Final Battle Song
Marziabo Frechette
I was watching Star Trek Beyond the other day, and couldn't help but notice that the song that plays during the final space battle, sounds exactly like the song playing during the car chase and crash sequence with young Kirk in Star Trek from 2009.
It was creators' choice to include this song in the Star Trek Beyond. Other songs have also been considered, for example from Creedence Clearwater Revival, proposed by the director, Justin Lin. (emphasis mine):
The System, also called Battle Song, is a program that Sages use to install towards potential sage candidates, with the purpose of eventually leading them to become completed Sages. Aside from the manual installation, it is something that everyone within the world of Instant Death has since their birth (but not used for lack of knowledge) thus becoming the main source of Energy/Magic. The status displayed by The System shows the character's level and abilities.
One's level represents the aggregate amount of energy one's existence holds. That energy is necessary whenever one tries to make use of the system, and absorbed when killing a being that also has the system installed in them. As such, in order to quickly raise one's level it is necessary to kill as strong as possible enemies at an as fast as possible rate.[1]
The System can either grant new abilities or awaken previously hidden powers of the user. The system gives random powers to its users, it could vary from useful and powerful abilities to weak and useless ones.
As it was designed for battle, just by having it installed one's readiness to fight increases, one's fear of death decreases and one's aversion to manslaughter is numbed[2]. Furthermore, those who have the system installed can resist instant death magic as long as they are stronger than the user.[3]
Sages manipulate the System and its abilities at its core, being the most proficient users of it, in addition of being able to completely disable the system abilities from sage candidates at will. Additionally, as they are existences most suitable for Battle Song, they acquire unique abilities that only Sages are able to have it, such as:
The composer, truesailorcomet, proposed a lot of songs for "Daughter of Discord." They were great ideas, but unfortunately due to pacing and time constraints, they could not all fit into the story. They could not all fit into the story. This song, however, was one I immediately fell in love with! True had even put in some ideas for lyrics (such as "I loved you but you tossed me away") and I filled in the blanks. Usually, I propose a melody and True cleans it up a bit, but this melody was all True. Honestly, I think of all the songs we've, this is the best example of our collaboration.
The Japanese Army in Southern Yunnan was at risk of being cut off by advancing British and American troops in Northern Burma. The Japanese Army aimed to block the highway for as long as possible. Constructing a series of tunnels and bunkers over a static two-year period they turned the mountain and its immediate environs into a fortress. Songshan (in Chinese) Matsuyama (in Japanese) blocked the road immediately behind the Salween River. Although the Chinese Nationalist Army crossed the river with light casualties and surrounded the Japanese garrison, they found that their offensive capability was limited because of this garrison behind their line of advance.
The Chinese forces were unaware of the depth of the Japanese defences, and their underestimation led to heavy casualties through a slow and cautious campaign. Chinese artillery strikes and US bombing runs had little effect against Japanese forces underground. Japan also set up a series of hidden pillboxes to ambush the Chinese forces.
After three months of battle, the Chinese forces finally retook Mount Song through the use of extended bombardment and an overabundance of US aid and training, as well as several tons of U.S. TNT placed in tunnels beneath the fortifications.[4] Once open the Burma Road could be used to supply China with aid via a land route.
The Japanese listed only one survivor, Captain Kinoshita, an artillery officer and one other soldier ordered out to communicate to the Japanese high command the night before the fall of the outpost, with apparently one other soldier. Chinese sources say 7 soldiers were captured out of the total garrison, Japanese sources do not mention prisoners.
Upon the exhortations of Senior Staff Officer Masanobu Tsuji, a comfort station was established in early 1944.About 12 Japanese comfort women killed themselves towards the end of the siege after fighting alongside the Japanese garrison. Another five or six Korean comfort women were captured by Chinese and US forces and eventually repatriated.[5]
Although defeated, the small Japanese force, unsupplied and lacking air power or heavy artillery, held up the entire Chinese Expeditionary Army for over three months considerably lengthening the war in Burma.[6]
Battlesong is a short work for young concert band that uses aggressive motivic development and percussion writing to creating a feeling of relentless force. I wrote Battlesong to try to create a fun piece for younger bands that would keep them entertained and interested in what they were doing. In my opinion, most young band music is just the pits. Easier does not have to be boring.
"Last Notes of the Battle Song" is a song composed by Shigeki Hayashi, with lyrics and vocals by Aimee Blackschleger.
It is used as battle theme for fights with Parallel Time Layers bosses throughout The Apex of Logic and Cardinal Scales Mythos.
Putting this here in the forums to which I'll link to from various groups. Forgive the spam.
I'd say I'm pretty experienced in this area. I've created innumerable battle themes, mostly in the style of the Pokemon games. Still, I believe this tutorial to be useful for any battle theme. The main part to pay attention to is step 2: form. The other steps are auxiliary and particular to me, though it may be useful to some.
1) Create a new score. This will be your draft - title it as such. You'll want to choose "Choose instruments" and two grand pianos for your instrumentation (consider also choosing a different set of dual-staff instruments - one of my favorites is the square synthesizer). This allows you to create a melody, bassline, and harmony, and leaves room for jotting down embellishments and/or accompianment. Also feel free to add any instruments you feel are essential to the sound of the battle theme (e.g. slap bass, percussion). Choose any key, time signature, tempo. I'll be going with 4/4 at a fast tempo in my example, which is pretty standard for Pokemon. Most will also go with a minor key, but for the sake of applicability I'll use a major key.
2) First let's go over structure. Structure is quite important for...well, every piece of music. Even lack of. For a standard Pokemon battle theme, there's usually a transition from the overworld (T) (dedeledeledeledele) into a strong statement (A), usually in a classic dotted-quarter dotted-quarter quarter note pattern (see every battle theme in Hoenn). It may or may not be in the home key. It also may or may not be the "main theme" of the piece. It may not even exist at all - just go straight into the loop from the transition. It's your decision. This goes on for about 8 measures after which the loop starts. Here comes the (B) section, and it should be quite memorable. This is the theme that will be repeated at least once before changing tack. The (C) section is literally anything, be it elaborating on existing material, referencing material out of scope, creating an all new theme, or just going ham with the instruments. This is the most "tense" part of the battle theme. Then an optional (D) section, which can either be original or a restatement of the (A) or (B) themes - the "release" - which leads back into the loop.
If you got all of that, let's continue. If not, no worries, you really don't have to know it, especially since this is only an observation of Pokemon battles.
3) Right, we have our score open. There are infinite ways to start composing: intro first? A section? Bassline? Melody? It's up to you. But for the sake of simplicity (and the tutorial) I'll just say: start at the beginning with (T). You can always change it later. Anything will do, so long as it leads logically into the next note. Length of transition should scale with importance of fight, imo.
4) Next is thinking of a melody. I'll have it be the major theme of the piece, though you don't have to follow. Something simple, not too active - you probably want to save the excitement for later. Note: I can't tell you how to write a melody. That is something you'll have to get a feel for on your own.
Yes...seems like I'm going the four chords route. But that's how the cookie crumbles. No matter, we can expand on it later down the line.
You may also want to have some sort of motif here, right before the start of the loop - like a percussion break or something, a few extra measures. Helps the song lead back into itself later down the line.
5) Once you've done that, you can either a) think of a bassline, something that will set the tone for the rest of the piece, or b) keep going with the melody. I think I'll try for a bassline. With Pokemon, for the classic feel, you'll want some eighth-note fourth or fifth vamps. You know what I mean. But more recent titles (and most other battle themes) eschew such simplicity in favor of something catchier.
Simple, yes. And no, I'm not going to resolve it just yet.
6) Here, place a left repeat sign - the loop starts. The (B) section. Use your compositional skills to think of something that will stick in the player's mind. Restate it, changing it slightly. It'll be the rhythmic and melodic basis of the entire rest of the piece. And then assign a bassline and/or accompianment to that.
Woah, I kinda went ham there. The main thing to note is that I really hammer in that theme, as well as the rhythm. Also remember that what sounds good on piano may not sound as good on other instruments - and, likewise, if something sounds off on pianos only it may not sound as bad when fully instrumentated.
And to get into the next section, it would be prudent to have a transition, easing the listener in using the theme you've now developed. Try a key change, or a new rhythym, which the new section will carry over.
Alternatively, you can have this transition be a period of rest, the calm before the storm. A build-up to the next section. It's very important in a battle theme to not have a constant barrage of chaos. Have some moments of...contemplation.