Prelude to After The Hero: The Official Unofficial Soundtrack
As I promised yesterday, a treat appears!-in time for your morning kefir!
I’ve mentioned before that I’m a cinematographic storyteller, and so it’s only fitting that the Prelude, even though it’s a book, should have a soundtrack to accompany the visuals.
A brief update on the Prelude: We’re still on track to publish on Friday, but it could also easily be Saturday or even Sunday. But it will definitely be one of those three days, unless I literally die.
Now, let’s get to the main feature!
I’ve always thought that it’s a little bit goofy to do “unofficial” soundtracks-where you pick other people’s music and hodgepodge it together to form a supposedly unified soundtrack. Essentially it’s a glorified playlist. The effect is highly optimized for the person who makes the list, because of all the extended connotations and emotional evocations that go with the music, and is much less effective for other people due to the soundtrack’s inconsistent internal structure.
That’s an argument for not doing them, yet presumably you’ve read the title to this entry, which raises the question: What happened?
They’re fun, and I am doing something self-indulgent to celebrate the publication of the Prelude. That’s what happened. =] So take this in the light-spirited intent it is offered (although the soundtrack itself is anything but light-spirited).
Here, for a limited time only, you will find all the music directly downloadable. I’m doing it this way rather than linking to the music online because, for the best listening experience, I did some editing on most of the tracks. I decreased the volume on Tracks 4 and 20, increased it on Tracks 2, 6, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 21, and 22, cropped some dead air on Track 1, and did a metric fuck-ton of editing on Track 17. I’ve made it so that you should set a volume that you find sufficiently compelling on the first track or two, and then you can leave that volume fixed for the rest of the soundtrack. I recommend you pick a loud setting, set aside whatever else you’re doing, grab a cold, frosty bottle of kefir, and go ham.
Since I in no way have permission to host this music, I’m only going to keep this entry public for a few days, a little treat for my friends-which falls under the spirit if not necessarily the letter of fair use-and not an official part of the Prelude launch extravaganza. I have no intention of distributing this music more broadly than to the handful of friends who have supported me along this long and curious road. After a few days (probably on Monday), the links will go down. The playlist itself, however, will remain available, as will this entire entry. And, someday, I’ll be able to publish my own, homemade soundtrack.
Speaking of which, I wanted to have some of my own music ready for this occasion, but with everything else going on-not least the Prelude itself-I simply wasn’t able to make it happen.
This Official Unofficial Soundtrack is in chronological order with respect to the story, and you’ll be able to place most of these tracks in the text, because for one thing many of the track titles are drawn from the story text itself. As an ordered list, I recommend you listen to the soundtrack in order! But of course you could always rebel and go straight to the titles that sound most interesting…you filthy rebel scum.
My music choices won’t be entirely foreign to you; you’re almost certain to recognize a number of the tracks. (For one thing, there are three different versions of “The Minstrel Boy.”) Nearly all of my selections have special meanings beyond the way that their moods fits the moods of the parts of the Prelude they represent. Some of this special meaning should be divinable by you, as well as the occasional clever double meaning, and you may derive some satisfaction from puzzling on it.
Enjoy the music! And may your appetites for the Prelude be whetted!
* * *Prelude to After The Hero
The Official Unofficial Soundtrack
Total Running Time: 1:22’38”
01. Prologue
4’55”
At sunset, a land at the edge of the world tells ruin of a great battle.
02. Blessed by the True Goddess
8’03”
The Hero of Davoranj, having failed his sacred task, falls to the stranger Galavar atop his Fortress of Galadrim.
03. Enter Galadrim
1’26”
Under Galavar’s wing, the young mate Benzan journeys through the sprawling fortress, a dream world of subtle wonders not easily apprehended.
04. The Telling Room
2’28”
Galan tradition takes great pride in these rooms, dedicated to storytelling.
05. The Unforgettable Celeste
1’29”
Benzan reflects on the one thing back in his homeland of Ictier that he misses: his bygone lover Celeste.
06. The Swayfire Found Them
1’30”
In a chance encounter with one of his generals, Galavar learns the true depth of his defeat.
07. To Illum
1’36”
The timeless tale of death unfolds in a bloody theater.
08. God Will See You for What You Truly Are
2’34”
Benzan meets the Lesser Eye of Sourros, and beholds the faces of his passions.
09. All Hail DeLatia
2’17”
The great Lilit DeLatia joins Galavar and his Guard at the Western Veranda.
10. What Price Paid We to Do It?
3’19”
As the Vardas Council begins, Galavar takes stock of the ruin to his city and his people.
11. The Will of the Gods
5’50”
Could it be that the God of Logic and Wisdom has betrayed his people? Why didn’t Sourros warn the people of Gala that the Hero was coming?
12. Bloodlust
3’12”
Another Guard of Galavar, Silence Terlais, tells Galavar of her troubles in the wake of the battle.
13. Maybe the Ocean Is Bigger Than Me
5’07”
Galavar and Silence share their thoughts under the starlit, windy sky.
14. Greatest of the Evening Stars
3’12”
Though a mortal mate of flesh and blood, Silence often strikes others as something more.
15. The Vardas Council
10’42”
Surrounded by doom, Galavar and his Guard decide the fate of the world.
16. The Great Orchestra of Galakerr
1’04”
Galavar convenes a great parade, that the wounded people of his city may celebrate their lives and their hopes, in the hour of sorrow.
17. Sword and Harp
1’25”
Galavar makes a speech to the people of his city.
18. Brandelais, the Thirdmost Step
6’21”
As he climbs the tallest tower of Galadrim to mindwash the people of Davoranj, Galavar must traverse three steps before he can pass into the Great Confluence. This step, Brandelais, has little power over him.
19. Lucubrae, the Secondmost Step
2’33”
Galavar climbs the penultimate step, and his travails begin in earnest.
20. Mearulay, the Foremost Step
4’00”
Galavar climbs the final step, and crosses the boundary that leads beyond Relance.
21. I Have Come to Know You
4’42”
Together, Sourros and Galavar reach out to the people of Davoranj-the great mindwashing.
22. Epilogue
4’53”
So begins After The Hero.
Here are the credits. If you want to preserve the surprise, I recommend you don’t read them until after you listen to the soundtrack:
[Soundtrack Credits]
01. Prologue
(“The Minstrel Boy,” Trad., Arr. by Semyon & Daniel Kobialka)
02. Blessed by the True Goddess
(Symphony No. 2 (1st Movement), by Alexander Borodin, Cond. by Piotr Borkowski)
03. Enter Galadrim
(“Prologue,” by Isaac Schankler for Analogue: A Hate Story)
04. The Telling Room
(“Young Master’s Liberty Castle” (“Glorious Island Fortress”), by Miki Higashino et Al. for Suikoden, Arr. by Unknown)
05. The Unforgettable Celeste
(“Spancil Hill,” by Michael Considine, Arr. by Roberto Lorenz)
06. The Swayfire Found Them
(“Malfunction,” by Jerry Goldsmith for Star Trek: The Motion Picture)
07. To Illum
(“Lonely,” by Ron Jones for DuckTales)
08. God Will See You for What You Truly Are
(“Fi’s Theme,” by Hajime Wakai et Al. for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Arr. by Field of Reeds)
09. All Hail DeLatia
(“Roving Report No. 2,” by Jack Trombey for the NFL)
10. What Price Paid We to Do It?
(“Nostalgic Song,” by Yoko Shimomura for Legend of Mana, Arr. by Field of Reeds)
11. The Will of the Gods
(“Tell It by Heart,” by Jami Sieber for Second Sight)
12. Bloodlust
(“The Darkening Ground,” by Jami Sieber for Lush Mechanique)
13. Maybe the Ocean Is Bigger Than Me
(“Clean Soul,” by Kevin MacLeod)
14. Greatest of the Evening Stars
(“Planning the Sneak,” by James Horner for Sneakers)
15. The Vardas Council
(“Elegy for a Ruined World,” by Derek Oren and Jeremy Robson, an arrangement of “Dark World” et Al., by Nobuo Uematsu for Final Fantasy VI)
16. The Great Orchestra of Galakerr
(“Serbia March,” by Joe Hiasishi for Porco Rosso)
17. Sword and Harp
(“The Minstrel Boy,” Trad., Arr. by Celtic Passion; with a metric fuck-ton of editing by me to add the wind (2% of my time) and to edit out the flute’s lethal piercing screeches (98%))
18. Brandelais, the Thirdmost Step
(“A Tea Ballad,” by Unknown)
19. Lucubrae, the Secondmost Step
(“Building Bridges” and “Shock and No Oars,” by John Powell for X-Men: The Last Stand)
20. Mearulay, the Foremost Step
(“Running,” by Cyberdesign, an arrangement of “Ocean Palace” by Yasunori Mitsuda for Chrono Trigger)
21. I Have Come to Know You
(“A Busy Man,” by Jerry Goldsmith for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier)
22. Epilogue
(“The Minstrel Boy,” Trad., Arr. by Brian Williams and Dominik Hauser for Black Hawk Down; BSX Records Version)
I’ve mentioned before that I’m a cinematographic storyteller, and so it’s only fitting that the Prelude, even though it’s a book, should have a soundtrack to accompany the visuals.
A brief update on the Prelude: We’re still on track to publish on Friday, but it could also easily be Saturday or even Sunday. But it will definitely be one of those three days, unless I literally die.
Now, let’s get to the main feature!
I’ve always thought that it’s a little bit goofy to do “unofficial” soundtracks-where you pick other people’s music and hodgepodge it together to form a supposedly unified soundtrack. Essentially it’s a glorified playlist. The effect is highly optimized for the person who makes the list, because of all the extended connotations and emotional evocations that go with the music, and is much less effective for other people due to the soundtrack’s inconsistent internal structure.
That’s an argument for not doing them, yet presumably you’ve read the title to this entry, which raises the question: What happened?
They’re fun, and I am doing something self-indulgent to celebrate the publication of the Prelude. That’s what happened. =] So take this in the light-spirited intent it is offered (although the soundtrack itself is anything but light-spirited).
Here, for a limited time only, you will find all the music directly downloadable. I’m doing it this way rather than linking to the music online because, for the best listening experience, I did some editing on most of the tracks. I decreased the volume on Tracks 4 and 20, increased it on Tracks 2, 6, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 21, and 22, cropped some dead air on Track 1, and did a metric fuck-ton of editing on Track 17. I’ve made it so that you should set a volume that you find sufficiently compelling on the first track or two, and then you can leave that volume fixed for the rest of the soundtrack. I recommend you pick a loud setting, set aside whatever else you’re doing, grab a cold, frosty bottle of kefir, and go ham.
Since I in no way have permission to host this music, I’m only going to keep this entry public for a few days, a little treat for my friends-which falls under the spirit if not necessarily the letter of fair use-and not an official part of the Prelude launch extravaganza. I have no intention of distributing this music more broadly than to the handful of friends who have supported me along this long and curious road. After a few days (probably on Monday), the links will go down. The playlist itself, however, will remain available, as will this entire entry. And, someday, I’ll be able to publish my own, homemade soundtrack.
Speaking of which, I wanted to have some of my own music ready for this occasion, but with everything else going on-not least the Prelude itself-I simply wasn’t able to make it happen.
This Official Unofficial Soundtrack is in chronological order with respect to the story, and you’ll be able to place most of these tracks in the text, because for one thing many of the track titles are drawn from the story text itself. As an ordered list, I recommend you listen to the soundtrack in order! But of course you could always rebel and go straight to the titles that sound most interesting…you filthy rebel scum.
My music choices won’t be entirely foreign to you; you’re almost certain to recognize a number of the tracks. (For one thing, there are three different versions of “The Minstrel Boy.”) Nearly all of my selections have special meanings beyond the way that their moods fits the moods of the parts of the Prelude they represent. Some of this special meaning should be divinable by you, as well as the occasional clever double meaning, and you may derive some satisfaction from puzzling on it.
Enjoy the music! And may your appetites for the Prelude be whetted!
* * *Prelude to After The Hero
The Official Unofficial Soundtrack
Total Running Time: 1:22’38”
01. Prologue
4’55”
At sunset, a land at the edge of the world tells ruin of a great battle.
02. Blessed by the True Goddess
8’03”
The Hero of Davoranj, having failed his sacred task, falls to the stranger Galavar atop his Fortress of Galadrim.
03. Enter Galadrim
1’26”
Under Galavar’s wing, the young mate Benzan journeys through the sprawling fortress, a dream world of subtle wonders not easily apprehended.
04. The Telling Room
2’28”
Galan tradition takes great pride in these rooms, dedicated to storytelling.
05. The Unforgettable Celeste
1’29”
Benzan reflects on the one thing back in his homeland of Ictier that he misses: his bygone lover Celeste.
06. The Swayfire Found Them
1’30”
In a chance encounter with one of his generals, Galavar learns the true depth of his defeat.
07. To Illum
1’36”
The timeless tale of death unfolds in a bloody theater.
08. God Will See You for What You Truly Are
2’34”
Benzan meets the Lesser Eye of Sourros, and beholds the faces of his passions.
09. All Hail DeLatia
2’17”
The great Lilit DeLatia joins Galavar and his Guard at the Western Veranda.
10. What Price Paid We to Do It?
3’19”
As the Vardas Council begins, Galavar takes stock of the ruin to his city and his people.
11. The Will of the Gods
5’50”
Could it be that the God of Logic and Wisdom has betrayed his people? Why didn’t Sourros warn the people of Gala that the Hero was coming?
12. Bloodlust
3’12”
Another Guard of Galavar, Silence Terlais, tells Galavar of her troubles in the wake of the battle.
13. Maybe the Ocean Is Bigger Than Me
5’07”
Galavar and Silence share their thoughts under the starlit, windy sky.
14. Greatest of the Evening Stars
3’12”
Though a mortal mate of flesh and blood, Silence often strikes others as something more.
15. The Vardas Council
10’42”
Surrounded by doom, Galavar and his Guard decide the fate of the world.
16. The Great Orchestra of Galakerr
1’04”
Galavar convenes a great parade, that the wounded people of his city may celebrate their lives and their hopes, in the hour of sorrow.
17. Sword and Harp
1’25”
Galavar makes a speech to the people of his city.
18. Brandelais, the Thirdmost Step
6’21”
As he climbs the tallest tower of Galadrim to mindwash the people of Davoranj, Galavar must traverse three steps before he can pass into the Great Confluence. This step, Brandelais, has little power over him.
19. Lucubrae, the Secondmost Step
2’33”
Galavar climbs the penultimate step, and his travails begin in earnest.
20. Mearulay, the Foremost Step
4’00”
Galavar climbs the final step, and crosses the boundary that leads beyond Relance.
21. I Have Come to Know You
4’42”
Together, Sourros and Galavar reach out to the people of Davoranj-the great mindwashing.
22. Epilogue
4’53”
So begins After The Hero.
Here are the credits. If you want to preserve the surprise, I recommend you don’t read them until after you listen to the soundtrack:
[Soundtrack Credits]
01. Prologue
(“The Minstrel Boy,” Trad., Arr. by Semyon & Daniel Kobialka)
02. Blessed by the True Goddess
(Symphony No. 2 (1st Movement), by Alexander Borodin, Cond. by Piotr Borkowski)
03. Enter Galadrim
(“Prologue,” by Isaac Schankler for Analogue: A Hate Story)
04. The Telling Room
(“Young Master’s Liberty Castle” (“Glorious Island Fortress”), by Miki Higashino et Al. for Suikoden, Arr. by Unknown)
05. The Unforgettable Celeste
(“Spancil Hill,” by Michael Considine, Arr. by Roberto Lorenz)
06. The Swayfire Found Them
(“Malfunction,” by Jerry Goldsmith for Star Trek: The Motion Picture)
07. To Illum
(“Lonely,” by Ron Jones for DuckTales)
08. God Will See You for What You Truly Are
(“Fi’s Theme,” by Hajime Wakai et Al. for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Arr. by Field of Reeds)
09. All Hail DeLatia
(“Roving Report No. 2,” by Jack Trombey for the NFL)
10. What Price Paid We to Do It?
(“Nostalgic Song,” by Yoko Shimomura for Legend of Mana, Arr. by Field of Reeds)
11. The Will of the Gods
(“Tell It by Heart,” by Jami Sieber for Second Sight)
12. Bloodlust
(“The Darkening Ground,” by Jami Sieber for Lush Mechanique)
13. Maybe the Ocean Is Bigger Than Me
(“Clean Soul,” by Kevin MacLeod)
14. Greatest of the Evening Stars
(“Planning the Sneak,” by James Horner for Sneakers)
15. The Vardas Council
(“Elegy for a Ruined World,” by Derek Oren and Jeremy Robson, an arrangement of “Dark World” et Al., by Nobuo Uematsu for Final Fantasy VI)
16. The Great Orchestra of Galakerr
(“Serbia March,” by Joe Hiasishi for Porco Rosso)
17. Sword and Harp
(“The Minstrel Boy,” Trad., Arr. by Celtic Passion; with a metric fuck-ton of editing by me to add the wind (2% of my time) and to edit out the flute’s lethal piercing screeches (98%))
18. Brandelais, the Thirdmost Step
(“A Tea Ballad,” by Unknown)
19. Lucubrae, the Secondmost Step
(“Building Bridges” and “Shock and No Oars,” by John Powell for X-Men: The Last Stand)
20. Mearulay, the Foremost Step
(“Running,” by Cyberdesign, an arrangement of “Ocean Palace” by Yasunori Mitsuda for Chrono Trigger)
21. I Have Come to Know You
(“A Busy Man,” by Jerry Goldsmith for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier)
22. Epilogue
(“The Minstrel Boy,” Trad., Arr. by Brian Williams and Dominik Hauser for Black Hawk Down; BSX Records Version)