Storytelling through Music in Hollow Knight
Vložit
- čas přidán 20. 06. 2024
- I love the way the tiny clues littering Hollow Knight's world add up to a full story when you piece them all together, and leaving things open ended allows fans of the game to explore and discuss what these clues mean long after the game is over. These clues show up in characters' dialogue, details in the environments, and yes, even the game's soundtrack. I wanted to take a look at one small example of the soundtrack contributing to the game's lore as well as discuss generally how composer Christopher Larkin develops themes throughout this soundtrack. So that's what I did. Enjoy!
SHIRTS: 8bitmerch.bandcamp.com/merch/...
PATREON: / 8bitmusictheory
TWITTER: / 8bitmusictheory
#HollowKnight #videogamemusic #musictheory - Hry
Christopher Larkin: Writes a classical piece of music using intricate techniques to craft the perfect atmosphere for a lonesome palace lost in a world of dreams.
Team Cherry: "Let's add the sound of 200 buzzsaws."
Ah yes, the White Palace theme
**cries in agony**
Classic! You end up hating the song when you listen to it for hours straight trying to get through the path of pain.
David Koel Actually, the Path of Pain has a different piece, one that's part of The Hollow Knight's.
@@malachi9690 🗿
Don't forget all the sounds that the spikes and people talking make as well
"If you look closely you'll definetly be able to hear it" - 8-Bit Music Theory, 2019
Hold on, I can't hear you without my glasses.
@@connordarvall8482 Is it weird that this statement makes sense to me?
Kaldor Draigo, TTS - This man understands! You must HEAR with your EYES!
I was literally about to post this. It does make sense if you think that looking at sheet music helps you know what to listen for.
Grant us eyes, grant us eyes! Plant eyes on our brains, to cleanse our beastly deafness.
One thing that you didn't mention that I loved about the soundtrack - you're able to sit on the king's throne before grabbing his half of the soul. When you do, a short melody plays - the White King's theme, overlaid with the Knight's theme, both stripped down to their barest melody and played simultaneously, once and never again. When it comes to storytelling I think they peaked there. For all the fuss between you, everything you do and everything he did, the closest the Knight comes to interacting with the king is a brief moment's rest sitting on his throne, long after he's dead, before moving on.
That detail is what got me to fall in love with this soundtrack in the first place.
dude, awesome
Wow! I never knew that, what a beautiful touch by Team Cherry.
I still learn new things about this game
i almost missed that tune when i beat the white palace, and i went to record it with my phone but it ended and didn’t play again lol
@@sunflowersharks czcams.com/video/jFZinttNiyU/video.html you can find it here, if you want to!
"That part doesn't have anything to do with the pale king, but it's just awesome."
That is so fair.
God i wish he would explain this part of the hornet song in music theory terms because i absolutely love when songs have the two rhythms at the same time like this. That part of Hornet gives me chills every time
@@wanderdota I think he uses the correct term, it's just a "4 over 3". That and the 3 over 2 are pretty common in classical music, I believe ; funny thing about it, my piano teacher taught it as "one, two and three" and "one, two and three and four" (with a rythmic twist) and it does fit extremely well as then you play the 4 notes on 1, 2, 3, 4 and the 3 notes on 1, and, and (same with 1 2 3 / 1 and)
@@Shaltinanwenor music is awesome
The Pale King is the most interesting character in Hollow Knight. And he has 0 lines of dialogue.
Now _that's_ how you tell a story.
He has the entire birthplace dialogue (which still isn't a lot)
No cost too great.
No mind to think.
No will to break.
No voice to cry suffering.
Born of God and Void.
You shall seal the blinding light that plagues their dreams.
You are the Vessel.
You are the Hollow Knight.
_________________________________________
VOID, yours is the power opposed.
But yours is potential, eternity potential, force that could deny Time.
VOID, harness shall be placed upon you.
_________________________________________
No blazing kin. Only one light shall shine against the dark.
The Wyrm becomes beacon, minds expanded, to yield, to devote.
Eternity in promise and charge in progeny cursed.
_________________________________________
Higher beings, these words are for you alone.
Our Pure Vessel has ascended. Beyond lies only the refuse and regret of its creation. We shall enter that place no longer.
_________________________________________
Vessel. Though bound, you shall know the state of the world.
Hallownest will be whole again.
_________________________________________
Within our lands do not hide your true form. Let all bask in your majesty, for only this kingdom could produce ones such as you.
_________________________________________
Your great strength marks you amongst us. Focus your soul and you shall achieve feats of which others can only dream.
_________________________________________
0 lines of dialogue yep
PigDoodles the first one is the only one the Pale King actually said lmao
yeah the other he only possibly writed
PigDoodles No cost too great.
Let’s be real, nobody figured any of the story out just by playing the game.
Everyone just watched mossbag
Well then, how mossbag figured out the story then? :P
@@Mewseeker _He obviously watched mossbag_
Ive played this game so much and until I watched mossbag all I got is orange = bad and mass baby bug genocide
actually i got some and only *some* of the lore.
I don't watch mossbag. He may have good theories, but his sense of humor puts me off. Besides, after a bijillion playthroughs I think I've got a decent grasp on the lore. I love this game so much.
I think you got the White Palace theme wrong. The one I remember goes more like “JIIIIIIIEEER. JIIIIIIIIEEER.”
It was more like “KA-SHUNK KA-SHUNK”
More like
“HUH *nail slash* * ZOOOOOOOOO KA-KLINK”
"Clop clop clop fwoooooosh- THOOOM"
What?
I love this reply section. Almost as much as the white palace's ,"BRRRRZZZZZZZZZ BRRRRZZZZZZZZZ!"
8-bit Music Theory + Hollow Knight gives _me_ a powerful climax
I came fountains
hot
There's really only one reply to this video.
"Hnnn Baphanada"
Ahh. Ronjo stenja.
Chokho le, kerek tees.
Velmi artrid.
mmmmm.. MMMMM... oh! O hahahahaha
Git good!
Hornet's Theme is a straight BOP y'all
git guuud
Her and the mantis lords theme are the greatest bops i have ever heard.
You’re damn right
@@residentfacehead3465 it seems you have not fought Grimm yet
Radiance theme
please , and I mean for the love of god PLEASE
talk about the sealed vessel music because my god it's amazing , the first piece honestly makes me feel how dramatic the boss fight is even without any of the story , and the second part is just kinda amazing on it's own way so PLEASE check this one out
I have a feeling he will for some reason :)))
Honestly that was the most prominent end noticeable use of music to tell the story, I'd be really surprised if it's not at least mentioned...
You've made me buy the game instantly. Well composed music for me is a huge selling point. I'm not regretting it so far (even if I did a bit when fighting the Watcher Knight for the millionth time)
I hate them to
Watcher knights and second Hornet encounter got my death total well above 100.
it's so weird reading this because the watcher knights were pretty easy for me lmao
In my first play through I fought the watcher knights after I got the shade cloak, they were easy. In a speed run of the game I fought them without it and they were much harder.
Tbh I ended up dying to soul warrior more than watcher knights
Don't ask how
THAT'S WHY HORNET'S THEME SOUNDS FAMILIAR.
When I first played hollow knight i immediately recognized it was related to the elegy of hollownest, u got that too?
I want you to know I made some distinctly unmanly noises when this alert popped up.
[insert fake grub wail]
Why is this joke everywhere in the comment section
@@spontaneousspider7088 Stolen comments probably...?
Supershadow301 yeah but why do people feel the need to keep saying this tf
@@spontaneousspider7088 No idea either. Maybe they're unmanly but don't want to come out bluntly.
I actually wrote an essay about this myself! I love the music from this game so much I'm actually writing my honours thesis on it at the moment.
I'd love to read it, if it's not too cryptic for the profane...
Good luck mate!!
I'd love to read that! (Also, good luck!)
I would love to see it
hey mate- i'd love to see it if you're willing! it sounds really interesting.
This series is incredible, love analysis of storytelling through composition
im looking forward to the episode where you explain why sealed vessel is a masterpiece for 10 minutes
Gosh, same! I'm really damn curious as to what makes it such an emotional piece!
Hollow Knight is one of my favorite games. The music gives me chills.
Thank you for doing these!
For the longest time, I used to think that the poem was about the Pale King, but recently I realized that it's about Hallownest.
"In wilds beyond, they speak your name with reverence and regre,t" - rumors of a vast, ancient kingdom spread far beyond the realm, bringing in many travelers and adventurers (hardly anyone from beyond Hallownest even mentions him).
"Under palest watch, you taught, we changed, base instincts were redeemed" - the palest watch Monomon wrote of is the Pale King, for under his supervision did the kingdom change bugs.
Though not in the game, the continuation of the poem very specifically addresses the kingdom, not the king: "(contd.)Within your corpse can still be heard the plaintiff cries of one,Who took our pain, and loss, and dreams inside itself to..." - Hallownest is very often referred to as a corpse, and how this kingdom is long dead.
I mean... did you read the poem’s title?
"Next and final" noooooo! These two videos are seriously so great. Can't wait for the next one!
I could immediately watch this video as soon as I get the notification... SO I WIIIIIIIIIIIILL!!!
The fact that this $15 indie game has videos surrounding its musical lore is mind blowing in and of itself! I love revisiting videos like these after which I’ll play the game with a deeper appreciation for its details!
RIP Music Theory Minute. Despite that, I look forward to whatever comes next, even it may be a deceptive cadence!
Emm Bee Sea why do i see you on every youtube video from the most recent melee major VODs to hollow knight music lmao
@@lockiegengar12 It's called having subscriptions.
*mossbag*
"I smellith wrong doing"
The Resting Grounds also has a little bit of the Pale King's leitmotif if I'm playing it right. Not a lot, but just a tiny bit more evidence as to his fate.
To these amazing underrated composers know they are being analysed and apreciated like this?
I'd love to see a reaction by a composer on your videos!
Ivo Wilson that’d be awesome!
I was hoping that Sealed Vessel was gonna be in this, that track is HK's story through sound
I have absolutely no clue what I'm looking at when it comes to music, but your videos on topics like these are very entertaining. :)
Also I thought you were gonna mention that Hornet is the daughter of the Pale King as evidenced through the fact that her Godmaster remix is literally named "Daughter of Hallownest," haha
Well I just commented a long boring explanation of this a day ago and should have looked to see if anyone else commented the same thing first
This was fantastic! This makes a lot of sense! Now that I think about it, the Pale King's theme is very prominent in the Dung Defender and White Defender songs. Man, I never cease to be impressed by Hollow Knight (or your videos!)
Any chance you might talk about the moment of descending into the city of tears for the first time and hearing the city theme at the same time as you find a safe place to rest with quirrel?
Great video! You can hear this same melody in Dung/White Defender's theme too ;)
Hornet theme is soo awesome, I love it! And though I knew about her being Herrah's daughter, I had never noticed the motif in the soundtrack, which is definitely splendid! I thought about Christopher Larkin as being one of my favorite composers, I'm pretty sure he's the number one now!
God! I love when a game uses music as a story telling device. Great as always man
This series gives me LIFE
I need you to talk about Sealed Vessel now
Dude. This series combines two of my favorite things: Hollow Knight, and the music of Hollow Knight.
I’d just like to thank you so much for creating these, I find them extremely interesting and your analyses a mix of observance, creativity, and downright awesomeness.
I look forward to the final video, though I wish it would never end.
Thank you again!
This makes me look forward to the sequel so much more, considering music apparently plays a bigger role in it's story (if the name is anything to go by).
Silk Solk is my most anticipated game, I hope it comes out in 2019.
@@davidk822 well, now I hope for 2020
@@NoSmoke1 It's looking closer to 2021 at this point
@@richterbelmontfucker69 hoping for 2022 at earliest
@@AshenDust_ Praying for it to literary be in 2023
Dang, I've been writing a song for the final in my music theory class but i have been stuck for a while on doing just this!
this video really came at a perfect moment for me and now I am loaded with inspiration and ready to go!
"That part didn't have anything to do with the Pale King but it's JUST AWESOME"
I was already into this video, but I was NOT ready for you to suddenly show me that Hornet's theme used the same motif all along! I was not ready for it - and that's my favorite song in the soundtrack and one of my favorite game songs ever! Also, that polyrhythm is indeed awesome, enough that I started to teach myself how to play a polyrhythm on the piano specifically for it.
The piece's use of a i-IV-iv-i remind me of BBC's Sherlock's main theme
For the last video, I hope you analyze the main theme. I also call it the vessel theme, as almost all the instances of it that I've found have something to do with vessels.
Broken Vessel, Sealed Vessel, and Pure Vessel - Pretty obvious connection.
False Knight / Watcher Knight - These bosses are empty shells animated by something else, be it a maggot or a swarm of flies.
Fungal Wastes - I have no idea why the theme is used here.
I have a few ideas about why Fungal Wastes uses the theme, but these are ultimately just my guesses.
The main reason is probably because this area is where the game gets kicking. New mechanics, bouncy mushrooms, freaking Mantis Warriors and their range - and the entrance to the City of Tears.
And lore. I believe the Fungal Wastes is the first area where the Pale King is mentioned. The Leg Eater talks about wanting to be king. The lore tablets talk about the Wyrm's prescience. A giant mushroom creature in the background says "Pale Wyrm...what good to foresee a demise unavoidable?" And most of all - Mister Mushroom, who is * cough* very, very important for the lore...if we could understand where cryptic messages stop and meta references begin.
@@otaku-chan4888 - The king is mentioned in Greenpath. “Those who stray from the White King’s road shall face the law of Unn.”
Two years after its release, a year and a half since I've know if its existence, nearly a year sisnce I've own it on the switch,
And this game still manages to surprise me.
8-Bit:“The last in this series”
Me: Welp time to go cry.
Dung Defender better be in part 3 or shit is gonna go down!
Shit is going to be down anyway with the Dung Defender around.
his name is ogrim, dung defender is just his title.
The white palace theme still gives me goosebumps
My favorite is the Pale Court arrangement. It's practically a story of rise and fall of the Hollownest in the POV of the King ,all done through instrumentals.
This series is magnificent.
A dream come true!
This is my first time finding one of your videos and I just. I love this so much? I try to do video game compositions, and I love finding explanations of how composers put their themes together. The visual cues with the sheet music are just the icing on the cake. Thank you so much!
You, sir, are awesome. Thank you for these amazing videos and for introducing me to beautiful new video game music!
This channel was such a good recommendation from youtube! I've just started learning this sort of content at uni, and seeing it applied to my favourite game makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Fantastic content, you've earned a subscription.
Oh my god yes I was looking forward to this so much. This series is absolutely my favorite from this channel, and I can't wait for the third episode.
Fudge I love this channel...
Hollow Knight is one of my favorite Metroidvanias, and I've loved the atmosphere since I started it for the first time.
Seeing you analyze the music like this is just amazing, keep up the good work and I'm looking forward to the next part.
Another fantastic video! You're videos inspire me to delve deeper into music theory and writing. I'm glad you covered Hollow Knight, out of all the games I've played in the last two years it is without a doubt my favorite!
You're amazing. Thank you for this video. Absolutely brilliant analysis.
Wonderful content. I fell in love with the OST as soon as the solitary and atmospheric "Crossroads" and pieces such as "Hornet", "Reflection", "Mantis Lords", "Resting Grounds" (and every other track, really :-P) futher amplified this infatuation.
It was very interesting seeing how much care was put in weaving the OST with the game's lore.
I've been waiting for someone to analyze the absolutely breathtaking music in Hollow Knight and you, dear sir, delivered fabulously!! Before now I didn't actually notice the resemblance between Hornet's theme and the Leitmotif that appears in the White Lady and the Pale King's themes, so thank you for bringing it to light (get it, light?). However, I'm a bit saddened that you didn't mention the Pale Court theme.
It's understandable, since it's the only song (that i know of, at least) that isn't actually heard in-game and it's only on the Gods and Nightmares album. I always thought that maybe the reason for it being left out was because it was so emotional, and it could've put too much emphasis on the story rather than the gameplay. Still, would've loved to hear your thoughts on this illuminating piece of music.
Don't forget that the Resting Grounds also is very reminiscent of the Pale King's theme!! (for some reason...)
Every time I watch one of these videos I get inspired to compose something new! I can’t express enough how much I love these!
WTF.
I always knew about the game, but I never checked it out at all.
AFTER THIS, not only do I appreciate and love Larkin's work in it, but I also REALLY appreciate and love your analysis of it.
I'm fucking sold and I can't wait for the next installment of this.
Man, I always consistently love your uploads. Please continue.
8:00 : love how the Birthplace theme (thus the Hollow Knight leitmotive) sneak in there.
Well this made me go and buy Hollow Knight immediately.
Krustoficus yeah it’s a good game
Also the Resting Grounds theme contains the Pale King motif. I just noticed that the other day.
just wanted to say thank you for the hard work you put into all your videos. they are very inspiring.
I just stumbled upon your channel, and this is without a doubt some of the best content I've consumed on youtube in my life.
Dude, that was awesome. Thank you so much for doing this. I love the video.
Reminds me alot of the storytelling through leitmotiv in Final Fantasy IX. Specifically one of the main themes “A Place To Call Home“. The melody is played in a very specific set of places that are connected through their backstory. The game never explicitly tells this (it does tell about the backstory reason for it, but the fact itself is never mentioned. Its probably not relevant enough and keeps up the feel of mystery a bit)
Yet, the fact that these places are connected in some way is communicated through the music on a level that there is no doubt, even if the player is not all that deep in the lore.
Watching this stuff makes me wish I'd gotten more into music creation, I love this stuff. Listening to this soundtrack a lot you pick up on all the leitmotifs and everything but to see it laid out and analyzed like this is fascinating stuff.
This was an AWESOME video. I hope you can talk more about some of the other leitmotifs in hollow knight’s soundtrack- I love the theme of the vessels, especially when it is used as the climax to sealed vessel with that huge descending scale in the brass!
Thank you for exploring the wonderful music of this game! I love it when composers use themes and leitmotifs so effectively as we hear in this game.
Gaaaahhh, thank you so much for making videos on Hollow Knight! I can't get over how much I love this game!!
Really enjoying this series. I love the game and the music and it's clear how much you do too, which makes it all the better. Excited for the finale.
For all the time I spent falling, dying, and irl crying in the White Palace I can’t believe I never realized the motif, although I certainly picked up on the tone of a grandiose dream left to ruin described in the elegy.
Excellent video! I love that in Hornet’s theme, the motif melody is even in the fast strings that start it off. I noticed that after catching it in the main melody and my mind was blown yet again *insert gopher*
I can't believe how genius this is and how genius 8-bit Music Theory is for somehow figuring this out.
Everyone's talking about Hornet's theme here, but as soon as I heard the Pale King's leitmotif at 2:54 I immediately thought "oh fuck, add a few notes and play it on trumpet, you have Ogrim's theme."
I can't get over how good this channel is. I'm buying that T-shirt, and so should you.
Outstanding work as usual. Looking forward to the conclusion. :-)
You say The Pale Kings corpse..
I say The Pale Kings molt.
Pale King Wyrm Form for Silksong
@@DJI_Friday really hoping we find and confront pale king as Hornet.
Incredible. Please never stop this series, it's so good
Thank you, these videos and amazing!
Hot diggity freaking damn I love you so much for making these videos about Hollow Knight. I've been meaning to analyze HK myself so this definitely helps and motivates me.
I haven’t played Hollow Knight, but this video definitely makes me want to check it out.
please do, seriously. It is the only game i wasn't able to find a honest weak link both in gameplay and universe. it may not break mechanic boundaries, but it refines what it does to objective perfection.
I love your videos, keep up the good work!
Im so impressed with your transcribtion skills, i have no idea how you do it as im struggling with easy majorscale transcribing. Keep up the good work, i enjoy these videos so much.
I was literally wanting a video talking about this game's music earlier today and here it is, less than a day old for me to watch :P
This is one of my favorite games thanks for talking about its music :)
I literally started playing Hollowknight like 2 days before your first video and i literally rushed to play it knowing the series you were doing! I love this
Super pumped that you got around to doing a few Hollow Knight episodes, we actually just started a rearrangement ourselves of one of the songs in this video!
Thank you again for this great video!
Storytelling and Hollow Knight OST both make me so happy. This video is no different. c:
Excited for next vid--hopefully Sealed Vessel gets covered since it's one of the best pieces on the OST.
Never been happier to get a notification. Favorite game and channel in one video
Well now I know why I always accidentally hum the King’s theme when I try to hum hornet’s
bruh music theorys been a massive interest in mine since childhood and hk is my favorite game 😭😭😭 both of them mean a lot 2 me and this miniseries literslly restored my soul i owe u my life
One of the most profound musical moments for me was during my first playthrough of the game when I fought THK for the first time. I went through the game without any story research and limited walkthrough help so it goes without saying that I had no fucking clue what was going on in the story other than "orange stuff bad". When I finally got to the final phase of the fight where he begins stabbing at the infection and the music shifts to that slow, sad string section halfway through the "sealed vessel" track, it had an insanely profound effect on my mindset of the game's story as a whole. Seeing this larger version of myself desperately stabbing itself and getting thrown around by the infection while this dirge-like song played really brought up an emotional reaction in me. It made me think less of how THK is the game's antagonist and more so that there must be something more going on in this world. It was tragic. I really felt bad for the knight while I was fighting him and when I finally killed him, I was in tears for a couple minutes while my mind just raced and raced over what just happened. I don't think that moment would have been nearly as impactful if the music wasn't done so perfectly.
For being a drummer, you are a goddamn good harmony analyst. This video's on hollow knight are just gorgeous. Thanks a ton!
Hornet's theme's been my favorite track since the first time I fought her, it's just makes you want to fight so much.
awesome video and analysis
great video, started playing the game after the first vid, thx!
I definitely agree with you on this. I wish there were more videos about Hollow Knight's music and how it adds to the game. Hollow Knight definitely has some bangers man.
Very interesting input, thanks! And I've always loved the cello in Hornet's theme, it makes it immersive.
Here's hoping you'll analyze Silksong's music as well ^^