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Music Cue Spotlight: Into the Villain's Lair

Updated: Jun 11, 2018



Mood/Feel: Dark/Suspenseful


Composer's Notes: My intention with this cue was to create a theme for an intriguing villain, one that was as regal as it was menacing. Often in big, blockbuster films and video games, there is always that moment where the protagonist is captured and brought before said villain, usually in some type of great temple or underground lair (Star Wars, James Bond, Marvel, etc).


We begin with a pounding rhythm from layered Japanese taiko drums, punctuated by intermittent male chants to give the cue an underground, dark tribal feel. Underneath resonates a pulsating synthesizer which provides us with the foundation of our bass line moving forward. To announce the second repetition of this phrase, I used open orchestral cymbal hits on beats one and four, followed by an opening salvo from a distorted synth pad which paves the way for a reverse cymbal to pull us into the full motif.


In the main section of this cue, our main melody is triumphantly sounded by french horns and trumpets, while a string ostinato churns underneath. The same beat from before is continued by the taiko drums, but now throughout each quarter note keeps time with the click of ambient sticks, and the second half of each repetition is ended with three stick strikes. Soaring above it all, the distorted synth mirrors a villains fall from grace with a melody that, at first, attempts to climb higher with a perfect 5th, but immediately afterward descends, finally resolving into the cue's final, chilling chord.


Another reverse cymbal pulls us into a third section, this time leaving behind only the main driving rhythm of the taiko drums and sticks, as well as the breathing strings, but adding extra percussive hits, while the distorted synth fades high above.




 
 
 

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