The Mask of the Elven King

Full Band

After the success of Mystic Gate, I wanted to write another videogame suite. I started this in the summer of 2005 and haven't worked on it much since the winter following, so movements will come up as I write them, eventually. This "game" is more like Secret of Mana, or even Zelda, than like Chrono Trigger, and the name comes from Alex Ellis, who came up with it when I saw him on the street. The four-note fanfare-like theme at the beginning of the overture (II) is based on the melody that came through my head when I was reading the name of the creator god, Iluvatar, in the Silmarillion. The movements this time are more terrain-based.

Listen to The Mask of the Elven King - I - Introduction (right-click to download)
Listen to The Mask of the Elven King - II - Overture (right-click to download)
Listen to The Mask of the Elven King - III - Forest (right-click to download)
Listen to The Mask of the Elven King - IV - Cavern (right-click to download)
Listen to The Mask of the Elven King - IV - Mountain (right-click to download)
Listen to The Mask of the Elven King - IV - The Earth Shard (right-click to download)

Mystic Gate Suite

Full Band

This was my first "long" composition project -- it's twenty-five minutes long, with twelve or so movements, depending on how you count them. It is a suite from the game "Mystic Gate", which has not ever nor will ever be written (at least not to my knowledge). Think of it as a symphonic version of the soundtrack. It contains many musical scenes from the game, an SNES RPG like Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy III/6j, and somewhere or another there is a gate which is closed after the final boss. This is all in the "program". Of course, this is not actually an SNES RPG soundtrack; it's a long work native for band. But it's cool. You can also pick out influences, if you're clever -- In Town sounds not unlike a Japanese march, more specifically one of the town themes from FF8, and if the waltz in the Finale resembles the Waltz to the Moon, also from FF8, that is no coincidence. Danger and Battle may remind you of FF5, perhaps, and the Fanfare may remind you of Donkey Kong Country, which is where I got the idea to even have a fanfare (like the blinking Nintendo logo in Mario games). And that little clarinet and flute run in the Overture is very... videogamey, no? The drums in the Battle? Enjoy; I worked my ass off for this one.

Remember, of course, that this is a crappy "recording", so the balance will be off, crescendi and diminuendi won't sound right, and that weird-sounding strident modified English horn is actually a soprano saxophone (damn Kontakt Player for not including one).

Listen to Mystic Gate Suite - I - Fanfare (right-click to download)
Listen to Mystic Gate Suite - II - Overture (right-click to download)
Listen to Mystic Gate Suite - III - Danger! (right-click to download)
Listen to Mystic Gate Suite - IV - In Town (right-click to download)
Listen to Mystic Gate Suite - V - Love (right-click to download)
Listen to Mystic Gate Suite - VI - Battle (right-click to download)
Listen to Mystic Gate Suite - VII - Dungeon (right-click to download)
Listen to Mystic Gate Suite - VIII - Overworld (right-click to download)
Listen to Mystic Gate Suite - IX - Dark Tower (right-click to download)
Listen to Mystic Gate Suite - X - Final Battle (right-click to download)
Listen to Mystic Gate Suite - XIa - Finale (right-click to download)
Listen to Mystic Gate Suite - XIb - Credits (right-click to download)