OST of the Day #34: The Legend of Korra - Before
Hey Steemit!
OSTs make up the majority of the music I listen to, and they're so underrated I just had to share them! Feel free to listen while reading. 😊
Going off the previous post, I thought I'd continue with another song from a TV series! I'm currently rewatching the sequel to one of my favourite shows of all time (Avatar The Last Airbender), The Legend of Korra. While I actually prefer the first Avatar series story-wise, I would say the soundtrack in Korra is more memorable.
Source: podfanatic.com
If you've never seen this show, The Legend of Korra is an American animated television series created by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino for Nickelodeon that aired from April 14, 2012 to December 19, 2014. A sequel to Konietzko and DiMartino's previous series Avatar: The Last Airbender, which aired from 2005 to 2008, the series is animated in a style strongly influenced by anime with most of the animation being done by Studio Mir of South Korea and some by Pierrot Co. of Japan.
As with its predecessor, the series is set in a fictional universe in which some people can manipulate, or "bend", the elements of water, earth, fire, or air. Only one person, the "Avatar," can bend all four elements, and is responsible for maintaining balance in the world. The series follows Avatar Korra, the female reincarnation of Aang from the previous series, as she faces political and spiritual unrest in a modernizing world.
Source: forbes.com
One of my favourite things about the Avatar series is how well made it is. Although Korra was not as well-developed as the first series story-wise, the animations made up for it in spades. The fight sequences were amazingly done; although the bending styles in Korra didn't have the same martial arts flair as the first one. However, I believe that was the directors' choice since this is supposed to be set in a more modern era.
Anyway, the song I wanted to share today is called Before. It's a pretty long one; have a listen!
Listening to this, I can totally picture an orchestra playing this song in a theatre. I believe the first time this song can be heard is in Season 1, Episode 10. It is almost at the end of the first season (aka Book 1) so I won't give too much away, but it plays during a backstory sequence of one of the characters (which gets quite lamentable).
I remember that whole sequence being one of my favourite parts of Book 1 precisely because of this song. The actual song actually starts at 0:38, with just 2 instruments, an erhu and a cello. The first time I heard this song while watching the show I found it so familiar because of the erhu, triggering memories from my Chinese Orchestra days I guess. Rarely did we get a chance to hear a solo like this though. And how mesmerising it is.
Here's what an erhu looks like!
Throughout this song, the erhu and cello take centre stage, with some backing strings and percussion coming in a bit further along in the song. I think they definitely add some sinister feels and tension; a whole other dimension to the song as the story progresses from happy to sad then tragic.
Obviously the song that plays during the show is much shorter, but this extended version actually picks up at 5:05, with drums coming in with a steady rhythm. It actually sounds quite creepy after that with just high-pitched strings until 6:39, but ends with a more tranquil feel.
Source: deviantart.com
I absolutely loved the fusion of the erhu and the cello in this piece. The composer, Jeremy Zuckerman, did an amazing job with the soundtrack. The ending theme of every episode is quite well done too. Here's a cover by Eliot Tordo (the guy with amazing hair playing the erhu from above):
Avatar is an amazing series, and if I had to choose a universe to live in, it'll definitely be this Avatar (not the blue people). If you're a fan of animated series with fighting scenes, definitely check it out! Although it was made by Americans, there are a lot of Asian/Oriental references throughout the universe (especially the fighting styles!) that's really cool to see as well.
Thanks so much for reading!
To find out more about me, check out my intro post here!
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Hello @taco.cat, thank you for sharing this creative work! We just stopped by to say that you've been upvoted by the @creativecrypto magazine. The Creative Crypto is all about art on the blockchain and learning from creatives like you. Looking forward to crossing paths again soon. Steem on!
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