My love for Two Steps From Hell and the epic music

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RedRogue
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My love for Two Steps From Hell and the epic music

Post by RedRogue »

For at least a few years now, trailer music has been making waves. One particular group of music that is considered to be the most characteristic of this trend is the so-called epic music. This is a conventional term for solemn orchestral music, usually full of choirs, which is intended to significantly increase the emotional layer of advertising material. Of course, creators experiment with genres, conventions, but this is the scheme is considered the most typical. When talking about trailer music, most people will think of this group, and this is what I was guided by when naming this entry. Keep in mind, however, that the sound layer of a trailer can also be a simple song played on the radio every day.

I think my interest began in a fairly standard way. I've always liked watching solemn and battle moments in movies, games. After some time my attention started to be drawn by their main ingredient, the music. I began to be fascinated by soundtracks, especially epic or battle songs. As the internet grew, trailers became more and more recognizable, intrigued by a trailer, I found out about the existence of Two Steps From Hell and so it began. I think that most people who listen to trailer music first became interested in film soundtracks.

The label was founded in February 2006 by Nick Phoenix and Thomas J. Bergersen and is currently based in Los Angeles, USA. The most interesting thing in its history is that at first, it did not release officially, i.e. it did not allow the public to listen to its tracks. As it happens in such cases, some clients posted TSFH's works on the Internet. It would seem to be a trivial matter, some tracks from a new studio. But it turned out differently. The albums, among them the excellent Nemesis and Dynasty, gained more and more popularity, passed from side to side, from person to person. I won't hide that I got to know the label thanks to listening to tracks uploaded on Youtube by some pirate. After much pressure from fans and the success of the competition with the official album, the studio broke through, releasing a compilation of the best tracks in 2010. The Invincible album was a success and caused TSFH to release and have plans for more compilations. So, perversely, it could be said that fan-pirates have contributed to the success of the young studio, which is now a well-known and respected name on the market.

TSFH songs are used in a significant number of movie and game trailers. I will limit myself to giving a few examples. From the cinematography: The Dark Knight, Avengers, This Is Not a Country for Old Men, Prometheus. I think, however, that it will be more interesting to use it in-game trailers. I especially remember a wonderful piece of music Protectors of Earth used in the advertisement for Mass Effect 3. Brilliant song and an excellent trailer, in my opinion, the best in 2012.

A few well-known labels are focusing on trailer music such as Immediate Music, X-Ray Dog, Future World Music, Brand X Music. I decided to feature TSFH for a few reasons. I like the music of this label the most. Also, its style seems to me to be the closest to the essence and typical take on epic music. The company continues to gain more and more fame, so you may hear about it more than once. I've included sample tracks in the post. Pay attention to them. Great tempo, extended, sometimes even fancifully wild percussion sections, properly used choruses. You can close your eyes, listen to the music and imaginatively see yourself on a battlefield, or top of a mountain like in Caspar David Friedrich's Wanderer on a Sea of Fog. More importantly, TSFH's output is not limited to typical epic music. The label has released several albums with slightly different stylistics, including comedy and horror, but it should be noted that solemn pieces make up the vast majority of their works.
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