Reference Tracks

Reverent Nature

A Short Poem by Pat Nelson

Wind howls, water rages, chaos reigns. Dark skies split by lightning's flash. I tremble, yet I cannot look away.Brutal, destructive—and beautiful. This storm demands respect. It demands surrender. It demands reverence.

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Four incredible compositions are inspiring the mood for project storm.

1. Can You Hear the Music by Ludwig Göransson from Oppenheimer
2. Leaving Caladan by Hans Zimmer from* Dune*
3. *Sea Wall *by Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch from Bladerunner 2049
4. Bridge of Death by Hildur Guõnadóttir from Chernobyl

I’ve listened to these songs on repeat for days, and as I hear and perceive similarities, unique sounds, or techniques, I’m jotting them down to help guide my writing. I then distilled these notes into five key writing principles that I’m taking away from these pieces:

1. Shimmering Sirens: chromatic shifts that pan from side to side across multiple octaves. Layered sirens with brass and synthesizers can create a dis-utopian feel
2. Booming Percussion: bass drums, anvils, things that clash and clang. These provide ambient noise, but also help propel the pieces forward adding momentum.
3. Distorted synths are your friend: crunchy and powerful can still be beautiful. Layered synths together - pad, lead, strings - can really bring some depth to the soundscape
4. Ambient reverb breakdowns: provides a breath of fresh air (can support the “clearing” moments for Project Storm)
5. Repetition & Heartbeat: consistent ostinatos and repeated sounds give way to a grounding rhythmic (and sometime melodic) heartbeat. This allows the listener to feel a sense of connection despite the chaos happening around them.

The goal of this is not imitation, but an understanding of what sounds will help reinforce the narrative. I won’t go back and listen to these songs now that I have my principles locked in, but I invite you to listen to what I’ve been listening to and begin to journey with me on how this piece will sound.

Project Storm