Best and Worst IMAscore Soundtracks
- Thread starter CrashCoaster
- Start date
James F
Hyper Poster
Best: Karnan, Taron and Helix -
Worst: Dwervelwind
Love listening to Karan's soundtrack, really looking forward to riding it in June. Helix's soundtrack is an earworm through an through and Taron's is just perfectly atmospheric.
Dwervelwind is my least favorite because it simply sounds the most generic. It's not a poor soundtrack by any means, but to me it just sounds like "off the shelf" imascore.
Worst: Dwervelwind
Love listening to Karan's soundtrack, really looking forward to riding it in June. Helix's soundtrack is an earworm through an through and Taron's is just perfectly atmospheric.
Dwervelwind is my least favorite because it simply sounds the most generic. It's not a poor soundtrack by any means, but to me it just sounds like "off the shelf" imascore.
FistedColossus
Hyper Poster
Lost City music was amazing. Absolutely no need to have changed it ffs.
SilverArrow
Certified Ride Geek
Hard to pick a favourite......digging bits of their Operation Enterprise atm tbh (not watched the show, see my post further down for the track link). But Taron/Karnan etc go without saying. Temple of the Nighthawk and bits of Flug are nice too. Probably more I've forgotten.
Worst: The Smiler, hands down. Yuck. Runner up worst, or possibly joint is DBGT. Meh. Surprised that not everyone is saying the Smiler for their least favourite tbh.
Worst: The Smiler, hands down. Yuck. Runner up worst, or possibly joint is DBGT. Meh. Surprised that not everyone is saying the Smiler for their least favourite tbh.
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Howie
Donkey in a hat
Am I the only one who thinks that IMAscore are a bit... well, y'know... not that great?
Sure, they've done some decent stuff, but even the good ones are a bit generic, a bit samey. It all just sounds a bit like 'corporate' music. Music by design rather than music by inspiration.
Someone back me up here. Anyone?
For example, virtually all of the music at Efteling is better than virtually all of the music from IMAscore. Joris en de Draak's theme tune is one of the best out there if you ask me. Wouldn't sound out of place in a good pirate movie.
Having said that, I like Helix, Taron and Wicker Dude.
And yes @SilverArrow , the Smiler theme is gross. Imagine being a ride op and listening to that all day. Ewww.
Sure, they've done some decent stuff, but even the good ones are a bit generic, a bit samey. It all just sounds a bit like 'corporate' music. Music by design rather than music by inspiration.
Someone back me up here. Anyone?
For example, virtually all of the music at Efteling is better than virtually all of the music from IMAscore. Joris en de Draak's theme tune is one of the best out there if you ask me. Wouldn't sound out of place in a good pirate movie.
Having said that, I like Helix, Taron and Wicker Dude.
And yes @SilverArrow , the Smiler theme is gross. Imagine being a ride op and listening to that all day. Ewww.
Thrill Riders
Roller Poster
Worst for me has to be Rumba Rapids at Thorpe, simply because the original theme was my jam
CrashCoaster
CF Legend
The first part of Kärnan's soundtrack sounds like something my grandparents would sing at church.
JoshC.
Strata Poster
Rumba Rapids' music isn't IMA score.
My favourite would have to be Chiapas (particularly the Fiesta Temple!). I also love the Helix and Taron stuff. Pulsar's soundtrack is also highly underrated in my opinion.
I didn't think music of Star Trek Operation Enterprise music, but not being a fan of the show and it's theme music probably doesn't help with that.
jayjay
Giga Poster
Kinda with you. It's important to remember that these are generally composed as background music, and most park goers aren't going to be jetting off to every other theme park where they've composed music. They've got the budget to get big orchestras and lush roomy production. That said, you start noticing their favourite tropes after a few different listens. They have their favourite production techniques and they love reusing specific chord structures. I suspect
That said, we're comparing to Efteling and Efteling (especially Ruud Bos's work) are just phenomenal. The music is all distinctly them, but each set of scores has a character of its own. Melodies stick in your head not because they've been hammered in (Carnival Festival notwithstanding), but because every note is intricately crafted. Though they do do a lot more "on the ride" music than IMAscore, who go for the general area atmospheric stuff.
Sorry, I'm going back to Efteling in a few weeks and had the soundtrack on loop. That said, I've just listened to Kärnan's again and actually, yes. Great (but not Efteling great). IMAscore can certainly deliver "solid with brilliant production" consistently even if I don't think they ascend from there.
Your grandparents' church is weird
CrashCoaster
CF Legend
Clearly...
SilverArrow
Certified Ride Geek
I'm not a fan of the show (just never watched it, I do like sci fi) but I like this track. I was under the impression that it was new stuff from imascore but trekkies correct me if I'm wrong. Also 1:50 is a little bit of Galactica thrown in haha.
Sandman
Giga Poster
Whilst I do think IMAscore do a good job at creating high-end music for theme parks... I completely get your point here. It's a bit like audio gentrification hahaha. Like, I feel like with so many European parks now going down the IMAscore route, we'll eventually miss the quirks of other alternative composers who bring a completely different style of production to the music. Efteling is a great example as well man, their music has bags of character and ambience that I don't think could be justifiably produced by sitting on a computer with software like Garage Band and Pro Tools. Imascore are exceptional at what they do, but I don't think they should be touted as the only route to brillant theme park audio, it wouldn't be doing justice to the art of music composition.
My critism of IMAscore, especially their recent output, is that sometimes you can hear the brief they were given being taken too literally. For example, Wicker Man music, obviously it needs to sound:
- Folky (so they use flutes / pipes / A-B up-down melody structure)
- Tribal (so they use Timpani drums)
- Haunting (so they use slow string section / sparse drone bass notes)
You can literally see the instructions in a list in your mind when you hear the final product. They're not often surprising with their musical takes on things (but do they need to be..?)
I love them, but IMA definately have a formula. But most successful artists do. I just don't expect them to throw any curveballs or to musically represent a theme in a way that's not obvious.
- Folky (so they use flutes / pipes / A-B up-down melody structure)
- Tribal (so they use Timpani drums)
- Haunting (so they use slow string section / sparse drone bass notes)
You can literally see the instructions in a list in your mind when you hear the final product. They're not often surprising with their musical takes on things (but do they need to be..?)
I love them, but IMA definately have a formula. But most successful artists do. I just don't expect them to throw any curveballs or to musically represent a theme in a way that's not obvious.
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Howie
Donkey in a hat
^That's kinda what I was trying to say, it's just that Serena worded it better.
I heard an example of their work last night at the flicks when the Avengers: Infinity War trailer came on. Yes, they used the Avengers theme tune, but you could tell (well, I could) that it was a synthesised version of it, an electronic recreation hastily assembled for the publicity bumff, rather than the actual composer of the music conducting a real orchestra. Which of course it will be for the film itself.
It did the job, don't get me wrong, it's perfectly adequate for the trailers and the tv ads etc.. but it ain't the real thing.
See Star Trek: Operation Enterprise for a dose of something similar.
I heard an example of their work last night at the flicks when the Avengers: Infinity War trailer came on. Yes, they used the Avengers theme tune, but you could tell (well, I could) that it was a synthesised version of it, an electronic recreation hastily assembled for the publicity bumff, rather than the actual composer of the music conducting a real orchestra. Which of course it will be for the film itself.
It did the job, don't get me wrong, it's perfectly adequate for the trailers and the tv ads etc.. but it ain't the real thing.
See Star Trek: Operation Enterprise for a dose of something similar.
mo237
Roller Poster
I'm not a fan of IMAscore, and I find most of their tracks really bland. That's not to say they don't have some talent though, perhaps the briefs they get are asking for the corporate sound.
My favourite is Wicker, and my least favourite is either the forp entrance music (ew) or Ghost Trains (double ew)
My favourite is Wicker, and my least favourite is either the forp entrance music (ew) or Ghost Trains (double ew)
mouse
Giga Poster
I agree with the people saying most IMAscore work is formulaic and unoriginal. I would guess that the music is commisioned exceptionally late in the process of developing a new ride or area, with composers/sound designers having around a week or two to write and produce the tracks based on a list of requirements from the park. That doesn't allow much time for original or innovative composition. I also doubt a composer will be able to visit the space they are composing for to get a feel for it - meaning the music will be more detached than it would from a film for example, when a composer will have a clearer view of the context of their music. I'm currently doing a degree in music, and interestingly theme park music hasn't even been mentioned as a valid output for our work - at the moment it is not really recognised as a medium for any kind of creative or artistic expression, which I hope will change as it could result in a level of sensory immersion not yet experienced. Although music has contributed to park's atmospheres massively, I feel it's not utilised to its full potential. If composers worked more closely with other artistic departments of a theme park the atmosphere conveyed by an area can become more powerful and immersive. Not to say that IMAscore's work lacks impact, because much of it is very well done and contributes well to the atmosphere - I just think it would be interesting to see music become more of a part of the atmosphere and not just background music for it.
Of course this is me assuming how the process works based on (very little) knowledge of the music industry, perhaps if anyone knows more about the commisioning process they could correct me? One aspect of the process I find particularly interesting is the mastering side of it - I would assume its different to the standard stereo or 5:1 mastering used in most projects and is based on the placement of speakers and acoustics of the area.
Of course this is me assuming how the process works based on (very little) knowledge of the music industry, perhaps if anyone knows more about the commisioning process they could correct me? One aspect of the process I find particularly interesting is the mastering side of it - I would assume its different to the standard stereo or 5:1 mastering used in most projects and is based on the placement of speakers and acoustics of the area.