COMPOSITION PORTFOLIO | Stephen Pryke

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Sonic Architect

COMPOSITION PORTFOLIO

Below is my portfolio of my composition work, which includes original releases and soundtracks, commissioned works, rescores, competition entries, and some miscellaneous musical ideas.

With an exception to the works I've created myself from scratch, I do NOT own the rights to the footage used below. They have been used purely as a means of developing my portfolio and for educational purposes.

My "Stephen Pryke Music & Sound" YouTube channel is also dedicated to showcasing my professional work. You can find a short written commentary, outlining the creative intentions and process surrounding the creation of these pieces, in each video's description.

Releases

Fractalis

BSc Final Major Project

This is the coursework I submitted as my Final Major Project for my "BSc (Hons) Music & Sound Design Technology" course at the University of Hertfordshire. I wrote, recorded, designed, narrated, put sound to, mixed, and mastered this project myself. Inspired by Lovecraftian fiction and psychological horror, 'Fractalis' is a narrative-driven sonic experience that follows 'the Protagonist' on his journey across an impossibly twisted hellscape, depicted through his inner monologue.

I wanted to create something to showcase my creative sound design and composition skills that was unique, innovative, and experimental; a blend between an audiobook and a concept album, or a short film without visuals. The audio alone encourages the audience to picture what's happening using their imaginations, making the experience unique to each listener. This work achieved a mark of 85/100, which is a high First Class, securing my First Class BSc (Hons) degree.

Epiphanies, Pts. 1-6

A Series of Instrumental Improvisations

This series aims to serve as a way of generating new musical ideas that may inspire material for Lunicium or my other compositional works, to help evolve my ability to play and improvise, and to provide a brief escape from the chaos of our surroundings and our minds.

I called the series the “Epiphanies” because the improvisations come about through sudden bursts of creativity and everything happens in real time. The journey of each piece is dictated by deciding what feels right in the moment. We all find it hard to live in the present. Whether we’re regretting the past or anxious about the future, we struggle to live in the now. Hopefully, this series can help change this.

There is no set tempo, no set time signature, no set key and no set duration; these pieces just go wherever the music takes them. Good or bad, they are out for the world to hear, and maybe even enjoy.

Original Soundtracks

PAN

15:57

PAN

A twenty-year-old girl moves to a foreign country to study and ends up experiencing something totally different than what she had planned.

Stephen Pryke - Soniverse [Unity Game Concept]

08:25

Stephen Pryke - Soniverse [Unity Game Concept]

Stephen Pryke - Soniverse [Unity Game Concept] This is a piece of coursework I submitted for the “Soundtrack in Interactive Games” module of my "MSc Music & Sound for Film & Games" course at the University of Hertfordshire. We were tasked with showcasing our in-engine music implementation using a music system and objects within Unity. I decided to take a somewhat experimental approach and designed a mini game with four different levels. Each level is a unique sonic world, making this an interactive multi-genre audio-visual experience. The premise of the game is to collect four “keys” by entering four different dimensions via their respective portals. Each dimension has a different obstacle for the player to overcome and once all the keys have been collected, a fifth portal is unlocked and the game ends as the player arrives in the final dimension. The keys can be collected in any order, and the soundtrack to each dimension evolves depending on the players progress throughout the level. I applied my basic knowledge of C# coding to program some basic object movement (ie. moving platforms) and player transport (ie. respawning at the start of the level after falling/colliding with an obstacle) to add context. As the player gets each key, a motif from that dimension’s score can be heard in the Spawn Room, eventually forming a new piece of music, which can be heard properly when the player enters the final portal. The red “Apocalypse” dimension has a metal soundtrack, inspired the music of Mick Gordon (the composer for “Doom”) and the band Meshuggah. A tom-based drumbeat starts as the player begins to approach the obstacle; the player isn’t yet in danger, but the drums create an unsettled atmosphere. The player must avoid falling meteors, and as each one lands, a riff fragment is triggered, creating complex and unpredictable rhythms that will be different for every player every time. When key is in sight, a full riff comes in; this rhythmic motif is then heard in the Spawn Room, which is triggered via a snapshot trigger. The green “Planet” dimension has a lo-fi/synthwave-based electronica soundtrack. The player must cross some moving platforms to retrieve the key from a raised “walkway” and then cross more to exit. When the player is safe, the music remains on an A minor chord. When they begin crossing the first platform to get up to the key, an ascending chord progression is triggered accompanied by a piano. The main motif starts when the player is on the walkway collecting the keys, and this accompanies a now descending chord progression as the player descends to exit the level. The yellow “Fantasy” dimension uses cartoonish music with elements of electronica. The player must climb from flower to flower to reach the top plane where the key is located, and the beams between the flowers get narrower as you get further up. The music is quite childish and fun, yet still mysterious and fantastical, with the chords ascending as the player reaches the next flower. The blue “City” dimension has a jazz-based soundtrack. The player is meant to avoid the obstacles that are moving between the buildings. The music starts quite relaxed and grows more intense as the player approaches the obstacles. Once the key has been collected, the music returns to a more relaxed state and the motif plays over it. The “Spawn Room” plays the main motifs of each portal in a muzak/Bossa Nova type style, and it meant to be diegetic, hinting that the player needs to leave via the white “Home” portal. The music in this final dimension is an orchestral version of the spawn room music, and after hearing this, the game ends. ——————————————————————— My name’s Stephen Pryke and I’m a multi-genre composer and sound designer from Hertfordshire, UK. This channel acts as a portfolio for my professional composition and sound design work. Any Sound Design or Composition related business enquiries can be sent to the following email address: stephenpryke.musicandsound@outlook.com I also have a personal music project, “Lunicium”. The project combines my composition and sound design skills to create immersive, atmospheric and cinematic music in a variety of genres: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMHZLWseNGrG2qG9bMd6n_g SOCIALS: Website: https://www.stephenprykemusicandsound.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ViKHVuU2wUjd98I4I10Fm?si=2T5vCD9_TwimZwwpBvqfcg Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/stephen-pryke/1513248036 LinkedIn: Stephen Pryke https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-pryke-16981719b Like on Facebook: Stephen Pryke Music & Sound https://www.facebook.com/stephenprykemusicandsound/ Follow on Instagram: @sjpryke_lunicium https://www.instagram.com/sjpryke_lunicium/ © 2022 Stephen Jon Pryke. All rights reserved.

Rescores

Stephen Pryke - STUCK [Rescore]

13:00

Stephen Pryke - STUCK [Rescore]

Stephen Pryke - STUCK [Rescore] This is a piece of coursework I submitted for the “Soundtrack in Narrative Film” module of my "MSc Music & Sound for Film & Games" course at the University of Hertfordshire. We were tasked with rescoring this short student film by Ali Doruk Zengin. I took a hybrid approach to composing this score, combining traditional musical elements with experimental sonic elements. This work is yet to be graded. CUES: 01:03 Title 02:24 Insomnia 03:54 Eureka 05:34 Party 09:25 Incentive 11:35 Car ‘Title’ introduces the main theme, a descending motif in F# minor. The bass note alternates between D and F#. When the D is played, the first two notes of the theme act as the major 3rd and minor 3rd respectively, creating an unsettling clash. But when the F# is played, they become the octave and the major 7th, which creates a clash that this time feels more sombre than unsettling. This is analogous to how the Voice’s harsh critiques leads to Frank’s unhappiness. I created a feedback loop and applied various effects to generate noisy textures that surround the piano melody. Using a frequency shifter/echo plugin, I managed to manipulate the piano and make a descending texture to reflect how the Voice is always bringing Frank down. ‘Insomnia’ is a sonic representation of the thoughts keeping Frank awake. I made some distorted swirling textures using panning, like the thoughts are swirling around his head. The percussive hits add tension and a sense of exhaustion as these gruelling thoughts continue, eventually blending into the sound of the ticking clock. ‘Eureka’ reintroduces the title theme, but it becomes more hopeful as Frank finally gets some inspiration and begins to take control. A major version of the main theme develops, accompanied by a new sparkling pad-like texture, but as the Voice tries to stop Frank, the minor elements start to return, thus as the two are battling for control, the cue’s tonality is battling between major and minor. Eventually, the sparkling texture grows distorted and chaotic, overwhelming the other instruments until all that remains is a resonant drone. ‘Party’ starts as purely diegetic music that is coming from a party downstairs. It’s only when Frank meets Liz and has the motivation to change that the music becomes non-diegetic. An upbeat EDM track, the cue presents the theme in a new way which is more harmonious and energetic. As it cuts between Frank getting changed and the now powerless Voice panicking, the music alternates between the new theme and an irregular rhythmic motif (introduced by the percussion in the second half of ‘Eureka’). Frank kisses Liz and the cue becomes more symphonic and major; he is now free of the Voice and the cue ends with Frank’s sigh of relief. ‘Incentive’ reprises the irregular rhythm and final chord progression of ‘Party’ as Frank continues to make progress on his novel. This soon turns into a manipulated piano texture, reminiscent of those in ‘Title’, as we see the Voice stuck in darkness, helpless and unable to influence Frank. ‘Car’ is the climatic final cue that plays out as Frank reaches his darkest moment. The original theme returns with a new harmonic progression as he finds out Liz has left him and the Voice returns. The cue is similar to ‘Eureka’, but slower and darker, with elements of other cues featuring in the tense sonic build-up. As the Voice tells Frank to “end it”, the melody changes to a chromatic descent, like the descending sonic gesture in ‘Title’. The music is overwhelmed by the sound as it’s implied that Frank is hit by an oncoming car, although this is unseen, and the music remains unresolved to reflect this open ending. I composed the music, but I do NOT own the rights the film (directed by Ali Doruk Zengin); it has been used in this instance for educational purposes. ——————————————————————— My name’s Stephen Pryke and I’m a multi-genre composer and sound designer from Hertfordshire, UK. This channel acts as a portfolio for my professional composition and sound design work. Any Sound Design or Composition related business enquires can be sent to the following email address: stephenpryke.musicandsound@outlook.com I also have a personal music project, “Lunicium”. The project combines my composition and sound design skills to create immersive, atmospheric and cinematic music in a variety of genres: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMHZLWseNGrG2qG9bMd6n_g SOCIALS: Website: https://www.stephenprykemusicandsound.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ViKHVuU2wUjd98I4I10Fm?si=2T5vCD9_TwimZwwpBvqfcg Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/stephen-pryke/1513248036 LinkedIn: Stephen Pryke https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-pryke-16981719b Like on Facebook: Stephen Pryke Music & Sound https://www.facebook.com/stephenprykemusicandsound/ Follow on Instagram: @sjpryke_lunicium https://www.instagram.com/sjpryke_lunicium/ © 2022 Stephen Jon Pryke. All rights reserved. (Music Only)

Stephen Pryke - No Country for Old Men [Rescore]

05:35

Stephen Pryke - No Country for Old Men [Rescore]

Stephen Pryke - No Country for Old Men [Rescore] This is a piece of coursework I submitted for the “Soundtrack in Narrative Film” topic of my "MSc Music & Sound for Film & Games" course at the University of Hertfordshire. We were given this scene from ’No Country for Old Men’ with only the dialogue and sound effects, and we were tasked with composing a fitting score. This film is famous for its realistic and gritty nature, and it’s also known for its lack of music. It was interesting to score an actual film scene and come up with ways of adding music to a film that doesn’t necessarily need it. This work is achieved a mark of 77, which is equivalent to a Distinction. I decided to take a sonic approach to the composition of this scene. The film focuses on the diegetic sound and dialogue, which attempts to ground the audience in the narrative world. The original score relies on very subtle pad-like textures that only appear a few times in the whole movie. I felt that the scene needed a score that would take this to the next level, one that wouldn’t overpower the diegesis, but act as an extension of it. It mainly consists of textural drones, which I layered and manipulated to fit around the diegetic sounds. I made these by playing piano and guitar through a reverb bus that was feeding back into itself via another bus. I recorded several takes, chopped them up, and placed them at certain points where I felt they worked best with the visuals and diegetic sound. A low drone is introduced when Llewelyn can’t sleep to represent his guilt after leaving a man for dead in the desert. The drone returns as he heads back to the desert, and when he arrives, the drone becomes higher pitched as the weight is lifted from his mind. But after finding the man dead and seeing some strangers puncture his truck tires, more chaotic layers come in, and a percussive hit is synchronised with the strangers’ truck lights switching on. From here, the intensity increases as they begin chasing Llewelyn. I used a sequenced resonant distortion plugin on one of the drones to create the sidechain-esque rhythm during the land chase. I used two instances with different settings to achieve a galloping effect, which complemented the almost animalistic and primal engine sound, like the truck was a wild animal hunting Llewelyn. It also intensified the scene and symbolised Llewelyn’s adrenaline. As he approaches the river, the score builds to its first climax. There is a distorted growl-like sound as one of the strangers pulls out a gun, like a predator preparing to pounce, and percussion is used to emphasise the rhythm and build up to the gunshot. Llewelyn dives into the river and there’s a light texture that feels almost serene yet still unsettling, as he’s not yet safe but remains focused and clear-headed. This oscillates in volume to sonically replicate the motion of the waves. A subtle sense of tonality is introduced as the camera shots become more cinematic, revealing trees and a riverbank where Llewelyn can escape, and this turns into noise that is filtered to blend in with the sound of Llewelyn exiting the river. The final climax is reached when the dog runs to him as he races to clear his gun. A frantic rhythm begins as the dog leaves the water and a wall of sound, constructed of tonal and atonal textures, reaches a crescendo, ending abruptly as Llewelyn shoots the dog. I composed all the non-diegetic music myself, although I do NOT own the rights to this scene; it has been used in this instance for the sole purpose of carrying out this assignment. ——————————————————————— My name’s Stephen Pryke and I’m a multi-genre composer, sound designer and sonic artist from Hertfordshire, UK. This channel acts as a portfolio for my professional composition and sound design work. Any Sound Design or Composition related business enquires can be sent to the following email address: stephenpryke.musicandsound@outlook.com I also have a personal music project, “Lunicium”. The project combines my composition and sound design skills to create immersive, atmospheric and cinematic music in a variety of genres: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMHZLWseNGrG2qG9bMd6n_g SOCIALS: Website: https://www.stephenprykemusicandsound.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ViKHVuU2wUjd98I4I10Fm?si=2T5vCD9_TwimZwwpBvqfcg Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/stephen-pryke/1513248036 LinkedIn: Stephen Pryke https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-pryke-16981719b Like on Facebook: Stephen Pryke Music & Sound https://www.facebook.com/stephenprykemusicandsound/ Follow on Instagram: @sjpryke_lunicium https://www.instagram.com/sjpryke_lunicium/ © 2022 Stephen Jon Pryke. All rights reserved. (Score Only)

Stephen Pryke - Castle Rock Entertainment Ident [Rescore]

00:21

Stephen Pryke - Castle Rock Entertainment Ident [Rescore]

Stephen Pryke - Castle Rock Entertainment Ident [Rescore] This is a piece of coursework I submitted for the “Live Deliverable Project” topic of my "BSc (Hons) Music & Sound Design Technology" course at the University of Hertfordshire. We were tasked with creating our own soundtrack for the Castle Rock Entertainment company ident, whether it be purely musical, purely sound design or a blend of the two. This work is achieved a mark of 85, which is equivalent to a high First Class. I took a rather traditional approach in the composition and orchestration of the piece, but with a modern twist. I added water sounds, a cinematic sub hit and a sub-bassline, all adding depth and dimension. The music and sound are co-dependent, each helping to sonically convey the story in the visuals. The piece begins with a solo piano playing a light, twinkling melody in Eb minor, representing the mystery and uncertainty of the night. As the sun starts rising, the strings begin to play and they crescendo as the light turns. Then, the rippling water emerges, and the sound of flowing water fades in with it. Then the percussion starts building with drum swells and cymbal rolls, and the tempo increases until the light flashes and reveals the main logo, which is emphasised by a sub hit and cymbal crash. The brass section accompanies the strings, and although the chords descend, the chord extensions/higher notes ascend in pitch to match the rising sun. The harp and piccolo also start playing an alternately ascending and descending melody, which reflects the wave-like motion of the water. The piece slows down again, the second logo appears, and the light goes out. The piano plays a F# Major9 chord accompanied by a triangle as the orchestral chord rings out, almost like a pause for breath – an inhale. As the ident fades out, the piano plays the same chord an octave lower with the orchestra, creating a much warmer sound, like a sigh of relief – an exhale – leaving the audience satisfied and ready to watch the film. The sonic narrative of the piece also feels like representation of some Castle Rock Entertainment films: the journey from a calm beginning to a climactic ultimatum, ending with a satisfying resolution. Plus, the contrast of Major and minor here represents the contrast between their feel-good films and their darker, more emotional films. I do NOT own the footage in this video; I used it for the sole purpose of completing this task. ——————————————————————— My name’s Stephen Pryke and I’m a multi-genre composer, sound designer and sonic artist from Hertfordshire, UK. This channel acts as a portfolio for my professional composition and sound design work. Any Sound Design or Composition related business enquires can be sent to the following email address: stephenpryke.musicandsound@outlook.com I also have a personal music project, “Lunicium”. The project combines my composition and sound design skills to create immersive, atmospheric and cinematic music in a variety of genres: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMHZLWseNGrG2qG9bMd6n_g SOCIALS: Website: https://www.stephenprykemusicandsound.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ViKHVuU2wUjd98I4I10Fm?si=2T5vCD9_TwimZwwpBvqfcg Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/stephen-pryke/1513248036 LinkedIn: Stephen Pryke https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-pryke-16981719b Like on Facebook: Stephen Pryke Music & Sound https://www.facebook.com/stephenprykemusicandsound/ Follow on Instagram: @sjpryke_lunicium https://www.instagram.com/sjpryke_lunicium/ © 2021 Stephen Jon Pryke. All rights reserved. (Audio Only)

Commissions

Aurora (For Ryan & Mel)

Bespoke Wedding Compositions

These pieces were written specifically for the wedding of my aunt and uncle.

'Aurora' was written to accompany the bride and the rest of the processional down the aisle before the ceremony, and 'Aurora (Reprise)' was written as exit music to be played after the ceremony had concluded.

I chose the title of "Aurora" because of its connotations with beauty and also because the word Aurora is Latin for "dawn", which represents new beginnings and fresh starts.

Competition Entries

1st Place

Lunicium - Mirage [Official Single Stream]

03:31

Lunicium - Mirage [Official Single Stream]

Lunicium - Mirage [Official Single Stream] "Mirage" is OUT NOW! Buy, download & stream here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/lunicium/mirage "Lunicium" is the pseudonym for the personal music project of Stephen Pryke. “Mirage” is an instrumental Jazz Rock piece, with elements of Electronica, Cinematic and Ambience. This piece was inspired by the serenity and mystery of a hazy, misty morning in the early hours. I think this piece blurs the lines between music and sound, with aspects of ambience, prog rock, jazz and sound design, which allows it to create an entire world of atmospheric sound, making it more of an experience. It won 1ST PLACE in the University of Hertfordshire (UH) School of the Creative Arts Society's March Creative Competition. The theme was "Creative Renaissance" and it was judged by the Dean of the School of Creative Arts at UH, Phil Healey. I started by experimenting with extended chords and I eventually came up with an F# minor9/11 chord, which became the basis of the whole song. Using a 7/8 time signature and I created a simple rhythm with a shaker and voiced out the chord note by note with a choir that slowly morphs into a synth pad. Everything after that sort of evolved on its own. I experimented with a kind of “rhythmic enjambment”. In literature, “enjambment”, which is most commonly found in poetry, is when a sentence runs over from one poetic line to the next, without terminal punctuation. So, although the poetic line may end with a rhyme, it is not the end of the sentence which encourages to read it more like a narrative than a poem. I did this by having the drums play straight crotchets (1/4 notes) over two bars of 7/8 on the ride cymbal. So while the piece is in 7/8 throughout, this technique forces the listener to hear it as 14/8, because the straight crotchets emphasise the on-beat in the the first bar of 7/8, and the off-beat in the second bar, making it syncopated. I guess this acts as a kind of rhythmic displacement, as the phrase becomes out of sync every other bar. I also experimented with tonal ambiguity. At the very start, the first note you hear is G#, which automatically sounds like the root of the key. Then after a few more notes are revealed, it appears to be in C# minor. It’s not until the final F# is revealed in the bass just before the ride starts playing that you can tell its in F# minor. These rhythmic and tonal “illusions”, use of field recordings and the general aesthetic of the piece, coalesce to recreate the initial vision of a hazy morning. To me, it's almost like a kind of sonic watercolour painting due to the way everything seamlessly blends together in a “wash” of sound. The word “Mirage” conjures an image of being in a desert and seeing a hazy oasis in the horizon, which fits with the psychedelic and washy aesthetic I was going for. Mirage is Lunicium's second official single, and will act as an interlude on Lunicium's upcoming debut album, which is currently in progress. Written, Recorded, Performed, Mixed & Mastered by Stephen Pryke ——————————————————————— I also have another channel named “Stephen Pryke Music & Sound”, dedicated to my professional composition and sound design work: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAa4WLLBu6d4tVNxLL5hGrg Any Sound Design or Composition related business enquires can be sent to the following email address: stephenpryke.musicandsound@outlook.com SOCIALS: Website: https://www.stephenprykemusicandsound.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4tdxdNk4EoNX51qronnC9h?si=2QCZdDwgQni4tDX5roVd9w Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/lunicium/1488216121 Bandcamp: https://lunicium.bandcamp.com/releases LinkedIn: Stephen Pryke https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-pryke-16981719b Like on Facebook: Lunicium https://www.facebook.com/Lunicium/ Follow on Instagram: @sjpryke_lunicium https://www.instagram.com/sjpryke_lunicium/ © 2021 Stephen Jon Pryke. All rights reserved.

Stephen Pryke - Saffron [UH Creative Arts Competition Entry] RUNNER-UP

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Stephen Pryke - Saffron [UH Creative Arts Competition Entry] RUNNER-UP

Stephen Pryke - Saffron [UH Creative Arts Competition Entry] RUNNER-UP “Saffron” is a folk-rock piece, with elements of classical and ambient music. This was my entry into the University of Hertfordshire (UH) Creative Competition 2020, run by the School of Creative Arts Society. As a creative arts student at UH, I thought it would be fun to get involved. The theme of the competition was “Autumn” and the submission could be either visual or audio. I was interested by the idea of a musical representation of autumn and this is what I came up with. This piece came 2nd in the competition, making me the runner-up. I imagined myself walking down a forest path covered with a blanket of golden Autumn leaves, with trees either side of the path. I felt that the folk genre was best to represent the rustic, vintage, traditional and folklore connotations of Autumn. I wrote this piece for acoustic and electric guitars, piano, bass, drums, strings and woodwinds. I added the sound of wind blowing leaves around to set the scene and create the atmosphere of the piece. The acoustic guitar plays a “rolling” melody at the start and it is meant to represent the wind. The descending melody introduced by the woodwind instruments is meant to symbolise leaves falling from the trees. I think that the timbre of the woodwind instruments represents nature the best, especially the oboes and bassoons. There are a lot of melodies in the song that ascend and descend alternately, symbolising the unpredictable motion of the leaves as they’re being blown around. The heavier part in the middle is supposed to reflect the grandiosity of nature, again using an ascending/descending melody to represent the Autumn leaves. The final melody at the very end is a reprise of the first melody, this time played with an electric guitar through reverb, and is meant represent the transition from Autumn to Winter. The piece is in the key of F minor which, to me, feels warm and homely, and I think it is the key that represents Autumn the best. The name “Saffron” comes from the colour saffron, a shade of orange that can be seen in the majority of Autumn leaves and is the most significant aspect of the season. The photo in this video is a royalty-free image. I have used it for the sole purpose of accompanying the music. Link to image: https://www.piqsels.com/en/public-domain-photo-skzdc ——————————————————————— My name’s Stephen Pryke and I’m a multi-genre composer, sound designer and sonic artist from Hertfordshire, UK. This channel acts as a portfolio for my professional composition and sound design work. Any Sound Design or Composition related business enquires can be sent to the following email address: stephenpryke.musicandsound@outlook.com I also have a personal music project, “Lunicium”. The project combines my composition and sound design skills to create immersive, atmospheric and cinematic music in a variety of genres: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMHZLWseNGrG2qG9bMd6n_g SOCIALS: Website: https://www.stephenprykemusicandsound.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ViKHVuU2wUjd98I4I10Fm?si=2T5vCD9_TwimZwwpBvqfcg Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/stephen-pryke/1513248036 LinkedIn: Stephen Pryke https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-pryke-16981719b Like on Facebook: Stephen Pryke Music & Sound https://www.facebook.com/stephenprykemusicandsound/ Follow on Instagram: @sjpryke_lunicium https://www.instagram.com/sjpryke_lunicium/ © 2020 Stephen Jon Pryke. All rights reserved. (Audio Only)

Stephen Pryke - Noir [ADAM Audio Soundtrack Competition 2020 Entry]

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Stephen Pryke - Noir [ADAM Audio Soundtrack Competition 2020 Entry]

Stephen Pryke - Noir [ADAM Audio Soundtrack Competition 2020 Entry] “Noir” is a smooth jazz piece for piano, tenor saxophone, upright bass, brush kit, string ensemble and brass ensemble. This is my entry into the “ADAM Audio Soundtrack Competition 2020”. The task was to compose a short 30 second soundtrack to accompany the 1942 Edward Hopper painting, “Nighthawks” (shown in the video). Upon first seeing this painting, it made me think of Crime Noir films (hence the title). I’ve always admired the style of smooth jazz used in the soundtracks of those movies, and I thought it would be fun to try and recreate that. I chose the key of Bb minor because it feels to me like quite an ambivalent key; there is a mysteriousness and feeling of uncertainty that surrounds the key and I felt that I matched the mysteriousness I see in the painting. While the scene is quite bright and colourful, the look on the characters faces suggest that all is not as it seems. In particular, the man in the blue suit next the lady in the red looks as though something is troubling him. Perhaps he is a detective trying to figure out a case, or maybe the lady next to him is his wife, whom he has cheated on and now feels guilt, or maybe he is a criminal plotting his next crime. The fact that we don’t know adds to the mystery and I feel that the piece conveys that rather well. ——————————————————————— My name’s Stephen Pryke and I’m a multi-genre composer, sound designer and sonic artist from Hertfordshire, UK. This channel acts as a portfolio for my professional composition and sound design work. Any Sound Design or Composition related business enquires can be sent to the following email address: stephenpryke.musicandsound@outlook.com I also have a personal music project, “Lunicium”. The project combines my composition and sound design skills to create immersive, atmospheric and cinematic music in a variety of genres: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMHZLWseNGrG2qG9bMd6n_g SOCIALS: Website: https://www.stephenprykemusicandsound.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ViKHVuU2wUjd98I4I10Fm?si=2T5vCD9_TwimZwwpBvqfcg Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/stephen-pryke/1513248036 LinkedIn: Stephen Pryke https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-pryke-16981719b Like on Facebook: Stephen Pryke Music & Sound https://www.facebook.com/stephenprykemusicandsound/ Follow on Instagram: @sjpryke_lunicium https://www.instagram.com/sjpryke_lunicium/ © 2020 Stephen Jon Pryke. All rights reserved. (Audio Only)

Stephen Pryke - Coda [NKS Vocal Special Competition Entry]

01:37

Stephen Pryke - Coda [NKS Vocal Special Competition Entry]

Stephen Pryke - Coda [NKS Vocal Special Competition Entry] This is my entry for the NKS Vocal Special competition, where we had to compose music for this video. This has been a great source on inspiration and as a progressive music writer whose songs tend to be rather long, it gave me the challenge of expressing what I wanted to express in a shorter time. I'm definitely going to expand on this and evolve it into a full length piece. I composed the piece in Eb Minor because I find it to be a very warm and emotional key. I wanted to make this a sort of anthem for Earth and Nature; the clip goes from some of the smaller things nature to the giant mountains and I wanted to capture this in my piece. The “chorus” of the song portrays the grandiosity of the mountains, as well as nature itself; I wanted to create a goosebump inducing moment in the song where the listener feels as though they’ve been transported to the highest peaks of these mountains and are able to look down on everything, the beauty of nature. The contrast between the starker intro and outro, and the grand wall-of-sound-like chorus represents our insignificance to the Earth. I experimented with panning by creating vast spaces and most notably, to give the illusion of motion; the whispers appear to be swirling around as though there are people whispering at you, and there is a kind of beeping effect in the latter half of the song which moves into different positions. ——————————————————————— My name’s Stephen Pryke and I’m a multi-genre composer, sound designer and sonic artist from Hertfordshire, UK. This channel acts as a portfolio for my professional composition and sound design work. Any Sound Design or Composition related business enquires can be sent to the following email address: stephenpryke.musicandsound@outlook.com I also have a personal music project, “Lunicium”. The project combines my composition and sound design skills to create immersive, atmospheric and cinematic music in a variety of genres: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMHZLWseNGrG2qG9bMd6n_g SOCIALS: Website: https://www.stephenprykemusicandsound.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ViKHVuU2wUjd98I4I10Fm?si=2T5vCD9_TwimZwwpBvqfcg Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/stephen-pryke/1513248036 LinkedIn: Stephen Pryke https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-pryke-16981719b Like on Facebook: Stephen Pryke Music & Sound https://www.facebook.com/stephenprykemusicandsound/ Follow on Instagram: @sjpryke_lunicium https://www.instagram.com/sjpryke_lunicium/ © 2020 Stephen Jon Pryke. All rights reserved. (Audio Only)

2nd Place

Misc. Ideas/Demos

Stephen Pryke - Tachypsychia [Miscellaneous Composition Idea]

00:59

Stephen Pryke - Tachypsychia [Miscellaneous Composition Idea]

Stephen Pryke - Tachypsychia [Miscellaneous Composition Idea] This idea came about after improvising on my guitar. I eventually came up with the melody you hear at the start of this piece. I re-recorded the melody on piano and added some reverb and modulation to create a lo-fi style sound. I then began adding instrumental layers, each playing countermelodies to create a wash of sound and texture. I also used clean guitar and acoustic drums to give the piece an electronic jazz rock feel. I recommend listening with headphones to experience the full stereo effect. The piece is meant to be a sonic representation of an altered perception of time. The piece is quite slow and wavy, and at times perhaps even transcendent; this symbolises the feeling when time seems to slow down and although time is still moving at a constant rate, it can feel like time is passing much slower, making seconds feel like minutes and minutes feel like hours. “Tachypsychia” is a neurological condition where this can occur. It alters your perception of time and can be caused by physical exertion, drug use or trauma. I intend to structure this piece into a full track that will appear on the Lunicium debut album and add some field recordings to create a more immersive experience. ——————————————————————— My name’s Stephen Pryke and I’m a multi-genre composer, sound designer and sonic artist from Hertfordshire, UK. This channel acts as a portfolio for my professional composition and sound design work. Any Sound Design or Composition related business enquires can be sent to the following email address: stephenpryke.musicandsound@outlook.com I also have a personal music project, “Lunicium”. The project combines my composition and sound design skills to create immersive, atmospheric and cinematic music in a variety of genres: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMHZLWseNGrG2qG9bMd6n_g SOCIALS: Website: https://www.stephenprykemusicandsound.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ViKHVuU2wUjd98I4I10Fm?si=2T5vCD9_TwimZwwpBvqfcg Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/stephen-pryke/1513248036 LinkedIn: Stephen Pryke https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-pryke-16981719b Like on Facebook: Stephen Pryke Music & Sound https://www.facebook.com/stephenprykemusicandsound/ Follow on Instagram: @sjpryke_lunicium https://www.instagram.com/sjpryke_lunicium/ © 2021 Stephen Jon Pryke. All rights reserved.

Stephen Pryke - Telos [Miscellaneous Composition Idea]

02:21

Stephen Pryke - Telos [Miscellaneous Composition Idea]

Stephen Pryke - Telos [Miscellaneous Composition Idea] This idea came about through experimenting with instrument layering. Here, I layered an acoustic piano, an electric piano and a dulcimer to create a unique timbre that fits well in the context of folk. I wrote a 6/4 swung melody in C# minor (the first one) and after settling on a chord progression, I added variation to create a new melody (the second one). Through the use of reverb, ambience and heavy percussive hits, the piece become much more atmospheric and cinematic. I decided to add drums and guitars to make the piece more powerful. To me, this piece feels quite apocalyptic; I can see this maybe being used as a climatic closing song, accompanying footage of the end of the world perhaps. The footage is a screen recording of the Logic session. ——————————————————————— My name’s Stephen Pryke and I’m a multi-genre composer, sound designer and sonic artist from Hertfordshire, UK. This channel acts as a portfolio for my professional composition and sound design work. Any Sound Design or Composition related business enquires can be sent to the following email address: stephenpryke.musicandsound@outlook.com I also have a personal music project, “Lunicium”. The project combines my composition and sound design skills to create immersive, atmospheric and cinematic music in a variety of genres: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMHZLWseNGrG2qG9bMd6n_g SOCIALS: Website: https://www.stephenprykemusicandsound.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ViKHVuU2wUjd98I4I10Fm?si=2T5vCD9_TwimZwwpBvqfcg Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/stephen-pryke/1513248036 LinkedIn: Stephen Pryke https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-pryke-16981719b Like on Facebook: Stephen Pryke Music & Sound https://www.facebook.com/stephenprykemusicandsound/ Follow on Instagram: @sjpryke_lunicium https://www.instagram.com/sjpryke_lunicium/ © 2021 Stephen Jon Pryke. All rights reserved.

Stephen Pryke - Eradicator [Miscellaneous Composition Idea]

01:00

Stephen Pryke - Eradicator [Miscellaneous Composition Idea]

Stephen Pryke - Eradicator [Miscellaneous Composition Idea] This idea came about after I got the Cinematic Percussion library from Spitfire Audio's Originals range. It started as the percussion alone and then I added the orchestral accompaniment (Spitfire Audio's BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover library). The result is this, a fairly strong foundation for a film trailer score or an intense opening theme for a film. The name "Eradicator" is a nod to the film "Terminator", as some people said that this reminded them of the Terminator soundtrack. The footage is a screen recording of the Logic session. ——————————————————————— My name’s Stephen Pryke and I’m a multi-genre composer, sound designer and sonic artist from Hertfordshire, UK. This channel acts as a portfolio for my professional composition and sound design work. Any Sound Design or Composition related business enquires can be sent to the following email address: stephenpryke.musicandsound@outlook.com I also have a personal music project, “Lunicium”. The project combines my composition and sound design skills to create immersive, atmospheric and cinematic music in a variety of genres: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMHZLWseNGrG2qG9bMd6n_g SOCIALS: Website: https://www.stephenprykemusicandsound.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ViKHVuU2wUjd98I4I10Fm?si=2T5vCD9_TwimZwwpBvqfcg Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/stephen-pryke/1513248036 LinkedIn: Stephen Pryke https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-pryke-16981719b Like on Facebook: Stephen Pryke Music & Sound https://www.facebook.com/stephenprykemusicandsound/ Follow on Instagram: @sjpryke_lunicium https://www.instagram.com/sjpryke_lunicium/ © 2020 Stephen Jon Pryke. All rights reserved.

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