ReMix: Tyrian 'Composition in Q'
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- Game: Tyrian (Epic Megagames, 1995, DOS)
- ReMixer(s): Disturbed
- Composer(s): Alexander Brandon, Andras Molnar
- Song(s): 'Composition in Q'
- Posted: 2003-04-19, evaluated by the judges
Our first ReMix from the 2D PC shooter Tyrian comes from newcomer Disturbed, and is a very classy acoustic piano arrangement to boot. I had initially attributed this game's soundtrack to Alexander Brandon alone, but the well-known composer of Unreal and Unreal Tournament himself informed us via the review thread for this mix that portions of the Tyrian score, this piece included, were actually composed by Andreas Molnar. So there's some background for ya :) Disturbed has taken the source material and created an emotive, flowing piano arrangement with very subtle string accompaniment. What I specifically enjoyed about this arrangement is that it gets progressively better, with some lovely trills towards the end. There are some peculiar intonations at times, but the whole thing was played live in one take, so intentional or not, the overall performance is impressive. Not your typical shmup music - very dramatic, melancholy, and nostalgic. Perfect for a rainy afternoon, this is highly cinematic and would fit seamlessly into the dramatic tragedy of your choice, during the denouement after we learn of a primary character's death or what not. Unusual source material and a unique, somber, enjoyable ReMix from Disturbed.
Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the Pretty melancholy track with a solo piano and some tasteful backing
strings. The build throughout is gradual but well integrated, and
there is plenty of drama to be had. DJP's description of the track
is pretty much spot on.
If you are looking for a heart-wrenching piano track, look no further.
- OA on December 10, 2009
If you are looking for a heart-wrenching piano track, look no further.
- OA on December 10, 2009
Very cool piano work here. It definately exposes a bit more of the
emotion that was retained in the original. Very accomplished
expansion of the source melody, it's all pretty consistant
arrangement wise.
One thing about the string element, it does its job well and I think the piece benefits from its inclusion, but at times I think it shadows the piano a little too closely. Very minor gripe, and one that I don't even notice during some listenings. Like I said, the benefits outweigh and detractions the strings have.
Another solid piano mix. And here I was thinking that the piano mix was a niche product for an already niche audience. There are a ton of really talented pianists with healthy videogame love. It's a real privelage to be able to share in that love. Keep them coming.
- Marmiduke on April 9, 2009
One thing about the string element, it does its job well and I think the piece benefits from its inclusion, but at times I think it shadows the piano a little too closely. Very minor gripe, and one that I don't even notice during some listenings. Like I said, the benefits outweigh and detractions the strings have.
Another solid piano mix. And here I was thinking that the piano mix was a niche product for an already niche audience. There are a ton of really talented pianists with healthy videogame love. It's a real privelage to be able to share in that love. Keep them coming.
- Marmiduke on April 9, 2009
I agree, the song does evoke emotion, however perhaps around the
2:00 mark of the song the dynamics could have been more. Other than
that, very well arranged. Perhaps one day when I am bored I'll
transcribe the whole thing so I can have the sheet music. Great
mix. Thank you Disturbed for your work.
- Frictional Antidote on September 12, 2006
- Frictional Antidote on September 12, 2006
Hi.
1.)
That is really true.
It seems to be a kind of a phenomenon:
All the current tunes which are in:
[b]Loudness Sound System[/b] ( LDS ) format sound more than decent.
To get more LDS tunes, you can check[b] melcom [/b]'s
chiptunes archive:
http://chiptunes.back2roots.org/
2.)
The file: "[b] music.mus [/b]" inside the [b]Tyrian[/b] directory contains all the [b]Loudness[/b] tunes which are the game music.
If you do not have knowledges in " ripping " or in extracting data from " container files ",
then you can check the [b]Game Extractor[/b]:
http://www.watto.org/extract
It is able to extract files from "[b] music.mus [/b]"
and it is a more than decent JAVA application so that it runs on different operating systems which are able to run JAVA applications.
(e.g. Windows, Linux,...)
Here you can get more information about ripping pictures, sounds, music, etc.
http://www.extractor.ru/download_index.phtml
http://www.xentax.com/
http://wiki.xentax.com
http://www.elberethzone.net
( http://www.elberethzone.net/index.php?page=dup5&language=en )
3.)
I made great efforts to:
figure out and find the creator/builder/author of the [b]Loudness Sound System[/b] ( LDS ) format.
Finally, I found him. :D
Here is the whole story:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~vannevar/tyrian/music.html
Because of "[b]Melcom[/b]", [b]Simon Peter[/b] (author of [b]ADPlug[/b]) and me
know us each other very well,
I sent the LDS player sources[b]*[/b] & docs[b]*[/b]
to [b]Simon[/b] and he converted them to C/C++.
So it was possible to add LDS support to ADPlug in a really fast way.
[b]*[/b]=[b]Andras[/b] was surprised in a very positve way,
when I got in contact with him the first time and when we talked about his really greeeeaaaat format:
[b]Loudness Sound System[/b] ( LDS ).
4.)
[b]Andreas Molnar[/b] did not develop/introduce the LDS format.
His name is: [b]Andras[/b] (without the [b]e[/b])
You can also take google and look for "[b]Andrew Miller[/b]".
5.)
Short time ago,
I heard that the [b]Loudness Sound System[/b] format ( LDS ) was also used in
(DOS) executables on different
PC magazines CDs
On these CDs, the executables start a menue that displays screenshots and descriptions of the CD content (in high resolution SVGA Vesa/VBE mode).
e.g. "PC Games" (in Germany)
Now, I am looking for persons who have got "PC Games" CDs
and I am looking for more (re)sources which use the Loudness Sound System.
6.)
If you have any question about:
+ Loudness (no requests about sources/documents), Andras, Chip tunes, Adlib, etc.
+ "How to record MIDI signals/data to a Midi file again?"
(e.g. ripping MIDI data from any certain game was not possible)
or, ...
then just ask the question here or get in contact with me (via eMail or private message or ICQ).
[b]@Alex (Alexander Brandon)[/b]
Long time ago I prepared a
"Loudness Sound System misc files" -archive
which contains misc stuff about the [b]Loudness Sound System[/b] format.
(e.g. unpublished Loudness tunes,
screenshots from games where you can see the [b]Loudness[/b] string in the credits,
etc...).
Because of Andras lost some files (LDS project files, Loudness tunes, documents, etc...),
I would like to know if you still have [b]Loudness[/b] related stuff?
- Borg Number One on May 30, 2005
AlexBrandon wrote: This is definitely a cool remix. I had no idea Tyrian's music would be taken to this kind of level.
Having said that, Composition in Q was actually written by Andreas Molnar. Andreas deserves a lot of credit for a number of pieces in Tyrian. Granted, I didn't exactly hire him for them, but he programmed the "Loudness" sound system, which in its day was the best AdLib system ever created, turning standard AdLib instruments into full blow DX7 synth sounding ones. He even converted a MOD I made (for the return to Savara level) into that format, so the guy definitely pulled his weight and his tunes made for excellent contributions.
So thanks, Disturbed, for a job well done and keeping the Tyrian flame alive!
1.)
That is really true.
It seems to be a kind of a phenomenon:
All the current tunes which are in:
[b]Loudness Sound System[/b] ( LDS ) format sound more than decent.
To get more LDS tunes, you can check[b] melcom [/b]'s
chiptunes archive:
http://chiptunes.back2roots.org/
2.)
The file: "[b] music.mus [/b]" inside the [b]Tyrian[/b] directory contains all the [b]Loudness[/b] tunes which are the game music.
If you do not have knowledges in " ripping " or in extracting data from " container files ",
then you can check the [b]Game Extractor[/b]:
http://www.watto.org/extract
It is able to extract files from "[b] music.mus [/b]"
and it is a more than decent JAVA application so that it runs on different operating systems which are able to run JAVA applications.
(e.g. Windows, Linux,...)
Here you can get more information about ripping pictures, sounds, music, etc.
http://www.extractor.ru/download_index.phtml
http://www.xentax.com/
http://wiki.xentax.com
http://www.elberethzone.net
( http://www.elberethzone.net/index.php?page=dup5&language=en )
3.)
I made great efforts to:
figure out and find the creator/builder/author of the [b]Loudness Sound System[/b] ( LDS ) format.
Finally, I found him. :D
Here is the whole story:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~vannevar/tyrian/music.html
vannevar wrote:
You can also use the old RDosPlay program to listen to the LDS files. It was written by Roman Dolejsi who was located and contacted by Borg Number One. Roman had lost the sources to RDosPlay but he told Borg Number One that Andras Molnar (the original author of the Loudness Sound System) lived in Germany so Borg spent almost three years searching for him. Andras was able to supply his source code which Borg Number One passed on to Simon Peter who used them to add LDS support to AdPlug.
That effort is why we are now able to enjoy Tyrian's music in this format so thanks go to Borg Number One and Simon Peter for their hard work.
Because of "[b]Melcom[/b]", [b]Simon Peter[/b] (author of [b]ADPlug[/b]) and me
know us each other very well,
I sent the LDS player sources[b]*[/b] & docs[b]*[/b]
to [b]Simon[/b] and he converted them to C/C++.
So it was possible to add LDS support to ADPlug in a really fast way.
[b]*[/b]=[b]Andras[/b] was surprised in a very positve way,
when I got in contact with him the first time and when we talked about his really greeeeaaaat format:
[b]Loudness Sound System[/b] ( LDS ).
4.)
[b]Andreas Molnar[/b] did not develop/introduce the LDS format.
His name is: [b]Andras[/b] (without the [b]e[/b])
You can also take google and look for "[b]Andrew Miller[/b]".
5.)
Short time ago,
I heard that the [b]Loudness Sound System[/b] format ( LDS ) was also used in
(DOS) executables on different
PC magazines CDs
On these CDs, the executables start a menue that displays screenshots and descriptions of the CD content (in high resolution SVGA Vesa/VBE mode).
e.g. "PC Games" (in Germany)
Now, I am looking for persons who have got "PC Games" CDs
and I am looking for more (re)sources which use the Loudness Sound System.
6.)
If you have any question about:
+ Loudness (no requests about sources/documents), Andras, Chip tunes, Adlib, etc.
+ "How to record MIDI signals/data to a Midi file again?"
(e.g. ripping MIDI data from any certain game was not possible)
or, ...
then just ask the question here or get in contact with me (via eMail or private message or ICQ).
[b]@Alex (Alexander Brandon)[/b]
Long time ago I prepared a
"Loudness Sound System misc files" -archive
which contains misc stuff about the [b]Loudness Sound System[/b] format.
(e.g. unpublished Loudness tunes,
screenshots from games where you can see the [b]Loudness[/b] string in the credits,
etc...).
Because of Andras lost some files (LDS project files, Loudness tunes, documents, etc...),
I would like to know if you still have [b]Loudness[/b] related stuff?
- Borg Number One on May 30, 2005
Um, the original composers of the piece aren't gonna be checking a
review thread on a remix site. You might just as well go to a forum
discussion thread about Mario and post open questions to Miyamoto.
- damathacus on May 23, 2005
- damathacus on May 23, 2005
Alex Brandon -- Did you write "Rock Garden" and "Sarah's
Song"?
Those two were some of the best pieces of music I've ever heard, and I actually have a plugin for my winamp to play the Loudness sound system (.lds) files in all their glory.
I also converted a few to .mp3 and have them on my mp3 player.
Thanks for the great music for one of my favorite games ever.
- KirbySSB on May 23, 2005
Those two were some of the best pieces of music I've ever heard, and I actually have a plugin for my winamp to play the Loudness sound system (.lds) files in all their glory.
I also converted a few to .mp3 and have them on my mp3 player.
Thanks for the great music for one of my favorite games ever.
- KirbySSB on May 23, 2005
Great to see game composers themselves chiming in on ReMixes,
especially when they're correcting inaccurate information - thanks
for the update and for making some kickass music: I've played the
Unreal and UT series extensively and loved everything I've heard,
as have many I've spoken with. I've added Andreas' name to the
credits list for the game and will fix the write-up as well.
- djpretzel on January 21, 2005
- djpretzel on January 21, 2005
This is definitely a cool remix. I had no idea Tyrian's music would
be taken to this kind of level.
Having said that, Composition in Q was actually written by Andreas Molnar. Andreas deserves a lot of credit for a number of pieces in Tyrian. Granted, I didn't exactly hire him for them, but he programmed the "Loudness" sound system, which in its day was the best AdLib system ever created, turning standard AdLib instruments into full blow DX7 synth sounding ones. He even converted a MOD I made (for the return to Savara level) into that format, so the guy definitely pulled his weight and his tunes made for excellent contributions.
So thanks, Disturbed, for a job well done and keeping the Tyrian flame alive!
- AlexBrandon on January 15, 2005
Having said that, Composition in Q was actually written by Andreas Molnar. Andreas deserves a lot of credit for a number of pieces in Tyrian. Granted, I didn't exactly hire him for them, but he programmed the "Loudness" sound system, which in its day was the best AdLib system ever created, turning standard AdLib instruments into full blow DX7 synth sounding ones. He even converted a MOD I made (for the return to Savara level) into that format, so the guy definitely pulled his weight and his tunes made for excellent contributions.
So thanks, Disturbed, for a job well done and keeping the Tyrian flame alive!
- AlexBrandon on January 15, 2005
This was played after chapter 4 when Trent was talking about how
all of Savara would worship him, and that he didn't want it.
- KirbySSB on December 9, 2004
- KirbySSB on December 9, 2004
Once I get an award pic made I'm gonna give this work the honor of
'amongst the most listened-to of OC Remixes' (something like
that).
This reminds me of when I used to bike to my old friend's place up the hill past the neighborhood and school. It was a time when P 133's were out, my friend had a Cyrix and AOL. He downloaded Tyrian off of the user files they had back then.
And Tyrian was discovered.
Though it was a demo, all the music was there, and I remember hearing this amongst the ST. It was the most played game the two of us had. Great shooter, good music.
Don't know how my friend is doing nowdays, hopefully he's found this site by now.
Good remix. Brings back memories.
- V. Celestine on June 23, 2003
This reminds me of when I used to bike to my old friend's place up the hill past the neighborhood and school. It was a time when P 133's were out, my friend had a Cyrix and AOL. He downloaded Tyrian off of the user files they had back then.
And Tyrian was discovered.
Though it was a demo, all the music was there, and I remember hearing this amongst the ST. It was the most played game the two of us had. Great shooter, good music.
Don't know how my friend is doing nowdays, hopefully he's found this site by now.
Good remix. Brings back memories.
- V. Celestine on June 23, 2003
All I have to say is that this is a fantastic mood piece. Thank you
for your excellent work.
- Night10194 on May 22, 2003
- Night10194 on May 22, 2003
Woohoo! First Review, but I've burnt four or five CD's off this
site so far. I really have to say that this song is excellent.
Personally, I listen to almost every kind of music, but I have a
soft spot for classical. This song sounds like it's actually done
on a piano, excellent. This mix is very emotional, it made me want
to cry when I first heard it. The key trills were used in a perfect
way. Not overused, but inserted at the perfect locations. A nice
touch is the fact that it speeds up and slows down, it feels like
it's constantly building. I highly recommend this mix.
- Ax on May 21, 2003
- Ax on May 21, 2003
Thoroughly impressive. Mood and musicality are spot-on, and I
didn't hear any major flaws with anything else. I noticed the spots
djpretzel called "peculiar intonations." It only pops up two or
three times though... not a big deal. It happens in this style of
music just owing to the nature of things.
- fisherman on May 9, 2003
- fisherman on May 9, 2003
Haha! I've always loved this game, I remember the good old days
when me and my big bro played games like this on our "computer"
hehe, I love the game and it's so nostalgic for me, so is this
remix. this remix is really awesome. though our first computer only
had PC speaker and wern't able to play the music, I've played the
game later and heard the music. the music from the game is great, I
think, and this remix really is fantastic!
I can highly recommend this remix... AND this remixer. if you see any of Disturbeds other msuic coming up here, I recommend that you listen to it.
I've just checked his webpage, and heard some of his other music there,
it's awesome. I suggest that you check out his webpage. the link is a little above this post... oh well, I'll post it here again:
http://www.lysis.audio-stream.net/disturbed/
phew...
anyways, I'll give this remix :nicework::nicework::nicework::nicework::nicework: out of 5 nicework guys.
- Akuen on April 29, 2003
I can highly recommend this remix... AND this remixer. if you see any of Disturbeds other msuic coming up here, I recommend that you listen to it.
I've just checked his webpage, and heard some of his other music there,
it's awesome. I suggest that you check out his webpage. the link is a little above this post... oh well, I'll post it here again:
http://www.lysis.audio-stream.net/disturbed/
phew...
anyways, I'll give this remix :nicework::nicework::nicework::nicework::nicework: out of 5 nicework guys.
- Akuen on April 29, 2003
