SkyWorld

Last updated

SkyWorld
TSFH-SkyWorld-Steven-R-Gilmore.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 25, 2012 (2012-10-25) [1]
RecordedJuly 2012 [2]
Length1:15:56
Producer Thomas Bergersen, Nick Phoenix [3]
Two Steps From Hell chronology
Halloween
(2012)
SkyWorld
(2012)
Classics Volume One
(2013)

SkyWorld is the fourth public album by the group Two Steps from Hell, released in October 2012; their third major release following the success of Invincible and Archangel . [4] The album contains 22 tracks written by composers Thomas J. Bergersen and Nick Phoenix. All tracks, except for "Dark Ages", are brand new original tracks. [4] This is the second of their albums featuring tracks with English lyrics, namely Titan Dream (feat. C.C. White and Nick Phoenix), The End is the Beginning (feat. Nick Phoenix), and Back to the Earth (feat. Nick Phoenix). Recording took place in both Brno, Czech Republic and Los Angeles, United States. [2]

Contents

The cover and sleeve are designed by Steven R. Gilmore, with the futuristic city illustration by Sergey Vorontsov. [3] The album was later re-released to the industry via Extreme Music, [5] featuring exclusive bonus tracks.

It had sold ~20,000 copies in the United States nine months after release, according to SoundScan. [6]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."All is Hell That Ends Well" Thomas Bergersen 3:53
2."Titan Dream" Nick Phoenix 4:04
3."SkyWorld"Thomas Bergersen3:12
4."El Dorado"Thomas Bergersen4:14
5."The End is the Beginning"Nick Phoenix4:51
6."All the King's Horses"Thomas Bergersen2:06
7."Realm of Power"Nick Phoenix3:55
8."Winterspell"Thomas Bergersen3:20
9."Blackheart"Thomas Bergersen4:27
10."Juggernaut"Nick Phoenix2:34
11."Dark Ages (Remix)" (original version from Nemesis )Thomas Bergersen3:25
12."Our Last Hope"Nick Phoenix3:57
13."Icarus"Nick Phoenix2:53
14."For the Win"Thomas Bergersen2:12
15."Sun & Moon"Thomas Bergersen4:22
16."Big Sky"Nick Phoenix4:08
17."Starfleet"Nick Phoenix3:22
18."Queen of Crows"Nick Phoenix2:43
19."Blizzard"Thomas Bergersen2:53
20."Breathe"Thomas Bergersen2:56
21."Back to the Earth"Nick Phoenix4:24
22."Ocean Kingdom"Nick Phoenix2:20
Total length:1:15:56
Tracks exclusive to Extreme Music [7]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
24."Identity Crime"Nick Phoenix3:09
25."Beneath the Ice"Nick Phoenix2:02
26."The World is Mind" (later publicly released on Classics Volume One )Nick Phoenix2:39
27."Children from the War"Thomas Bergersen2:37
28."Requiem for Destruction"Thomas Bergersen1:30
29."The Colonel" (later publicly released on Classics Volume Two )Thomas Bergersen2:30
30."Stormwatch" (later publicly released on Classics Volume One )Nick Phoenix2:20
Cut track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
23."Freedom Fighters (Remix)"Thomas Bergersen2:34

Personnel

Per liner notes [3]

Core
Additional

Critical reception

James Monger of AllMusic reviewed the album positively, claiming the tracks felt "like the best parts of a Hans Zimmer score condensed into three-to-four minute bursts of over the top tension and melodrama". He rated it four out of five stars. [8]

The critique at IFMCA-associated reviews website, MundoBSO, [9] was positive, saying, "orchestral, melodic, vocal and choral intensity is combined with lyricism and evocative force. It is very spectacular and contains very remarkable moments." It was rated seven out of ten stars. [10]

Charts

Use in media

Two Steps from Hell's music has been licensed for several trailers.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Two Steps from Hell</span> American trailer music company

Two Steps from Hell is an American production music company based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 2006 by Thomas Bergersen and Nick Phoenix, a pair of composers born in Norway and England respectively. The two friends created the company to make trailer music demos to be circulated exclusively within the movie advertising industry for the purpose of licensing; they are partnered with Extreme Music who handle licensing arrangements. The duo are among the most successful in their field, having supplied background tracks for thousands of film trailers and TV commercials. They compose separately but release their creations together. Typically, their music is orchestral and choral based, but with modern complements and structured similar to pop songs. The stentorian nature of their works has led the frequent use of a contemporary label, "epic music", to define their style.

<i>Invincible</i> (Two Steps from Hell album) 2010 studio album by Two Steps From Hell

Invincible is the first public album by the group Two Steps From Hell, released in May 2010. It consists of 22 tracks written by composers Thomas J. Bergersen and Nick Phoenix. The tracks are a collection of fan favourites from prior demonstration albums previously only available to the industry, "represent[ing] the very best of Thomas and Nick’s first few years at Two Steps From Hell". Two tracks, however, are brand new compositions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Bergersen</span> Norwegian composer and founder of Two Steps from Hell.

Thomas Jacob Bergersen is a Norwegian composer, multi-instrumentalist, and the co-founder of the production music company Two Steps From Hell. Bergersen's compositions have featured in many motion picture campaigns, such as Avatar, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Twilight Saga, The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, Da Vinci Code, The Mummy, The Dark Knight, Tron: Legacy and hundreds more. Bergersen has scored over one thousand soundtracks and film trailers.

Nick Phoenix is a British composer, pianist, and co-founder of the production music company Two Steps from Hell. He has written music for a number of trailers, with over 1,200 scores and placements in total.

<i>Illusions</i> (Thomas Bergersen album) 2011 studio album by Thomas J. Bergersen

Illusions is the first studio album by Norwegian composer Thomas J. Bergersen, of Two Steps From Hell fame. It was released in June 2011. It consists of 19 tracks and features vocal performances by Vladislava Vasileva, Elitsa Todorova, Merethe Soltvedt, Kate St. Pierre, Jenifer Thigpen and Colin O'Malley, as well as instrumental performances by cellist Tina Guo, and the Capellen Orchestra. The album cover and artwork are designed by Jesper Krijgsman, inspired by visuals from Beauty and the Beast. Initially a digital release, the CD was made available in March 2012. It has sold over 1 million copies worldwide.

<i>Archangel</i> (Two Steps from Hell album) 2011 studio album by Two Steps from Hell

Archangel is the second public album by the group Two Steps from Hell, released in September 2011. It consists of 26 tracks written by composers Thomas J. Bergersen and Nick Phoenix. All the tracks are from prior demonstration albums previously only available to the industry; 14 are from the album, Nero.

<i>Legend</i> (Two Steps from Hell album) 2008 demo album by Two Steps From Hell

Legend is a demonstration album by the music production group Two Steps from Hell, originally released exclusively to clients in the motion picture and advertising industry for the purpose of licensing in May 2008. It consists of three discs: two CDs and a bonus DVD. The former contain a total of 37 principal tracks; 20 on disc one and 17 on disc two. The latter includes a large collection of alternative versions; therefore, in total, Legend consists of 77 tracks. They are predominantly composed by the group's founding members, Thomas J. Bergersen and Nick Phoenix, as well as some by Troels Folmann. The album was recorded by Capellen Orchestra in Prague, Czech Republic and at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, United States. The cover artwork and the sleeve are designed by Steven R. Gilmore.

<i>Power of Darkness</i> 2010 demo album by Two Steps From Hell

Power of Darkness is a demonstration album by the music production group Two Steps from Hell, originally released exclusively to clients in the motion picture and advertising industry for the purpose of licensing in March 2010. It was uniquely distributed on a flash drive, rather than a physical disc. It includes 32 principal tracks, split into two themed volumes. Additionally, it contains a large collection of alternative versions; therefore, in total, Power of Darkness consists of 77 tracks. They are composed by Thomas J. Bergersen and Nick Phoenix. The album was recorded in Prague, Czech Republic, in Los Angeles, and in Utah, United States. The cover artwork and the sleeve are designed by Steven R. Gilmore.

<i>Halloween</i> (Two Steps from Hell album) 2012 studio album by Two Steps From Hell

Halloween is the third public album by the group Two Steps from Hell, released in September 2012. The album contains 48 tracks, written by composers Thomas J. Bergersen and Nick Phoenix. All the tracks, apart from To Die on Halloween, are from prior demonstration albums previously only available to the industry. This is their first public album to feature tracks with English vocals.

"Heart of Courage" is a song by the American production music company, Two Steps from Hell; it was composed by co-founder Thomas Bergersen. It originates from the "drama"/second disc of their 2008 trailer music demo album, Legend, circulated exclusively within the movie advertising industry for the purpose of licensing. The track was subsequently made available for public purchase on the group's first commercial album, Invincible, released on 3 May 2010.

<i>Classics Volume One</i> 2013 studio album by Two Steps From Hell

Classics Volume One, also stylised as Classics, Vol. 1, is the fifth public album by the group Two Steps From Hell, released in June 2013. It consists of 23 tracks written by composers Thomas J. Bergersen and Nick Phoenix. This album is the first of their public albums available in lossless audio. All songs except "Return from Darkness" and "Path to Earth" are from their previous demonstration albums. The album also features an extended version of "Eternal Sorrow" from the Nemesis album, as well as tweaked versions of "Magnan Imus", "White Witch", and "The World Is Mind".

<i>Miracles</i> (Two Steps from Hell album) 2014 studio album by Two Steps from Hell

Miracles is the sixth public album by the group Two Steps From Hell, released in June 2014. It consists of 21 tracks written entirely by composer Thomas J. Bergersen. This album predominantly features material selected from earlier demonstration albums, including Dreams & Imaginations, Illumina, Two Steps From Heaven, and Volume One. However the title track, "Compass", and "Stay" are brand new tracks. The previously unreleased tracks "Sun Gazer," "Eyes Closing," "My Freedom," "Perfect Love", and "Wind Queen" appear with various tweaks and embellishments.

This is the discography of Thomas J. Bergersen, a composer whose music has been used in trailers of Hollywood blockbusters such as Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, Interstellar and many others.

<i>Sun</i> (Thomas Bergersen album) 2014 studio album by Thomas Bergersen

Sun is the second studio album by Norwegian composer Thomas Bergersen, of Two Steps from Hell fame. It was released in September 2014. It consists of 16 tracks, featuring vocal performances by Merethe Soltvedt, Molly Conole and The Choir of Sofia, as well as instrumental performances by T-Rex, Chris Bleth and Bergersen himself. The album cover and artwork are also designed by Bergersen himself. The tracks "Empire of Angels," "Final Frontier," and "Starchild" were made available as preview tracks on iTunes prior to the full release.

<i>Battlecry</i> (Two Steps from Hell album) 2015 studio album by Two Steps from Hell

Battlecry is the seventh studio album by the group Two Steps from Hell, released on 28 April 2015. It consists of 26 tracks written by composers Thomas J. Bergersen and Nick Phoenix. The album features all-new tracks, except for Amaria from the demonstration album of the same name. It features vocal performances by Merethe Soltvedt, Nick Phoenix and Felicia Farerre.

<i>Classics Volume Two</i> 2015 studio album by Two Steps From Hell

Classics Volume Two, also stylised as Classics, Vol. 2, is the eighth public album by the group Two Steps From Hell, released in June 2015. It features 15 previously unreleased tracks from prior demonstration albums composed by Thomas J. Bergersen, and 10 entirely new tracks from Nick Phoenix. The album features tracks containing vocal performances by Felicia Farerre and Aya Peard.

<i>Vanquish</i> (album) 2016 studio album by Two Steps from Hell

Vanquish is the ninth studio album by the group Two Steps from Hell, released on 2 December 2016. It consists of 17 tracks written by composers Thomas J. Bergersen and Nick Phoenix. The album is the first major public release to include no material from industry album releases. It was recorded live by Capellen Orchestra under the supervision of Petr Pololáník, and features vocal performances by Felicia Farerre, Asja Kadric, Jenifer Thigpen, and Linea Adamson.

<i>Unleashed</i> (Two Steps from Hell album) 2017 studio album by Two Steps from Hell

Unleashed is the tenth studio album by the group Two Steps from Hell, released on 22 September 2017. It consists of 56 tracks written by composers Thomas J. Bergersen and Nick Phoenix. The album is the longest released to the public by Two Steps from Hell. It features vocal performances by Merethe Soltvedt, C.C. White, Felicia Farerre, Úyanga Bold, Nick Phoenix and Linea Adamson. The cover artwork and the sleeve are designed by Steven R. Gilmore.

<i>Dragon</i> (Two Steps from Hell album) 2019 studio album by Two Steps from Hell

Dragon is the eleventh studio album created by the music production company Two Steps from Hell, released on 18 January 2019. It consists of 19 tracks written by composers Thomas J. Bergersen and Nick Phoenix, and features vocal performances by Merethe Soltvedt, Felicia Farerre and Úyanga Bold. Chris Bleth and Claudio Pietronik are also credited for specific instrumental performances. The cover artwork and the sleeve are designed by Steven R. Gilmore.

<i>Myth</i> (album) 2022 studio album by Two Steps from Hell

Myth is the twelfth studio album created by the music production company Two Steps from Hell, released on May 3, 2022.

References

  1. "Film Music Site - SkyWorld Soundtrack". filmmusicsite.com. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  2. 1 2 Lebrun, Clothilde (September 8, 2012). "Two Steps From… Heaven!". Trailer Music News. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 SkyWorld (PDF) (Official booklet). Two Steps from Hell. 2012.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. 1 2 3 4 Lebrun, Clothilde (October 28, 2012). "Two Steps From Hell: SkyWorld". Trailer Music News. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  5. "Free Listen to Two Steps From Hell's "Skyworld" including "El Dorado"!". Behind The Audio. November 19, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  6. "Week 26-2013 SoundScan Chartpack" (PDF). SoundScan . July 2013. p. 27. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  7. "SkyWorld on ExtremeMusic.com". Extreme Music.
  8. Monger, James Christopher. "Two Steps from Hell – Skyworld". Allmusic . Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  9. "Members". IFMCA: International Film Music Critics Association . January 11, 2013. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  10. "SkyWorld". MundoBSO. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  11. "Klassieke Albums - 3 November 2012". Ultratop (in Dutch). November 3, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  12. "Albums Classiques - 3 November 2012". Ultratop (in French). November 3, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  13. 1 2 3 "Billboard Chart history for Two Steps From Hell". Billboard . Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  14. 1 2 Goodall, Catherine (October 30, 2018). "Obscure Favourites: Blackheart by Thomas Bergersen". Splendid Fred Magazine. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  15. "Classical Crossover Albums - Week of February 2, 2013". Billboard . February 2, 2013. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  16. "DCS: Persian Gulf Map - Final Release Trailer". Youtube.