SUMERU SYMPHONIC DANCES Mov. II - Sumerian Nights/Devil of the Dunes [Genshin Fanmade Battle Theme]

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I am back! It seems I have to say that more often than not these days; my upload schedule has ceased to be a schedule of any kind.

Between the development of Mov. 1 and 2 (which I have to say, THANK YOU everyone for the super amazing reception and support towards Movement 1! I've learned a lot since making that track and this track, and hope to incorporate the best of my ideas into the third and final movement of this collection of symphonic dances), the idea of instantly transporting the listener to a fantasy world (provided that they're wearing headphones and closing their eyes lmfao) through music has always been the central goal of my efforts. Part of the allure of writing music inspired by the Middle East is that anything sounds inherently cool and mysterious if you abuse Arabian modes, allowing for easy transport into lands far away the moment a double harmonic major scale starts to vibrate your eardrums.

Instead of relying on the fast tempo to carry the energy this time, I decided to write this movement at 100 BPM (a full 40 BPM less than "The Golden Dunes"). Within this discount Hans Zimmer production, you will also find two contrasting themes:

"Sumerian Nights" - 0:08
"Devil of the Dunes" - 1:03

Truth be told, this was supposed to be much longer, but then I realized that I was writing like I was planning for this to be the final movement, so I decided to cut my material down to 2-ish minutes to save the hype (and all of the best ideas) for the third and final movement (coming as soon as I record all of my other obligations). Think of this as a musical bridge between 1 and 3! Anyways, let's talk about the music.

SUMERIAN NIGHTS (yes, I stole the title idea from Arabian Nights)
It's finally nighttime in the deserts of Sumeru, and our Traveler encounters strange, archaic sandstone formations within the desolate sands of western Sumeru...remnants of a lost civilization, perhaps? Here, synthesizer pulses, drones, pads, and quiet atonal wooden percussion elements carry the background rhythm, a prelude of the impending sandstorm waiting our Traveler at daybreak in "Devil of the Dunes." A lone, expressive duduk begins to play the first ostinato (which will reappear again heroically in "Devil of the Dunes," played by the horns) lacing the gentle beats with an air of mystery and mystique. Following this, a second duduk joins with the first to play a slower version of the Sumeru theme, intertwining together with the vocal loops in a beautiful conglomeration of dissonance and harmony alike. With a final turn of notes, the duduk trails off into the night, leaving the percussion to end the scene...but not for long.

DEVIL OF THE DUNES (aka heroic daybreak/Scarlet King's theme)
The splash cymbal wastes no time at the end of Sumerian Nights, transitioning directly into "Devil of the Dunes" as danger looms in the Great Red Sands. With a pedal blast of low brass/strings, the excitement begins to build as a simoom (lit. "to poison," a strong, blistering, dust-laden wind) approaches, and the solo vocalist cries out her battle call, heralding the approach of the storm. Notice the rhythmic marimbas in the back, as well as the modulation of the pads slowing honing in onto the correct pitch!

At the 1:13 mark, the low brass and strings cut through the ensemble with the Sumeru theme, creating a looming sense of danger and excitement. At the same time, a virtuosic duet between the oud and tanbur outlines the double harmonic scale, making for some intense textures when combined with the never ceasing drive of the marimbas, the accented shouts of the male choir, massive cinematic percussion, and Middle Eastern percussion (hear the little finger cymbals?).

We reach the beginning of the end at 1:42 with the run up to the D, all while the melodic lines described before are still playing. Here, the entire ensemble gets in on the fun, with high strings and winds on one side and 12 French horns on the other duking it out for dominance. The horns reintroduce the motif that the duduk was playing earlier, but this time the trumpets interject with their new theme, forcing the horns to change route. As the two forces intertwine, a Western progression is introduced, with power chords Bb5, C5, and a hanging D major chord bringing Movement 2 to a grandiose end. Thanks trumpets; you've once again destroyed your lips for the sake of my music!

Anyways, thanks for listening! Oh, and I highly suggest you go and listen to my movement 1 in conjunction with movement 2 for the best experience.

Louis

#sumeru
#fanmade
#ost
#orchestration
#soundtrack