Music Cue Spotlight: The Gloves Are Off

Mood/Feel: Action

This cue was heavily inspired by action cues from the Hans Zimmer school of scoring; i.e. work by Zimmer, Henry Jackman, Steve Jablonsky, etc. I started off with a ticking time-bomb effect, one that gives the cue a sense of urgency. It is accented with a single timpani hit on the downbeat, eventually doubling up. Both are accompanied by a single violin, anxiously bowing a tremolo D note. I return to this motif throughout the track.

Soon we dive into a sonic landscape, the foundations of which are a distorted synth bass, recurring snare hits in quarter notes, both of which are driven by layered Japanese taiko drums. I wanted to give this section an extra feeling of rising tension, so I added an ascending synth pitch. Given the heavy percussion during this section, it would be best suited for hand to hand combat, as the drum hits have a very tribal and combative feel.

Next we return to the ticking motif, giving the track a brief rest for dialogue.

Now we find ourselves in a much more musical section. The taiko drums are back, pushing the cue forward, but now they are joined by layers of spiccato strings, giving us a new, adventurous tone. The distorted synth bass returns, this time playing an ascending bass line to better compliment the descending string section. Late in the mix I added an analog synthesizer playing a higher register arpeggiation inspired by Mark Mothersbaugh's excellent work on the Thor: Ragnarok score. Soon the strings are accented by quarter note stings, which are then joined by the returning quarter note snare hits from before. This sections is very big, and suggests an antagonist gaining the upper hand in the fight.

Again we fall back into the ticking motif, though this time it seems to flow in and out of existence, revealing an obscured choir mourning in the distance. This section is yet another break for dialog, though it could also be used for a moment of reflection as the protagonist finds the will to continue.

Now we are back to the distorted bass synth from before, as well as the taiko drums driving the action. After one repetition, a new melody is introduced by the french horns, with the rest of the symphony following suit. This is the most musical and emotional section of the track. With each revolution of the melody, more instruments and octaves are added, and the track builds to a climax, before ending with the same ticking motif that started it all.

I had an immense amount of fun working on this cue. If you think it would be perfect for your project or video, it is still currently for sale. Please contact me via email at guscadle@gmail.com. Serious inquiries only! Until next time!