Frank Klepacki (Solo and Command & Conquer music)

[PH]

Hello guys and gals,

Maybe you know him, but I think the majority here doesn't: Frank Klepacki.

Other question:
Maybe you know this, actually I know almost everybody knows it: Command & Conquer. A brilliant videogame!

So what am I on?

Frank Klepacki is the man behind the music of the C&C games (except Generals) but he has his own solo project too.

The good man makes great rockmusic and you can listen to EVERY C&C song + other Westwood songs on his website. (Westwood is the developer of C&C-games)
But you can listen to samples of his own solo CDs too!! (In fact, I bought his three solo albums through his website)


What I'm trying to say to you is the following:

Frank Klepacki has another project running, and this one is interesting: 'The Bitters'

A super-group has formed in the Las Vegas valley – "The Bitters." Consisting of Vegas scene veterans: Vinny Moncada, Jeff Murphy, and Frank Klepacki, this group is a power trio who's material challenges the very nature of music to the extreme. Though from entirely different musical backgrounds, the three members share a rooted interest in classic progressive rock music. Drawing from influences such as Rush, Primus, Tool, and King Crimson, The Bitters have crafted their own style out of their chemistry of combined talent. The band has but a few cardinal rules: 1: No Vocals. 2: No song averages much longer than two minutes. 3: Rock harder than necessary. All the players are at the same technical level of being able to jump right in on difficult things like odd time signatures and tempo changes while retaining groove and feel all at the same time. They push the musical envelope to the absolute extreme. We dare you to handle it!

Source: http://www.thebittersband.com/

I hope they come up with something cool in the end.

Another last thing:
I emailed Frank yesterday and said the following (among other things):

I was listening to some music lately and I thought you'd like it.
Do you know Porcupine Tree? (I know, it's a weird name, but their music is great!)
Some of their songs reminds me of your work with RA2 (which is a good thing!).

You should take a look at www.porcupinetree.com
and download some samples!
Try to find the album 'Deadwing', it's really good! One of the best albums released this year.

Another one with a lot of heavy music is the band called 'Arena'. Especially their latest albums are great! It's one of my favourite bands actually.
Their music and lyrics sound very dark. I like it, but I'm aware that not everybody likes it...
www.verglas.com/arenaworld

These two bands are Progressive Rock. It's my favourite genre.
Also maybe you'd like to check this one out: www.progarchives.com
There are all Progressive Rock bands archived.
You can download (stream) free mp3s there.
Maybe some of your favourites in there...

Source: My e-mail to Frank Klepacki

And he answered and said he would check them out.
This is THE way to influence musicians and push them to make good music!
I hope it worked.

[Peter]

influenca? .... ah,... never mind...

[johninblack]

influenca? .... ah,... never mind...

Gelert?....Is that you pretending to be Peter?

[Cyborg-Frask]

i've played many C&C games, (i was really hooked up by the Red Alert games) and i really love the music in that game. it really made the atmosphere in the game.

This is THE way to influence musicians and push them to make good music!

it's very hard to influence musicians tho, but mail is a great way indeed, i know that you have mailed his a couple of times, that is a great way, i'm sure he doesn't get a lot of mail from people who give suggestions. really great way.  . keep ut the good work 

[keyboardistmatt]

I couldn't get in to Command & Conquer.

...Maybe it's just not my kind of game...

[PH]

I couldn't get in to Command & Conquer.

...Maybe it's just not my kind of game...

I was talking about the music, not the game
But then again I think the music AND the game ROCKS!!!


@Cyborg-Frask:
Maybe I've influenced him, lol.
He said he likes suggestions and to be honest I was giving a lot of critisism on his music from his solo CDs. And he thanked me for it!

I hope his music becomes better and better. And the fact that he will check out Porcupine Tree and ARENA(!!!) is GREAT(!!!). I hope this will influence him too.
His music always had a bit of the progressiveness. (is that a word? )

Then again in the article they said 'heavy progressive rock' (which can mean either 'heavy progressive' or 'heavy rock'...).

We'll see, we'll see...

[keyboardistmatt]

I was talking about the music, not the game

Of course, but if I haven't played the game for ages, I won't remember the soundtrack.

[PH]

Of course, but if I haven't played the game for ages, I won't remember the soundtrack.

Well... this is your chance to listen to the soundtrack again!
clicky!

Ooohhh.... Am I advertising??

[Cyborg-Frask]

Maybe I've influenced him, lol.
He said he likes suggestions and to be honest I was giving a lot of critisism on his music from his solo CDs. And he thanked me for it! Grin

hehe, you are the great masterbrein behind the music of Frank  . but it's cool that he likes suggestions and doesn't blow it all off but send e-mails back. really cool

I hope his music becomes better and better. And the fact that he will check out Porcupine Tree and ARENA(!!!) is GREAT(!!!). I hope this will influence him too.

yeah, i'm really curious about what he thinks of it, keep us posted  .  he has quite a differend style tho,

Ooohhh.... Am I advertising?? Shocked

see it as an oppurtunity for other people to get to know the music of Frank 

[Proglady]

I think if every Band, or musician tries to sound like Porcupine Tree, or Arena it could get boring!

[PH]

You have to start somewhere.
And to be honest.
Arena started as somtething similar to Marillion.
And Porcupine Tree started as something similar to Pink Floyd.

Influences aren't bad.

And Frank K has his own style indeed. Red Alert 2 music is his best till now I think.
I really like his solo CDs and he's doing a good job, but on these he isn't really variated. His music is always heavy.

[Cyborg-Frask]

hmm i think that the influence that Frank K may get wouldn't change his wholl style. he will always have something from his own style in it, maybe that he takes the style from Arena and build that into his own style, hmm i'm already curious about that kind of music 

but as a musician you shouldn't take another style and change that into your own style, but you should take your own style and build other things around that.... 

[PH]

hmm i think that the influence that Frank K may get wouldn't change his wholl style. he will always have something from his own style in it, maybe that he takes the style from Arena and build that into his own style, hmm i'm already curious about that kind of music 

but as a musician you shouldn't take another style and change that into your own style, but you should take your own style and build other things around that.... 

Well said Frank!

On to the other Frank:
Frank Klepacki (or actually 'The Bitters') has updated their site.
You can now listen to 3 tracks!

Forged from the bowels of the Las Vegas rock scene in the fall of 2003, guitarist Jeff Murphy, bassist Vinny Moncada and drummer Frank Klepacki formed The Bitters: an instrumental power trio whose sole purpose is to exist in a state of self-indulgant musical freedom. Their unique chemistry is a blend of diverse musical backgrounds drawn from old school metal, progressive rock, and early 70's jazz/fusion. The Bitters music is powerful, aggresive, and hard-edged with an average song length of about two and a half minutes.

Influences: Rush, Primus, Tool, King Crimson (well, that's what they say!)

A bit Progressive Metal here and a bit Experimental Instrumental there.
Sometimes I thought I was listening to Dream Theater (but worse, of course! Noone beats DT in being DT!)


It's something I hope to hear more from. But for now I'll rather listen to Klepacki's work with C&C.

[PH]

For the folks that want to hear the music of C&C again, please go to frankklepacki.com
But if you'd like to download the songs and put them on your MP3player for example, you can go to http://www.apple.com/itunes/ now!
(or go to http://music.yahoo.com/ar-12700917---Frank-Klepacki for a better overview)

Frank Klepacki's contribute to EA (and a lot more EA soundtracks) are downloadable now!
You can also check out the Medal Of Honor series: http://search.music.yahoo.com/search/?m=all&p=medal+of+honor





Please forgive me my game-soundtrackness...

[PH]

Remember Frank Klepacki? No?
Ok...
Remember Command & Conguer? Yes, that game.
Ok!

Well, Frank Klepacki is the man behind the C&C Soundtrack. As I am a C&C-fan and a Soundtrack-collector, I like Frank Klepacki's website.

But the good man also has a solo carreer with music like his C&C music.

And now he has formed 'The Bitters' along with two other guys.
They make some sort of Progressive Instrumental Metal.
You can check it out if you like:
www.frankklepacki.com, scroll down and under music you can find 'The Bitters'.
Pretty interesting, 'cause they mention RUSH a couple of times, and they even made an instrumental song about Alex Lifeson's incident with security guards.

I don't like Rush that much and this band who says they were inspired by Rush is of course not really challenging (It's Guitar, Bass and Drums, no Keys as far as I heard it, but Frank Klepacki CAN play it and good too!). But check it out anyway.

[PH]

Ok, it seems not everyone likes good old Frank Klepacki. So I'm writing this for the gamers and for C&Cfans in general!

Frank Klepacki is at work on a new solo CD!! "This CD is going to have a lot more heavy rock in it this time, similar to the vibe of Red Alert 2 only a bit darker!"

Ahh could he have listened to some of my advice?

There's also a new C&C on the works. But unfortunately without Frank's gifted musicmaking.

Source: www.frankklepacki.com

[Cyborg-Frask]

There's also a new C&C on the works. But unfortunately without Frank's gifted musicmaking.

WHAT??  man you've got to be kidding...

Man i was really hoping that he would make the music for that game.. he's part of Red Alert.
until now he has made music for all of them...so why not this one? 

But who is making the music than? Arena ?  would be cool 

[PH]

WHAT??  man you've got to be kidding...

Man i was really hoping that he would make the music for that game.. he's part of Red Alert.
until now he has made music for all of them...so why not this one? 

But who is making the music than? Arena ?  would be cool 

I don't know who's responsible for the music on the next installment. But it will be in the same style as of Frank Klepacki's.

It seems unlikely that Frank Klepacki, game music composer who did all Command & Conquer games except Generals, will do the music for Command & Conquer 3. Klepacki is currently a full-time employee at Petroglyph, and both himself and the EA Community Manager have stated that he is not on the game's development team nor has he been asked to join. EA's community manager has also said that the team is aware of fan's concern, and that EA's audio team has been studying Klepacki's music for the past ten years, and fans will not be disappointed.

(Source: http://www.cncnz.com/games/cnc3/)

By the way, the official C&C3 website is http://www.ea.com/official/cc/cc3/us/index.jsp.

[Cyborg-Frask]

EA's audio team has been studying Klepacki's music for the past ten years...

whaha it looks like we soon have another crew of Frank Klepacki's running around 

but there is no other option tho.. Frank is busy doing other stuff....

i'm convinced he would work on it if you was asked to tho....

[PH]

whaha it looks like we soon have another crew of Frank Klepacki's running around 

but there is no other option tho.. Frank is busy doing other stuff....

i'm convinced he would work on it if you was asked to tho....

And then there's the whole gedoe about wether Joseph D. Kucan will be playing Kane or not.
EA better choose Kucan or else I get mad... We don't want another Generals...

Anyway.

Off to the music now:
If you want to see Frank Klepacki in action, here's Frank on drums:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adNsdMxqmV4

[PH]

To all C&C fans around the forum:
We've got a present for ya!



Kane lives!
I just got an email and the one who will be playing Kane in the new C&C-game is noone else than our fearful leader Mr. Noddy himself: Joseph D. Kucan!!!

This is the best news of the day for me. As a diehard C&Cfan I had doubts wether EA will be asking Kucan to play Kane or not. And they did good to indeed ask him, and Kucan said yes!

Happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy happy.
This new C&C game is gonna be great!!~

I'm just plain crazy to post this on this forum, but it's just making me so happy! The world has to know it!
Sorry.



EDIT: I was just so happy that I forgot to post the link to the video that proves that it is Kucan as Kane. So here it is!
http://fun.ea.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/eZhi0OJmXb0CB08G60GE

I wonder how many people around here will be looking at this thread and think: "He's crazy..."
But I don't care! Hurray!

[Appelmoes??]

"He's crazy..."

[johninblack]

"He's crazy..."

Seconded.

[maddox]

I just wanted to say: Hey, that Kucan, that's that bald guy, isn't he? But you already answered my question with that video-link.

And,...no...you're not crazy. C&C rules. 

[Peter]

Off to the music now:
If you want to see Frank Klepacki in action, here's Frank on drums:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adNsdMxqmV4

The man's a drum-wizard....