YourName:GuyHarrington

Genre:MediaSoundtracks,(ForCyberpunkMedia)

Context

Wheredoesyourstylecomefrom?
CyberpunksidentityasagenrewasinitiallytemplatedbythereleaseofRidlyScottsfilm
Bladerunner andWilliamGibsonsnovelNeuromanceri n1982and84respectively.Bothareset
innearfuturesettingswhosetechnologyhaseclipsedcurrentdevelopmentinawaythathas
completelychangedpeople'slivesandthroughthat,eachfocusonthemesofwhatittruly
meanstobehumanandtherelativevalueofdifferinglevelsofsentiencethoughthedepictionof
AIandcloning.Bothalsoalsodepictworldswhoseemtohaveundergoneadrasticmoral
declinewherethesanctityoflifehasbeendisplacedinfavourofultracapitalistidealsand
criminalitydominatestheunderclasses.Bothprotagonistsaredepictedasmorallydubious
individualsmoldedbytheworldtheyinhabitedandboundtothewillofthepowerful.Subject
mattercentersonideasontranshumanism,relativemoralityandindividualworthinan
industrialage.

Whoarethekeyartistsinthatgenre?
ComposersfornotableexamplesofCyberpunkMedia:
MichaelMcCannMontrealBasedownerofbehaviorstudioswhoworksasasoundtrack
composerforfilmsandprimarilyvideogames.Mentionedhereasaresultofhisbafta
nominatedDeusEx:HumanRevolutionsoundtrack.Probablythemostnotablereleaseofa
pieceofcyberpunkmediaintermsofmassmarketrecognitionwithinthelastfiveyears
McCannsworkhasheraldedinthegrowingdiversificationofsoundtracksforcyberpunkmedia.
TheCDProjektRedreleasetrailerofCyberpunk2077wasaccompaniedby,Bullets,by
ArchiveaLondonbasedProgRock/TripHopband,afarcryfromthesynthdominated,
lyricallessworkofVangelis.Ascyberpunkmediaundergoesitsrenaissancewithinvideogames
whereonceitwasprimarilyagenreonlyregularlyfeaturedinbooksandtabletoproleplaying
games,itseemstobesheddingalmostallofitsearlierstylisticroutesatleastintermsofmusic.

VangelisGrecianborncomposeroftheBladeRunnersoundtrack,havingpreviouslywonan
academyawardforhisscoringof,ChariotsofFire,viaasoundtrackdominatedby
Synthesisers,Vangeliscontinuedthistrend,asmuchoutofpersonalpreferenceandthe
pragmatismofbeingabletopersonallyinputthesoundsratherthanhiringasessionmusicians
ratherthandeferencetothegrowingpracticeofapplyingelectronicinstrumentationwithinthe
soundtracksofsciencefictionmedia.ProminentinstrumentationincludestheYamahaCS80
andRolandJupiter4.Hisworkprovidesthatinitialtemplateuponwhichmanylaterpiecesof
cyberpunkscoreshaveiteratedupon,(examplesincludingJonEvisteristssoundtrackstoHare
BrainedSchemesShadowrunReturnsgameanditsexpansions,althoughtheHongKong
releasepossessesagreaterfocusontraditionalAsianstringinstrumentationinamanner
reminiscentofMichaelMcCannswork,)theprominenceofsprawlingsynthledmelodypartsin
morecontemporaryexamplesofthestylecouldcertainlybeattributedtoVangeliswork.

JonEveristworkforShadowrun:HongKong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6Jm_gLKYVA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=707svTUORng

Vangelies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jrg5lG90kzw

CoreMusicalInformation(pickoneofthekeyexamplestobreakdown)

WhatisatypicalBPM?

Asonewouldexpectgiventhepurposeofasoundtracktypicalbpmvarieswidelydepending
uponthescenebeingaccompanied.DespitethismostofVangelisworkontheBladeRunner
soundtrackliesrelativelycloseto60bpm.

Whatisatypicalkey?
Extremelyvariable,oftentransitioningmultipletimeswithinthesamepiece,theBladerunner
themetransitioningbetweenEmajorE,DandC.

Whatisatypicalinstrumentation?
Earlyexamplesmadealmostexclusiveuseofanaloguesynthesisershowevermorerecent
examples,(particularlytheDeusEx:HumanRevolutionsoundtrack,)supplantthedominanceof
arpeggiatedmelodieswithagreaterrelianceoflayersofpadsoundsalongsidepseudo
orchestralelements,vocalsamplesandagreateruseofgrainyordistortedsounds.

Whatarethekeystylisticcomponents?
Prominentuseofa,traditionally,cleansoundingrapidmelodypartplayedbyasynthesiser.
Theseareusuallycomplexbutoftenrepeatedregularlythroughoutthepiecewithoccasional
subtlevariationsandinversionsusedtoaddvariety.Percussionuseisminimalandtakesa
backseattoallowforagreaterfocusontheelectronicinstrumentation.Vocalelementsare
limitedandusuallyjustshortsamples.Useofpadsisinconsistentandrarelytakeprominence,
normallytakingtheroleprovidingofundistortedambientnoise.Thenumberofseparate
instrumentsinearlyexamplesremaincomparablyminimal

InLogic

PadsNotused
SynthMelodyLineES1scratchbuiltpatch,shortattack,limitedresonanceanddistortion,bright
insoundwithlimiteddecayandashortrelease.Asecondtrackwiththeexciteinsertadded,
usedduringsectionsofthepiecetothickenanddiversifytexture.

LimitedpercussionIusedapresetminimalistdrummachinetrackwithsmalleqtweakingto
givethesoundalittlemoreimpact.Onlythekicksoundwasusedandvariationlimitedtosome
basicrhythmchangesduringsectionstoforeshadowandaccompanychangesofpace.

Myprimaryvariancefromthestylewasagreaterdependenceupondistortedandflexedited
distortionsoundsprovidedfromrecordedaudiosourcedviamymicrokorg.