SUMERU SYMPHONIC DANCES Mov. I - The Golden Sands [Genshin Impact Fanmade Battle Theme]
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First, let me mention the incredible artists who brought this to life with their landscapes. To gain inspiration, I had their art open in the background so I could insert myself into the fantasy world of that painting when composing.
Unfortunately, I could only find one name, and that was for the second landscape I used.
Takahara-san: / art_takahara
About the composition (Update: I'll talk about the video in the description since I'm running out of room):
I think the hardest thing I faced was simply letting go of my traditional ideas of "chord progressions" in lieu of a more Middle Eastern train of thought, meaning that the rhythm and melodic lines would take priority. However, you'll see that I tried to incorporate at least some progressions to saffron things up, like the massive G5 - Db - Eb - G/B rise for the first climax, or the G5 - F or G5 - Fm shifts in the horns/trombones supporting the ostinati.
I don't think it's obvious at all, but I used a trumpet in this. Okay, well, it might be 7 trumpets all screaming and blowing out their lungs at the same time, but I really wanted this crazy drum corp vibe; blaring trumpets are the only ones that can supply that kind of excitement. I also decided to split them into three separate parts (T1 is the melody, T2 is the harmony playing the fifth below, and T3 is the melody again, but an octave lower) to add some blue into the otherwise boring orange fire.
There are a total of 8 significant musical lines in the arrangement (6 original, 2 taken from Genshin). Some are ostinati, and some are melodies that appear once and are gone.
You have, ofc, the short Sumeru theme from Travail (0:44), but I did not want that to be the main focus of the piece since it's not mine. Instead, it only gets to shine for a bit, and is then relegated to the background. This was played by the oud, a lute-style Middle Eastern instrument that dates back thousands of years in various forms, and the oboe (but mostly carried by the oud).
The SECOND, non-original ostinato (1:17), carried by the low strings/tuba, is a variation of Genshin's battle pulse, which has appeared in every region so far. I found that the Inazuma version of this, with the flattened 2nd, conveyed a sufficient Middle Eastern feel if I convinced myself for long enough, and so that ended up in the final version.
The THIRD/FOURTH ostinati (0:11 / 1:24) are made up of runs outlining the double harmonic major scale (while I thought about using quarter tones to make it even more authentic, I don't think it would have played well harmonically with my rather Western style of writing). The first run I came up with while in the shower (okay, 80% of the piece was composed while humming in the shower) and the second (which took me way longer) was trashed and remade, trashed and remade over many hours. However, I'm happy with how cool they sound, and remain some of my favorite parts. I used high strings, piccolo, flute, and clarinet (and later, marimba/xylophone) not only because it makes sense, but because they're the only VSTs I have that can keep up with the insanely demanding articulation lmfao
The FIFTH ostinato (low strings/tuba) is featured at the beginning; it is very similar functionally to the second ostinato in that it serves as the foundation to the g r o o v e for everyone else to build on. Very fun part to write.
The SIXTH line (0:38) is played by the tanbur, a long-necked lute-like instrument. The melody ended up sounding a bit more Spanish than I would have liked, but oh well. The SEVENTH line is a beautiful horn/euphonium duet that sets the scene at 0:11 with some tasty harmonies and drawn-out lines. While the third + fourth ostinati described earlier (as well as splash cymbals) serve as the "wind" to the musical dunes, this duet is meant to convey an uplifting sense of vastness/immensity of space as the Traveler journeys to Sumeru. The EIGHTH line, starting at 1:24 with the massive underlying low brass (GO bass trombone!) is also meant to convey the same feeling, but even darker.
All of this combined hopefully creates a sparkle of excitement for what's to come! I have planned for at least a second movement, but if this video does well, I will push it to three or maybe even four phases! As always, I love to hear feedback, so please tell me if you enjoyed my first original work!
Also, if anyone on the @HOYOMiX or @GenshinImpact / @Genshin_JP team sees this and likes it, this newbie would be massively elated owo
As always, 楽しんでくださいね。
Louis
#sumeru
#ost
#genshinimpact
#fanmade
#orchestral