# Christopher Siu - Chief Of The Sky (Official Audio)



## ChrisSiuMusic (Sep 27, 2018)

Hi composers! I hope you're having a wonderful day! Today I wanted to present to you something I've been working on for the past couple of months.

For the past year, I've been refining my composing and production style, experimenting with soft/emotional, adventure/fantasy, and cinematic/epic music.

This latest piece is a culmination of all 3 categories, and I cannot be more excited to share it with you. Entitled 'Chief Of The Sky', it was inspired by my love for superhero films growing up, and I hope that this piece inspires you in the same way these classic films did to me.

Without further ado, I would like to present: Chief Of The Sky. Please enjoy, and leave any feedback below if you would like! Thank you so much!


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## mediumaevum (Sep 27, 2018)

Amazing... how did you make this mixing? I'm struggling to create realistic sound and to have this "3d sound effect" (don't know what it's called)

It sounds very real/life-like. Almost, if not like a real orchestra.
How do you achieve this effect?


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Sep 27, 2018)

mediumaevum said:


> Amazing... how did you make this mixing? I'm struggling to create realistic sound and to have this "3d sound effect" (don't know what it's called)
> 
> It sounds very real/life-like. Almost, if not like a real orchestra.
> How do you achieve this effect?


Thank you! It really comes down to a few things: volume balance between the tracks, height (instrument ranges), width (panning) and depth (reverb). Not to mention EQing the tracks so they sound clean and prevent any unnecessary buildup. 

I will be doing a breakdown series of this track new week on my channel, so feel free to subscribe to be notified when it comes out!


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## mediumaevum (Sep 27, 2018)

ChrisSiuMusic said:


> Thank you! It really comes down to a few things: volume balance between the tracks, height (instrument ranges), width (panning) and depth (reverb). Not to mention EQing the tracks so they sound clean and prevent any unnecessary buildup.
> 
> I will be doing a breakdown series of this track new week on my channel, so feel free to subscribe to be notified when it comes out!



Thanks. I will look forward to this breakdown!


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## Paul T McGraw (Sep 27, 2018)

Wonderful composition and fabulous sound. I look forward to the breakdown.


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Sep 27, 2018)

Paul T McGraw said:


> Wonderful composition and fabulous sound. I look forward to the breakdown.


Thank you very much Paul!


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## LamaRose (Sep 27, 2018)

An amazing effort, Chris... Williams and Spielberg would be proud.


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## Henu (Sep 28, 2018)

I clicked "like" after the first 6 seconds. :D Breakdown, plz! Awesome work once again, I really like your style!!!!


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## Wassim Samad (Sep 28, 2018)

Hey Chris! Love what you did there it's a beautiful composition. Can't wait the breakdown! I wish you will show us how you programmed the brass section in the intro it sounds so realistic. I don't know how to reproduce this kind of lines with sample libraries.


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Sep 28, 2018)

LamaRose said:


> An amazing effort, Chris... Williams and Spielberg would be proud.


Thank you so much


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Sep 28, 2018)

Henu said:


> I clicked "like" after the first 6 seconds. :D Breakdown, plz! Awesome work once again, I really like your style!!!!


Thank you Henu! I really appreciate that  Breakdown coming soon!


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## Alex Fraser (Sep 28, 2018)

I think your perfect job would be in-house composer for Nintendo. You always nail that epic, happy vibe. Great work!


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## AlexanderSchiborr (Sep 28, 2018)

ChrisSiuMusic said:


> Hi composers! I hope you're having a wonderful day! Today I wanted to present to you something I've been working on for the past couple of months.
> 
> For the past year, I've been refining my composing and production style, experimenting with soft/emotional, adventure/fantasy, and cinematic/epic music.
> 
> ...




Hey man, thank you for sharing your piece. I like the track. Well done. The A section is great. The only thing that could be a bit improved is the b Section actually. It feels a bit for me: Ok..I do that b thing but I didn´t put some love into it. :D Thats a bit nitopicky, however. Your finale is not making the track a real bigger final because you already wasted the big orchestration a way before that. And it doesn´t do any twist (which is style for me) which you could have done. Of course still an enjoyable track for sure and what I like is though you have all this epic percussion you maintain to write a good melody there with some cool orchestrations and production value trying not to shit on using the whole orchestral palette.


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Sep 28, 2018)

Wassim Samad said:


> Hey Chris! Love what you did there it's a beautiful composition. Can't wait the breakdown! I wish you will show us how you programmed the brass section in the intro it sounds so realistic. I don't know how to reproduce this kind of lines with sample libraries.


Thank you Wassim!


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Sep 28, 2018)

AlexanderSchiborr said:


> Hey man, thank you for sharing your piece. I like the track. Well done. The A section is great. The only thing that could be a bit improved is the b Section actually. It feels a bit for me: Ok..I do that b thing but I didn´t put some love into it. :D Thats a bit nitopicky, however. Your finale is not making the track a real bigger final because you already wasted the big orchestration a way before that. And it doesn´t do any twist (which is style for me) which you could have done. Of course still an enjoyable track for sure and what I like is though you have all this epic percussion you maintain to write a good melody there with some cool orchestrations and production value trying not to shit on using the whole orchestral palette.


Hey Alexander, thanks for listening and for your feedback! Indeed, it wasn't easy thinking of how to contrast the beginning and the end enough for the finale to sound larger. The hardest part for me is always stripping down all the excess material to reveal the goodness inside  

I'm curious, what kind of musical twists do you enjoy? I'd love to know! 

Thanks again


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Sep 28, 2018)

Alex Fraser said:


> I think your perfect job would be in-house composer for Nintendo. You always nail that epic, happy vibe. Great work!


You know, I think deep down that's always been my wish. Read me like a book!


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## AlexanderSchiborr (Sep 28, 2018)

ChrisSiuMusic said:


> Hey Alexander, thanks for listening and for your feedback! Indeed, it wasn't easy thinking of how to contrast the beginning and the end enough for the finale to sound larger. The hardest part for me is always stripping down all the excess material to reveal the goodness inside
> 
> I'm curious, what kind of musical twists do you enjoy? I'd love to know!
> 
> Thanks again



With twists I mean using Dissonances to add bite to your compositions. For instance a pedal tone which is not in the scale of what your are writing your melody and chords. It can add interest, but it is a thing which is not used anymore to effect. However good b sections are always not easy to do.


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Sep 28, 2018)

AlexanderSchiborr said:


> With twists I mean using Dissonances to add bite to your compositions. For instance a pedal tone which is not in the scale of what your are writing your melody and chords. It can add interest, but it is a thing which is not used anymore to effect. However good b sections are always not easy to do.


Got it. Thanks for the explanation!


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## AlexanderSchiborr (Sep 28, 2018)

ChrisSiuMusic said:


> Got it. Thanks for the explanation!



You know..the standards in that regards have moved drastically and I even experienced clients telling me not to do that because it sounds strange. No shit. I would call that sexy and interesting but the truth is that most of the part composers for media avoid that. so of course in most of the scores you don´t hear anymore biting melody tones against the harmonic frame or pedal tones creating polychordal structures. It is fucking boring for me because of my oldschoold taste. That has nothing to do with your track here..because I think it is a good work. It is just like a general statement and experience I have made and I just felt to give you more options and freedom.


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## jhughes (Sep 28, 2018)

This is not my "genre" of expertise but I think you met your goal as far as what you were shooting for. I actually liked the B section, it's very motion picture sounding to me, so yeah.

Two things:
1)In the B section, there is a lot on the beat. This of course spells out the chord changes, leading the listener by the hand, but I'm kinda craving an "and" in there somewhere. Countermelody/Bass on offbeats might have been nice.

2)Given the number of times the A theme was repeated, I think a modulation in the main theme somewhere besides E and F# could have been effective to.


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Sep 28, 2018)

jhughes said:


> This is not my "genre" of expertise but I think you met your goal as far as what you were shooting for. I actually liked the B section, it's very motion picture sounding to me, so yeah.
> 
> Two things:
> 1)In the B section, there is a lot on the beat. This of course spells out the chord changes, leading the listener by the hand, but I'm kinda craving an "and" in there somewhere. Countermelody/Bass on offbeats might have been nice.
> ...


Thanks for your feedback! I'm definitely open to trying more countermelodies and offbeats for some variation.


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## jamieboo (Sep 29, 2018)

Hey Chris - this is great!
Never been into 'Epic' (in it's modern sense), but you manage to tick those boxes without sacrificing notions of melody and orchestration - really well done!
And your shaping of the sound is great!
I tend to write old-school adventure stuff but I can't get the orchestra sounding any where near this good!
If you get a minute (or seven!) would you be able to have a listen to a piece I'm writing that I posted here recently('Old-School Swashbuckler' further down this page). I use Hollywood Orchestra but I don't know how to make the orchestra sound better. Any ideas?!
Thanks.


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Sep 29, 2018)

jamieboo said:


> Hey Chris - this is great!
> Never been into 'Epic' (in it's modern sense), but you manage to tick those boxes without sacrificing notions of melody and orchestration - really well done!
> And your shaping of the sound is great!
> I tend to write old-school adventure stuff but I can't get the orchestra sounding any where near this good!
> ...


Thanks Jamie! I appreciate that. Sure I'll have a listen.


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## Michelob (Sep 30, 2018)

This sounds great ! Composition, mix... great.

I particularly love some of the low hits, which sounds here incredibly well. Great dynamic range...

If I may : did you try the middle part without piano ? It seems to me that, with the harp, it gives a bit too much, well, how to say this in english... it's a bit mechanical ? And the piano also gives some "pop" colour that wasn't, in my really humble opinion, necessary in the whole thing. But you know, just to say something because everything sounds great.


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Sep 30, 2018)

Michelob said:


> This sounds great ! Composition, mix... great.
> 
> I particularly love some of the low hits, which sounds here incredibly well. Great dynamic range...
> 
> If I may : did you try the middle part without piano ? It seems to me that, with the harp, it gives a bit too much, well, how to say this in english... it's a bit mechanical ? And the piano also gives some "pop" colour that wasn't, in my really humble opinion, necessary in the whole thing. But you know, just to say something because everything sounds great.


Thank you very much! I have actually tried the middle section without piano, and it sounded to me slightly too empty and lacking. Perhaps I could've turned the piano down in the mix or EQ'ed some of the highs out to make it more warm.


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## Michelob (Sep 30, 2018)

Maybe yes, mixing down the piano... well, or less quantifying it ? It seemed to me sounding really straight. Anyway, those are details. Bravo again.


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Oct 1, 2018)

Michelob said:


> Maybe yes, mixing down the piano... well, or less quantifying it ? It seemed to me sounding really straight. Anyway, those are details. Bravo again.


Appreciate the feedback. Thanks!


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Oct 4, 2018)

Hello friends! Here is the first video in my breakdown series where I discuss the theory, melody and harmony behind my latest track 'Chief Of The Sky'. Please enjoy, and let me know if you have any questions!


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## muziksculp (Oct 4, 2018)

@ChrisSiuMusic ,

Hi,

Thank You Very Much for the Harmonic Breakdown Video.

It's very useful to know what's going on harmonically, and also melodically in each section of the composition. Looking forward to the next explanation videos. 

Cheers,
Muziksculp


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Oct 4, 2018)

muziksculp said:


> @ChrisSiuMusic ,
> 
> Hi,
> 
> ...


Thank you for watching! It’s always a pleasure to make these videos  

The next video discussing orchestration and arrangement will be up next Thursday!


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## Michelob (Oct 5, 2018)

What an organization, you even got release dates !


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Oct 5, 2018)

Michelob said:


> What an organization, you even got release dates !


Thank you! I try to be as organized as I can be


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## Alex Niedt (Oct 5, 2018)

Can tell you put a lot of work into this. Just want to offer one critique, which is that the overall sound is borderline "scooped" in the mids. Just generally feels a tad over-EQ'd and unnatural.


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Oct 5, 2018)

Alex Niedt said:


> Can tell you put a lot of work into this. Just want to offer one critique, which is that the overall sound is borderline "scooped" in the mids. Just generally feels a tad over-EQ'd and unnatural.



Hey Alex, thanks for your feedback! Will keep this in mind for future projects


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Oct 11, 2018)

Hi friends! In this 2nd part of my breakdown series, we will be talking about the nuances of the instrumentation and orchestration of my newest piece 'Chief Of The Sky'. Please enjoy, and comment down below if you have any questions!


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## muziksculp (Oct 14, 2018)

@ChrisSiuMusic ,

Thank You again for the very helpful video, showing the instruments, libraries, and orchestration ideas you used in this track. Very nicely done. 

I really appreciate your time, and effort in making these videos, and look forward to part 3 where you will focus on the mixing part of the production.

Cheers,
Muziksculp


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## Taj Mikel (Oct 15, 2018)

This is strikingly fantastic. So beautiful and produced to the highest quality. Superb. Thank you for sharing this!


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Oct 15, 2018)

muziksculp said:


> @ChrisSiuMusic ,
> 
> Thank You again for the very helpful video, showing the instruments, libraries, and orchestration ideas you used in this track. Very nicely done.
> 
> ...


Thank you  It's my pleasure!


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Oct 15, 2018)

Taj Mikel said:


> This is strikingly fantastic. So beautiful and produced to the highest quality. Superb. Thank you for sharing this!


Thank you so much Taj. I really appreciate that!


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## ElectricFrog (Oct 17, 2018)

Very invigorating and positive vibe, enjoyable.


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## Gerbil (Oct 17, 2018)

I played this yesterday and immediately my daughter asked me what it was. So that's two fans of your very catchy tune, Chris.


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Oct 17, 2018)

ElectricFrog said:


> Very invigorating and positive vibe, enjoyable.


Thank you man!!


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Oct 17, 2018)

Gerbil said:


> I played this yesterday and immediately my daughter asked me what it was. So that's two fans of your very catchy tune, Chris.


Much appreciated Gerbil, thank you


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## ChrisSiuMusic (Oct 18, 2018)

Hey friends, here is the final part of the breakdown where I discuss the mixing and processing of 'Chief Of The Sky'. Please enjoy!!


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