‘Transformers One’ Composer on Megatron’s New Theme and Convincing Ty Dolla Sign and Quavo to Sing the Credits Song ‘If I Fall’

As a longtime fan of Transformers and Brian Tyler’s work, I can’t help but feel exhilarated by the collaboration between these two titans in the world of entertainment. The way they seamlessly combined their talents to create “If I Fall,” the end credits song for “Transformers One,” is a testament to their creativity and passion for storytelling.

Director Josh Cooley of “Transformers One” sought an end credits song that embodied the mood of his freshly animated production. Already collaborating with composer Brian Tyler for the film’s soundtrack, they were simultaneously finalizing details while Tyler was also managing other projects and on the verge of launching his latest interactive audio-visual project titled “Are We Dreaming.

While casually observing snippets of “Are We Dreaming” in the studio, Cooley came up with the idea of transforming the theme into a song. Inspired by this suggestion, Tyler swiftly dove into his project, extracting elements from his audio-visual work. Initially, he developed an instrumental piece that blended trap and hip hop rhythms, eventually transitioning into the energy of a rock tune, as Tyler described it. Subsequently, he penned a few verses and even lent his voice to the chorus for the developing track. The producers then passed the song onto Quavo who expressed enthusiasm, stating “I’m in! Let me record in the studio.” Tyler further shared that they discussed the lyrics and the deeper meaning behind the song and movie.

Previously, Tyler worked together with Ty Dolla Sign on the 2014 track “Shell Shocked.” As for Tyler’s thoughts, he shared, “Ty Dolla Sign could genuinely connect with the concept of friends turning into adversaries.

The final song in the movie’s credits, titled “If I Fall,” was put together with a grand, uplifting chorus. As Tyler, the singer and producer of the track, explains, it’s deeply emotional. It serves as a rallying cry to rise up, no matter who has brought you down, to stand tall and go forth to live your life.

Getting knocked down and getting up again is a theme of the film, a narrative that bonds Orion Pax/Optimus Prime and D-16/Megatron. The film traces the origin story of how Optimus Prime and Megatron went from being brothers to sworn enemies, and how certain events changed their fate and the world of Cybertron.

Tyler has a long history with the Transformers universe, as he composed the soundtrack for the Netflix animated series “Transformers Prime” in 2012. A significant aspect of this work involved his creative process behind D-16’s musical themes.

In the initial encounter with the robots, D-16 is depicted as a miner who works in tandem with Orion Pax. Creator Tyler felt it was essential not to unveil Megatron’s villainous persona immediately without allowing the audience to grasp D-16’s origins first. In his words, “I considered it more engaging and authentic to the character, its development, and the overall truth to make the initial theme of D-16 seem somewhat innocent and poignant.

Musically speaking, Tyler aimed to create an original sound when working on D-16’s music, while also highlighting the mechanical aspect of the character’s nature. He plans to use brass and cellos for the chord progression as a foundation beneath the melody. Additionally, he intends to incorporate a synth with the same range that carries a brassy tone. In his own words, “I’d have brass and cellos forming the chord progression below the melody, accompanied by a synth within the same range.

In my creative journey as I shape D-16 into Megatron, I opted to maintain the fundamental melody while subtly altering the chord progression. My intent was to infuse a sense of relative familiarity yet introduce an unexpected twist. The outcome is a composition that carries a villainous and tragic undertone – a perfect reflection of his transformation. It’s as if you can see the reasons behind this metamorphosis in every note, making the music a poignant representation of its narrative.

To achieve this, Tyler maintained the orchestra as its foundation, but introduced gritty electronic elements, characterized by heavy distortion, sub-harmonics, and microtonal tones. He incorporated a Jupiter 8 synthesizer from 1982 into his compositions, which he had also utilized in D-16’s cues.

The device was analog, tending to overheat and lose its pitch after approximately 45 minutes. So, I kept an eye on it heating up and employed live brass chords in the game, resulting in a unique, intricate dissonance that held an almost haunting charm. Tyler describes this as ‘dark’, resembling the enchanting yet ominous siren’s song, something you can’t help but be drawn to and fascinated by. It was one of my creative approaches for crafting something exceptionally original for that character.

When composing the film’s soundtrack, Tyler opted against a solely electronic score. To add depth, he included not only a full orchestra but also a choir. As the Transformers are mechanical to us, yet possess souls and behave like humans, Tyler was inspired by his childhood memories of Vangelis’ music. He felt that some of Vangelis’ compositions were incredibly emotional, and how Vangelis used the Yamaha CS 80 resonated with him. So, he too uses this instrument to create music that is capable of evoking deep emotions. By blending these elements together, Tyler believes he has accurately captured what a Transformer truly represents.

Listen to the score below.

https://open.spotify.com/watch?v=album/6UrkcU0NjFoaY1zcZMfz4H

2024-09-21 20:47

‘Transformers One’ Composer on Megatron’s New Theme and Convincing Ty Dolla Sign and Quavo to Sing the Credits Song ‘If I Fall’

Read More

Minority Mindset