Primeval, by Zweihänder

Primeval

by Zweihänder

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Axiom Lovely chiptunes that evoke emotions of dark woods, magick, and epic fantasy. Favorite track: Beneath the Ancient Oak.

RobTheButcher Killer Album! Moody but delightful at the same time! glad to have this in existence :D Favorite track: A Job for a Sea Artist.

Eric With every release Zweihänder gets better and better. Well done. Favorite track: Ultimatum.

anareb Amazing! love listening these albums while I program. Thank you so much. Favorite track: The Dragon Wakes.

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Full Digital Discography

7

releases

Get all 7 Zweihänder releases available on Bandcamp and save 60%.

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Ranger of the Old Woods, Primeval, Forbidden Magic, Daemon Slayer, Höllental, Nitheren, and Ear Slayer. , and , .

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1.	Ultimatum 02:14	info	buy track
2.	Tales Told Around the Fire 04:10	info	buy track
3.	A Job for a Sea Artist 03:21	info	buy track
4.	The Leshen's Grove 05:33	info	buy track
5.	The Dragon Wakes 04:56	info	buy track
6.	Beneath the Ancient Oak 03:44	info	buy track
7.	Avenfol Dungeons 03:50	info	buy track
8.	The Bizarre Bazaar 01:54	info
9.	Equinox Caverns 05:10	info	buy track
10.	Harpsichord Jam 02:30	info	buy track

about

DOS, NES, and SNES melodies were constantly running through my 12-year-old brain. Now that I'm older I've been able to go back and fill in the gaps. Recently I've been exploring the soundtracks from games and systems I never owned (especially the Sharp X68000 and the NEC PC-98). I've also been listening to a bit of dungeon synth... so you may hear a bit of everything in this album. It isn't designed to be any one thing, it's just the music I like to make. It's a tribute to those who crafted the soundtracks of our childhoods.

Let's take a journey. The album begins with a couple songs dedicated to the early days of DOS gaming. This may sound similar to the NES, but the typical Yamaha sound chips found in PC sound cards could be used in a greater variety of ways.

Then, in the 90's, midi became a thing and PC gaming music was drastically changed. You didn't have to rely on PSG/PCM anymore; you could use emulated instruments... many of these "instruments" had that distinct cheesy midi sound, but you could use them in interesting ways. The hardware had to support this, so you'd have your standard sound card plus midi. This is why you had to select separate sound devices for music and sound effects. The OPL sound chips could work to emulate these instruments using wav and FM synthesis... This had a really interesting, slightly buzzier sound, but it worked well.

Midi instruments were made as needed at first; there weren't any rules. Then, in the 90s, Roland released the SC-55 (Sound Canvas) and with it created a standard list of midi instruments. 00 was always Piano, 10 was glockenspiel, 37 was slap bass, etc. This allowed users to switch midi interfaces or sound banks and not change the song much. The Roland interface objectively produced the best sounds, but it was also an expensive accessory. I've used it a lot on this album. There was also general midi, adlib, etc. See if you can pick out the samples from the SC-55 and the adlib midi libraries.

Next, let's talk about the SNES/Super Famicom. Musically, it was a whole other animal. Instead of relying on PSG. FM, or midi sounds, Nintendo allowed developers to create sampled audio clips. These had to be extremely compressed, but it gave composers loads of options. They could create samples just for their game. For instance, Castlevania has dark organs, strings, choirs, etc. while Battletoads has chuggy guitars and such that were created specifically for those games. Beyond this, Nintendo embedded a default library of general sounds directly into the SNES. This gave the SNES music a signature sound that is still unique to this day. I've mixed these into songs that also feature some of the midi sounds. See if you can pick them out.

I'm a game music nerd more than a hardware nerd. So, while I may know about the Yamaha chips and Roland interfaces that were used to make all these sounds, I don't spend much time fussing with old gear and operating systems. This music was made from samples, VSTs, and emulated sounds. They are close, but not exactly what you would hear on the original hardware. I've also added some unrealistic reverb here and there. My goal isn't to recreate old music, but rather to fill you with nostalgic feelings while also pulling your ears in new directions. That mix of familiar and unknown is what I'm going for with this release.

This album was a challenge at first, because I'm used to composing faster music. Drums were the first instrument I learned, and I decided to create something without them this time. Hopefully these tracks provide something nostalgic and chill to listen to. Enjoy.

credits

released October 31, 2021

Pixel art by mr_pistooki
"The Leshen's Grove" song title by Nell (@thouartthenail)

license

about

Zweihänder Portland, Oregon

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discography

Ranger of the Old Woods

Oct 2022
Primeval

Oct 2021
Forbidden Magic

Oct 2019
Daemon Slayer

Oct 2017
Höllental

Oct 2015
Nitheren

Oct 2013
Ear Slayer

Sep 2012

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