This week’s cue is the main theme from a visually delightful shooter (or, more accurately, magic-wand-zapper) for iOS and Android. The musical concept was a beat-driven cousin of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, capturing the grumpy supernatural quality of wizardry but adding a frenetic pace appropriate for an action game.

On a side note: I had a great time being interviewed by The Loudmouth Report podcast, and the episode is now online via SoundCloud or iTunes. We discussed film and game music, notation software, and the merits (or lack thereof) of various Star Wars films. Check it out!

One joy of the digital music era is being able to go back to old recordings, particularly live recordings, and breathe some new life into them. It’s the composerly equivalent of tinkering with a beloved old car.

I love the musicianship in this bittersweet piano-and-strings cue, but its recording always struck me as a bit thin-sounding, and its stereo spread a bit narrow. Thanks to today’s audio tools, I was able to give the sound more warmth, and width. Enjoy this re-release!

Continuing the music series from Empires Apart, this week’s cue is medium-energy combat score – great for when hostilities have broken out, but haven’t yet reached apocalyptic proportions.

The meter alternates between 4/4 and 5/4, creating an asymmetry that I find useful in characterizing combat. When a flute-and-bassoon melody emerges, it’s lyrical and legato but still has to wend its way around the off-center pulse. As a result, a tune that might have been sad or dirge-like gets a bit of a rhythmic twist, and sense of personality.

Now that some time has passed, this track has emerged as my favorite from the Empires Apart score. (It may be because I have a yen for more lyrical orchestral writing.)

In contrast to the other mideastern-style theme in the game – which was martial in tone – the Byzantine melody has a quality of nostalgic yearning. The instrumentation blends Eastern and Western influences, reflecting the cross-cultural pedigree of Byzantium itself.

The defining part of real-time strategy games is that they’re in, well, real time: your troops and civilians constantly move and frequently need your guidance. As battle descends you invariably find yourself jumping around the map, fighting fires and trying to keep track of a dozen things at once. The frantic quality of the experience can be overwhelming, but is also what makes these games a lot of fun.

Music has to be sensitive to the player’s frame of mind during the final “all-out carnage” phase of the game, as there’s less attention available for melodic detail and counterpoint. I tend to go broader and bigger during these moments, in contrast to the more peaceful early phases of the game. This week’s music selection from the Empires Apart score is a good example of this approach.