Sky Sanctuary & Death Egg: Music Theory (with Cybershell)

[@GameApologist]

This was so well done!!!

[@XentinelSB]

Wow, I've never been this early before.

[@Vrabsher_-Supreme_Perhinther-]

You are literally everywere I go . And when are you going to review the Master system Sonic games , I love them .

[@tacos5682]

IT'S THE GAME APOLOGIST

[@aguywholovekfc]

I'm subscribed to game apologist

[@aguywholovekfc]

@@tacos5682 YES IT IS

[@mirpcow]

I'm actually mind blown right now that they hid parts of Green Hill Zone's theme in sky sanctuary. That's pure genius.

[@BagOfMagicFood]

I thought it was trying to hide the Space Harrier theme!

[@nathankkarren5316]

It's just apparent and completely brilliant!

[@carpathia808]

Man that sudden guest appearance, that caught me so off guard. Crazy how fast you've grown this channel, it had 400 subscribers when I subbed and now you're at 16,300 as of writing this comment. Death Egg Act 2 would be my favourite music from the entire trilogy, gotta love that death metal style. Keep up the amazing work man, always love seeing a video pop up in my feed from you!

[@kountyt1870]

Helo

[@cheezus5711]

HOLY SHIT! ITS YOU!

[@xamit1u]

You both have very ear opening channels. Keep em coming!

[@FireLordVahn]

Love both you guys channel's so much! Yall are good dudes!

[@LockeRobsta]

Oh mate, SO cool to see you here! The way you (literally) break songs down makes me appreciate just how much effort went into making them. Really love and appreciate your work!

[@TOAD69500]

I feel like the reason final sonic zones don't go full danger mode is because it may be scary but you've already made it through so much so those few cheerful notes are here to remind you that this challenge is one you can still overcome

[@spinniundomavielbein5770]

Also, I think it would be an inappropriate shift in mood if the zone got full danger mode after Sky Sanctuary. In Sky Sanctuary, you got all the hope and optimism to fight, and reaching the death egg (by jumping to it from that falling apart building) is triumph, not something that scares you. You are full of adrenaline and all in for making it to Eggman and kicking his ass.

[@vitorhugocamolezedelantoni6782]

(Sorry for the english errors, im from brazil) Man, i would like to thank you a lot for every single video that you made about sonic 3&k music theory. Im a starter in game developing and and every since i was young my favorite game was sonic 3&k and now with all those videos i can make a... not great, but a cool soundtrack inspired in my childhood game easier than ever, Thank You.

[@ProjectElementsOEAB]

I'm looking to do the same thing too! I've always wanted to work on my own game and the ost was always the one thing I was worried about. But thanks to videos like these I've learned a lot more about video game music and how to set the scene for something in a video game and in music in general

[@Redfire10000]

Mesmo eu não entendendo absolutamente NADA do que ele fala, eu acho muito foda saber que a soundtrack de um jogo que eu cresci jogando é ainda melhor do que eu imaginava. faz você perceber que, mesmo jogando o jogo 100 vezes, vc vai deixar um detalhezinho passar despercebido, e isso só mostra o quanto esse jogo é uma masterpiece

[@alientif0450]

@@Redfire10000 realmente, eu não entendo nada de teoria musical kkkk, mas por algum motivo é muito divertido ver como funciona

[@glowjoe09]

Yor English is fine

[@SamulolDumbass]

@@alientif0450 também

[@pizzazwned5772]

This video was a real treat. Two zone’s music theories plus a Cybershell appearance. Keep up the killer work man!

[@borinightmare]

Sky Sanctuary Zone's music took me into the stratosphere and an appearance of Cybershell was a nice touch. As opposed to Death Egg Zone in Sonic 3 sounds like Dr. Robotnick's unrelenting gravitational trap. I played it through the last boss on my SEGA Genesis. Then comes the part where I have to transform into Hyper Sonic in Doomsday Zone. This is a good lesson about Sky Sanctuary Zone's music.

[@triturtle]

Cybershell suddenly appearing caught me completely off gaurd. The amount of sheer effort you put into these videos cannot be understated. Great job as always!

[@skakirask]

The S3&K is probably the best game soundtrack of all time (other than maybe DKC2), so I appreciate all your music theory deep dives.

[@Helperbot-2000]

Tough competition, FTL and especially the half life games exist

[@MajoradeMayhem]

It has plenty of "meh" tracks but it has an amazing density of really stellar tracks, like Flying Battery, Hydrocity, Angel Island, the major boss music...

[@frost8077]

Even now, those levels still look wildly epic. Sprite art works wonders in some games, especially when outer space is involved. I always thought of the classic Sonic games as having magic and soul, but now I see they also have tension and passion.

[@divertedgamer1050]

Wow, Cybershell appearance was a nice surprise. Thank you for teaching showing me more ways to love this sound track from my favourite game of all time.

[@MaximPotashov]

60 seconds in & my mind is already blown. You simply cannot make these fast enough to satisfy me. Well done.

[@yeah1522]

That note about the dorian scale is very interesting, and I fully agree. Playing through that zone gave me a feeling of "there's no time to be emotional, it's time to MOVE", and seeing the use of the #6 finally made me understand why! thanks :)

[@whirl3690]

I really love how you waited to add "with Cybershell" to the title until later, it caught me completely off-guard my first time watching.

[@whirl3690]

With Sonic 2's Death Egg, I feel like the 3rd, 6th, and 7th make the song more creepy than uplifting because of the instrument used and the background melodies. I am no music expert, but I feel like it's a similar deal to Sandopolis' major 7th note: "That doesn't mean it necessarily makes the song happier, per se. If anything it's just a jolt of energy to keep you on your toes."

[@whirl3690]

This video was 2 weeks ago?!!

[@madpistol]

12:41 fun fact: Each section of this is split between the Left and Right channels. When you split it out on an oscilloscope, it sounds like 2 robots arguing.

[@Da_Homie_Don]

Love how cybershell doesn’t make massive appearances or nothing like that, he just pops in and does cybershell things

[@magicalpencil]

You must of collected enough rings and punched a lamppost to summon Cybershell, that totally caught me off guard, great doilus content

[@abbaszaffarkhan1872]

Death Egg is my favourite song in the game so I’m glad you covered it, great video!

[@ecernosoft3096]

It is a crime your channel has less subscribers. Subscribed! Also, pretty sure the knuckles meme approves of this video.

[@MasteredRealm]

Sky Sanctuary is my favorite track in Sonic & Knuckles. The arrangement is just amazing. The long sustained notes with the amazing LFO effects and vibrato is something only an FM synth could provide. A real gem on the Genesis Sound library.

[@TRUECEOofGaming]

I especially love the removed section that you recovered

[@sussyman_mlouse]

Sky Sanctary music theory 0:00 Death Egg music theory 8:36

[@neilmclean1527]

Woah! Two for one. You’re spoiling us with these videos. Great insights as ever. Gonna have to go play some S&K now…

[@jeremyrodriguez324]

OMG. Even though I graduated in music, I feel like I learn so much from this channel! You don't just talk theory, you talk about how the theory works, and this is true musicianship!

[@matthew3791]

this is one of my favorite series on youtube. it absolutely blows my mind that someone is currently in the process of making a series about one of my favorite osts of all time from a game i have so much nostalgia and love for. and you somehow got cybershell to be a part of this too. thank you so much for making these.

[@mrgamegirl2011]

Didn’t want it to end, another great video! Thank you

[@guessdeity]

I love the Death Egg Music, and I love the Sky Sanctuary Game Play! Good Video!

[@dabluepittoo-aqua4213]

Wow. . .always liked the original Sky Sanctuary's theme the best and I guess that's why. Also Death Egg does feel like a bit more of a fun romp to celebrate getting onto it at long last as opposed to being purely intimidating as our quite surprising guest explained. Amazing work! My blood's pumping to hear what's going on with Doomsday Zone's music!

[@TheHaggisBasher]

I love how you decode and visualise, this is absolute genius.

[@Crow_Rising]

My favorite thing about the light bridges is that you're actually better off skipping them. You can get where you need to go faster, and you can even find hidden goodies in these sections of the level your motion would otherwise be automated. Once you realize this, it's likely to dawn on you that Eggman placed these things throughout the Death Egg to troll Sonic and waste his time. Allowing Sonic to get where he needs to go, but slowly and without giving him access to resources that could have helped him on his journey.

[@LockeRobsta]

YES! Shy Sanctuary is just such a grand song! I always get a shot of confidence when I first arrive in this zone. It almost feels like an end-credits song.

[@adamnapolitano432]

Prototype Sky Sanctuary sounds more mechanical and military to me, like you see the Death Egg in the background, this monolithic weapon of destruction is once again fully operational and everything is in danger.

[@BigEvy]

The way you use visuals alongside technical music theory really makes it more digestible. I have 8 years of instrument experience , but only a minor (hah) understanding of the theory of what makes music , well , music from a creative point. I think your style would be great for teaching in classes.

[@jno7]

Its 1 am over here, but when I see that a new 20 min Sonic Music Theory Video, then there is no time to sleep! >:(

[@Konic_and_Snuckles]

I was fully expecting Cybershell to just troll us all, so hearing him discuss the music theory of DEZ Act 2 with such cogency and sincerity was an absolute shock and pleasure. I salute you, sir, and hope to see more quality content from you in the future (and you too, Alex, of course)

[@mailsprower1]

Hey, I just found this channel, and I want to quickly express my gratitude! While I've been enjoying channels like 8-bit Music Theory for some time, I have to admit their terminology is only digestible for me on a surface level. I really appreciate how you break things down in layman's terms, with helpful visuals, while also explaining basic music concepts along the way. I actually learn a lot more theory than I expected. It's also nice that you analyze other layers of the soundtrack like bass and drums, not sticking to the main melody alone, then see how it complements whatever is happening in the levels and compare it to previous titles. All of that, and all about my favourite franchise! I have much more understanding and appreciation of how these composers worked back in the day, and playing the games with this knowledge will definitely be more immersive. I see how much effort is put into this. Thank you, and I'll definitely stick around for more!

[@strohhutxP]

the next mind-blowing video. Well worth the wait, thank you! i'll keep watching these as long as you can provide. and always feel free to use any game you're interested in.

[@tatertot64]

I INSTANTLY clicked for my two favorite songs from the entire S3K library. I hope you look at some of the Sonic and Knuckles Collection tracks like Carnival Night sometime!

[@xenalin1]

This is obscenely good content; expert knowledge about the music theory, incisive tie-ins with the games thematic components, and a well-written script, all compounded by articulate editing of both the instrumentation and the thought process behind what you're explaining!

[@robertpenaherrera7222]

God I love your music theory videos. I watch them as soon as they get published! And sky sanctuary is my absolute favorite song from the Sonic 3 and Knuckles soundtrack!

[@Adamtendo_player_1]

Honestly channel is amazing, i love your analysis and how you break things down along with how you explain them even if I don’t fully understand everything.

[@CookieCrescendo]

4:27 actually sounds really nice. Carpathia808 should try reversing the drums on other songs

[@carpathia808]

if I knew how it'd make a good idea for a video series 🤔

[@nicolasmartinez4337]

@@carpathia808 real…

[@FirstnameLastname-sb3hj]

@@carpathia808 it would probably involve swapping the samples' names around in the ROM for DAC and outright editing of the track for PSG 3, likely using a tracker such as Deflemask

[@cubedtothex]

Wow, I haven’t heard about the Dorian scale in ages! I just know that Death Egg’s music provides some parts that give you hope. Another great video!!

[@sweetrocks610]

YESSS FINALLY ANOTHER MUSIC THEORY VIDEO

[@tertiaryobjective]

Great video! This was one of my favorite tracks in the game as a kid, it has such a relaxing and almost "hopeful" feel to it. Love how it modulates from C major up to Eb major on that last bit before it resolves again at C major and starts over! Genius composition

[@mox3909]

Excellent video, as always. Also glad to see Dynamite Headdy get a mention, that game definitely deserves more love.

[@zephyrion]

You're so good at this. Love your videos.

[@tile_guy]

i love these videos on breakdowns of sonic themes!

[@rriverderch7035]

Can you do a full version of the reversed Ice Cap kick and snare? That was godly.

[@kray2373]

I was here when you had 1.2-1.4k subs. Wow. Good job, for real. Accomplishing that growth without content farming is admirable.

[@jjg27]

Another excellent video, I've been enjoying your music theory analyses of great soundtracks immensely! Speaking of which, I was super excited by the Dynamite Headdy reference! That game has one of the most ingenious and creative soundtracks ever, but it's hardly ever talked about. I'd love to see your take on some of the music from that game.

[@crudolph3223]

Super happy to see another video of yours! Keep up the great work!

[@BreetonBoi]

This is such a dope analysis video! As someone who makes music and loves Sonic, this is so interesting to me and you made this so well.

[@Waylon128]

I've been watching every video in this series and I couldn't wait for this. Sky Sanctuary is such an amazing moment and the music really helps to define it. Some of the most recognizable songs in gaming honestly.

[@64kram]

Interesting to keep seeing Knuckles where he shouldn't be.

[@jeremyryannoel]

The one that used to “get me” emotionally, is not just Sky Sanctuary, Lava Reef, really the entire OST, but Doomsday Zone because of the beginning is a reflection of the level title and what’s happening. Great video!

[@Tisisrealnow]

Each video gets better and better

[@oj92]

What an amazing surprise to an already spectacular video! Had to hit pause to process the joy of the Cybershell collab.

[@manuelcabrera3329]

Thanks for reminding me of my childhood with the analysis of this songs. Your work is amazing 🤩

[@bradywoods6293]

Dude your a legend, thanks for deep diving into one of my favorite game's soundtrack

[@GameGengo]

I really, really love your videos. I know nothing about making music and yet I always find myself watching all your videos start to finish! Excellent excellent work!!

[@BlueMageWithSoulEdge]

DUDE! You are blowing my damn mind! I never noticed any of this! This is why I subscribed to you. Man... hell yeah.

[@Roboat06]

Holy fuck, I was not expecting Cybershell here. Simply incredible. Tell him I say hi, Alex.

[@NordicTheWolf]

This is such a cozy channel. Not just technical jargon but easy to understand explanations and colorful descriptions! We can really feel your passion in your work dude! Keep up the amazing content!

[@sandakureva]

Oh hey I'm early... and the video is pretty good too. I love these music theory breakdowns.

[@DonoDeluxe]

This might be my favorite video of yours! Great job Alex (:

[@matthewfunk6435]

Such insanely good edits. So much work went into this! And as always it’s another amazing video.

[@Firestorm2900]

A part of that whole thing about Sonic 2's Death Egg Zone from what I've heard is it's a remix of the Sonic 1's Special Stage theme, so perhaps that whole ballerina thing is more like you're up in a whole other space like that zone, but this time it's more like Robonik's rules goes in this one. It really does make me wonder how that Death Egg would have looked if they had completed it.

[@TimelessTimothy]

Wow, I find it funny that you mentioned steps, skips, and leaps during the Sky Sanctuary analysis, mainly because I just finished the "First Species Counterpoint" chapter of my AP Music Theory class (which mentioned those same music terms). Although I've known "steps" _(as in half-step and whole-step)_ for most of my hobby composing career, "skips" and "leaps" are still new to me, and I'm glad you discussed them. Besides that, this was yet another superb review of Sky Sanctuary and Death Egg's soundtracks; you taught me something new while giving me a new perspective! Also, I didn't know that Cybershell had some music theory knowledge. (Nice!) One minor criticism: 0:56 - The "5th" that was displayed on-screen was truly an interval of a 4th. If you count up 4 notes from the 3rd in C major (which is "E") and pretend that that is the "1st" note of the sequence, A would be the 4th note. Nonetheless, I think I understand what you meant. While I initially thought you were referring to a 5th there _(A to D, G to C),_ the editing is deliberate enough for me to pretend that you said "4th" instead of "5th." Anyway, I appreciate the compilation of Sonic's encounters with Knuckles (at 0:11)! Beyond the brief appearance of Flying Battery (0:47), the smooth editing between Eggman and Mecha Sonic (1:32), and the Little Planets representing the chord progressions (2:34), all the other details were splendid *as always.* It seems like I watch the right videos at the perfect times. Great work! NOTE: The "perfect times" = soon/shortly after I discussed or learned something at school (or anywhere else, but primarily high school).

[@AlexYardZone]

Awesome that the 'Steps, Skips, Leaps' segment reached you at an opportune time! As it happens, the concept was introduced in more depth in the previous video about Windfall Island. And Sky S. became a great opportunity to build upon that further with the octave. And thank you for the feedback regarding 0:56, I am always appreciative of fact checks like that and if someone proves me wrong, they might just get an honorary nod in the credits or something. In this instance though, my view is that the video is accurate on that subject, which involves the concept of 'descending intervals.' In which: When talking about an interval going down (as opposed to up), you sort of invert the number. ascending 2 becomes descending 7, 3 becomes 6, 4 becomes 5, 5 becomes 4...and so on. Examples in the key of C: Moving up from C to D is an ascending 2nd Moving down from C to B is a descending 7th Moving up from C to G (7 semitones) is an ascending 5th Moving down from C to G (5 semitones) is a descending 5th Of note: whether we go up to G or down to G, both are considered a '5th', within the concept of descending intervals / interval inversion.

[@TimelessTimothy]

@@AlexYardZone @Alex Yard & Knuckles Oh yeah, that's quite true! I was so focused on ascending order intervals, that I didn't consider descending intervals, like the correct ones you were referring to. I've been accustomed to determining intervals that way (in ascending order) for over a year, but I'm fairly new to descending intervals as well. Also, the interval inversions (ex: ascending 4th to descending 5th) always add to 9. Even a perfect unison (1) to a descending octave adds to 9! Overall, thank you so much for the detailed response! You gave me a useful reminder!

[@cgoldhaber]

Your explanations have me hearing so many new aspects of Death Egg that it’s practically a new song to my ears! Brilliant!

[@SoozeC]

I never realised I liked Death Metal until now! Another fantastic vid 👏

[@benmontey3438]

I am so happy you made a Sonic one. The other games are cool but I grew up with the blue blur and have always been attached to the music. I remember thinking about the last level of Sonic 2 in 4th grade and how Puerto Rican hip hop the beat sounded. Thought about that more than school of course Lol. Sonic music will always have a special place in my heart

[@CassGretch]

Your videos were a big part of me getting back into playing music, so thanks for that

[@FluffyDigby]

First time watching your channel, but God damn man this was amazing, not even I knew Green Hill is slightly incorporated into Sky Sancturary, and the Cybershell cameo!

[@FZuloaga]

OMG one of the best videos of this channel so far. I'm so amazed, thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@zubrz]

your sonic fiction writing is so great, impressive; how do you connect everything so poetically and so musically accurately, just wow; video editing is also awesome!

[@crazycrazycrazyadam]

Most underappreciated channel

[@futabamajima]

Oh my god! Cybershell was completely unexpected, that was amazing

[@Xxandrew01]

Sky Sanctuary Is one of my favorite Sonic stages ever! The music and atmosphere is what makes it so. ❤

[@mateusf7910]

I guessed right, it was death egg vídeo coming! Thanks for this vídeo, Man!

[@gabrielleraul]

such an amazing video, makes you appreciate the music even more. great job!

[@someobscuremusicchannel]

i like these videos cause i always learn something new

[@GuillermoTessi]

I love to hear those amazing stuff happening in the background. As I don't have my ears trained enough to percieve most of them, this videos are amazing!.

[@joshneal5953]

Your breakdowns of the music from one of my favourite games are a joy to watch, I love how you tie music theory to the context of the game. Definitely gained a subscriber here ✊

[@LoadingError0]

just wanted to mention, i recommended your videos to my music theory teacher because i genuinely think they’d be helpful in class. amazing work on these :)

[@rock__mos]

Did the teacher like the videos

[@ChristopherJohnDurbin]

Only discovered your channel recently and I must say I love your videos. I hope you end up covering all the music for all the classic era sonic games. Keep up the great content!

[@AlecTaylorMusic]

I just want to thank you for your videos, they've showed me lots of stuff I had never even thought of before that I think have helped me both as a remixer and as a songwriter.

[@RedTygon]

This is probably one of the most nostalgic tracks ever and makes me weep for the Sonic games of today.

[@64kram]

Nice sneaky transition into Cybershell!

[@joaopedropinheiro3904]

a 2-in-one lock-on episode, cool!

[@LogicDuel]

Fitting that at 7:15 when the ground gets “pulled out from under us” the ground in the game footage collapses

[@NoahNCopeland]

7:45 why use Generations lack of octave jumps as an opportunity to downplay the game? Why not extract the fact that its suits the gameplay better? the Generations version is much more horizontally to accommodate the boost, so wouldn't it make sense that the music de-emphasized the vertical movement, no?

[@budgoodrich6000]

Masterful, as always. Thank you for all of your hard work! Hope to see your channel continue to grow!

[@unknow318]

This was great I loved it

[@johnsunday7204]

I’m itching for more. This video actually gave me a nostalgic experience on how I felt when I first played these dark levels More dark Sonic please!!!🙏🏽

[@Valientlink]

Hope to see some Terranigma stuff soon, that games music is truly something else and so emotional. Had no idea there was an overlap with the marble garden composer. Great vid!

[@elibonham4388]

It's Christmas he uploaded woahhh cybershell!! Okay idk what ur talking about this stage is brutal haha defintley one of the hardest sonic stages in the series along with cannons core, scrap brain, metropolis and who can forget eggman land

[@nictouris6054]

The best channel on KZbin just dropped another masterpiece

[@sagacious03]

Interesting analysis video! Thanks for uploading!

[@roberttractortaylor]

Didn't expect Cybershell to add to the Sonic autism in this one. Loved it.

[@elijahpostdc]

I’ve sat down at my drum kit and played the kick part to death egg zone many times haha This video rocks hard and this channel rocks hard.