Hello from Christopher Tin

Not so much a question, but a word of praise. The opening music of Civ 4 was always brilliant to me. I only realised that it was actually called "Baba Yetu" only recently (the last year or so after hanging out in the Civ 5 forum, before reverting back to Civ 4 development and giving up on Civ 5). The opening music brings tears to my eyes often as it makes it feel like "home" inside my "home".

Thanks! I appreciate that. I haven't played Civ V myself, but that's less to do with the game, and more to do with a lack of time. (So many games to play, so few hours.)
 
I'd be interested to hear how much of a factor Civilization 4 played in the success of your music.
Personally I was stunned when I heard Baba Yetu for the first time. It was so unexpected to hear something so different from the usual game trailer music and it hooked me to world music for quite some time. :)

Civ IV has been the ENTIRE story of my success! Prior to Baba Yetu, I was just a lower tier film/commercial composer just trying to get by. After Civ IV came out, I started getting ridiculous amounts of fan mail, which led to me releasing Calling All Dawns.

Calling All Dawns led to a whole slew of songwriting awards, and then ultimately the Grammys. All that can be traced back to Civ IV.

I'd like to think that my story is sort of a unique success in the game industry--in other words, video games *launched* me as an artist. Plenty of people's careers get launched because of a film placement, an iPod commercial, a spot on Grey's Anatomy, etc. I sort of think that I'm an example where someone got launched because of a game, and I hope more follow suit! (Maybe there are others that I'm not thinking about... I can't be the only one out there...)
 
How does personally receiving a grammy ( one of which has itself broken a world record ) feel to you? :)

Feels pretty great, but I don't really think about it too much. I don't even keep them out... they're still in their boxes.

I do, however, use them to help me get stuff done in the music business. I've always been one to knock on doors, and being able to say 'two-time Grammy-winning composer' makes it a heck of a lot easier to get your phone calls returned. :)
 
Oh...one other thing! One thing I love about the Baba Yetu chorus....sometimess when I'm picking my Civ leader I'll time switching between the various leaders with the completion of each line. It's amazing how well the animation timing works with this! :)

Yeah! We, uh, planned it that way. Sure. :goodjob:
 
Greetings Christopher!

I am also a long-time fan of Baba Yetu, and I've always enjoyed classical crossover music.

Your Stereo Alchemy previews are excellent. I particularly like the first track (A Rapture) and God of Love. Who does the female vocals? I love her voice.

I have just ordered both of your CDs, and I certainly hope to own even more in the future!

Good luck to you!


Link to video.

Thanks!

The singer for those two songs is a gal named Melissa R. Kaplan. She had a trip hop band named Splashdown, and now goes by Universal Hall Pass. She's an EXCELLENT singer... just amazing.

Thanks for ordering both CDs! THat's really very cool of you. I appreciate the support.

And as for this video... this blows my mind. I mean, just blows my mind. I don't even know how to react to this! It's just.... crazy. Insane.
 
And as for this video... this blows my mind. I mean, just blows my mind. I don't even know how to react to this! It's just.... crazy. Insane.

I just love the two comments at the top of the Youtube page:

I became a Christian for 3½ minutes.

Mr. Tin should really see this one...i'm sure he would be proud

It is simply amazing how much influence music can have in our lives...
 
Civ IV has been the ENTIRE story of my success! Prior to Baba Yetu, I was just a lower tier film/commercial composer just trying to get by. After Civ IV came out, I started getting ridiculous amounts of fan mail, which led to me releasing Calling All Dawns.

Calling All Dawns led to a whole slew of songwriting awards, and then ultimately the Grammys. All that can be traced back to Civ IV.

I'd like to think that my story is sort of a unique success in the game industry--in other words, video games *launched* me as an artist. Plenty of people's careers get launched because of a film placement, an iPod commercial, a spot on Grey's Anatomy, etc. I sort of think that I'm an example where someone got launched because of a game, and I hope more follow suit! (Maybe there are others that I'm not thinking about... I can't be the only one out there...)

How was the direct feedback from the Civilization Team when you presented them the final pieces? Or were they so involved in the evolution of the song that the end result didn't come as a big surprise?

Besides, what did you do to them, that they didn't ask you to write the theme for Civilization V?
Half the reason the new game disappoints so much is the boring music. ;)
 
I loved 'Baba Yetu' the second I heard it and when 'Calling All Dawns' was released, I almost immediately began muting the music while playing Civ and playing your album instead. It really is the perfect Civ-playing music. It also blew all other music right out the window and for the first six months I hardly listened to anything else. Nowadays it is still the only album that I always have to have on my mp3 player.

What I've heard so far of the new album sounds awesome and I think it'll be the perfect background music for playing in the modern era ;)

Also, big thanks on introducing me to Melissa R. Kaplan's music :)
 
How was the direct feedback from the Civilization Team when you presented them the final pieces? Or were they so involved in the evolution of the song that the end result didn't come as a big surprise?

Besides, what did you do to them, that they didn't ask you to write the theme for Civilization V?
Half the reason the new game disappoints so much is the boring music. ;)

LOL. I have no idea, but we're all on great terms. But honestly, Firaxis has a great in-house team of composers, and they get first dibs on everything. And frankly, composers like to compose, right? So I totally understand, and there are no hard feelings!

Soren brought me in for Civ IV, but that was the first time they ever went with someone out-of-house. So it was an honor for me to do, and if they ever ask me back, I'll be eager to work with them again.

As for feedback, they didn't have much at all... apparently they all just really liked it. There were little notes here and there, I think, but I honestly can't remember a whole lot of comments.
 
I loved 'Baba Yetu' the second I heard it and when 'Calling All Dawns' was released, I almost immediately began muting the music while playing Civ and playing your album instead. It really is the perfect Civ-playing music. It also blew all other music right out the window and for the first six months I hardly listened to anything else. Nowadays it is still the only album that I always have to have on my mp3 player.

What I've heard so far of the new album sounds awesome and I think it'll be the perfect background music for playing in the modern era ;)

Also, big thanks on introducing me to Melissa R. Kaplan's music :)

Thanks! You're really kind. :) And thanks for all the support, too!
 
Good to see you! I don't really have any questions, just thought I'd stop by and thank you for helping.
 
Did you, before the whole thing, ever think that it would be possible for you to receive a grammy? I mean, sure, you dream about such a thing, but did you think about it as a realistic possibility?
And what did you family and friends say when you where nominated? Big surprise, I guess :D.
 
Did you, before the whole thing, ever think that it would be possible for you to receive a grammy? I mean, sure, you dream about such a thing, but did you think about it as a realistic possibility?
And what did you family and friends say when you where nominated? Big surprise, I guess :D.

Before all of this happened? It wasn't even on my radar. I wasn't even planning on making an album ever, before Civ IV happened. I had always hoped I'd win an Oscar... but in no universe did I ever think a Grammy would be the first (hopefully not the last!) major award I took home. No way.

When my parents and friends found out, there was widespread "OHMYGOD you WHAT???" And then when I won, it was nuts.
 
Before all of this happened? It wasn't even on my radar. I wasn't even planning on making an album ever, before Civ IV happened. I had always hoped I'd win an Oscar... but in no universe did I ever think a Grammy would be the first (hopefully not the last!) major award I took home. No way.

When my parents and friends found out, there was widespread "OHMYGOD you WHAT???" And then when I won, it was nuts.

Aw, come on! When you completed Baba Yeto and delivered it to Firaxis you must have felt something like "with all due respect, here's my work as promised but I think that I deserve a bonus for this work of genius." :D

Although: Maurice Ravel didn't anticipate that his Bolero would become so popular either.

I also bought your album on itunes the moment i saw it.
The song that really blew me away was Sukla-Krsne. Exotic and captivating ... absolutely awesome. The only downside to it is the bad editing: It starts so loud and cut off that it always startles me when I include it in a playlist without the preceding song (erm ... i included the link not for your benefit - i guess you know how your songs sound like - but for the rest of us).

Another favorite of mine is Mado Kara Mieru ... and when I was looking for the apropriate link I found this version by Corner Stone Cues ... sounds like they did a karaoke of yours. What's up with that?

And regarding Stereo Alchemy: Well done. Kinda like an electric version of The Delgados. But what made you switch style so radically? Or are your earlier works as diverse?
I see a new Yoko Kanno in the making. :)
 
Aw, come on! When you completed Baba Yeto and delivered it to Firaxis you must have felt something like "with all due respect, here's my work as promised but I think that I deserve a bonus for this work of genius." :D

I also bought your album on itunes the moment i saw it.
The song that really blew me away was Sukla-Krsne. Exotic and captivating ... absolutely awesome. The only downside to it is the bad editing: It starts so loud and cut off that it always startles me when I include it in a playlist without the preceding song (erm ... i included the link not for your benefit - i guess you know how your songs sound like - but for the rest of us).

Another favorite of mine is Mado Kara Mieru ... and when I was looking for the apropriate link I found this version by Corner Stone Cues ... sounds like they did a karaoke of yours. What's up with that?

And regarding Stereo Alchemy: Well done. Kinda like an electric version of The Delgados. But what made you switch style so radically? Or are your earlier works as diverse?
I see a new Yoko Kanno in the making. :)

Hah! Well, I will admit that the first time I played Baba Yetu for some of my friends and saw their reaction, I thought to myself 'I think I've really done something good here...' Sometimes you know when you've nailed it. Sometimes you're not sure. Sometimes I write a song and it becomes really popular, and I have no idea why (like Sukla-Krsne... I mean, I think it's an okay tune, but a lot of people really dig it!).

As for the Corner Stone Cues cover of Mado Kara Mieru, it's a long, complicated story, but originally they were going to fund the recording of Calling All Dawns, in exchange for owning the album. Towards the end of the process, however, the producer pulled out and decided to instead spend their money on recording a trailer library CD called Eton Path. Why'd he pull out? Mostly creative differences. I wanted to create something artistic, he wanted to create something financially lucrative. I don't blame him at all--just a difference in goals. (The epilogue? I have no idea how much Eton Path made them, but if he had stuck with Calling All Dawns, he would have a Grammy award right now.)

But they really liked Mado Kara Mieru, and so I gave them a license to do a cover for their own album.

And as for Stereo Alchemy, thanks! And yes, it's radically, radically different. I sort of can't imagine anything more different, actually. :) But truth be told, I'm interested in all sorts of music, and since I have the means to do different types, why not, right? Most people listen to more than one genre of music... if I can create in more than one, why not? I'm still doing the orchestral/choral/world stuff. My next album, in the works, is orchestral, and I think I've written some of my finest stuff for it... maybe even rivaling Baba Yetu.

EDM, though, is something I've enjoyed for a long time, and my friend Kametron and I had been talking about working on something together for ages.
 
I had always hoped I'd win an Oscar... but in no universe did I ever think a Grammy would be the first (hopefully not the last!) major award I took home. No way.

So, big surprise, nice :D.
But what could be more major than a grammy ^^?

But they really liked Mado Kara Mieru, and so I gave them a license to do a cover for their own album.

Oh, while you mentioned that: Are there any new interpretations of you work which you like especially? e.g. I like this one, but it doesn't give me the same feeling like the original (don't know why).

...and the other way around: Is there anything you'd like to cover yourself? And for what reason?
 
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