“There is no such thing as too epic” - this was the direction I received when composing this track. Tempos increased, instruments piled up, mixing got harder and harder, yet the relentless energy remained. The choir and brass were recorded by myself, layered multitudes of times to create a full sound. Everything else was made in-the-box, proving you can get an epic sound on a budget. For a game project, released 2017.

The Vietnam War, AKA “Resistance War Against America,” (Kháng chiến chống Mỹ) is a subject that has fascinated some of the greatest filmmakers. In this piece, I’m doing my best to show both sides of the conflict: opening with American, 1960s-inspired guitar riffs meant to invoke the blades of “Huey” helicopters, over an ambience from Woodstock (where hippies gathered to protest the war) show American confidence, both fighting in and protesting against a war they did not choose - while this gradually gives way to tragic scene inspired by Battle of Hue in 1968 - a Dan Nhi leads the orchestra in which empty, aching chords show the human cost of war.

Not all action is glorious. Surviving, and living with the memory of those who didn’t make it, is a topic illustrated here with music - using a somber, warm sounding live string quartet to represent those who have survived, while a full orchestra echoes it in cold, ghostly backing chords to represent those who have fallen.

Picture a post-apocalyptic desert where improvised but deadly vehicles chase after a hero. In this fast and action-heavy piece, I play the electric guitar in an over-the-top way to illustrate the single-minded drive of the antagonists.

Invoking the feeling of a modern navy song, but for a game released with multiple global restrictions on languages (so it could not have lyrics) was a challenge I met with this piece. I’m layering my own voice countless times over male choir samples, backed by an orchestral composition in 3/4 time to create the feeling of a ship sailing on the ocean.