Stalker - Unused 1995 Beta

[@noahvadertheberserkerpacki6604]

Nice Beta, it'd fit more with a harder science fiction setting than the more realistic city environments that stalker is used in. In any case stalker is one of my favorite tracks from these classic FPS games. Thanks for your amazing music, which are a big part of why those old games were so fantastic.

[@E5rael]

I love the buildup at 2:00 - 2:34. Gives me chills. So good!

[@SPTSuperSprinter156]

The real difference with duke nukems soundtrack, and indeed some other dos games of the time, was that unless you could afford the dough for a decent sound card the music was heard in a much more basic form that almost resembled chip tunes on steroids. I grew up listening to the sound of this track and others being piped through the speakers by soundblasters and similar and it became a sound synonymous with some of my younger years. It wasn’t until later that I actually found out this is how the tracks were “meant” to be played back, but always ended up preferring how it sounded on an SB/adlib or similar because it’s what I grew up with.

[@LeeJacksonAudio]

Jim Dose' and I worked hard on the FM chip patch set so that SB/adlib owners would get the best possible experience when it came to the music. It was the most that we could do at the time, since the game didn't support technologies like looping OGG files which current games support.

[@SPTSuperSprinter156]

@@LeeJacksonAudio Oh I don't doubt it. I enjoyed listening to your work from a very young age.

[@Ins0mnia365]

cant ever get enough of this track

[@BadNewsRuss]

One of my favorite OST ♥

[@sephrah]

I hear some different tom tom patterns but all those lovely melodies are intact; one of your best sir, always been a standout! Very glad to have found your channel too, you have been a big influence on music for me!

[@zonelore]

YOU ARE A LEGEND! best composer

[@flumptyfan33]

Bobby Prince: :|

[@zonelore]

@@flumptyfan33 he is not a legend, he just plagiarized popular songs of those times, I do not consider him a genius.

[@SirDoomShotgun]

​@@zonelore did you hear his duke nukem tracks? The city streets, going after the fat commander, taking names, pissed!, aliens, say your prayers!, lord of la? Those are awesome, and also, most of the doom soundtrack wasn't inspired, plenty weren't, and he added a lot to the ones that were inspired. At least try to make something better before criticising him.

[@zonelore]

@@SirDoomShotgun "At least try to make something better before criticising him". Dude, your comment missed the point in the funniest way possible. By your logic, all Critics of something should be better in everything, damn how simple it is. I’m just interpreting the facts, all the hits of the rock and metal genre of the 80s and 90s were not just INSPIRED for DOOM, but stupidly plagiarized. But how lucky it is that Bobby Prince is a cunning lawyer and knows the tricks of the law that allow him to easily use the SAMPLE of music, the harsh reality. It's amazing how many *similar* riffs there are in his songs, think about it.

[@PedroThePanda64]

The 90s never ended! Thanks for all of the amazing music you've made Lee!

[@Richter451]

tbh the main changes around 1:51 to 2:00 are better than the official relase, this feels more powerful while the other kinda drags at that part both good though

[@tharii314]

One of my favorites!

[@gorgonfreeman486]

This is just amazing.

[@KojotWilus.]

Oh my gosh, how good it is.

[@hyper_vyolet]

Although I'm ultimately glad you changed it to what it is because I think it works better for a song that loops... WOW!! That original climax there is fucking kick ass!

[@hazukichanx408]

I remember a total conversion (new episodes and/or weapons/other content) for Duke 3D called BDP: The Gate, and this one level... E3M1 or E4M1 possibly? Wildlife Receiver Facility, has a song with a climax reminiscent of this one. It's not similar enough to imply anything untoward, just something I thought was cool - great minds think alike, type of thing.

[@TheHouseOfWaffles]

This version would have fit well in Rise of the Triad. Its style is definitely closer to your work on that game.

[@Dr_Hingis]

Thank you lee.

[@AlvarazCMSB]

You made the grooviest beats of my childhood!

[@cassianogomesdossantos7804]

Epic!

[@DNSKILL0]

Now I’ll never be able to unhear the changes between the two versions lol. Both are amazing but now I can’t decide which I like the most lol

[@jeffreytripoli]

Was John Carpenter an influence on your work in D3D? I've always got those vibes but maybe it's just the inherent synthiness of the midi format. Love this version!

[@LeeJacksonAudio]

John Carpenter was a bit of an influence, yes, but not as much as others I've named elsewhere and in interviews. Thanks for asking!

[@DrQuagmire1]

@@LeeJacksonAudio hey man, i'm huge fan of your work, and your dual collaboration with the brilliant Bobby Prince was (and still is) excellent!!!!

[@ChandlerVanFossen]

Honestly, this one sounds better!

[@TAURON85]

Sorry for the slightly odd question Mr Jackson, but can I ask who's older, you or Mr. Prince?

[@LeeJacksonAudio]

Bobby Prince is older than I am, although I don't know his official age. I just know he is the elder statesman of the two of us. :)

[@TAURON85]

@@LeeJacksonAudio I see. Either way, thank you for all the goodness you composed for us gamers and God bless you both. 🙏

[@DaedalusRaistlin]

Thanks! Sounds different even just by the fact it's not being played through an AdLib. Cool look at a different take.

[@thabrood8884]

I love Duke Nukem and the music is so great :)

[@mikkoiranen]

It would be great to learn about the "decisions" behind each of these tracks, like how you begin to build the composition up. Foe example, where do the melodies, harmony, instrumentation, and overall mood come from; is it a lot of trial and error and then finding the perfect combinations or utilizing "tools" provided by music theory, genres, and other composers, knowing that "ok, this and this always work"? For example, in this Stalker case, the thought process could have been "Ok, I'd like to create a really menacing tune, and using a Phrygian mode instead of the regular minor does that."

[@Advisor17]

Thanks for sharing this, Lee! It brings me great joy to see (well, hear) how one of my favorite pieces of video game music came to be. By the way, do you remember what kind of level it was composed for? Was it always meant to be Hollywood Holocaust's theme or was it used for another level first?

[@LeeJacksonAudio]

It was originally just a generic composition, handed over to the dev team. They're the ones who assigned the songs to the levels in the original 3-episode game. Most of my songs were done that way, with only a few written for specific levels in the original. That changed in episodes 4 and in the 20th Anniversary World Tour, where almost every song was composed for a specific level.

[@jayphillips368]

The themesong of my childhood

[@cassianogomesdossantos7804]

I was 16~17 years. Amazing! Never forget!

[@lukejansen3540]

Love it! Very similar to the first level in Duke Nukem

[@ColossalKilla]

This is an early Verison of that song.

[@IDHLEB]

You don't say

[@jcosmozd]

This is kind of a weird question but what synth do you personally use for these, and in your opinion what is the definitive sound for your music?

[@LeeJacksonAudio]

Good questions, with a single answer. The Rolsnd SC-88 is what I used for DN3D, and is now the definitive sound for my ROTT and DN3D MIDI music. However, if I ever do get around to independently releasing any of these songs on an album, I will be using a Roland SC-88Pro, since it's what I've got now. Thanks for asking!

[@Therealguymins]

@@LeeJacksonAudio No wonder I loved listening to ROTT music on my SC-88 Pro lol

[@yetanotherjohn9774]

Out of curiosity, do there exist any higher quality copies of some of the ambient music, like what plays in the strip club?

[@LeeJacksonAudio]

Sorry - what's up on KZbin is all I have.

[@hooligan410]

I guess we need to recreate them

[@usuarioextra9324]

I think the 0.99 beta has a slightly higher quality sound for the strip club music.

[@tobythedumb0]

this can't be real… is it?

[@LeeJacksonAudio]

It's quite real, I assure you.

[@amerAsterix]

@@LeeJacksonAudio hey man i like your composing music... what about bobby prince did he compose some duke nukem soundtracks

[@LeeJacksonAudio]

@@amerAsterix He did. There's a list of them included with the Duke Nukem 3D game.

[@amerAsterix]

@@LeeJacksonAudio thats cool..god bless you both

[@Cujo_Ate_My_Credit_Card]

The soundtrack alone made you crap your drawers.

[@GoldKingsMan]

Time for some pork pies.