Game:

Banjo-Kazooie (1998)

Duration: 3:30

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13

Music by Grant Kirkhope for the soundtrack of the Banjo Kazooie game. Music theory analysis and piano cover visualization project made with the actual audio tracks from the original Nintendo 64 game. Extracted with a specialized audio software, we can now dig inside the score for the first time; offering us a glimpse for how each instrument contributes to the whole.

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Musical Analysis:

Structure: Section 0 / Section 1 / Section 2 / Section 3 / Section 4 / Section 5 / Section 6 / Section 7 / Section 8 / Section 9 / Section 10

Melodic and Harmonic Profiles: C Lydian; C Harmonic Minor; C Ionian/Major; B Diminished

And so the fable begins in a most sinister and mysterious fashion, way more than what the subject matter calls for. A story based on the fairest of them all trope which dates back to at least Greek myths but popularized by the Snow White tale. With the music having this menacing, mysterious quality right off the bat, the game gains an extra layer that would perhaps have been lost without its development history. Could the fact that the game started as an epic fantasy, pirate themed RPG have dictated the direction of the music and mindset of the composer? Most likely as we will see, with entire themes incorporated directly from that first adventure.

Even so, Grant Kirkhope’s cinematic chops and influence alongside his knack for whimsical notes and chords is what transform this fable into a true magical fairy tale. And this is basically a film score piece in all but name (and real orchestra), The music following the narrative beats of the picture, introducing us to leitmotifs of characters and setting the stage in the literal sense. Grant himself would have the opportunity to become a film composer many years later, moving to Los Angles to pursue the career and participating in scores for feature films like The King's Daughter (curiously starring Pierce Brosnan making sort of a connection with the game GoldenEye 007).

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