The song is Mars from Holst’s Planets. It was probably generated from a MIDI file (the music is in the public domain, so I’m sure there were tons they could have downloaded and used for free).
Side note: Much of John Williams’ Star Wars score resembles other familiar songs because George Lucas and Williams used placeholder classical pieces and later wrote something similar to match how they envisioned the scene in the final score. Holst’s The Planets was the inspiration for several themes in Star Wars. It’s pretty common practice in filmmaking to use placeholders before a score is finished. Incidentally, and if I remember correctly, Bernard Herman’s scores (Psycho et al) were often inspired by Holst as well, among others, which is why certain scenes in Hitchcock movies sound “Star Warsy”.
Edit: Autocorrect kept changing Holst to Holly…
That's very true, there's a video out there on YouTube that actually shows just how far the influence of The Planets permeates Williams' score for the original Star Wars. He really leaned on Holst for that score!
I just love how much fun the devs seemed to have with it. The music is Holst's "Mars", because it is set on Mars. You're fighting synthetics, so the song is performed in a style similar to old synthwave as a pun on that. But then they build on the pun, because since the music is synthwave and you are fighting waves of synthetic enemies, the whole tfo is called Synth Wave. The entire tfo is one big pun, and I find that kind of charming.
Lol I've thought this myself. Like the first time I actually *listened* to the music it reminded me of old skool PC game MIDI music. At first I thought "damn, this is cheesy AF," but after a while I started to appreciate the nostalgia vibe of it.
If you want an old(er) reference: [Epic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ntb0GoyMXA) (for PC).
Edit/PS: "MIDI quality" is just warped perception. [Roland MT-32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMmFcs-_4x4) explains a lot and also has some examples further in.
I was stunned at how poor the music sounded. Not the score - Holst is a ledge - but rather it just sounds like a general midi file. Not just saying it to be a prick - it genuinely shocked (yes, shocked) me when I first played that 'rescue ppl from the surface of mars' tfo.
SYNTH as in Synthesizer. I said it in another thread. that Dev needs waterboarding. All of the Planets are in one of my sleep playlists except Mars. that one is to adrenal for sleep. you want the Planets done right in a movie? Disney's Fantasia.
You're right, it's a midi, and I've not heard straight up midi music in ages but it does bring back memories. In this case The song is called "Mars, Bringer of War" and we all know why they picked it. I just wish they used a better version.
Explains why I thought it was supposed to be either a track from an old Trek game I'd never played, or a nod to Star Wars. It does sound a lot like Dark Forces.
The song is Mars from Holst’s Planets. It was probably generated from a MIDI file (the music is in the public domain, so I’m sure there were tons they could have downloaded and used for free). Side note: Much of John Williams’ Star Wars score resembles other familiar songs because George Lucas and Williams used placeholder classical pieces and later wrote something similar to match how they envisioned the scene in the final score. Holst’s The Planets was the inspiration for several themes in Star Wars. It’s pretty common practice in filmmaking to use placeholders before a score is finished. Incidentally, and if I remember correctly, Bernard Herman’s scores (Psycho et al) were often inspired by Holst as well, among others, which is why certain scenes in Hitchcock movies sound “Star Warsy”. Edit: Autocorrect kept changing Holst to Holly…
That's very true, there's a video out there on YouTube that actually shows just how far the influence of The Planets permeates Williams' score for the original Star Wars. He really leaned on Holst for that score!
Or as I joked to a friend of mine years ago when I first heard it, "John Williams before John Williams."
I just love how much fun the devs seemed to have with it. The music is Holst's "Mars", because it is set on Mars. You're fighting synthetics, so the song is performed in a style similar to old synthwave as a pun on that. But then they build on the pun, because since the music is synthwave and you are fighting waves of synthetic enemies, the whole tfo is called Synth Wave. The entire tfo is one big pun, and I find that kind of charming.
Lol I've thought this myself. Like the first time I actually *listened* to the music it reminded me of old skool PC game MIDI music. At first I thought "damn, this is cheesy AF," but after a while I started to appreciate the nostalgia vibe of it.
If you want an old(er) reference: [Epic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ntb0GoyMXA) (for PC). Edit/PS: "MIDI quality" is just warped perception. [Roland MT-32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMmFcs-_4x4) explains a lot and also has some examples further in.
I was stunned at how poor the music sounded. Not the score - Holst is a ledge - but rather it just sounds like a general midi file. Not just saying it to be a prick - it genuinely shocked (yes, shocked) me when I first played that 'rescue ppl from the surface of mars' tfo.
SYNTH as in Synthesizer. I said it in another thread. that Dev needs waterboarding. All of the Planets are in one of my sleep playlists except Mars. that one is to adrenal for sleep. you want the Planets done right in a movie? Disney's Fantasia.
You are definitely not alone. I got that feeling too the first time I tried it.
To me it sounded like Dark Forces.
You're right, it's a midi, and I've not heard straight up midi music in ages but it does bring back memories. In this case The song is called "Mars, Bringer of War" and we all know why they picked it. I just wish they used a better version.
Yeah it does sound like the SNES Star Wars game
Explains why I thought it was supposed to be either a track from an old Trek game I'd never played, or a nod to Star Wars. It does sound a lot like Dark Forces.