Metroid Prime Orchestrated - Tallon Overworld (Patreon)

The instance this theme plays when Samus lands on the planet really establishes the grand exploration the player is about to embark on. While the track is for the Tallon region, the theme is also used in the beginning of the NES Metroid and Super Metroid. As a result I interpret this as also a characterization of Samus Aran. Arrangement-wise, this is the first Sci-Fi music I've attempted, so it was also a learning experience for me.

The original track also includes some great atmospheric sounds fused into the music, which I did not try to emulate, so therefore ignored. As part of my challenge, I wanted to use only traditional orchestral instruments and play them normally to see if I could pull off the sci-fi mood. This is in part inspired by John Williams' purely orchestral Star Wars score, and Hans Zimmer's Inception/Interstellar. In an interview for Inception, Hans stated he wanted to use real instruments with minimal processing. Instead, he instructed the strings section to try to play the music in a "synthesized" way. What I did was keep the articulation of my instruments as flat as possible. I kept the original Tallon Overworld track's use of long harmonic chords, but to keep it from sounding boring and hollow, I faded in many other instruments in and out to add more texture. These include the horns, tremolo strings, clarinet, vocals, and the organ (Which sounds like more Interstellar copying, but the original track also has organs, so I'm good!).

All of this adds up to a piece that celebrates Samus' resourcefulness, adventurous spirit, and graceful movements.