Game Composer Breaks Down HOLLOW KNIGHT Main Theme
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- Опубликовано: 21 сен 2024
- Well, you clearly like Hollow Knight music A LOT, and since my last Hollow Knight video, I do too. So I decided to do another one. This time we'll listen to the Hollow Knight main menu theme. Let's see if we can get a good understanding of these melodies so we can better appreciate their reappearances in the rest of the Hollow Knight OST!
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Hopefully now I'll be able to better recognize these melodies when they show up in later tracks of the Hollow Knight OST!
Oh, and make sure you watch my previous Hollow Knight video if you haven't already: ruclips.net/video/mSlZZAc48BY/видео.html
Dude you are so good it always impresses me how much you get the story just from listening to the music!
Pls do more Hollow Knight the OST is godly. Maybe do a video on multiple less spectacular tracks like GreenPath, Resting Grounds, City of Tears and White Lady. Full videos on Hornet, Mantis Lords and Nosk would be awesome too!
Try next one with dirtmouth
I love this! I’d love to see your reaction to Hornet!
I'd also recommend looking at the Nightmare King Grimm theme
There are three very important leitmotifs/themes in the game's OST.
The first is present here as well as in False Knight, Broken Vessel, Sealed Vessel, and also in the background for some area themes like Greenpath and Fungal Wastes.
The second is the Pale King's theme, found in Hornet, and White Palace, but is stated in its simplest form in the White Lady - it also makes an appearance at the end of Sealed Vessel.
The last is the Dream/Dreamer leitmotif, which you can hear in outlined in "Dream" but features most heavily in Radiance. The Dream motif is not nearly as widespread as the vessel theme, or the Pale King's theme but nevertheless is worth knowing and noticing when and where it appears. There is also some Dream in City of Tears. (and Soul Sanctum)
Of the three you will be entirely lost without the first, and can almost get away with ignoring the last.
It's scary how accurate people can guess the lore of a game by just listening to it's music
That’s the sign of well designed music
It's Christopher Larkin he is a god among men of course he will make you feel the music
Well-written music carries emotion.
Soundtracks exist to reinforce the emotion of a story.
That's the beauty of game/movie music, as a composer you tell the story by using sounds only
@@banana_joe557 this man guesses every game though
we do NOT want to talk about "bright" sides, light scares us
Why scared, it's such a warm light. Come with us, she will be with you soon
The light is welcoming
REMEMBER THE LIGHT. PRAISE THE SUN.
@@alexandersmerage4931 Kill the empty one
@@alexandersmerage4931 is it valid to say "no spoilers please"?
Chills every time. This song hits different the first time, and the last time. But it's always so good.
Chill before hours crossfit ))
it’s amazing how such a small studio made such a beautiful and amazing game.
legit was ballin when the violin or the thing plays at 1:13
exactly
Its one of those themes that will change depending on your mindset while hearing it
Christopher Larkin did a phenomenal job with the Hollow Knight soundtrack. It's probably my favorite video game OST. Its tracks are all unique but maintain enough similarity to one another they're maintaining a coherent theme. The storytelling in Hollow Knight is primarily done through implication; very little is just explicitly *told* to you. The soundtrack complements that beautifully, adding another element of narrative without going outright and saying what you should be feeling or thinking.
i 100% agree!
They remain beautiful even after hearing the sample songs from Silksong that have live musicians. Even with the digital instruments being even more audible in comparison, the HK soundtrack remains gorgeous, which is a testament to his incredible composition skills.
@@Rainkea-fr Yes
@@gamingartbeasts or should i say 112% agree 🤖
@@Rainkea-fr I'm sorry, but I don't know what that means.
Gotta check out the city of tears soundtrack. It is beautiful.
i second this.
definitely - I love the entire soundtrack (namely white palace, queens gardens, kingdoms edge etc.) but city of tears is such a standout, its also the place i probably like the most in terms of atmosphere, which is saying a lot when it comes to hollow knight
I also support this
@@popatochisp8829 I gotta say the path of pain soundtrack is the most profound out of the white palace IMO.
along with kingdom's edge
I wouldn’t call it happiness, I’d call it… peace?
It’s bittersweet, it’s quiet, it’s calm.
There already is no happy ending, but you’re not distraught about it.
The delicate flower ending?
@@betochiwas Not exactly relevant to my point about the emotions of the song…
It’s hard to tell if that ending’s supposed to be happy. If it is, I certainly don’t feel it
To me it felt hopeful. The sadness was still there but there was somthing in it that felt hopeful.
I have always felt that it is resolve. Not happiness or peace, just resolution. An ending.
@@masternamer1959 A very, very long awaited ending.
Fun fact the ending of 'Sealed Vessel' is the only place in the soundtrack where that main theme leitmotif has a conclusion instead of leading back into a loop.
So it's like an "this is the end"...
Not true. Broken Vessel's theme, and the title theme, which this video is literally about, finish it.
This theme taught me what leitmotifs are. Based on the instruments and pace of the theme it can sound somber, sad, tragic, bittersweet, adventurous or even heroic. But above all it's a theme that ties in with the feel of Hollow Knight and its kingdom Hallownest.
I think you'd enjoy Hollow Knight alot, not just as a game but as a sort of musical adventure! Definitely give it a try someday
I definitely intend to!
@@DaviVasc you should, I have played it so much and I recommend it 10/10.
@@DaviVasc Would you ever post that playthrough on youtube:)? Would love to watch your reaction!
@@AmeagLuz inb4 Davi is going to become a hollow knight streamer
@@DaviVasc you should make a playthrough series, I'd like to see how a music composer would view and journey through this game
Broken Vessel is another track that utilizes the main leitmotif, albeit in a more Bloodborne-ish disturbingly aggressive tone.
The Troupe Master is an eight-minute masterpiece that sounds like it belongs on a symphonic metal record, like if Nightwish and Dimmu Borgir collaborated.
the troupe master is a mashup of grimm troupe and nightmare king im pretty sure
@@prismoth yep, or, more precisely, nkg is normal grimm without the grimm troupe bits
@@frostyvoid827 nkg and grimm troupe are different songs in the ost
Whoa, that sounds super interesting
@@prismoth ye we know
8:45 in this moment I realised the third chord is neutral to represent that the main character experiences no emotions, it is hollow.
the OST is simply genius, good job Christopher
Christopher it's a genius
The flute at 5:23 is actually another leitmotif used in songs like White Palace!
Ah, I thought that would be the case. Thank you for pointing it out.
Spoilers:
It’s essentially meant to represent the Pale King, aka the father of vessels. Given that in the Sealed Vessel theme, that part plays over Hornet looking at the Knight’s corpse, the symbolism is obvious. The Knight was the last of the vessels confirmed to still be “alive”, but it also took on the King’s brand and replaced its father as the king of Hallownest. Both a vessel and a king.
@@Ismael-kc3ry More spoilers:
To add to that, the fact that they both play at the same time is probably representative of that dual nature of the Knight, Vessel and King. The Pale King's legacy lives on its shell, and the true heart of the Vessels, Void, resides within it, quieter than the King's leitmotif but still there. Then, the Vessels' leitmotif becomes the dominating melody, showing how the Knight had to accept itself and shed its pale exterior to destroy the true villain as solely a being of Void, more than simply the Pale King's discard.
@@IceTooth_101 perfectly said. The subtext within Hollow Knight’s story is super under appreciated
Yes! It’s the theme of the Pale King and White Lady!
4:08 "Maybe, in this tragic story there's a positive, bright side, a silver lining"
Hope. The answer is hope. The game consistently shows us, that when everything seems lost, when there's nothing left to fight for, when you feel like you've hit the rock bottom, there is still hope for the better. The game tells us that hope is the tiny glimpse of light in the darkness, which we can always hold and rely on. The game teaches us, that despite everything that's happening or has happened, we can still believe, that one day everything will be better. I'm amazed by the fact that Cristopher Larkin shows that in the music as well, and I'm amazed by just how accurately you can describe it without knowing a single thing about the game. I will be looking forward to any Hollow Knight songs you will be willing to analyze in the future.
probably better to say the tiny bit of darkness in the light
@@nileprimewastaken *THE SUN IS A DEADLY LASER*
@@cross-layered8538 literally
@@cross-layered8538 absolute-ly
@Stefan Trailovic no u
That flute part you told us to ignore in Sealed Vessel when you were showing off the appearance of the HK main theme was actually ANOTHER leitmotif that appears all over the soundtrack. Iirc it's the Pale King's theme
Hollow Knight has one of the absolute best soundtracks I've heard in any game. Every song is either amazingly atmospheric or exciting yet somber.
In the part where you said “pay attention to the piano, not the flute,” the flute is actually playing another game theme and forms a counterpoint with the piano. The piano plays the “KNIGHT” theme while the flute plays the “ROYALTY” theme. You can hear the KNIGHT theme (or its fragments) in MENU, FALSE KNIGHT, SEALED VESSEL, PURE VESSEL, and BROKEN VESSEL. You can hear the ROYALTY theme in HORNET, THE WHITE LADY, WHITE PALACE, WHITE DEFENDER, PALE COURT, and DAUGHTER OF HALLOWNEST. Check them out!
One note about joylessness and neutral-ness of the chords -- it might be a little bit of a spoiler, but it's worth noting that "hollow" in hollow knight is very meaningful. There's an very good in-game explanation as to why the protagonist is silent and emotionless, and it's represented in the theme here: we can qualify endings as "happy" or "sad", but for our little knight here it's just his purpose.
The trembling noise in 6:50 is present in Sealed Vessel and in a specific area of the game as well as other songs, I like to call it "the void melody" and it's connected to the protagonist, the final boss, certain enemies and an area. If you do more songs from this game, you should pay attention to it
Wasnt this the theme from the void menu specifically?
@@thedoomnegotiator9693 yes, but I wanted to point this out in case he decided to hear more, as it's a very important thing to understand the connection between themes
Forcing a happy cord early for a spot that feels like it missing a cord, to me this sounds like a symbolizes a lie loss. Promises of a happiness (perhaps a forced one) only for it to lost or false later in time. Might be a reach but I think reflects the tragedy Hollownest.
I think that it symbolises the first sealing of the infection. A happiness, but not a long one. The thoughts of THK destroy that and The Radience breaks free
just a note here: in the version You listened to, the last note is the same as the first note of the track, and normally in the menu it loops from this note
love your content :)
THIS is what I love about Hollow Knight's music. It can tell the story almost all on its own. From the tragedy in Sealed Vessel's theme to the neutral cord in the main theme, warning us that there will be no happy ending, no matter how hard you try, the best ending you can get will only leave you with a bittersweet, haunting melody stuck in your brain, and it's a freaking masterpiece. It's one of my favorite games of all time, definitely a top five, and I could never tell you where in the five it lands, because they're all more or less tied.
4:45 Honestly, I love it when a game does that. The motifs in the main theme being heard later in the game itself, like in a boss fight or other such significant encounter. Other games that come immediately to my mind with that is Metroid Prime 2 with the third portion of Emperor Ing fight and the Rescue Operation theme from Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.
Yeah, it's really cool. Monster Hunter loves to use the main theme in the final boss fights as well.
Xenoblade 2 and pokemon mystery dungeon explorers of sky are my favorite use of leitmotifs in games
maybe I’ll be beaten to death for saying it’s name, but Undertale and Deltarune do this a Lot. The composer uses it a lot to imply connections between characters and places without saying it outright. One of the best examples of this is the theme of the queen being used in the kings theme before we know they were the queen
@@funnilywordedfunnyman824 nah at this point people are better than snapping on you for that. Toby's a master with leitmotifs anyway, it's probably his strongest suit in music
Portal 2 is filled with that. Although it's not the main menu theme, it's the trailer theme.
When he said that "it denied the happy ending" he it's like he explained that the sealed vessel ending which is one of the endings it still didn't have the relief that an ending is supposed to have which seemed like to me that it was signaling us that there is a better ending to give us relief in the story.
The game does have multiple endings that can be achieved by doing certain things and not doing others, this might be the reason why there's no complete answer
And there is no true good ending
Dream no more is a pretty happy ending all things considered
Sure it's far from perfect but it's the closest we get in a came as tragic as Hollow Knight
You should look at the theme for Pure Vessel, Radiance and City of Tears are also good picks
And mantis Lords
That song is epic
Hornet theme is my favourite, worth listening to
At this point he should lisen all the music of the game
Just listen to the entire Soundtrack at this point XD
be honest you could say this about any soundtrack in the entire game
Chris Larkin is really a musical genius. He can go from making some of the best ambiance I've heard in any game like Greenpath's theme, and then proceed to make an absolute BANGER of a boss theme like The Grimm Troupe or Hornet's theme. The thing that shocks most people is that all the music in the original Hollow Knight is made digitally, apparently no real instruments were used due to budget or something (I don't have an exact source, I wouldn't be surprised if it was an interview with either him or Team Cherry though). Now with Silksong, he has a full team of musicians to play the music and it's being done with real instruments. There's a small sample of Silksong's OST up now, only two songs though, and one is a boss theme called 'Lace' and another is a town theme called 'Bonebottom'. The interesting thing about Lace though is that to tie in with Silksong's theme of string and... well silk I guess, the song is EXCLUSIVELY played by string instruments. And despite that limitation, it's still one of my favorite boss themes Chris Larkin has made for either game. It might not necessarily be the most interesting song musically and it certainly doesn't have any currently known leitmotifs or anything because it's one of two songs for Silksong that are fully available without sound effects or anything, but it might be worth looking at simply because it's exclusively done with strings and yet has the feel of being played by the full range of instruments. I'm not a musician though, so maybe it is incredibly interesting musically and I just have no idea because I don't worry about the inner workings of music generally, I just recognize leitmotifs as patterns that show up a lot and determine good songs based on if they just sound good.
Another interesting thing to note about Lace is that most of the song is played in 5:4 with some parts switching to 3:4
Bruv just made an entire light novel just by talking about the ost of hollow knight
No hate btw
Actually Im pretty sure they used a real cello for hollow knights soundtrack and all the other instruments are synthed
@@banana_joe557 You wanna see me write a novel, I could make a legitimate short novel talking about exclusively how much I love Hollow Knight. It was the best game I played all of last year, and is probably in my top three favorite games I've ever played, up there with stuff like Breath of the Wild, I could easily rant for hours about how much I adore Hollow Knight.
please don't make me write a novel about that though, even if I can that doesn't mean I want to
Oh i never even noticed Lace is all string instruments, thats a really cool detail! No wonder i like that track so much
Hollowknight is one of those hidden genius games. I'd love to see your breakdown of Grimm... or Nightmare King, which is basically the same but with a rock twist, lol.
its not really hidden, its known as the best metroidvania
@@krieger1969 among the best metroidvanias. I prefer hollow knight, but a solid argument could be made for Ori 2 or Metroid 5
@@harrylane4 yep, but imo generally when people think best metroidvania theyll say HK
@@krieger1969 that's not really a high bar to- okay, it's a high bar... but considering how niche the metroidvania genre is, Hollow Knight is not facing a lot of competition, and people aren't going out of their way to look up "best metroidvania". So among people who know what a metroidvania is, yes Hollow Knight is not exactly a hidden gem, but in the context of the world at large, be it game design, music, art, or story-telling, Hollow Knight is something people overlook.
@@WoodlandDrake hmmm... i guess we'll just have to agree to disagree, because i think HK is really popular, and people who played it got to know what a metroidvania is all about.
I would suggest Nightmare King Grimms ost for hollow knight and Malenias ost for elden ring, both amazing
He already reacted to Malenia's theme
@@cjham5272 I dont think he did
@@luulcas_6267 he did, Malenias Ost was Margits theme in the CNT
@@juwe7143 oh ok
I think troupe master Grimm has a better theme, but that's just my opinion I guess
"Almost like he's denying us the... joy, the relief, of a happy ending"
.
.
.
What gave it away? Because, yeah, that's Hollow Knight. No happy endings. Bittersweet at best.
I think Soul Sanctum is one of the best in the OST because of the story it tells in conjunction with the area you explore while it plays
people have told you about the flute melody at 5:23 being in the white palace, but it's also in Hornet's theme if you pay close attention! it's a bit difficult to spot because hornet's theme is significantly faster paced, but the fact that one is in 3/4 and the other is in 6/8 is a pretty good clue. Hornet is a very important character, and the interweaving of the two leitmotifs at the end helps tell the story of the game reflected in the music (and tells you a bit about who hornet is if you weren't paying attention to the npc dialogue lmao)
A moment of “Hope” that’s what I hear every time I listen to it. It’s all sad but it’s always there.
for more tracks with this leitmotif there is broken vessel and false knight (great track but weird place for the leitmotif). more specifically if you want to contrast the sealed vessel theme there is the pure vessel. there is one that I find equally interesting in the white palace theme which is also reflected in both the White Lady's theme and Hornet's theme. as for my personal favorite that it would be great to see you talk about I love sheer regal ferocity and "final stand" (for the player but also for the radiance itself in the lore) nature of the radiance theme does it for me. Nightmare King Grimm is also great just because it is a bop.
There's no significant connection between the false knight and the vessels, but the false knight is literally a "hollow knight," being a tiny grub thing in a giant suit of armor. Maybe it was a musical joke.
@@cuthalion4281 Well there is the fact that the specific armor the False Knight wears once belonged to one of the knights that served the Pale King, I believe you can see said knight's silhouette along with the other knights in the background where you fight the White Defender!
@@ExcalibeonSwordofEeveelutions I forgot about that
I love how he says everything that I FEEL about the tracks haha
i'd love to see more hollow knight tracks like the mantis lords or the radiance!
8:25 Wow, you just described the endings lol. Not super sad, but not the perfect ending that would make you really happy. It really is bittersweet like you said
I love hollow knight songs. They were my favorite part of my casual play through, and they still don’t get old after 160 hours. I would recommend reacting to the path of pain, Grimm fight, and more that I can’t think of right now. (Ps, there’s a meme character names zote, and a menu theme you can get has him singing the menu music lol)
This soundtrack is just so good. For other songs, Pale Court is a masterpiece, and Pure Vessel ties in nicely with Sealed Vessel
I really like your deep analysis on this music. Usually brushed off this kind of stuff but it was really intriguing to hear you explain how these notes can bring different meaning based on the tone when comparing it with the sealed vessel.
What I love about this game its that it mixes perfectly the sad, nostalgic ambience of hollownest with the beauty of the places that you visit. The feeling of lonelynes of a fallen kindom comes along the sentiment of hope.
My favorite theme in the game to explain this is City of tears its just awesome.
goddamn he's so sharp with those ears! i don't want to be a one note fluke but do keep going further with HK tracks. i tear up every time i listen
The way you say "oh" when you hear a chord/chord series, like you picked up on a hidden message, is so fascinating. I love listening to music, but you speak it. These video's are just a treat to watch.
If you give us Hollow Knight fans anything to bite on, we will come in droves. Love this video!
In addition: the denying us of the happiness and the sadness really fits the story of the game. I won't spoil, but you definitely feel it ingame as well.
I think Nightmare King Grimm's theme from Hollow Knight would be a great track to analyze, loving these videos!
I love that youre doing more hk, some of my favorite content
I’d love to hear you break down Radiance or Hornet. Radiance is super intense with a very interesting time signature, and it’s a very epic piece. Hornet is also incredibly interesting. It’s fast paced, also has a very intense feel. And it sounds amazing not gonna lie. Please take this into consideration.
P.S. I subbed ;)
I have listen to the hollow knight soundtrack so many times and you just notice and hears things that i never would have noticed in just a couple listens. this is why i’m so happy i found your channel.
christopher larkin is one of the greatest video game composers ive ever heard, his work is truly godlike
As a self-taught amateur, I really love the way you talk about things such as major and minor chords; the way you explained the neutral chord and the role of the third was amazing. I love the "humilty" you show expressing yourself in a simple way which is suitable for everyone. And you do that with VIDEOGAME OSTs? You've got a new follower, pal
It's fascinating how well the musical analysis resonates with the story implication of the track.
Watching the breakdown of the composition, I can feel the backstory of the game being told.
I have for a long time thought that the music of a game is it's soul, what truly brings it to life. It it could not be more true for Hollow Knight.
Also, the intro feels like a street musician inviting you to listen for a while, about a tale of another place. And at the end, where we feel denied of satisfaction, it's like either "the rest of the story is written yet and that is were you come in" or that the musician remembered what he was just about to sing and just couldn't.
I really hope you continue to look through the rest of the songs. Enter Hollownest (which I think is from the Kickstarter video), Mantis Lords, Broken Vessel, Nosk and so many more amazing tracks are waiting!
i love seeing this broken down professionally and the fact it lines up so well just shows how much love and attention went into every aspect of this game.
I have to say, I am absolutely delighted by the attention people are bringing to the Hollow Knight OST, it is genuinely one of the most incredible ones I’ve ever heard. Every track manages to craft a story that links together through leitmotifs and chords alone, it’s amazing. I love the care and detail you take in analysing the music and pointing out such specific things like the denial of a happy/sad chord, and speculating how it might relate to the story, it shows such dedication and how much detail you take in when hearing music! Anyway, if you ever decide to do more Hollow Knight tracks, I’d love to see your take on Hornet, White Palace/Pale Court, or Radiance. Love your videos!
The thing with that Sus4 chord (or an add9 depending on the inversion) is that it is actually the musical reflection of our main character. Our main character comes from a species of beings that lack the ability to think and feel (hence the name 'Hollow' Knight) and that chord reflects that narrative with lacking the 3rd and just using a Sus4.
Christopher Larkin is an absolute genius. Also note that the main theme repeats. The last note/chord is also the first.
Wooo leitmotif! Glad you’re checking out more hollow knight stuff, its always a gift to the ears and a punch to the emotions simultaneously
On another note, These videos always make me wish i was back in high school band, music is fantastic and its wonderful to see so many people passionate about it in your comment sections :)
What a wonderful content! I would really recommend "Enter Hallownest", it's a promo track that isn't actually in the game with a unique mood and dynamic, and appropriately, it teases a lot of the thematically elements of the story! I would love to hear a breakdown of these.
"Pale court" is another special one, being a live recording of an area theme from the game, it has a lot more narrative elements compare to it's more ambient counterpart, I've seen people writing essays on it! It also feels very intimate, even having curtain cues from the instrument player, almost empathizing the deeper emotional insight on this track than is typical for the game.
Hollow Knight's music is a treasure. It adore this soundtrack. It's a very dark, sad soundtrack but also beautiful, serene and sometimes adventurous. It fit's the story of the game perfectly.
You've done a great job yet again! You're right about the lack of a real happy ending, since every ending in Hollow Knight is a mixture of tragedy and triumph, with strong sacrifice in many ways. Furthermore, the boss that you fight when Sealed Vessel plays is a similar embodiment of sacrifice, literally having been born for that purpose and living its whole life to give it up for everyone else. Many other characters have bittersweet ends to their personal journeys as well, and as you progress, it becomes clear that almost nobody you meet can have a truly happy ending, regardless of what you do.
God I don’t think there’s a bad one in the bunch when it comes to the Hollow Knight soundtrack. I’d love to see you to react to as many of them as possible. I personally have a special place for “Queens Gardens.” But popular choices are Hornet, Mantis Lords, and Grimm’s themes. I tend to love the location themes, personally
Nice to see another appreciating the Gardeb's bgm. I love the popular musics as well, but there's something about the gardens'... Almost whimsical, magical. Which isn't exactly a feeling you would expect to find in Hallownest after it's decay. As the Stag said, "The gardens are still beautiful and flourishing after all this time". It's a nice contrast to stumble upon. Almost as if you could just allow yourself a bit of childlike wonder, if only for a moment. I wonder if it reflects the Queen's personality originally, before it all happened.
I'm so glad you decided to listen to more of Hollow Knight's soundtrack, I'm all happy noises. This track gives me chills every time. There's that specific kind of crystal cold to it that pricks at the skin consistently. I love it so much. I managed to learn to play this track on the piano with no prior experience and I'm proud. Music just do be like that sometimes, makes you wanna pick up an instrument that looks way too intimidating to approach otherwise.
Well you've done it. Now I need to study music theory to the highest level possible.
You did this to me.
I hope you're happy.
Gooooooo!
Christopher Larkin is so incredibly talented with storytelling. Imo the other standout piece for the HK OST-and they are ALL amazing-is the Nightmare King Grimm theme. It’s not as emotional or integral to the overall story and theme of HK but it is just a straight BANGER. Love your videos.
okay seeing this on my RUclips homepage immediately brought my mood up!! thank you for continuing to listen to the hollow knight ost!
I need all hollow knight themes on your channel. Keep comibg back to the 5 you uploaded and can't wait for more its so fun and precious to see this amazing art get appreciated
Honestly I'd recommend going through the soundtrack in order. You can track how all of the different themes play together as you transition through the different areas and fights of the game
I love when i see music composers reacting and recording vídeos about hollow knight musics because almost no one makes it in youTube and the musics are so great and full of hidenn things and its my favorite game of all time so its very very good
You are right about the game also having happy moments. Although Hallownest has lots of dark, dangerous and empty places, you can also meet lots of cool bugs you can become friends with, and genuinely peaceful areas that are super calming
I am a sucker for beautiful piano melodies. Absolutely gorgeous track with the strings.
lots of people here recommending the Troupe Master and Nightmare King tracks, couldn't agree with them more, absolute bangers
I've never played Hollow Knight, but just by listening to the soundtrack I'm downloading it right now.
When i first started the game, i just sat on my sofa for 15 minutes, looking at the menu screen and recording for my friends as i was so excited to finally start that wonderful game (did the same with dark souls 3 by the way :D).
Game and soundtrack are incredible, i'd say in my top3 favourite games of all times, or maybe just THE favourite one!
Loving the Hollow Knight coverage. I also like how you're branching out and covering other games. Keep up the amazing work!
Branching out was always my intention, but you gotta do it slowly, otherwise the audience won't go for it. Glad it's finally starting to work.
I love the insight that you give, its so refreshing to listen to this musics with bigger undertanding of their full expression, you should try Omori ost, its a great game and if you describe the end of the game like you did with HK i flip.
Great video again. The way he denies us the resolution in the main theme almost feels like saying "you're gonna have to play the game to find out how this ends."
Also, the viola, isn't it lovely? It really is the "main" instrument of the soundtrack, if there is such a thing.
I've seen many videos reacting or analyzing the Hollow Knight ost, but yours are better by far! Not even close.
Dang, making me wanna replay it again, such a beautiful game with a gorgeous sound track
10:27 I didn't expect you ended the video at that note, feel like ... you deny the sweet happy ending to viewers
"A bittersweet feeling" is kinda a good summary of the whole emotions the game gives
Hornet’s theme and the Mantis Lords are two of my favorite songs from this amazing soundtrack.
Please listen to the Broken Vessel theme, you will definitely recognise some leitmotifs from the first 2 you have heard and it would be really good to see you comment on such a contrasting yet similar piece
I remember when I first got this game and fell in love with it. I was around halfway through when one day I was booting it up on the PlayStation and my younger brother came in to watch me play for the first time. As soon as this theme started playing he looked at me with wide eyes and said “I didn’t know this was another one of your horror games.” It still kills me to this day LOL
I really like that you switch between the main track you are analysing and the one you are comparing it with to show similarities or differences. Makes the reaction much more interesting and enjoyable thank you
I love Hollow Knight’s soundtrack so much. Everything about this game from the visuals to the storytelling is incredible to me, but the music especially hits different. It does an amazing job at making you feel, even if you don’t know the game’s story behind it.
0:07 *DISTURBING CORD* *Davi introducing himself * personally I think it's more of a happy cord
lmao
LMAO I can't believe I didn't notice that, I watched the video 999999 times before posting. It's been a crazy week lol
I love your analysis, you're almost nailing what the game is about, it's incredible
Oh wow, I've never noticed the leitmotif in that piano part before. This is why I love these reactions
First off all, I feel what you feel about them, but you just explain it much better, thanks for that.
Secondly, that "happy chord" you mentioned at the start, I know it's a happy chord, but I think it is not supposed to transmit a happy feeling but instead a feeling of relief.
I'll never forget when I first played Hollow Knight and this track gave me chills for so long. I sat there for minutes just listening and at that point I knew this game was a masterpiece before I even played it
Honestly you might have to do a whole series of breakdowns on the Hollow Knight Ost. Christopher Larkin really made something beautiful, and your breakdowns have been really interesting and insightful keep it up man! 🙌🏼
The end is like that for continuity so the track must repeat without distracting you, just pay attention to the final note, that is the same as the first one. The harmony and melodies also flow in a loop seamlessly from that point. Great break down!!
For me, the soundtrack is absolutely crucial to a gaming experience, and Christopher Larkin knows how to make a fantastic soundtrack. If you'd like to react to more from this game, my favorites are Mantis Lords, Radiance, and The White Lady
That happy, positive chord inside of a sad key where a sad note ought to be, paired with that melody repeated in Sealed Vessel, but attenuated by being at a higher octave and played so quietly it almost sounds like the pianist is frail and barely able to press the keys... It feels like such an incredible example of musical storytelling. A doomed hope within the onset of a a journey fated for terrible tragedy, then the grim realization that your hope is dying... genius
Having the missing resolution with the partial chord feels neatly symbolic with it being the main menu theme. It's only the starting screen the story has yet to begin. Whether or not that's a happy or sad chord is something you'll find out later.
React to city of tears from hollow knight.
Then start reacting to Celeste soundtrack.
It’s incredible.
Honestly, when it comes to Hollow Knight (and other games that pay very, VERY close attention to it's soundtrack as a narrative tool) I would love to watch someone with professional musical knowledge to offer their input on how the score was woven through the game design in order to tell the actual story. You know, while playing the game. It's the **one** kind of Let's Play I'm still hard pressed to find anywhere. Game Designers? You can find them playing games, yeah. But professional composers/musicians? Nope. Haven't found one for HK, so far.
Oh man! You should play this game until the mantis lord theme (kind of like your first big obstacle). The fight, the setting and the action just resonates with the soundtrack. I guess you can experience such fight in another dimension than regular people like us do. I'm a fan of your videos, it's nice how the channel has grown overtime
yes! I'm so happy you like this soundtrack as much as I do. Larkin is so brilliant. If you want to keep looking at hollow knight tracks, Nightmare King is excellent. It's somewhat based on The Grimm Troupe, so maybe you should listen to both. They are the themes for fighting a mysterious character named Grimm, who is a leader of a creepy circus troupe and part of a dark ritual.
City of Tears is another favorite, which is an ambient track that plays when you discover an underground city.
Great videos! You really help me, a total music noob, get WHY I feel what I feel when listening to Hollow Knight music. Amazing stuff!
re: 4:00 to me it feels like it makes more sense in the game's story to think of this as the literal words you said earlier: there's supposed to be sadness, but they're pretending to be happy