Lately I’ve been getting very inspired by the Final Fantasy VII hype — as I may have mentioned a few times, it’s one of my favourite games. It’s had a remake (or at least, the very very beginning of it has, but that’s another story) which of course I can’t play on anything I own, but it’s just got me going back to the original and having a big game music mood in general.
I’ve been working on something in particular that I hope to be able to share soon, but in the meantime here’s a sneak peak and also a look back at some older (very very old in some cases!) tunes……
So, “battle music”! When I say that I’m thinking of something pretty specific, the music that comes on and interrupts when you’re running around in an RPG and then boom battle! or perhaps, oh no, BOSS battle! Final boss music I think belongs in an entirely different category really (a category including the Rite of Spring in this case), but an example of that is also relevant for what follows…
I write a lot of random game music — but left to my own devices I tend to default to tuneful character themes, or pretty town themes, maybe the occasional piece of Uneasy Atmosphere. The thing is I love writing, or at least having written, exciting pacy rhythmically snappy pieces, like BATTLE MUSIC…. but it’s a lot more daunting to start something like that, so I don’t anything like as often. Of these, only a few are “actually” battle music, but a lot are I feel very much in the same zone, so without further ado….
- Dies Irae, with big bad’s entrance (2002-2003)
from [my made up RPG] ‘Shadows of Fortune’
Goodness, talk about shooting for the stars…! I straight up tried to write One Winged Angel. This is big big final battle time. The rest of pieces I wrote for this (imaginary) game were midis but this one had to be audio — I actually ended up taking it down for refurb that I never did because, yeah, it’s ambitious but not as maybe cohesive or quality. But looking back, very very nice try, self?? I particularly like how much energy/pace I’ve done without drums.
- Moon Mouse theme tune (2003)
This is one that wasn’t written as “battle music” but rather a 90s-style TV theme tune (think Power Rangers). Which is…. basically the same thing. I remember I had no idea what that awesome and very characteristic chord I found to use at the end there was but thought it was pretty neat.
- The One Is Not Enough (2003)
Kind of a similar/evolution of the above. These were both done on notation software by the way, Melody Assistant. The two snares on the “Power” drum kit…. nice.
- Random Battle (2003)
Finally some actual specifically battle music battle music. I wrote this for someone’s RPGmaker game which, like most of them I fear, sadly was never completed. Also this was an actual midi, but recorded here for convenience since (SADLY) browsers and basically computers have dropped support for midi playback. This whole game was supposed to be somewhat trope-y and commenting on them, so this even then was unashamedly classic and over the top battle theme (but is there any other kind?) I enjoyed doing the bend effects on the strings, and the syncopations at the end. The marimba(?) base is kind of interesting choice!
- Battle (2003)
Yup that’s the whole title. This was more a test than a real piece — but it points out an interest crossover, this was inspired by PotC/Gladiator themes specifically. Still on Melody or Harmony assistant!
- Boss Battle from Origin (2011)
It was a number of years before I tried this seriously again it seems! (… I did not realise all of those were from 2003, wow (the last two from December of that year.)) We’re on Logic by this time. Guitar heavy piece again for an actual game, that was again never finished. Nice bit of 5/4 there — irregular time sigs are definitely a battle music thing.
- Boss Battle (2020)
And finally here’s the one from this week. Featuring modal ostinati, heavy guitar, a thematic brass bit, drum kit and those timps, cuts and odd meter moments, bass riff section… I didn’t even quite intend it, but it feels like it summarises a lot of the pieces leading up to this point. I had fun 🙂
Honourable mentions
More things that aren’t really battle music but have some kind of overlap — and that fill in the gap and show I did write some upbeat music between 2003 and 2011 !
(Metal Gear Solid music is another genre closely linked!)
(a more classical piece, part of my final submission for undergrad)
(I wrote this after Furioso, this was intended as a film music piece and it has some overlap as a slightly more tonal etc version of the above I think?)
(Not battley at all, but with the rock band/drums angle, and a bit pacey at least!)