techno music and HL2...good or bad?

[shaggy2039]

I was watching some of the binks yesterday and was thinking that I'm not really into the whole techno, drum and bass feel to the music in HL2...I really like the scenes when there's little or no music, but couldn't help wondering why Valve didn't go with a more cinematic score for the game...something with strings and orchestration to give the game an even more immersive feel to it's cinematic feel...any thoughts on this?

 

[KagePrototype]

I think the music is very atmospheric and fitting, as well as dramatic (like the music in the buggy scene). I love the music in the tunnels video with the manhacks as well, very ambient. it doesn't have to be like a full orchestra like in hollywood movies to work well.

 

[Da Dude]

well HL2 is a SF game... most SF movies have techno/house/whatever...
so i think the choice was made...

 

[shaggy2039]

I'm saying I like the ambient music too, but the the techno thing makes it look kind of cheesy to me...it's going to date alot faster too because of the fact that techno in general is a very trendy form of music...

 

[Headwires]

it fitted well imo tho i know its not the kind of music that every likes. u can turn music off in game anyway. i do that in all games coz it just pisses me off

 

[mortey]

I love the music in HL2. I downloaded the music. it's great.

 

[KagePrototype]

I'm saying I like the ambient music too, but the the techno thing makes it look kind of cheesy to me...it's going to date alot faster too because of the fact that techno in general is a very trendy form of music...

Well, on it's own, the music probably sounds rubbish. But who knows, you may end up liking it while you're playing the game.

 

[|LGW|Mith]

music sounds similar to HL1 music

and thats a good thing :thumbs:

 

[shaggy2039]

Well, on it's own, the music probably sounds rubbish. But who knows, you may end up liking it while you're playing the game.

well, I'm definitely greatful they didn't go with a death metal soundtrack for the game...the last thing I need is a Slayer track playing while I'm killing combine...

I'm sure the music they chose is going to work well, I just get nervous with this because while games have advanced dramtically in the graphics and sound fX departments, they still haven't really nailed the scoring thing in my opinion...

If I were Valve, I'd chose Aphex Twin or Autchere to do the score...that would be sick...

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

I never saw anyone complain that it didn't work well in Half Life 1 (same style of music at similar intervals)

I think it'll blend great in game as you're playing and things start to heat up/let loose/ whatever the music merits at that time.

 

[Mevoki]

I love the music in HL2. I downloaded the music. it's great.

Where did you get it?! Tell my or you shall die a painfull death

Anyway, I think they've made a good dessision in choosing techno style music, I loved the music in the coastline video, even though I usualy don't like techno very much.

 

[Absinthe]

I'm saying I like the ambient music too, but the the techno thing makes it look kind of cheesy to me...it's going to date alot faster too because of the fact that techno in general is a very trendy form of music...

I will argue that techno is no more trendy than many other kinds of music. In fact, I wouldn't even call it that. Nu Metal is trendy. When it comes to techno, House and Rave could be considered trendy. But techno itself is far too expansive for one to make a giant generalization about it.

In any case, Half-Life had plenty of techno, and it sounded great with the game. Furthermore, I thought it sounded great all by itself. I burned it onto a CD and still listen to it on the tram. And the music that came with the Alpha was equally good. It had fast tracks, slow tracks, and ambient tracks. And all of it can be heard in the HL2 videos released so far.

The only thing that sounds remotely DnB'ish is the music played in the buggy scene, and so far it's the only track with that kind of sound. Plus, I quite enjoy it.

Also, I don't think orchestral music would have suited this game. If it was integrated into the techno (ala Half-Life and the Event Horizon soundtrack), then it could be great. But something like that just doesn't seem to fit in the HL universe, if you ask me. Perhaps in Halo, where you got the feeling of something epic and grand, but not in Half-Life. It needs feel a lot more ominous and alien. After all, this is a sci-fi game. Orchestral music would simply have too many trappings.

 

[NeptuneUK]

if its anything like the music in HL1, it sounded like techno rock sorta stuff in some parts... ie it kicked ass

 

[bam23]

I don't really like techno, but I forget that music is playing sometimes when things get frantic.

 

[Thadius Dean]

^ yea i actually listen to the music from half-life quite regularly :O

 

[KagePrototype]

Nu Metal is trendy.

Pfft. Yeah, in 2002 maybe. Get with the times. :hmph:



I'd call Half-Life 2's music ambient more than anything. Simply because it's digitally made doesn't instantly make it techno or drum and bass.

 

[Absinthe]

If I were Valve, I'd chose Aphex Twin or Autchere to do the score...that would be sick...

While I absolutely love these artists, I'm not sure if they'd be appropriate...

Autechre could possibly pull it off, but they're insanely mechanical when it comes to their music. I guess it could work in the citadel, but I trust Valve.

As for Aphex Twin, you'd get one of two things:

1.) Skittery-jittery beats with odd sounds flying out of nowhere that make it sound like the game's audio is dying on you. While I love it, it wouldn't fit HL2.

2.) Richard would pull one of his usual stunts and say "**** it", thus supplying HL2 with the most grating and unbearable soundtrack ever. Just to piss people off.

 

[theotherguy]

The reason the music is techno is because of the dynamic soundscapes...you see, depending on action, or entities that are active, the music will change. There are certain tracks for certain entities and locations, certain health levels, certain weapons, certain vehicles....therefore the music will change depending on what situation you are in...

Now, techno music is clearly the easiest music to program into dynamic soundscapes, since it is extremley repeditive, and you can add in many different tracks and not hear any real difference in the music.

For instance, in the buggy scene, the music is very ambient...until the gunship shows up. The gunship begins to play it's own track, a steady, rhythmic beat with a slight melody. When gordon kills the gunship, the track stops abrubtly, and it goes back to ambient.

Also, in the second buggy scene (from e3 2k4), gordon fires the rocket launcher at the guy on the crane. When he fires the rocket, the music lets up a little (sort of float mode), and then when the rocket explodes, the music picks up again.

just another neat feature of source :farmer:

 

[Swizzel]

eh i like the music so far that i've heard in teh vids
...maybe its just cuz i like techno

 

[Lukes Wall]

I really liked the way Jazz and Fusion were used on XII, that's one stylish game...
Sucky, but stylish...

 

[She]

Well... I dont know..
Techno/house music & "Old looking" city-17...

Sure.. HL1 music worked really well beacuse you were inside a research facility.. with lots of comps & metals & stuff.. Im for Ambinent.. but shure.. let's just hope it's good.

 

[KagePrototype]

As for Aphex Twin, you'd get one of two things:

1.) Skittery-jittery beats with odd sounds flying out of nowhere that make it sound like the game's audio is dying on you. While I love it, it wouldn't fit HL2.

2.) Richard would pull one of his usual stunts and say "**** it", thus supplying HL2 with the most grating and unbearable soundtrack ever. Just to piss people off.

/me pictures Gordon leaving the train station, looking at the Breen monitor, with "Come To Daddy" blaring in the background.

Yeah, I can see where you're coming from. A tad too...direct.

 

[Absinthe]

^^
theotherguy

I'm not quite sure if it's that detailed. They did say that they were working with soundscapes, and it's demonstrated in the barrier video. When the player goes into some ruined buildings with a few AI allies, the music stops. When the attack resumes, the music starts up again.

However, from the MP3's I heard from the Alpha, all the little details you seem to have picked up are actually just part of the song file, and not actually tied into the gameplay itself.

Maybe, like the AI, it was just an example of what they wanted to achieve, so maybe it's changed now. But there are so many factors that would go into such a soundscape that it would easily have the potential to sound extremely muddled up. So I don't think HL2 will be sporting anything of that level.

 

[M1RAG3]

I'm saying I like the ambient music too, but the the techno thing makes it look kind of cheesy to me...it's going to date alot faster too because of the fact that techno in general is a very trendy form of music...

First off, Gabe said that HL2 was not a movie, it is a game, and I feel that having an entire orchestra for a Sci-Fi, Orwellian future-esque, styled story, that a "cinematic score" would be too much, it would be a conflict of the game and the music, and there is also the possibility that the music could over power the game, which would be bad, for the music is supposed to add ambience and mood and feel, not push the game along.

Secondly, techno has been around for quite a while, and it is not just a fad, it is in fact a continually grwoing genre of music, i.e. electronica, trance, techno, dance, ambience, etc... So it is not a fad that will soon become dated.

And anyways, you should be more concerned about what the story will contain then what music should be in the game.

 

[shaggy2039]

First off, Gabe said that HL2 was not a movie, it is a game, and I feel that having an entire orchestra for a Sci-Fi, Orwellian future-esque, styled story, that a "cinematic score" would be too much, it would be a conflict of the game and the music, and there is also the possibility that the music could over power the game, which would be bad, for the music is supposed to add ambience and mood and feel, not push the game along.

Secondly, techno has been around for quite a while, and it is not just a fad, it is in fact a continually grwoing genre of music, i.e. electronica, trance, techno, dance, ambience, etc... So it is not a fad that will soon become dated.

And anyways, you should be more concerned about what the story will contain then what music should be in the game.

don't you think there's enough discussion on story line?
I think I may be one of the first people to bring up the score in a very long time...it's important that it rocks...take the movie halloween for example...if it didn't have that super eerie piano track in it, it wouldn't have had nearly the same impact....

 

[FoB_Ed]

Should've made this thread a poll....


Techno = good

 

[Platinum]

I was watching some of the binks yesterday and was thinking that I'm not really into the whole techno, drum and bass feel to the music in HL2...I really like the scenes when there's little or no music, but couldn't help wondering why Valve didn't go with a more cinematic score for the game...something with strings and orchestration to give the game an even more immersive feel to it's cinematic feel...any thoughts on this?

i agree

 

[skumbuzzul]

Honestly the tracks I've heard score the game perfectly. And between the fast /jungle/dnb tunes and the more atmospheric pads work really well for keeping the pace of the game. I mean i'd hate if the soundtrack was nothing but licensed pop tracks and or really bare and amatuer marching drums with overdriven guitars. It's actually really tasteful music. Semi-IDMish. And for that I applaud the score.

 

[jonbob]

I prefer the Music from Doom 3 to that Techno rubbish. Or better still, no music at all, it ruins the immersion for me (unless it's an adventure game like Grim Fandango in which case the music was top-notch and really got me into the spirit)

 

[oldagerocker]

The Techno music fits the HL universe... i can't imagine any other music to go along with the game, in half-life it was the music kicking in at points which made some parts really memorable. Such as when you first come across the soldiers, and the start of most levels. Just brilliant

Im not a techno fan btw... althouhgh i like some fatboy slim now and then, thats not techno. Anyway, Doom3 music fitted that game, a dark, heavy music to go along with the dark scary game. Techno fits the sense of adventure you get with Half-life.

[Edit] I cant stand Rap... imagine Rap as the score to a pc game

 

[Senny]

lol that's not techno but I know what you mean. I think the music is ok.
I think in general Americans dont really like it, they more like rap and rock (menu screen of Doom 3?) it's not like some countries in Europe.

 

[alehm]

Everyone is a critic when it comes to music. Valve is going to go for the mood they want to create with the music like they did in HL and hope people will like it.

 

[GuNzABlaZiN]

music sounds similar to HL1 music

and thats a good thing :thumbs:

You speak the truth, HL1 had an awesome soundtrack.

 

[Darg]

heh.. I don't really pay much attention to the music. To be honest if someone asked me if Halflife had any music to it before I read this thread I'd have to have thought about it and then I'd probably have said no.
Game music is just there to blend into the overall feeling of the game. I'm sure whatever they pick will fit into the game. They've had six years to make a good choice for the music.

 

[Plug]

Everyone is a critic when it comes to music. Valve is going to go for the mood they want to create with the music like they did in HL and hope people will like it.

Hit the nail on the head with that. The music isn't about a 'taste' thing and what you like, it's about giving a particular mood to the game, if you don't like it, then maybe you just don't like the mood they wanted you to feel?

That or you're concentrating too much on the music

 

[chimpmunk]

I was watching some of the binks yesterday and was thinking that I'm not really into the whole techno, drum and bass feel to the music in HL2...I really like the scenes when there's little or no music, but couldn't help wondering why Valve didn't go with a more cinematic score for the game...something with strings and orchestration to give the game an even more immersive feel to it's cinematic feel...any thoughts on this?

Techno music is made by and for overweight asian kids who still play starcraft... retards...
I want something more hardcore.

 

[DoctorGordon]

Techno music is made by and for overweight asian kids who still play starcraft... retards...
I want something more hardcore.

You're the retard.

I'm not asian, and starcraft sucks, yet i like techno.

(Classical is my fav though)

 

[GunFridge]

Techno is trendy?
Wow, I had no idea.
I heart Techno. Classical music is a close second. Everything esle is meh.
I think that Techno for battles is good, but I agree with more of an orchestral Ambience, but techno does suit the HL theme in general.

 

[Plug]

Techno music is made by and for overweight asian kids who still play starcraft... retards...
I want something more hardcore.

Because hardcore makes you so much more of a man.
What a dolt you are.
Hardcore would add nothing to the half life 2 universe, other than keeping self inflated people like yourself happy that you can feel tough because of what you're hearing.

Hey, generalising about "techno" was the same as what i said, eh?



I guess you've never been to any good clubs, or met any electronic music producers.

 

[chimpmunk]

I guess you've never been to any good clubs, or met any electronic music producers.

indeed! .