CD REVIEW - Commandos Strike Force - plus news from Top Dollar PR and Intrada
Commandos Strike Force
Music by Mateo Pascual
Saimel 3997510 (Spain)
19 Tracks 44:57 mins
This latest in the Spanish game series is again scored by regular composer Mateo Pascual, but unlike previous entries, his music is performed by symphony orchestra and choir - the Bratislava Symphony and City Choir of Bratislava, resulting in a more cinematic sound than ever before, though Pascual's scores for previous Comandos games are none less valid and are worthwhile checking out on the same label.
As one would expect from a game with a wartime setting, the music is mostly propulsive, with plenty of expectant, determined builds and exciting action writing, though there are a few poignant moments like in "Missing Allies," "The Heavy Burden" and ""Closing Danger," with its tolling bell effect.
Best track is undoubtedly the big and heroic "A Few Good Men," where the choir really makes its presence felt, but they are nonetheless effective in plenty more cues throughout the album.
The accompanying booklet includes session photographs, as well as a portrait of the composer, plus notes by Saimel's Juan Angel Saiz.
Visit http://www.rosebudbandasonora.com/ for details of all Saimel's releases.
From Top Dollar PR
THE CHRONICLES OF SPELLBORN FEATURES ORIGINAL SCORE BY
LEADING VIDEO GAME COMPOSER JESPER KYD
New Breed of Fantasy Music Immerses Players in Unique
Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game
The Hague, The Netherlands - April 6th, 2006 - Spellborn International NV. announces that Jesper Kyd, the internationally acclaimed composer whose video game credits include Freedom Fighters and the Hitman series, has created the original music score for the massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), The Chronicles of Spellborn. Kyd's score for Spellborn is an inspired blend of organic and ethereal musical landscapes embroidered with theatrical orchestrations that provide an emotional connection for the player and fully immerses them in the post-apocalyptic dark fantasy world of Spellborn.
Since the art and environments designed for The Chronicles of Spellborn have been developed with such involving attention to detail, the producers of Spellborn did not want a generic fantasy score and felt a purely orchestral pallet would not reflect the true nature of Spellborn. Their vision demanded they seek out a more unique, multi-layered, vanguard style.
"We knew a mix of diverse musical textures would better serve our game than simply using an orchestra, so we approached Jesper Kyd who is renowned for his versatility as well as producing scores that go beyond the traditional mould," explains Matthew Florianz, Sound Designer for The Chronicles of Spellborn." Jesper has fashioned the kind of grandeur usually associated with the cinematic sound of an orchestra, though he only used analogue sounds and solo instruments, and delivers a deeply emotional impact with a minimum of bombast. His elaborate, cerebral and intuitive treatment was exactly what we were looking for."
Barry Hoffman, Spellborn International NV.'s Marketing Manager added, "Jesper Kyd is a composer with the rare combination of having a recognizable personal style, a good feel for what speaks to a mass audience and the ability to translate mood and emotion into music. Just as he has done in the action and stealth genres before, Jesper Kyd brings extraordinary creativity that will not only captivate Spellborn players but will also appeal to a broader spectrum of music lovers and soundtrack fans."
Music samples from The Chronicles of Spellborn are available at www.tcos.com.
About Jesper Kyd
Jesper Kyd's dedication to create scores that transcend traditional repertoires has gained him international critical acclaim and numerous accolades from the arts and entertainment industry. Kyd's hybrid electronic and live choral score for Freedom Fighters earned him the GameSpot award for "Best Original Music in a Game" and nomination for "Best Use of Sound in a Game" at the Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards. His fusion of minimalist electronica and dark orchestral and choral grooves featured in Hitman: Contracts was awarded best "Original Music" by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts at the 2005 BAFTA Games Awards. Hitman: Contracts also won the 2005 Game Audio Network Guild award for "Best Cinematic Audio." www.jesperkyd.com
About Spellborn International NV.
Since the founding of the company in 2004, Spellborn International Ltd. has focused on the single goal of developing an innovative Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG). Privately owned and operated, Spellborn N.V's development studios are based in The Hague, The Netherlands. The multinational development team is made up of experienced professionals from the game development industry as well as specialists in the many other disciplines required to release a game of this scope. The team is bound by a collective desire to break conventions on the way to developing a revolutionary title. www.tcos.com
INTRADA Announces:
HOUSE OF BAMBOO
Composed by LEIGH HARLINE
Conducted by Lionel Newman
INTRADA Special Collection Volume 30
For the 20th Century Fox film HOUSE OF BAMBOO (1955), director Samuel
Fuller presents an extraordinary portrait of post-war Japan. Robert
Stack plays Eddie; a tough Army cop who infiltrates a gang of dishonourably discharged servicemen, led by the disarmingly soft-spoken Sandy (Robert Ryan). Although a seemingly simplistic plot, Fuller brings in his usual bravura, embroidering the tale with more complexity than is first apparent.
In the music to HOUSE OF BAMBOO, perhaps nowhere is Leigh Harline's full range of gifts more glitteringly on display. From the opening cascades of ferociously descending strings, the music is sure, strong, confident, and beautiful. The music is played powerfully by the Fox orchestra under the baton of Lionel Newman. It's suspenseful, ominous, romantic...all wielding a profoundly serious tone that keeps Fuller's cinematic pyrotechnics in the realm of the recognizably real. This release was edited and mastered from the original stereo session masters, which were in perfect condition, allowing for an impressive dynamic range and stereo spread.
This Intrada Special Collection release is limited to 1200 copies.
INTRADA Special Collection - Volume 30
IN STOCK NOW
For artwork, tracklist, and to order, please visit
http://shopping.netsuite.com/s.nl/c.ACCT67745/id.4799/.f
Commandos Strike Force
Music by Mateo Pascual
Saimel 3997510 (Spain)
19 Tracks 44:57 mins
This latest in the Spanish game series is again scored by regular composer Mateo Pascual, but unlike previous entries, his music is performed by symphony orchestra and choir - the Bratislava Symphony and City Choir of Bratislava, resulting in a more cinematic sound than ever before, though Pascual's scores for previous Comandos games are none less valid and are worthwhile checking out on the same label.
As one would expect from a game with a wartime setting, the music is mostly propulsive, with plenty of expectant, determined builds and exciting action writing, though there are a few poignant moments like in "Missing Allies," "The Heavy Burden" and ""Closing Danger," with its tolling bell effect.
Best track is undoubtedly the big and heroic "A Few Good Men," where the choir really makes its presence felt, but they are nonetheless effective in plenty more cues throughout the album.
The accompanying booklet includes session photographs, as well as a portrait of the composer, plus notes by Saimel's Juan Angel Saiz.
Visit http://www.rosebudbandasonora.com/ for details of all Saimel's releases.
From Top Dollar PR
THE CHRONICLES OF SPELLBORN FEATURES ORIGINAL SCORE BY
LEADING VIDEO GAME COMPOSER JESPER KYD
New Breed of Fantasy Music Immerses Players in Unique
Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game
The Hague, The Netherlands - April 6th, 2006 - Spellborn International NV. announces that Jesper Kyd, the internationally acclaimed composer whose video game credits include Freedom Fighters and the Hitman series, has created the original music score for the massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), The Chronicles of Spellborn. Kyd's score for Spellborn is an inspired blend of organic and ethereal musical landscapes embroidered with theatrical orchestrations that provide an emotional connection for the player and fully immerses them in the post-apocalyptic dark fantasy world of Spellborn.
Since the art and environments designed for The Chronicles of Spellborn have been developed with such involving attention to detail, the producers of Spellborn did not want a generic fantasy score and felt a purely orchestral pallet would not reflect the true nature of Spellborn. Their vision demanded they seek out a more unique, multi-layered, vanguard style.
"We knew a mix of diverse musical textures would better serve our game than simply using an orchestra, so we approached Jesper Kyd who is renowned for his versatility as well as producing scores that go beyond the traditional mould," explains Matthew Florianz, Sound Designer for The Chronicles of Spellborn." Jesper has fashioned the kind of grandeur usually associated with the cinematic sound of an orchestra, though he only used analogue sounds and solo instruments, and delivers a deeply emotional impact with a minimum of bombast. His elaborate, cerebral and intuitive treatment was exactly what we were looking for."
Barry Hoffman, Spellborn International NV.'s Marketing Manager added, "Jesper Kyd is a composer with the rare combination of having a recognizable personal style, a good feel for what speaks to a mass audience and the ability to translate mood and emotion into music. Just as he has done in the action and stealth genres before, Jesper Kyd brings extraordinary creativity that will not only captivate Spellborn players but will also appeal to a broader spectrum of music lovers and soundtrack fans."
Music samples from The Chronicles of Spellborn are available at www.tcos.com.
About Jesper Kyd
Jesper Kyd's dedication to create scores that transcend traditional repertoires has gained him international critical acclaim and numerous accolades from the arts and entertainment industry. Kyd's hybrid electronic and live choral score for Freedom Fighters earned him the GameSpot award for "Best Original Music in a Game" and nomination for "Best Use of Sound in a Game" at the Billboard Digital Entertainment Awards. His fusion of minimalist electronica and dark orchestral and choral grooves featured in Hitman: Contracts was awarded best "Original Music" by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts at the 2005 BAFTA Games Awards. Hitman: Contracts also won the 2005 Game Audio Network Guild award for "Best Cinematic Audio." www.jesperkyd.com
About Spellborn International NV.
Since the founding of the company in 2004, Spellborn International Ltd. has focused on the single goal of developing an innovative Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG). Privately owned and operated, Spellborn N.V's development studios are based in The Hague, The Netherlands. The multinational development team is made up of experienced professionals from the game development industry as well as specialists in the many other disciplines required to release a game of this scope. The team is bound by a collective desire to break conventions on the way to developing a revolutionary title. www.tcos.com
INTRADA Announces:
HOUSE OF BAMBOO
Composed by LEIGH HARLINE
Conducted by Lionel Newman
INTRADA Special Collection Volume 30
For the 20th Century Fox film HOUSE OF BAMBOO (1955), director Samuel
Fuller presents an extraordinary portrait of post-war Japan. Robert
Stack plays Eddie; a tough Army cop who infiltrates a gang of dishonourably discharged servicemen, led by the disarmingly soft-spoken Sandy (Robert Ryan). Although a seemingly simplistic plot, Fuller brings in his usual bravura, embroidering the tale with more complexity than is first apparent.
In the music to HOUSE OF BAMBOO, perhaps nowhere is Leigh Harline's full range of gifts more glitteringly on display. From the opening cascades of ferociously descending strings, the music is sure, strong, confident, and beautiful. The music is played powerfully by the Fox orchestra under the baton of Lionel Newman. It's suspenseful, ominous, romantic...all wielding a profoundly serious tone that keeps Fuller's cinematic pyrotechnics in the realm of the recognizably real. This release was edited and mastered from the original stereo session masters, which were in perfect condition, allowing for an impressive dynamic range and stereo spread.
This Intrada Special Collection release is limited to 1200 copies.
INTRADA Special Collection - Volume 30
IN STOCK NOW
For artwork, tracklist, and to order, please visit
http://shopping.netsuite.com/s.nl/c.ACCT67745/id.4799/.f
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