Chronicles of Empire - soundtrack music

[Brian G Turner]

During the late 1990's I composed a soundtrack album for Chronicles of Empire - Gathering.

I'm not going to claim it's any good - I don't know music theory and I tend to compose by playing with one finger.

However, I always hear music, and this was something that possessed me for some time.

Around the year 2001 I recorded the instrument layers and had them mixed by a cheap local recording studio (paid for by the Job Centre!).

There were originally 14 tracks on the album, but the ones I've put online are the only ones I think are still passable. Not sure the streaming quality will do them any favours, though.

However, if there ever proves to be further interest in these, I can always get them re-recorded, mixed, and mastered professionally, and put up additional tracks I've also composed for the rest of the series.

Until then, I've put them up on Soundcloud as something of a curiosity:

Chronicles of Empire - Gathering (Soundtrack)

(I've also put a couple of other things up on my Soundcloud page, too: Brian G Turner)

 

[Brian G Turner]

Just as an addendum to this, in 2001 I was long-term unemployed with little chance of coming off benefits, which wasn't good with a family of four.

However, that year I also discovered mp3.com, which not only allowed independent artists to put their music online - they also got a share of the advertising revenue on the site, which could be substantial.

So I persuaded the Job Centre that I was going self-employed to chase the opportunity, and was able to persuade them to stump up £200 to record the music at a local studio, as part of a "tools allowance".

In September 2001 I put my music up on mp3.com, and immediately got a string of No.1s across the soundtrack subgenres. One track, Lion Inn, got to No.2 in the Classical Music chart.

I earned £200 that month through mp3.com's revenue share, and reinvested it into advertising on mp3.com.

And then, at the end of that month, Vivendi - the owner of Universal - completed their takeover of the website and killed it, first by slashing royalties to around 10% of previous values, making it no longer possible to earn a significant income. Not long afterward, Vivendi stopped paying royalties entirely:
MP3.com - Wikipedia

When the chrons forums were first set up, I had some CD's printed and sent them out via a giveaway competition. However, as it become increasingly obvious that my writing wasn't going anywhere fast, I put the music aside to gather dust.

A couple of years ago I did go to another studio to explore re-recording them, but it would take a substantial amount of work and I decided I needed to focus solely on the writing.

I've always wanted to record Imperiatrix Majestica with a full orchestra - and the full choir that was always intended for the second half of that track. Maybe I'll record some of my other music first, and build up to that.

 

[Gonk the Insane]

However, if there ever proves to be further interest in these, I can always get them re-recorded, mixed, and mastered professionally, and put up additional tracks I've also composed for the rest of the series.

Well, I really enjoyed the tracks. Tuneful, pleasant, and a good soundtrack.

I tend to compose by playing with one finger.

That makes it more impressive. The sound quality was a little low, I thought, but the structure and melody of the tunes were well-crafted with a medieval flavour to them (which I assume is what you intended).

I don't know music theory

Not necessarily a bad thing. That way lies madness (and jazz). I've forgotten a ton of theory, but classmates told me everything I did sounded like a 1970s Swedish adult movie soundtrack (and no, I never did ask how they were so knowledgeable about such things). So, you know,theory doesn't always help

Maybe I'll record some of my other music first, and build up to that.

With tunes like that, it would be a shame if you stopped, but it's hard finding the time (and time-consuming too). Still, I think if you can find the time then a) I'd certainly want to hear more, and b) I think it's very indie doing not only your book but the soundtrack as well - the complete package, if you will