Present History
Present History is the multi-media History channel which produces engaging and informative podcasts, documentaries and articles. Being a long-term collaborator, I have had the honour of producing many of their original soundtracks and themes.
Present History Shorts was the first project I collaborated on and has continued to be great fun. Each short tells a different story, requiring a different musical identity and instrumental pallet. This allows me to explore different areas of music and learn new techniques.
Hitler's Kingdom Come is a multimedia project telling the story of a Nazi cult which arose in Surrey, England. This was a very fun project to work on, giving me the task of scoring this peculiar, evil and rather small group of Hitler worshippers.
To create the main theme I focused on capturing the outlandishly sinister nature of the cult, instead of a massive score with powerful brass and strings, the theme hinges on an eccentric piano motif. This then grows into a bigger orchestral piece, but never to the extent of a truly powerful evil (such as the Imperial March), this was, after all, just a small cult in Petworth.
Britain in Afghanistan is an explainer video, presenting the history of British movements in Afghanistan, spanning from The First Anglo-Afghan War to 911. This was an interesting challenge, requiring an approach rooted in soundscapes and leitmotifs. The fast-paced nature of the documentary and the constant voiceover meant that I couldn't afford to write entire themes, simply motifs and instrumentation work.
Dark Britain is a historical true crime podcast which highlights the darkest and most sinister events in British History. It was an interesting task to create a theme for this podcast; I was asked to rework the Present History Theme. I took the theme and slowed it down, reharmonizing it with dissonant chords and playing it with a music box. I tried to lean in to the 'mystery' side of the podcast and wanted to incorporate a saxophone in the score. However, saxophone VSTs are notoriously bad compared to the real thing. Because of this I slowed and reversed midi outputs, using the saxophone as an ambient drone which added mystery and darkness. I also used pizzicato strings and tubular bells to add movement.
The Wicked Women Podcast, hosted by Grace Beattie, tells the stories of female historical figures, presenting a nuanced look at their negative legacies. This was a great project to work on, allowing me to explore how to include a sinister tone and musical femininity.
The sinister tone I found through using tubular bells, the timpani, an aggressive bass trombone, gliding violins and a double bass, all played with a piano shifting between C minor and F minor.
The femininity I created by using a collection of female vocal VSTs singing different syllables. Their almost unruly, shaking performances adds to the uneasiness of the piece. I also used a classic Tango rhythm which adds romance to the piece.