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Frank Klepacki is the most diverse and creative composer in the industry

S

Sinatar

Official GAF Bottom Feeder
Now before you get in a huff because he didn't compose Tales of Chrono Fantasy 14 on the PS1, just take a minute and hear me out. Or more specifically hear him out.

Grinder - Red Alert 2
Gladstone - Lands of Lore II
Mechanical Brain - Universe at War
Blues - Blade Runner the game

All from the same dude. That's some serious range if you ask me. The guy has been trucking along pumping out some of the greatest gaming soundtracks for the past 25 years and people barely bring him up around here.

So yea I think some love is in order, don't you?

Personally I like how he'll revisit iconic themes he's done in the past and put new spins on them.

Grinder - Red Alert 2 || Grinder 2 - Red Alert 3
Hell March - Red Alert || Hell March 2 - Red Alert 2 || Hell March 3 - Red Alert 3
Act on Instinct - C&C || Act on Instinct - Renegade || Act on Invasion - Universe at War

Then there's times where he just goes ham on something, like the Universe at War credits medley which combines orchestral, choir, industrial, techno and metal all at once. Insanity.

Oh and did I mention he does his own guitar work?

15682393254_19a298309e_o.gif


So yea, Klepacki is awesome. You guys have any favorite tunes? Anyone else buying Grey Goo just to jam the fuck out to his new stuff?
 
PAULINK

PAULINK

I microwave steaks.
Man, I was playing red alert 2 today, those songs are classic, and I still have the soundtrack. Gotta listen to his other works.
 
N

Nokterian

Member
That man changed my life when i heard the soundtrack from C&C for the first time when i started it up. He does amazing stuff. And with Grey Goo on the horizon that game is going to be played. This man is a legend a veteran of westwood now works at petroglyph made up from former westwood employee's.

StriKeVillain said:
Lol, that Blade Runner bit shouldn't count. That's like 95% Vangelis.

But yeah, Tiberian Sun was an amazing soundtrack.
Click to expand...

That from Bladerunner is made by frank because they couldn't use the master recordings when they where making the game read this piece from wikipedia.

The film's original soundtrack could not be secured for the game so Westwood brought in Frank Klepacki to recreate the tone of the score. He re-recorded the Blade Runner soundtrack as well as creating original tracks in the style of the film.
Click to expand...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_Runner_(1997_video_game)
 
L

Linkark07

Banned
He also composed for the Dune series. Here is my favorite from Emperor Battle for Dune:

Ride the Worm

Anyways, anything he makes is fantastic. That is one of the reasons I loved Westwood games.
 
SJRB

SJRB

Gold Member
I don't like how a man like Klepacki faded into obscurity after EA wiped its ass with Westwood. This guy deserves better than whatever he's currently doing. His post-Westwood discography is depressing.
 
S

StriKeVillain

Banned
Nokterian said:
That man changed my life when i heard the soundtrack from C&C for the first time when i started it up. He does amazing stuff. And with Grey Goo on the horizon that game is going to be played. This man is a legend a veteran of westwood now works at petroglyph made up from former westwood employee's.



That from Bladerunner is made by frank because they couldn't use the master recordings when they where making the game read this piece from wikipedia.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_Runner_(1997_video_game)
Click to expand...

That's why I gave him 5% of the credit for that track. ;D
 
H

How About No

Member
Not really familiar with all his work, but I'm pretty sure his music was the driving reason I continued to play C&C back in the day.
 
S

Sinatar

Official GAF Bottom Feeder
SJRB said:
I don't like how a man like Klepacki faded into obscurity after EA wiped its ass with Westwood. This guy deserves better than whatever he's currently doing. His post-Westwood discography is depressing.
Click to expand...

Yea Petroglyph's games are definitely not the highest profile things in the world, but at the least the quality of his music hasn't diminished.

Grey Goo is looking pretty hot too.

On another note he has all the soundtracks he's done available to listen on his website.
 
A

AuthenticM

Member
SJRB said:
I don't like how a man like Klepacki faded into obscurity after EA wiped its ass with Westwood. This guy deserves better than whatever he's currently doing. His post-Westwood discography is depressing.
Click to expand...

Yeah, seriously. I just don't understand it. Maybe he didn't want to make music for other companies. It bums me out because he is so talented.
 
D

Deleted member 102362

Unconfirmed Member
Frank Klepacki was one of the first video game composers whose work I fell in love with. It became a semi-hobby of mine to track his C&C music down because it was so good.

I realize for some people, Tiberian Sun is something of a black sheep in his C&C discography, but it's my personal favorite work of his. His solo stuff is also good.

I want him to make a music kit for CS:GO.
 
J

JonathanNemo

Member
I really liked the direction he went in for Red Alert: The Aftermath. More understated, chill, synth-laden and sample driven. One of those rare instances where the low-fi qualities of the hardware really help set a mood.

Bog
Floating
Gloom
 
S

Shengar

Member
I remember once I turned up RA2 not to play the game but the soundtrack. Even from the soundtrack list of RA2 alone you'll know that he is one hell of a talented composer. All soundtrack piece from RA2 is very different to each other. There is straight metal funk like Industro Funk. Then you have blood pumping rock such as Destroy or Power. In the same game you could found 200 Meters, a freaking music that sounds like straight from a cold war spy thriller movies. It just too bad no other studios tried to hire him or maybe they did but he didn't want to.

EDIT: Now with links!
 
S

Sinatar

Official GAF Bottom Feeder
Shengar said:
I remember once I turned up RA2 not to play the game but the soundtrack. Even from the soundtrack list of RA2 alone you'll know that he is one hell of a talented composer. All soundtrack piece from RA2 is very different to each other. There is straight metal funk like Industro Funk. Then you have blood pumping rock such as Destroy or Power. In the same game you could found 200 Meters, a freaking music that sounds like straight from a cold war spy thriller movies. It just too bad no other studios tried to hire him or maybe they did but he didn't want to.
Click to expand...

Grinder is so good I can't stop from rocking out when it plays, to the detriment of the gameplay cause I'm no longer watching the screen.
 
M

Mejilan

Running off of Custom Firmware
His work on Universe at War is incredible. I like some of it even better than his best C&C/RA stuff.
 
F

Falk

that puzzling face
Sorry man, thread title really needs a "in my opinion" or "that I'm aware of" or both added to it. :p

Hell March was my jam for years
 
S

sp3000

Member
His original Command and Conquer and Red Alert scores are still his best. At that point the tone of the series was very different. Some of the tracks are almost unbelievably somber, dark sounding stuff. Very different from his later work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCuwNHIAET8&list=PL8F8E6EF1E58969CF&index=3

I never felt that his RA2/Tiberian Sun work compared to it. It's still better than the vast majority of the stuff that is made by modern games. He is no doubt one of the greatest game composers overall. I just feel that his work has taken a downturn since the 90s.
 
F

Falk

that puzzling face
Sinatar said:
It's scientific fact, sorry bro.
Click to expand...

On the off-chance that you aren't half-joking with your post, you lament the fact that a composer you like isn't known by the masses of apparent herd-instinct Tales of Chrono Fantasy 14 trologdytes. And then in the same breath you declare him Crown King of the entire cosmos, automatically disqualifying any number of similarly lesser-known composers (of whom some you probably aren't aware of) from that subjective award.

Assuming you haven't played every single game ever made, how many soundtracks from games you haven't played have you listened to in the past year or so?

edit: Post came off way more confrontational than I intended.

I think my main point is- "there's a lot of good shit out there, go listen to it", which is the same fundamental point you're making as well. I guess my distaste of GAF-style hyperbole in non-ironic situations got the better of me for a moment there.

However, you obviously intended for this thread to be dedicated to Frank and I don't wish to shit it up nor derail it. In fact, I'll join in because he does amazing work. Not trying to wheedle my way out of an argument here, I posted my excitement for Grey Goo's music no less than twice in the past 12 hours.
 
N

Nokterian

Member
I tweeted this thread to Klepacki he likes it! :D

https://twitter.com/FrankKlepacki/status/556632934690873346

wow - appreciate all the love and support there! Thank you for sharing
Click to expand...

Sinatar said:
Pity you can't get the game anymore, Sega yanked it from stores instead of patching out GFWL. I've still got my copy thankfully.

I am a mechanical man || Mechman's Revenge
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They removed it from the store? Goddamn that is stupid instead of indeed removing GFWL. Man it will suck so much when GFWL is dead and you can't play the game anymore i also have my copy.
 
J

JasonUresti

Member
Sounds like the man should have been creating 80's pop and soundtrack hits instead of toiling away in the relatively low profile realm of video game music. Like how Tim Follin should have been born 10-15 years sooner so he could have been in some cool 70's British prog band.
 
S

Sinatar

Official GAF Bottom Feeder
Here's a cool video of Frank going through his creative process for scoring Grey Goo. Looks like he's going Universe at War style and make 3 entirely unique scores for it.
 
L

lucebuce12

Member
I was kinda excited for Grey Goo, but only found out through this thread that Frank is doing the soundtrack. Fucking Sold. Even if the game turns out to be shit, at least the soundtrack will be confirmed great.
 
S

Sinatar

Official GAF Bottom Feeder
lucebuce12 said:
I was kinda excited for Grey Goo, but only found out through this thread that Frank is doing the soundtrack. Fucking Sold. Even if the game turns out to be shit, at least the soundtrack will be confirmed great.
Click to expand...

From the TB steam, it looks like there is 1hr 48m of music on the soundtrack, should be awesome.
 
F

funkypie

Banned
Lime said:
Yeah he's pretty broad in some areas. Rain in the Night from C&C is probably my favourite.

C&C1 has the best soundtrack bar none.
Click to expand...

i'm trying to find somewhere to buy it now on google but all i'm coming up with is the ultimate collection.
 
Jawmuncher

Jawmuncher

Member
Absolutely love his stuff.
Like most though I am still absolutely in love with his westwood C&C stuff.
C&C thang is still one of my all time favorites. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUj05zld8T0

Can't wait to hear what he is doing next.
While he has quite the range indeed. His electronic stuff is what shines for me.

funkypie said:
i'm trying to find somewhere to buy it now on google but all i'm coming up with is the ultimate collection.
Click to expand...
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/command-conquer-ea-games-soundtrack/id83191872
 
F

funkypie

Banned
Jawmuncher said:
Absolutely love his stuff.
Like most though I am still absolutely in love with his westwood C&C stuff.
C&C thang is still one of my all time favorites. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUj05zld8T0

Can't wait to hear what he is doing next.
While he has quite the range indeed. His electronic stuff is what shines for me.


https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/command-conquer-ea-games-soundtrack/id83191872
Click to expand...

thanks but I meant the actual game :)

shit the game is cheaper than the OST.
 
F

Falk

that puzzling face
funkypie said:
thanks but I meant the actual game :)

shit the game is cheaper than the OST.
Click to expand...

I'm actually in the same boat. Going on a nostalgia trip and wanting to play vanilla C&C plus Covert Ops, and Red Alert.

Heck actually, thinking about the C&C2 teaser at the end of C&C makes me want to play C&C2 too, even if it didn't turn out to be a first person mech simulator as implied lol.

edit: Ultimate Collection for $19 doesn't sound like too bad a deal to be honest, except I have half the games in it already D:
 
Haunted

Haunted

Member
I loved the Blade Runner soundtrack, but mostly because it reminded me so much of the actual movie soundtrack. :D

Sinatar said:
Here's a cool video of Frank going through his creative process for scoring Grey Goo. Looks like he's going Universe at War style and make 3 entirely unique scores for it.
Click to expand...
You're right, that was cool. Most of the compositions posted so far were ok...(though Hell March is of course legendary) but all three of the examples for the different factions were pretty badass, not going to lie.
 
F

funkypie

Banned
Falk said:
I'm actually in the same boat. Going on a nostalgia trip and wanting to play vanilla C&C plus Covert Ops, and Red Alert.

Heck actually, thinking about the C&C2 teaser at the end of C&C makes me want to play C&C2 too, even if it didn't turn out to be a first person mech simulator as implied lol.

edit: Ultimate Collection for $19 doesn't sound like too bad a deal to be honest, except I have half the games in it already D:
Click to expand...

I found a digital one for about £6 which is what 10 US dollars?
 
S

Shengar

Member
Sinatar said:
Grinder is so good I can't stop from rocking out when it plays, to the detriment of the gameplay cause I'm no longer watching the screen.
Click to expand...

It really can cause detriment of the gamelay since every piece of RA2 soundtrack is easily listenable without playing the game :p
But even then, Frank's music makes the gameplay more memorable, especially the single player campaign since some of his soundtrack outright fitting with the atmosphere of the mission.
 
D

Deadstar

Member
Remember when you used to have a game announce trailer and the trailer featured the awesome soundtrack for the game rather than a track from Limp Bizkit? These are the days I miss. I wanted the games for the music alone. Using music to sell games is so underrated, a good song gets me pumped!

Hell March 2 got me so excited!
 
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