The Four Horsemen
an apocalyptic saga...
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are figures in the Christian religion, first appearing in the Zechariah and Ezekiel in the Old Testament. They later appear in the New Testament's final book, Revelation, an apocalyptic saga written by John of Patmos.
Revelation 6 speaks of a book or scroll in God's right hand that is sealed with seven seals. When the Lamb of God opens the first four of the seven seals, four vivid apparitions ride out on white, red, black, and pale horses. These horsemen are traditionally associated with the four major afflictions of humankind: war, civil strife, famine, and death. The devastation they inflict is seen as a prelude to the end of the world.
© Richard Coffey - All Rights Reserved
To hear the music, click tabs below:
The First Horseman - Conquest
In John's revelation, the first horseman rides on a white horse, carries a bow, and is given a crown—he rides forward as a figure of Conquest, perhaps invoking Pestilence, Christ, or the Antichrist.
About the Music
Bombastic drums sliced and diced from a Looperman groove1 propel this soundscape. A "Mini-Moogish" synth lead is joined by a synth flute for the bridge and outro. Chordal harmony is primarily stacked fourths but the bridge has more of a jazz flavor to it.
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1 - MetalDrums 2 by kittybiscuits (looperman.com)
The Second Horseman - War
The second horseman carries a sword and rides a red horse symbolizing war and bloodshed.
About the Music
Although this soundscape starts off as a somewhat traditional military march1 arranged for a string orchestra, more dissonance and chaos is added as it evolves into a funk jam featuring some raspy wild trombone2 . The Native American pocket flute appears near the end, reminiscent of a military fife.
- The military snare drum was sliced and diced from a freesound loop.
- Including multiphonics!
The Third Horseman - Famine
The third horseman, riding upon a black horse, symbolizes Famine. He carries a pair of balances or weighing scales, indicating the way that bread would have been weighed during a famine.
About the Music
This soundscape begins with a plaintive Native American Flute accompanied by frame drums. Somewhat dark and foreboding synths in the background add to the sad and tension-filled mood. Solo English Horn and Clarinet have an evolving dialog with the Native American Flute as the tune slowly fades away...
Instruments:
- Casio PX-S3000 - English Horn, Clarinet, Acoustic Bass
- Roland JV-880 - Acoustic Guitar, Strings, Shaker
- Roland D-50 - Alembic (twanging chords and bass)
- Roland D-550 - Chordal Pad
- Frame Drums and Native American Flute (actual audio)
The Fourth Horseman - Death
The fourth and final horse is pale, and upon it rides Death, accompanied by Hades.
About the Music
A somewhat brisk disjointed string orchestra riff starts off this soundscape and dissonance is prevalent throughout the piece. After a majestic orchestral string climax, a spooky choir/pad vamp emerges and various instruments are layered onto the groove. A nasty synth guitar takes it out on the fade...
The Four Horsemen - Further Info
Interesting stuff. Even the heavy Metal Group Metallica had a song...
