official site of pZi / Pal Zoltan Illes composer, producer

    
 

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

Back from a long, 6 year hiatus...

 ..hello there again, dear people.

A rather long time passed since last I messaged you here: 6 times did the seasons turn. Time run, meanwhile around our planet, problems not ceased, but grown, for many of us the worries are weighing more on the shoulders looking at these events speeding before our eyes. Somber times with stark events, such events that are making up the history books.
Sometimes thinking about these, it might feel like we are but small cogs in the big machinery, yet what we can still do, is taking our part in trying to shape events happening around us, doing small deeds that can make the lives of our close and loved ones a bit brighter, small deeds that can help even people we not necessarily know, deeds that protect our environment, our neigbors, our natural and cultural heritage, deeds that this way heightens hope and gives place for positivity. This appraoch is a big part of what makes us humans and not just cogs in that big machinery.
Life is many times busy, and these efforts can become hard to exercise. Yet here we are, trying. So in this spirit, I dedicate the following track titled 'Goldenwing' - that has been in the work for a few months now -, to optimism, freedom and empathy.


Saturday, November 21, 2015

'Dusk at the Dark Prairie' - XFerSerum preset demo track released

Happy to announce the readiness of my latest Electronica/Ambient track called 'Dusk at the Dark Prairie' which is demo track for the fantastic ‪#‎XFerSerum‬ preset bank by Brandon Clark.


The sound pack can be bought here: http://eclipse-sound.com/56/17/serum/dark-prairie56-detail
It is an excellent quality and a huge value for bucks. Using it drove me further and further into its delicacies. Even just for starter one or two of its sweeping waves brought the sonic panorama to full power.

Also back in the meantime, a classical, symphonic soundtrack piece was ready and released on SoundCloud. It's about the wonderful autumn period in the Continental climate zone where I live. I hope you enjoy the 'colors' of this composition as well.

Friday, August 7, 2015

New classical/epic singles on SoundCloud

I've been ever wandering to new areas, new topics, new mixtures of genres, motifs and impressions, and in the last few months, since publishing "Symphonic Tales of the Silmarilli" I've been busy with the composition and production of 3 new tracks that mix classical orchestration with various other elements from rock to electronica. The starting point is always the same: melodic storytelling with context, build-ups, morphing from one idea to other, yet holding the whole together in the frame of one uniting story.

So let them stand here in this new post, in order of creation.

First was very much inspired by my personal life happenings, not going into unnecessary details, it was a highly happy, energetic and yet harmonious time. It's called "Dawn of Fate", and is a mixture of symphonic music, electronica and rock.

Second one is my first attempt at mixing Carpathian, Hungarian elements into classical hybrid style music, with electronic elements. It's called "Dance of Warriors" and is based around an ancient Transylvanian folk song.

Third one is for a compilation at Radio Rivendell (check that station out, fantasy music 7/24 http://radiorivendell.com/), and it's called "Fire and Water at the End of the World". This one has a lot of changing, morphing parts, several ideas. Again many rock and even gothic metal elements are present. It's a tragicomic take on the end of the world topic, bit a la Fallout.

Sunday, April 19, 2015

"Symphonic Tales of the Silmarilli" - the next long play album is finally here

And it's here. Final editing and mastering has been finished and the first form of digital distribution has started on BandCamp. Be among the firsts to grab 'Symphonic Tales of the Silmarilli'

Months of work has now come to a milestone. While the story is not yet over, as this is the first cycle of the Symphonic Tales, but this amassed material was shouting for release, before venturing onwards to the stories of the newly coming races of Arda, the First Born and the others to follow them. While that's not in my plans to start it immediately after this release, it's on the road map.
https://palzoltanilles.bandcamp.com/album/symphonic-tales-of-the-silmarilli


#‎epicmusic‬ ‪#‎indiemusic‬ ‪#‎tolkien‬ ‪#‎silmarillion‬ ‪#‎mythology‬ ‪#‎genesis‬ ‪#‎valar‬ ‪#‎archangels‬ ‪#‎ainilundale‬ ‪#‎valaquenta‬

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Symphonic Tales of The Silmarillion - Eight Movement: Oromë, The Hunter Lord - Compositional Diary

Here rides the hunter lord on his stallion Nahar, he, the Horn-Blower, menace to all the dark creatures of Arda and Morgoth. The one who remained most time on Arda before returning to Valinor.


"During the Years of the Trees, after most of the Valar had withdrawn completely from Middle-earth and hidden themselves in Aman, Oromë still hunted in the forests of Middle-earth on occasion. Thus, he was responsible for finding the elves when they awoke at Cuivienen, and the first to name them the Eldar.[3]
Being a powerful huntsman, he was active in the struggles against Morgoth. He had a great horn called the Valaróma and a great steed named Nahar.[2] Huan, a Hound from Valinor, once belonged to him and was later given to Celegorm, one of the Sons of Fëanor.[4] 
" - source: http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Orom%C3%AB

The composition is mixing a few characteristic themes...after starting out with an intense, quite arrhythmic part it goes into a strong choral part introduced with fine staccato clarinet runs and a heavy marcato strings section. It depicts the fearless Vala archangel's might and furious hunting powers that swept through the forests of Arda even in the most menacing times when the Shadow of Morgoth was creeping over. After a small bridging part comes the more heroic, positively uplifting part culminating in a quick arpeggio of violin runs to give the over the edge burst, and depicting the majestic nature of the divine being. To accentuate the main melody, celesta is hitting up the beats of the brass melody, and a quick marcato of the string ensemble is following all through in the background. The main theme is also repeated by a choral part. After all this, a variation of the first powerful choral part is heightening the tension before the brass melodic uplifting line is returning with grace to win over, and thus the piece ends.

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Symphonic Tales of The Silmarillion - Seventh Movement: Aulë, Smith of the Valar - Compositional Diary

At last the seventh movement of the Symphonic Tales of the Silmarillion cycle is ready! Portraying Aulë, creator of the land masses of Arda, father of the Dwarves. He was the divine master of crafts, smithing many things, among them the Chains of Melkor. Link

"As Aulë is a smith, he is the Vala most similar in thought and powers to Melkor, in that they each gloried in the fashioning of artful and original things. Both also came to create beings of their own. But while Aulë strove to be true to the original intent of the Music of the Ainur, and submitted all that he did to the will of Ilúvatar, Melkor wished to control and subvert all things, and was jealous of the creations of others so that he would try to twist or destroy all that they made. There was long strife between Aulë and Melkor both before and after the creation of Arda. Aulë, however, traditionally opposed attempts to fight Melkor, for fear of the damage that would be wrought to Arda.
When the Elves came to Valinor, the Ñoldor became the students of Aulë. Fëanor was his greatest pupil, and from him learned to make gems through craftsmanship that is now forgotten. This would eventually lead to the Silmarils, the greatest creation of handiwork within Arda. On the Flight of the Noldor, the Noldor who returned to Valinor under Finarfin named themselves the Aulendur, Followers of Aulë. Despite his lordly skill, Aulë is humble and compassionate, and indeed the Dwarves survived only because Aulë submitted them to the will of Ilúvatar. His spouse is Yavanna, with whom he dwells in central Valinor." -- http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Aul%C3%AB

The arrangement is heavily relying on choral parts, especially accented on the bass section of the choir, representing the dwarven folk who He created. 
It consists of two main characteristic parts: first one is depicting the more serious, epic nature of this divine figure. At start the choirs are going light accompanied by some wind and stringed instruments playing piano, then switching to a higher gear with the epic Godzilla hits and some quick string runs and brass progressions. 
The second part is giving a cheerful salutation to the archangel with quickly evolving melody in the forte part and slower choral parts, both in a graceful, light and positive context. 
Hope you'll enjoy it!


Monday, March 16, 2015

Symphonic Tales of The Silmarillion - Fifth and Sixth Movement: Elbereth & Melkor - Compositional Diary

The portraits continued! First released Elbereth, also known as Varda, wife of Manwë. Then just yesterday Melkor's portray got ready to be rolled out! Hope you will like them!

Elbereth, Queen of the Stars


Melkor, The Dark Lord