Reference Tracks
Wind howls, water rages, chaos reigns. Dark skies split by lightning's flash. I tremble, yet I cannot look away.Brutal, destructive—and beautiful. This storm demands respect. It demands surrender. It demands reverence.
Reverent Nature
A Short Poem by Pat Nelson
Wind howls, water rages, chaos reigns. Dark skies split by lightning's flash. I tremble, yet I cannot look away.Brutal, destructive—and beautiful. This storm demands respect. It demands surrender. It demands reverence.
Four incredible compositions are inspiring the mood for project storm.
- Can You Hear the Music by Ludwig Göransson from Oppenheimer
- Leaving Caladan by Hans Zimmer from Dune
- Sea Wall by Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch from Bladerunner 2049
- Bridge of Death by Hildur Guõnadóttir from Chernobyl
I’ve listened to these songs on repeat for days, and as I hear and perceive similarities, unique sounds, or techniques, I’m jotting them down to help guide my writing. I then distilled these notes into five key writing principles that I’m taking away from these pieces:
- Shimmering Sirens: chromatic shifts that pan from side to side across multiple octaves. Layered sirens with brass and synthesizers can create a dis-utopian feel
- Booming Percussion: bass drums, anvils, things that clash and clang. These provide ambient noise, but also help propel the pieces forward adding momentum.
- Distorted synths are your friend: crunchy and powerful can still be beautiful. Layered synths together - pad, lead, strings - can really bring some depth to the soundscape
- Ambient reverb breakdowns: provides a breath of fresh air (can support the “clearing” moments for Project Storm)
- Repetition & Heartbeat: consistent ostinatos and repeated sounds give way to a grounding rhythmic (and sometime melodic) heartbeat. This allows the listener to feel a sense of connection despite the chaos happening around them.
The goal of this is not imitation, but an understanding of what sounds will help reinforce the narrative. I won’t go back and listen to these songs now that I have my principles locked in, but I invite you to listen to what I’ve been listening to and begin to journey with me on how this piece will sound.
Listen to my curated playlist that's been inspiring Project Storm.
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