New Halo 4 Composer *UPDATE 5 Q&A WITH NEW COMPOSER!*

Games Other Halo
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Well as many of you may have heard via Xbox’s official Facebook page they will be announcing the new composer for Halo 4 on Wednesday:
“For the first time since the launch of the original “Halo” game, more than a decade ago, a new composer will take the reins for the landmark series’ music score. Find out which award-winning producer will compose and produce the soundtrack for the first installment of the all new Halo saga this Wednesday.”.

So who is this person? I have a theory that it is none other than Harry Gregson-Williams. I think this because of many reasons. First he is an award wining composer and producer. Second he has worked on MANY amazing film scores such as the Chronicals of Narnia films, Kingdom of Heaven, and many more. He has also a lengthy video game music composition history. He has composed music for games such as Call of duty 4, almost all the metal gear games, and many more. Since he has worked on the metal gear games he already has a good relationship with the audio director of 343 Sotaro Tojima, who did audio for the metal gear solid games. Also Gregson writes in a VERY cinematic way, and from what we’ve heard so far, this music sounds cinematic, and is very comparable as far as style to his other work. 343 has stated many times that they are trying to be more cinematic in this game so that fits the description pretty well. Tell me what you think, listen to his stuff if you haven’t heard of him, he’s great! Here is a suggested listening of his work http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2QXLlzsgoY.

Discuss! Who do you think it is!

Update: If you look at the song that I posted as an example of Gregsons work, at 4:00 the horns he uses are VERY similar to how they are used in the Halo 4 music!

UPDATE 2: Frankie has Confirmed that it is NOT Hans Zimmer on Neogaf http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=36799365&postcount=17070

UPDATE 3: According to Frankie there will be a live chat Q&A with the new composer on Facebook http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=36825078&postcount=17694

UPDATE 4: Frankie has confirmed that the composer is NOT John Willians, Jake Wall, or Tallarcio http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=36826360&postcount=17743 Who else is left!!! I think My theory is right!

UPDATE 5: Frankie commented in this thread saying

> You guys are thinking about it all wrong. It will all be clear tomorrow, complete with proof of the pudding - some Halo 4 music that shows some of his range. I just outed his gender.

. So what does this mean? It is a guy, and it’s no one we are guessing…or maybe it is Gregson still (fingers crossed). Frankie said at another time that “it will all make sense”, so my next guess? Stephen Rippy, since he has worked with 343 before, and written halo music before.

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I hope for steve jablonsky

Oh yeah, could be Harry too.
Hopefully one of them :slight_smile:

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Jack Wall.

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> I hope for steve jablonsky

Steve is good, but I don’t think it is him. The music so far doesn’t sound like his…plus I like Harry Gregson better :stuck_out_tongue:

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Martin O’Donnell…

…jk

I agree with OP

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> Jack Wall.

I can’t see them picking him as the composer. His only real good OST for a game in my opinion is Mass Effect (which he did, along with Mass Effect 2). However I think Mass Effect 3 was awesome musically, which he did not compose for. Also again, the music so far doesn’t sound anything like him. But hey maybe.

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Oh also! If you look at the song that I posted as an example of Gregsons work, at 4:00 the horns he uses are VERY similar to how they are used in the Halo 4 music!

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> Well as many of you may have heard via Xbox’s official Facebook page they will be announcing the new composer for Halo 4 on Wednesday:
> “For the first time since the launch of the original “Halo” game, more than a decade ago, a new composer will take the reins for the landmark series’ music score. Find out which award-winning producer will compose and produce the soundtrack for the first installment of the all new Halo saga this Wednesday.”.
>
> So who is this person? I have a theory that it is none other than Harry Gregson-Williams. I think this because of many reasons. First he is an award wining composer and producer. Second he has worked on MANY amazing film scores such as the Chronicals of Narnia films, Kingdom of Heaven, and many more. He has also a lengthy video game music composition history. He has composed music for games such as Call of duty 4, almost all the metal gear games, and many more. Since he has worked on the metal gear games he already has a good relationship with the audio director of 343 sotoro tojima, who did audio for the metal gear solid games. Also Gregson writes in a VERY cinematic way, and from what we’ve heard so far, this music sounds cinematic, and is very comparable as far as style to his other work. 343 has stated many times that they are trying to be more cinematic in this game so that fits the description pretty well. Tell me what you think, listen to his stuff if you haven’t heard of him, he’s great! Here is a suggested listening of his work http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2QXLlzsgoY.
>
> Discuss! Who do you think it is!

Hey, thanks! Finally, an intelligent post that’s NOT -Yoinking!- about stupid little multiplayer “issues”. Plus, I had not seen that! I am now crazy excited for Wednesday.

My original theory was Jack Wall, because I was wondering what happened to him after he left Mass Effect. It’s interesting because the music in the last two vidocs have sounded very Harry Gregson-Williams, while the music from the concept art trailer sounded very Jack Wall. I really don’t know!

I had never taken into consideration Harry’s relationship with Sotaro, having worked on the Metal Gear Solid series. That’s a very good point. I’d wager you’re probably right, but either way I’m psyched to find out!

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> I hope for steve jablonsky
>
> Oh yeah, could be Harry too.
> Hopefully one of them :slight_smile:

I hope not. He really phoned it in for Gears of War 3.

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Hans Zimmerman obviously . . . He’s what’s popular right now . . .

I kid . . .

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> Hans Zimmerman obviously . . . He’s what’s popular right now . . .
>
> I kid . . .

He is WAY over ratted! If it’s him I’ll be disappointed…but still I must admit… intrigued

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> > I hope for steve jablonsky
> >
> > Oh yeah, could be Harry too.
> > Hopefully one of them :slight_smile:
>
> I hope not. He really phoned it in for Gears of War 3.

I TOTALLY agree! Like word for word I have said that many times!!!

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Whoever they are, it’s gonna be hard to beat this.

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> Hans Zimmerman obviously . . . He’s what’s popular right now . . .
>
> I kid . . .

Zimmer*

And while he is popular, I wouldn’t say he’s overrated. He’s very good at what he does. A lot of his music WOULD fit the Halo universe pretty well, but I very much doubt that he’s the new composer.

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> Whoever they are, it’s gonna be hard to beat this.

Agreed, Marty is tuff to fill! However I’m very confident that Gregson would fill those shoes BRILLIANTLY! He can defiantly hit the epic, and emotional, AND memorable notes :stuck_out_tongue: example…the Chronicles of Narnia song I posted…very good and catchy and epic, and emotional!

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Awesome!

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> > I hope for steve jablonsky
> >
> > Oh yeah, could be Harry too.
> > Hopefully one of them :slight_smile:
>
> I hope not. He really phoned it in for Gears of War 3.

I like steve because of the Transformers 1-3 soundtrack :wink:

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> Jack Wall.

That’s who I’m hoping for. He did an amazing job with the first two Mass Effect games, and his departure from Bioware is great timing for him to work on Halo 4.

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> > Jack Wall.
>
> I can’t see them picking him as the composer. His only real good OST for a game in my opinion is Mass Effect (which he did, along with Mass Effect 2). However I think Mass Effect 3 was awesome musically, which he did not compose for. Also again, the music so far doesn’t sound anything like him. But hey maybe.

Myst III: Exile (2001)
Unreal II: The Awakening (2003)
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (2004)
Myst IV: Revelation (2004)
Jade Empire (2005)
Dungeon Siege II (2005) — Trailer cinematics
Mass Effect (2007)
Mass Effect 2 (2010)

He’s done plenty of Amazing Sound tracks and has won tons of awards for Myst 3, Myst 4, Jade Empire, Mass effect and Mass effect 2. Not to mention the reason he didn’t do Mass effect 3 was because of “Unknown and ‘complicated’ reasons.” This could mean he was working on something else already and was probably getting paid more for it.
Also the music in the Concept art trailer sounds similar to his Mass Effect stuff and the newer music we heard wasn’t far off from some of the stuff in other games he has done.

God I hope it is Jack Wall.

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> > Hans Zimmerman obviously . . . He’s what’s popular right now . . .
> >
> > I kid . . .
>
> Zimmer*
>
> And while he is popular, I wouldn’t say he’s overrated. He’s very good at what he does. A lot of his music WOULD fit the Halo universe pretty well, but I very much doubt that he’s the new composer.

Allow me to explain. Hans Zimmer used to be a GREAT composer in his younger days, Brilliant in fact. However what he has become is a great music producer and a mediocre composer. If you look at the past 10 years, he has NOT composed any of his music, rather stolen it from other composers, and taken credit for it; examples are the pirates movies, inception, and in video games MW2. Inception had a GREAT OST, however it was the same song remixed ny cool ways. Hans Zimmer is a GREAT music producer, but i’m afraid that what we need is an AMAZING composer, which he unfortunately has not lived up to as of late.