A brief thought on Aubrey Hodges

[Koko Ricky]

A million gushing words have already been said about the man, but I've been playing the PS1 20th anniversary edition of the soundtrack quite a bit lately, not only because I have it on regular rotation, but also because it fits the mood of the season perfectly. While contemplating how much I adore it, I had several thoughts.

 

Firstly and most obviously, it was the first time the franchise had taken on a more overtly horrific atmosphere, rather than it being an action-heavy game with splashes of horror (similar to the ratio in James Cameron's Aliens). Less obvious is how fundamentally new a dark ambient soundtrack was to gaming, and to this day I've heard very little professional dark ambient (aside from Lustmord) that is as effective as Aubrey's work.

 

My third thought was about how the soundtrack is very mocking of the player, which the game in general is guilty of—particularly the box art for both Doom 1 and 2, which depicts the player moments before possibly dying. Similarly, the PS1 soundtrack has this habit of reminding you that you're in a hopeless and desolate situation. The music is never triumphant or epic; instead of it almost entirely disharmonious and minor key, and only in the moments that it becomes conventionally musical. The intro is epic, but it's as though the music is celebrating the game itself, not necessarily you, the player, who must suffer through it. Even the intermission music, which is appropriately militant, serves to remind you that it's not over, that this is just one of many missions. You're ever really given that "gamey" sense of satisfaction through the music, which is brilliant. It's bleak all the way through.

 

My fourth thought concerns my tendency to experience synesthesia, in the form of music automatically producing visual patterns in my mind, something that goes as far back as I can remember. The PS1 soundtrack really expands the simplicity of Doom's architecture to create a world these demons inhabit. "A Calm Panic Rises" (Containment Center) is a track that I first heard for the Deepest Reaches map in PSX Final Doom, and for whatever reason it made me think of sentient, more intelligent beings, in the walls, outside out of the map, extracting the souls and blood of humans in horrific, satanic, alchemical environments. There's a sense of liquid or substance being drained in this track and even today, I can still see those morbid images. Each track seems to create a different environment in my mind, fusing satanic, occult, alchemical, industrial, cybernetic and gothic elements. It's really amazing how affected I am by hearing just a few seconds of any track.

 

[leodoom85]

I imagine that you played the Master Levels too. I gotta say that the track used in Geryon is the one that I like the most (it used the whistling of a kettle for that creepy sounding effect) with Catwalk being the second place. Same for the "babies" used in Mt. Erebus...

This man made memorable tracks that I won't forget by just using some common sounds and turning into a thing that enters to your brain and stay there for a long time....and it works for changing the atmosphere of the game. All of my respect to Aubrey Hodges. You win.

[scalliano]

Guy's a genius, pure and simple.

 

I guess that it really hit home for me when I played through Computer Station for the first time - I have always been more into the electronic side of music and the track featured in that level was probably the most purposefully synthetic up to that point. The subdued, noise-filled pads, the unsettling chord progression and those discordant blips buzzing around my headphones gave a real sense of being lonely and cold.

 

And, of course, there's Mt. Erebus. One of the few times when the music reaches anything resembling epic - midway through, the bottom drone cuts out, leaving only the main pad to build to an ominous crescendo, all the while leaving you with the strong feeling of impending death. You just don't get that with a Pantera midi file.

[Psyrus]

Several immediately come to mind still to this day after 17 years of first playing through the PSX series.  My personal top ones that give that feeling of "synesthesia" or something similar is the one used for Hell Keep and Aztec -- the "bees in a can" one -- can't remember the title offhand.  There is also "Lurkers" (Fortress of Mystery, Pandemonium, Suburbs, etc.) which really stood out for me for some reason and to this day kicks in at nighttime after a heavy rainfall.

Edited October 20, 2017 by Psyrus

[Tristan]

2 hours ago, Psyrus said:

 the one used for Hell Keep and Aztec -- the "bees in a can" one -- can't remember the title offhand.

In the Grip of Fucking Madness. Aztec and The Factory were terrifying maps thanks to that piece.

 

3 hours ago, GoatLord said:

"A Calm Panic Rises" (Containment Center) is a track that I first heard for the Deepest Reaches map in PSX Final Doom

This was always one of the more forgettable tracks for me (despite E2M2!), but PSX Deepest Reaches was really quite something and it fit that map perfectly.

 

"The Broken Ones" (Plant/Halls of the Damned/Nirvana/Subterra) is fantastic, and the 20th Anniversary version was a massive goosebump moment when the new section kicked in (and I had the same feeling with "Retribution Dawns" before it). If the darker atmosphere of the PSX version didn't have a massive impact on you after the first map, then surely it would with this song being on the second map. Plant was incredible straight from the opening shot with this.

 

Can't not mention "Breath of Horror," either. It accompanied Deimos Anomaly, and played while I stared at that red sky. Lunar Mining Project from TNT remains a favourite of mine partly because of this one too - they couldn't have picked a more fitting track for that map.

 

There's two others for me that had quite a profound effect, but they often go unmentioned when the PSX soundtrack is discussed - and they're "The Slow Demonic Pulse," from Refinery/The Pit/Monster Condo/Congo, and "Twisted Beyond Reason," from Limbo/The Gantlet/Heck. Immediately distinctive.

[vinnie245]

Without his soundtrack in the PSX version of Doom i doubt i would of been anywhere near as immersed and hooked into Doom as i would be without it, Not to mention tracks like Deimos Anomaly and Mt Erebus being some of the most memorable ambient tracks that i have ever heard.

He simply made an already legendary game even more atmospheric and memorable and thats quite an achievement indeed.

[leodoom85]

Now that we're mentioned the man himself, I have a question. Is he in this forum or not? Just curious...

[Shadow Hog]

2 minutes ago, leodoom85 said:

Now that we're mentioned the man himself, I have a question. Is he in this forum or not? Just curious...

He's on here, yes.

[leodoom85]

33 minutes ago, Shadow Hog said:

He's on here, yes.

Oh....nice to know. Thanks man.

[Psyrus]

1 hour ago, Eris Falling said:

In the Grip of Fucking Madness. Aztec and The Factory were terrifying maps thanks to that piece.

Oh yeah, I forgot about The Factory.  I also forgot "Lurkers" was used in Ghost Town as well.

 

Here is an honorable mention.  For myself whose first experience with E4 was with PSX Doom, "Hopeless Despair" was quite effective as an opener.

 

[Deleted_Account]

Back in '93 I played Doom right after it was released and was blown away by the gameplay and it's kick ass soundtrack provided by Bobby Prince. I would listen to the ost over and over, especially Dark Halls, Suspense, Demons on the Prey and Sign of Evil. I found myself more immersed by the moody music tracks he composed. When PSX Doom rolled out in 1995 I was once again pulled into an amazing soundscape, but this time it was different. To compliment the darker and moodier visuals, Aubrey Hodges took me into the depths of hell which I didn't even know existed. His work on PSX Final Doom and Doom 64 revealed vistas of unreality that really let me glimpse the road to madness. 

 

My all time favorite track of any Doom is this. To me this conveys everything that is Doom.

 

 

[Poorchop]

The timing of this thread is the oddest coincidence. I just got done playing a bit of the PS1 Doom TC for the very first time. When I found this thread, I was in the middle of listening to this soundtrack.

 

I agree with most of your post. However, I feel that the original tunes do have a place in this game. The metal and heavy rock of Bobby Prince's work is fitting for Doomguy's mindset. The guy has total forgotten what fear feels like and he's all about running super fast and ripping and tearing through every demon that stands in his way. He's a total badass and the demon-infested facilities are his playground. Only some tunes feel completely out of place like the samba music in Map02. It cracks me up every time I think about it because I really love the tune but it has no place whatsoever in any Doom game.

 

For me, the magic of Aubrey's work comes from the way his music complements the atmosphere in the PS1 version. The colored lighting does wonders for the game. I played through the TC for a while and I'm still in awe over the lighting. The ambient soundtrack is just fantastic. It's perfect to me because it's not exactly shooting for horror, and it doesn't have that industrial feel as in Quake. It's just moody and somehow, the tunes are good enough that I want to listen to them outside the game.

 

Before finally getting a hold of the TC, I've been watching play throughs of the PS1 version online all week mostly just to listen to the soundtrack and also to appreciate the awesome colored lighting they added in. It's such a great port of an already great game.

[Devalaous]

Wonder what you guys think of the missing and new tracks from his releases. Final Doom had three tracks that werent ready for the deadline, explaining why the last three Master Levels didnt have unique tracks, it was great hearing the intended tracks for those levels the last time I played PSX Doom.

I play his soundtracks a lot, PSX/Final Doom's soundtracks are actually calming for me. Doom 64's music still creeps me out, especially Voices in the Blood and The Rotted Foul, likely because I didnt grow up with them.

Quake 1 and 2 on N64, also by Aubrey, have the same style of music, if you guys want to try that in Doom one day.

Edited October 21, 2017 by Devalaous : derped

[rehelekretep]

i still havent played Doom PS1 but i will never forget the atmosphere created when i heard Sunlust m30's midi for the first time - i had to know what it was and was amazed when i saw it was from the PS1 soundtrack. brilliant track: https://youtu.be/U0NCOLwCTlw?t=636