduced in section E. The main melody line is still long and dragged out
notes, representing the sound of people calling and crying for help. The vocals
and strings are in unison, the backing choir acting as harmony, singing in
intervals with the melody. The melody line played by synthesiser after the
vocals stop singing is unorganised and has a wider ranger, suggesting stronger
feelings and gives listeners an uneasy feeling.
Section F
establishes a new tempo by the use of synthesiser playing syncopated rhythm.
The tempo changes to Andante. The vocals and brass starts at the same time; all
parts are unison at first, but then branches off into four parts harmonising
each other. The melody is sung by the choir, the bells play the same note in a
syncopated rhythm that is not sustained. This brings back the sense of urgency.
The key changes from E minor to C minor, signifying the change of situation.
The low pitched quaver chords played by string also enhances the atmosphere.
The accompaniment changes as the part is repeated again. Strings are divided
into two parts, one part in unison with vocals, the other part continues with
the accompaniment. The brass plays the harmony and creates dissonance as
synthesisers are not used. In between the change of sections, synthesiser plays
notes with no particular pattern that creates a chaotic feeling.
The mood
contrasts between G, H, and I. The atmosphere remains intense in section G,
although there is no dissonance with the lack of use of pitched synthesiser.
The mood changes in section H. The melody is different from section G, the main
melody sung by choir and played by strings are lower pitched, as if the people
are thinking about giving up. The thinner layer and less instruments used
creates a temporary peaceful feeling. Section I is the continuation of G, the
notes of the melody are in the higher register, and the accompaniment of
instruments are similar to section G. In these last three sections,
synthesisers are used as rhythmic layers, and they are not used to create dissonance.
This gives a hopeful feeling of things finally being in control, suggests a
chance of victory at last.
The main reason why I analyse soundtracks is so I could appreciate all the small details of them, and so I could share them to others, making others appreciate them too! Did you enjoy my analysis this time? :)
Next time, I will be analysing another soundtrack from Attack on Titan! I just love this anime way too much. See you!
I absolutely love the soundtrack of the horror genre, because fear is a strong emotion, and music's ability to cause such strong emotion within audience always fascinates me. Today I will be analysing two soundtracks from a horror video game - Slender: The Arrival.
Conceal
"Conceal" is
used in the stage "Into the Abyss" where the player has to turn on
generators in a mine when being stalked by Slender Man and a woman who became
Slender Man's victim . This piece is very repetitive since it is designed to be
looped through the game stage. This piece has changes of time signature or is
free rhythm because there is no definite beat in the beginning, and the time
signature changes in the middle of the game. Strings are the main instruments
used are strings. This piece is in minor, and the use of pitch is very
contrasting. It uses a low note as a pedal point, a sustained bass note, but in
the middle of the piece, high pitched sounds were used in contrast to create
the feeling of constant changing situation. Synthesised sounds are used, a soft
ringing noise that is barely audible is used throughout the whole piece. Around
every twelve seconds, the violins play short, quick notes in crescendo. These
are possibly not strictly scripted, but played freely by the violinist to
create a sense of chaos. High pitched noises are created by strings, possibly
violins, by not pressing the strings all the way down and hitting the strings
with the bow. This creates a screechy sound that disturbs the players and make
them feel nervous. The subtle drum beat joins in when the disturbing noise
starts, it creates an unsettled feeling. The screechy noise eventually fades
out, so does the drum beat stops. In the actual gameplay, the soundtrack used
in this stage is not the same as the soundtrack in the link provided. The short
notes played by strings, drum beat and screechy noises are only used to alert
the player that they are in danger.
strings:
short, quick notes, crescendo - not scored/unscripted
0:48
disturbing, high pitched noises made by strings (violins)
Drum beat
starts - soft, syncopated
1:36
disturbing noises starts to fade out
Drum beat
stops
1:46 noise
completely fades out
1:54 music
fades out
Flicker
"Flicker" is
used in the stage where the player has to escape the burning forest and avoid
being caught by Slender Man. This piece is repetitive, designed to be looped
and the notes are also repeated. The tempo is very fast, suggests the player is
running in this stage and creates an intense atmosphere. The time signature is
6/8. The main instruments used are strings, bass drum, and synthesised sounds.
This piece is in minor, and dissonance and chromatic scale contributes to the
uneasy feeling of the player and the feeling of constantly being in a dangerous
situation. This piece has four sections, each sections has 16 bars, and the
main changes of each section is the main note being repeated, a new
instrument/sound is introduced, and the music gets louder. Synthesised sounds
such as ringing noises, audio distortion, wind blowing, and static white noises
are being used, a bit like the classic Slender: The Eight Pages theme (the
piece is named Shadowed in Slender: The Arrival) and the synthesised sounds
emphasises the Slender Man's ability to make electronic devices malfunction.
0:00 strings,
repeating note
Classic
slender drum beat
0:07/0:15/0:23/0:31/0:39
around every 8 seconds, every 4 bars
Chromatic
scale
0:32 main note
being repeated changed (lowered), with some dissonance
Drum beat
softer, with ringing audio distortion
Crescendo - mp
1:04 changed
(higher) also weird noisesss (wind blowing)
Crescendo - mf
1:36 changed
(obvious dissonance)
Loud wind
blowing noises, high frequency audio distortion sound effects
Strings echo
Crescendo - f
1:39/1:47/1:54/2:03
static sound/audio distortion
starts at
third beat every 4 bars cycle
2:08 back to
beginning
2:16 fades out
What is your favourite soundtrack from a horror film/video game?
For my next blog post, I will be introducing soundtracks from Attack on Titan, one of my favourite anime/manga series! See you!
Neon Genesis
Evangelionis a Japanese
animated series produced by Gainax, and directed by Hideaki Anno. The original
TV series aired in 1995, and they later made a series of four rebuild series.
I'm going to introduce some soundtracks used in my favourite film of the
Rebuild series,Evangelion:
3.0 You Can (NOT) Redo(2012).
I will be focusing on the major/minor modes of soundtracks instead of analysing
individual soundtracks.
Most of the soundtracks inEvangelion: 3.0are in minor key, emphasising the main
character Shinji Ikari's confusion, anxiety and sorrow throughout the film.
There are only four soundtracks that are in Major mode (excluding 'From
Beethoven 9' as it is used for irony). Only two of these are used to express
emotions related to happiness. 'Quatre Mains' is a lively piano duet performed
by Shinji Ikari and Kaworu Nagisa, and it is a piece that expresses the most
joyful emotions. Their first interactions are playing this duet together,
establishing a bond through music. The use of major key of this piece makes
audiences experience the happiness with them, especially because that is the
first time they had seen Shinji smile genuinely. The wide range of notes give
the audience a cheerful and alive feeling.
'Qui veut faire l'ange ait la bête' is a calming
piano piece that is played in the background when they stargaze together. They
discuss their views on life and the world, and Kaworu tells Shinji that ‘I
really was born to meet you’, making him feel important for the first time in
his life. The music gives the audiences a sense of calmness and contentedness,
as the melody is gentle and soothing. Moreover, these two soundtracks that are
played when Shinji is alone with Kaworu. This highlights the nature of their
relationship - Kaworu is Shinji's only source of comfort and happiness, which
is a point that will also have a great impact on the film later on. In
contrast,'Dark Defender' and 'The Anthem' are in Major Key to
express the sense of victory in battle, but not happiness.
What do you think about the use of
soundtracks inEvangelion Q?
Do you like how the tracks mentioned above contrasts strongly with most of the
other tracks in the film?
For my next blog post, I will be
discussing about soundtracks from a horror game, eitherSlender: The ArrivalorThe
Last Door. See you! :)
Rise of
the Guardians is my favourite animated film and contains my favourite
soundtracks. It is the one film that got me into music used in media, and since
then, it had became one of my biggest passions. My favourite soundtrack is
"Jamie Believes", the piece that plays during the scene where Jack
Frost is finally seen by Jamie after 300 years of being a lonely spirit. It is
not my favourite simply because it is played in my favourite scene, but also
because of how the piece still made me feel extremely emotional even when I
listen to it after watching the film.
"Jamie Believes" is used in the theme where Jamie, the
last believer of the Guardians starts to lose faith in the Guardians. What I
love the most about this piece is how the atmosphere changes a lot, yet very
subtly. It begins with the piano playing a melody in Minor, very soft and
quiet. The melody gradually changes to Major, and extends into the "Still
Dream" theme when Jack Frost made Jamie believe in the Guardians again. My
favourite part of the piece has to be when the piano plays high notes echoing
the melody, and the harp joining in by playing broken chords, giving a magical
touch and a hopeful feeling. In the end, the strings plays trills while celesta
plays high semi tones descending, suggesting change and creating a humorous
atmosphere when Jamie was asked by his mum who he was talking to when he should
be alone in his room, sleeping.
The "Still Dream" theme used in this soundtrack is very
significant because Jamie was Jack's first believer in 300 years. Jack was
never seen by any human and had only felt loneliness for his past life (and I
say never been seen because humans need to believe in the Guardians to see
them). "Still Dream" theme was used many times in other soundtracks,
around 12 times. But this time was the first time it is used when Jack was
being alone with someone else. It suggests his joy and happiness.
(screenshot taken from Rise of the Guardians, 2012, directed by Peter Ramsey, produced by Dreamworks animation)
Jamie Believes
0:00-0:32 Piano << plays simple notes in minor
0:34 strings – violin(2 or above) , cello on the bass
0:38 violin 2 << plays higher melody
0:49 low note - bassoon
0:51 strings & piano << Still Dream theme starts, major
1:15 flute - melody << gives warm touch
violins - short staccato notes as harmony,
plucking, low notes, staccato,
piano echoing - high notes << gives magical touch
1:38 String + harp(background with broken chords) << Harp
joining in gives more magical touch
1:59 Piano & double bass unison << melody stands out
2:20 flute (playing descending notes) << gives a
lot magical touch
2:40 strings playing trills, celesta playing high semi tones
descending << suggests change, creating humorous effect
What is your favourite soundtrack of the film? What do you think about the soundtrack for Rise of the Guardians?I think the film itself and its OST deserves way more attention than it did.
For my next post, I will be introducing soundtracks from Evangelion.
See you soon!
