A Place in Heaven
Hoy, hoy! So 2k! Dos mil! Even more! As promised Thomas J. Bergersen uploaded a new preview track from his upcoming solo album, Illusions. The song called "A place in Heaven" feature the voice of Jenifer Thigpen and it's amazing as usual. I just cannot stop asking myself how is it even possible to compose such a masterpiece?
It seems I was not alone with this question because Thomas revealed how he write these songs:
A lot of people have asked me how I produce my music. It's not a simple answer, but it usually starts with an accident :) By that I mean I accidentally hit upon some notes that seem to make more sense than the others I've been playing for the last couple of hours, and so a new piece is formed. I'm sure other artists can relate to this..
On top of that there's nothing that scares me more than a blank page waiting to get filled.. starting off a piece of music is like pushing a car off a cliff. It's %$#ing heavy at first but then once you gain moment it just starts rolling and eventually it all just flows in the right direction. Of course it crashes and burns at the end, but hey, that's kinda what my music does too :)
Many people ask me what sounds I use and assume that it's all East West/Hollywood Strings etc. True, I use some of those sounds too, but I have developed my own very advanced and highly playable custom set of sounds over the last 10 years, and they are unique to my studio and my music. I have recorded orchestras and unique instruments and voices all over the world. What you hear in the "Tower of Mischief" cue is mostly produced using my own proprietary orchestral sample set. Almost everything in the Two Steps catalogue uses some elements of real orchestras, however. "Illusions" will also have that. I write my music in Steinberg's amazing sequencer Cubase.
United we stand, oh yeah fckin yeah!
Two Steps From Hell made available for the public a full-length track from their upcoming album, Eclipse. If you liked To Glory (also from this album), you will adore United we stand, divided we fall, featuring Merethe Soltvedt's vocal. Here it is the official FB announcement:
" It's time to give back to our fans for being so amazing!! "United We Stand, Divided We Fall", a tribute to our fanbase and the love for epic music! This track was composed by Thomas Bergersen for the upcoming Two Steps album "Eclipse" and features vocals by the wonderful Merethe Soltvedt ! "
What else should i add? It is amazing TSFH decided to publish a track from a non-commercial album. By the way did you know Thomas Bergersen got a fan page on FB?
Thomas Bergersen's "Illusions" promises to wow
Thomas Bergersen (composer for Two Steps From Hell), just posted the final version of his track "Promise" featuring the talented Tina Guo (Cello) and Merethe Soltvedt (Vocals).
I think that's really all I need to say. Click here to listen to "Promise" !
It is a great track, and, honestly, while some of the changes surprised me, I really enjoyed hearing it in its final form.
Thomas also announced on his blog, that his upcoming solo album will be called Illusions instead of Nemesis II, and will be released in 3 or 4 months. After hearing "Promise", I am really looking forward to this album even more. If you can't wait, Thomas said he may be releasing some more 'teaser' tracks in the future!
Thomas in his own words:
Dear friends! I have news. My solo album has been retitled and will be called “Illusions”. I hope to finish it in 3-4 months from now. Thanks for your patience! Meanwhile I have recorded Merethe Soltvedt on “Promise”, as well as finished the composition and production. There might be another teaser piece soon. Thanks for your stoic patience!!! Best, Thomas.
(Thomas's blog via TSFH's Facebook)
I'm back, and with some updates...
Hello everyone! Some of you may have noticed that I've been absent from this site for quite a while now. Shortly after the Aleksandar Dimitrijevic interview some things happened, and I had to step away from this site for a time, until a couple weeks ago. As for the past two weeks, well, er.. I've just been incredibly busy. I apologize for the absence, as I know some of the things I was working on were left unfinished. I hope to finalize those things over the next few days, so I can move on and help contribute to this site with bigger and better things.
I noticed that there was a poll below, asking who you'd like us to interview next. Well, I have some updates on that.
First, I contacted Thomas Bergersen a month or two ago about doing a video interview with him and Nick Phoenix, similar to the interviews I've done in the past with Immediate Music, and Ninja Tracks (Full Tilt). Sadly, a video interview will not be possible, but he mentioned it might be possible to do a short text based one at the end of the year. He said they were far too busy at the moment. I know that's a disappointment, but at least there might be something to look forward to at the end of the year.
Second, I've been in touch with Armen Hambar of Future World Music, with the hope of setting up a video interview sometime. He said that he would be unable to take part in the near future, due to an injury, but perhaps something could happen in September. Hopefully, he has a smooth recovery, and while I can't make any guarantees, this is something that may happen in the next few months.
Finally, I plan to get in touch with some other composers, with the hopes of doing video interviews. Since I'm leaving California for the month of August, I won't be able to actually film anything during that time. Rest assured, there will more video interviews this year. Of course, we will continue to pursue text interviews, which are much easier to set up.
I suppose that's all I have time to say right now. I expect I'll be posting another article tomorrow, that will tie up some loose ends. I'll have to read up on what I missed. I just want to say that I'm back, and I will once again be dedicating myself to this site and its readers.
An exciting update from Two Steps From Hell!
Thomas J Bergersen of Two Steps From Hell posted an exciting new message on facebook:
"Two Steps is going great - we are working on 3 new albums, one to be released very shortly, and the other two to follow, hopefully before the end of the year. "Illumina", "Eclipse" and "Two Steps From Heaven".
I'm also working on my solo album on the side.
Best, Thomas"
Thomas' solo project refers to the upcoming public release of "Nemesis 2", a disc which is tailored not for movie advertising but for our listening enjoyment. Thomas has been working on it for several years, and we can't wait to hear the results.
We don't yet know exactly what style of music the other three discs will feature, however its a fairly safe bet that my idea to use an orchestra of inflatable swimming pool equipment was utilized on at least one of them. I'm sure of it!
Thanks to Shuyan for the news!
Feel the POWER...
...of Darkness, yeah, it is finally on ExtremeMusic, after several weeks of waiting. Someone did not want this album to be put on this site since PoD is out for weeks now. However, we are happy it is out now. Probably the most epic album by TSFH, contains 32 tracks. Whats your favourite?
Review: Two Steps From Hell's Invincible!
After four weeks locked in combat with vicious guinea pigs (among other things), I am pleased to present at last our review of Two Steps From Hell's first public release, Invincible! This is the first (or second) step in our plan to control the world review all of the major public releases as they become availible to us. We've managed to shave the delay from four years to four weeks, so we are hoping that by 2020 we can bring you reviews of new releases four seconds after they come out. I think we are well on our way! Our next review will feature Music Junkies' brand new album "Good Idea", which is available in our store!
If any of you have been wondering where to spend your pirate booty, we hope the review will give you a hint! Itunes accepts treasure chests, right?
"When you ask the average trailer music fan what their favorite company is, chances are good that Two Steps From Hell will be one of the first names out of their mouth. Founded in 2006 by renowned composers Thomas J Bergersen and Nick Phoenix, Two Steps From Hell has rapidly grown to become one of the most recognizable and respected names in the industry." Read More > > >
Two Steps From Hell: Invincible
When you ask the average trailer music fan what their favorite company is, chances are good that Two Steps From Hell will be one of the first names out of their mouth. Founded in 2006 by renowned composers Thomas J Bergersen and Nick Phoenix, Two Steps From Hell has rapidly grown to become one of the most recognizable and respected names in the industry. Their music has been featured in some of the most memorable trailers in recent memory, such as in promos for Star Trek, 2012, Prince of Persia, Mass Effect 2 and countless others. Unsurprisingly, their outstanding work has earned them a huge cult following online, and for years fans have been relentlessly begging them to release their music to the public. After years of waiting, our wishes have been fulfilled!'
Formerly known as “Genesis”, Invincible contains 20 of the duo's most popular tracks from previous albums, as well as 2 previously unreleased compositions. Don't let the burly Gladiator on the cover fool you into thinking that only epic and combative cues are featured. While there is plenty of action, it is joined by an array of softer, emotional and romantic pieces, several featuring beautiful solo vocals. Together, the myriad of tracks take the listener on a dramatic, epic journey through the spectrum of human emotions, tugging at the heartstrings all the while. After listening to the album, its easy to understand why it has built up such an incredible amount of hype in the community.
Thankfully, the album meets the lofty expectations set forth by the community easily, often managing to surpass them. For those of you hurrying to save the world from rampaging guinea pigs, I urge you to stop reading, buy Invincible, and listen to it while battling the ferocious beasts. Win or loose, your battle is guaranteed to be approximately 954% more epic!
Though I'm sure that just about everyone has a favorite song that didn't make the cut, Thomas and Nick have done an outstanding job of assembling the very best tracks from their catalog. Though certainly not perfect, the album is an unparalleled 58 minute musical experience that stands as one of the finest examples of the genre as a whole. For those of you seeking to turn all of your friends into Trailer Music junkies, this should be your weapon of choice. Were I to give every track the attention it deserves we would be here all night, so I will only take the time to comment on a few of the most outstanding pieces.
The album opens with the dramatic sweeps of “Freedom Fighters”, one of TSFH's most popular and recognizable tracks after featuring in trailers for Star Trek. The mix included on the album is the finest yet, with subtle percussion adding to the impact of the sweeping, emotionally charged theme.
“Master of Shadows” has also built up a great deal of anticipation since being featured in trailers for 2012. However, the version on the album is different then the version we are familiar with from the trailers, and the change is arguably for the worse. The version on the album features pronounced orchestral strings on top of the rock beat of the original, and at times they are simply overwhelmed and lost against the screaming chorus and pounding percussion. In addition, the smooth strings break up the sharp staccato pacing of the song. That said, the new version has been steadily growing on me, and either way it's still an absolutely fantastic listen and certainly my favorite of Nick's many contributions.
“Am I Not Human?” is the first of the two unreleased tracks on the album. Its an intriguing piece, combining an electronic techno background with a gradually growing orchestral melody. Nick lends his own voice to the track (seriously, what can't these guys do?), and the result is a somewhat haunting, unsettling piece. It's far from the best track on the album, although given the competition that still means that it's nothing short of excellent.
“Black Blade” is one of the finest action cues on the album, and it sounds even better on here then it did in the trailers, benefiting from added percussion and vocals. It begins slowly, allowing the orchestra to build up tension before finally exploding with the full choir. The next time you are outnumbered and facing a mass of enemy guinea pigs, this is the song to propel you to victory.
Though known for their pounding epic tracks, TSFH also excels at creating pieces that appeal to the inner romantic in all of us. Nowhere is this more apparent then in “Fill My Heart”, which features beautiful vocals by Aya Peard. You know the burly Gladiator on the cover? The story (as a guinea pig told me) was that he was listening to the album before the photo shoot, and when he reached this song he just collapsed to the ground sobbing and muttering “It's just so beautiful!” Naturally, a crying Gladiator doesn't make for the best album cover, so they had to keep his face in the shadows. It still took them more then 20 minutes to get the guy off of the floor and keep his mouth in a straight line.
Before concluding, I want to single out “To Glory”. Taken from an upcoming album tentatively known as “Eclipse”, this track alone is worth the price of admission. After weeks of deliberation, meditation, and leaping around my house with a cardboard sword fighting guinea pigs, I have come to the conclusion that it is possibly the best song Two Steps From Hell has ever released. It's a relentless 4 ½ minute ride that will prepare you for just about anything. This is what action music was always meant to sound like.
The biggest problem with the album lies not with the music itself, but the problems inherent in digital distribution of music. Fans have been clamoring to hear this music in lossless, and there are few albums more deserving of such clarity. Unfortunately the rules set in place by distributors means that for now it is limited to lossy mp3's. Nonetheless, the music still sounds sharp and epic even with mp3 compression, and this is one album which even the most hardcore audiophiles should snatch up. It's worth it.
Ultimately, Invincible is a musical triumph and a powerful testament to just how much Trailer music has grown and matured during the past several years. There isn't a bad apple in the entire bunch, and each track will tug at your heart in its own unique and powerful manner. I won't say outright that this is the best album I've ever heard, but it ranks very highly on my list. It doesn't matter if you are a fan of trailer music or not; Invincible is likely to please any fans of orchestral and choral music (along with some who aren't particular fans of either).The next public release, Nemesis II, will no doubt raise the bar even higher. Invincible represents the vert best of Thomas and Nick's first few years at Two Steps From Hell, and if tracks like “To Glory” and “Ocean Princess” are any indication of what's coming up, we have some truly unimaginable surprises in store for us over the next few years!
Invincible is everywhere!
Finally Invincible has arrived to Amazon and iTunes as well. However strange to say there are several differencies in the pricing... In contrast to CDBaby (17.99 $) , iTunes release costs 9.99 $ 11.99 $ , Amazon release costs 8.99 $. In addition you can buy there separate tracks for 0.99 $.
If you have any idea about the reason of different pricing, do not hesitate to share it with us..
