Miracle of Sound: Distant Honor (Dishonored)

NinjaDeathSlap

Leaf on the wind
Feb 20, 2011
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I'm not going to say the tune doesn't fit the game. I will say though that the tune and the lyrics seem out of alignment to me. The lyrics are perfect, expressing the anger that you feel when you see the cruelty and inequality of Dunwall as you see it from the shadows, as well as the inner conflict of wanting to strike out at the people responsible for what's happened to the city, and to you, but also wanting to keep the only loved one you have left protected.

(side note: I really loved the way Dishonored got across this theme in lots of little details, not shoving it in your face, but all adding up so that you were never able to quite ignore it. An example would be every time you go back to the Hound Pits after a mission, the blood of the people you've just killed, if you did kill any, is now dried on your sword, rather than having simply disappeared. It's a tiny detail, but the message rings loud and clear. You can't keep Emily safe and ignorant from the ugly things you do in her name. You carry your actions with you, and you don't get to just wash them off and act like nothing's happened.)

So yeah, lyrics were perfect for my experience of the game at any rate. However, on the one hand you've got lyrics full of death, injustice, fury and sadness, but on the other you have a tune that... isn't. I get that there's also the element of love for Emily, and how she represents hope for the future, but it was still a bit jarring nonetheless.

I get that this is just my subjective reaction though. Nobody needs to point that out.
 

OZITOMAI

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Jul 8, 2009
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this is literally one my of my fave that you have done, well done mate, well done!
 

Jamous

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Apr 14, 2009
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Haven't played Dishonored yet so I'm afraid I'm missing out on any particular nuance you may have gotten in there to do with the story. All the same, I can certainly appreciate the song. It feels quite different to a lot of your songs somehow; the tone and I suppose some of the style(?) are notably different compared to a lot of your songs (which, while expressing -vast- variety seem to be tied together stylistically). Listening to it again I realise that it's the way that you're singing, it has a different flow (if that's the right word) compared with things like New Black Gold or Sovngarde Song. Really really liked the way you took the Drunken Sailor tune, it seems it'd fit even if it weren't featured in trailers etc. for the game. Once again, heartiest congratulations all round, Gav. Keep making excellent songs!
Always nice to see the song on Bandcamp the instant I find it here, too. :D
 

dalek sec

Leader of the Cult of Skaro
Jul 20, 2008
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MiracleOfSound said:
Distant Honor (Dishonored)

And a distant honor calls me to your side.

Watch Video
Ok first off nice song, you've gotten me halfway convinced into getting this game so nice going. :D

Just wondering but why the song so early in the month? Not that I'm complaining just surprised that it would be out so quickly.
 

Jungy 365

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Sep 13, 2010
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I can't believe I almost missed this! Gav, we all agreed that you can take a month to write your great songs, so why have you broken the deal and produced a big-production song so soon after Breaking Down the Borders?
In all seriousness, I haven't played the game yet, but I could easily tell what sort of tone you were going for, that of exploring a silent protagonist's inner thoughts, which I thoroughly approve of: that you can form so specific an interpretation solely through gameplay and contextualisation is a testament both to the game and your lyric writing. I liked how Corvo sounded like both a victim and a ruthless killer who had lost all pang of responsibility ('damn the guilt my past is dead' was a very powerful line). Loved how you wove the sea shanty/lullaby genre in, and, in all honesty, I think it was your smoothest transition to another genre within one of your songs yet: the entire song seemed a lot like Corvo himself, namely wielding many tools and tricks, but ultimately combining them all into something sleek and stylish.
 

Guffe

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Jul 12, 2009
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Never played the game.
The song was very good as a song, can't say about the connection to the game thou :p

Does the main char have the mask on all the time and what's the story behind that?
 

JaceArveduin

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Mar 14, 2011
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MiracleOfSound said:
DVS BSTrD said:
So does THIS sound cheerful to you?
<youtube=X7khCk0bdnE>[/youtube]
This argument is incredibly flawed as you seem to be implying I should just rip off the songs from the game.

It's your job to make great music, which this is, but you usually stick closer to the game/movie when you do.
And this time I stuck close to one aspect that I enjoyed - Corvo and Emily's relationship and the notion that he is doing everything in his power for her safety and happiness, which I found to be a noble and uplifting sentiment.
I want to believe DVS was trolling, but fuck, he's being convincing of making it seem otherwise...

Oh well, great song Gav, reminds me of something, but no idea of what. Just keep on making good songs for us so we can continue to adore you.
 

lassedude1

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Nov 3, 2012
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Knew I loved it the second it started. You have outdone yourself yet again Gavin! You actually motivated me to make an account here, just so that I can tell you how much I love your work.

I think it was mentioned before, but why is there another song so soon? (Not that I´m complaining!) Halfway through October we got "Breaking Down The Borders", and now, just half a month later, this!
 

VeryOddGamer

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Feb 26, 2012
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Are you absolutely sure you're the only one singing in this?
I swear I can hear a female vocal there as well.
 

colostomizer

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Jun 7, 2011
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Dishonoured reminds me of a finished and more polished version of Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines.
Only without the vampires, obv.
 

T3hSource

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Mar 5, 2012
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colostomizer said:
Dishonoured reminds me of a finished and more polished version of Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines.
Only without the vampires, obv.
Bloodlines actually had personality,Dishonored only has atmosphere.Dishonored's mission level design is better because it's an open hub,not linear like Bloodlines' where it mostly a one-way corridor,however I agree that the hubs and buildings outside the games' missions were open for the player to explore.

Ontopic: The song was great,sure it wasn't about the games' dreadful atmosphere,but about something else entirely and it works wonderfully.
 

MiracleOfSound

Fight like a Krogan
Jan 3, 2009
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VeryOddGamer said:
Are you absolutely sure you're the only one singing in this?
I swear I can hear a female vocal there as well.
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falsetto


dalek sec said:
Just wondering but why the song so early in the month? Not that I'm complaining just surprised that it would be out so quickly.
The MOS schedule is a bit all over the place at the moment. I wanted to do Dishonored while it was still in the public eye, and October-November is AAA season so everyone in the industry is that little bit busier. Next month or two will be a bit hectic then in January we'll get back to regular monthly stuff :)

Basically what I'm trying to say is I have no self control and can't stop myself from making new songs even when it creates pressure, haha
 

VeryOddGamer

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Feb 26, 2012
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MiracleOfSound said:
VeryOddGamer said:
Are you absolutely sure you're the only one singing in this?
I swear I can hear a female vocal there as well.
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falsetto
Thank you for confirming my suspicions.
Okay, fine, I expected some digital voice manipulation, but it still totally counts.
And now I'm going to go completely off topic here and tell you that I named a soldier in XCom: EU Gavin Dunne. He was recently shot to death by Sectoids.
 

MiracleOfSound

Fight like a Krogan
Jan 3, 2009
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VeryOddGamer said:
Thank you for confirming my suspicions.
Okay, fine, I expected some digital voice manipulation, but it still totally counts.
And now I'm going to go completely off topic here and tell you that I named a soldier in XCom: EU Gavin Dunne. He was recently shot to death by Sectoids.
I have a lot of people killing me in that game :/

Also, yep any man can sing in falsetto with a bit of practice. Well, maybe not Tom Waits. Or Kratos.
 

cricket chirps

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Apr 15, 2009
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MiracleOfSound said:
Avayu said:
You know, it's funny. Listening to this one the first time, I wasn't far from writing one of these "it doesn't fit the game" comments. But then I listened to the song a second time and began to think about it and realised that it's much more about Corvo's relationship to Emily. In parts it nearly feels like he is singing her to her sleep or trying to explain to her why he has to do bad things. And with that in mind, the song really becomes kind of haunting.
Bingo! I like you.
Hazah! I was skimming through the comments if anyone would think/say the same thing :D
Glad someone did.

*Slow claps out for Gav and Avayu*

PS: Having "Mooorrrrnninggggg" ending your chorus was a great aesthetic choice.
 

The_Lost_King

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Oct 7, 2011
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DVS BSTrD said:
MiracleOfSound said:
DVS BSTrD said:
A little upbeat for Dishonored don't you think?
No, I don't. It is exactly the mood I wanted it to be.
Yeah but it doesn't feel like the mood of the game.
Really? because in the first couple of seconds I said< "PERFECT FIT!!" and then it only got better! I swear people like you are just doing it a, as a joke, b, to get in the encore, or c, just trolling.
 

Euryalus

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Jun 30, 2012
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DVS BSTrD said:
A little upbeat for Dishonored don't you think?
I've said this before, but he doesn't have to "fit" the game. When he makes music related to a game, he's making something separate and different.

I can understand the sentiment behind it not feeling "right" to the game, but on its own it means nothing because it ISN'T the game nor should it be.

Plus I think the upbeat feeling fits perfectly in a sneaky way *see below*

....And where are the puns? :(

MiracleOfSound said:
Correction: It doesn't feel like your interpretation of the mood of the game.
You're never gonna stop getting these comments are you XD

OT: This song is kind of terrifying :0

The juxtaposition of how the song is presented and what's happening in it really brings the dark parts of the game out in a weird way. It's almost like a child's description of events, not really sure what's going on, but sees it as a game rather than what it is.

"Cause the sad sad faces of the weary and worn
Live in bad bad places that are dreary and torn
And a distant honor calls me to your side
To be your guide

Shades of the whales in the tainted deep
Maimed and impaled in their pain they sleep
The faded and frail in the laneways weep
Broken souls in mourning"

^ This heavy stuff, but the way it's sung makes it seem even worse (i.e. better), idk like the ring around the rosie song.
Maybe I'm reading into it too much (I do that sometimes XD), but it really seems like a terrible reality hidden with a veneer of innocence.
 

Arakasi

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Jun 14, 2011
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I haven't really been listening to Miracle of Sound, but damned if this one didn't bring me in.
Brilliant song, bravo.