Triumph: Interview with Yoav Goren
Yoav Goren talks about Triumph, the third chapter of the Trailerhead series from Immediate. This release – just like the previous ones – opens up the magical music library of Immediate Music and brings the well-known epic cues to us with much more intense and energy. The album is available for purchase on Amazon (digital download from Amazon MP3) or directly from Imperative Records.
Trailer Music News: After Trailerhead and Trailerhead: Saga, here is Triumph. Why this name? What are the concept and the story behind this new opus?
Yoav Goren: The title of the album represents the successful closing of the circle for the Trailerhead project. It is more a reflection of a personal achievement, if you will, but the title itself also creatively inspired the selection of the tracks for the collection, as it was chosen before tracks were compiled for the release. The music included on the album evokes the sense of human struggle and hard-fought victory that the word “Triumph” projects. Tracks on the album such as “Battle For The Soul Of The Universe”, “A Nation Born”, “How To Control The Dream”, “Journey To Glory”, “Endless State Of Grace”, “Destiny Of The Chosen” and many others really do embody the feeling of overcoming adversity and emerging triumphantly. I believe that the album art also wonderfully captures this same feeling.
TMN: What is the significant difference between Trailerhead: Triumph and the previous releases?
YG: The big differences with this compilation is that it contains tracks that our fans were actually asking to be remixed and released commercially, as well as several previously unreleased tracks. I had conducted an informal poll at our Facebook page earlier in the year, and the fans chimed in with their choices of favorite Immediate Music trailer tracks that they wanted to see on this Trailerhead. Additionally, several brand new tracks produced in 2012 by Immediate appear on the album. Finally, almost all the tracks on Triumph have gone through a creative remix or different arrangement than the original versions. This differs greatly from the first two Trailerheads, where the content was selected based upon my personal preference and most of the tracks were very similar or identical to the original compositions which appeared on the original Immediate Music releases.
The Trailerhead: Triumph CD also looks different than its predecessors. The six panel digipack offers liner notes and includes a beautiful poster suitable for framing. Of note as well is that the TriumphCD contains a whopping 23 tracks (including 2 CD only bonus tracks), which is over 50% more tracks than the other Trailerhead albums.
TMN: Who got involved in the creation of this new Trailerhead?
YG: The bulk of the production work – rearrangements, remixes and new production — was performed by yours truly over a six month period. The album features the works of 9 different composers, including myself, John Samuel Hanson, Aleksandar Dimitrijevic, Justin Skomarovsky and Marcello De Francisci among others. Marcello, whose epic music album Ante Diem was released just a month ago on my Imperativa Records label, contributed a new and greatly expanded version of his incredible composition “Rex Eternum”. The new title is “Rex Imperium”, and features beautiful new solo vocals and wonderful guitar work by Marcello himself. Jeffrey Fayman also contributed new and inspired production on the track “Falling Skies”. The bonus tracks on the CD are cutting edge electronic (dare I say dubstep) remixes of two classic Immediate tracks, performed by up and coming remix artist Moniker. The artwork for the album was a result of a fan contest, with Paul Rivera providing the basis, and Toby Mason creating the design for the digipack and poster. Toby also remixed several tracks on the album.
TMN: This is the third public release from Immediate. You probably learned a lot along the way. What would you do differently if you could go back in time?
YG: Well, it really has not been that long since the first public release in 2008, so we don’t really have the benefit of that much time to differentiate the release experience all that much. But one thing I would have done differently is to have released more tracks on the first two albums, and perhaps focus a bit more on my role as head of the record label (Imperativa Records) and promote the releases beyond the core trailer music fan base.
TMN: The tracks from Trailerhead: Triumph have been featured in major sporting events (such as the UEFA 2012 Championship) as well as blockbuster movie trailers (including The Hobbit, Harry Potter, Twilight, Pirates of the Caribbean, Avatar, and The Chronicles of Narnia) and video game trailers (Assassin’s Creed). What is your favorite placement so far?
YG: Two of my favorite placements for tracks off Trailerhead: Triumph is the use of “Journey To Glory” in a very creative and funny worldwide McDonald’s advertisement called “The Fry”. Another placement that I feel works incredibly well is the use of “The Lords Shall Rule” (aka “Lords of the Realm”) in the trailer for the final Harry Potter film.
TMN: Besides actively writing music for motion picture advertising, you have put a lot of effort into bringing epic music to the general public, in two different ways. The Trailerhead albums represent pure epic music while Globus offers a more mainstream sound – epic rock music. This way you can reach more people. Why two different strategies?
YG: I have really been abundantly blessed over the last twenty years to be able to write and produce music that is born out of my creative passion for emotional cinematic music. I am humbled that there is a growing fan base for my work, but I don’t pretend that the successful releases for Immediate and Globus followed any kind of strategic planning. I am just lucky that my music is able to connect with people, and that fans have wholeheartedly supported all my creative endeavors. I will continue to release music, absent of strategy but hopefully full of artistic merit, for many years to come.
TMN: Can you talk a bit of your project of a concert series in Europe next year? Will any of the tracks from Trailerhead: Triumph be played live?
YG: There is much planning and work being done at the moment to hopefully secure a 14-16 date tour of Trailer Music Live in Europe for the summer of 2013. As the headlining act, quite a few tracks from Immediate’s Trailerhead: Triumph will be performed live.
TMN: Besides this concert series, what does the future hold for fans of epic music?
YG: A lot more music from a lot of epic music artists, to be sure. We are certainly in the golden era of this very unique genre, and it is important to support the artists who work so hard to bring this music out to the fans (especially those who engage in expensive productions with real orchestras and choir). I would encourage all fans to purchase this music at the highest possible quality format, be it CD, lossless, or HD audio (Triumph will be released shortly in 96kHz/24 bit), and to invest in and listen on better-than-average audio systems. The experience of immersion into this particular genre of music will be that much richer!
As the genre grows from its infancy this decade, we will be hearing some new approaches and production styles, but hopefully we will never lose the signature sound of very talented orchestral musicians performing in wonderful sounding studios and concert halls. The trailer industry has spawned this genre Epic Music, and I can foresee that we will start to see live performances dedicated to this burgeoning genre.
TMN: Anything else you would like to share with us?
YG: Trailerhead: Triumph is the final chapter in the Trailerhead trilogy. We have successfully launched and completed a volume of work encompassing music produced for and placed in trailers, which I am extremely proud of. I am anxious to begin work on Immediate’snext release, which will offer the next step in the evolution of Epic Music. Stay tuned!
TMN: Thanks for your answers!
Trailerhead: Triumph is available to the public for purchase in digital format through iTunes, Amazon and Bandcamp, and as physical CD through Amazon and Imperativa Records.
I knew I had heard The Lords Shall Rule before!
Now my question is, what trailers/TV spots has Rex Imperium been in? It’s been a favorite Immediate piece of mine for years.