@@SirHairless Thank you! Sony is the brand I've been looking at but more in the range of $99. If I go with yours, WOW, well then I won't be letting the kids use them, LOL! You hold a LOT of weight with me on what produces best sound. Much appreciated!
@@occamsrazor5376 Oh I'm sure you can find some good ones for around $99! I just got these before covid for my commute on the train into work as they are noise-cancelling with bluetooth! And the sound quality is good. There is a newer version now available I believe...sony wh-1000xm4?
@@SirHairless Thank you so much! And the $99 Sony headphones will make my sweet wife happy too! We ALL adore your videos! Thank YOU for all you do for us Pentatonix fans! :-)
Thank you for the very interesting analysis. Voiceplay is incredibly talented, my favorite group. Some reactors focus more on vocal or acappella techniques but your very astute and observant music theory commentary fills a niche I didn’t know I needed filled. When I go back and listen to the songs it enriches the experience. Thank you!
Thanks! Yes, I believe the music underpinning the vocals is the most powerful thing in terms of contributing to the music's feel as a whole. The vocals are the icing on the top
This is Geoff's arrangement. He said in an interview some time ago that he always starts with the meter. It's much easier to change the notes and chords being sung if you don't also have to change the count. I am a very old lady and have never been into gaming; Wordle is as close as I get. Doesn't matter with Voiceplay. They have done several gaming covers and they are all brilliant. Be prepared, they have another dropping in a few days.
An atrociously GREAT reaction and analysis!! I continue to be amazed at your knowledge and dissection of the Voiceplay arrangements. Just as incredible as the song itself!! The Dragonborn Comes is one of my favorites from Voiceplay and while I never played the game, I've always heard the song mirrors the game so well. The shout at the peak of the arrangement I've heard is one of the attack function keys used in the game. People that know the game will know it. Just another great Sir Hairless analysis. You continuously point out the things nobody else notices and it make watching the performance even more enjoyable! Well done!!
Brilliant, Sir, brilliant..." atrociously nice"....never heard those two words together before...VP happens to be my favorite. Impossibly, you make everything better. Watching your reaction brings on my own delighted reaction. Play Skyrim if you must, but please don't stop your reactions.. that would be atrociously awful😮😢❤❤❤
When I saw this Video popping up I knew I was in for a treat. Every time I listen to your analysis, I learn something new and it never gets boring. I could listen to you teaching musical theory much longer than twenty minutes and feel I understand. Thank you very much!
Malukha has done fantastic things with Elder Scrolls music since 2011, gathering fan support to the point Bethesda listened and added her music and voice to The Elder Scrolls Online. You can hear her as several bards in the taverns in the game. She also makes singing in dovazul seem effortless.
In the subtitles they explain that they're speaking the language of the game, I forget the name. The "Foos Roh Dah!" is like a spell, in Dragonspeak. As annoying as subtitles can be, it can very useful to keep them on for Voiceplay and Geoff videos.I can't wait until you do their Halo cover! Great reaction! I was in a doctor's waiting room when I saw you uploaded and I yelled "YES!" My husband inched away from me a bit. LOL! 💙
Another great analysis and reaction! I was glad to see your face when Geoff started doing his arpeggiated (?spelling) runs in the 2nd half of the song - to me that sounds like it would be extremely difficult to do! This was another of Geoff's arrangements, and he really outdid himself on this one! The setting that you mentioned is one of Pattycake Productions sets (Villain's Lair, I believe?), the production house that Layne and Tony Wakim (former VoicePlay member) own together. If you check out the credits listed in the original video, you'll see that both Eli and Layne also had hands-on in this one - VoicePlay always pulls together to get things done! The makeup (so, Omar's ears) is by Rick Underwood, who has worked with both VoicePlay and Geoff on his solo channel - he did the makeup/wigs/beards/mustaches on Geoff's I See Fire and Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold, as well as the cowboys in Ghost Rider In the Sky and UnShaken, and Geoff's skeleton makeup on Jack's Lament. This is one of several videos that VoicePlay has done that are based on video games - they've all been very interesting, to say the least. Warriors (the first appearance of #VioLayne), Enemy (both based on League of Legends), a short (Peaches) from the Mario Bros, where Geoff hits his highest note yet - a rock-tenor scream that almost matches Eli! My personal favorite is their rendition of the Halo theme (which was complimented by the composer on another reviewer's channel), but their latest Sleeping in the Cold Below, from Warframe is a complete ear-bug - it's REALLY hard to get it out of your head once you've heard it!
Cesar had pointy elf ears as well, not to mention he was painted blue lol :) Rick is an amazing makeup artist & I've always loved how he's able to completely transform them into so many different characters
Yes those runs are difficult to do with impeccable tuning. I wonder how edited that section is (how many takes they've used segments from), or if he is able to do it that accurately live Thanks for the information!
I am not a gamer but I have to admit the music that accompanies those games is sometimes fantastic. They’ve done a lot of game themes or songs associated with games. This one is one of my favorites partly because I can enjoy the music without being distracted by lyrics. I love the somewhat medieval sound (not to mention the incredible set and costumes.) Because I don’t play I’m not sure but I believe this is partly a combination between the general Dragonborn theme and the Skyrim theme, one of which is more war like. The shouts are from the game and the shout FUS Ro Dah is a shout that the Dragonborn can use to produce a percussive effect that knocks all the enemies down. Watch for the release that I thought (and hoped) would be put out today. It is a follow up to Hall of the Mountain King and it is absolutely insane. Between watching the Patreon release and behind-the-scenes and listening to the karaoke track I almost have it memorized by now! I very much look forward to seeing your reaction to it.
🎇🎇🎇 .. once again , Voiceplay overachieves in a magical way. I actually thought some months ago , Sir Hairless , that you would start your journey with Voiceplay with this video. In some ways I am glad that you waited because you know the members and their capabilities now. The make-up and costumes are stellar. I think that every video game creator should consider using Voiceplay for their soundtrack. They are always better than the originals. That was a nice surprise about you and your group singing Latin to a soundtrack ... that would be a great snippet to show us. We all know that you can sing. The harmonies here make my arm hairs stand up.... Eli especially is masterful on this one. Thanks again for such an entertaining break down where you hear so much... you are the champion of music reactors in my opinion. 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
This is the video that introduced me to Voiceplay 2 years ago after I watched Geoff for the first time in his "Ain't No Sunshine" video. It is a very beautiful and powerful song and video.
Bravo, Sir H! I think the true power of this song and arrangement is that it makes everyone want to stop life and play Skyrim--a 13yo game. Why? Because we get caught up in the fantastic beauty and storytelling that VoicePlay creates here. Their vocals sweep us up into a delicious fantasy. ⚔
Ooohh Voiceplay just released a new one that you need to check out!! Classical Chaos-Voiceplay ft. Rachel Potter. They are so stinking creative and versatile. I love seeing your reactions and analysis of their music.❤❤
I always look forward to your reaction and analysis of Voiceplay and Geoff Castellucci! Thank you so much to you and to your patrons for their choices.
Any time you analyze Voiceplay or Geoff's solo work, I'm in! Thanks for your in-depth information. I'm not a gamer but enjoy their arrangements of just about anything.
It is also a pleasure to listen to the analysis of time and harmony, a rare topic on almost all reaction channels and instead, in my humble opinion, fundamental to understanding how the melody develops. Another excellent comment that also denotes the passion for this sublime art. Thanks
Thanks again for a great reaction. I love Geoff's arpeggio section. I'm hoping that their cover of the Halo theme is somewhere on your radar to do. Also Drunken Sailor for its very different arrangement, the Lion Sleeps Tonight for its sheer joy, and The Luttle Mermaid medley to be introduced to Rachael Potter before her reappearance - and to see Geoff painted blue again.
Always can learn something from your analysis!! I've never noticed the half bar displacement during Omar's entry. With rhythmic varieties and chord changes, there are always something new and fun in VoicePlay's arrangement. Great reaction (as always)!!
Thanks so much for your expert and informative analysis of this cover. I love Voiceplay but I have come to appreciate their incredible talent more and more because of such knowledgeable reactors as yourself. Please keep them coming.
I have been loving VoicePlay for a good while not but listening to this first segment with you I suddenly realized how crucial Eli is to making these songs they sing so awesome. We know they are all extremely talented and of course the base is killer but Eli is a monster in his own right.
I totally agree with you. To me the base (the cake) of VoicePlay is Geoff, Layne and Eli. I can’t imagine any of them leaving the group. Then everyone else that has ever been or will ever be involved are like the icing, sugar, sprinkles, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, fruit, etc … Though I am starting to feel like I also can’t imagine the group without Cesar now. I just love him so much. He adds ALL of the sprinkles you could ever ask for and more!
"Atrociously nice." That's a new one from you! AHAHAHAHAHAHA! That sent me! I had to pause for a good minute to laugh my ass off! Close second..."Geoff going on a mad one..." 🤣 I have been in absolute love with the music from The Elder Scrolls series since Morrowind, which won game of the year as did every Elder Scrolls game after it including Skyrim. The main Elder Scrolls theme (around 1:30 in VP's The Dragonborn Comes video) is absolutely gorgeous and changes with each game to fit the feel of it. They're all fully orchestrated and some bring in full choir as well. Morrowind's version evokes wonderment and exploration, Oblivion's version evokes conflict and tension, and Skyrim's is tribal choral and is just straight up freaking EPIC! They're all so different but amazing. This video has them all in order. The whole thing is less than 8 minutes in total and it's SO worth a listen: ua-cam.com/video/EMao-aSeO2w/v-deo.html The Elder Scrolls online also has its own version, which takes longer to get into the recognizable theme and takes liberties with it until the big swell near the end, but it is still VERY good: ua-cam.com/video/DQqytEB7-VE/v-deo.html I have played all of these games and they have absolutely earned all of their awards. Incidentally, Malukah's covers of their Skyrim music led Bethesda, the game studio responsible for the series, to include her as an in-game bard voice in The Elder Scrolls online. So as your character is walking around, you'll sometimes find bards standing around playing & singing. One of the voices you'll hear from the female bards is hers. They included quite a few unique bard songs for variety and I think there are 4 different singing voices, 2 male and 2 female. The games are so alive, it's crazy! Also, just for funsies... Layne is dressed as an Imperial or Nord (varieties of human in the games but I'm not completely sure which) Barbarian, Eli is dressed as a Breton (another of the varieties of human) Wizard, Omar is dressed as a Bosmer (Wood Elf) Archer, Cesar is dressed as a Dunmer (Dark Elf) Battlemage, and though Geoff is also dressed like a Nord, I'm convinced he's really just an actual dragon in disguise. He didn't do the Fus Ro Dah (a percussive shout attack in the game) because they didn't want their studio leveled.
New to the channel, If you haven't reacted to Peter Hollens and Lindsey Sterling's cover of the Skyrim theme song, you may want to check it out. Someone else may have mentioned it already, but near the end when you hear "Fus Ro Dah" that is a dragon language word for "unrelenting force." Dovakim is the dragon language word for Dragon Born. The title song is sun entirely in the dragon language.
C# is an interesting note for Geoff. C#2 is a note even his speaking voice gravitates to a lot and is about the bottom of his tessitura. He also does a lot of songs in F# which, as you know, C# is the 5th of F#. Anyway, yeah, you will hear Geoff using C# a LOT.
This was the first song I've heard form Voiceplay and I was instantly blown away. As someone, who had heard the Skyrim intro music sometimes even a 100 times a day (making mods for a game has its downsides 😅) and thus it lost most of it's impact on me by then, it was a really gorgeous reimagination that felt like I've just heard it for the very first time. Which is a very, very rare gift. edit: removed some faulty info
I’ve always loved this one even though I had no prior familiarity with the game or song. In the BTS Cesar had to lay down in between takes because his chainmail costume weighed 20 pounds. Then he did the Single Ladies dance in it at the end. I couldn’t love these guys more!
@@SirHairless Oooh, good question! They auction a lot of items for charity and I think they keep ones they might use again. Cesar was probably OVER IT after this shoot. BYE chainmail! BYYEEE!
Thank you for another great analysis & reaction to VoicePlay! It’s amazing to watch how much positive energy and musical wisdom they always bring out of your beautiful hairlessness☺In fact, your hairlessness is not only beautiful but also very talented, with some relevant achievements in the music field that make us very proud of you (singing in a soundtrack of a famous game, yay!)🥂Congrats, Sir, and keep up the excellent work! 🤗
Hey Maria, sorry I missed this! I was going through comments filtered by "I haven't responded to yet" and saw this there from 2 weeks ago Haha thank you for the hairless appreciation Thank you, as always
@@SirHairless Hey, Sir! As the French would say in this kind of circumstance: “pas de pròbleme”! I understand you’ve been busy amidst all the numerous activities related to the channel (comments to read, reply the demands of your community, prepare new videos, …), in addition to live your personal life, enjoy your summer days, etc😅 So, there is no need to be sorry about anything😉Btw, I’m not sure if you already saw it, but some weeks ago I left a reply on your reaction to PTX’s ‘Come along’ with few things for you to enjoy when/if you have free time. Wish all the best to you 🤗
Another fantastic overview and breakdown, Sir. I do believe you’ve skyrocketed to the top of my favorite reactor list with this one. Keep up the great work.
Cesar was wearing real chainmail (over 20 lbs.)...... Also, Voiceplay makes great use of contrary motion in their covers...Geoff going one way, and the others another.
"I always wanted to play Skyrim _growing_ _up"?_ Gosh, you make me feel old! I started writing computer games professionally in January 1986 - that's a quarter of a century before Skyrim came out... 🤨
I would love to see a reaction of you together with "The charismatic Voice". You two combine the classical musician's perspective with the (classical) singer's perspective - and no matter if you choose a capella or metal it will be delightful. So much to discover...
One od my abso;;ute favourites. Just brilliant on all counts. I'm not a gamer but it doesn't matter at all, This cover stands alone for me. Omar really suits those pixie ears. So does Cesar actually :) Another great reaction.
Great reaction as always. If you want a unique Voiceplay experience check out their collaboration with Kirt Hugo Snieder and their twenty one pilots mashup ❤
Voiceplay has also done Halo, another game theme. It was done as a tribute to a fallen former member with the background told at the end. Geoff was even lower in this cover, hitting an obscenely low B0. I hope you watch and analyze that one too.
Did you catch that metalic sound at the very beginning, before Geoff's lugubrioius first note? To me, it sounds like a sword being pulled from a sheath, though I don't know if that fits with the weaponry of the time. Whatever it is, it is subtle and very cool.
If you like Music from Videogames, than check out Voiceplays Halo: ua-cam.com/video/SLSzMDHyZ3g/v-deo.html&ab_channel=VoicePlay You will not regret it! ... There's less singing, but there's a lot going on, which will be to your taste.
Dragonborn Comes shows VP's deep dedication to detail; all those who play Skyrim are blown away by this cover. Thanks for the video. Have a lovely weekend.
Dear Sir! You'r really becoming my number 1 reactor to VP - my only interest musically. You really help me understand what's going on here... my heart already got it. Now my brain could follow...😅🎉❤ Thank you!
Thank you for another VP analysis. I seem to remember that Geoff mentioned that, when he’s arranging, the rhythm is his early decision. When he’s creating the various parts for each member, he sings a demo of that part (l’m still wrapping my brain around Geoff sing an Eli demo). Your comments are a welcome aide for my understanding the complexity in each VP performance.
Voice Play is my second most admired a capella group. They always amaze. I've never heard this particular song ( which I could play on repeat over and over). I have heard their version of Halos theme song which I really love. You might consider reviewing that one. They did the song in reverence to a friend who they lost who loved to play Halo with the group while on tour. It is a totally wonderful performance. ❣️R/A🎼 They never ceases to amaze me.
If you watch that on, be sure to watch the outro. Nothing to analyze, but you’ll learn so much about the origins of VoicePlay and the reason for their choice of this song. You might want to finish analyzing the music before playing the outro, since many reactors find it hard to talk afterwards.
Reviews I've watched by fans of SkyRim say the foreign language is Elvin and Geoff as "the Dragon Born" is speaking with a "dragon voice" so much lower than average person.
In advance: I'm not into Skyrim, but I like "fictional/constructed languages (conlangs)" like Klingon (Star Trek), Dothraki or Valyrian (both Game of Thrones). The conlang here is called "Dohvazul" (=Dragons language) and was created especially for the game by Emil Pagliarulo, a senior designer and writer for Skyrim. It was inspired by Nordic languages (like Sir Hairless recognized) - and "Beowulf" in Old English. He added some unique linguistic elements, to create a believable exotic-sounding language for the dragons in the game. A common pattern in the language, "3-syllable-shouts" (like VP did "Fus Ro Dah!" in the middle of the song), should sound forceful like a dragon spitting fire and had a purpose in the gameplay, too.
Thanks! Awesome reaction. I am really enjoying your reactions. I love seeing something I enjoy from a different perspective from someone who also appreciates 5he music. You should totally check out carry on wayward son also featuring Omar and if I were a rich/girl featuring Ashley. Absolutely amazing.
Wow, thank you, that's very generous of you! Those recommendations are both on my list - can't say when I'll get round to them (my list is large), but I plan on getting to them all eventually!
Es emocionante el bajo tan profundo que me hizo vibrar todo el cuerpo, las voces magníficas y en el minuto 12 parecían cientos cantando al mismo tiempo, que maravillosas voces, y que magistral es la naturaleza de las cuerdas vocales del ser humano que puede hacernos vibrar, llorar, reír, temer y saltar de felicidad y emoción. Gracias por otra master class mi niño de ojitos cristalinos. Por mis hijos conozco el juego pero gracias a ti la maravillosa música que tiene. Sigue así mi niño y no cambies nunca la pasión por todo y por sobre todo la calidad y la tu forma de enseñarnos a comprender más allá del sonido. ❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you Sir. Another great reaction. Another video game cover you would like is "HALO Theme" - Acapella with VoicePlay featuring Scott Porter (original Voiceplay member). Watch the post blub too, it discusses why they made the cover. BTW The video has sort of that Pentatonix "Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy" vibe.
I think the Dragon Tongue sounds mostly Slavic, but with hints of Nordic roots (having studied both Russian and Norwegian). The Welsh I didn’t hear in it, although I can see how you would have seen some of that.
Loved the analysis! Eli requested this song and is a huge Skyrim fan, not sure if Omar was before making this, but he sure was after it. Thanks for the R/A, really enjoy your videos. Many thanks to Dale and Carol, I've been looking forward to him R/Aing this song!
translation, as i didn't see one in the comments: DOVAHZUUL: (Dragon speak) Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin, Naal ok zin los vahriin Wahdein vokul mahfaeraak ast vaal Ahrk fin norok paal graan Fodnust vok zin dro zaan Dovahkiin fah hin kogaan mu draal! ------------------------------------------------------------ ENGLISH: Dragonborn, Dragonborn by his honor is sworn To keep evil forever at bay! And the fiercest foes rout when they hear triumph's shout, Dragonborn, for your blessing we pray!
Greetings once again, sir! Now that you have discovered Malukah (aka Judith de los Santos, IIRC), I will again recommend Baba Yetu in which she collaborates with Peter Hollens. Another computer game soundtrack as well, although Baba Yetu won a Grammy for the composer, Christopher Tin 😊
It's great that you picked up the regional language roots used for Dovazhul (Dragonspeech) as the setting of the game, Skyrim, is the part of world the Nord are originally from. The Nord are heavily based on Vikings and other Northern European cultures.
This is one of Geoff's arrangements and he loves including dissonance. "Fus Ro Dah" translates to "Force, Balance, Push." According to VP, Geoff is an Imperial Barbarian, Cesar a Dunmer (dark elf) Battlemage, Omar a Bosmer (wood elf) Archer, Eli a Breton Necromancer, and Layne a Nord Jarl. Cesar is wearing a 20 pound mail shirt and real metal gauntlets. Geoff said his lowest in this was a C#1 and Eli was up at E5. Check out their Halo and Still Alive covers for more gaming music goodness.
Damn, dude, I wish these vids were available when I was studying highschool music. I would have got so much more (and realised I was going deaf earlier but that's not so important)
Skyrim is by far my biggest love in gaming. This Song is like an anthem for my. For the last 13 years everytime I hear this song my mind turns into a world full of freedom and fantasie a safe place for me. Fus Ro Dah 🙌🏻
😮 I am a basso profundo as well but I can't make my wife believe that all men can't do these octovist drops at will. But your analysis are always spot on. My father was a great composer and conductor so music has always been my first language. Clearly it is yours as well.. Kudos
![FIRST TIME LISTENING: VOICEPLAY - THE DRAGONBORN COMES SKYRIM [REACTION!]](/img/n.gif)
Check out my previous VoicePlay reaction next (it’s a crazy one ): ua-cam.com/video/S8SoLl6US18/v-deo.html
Please Sir - what headphones do you use?
@@occamsrazor5376 They're the sony wh-1000xm3. Quite old now, I think I've had them for 5 years or so?
@@SirHairless Thank you! Sony is the brand I've been looking at but more in the range of $99. If I go with yours, WOW, well then I won't be letting the kids use them, LOL! You hold a LOT of weight with me on what produces best sound. Much appreciated!
@@occamsrazor5376 Oh I'm sure you can find some good ones for around $99! I just got these before covid for my commute on the train into work as they are noise-cancelling with bluetooth! And the sound quality is good. There is a newer version now available I believe...sony wh-1000xm4?
@@SirHairless Thank you so much! And the $99 Sony headphones will make my sweet wife happy too! We ALL adore your videos! Thank YOU for all you do for us Pentatonix fans! :-)
House lights down. Stage lights on. Geoff bursts from his dungeon with menacing sepulchral growl.
…holding a skull
You make music theory interesting and entertaining.
I'm glad you're enjoying
Thank you for the very interesting analysis. Voiceplay is incredibly talented, my favorite group. Some reactors focus more on vocal or acappella techniques but your very astute and observant music theory commentary fills a niche I didn’t know I needed filled. When I go back and listen to the songs it enriches the experience. Thank you!
Thanks! Yes, I believe the music underpinning the vocals is the most powerful thing in terms of contributing to the music's feel as a whole. The vocals are the icing on the top
This is Geoff's arrangement. He said in an interview some time ago that he always starts with the meter. It's much easier to change the notes and chords being sung if you don't also have to change the count.
I am a very old lady and have never been into gaming; Wordle is as close as I get. Doesn't matter with Voiceplay. They have done several gaming covers and they are all brilliant.
Be prepared, they have another dropping in a few days.
An atrociously GREAT reaction and analysis!! I continue to be amazed at your knowledge and dissection of the Voiceplay arrangements. Just as incredible as the song itself!! The Dragonborn Comes is one of my favorites from Voiceplay and while I never played the game, I've always heard the song mirrors the game so well. The shout at the peak of the arrangement I've heard is one of the attack function keys used in the game. People that know the game will know it. Just another great Sir Hairless analysis. You continuously point out the things nobody else notices and it make watching the performance even more enjoyable! Well done!!
Brilliant, Sir, brilliant..." atrociously nice"....never heard those two words together before...VP happens to be my favorite. Impossibly, you make everything better. Watching your reaction brings on my own delighted reaction. Play Skyrim if you must, but please don't stop your reactions.. that would be atrociously awful😮😢❤❤❤
An atrocious thanks to you
@@SirHairless 🤣😂😅😘🙂↕️
When I saw this Video popping up I knew I was in for a treat. Every time I listen to your analysis, I learn something new and it never gets boring. I could listen to you teaching musical theory much longer than twenty minutes and feel I understand. Thank you very much!
Malukha has done fantastic things with Elder Scrolls music since 2011, gathering fan support to the point Bethesda listened and added her music and voice to The Elder Scrolls Online. You can hear her as several bards in the taverns in the game. She also makes singing in dovazul seem effortless.
In the subtitles they explain that they're speaking the language of the game, I forget the name. The "Foos Roh Dah!" is like a spell, in Dragonspeak. As annoying as subtitles can be, it can very useful to keep them on for Voiceplay and Geoff videos.I can't wait until you do their Halo cover! Great reaction! I was in a doctor's waiting room when I saw you uploaded and I yelled "YES!" My husband inched away from me a bit. LOL! 💙
Another great analysis and reaction! I was glad to see your face when Geoff started doing his arpeggiated (?spelling) runs in the 2nd half of the song - to me that sounds like it would be extremely difficult to do!
This was another of Geoff's arrangements, and he really outdid himself on this one! The setting that you mentioned is one of Pattycake Productions sets (Villain's Lair, I believe?), the production house that Layne and Tony Wakim (former VoicePlay member) own together. If you check out the credits listed in the original video, you'll see that both Eli and Layne also had hands-on in this one - VoicePlay always pulls together to get things done!
The makeup (so, Omar's ears) is by Rick Underwood, who has worked with both VoicePlay and Geoff on his solo channel - he did the makeup/wigs/beards/mustaches on Geoff's I See Fire and Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold, as well as the cowboys in Ghost Rider In the Sky and UnShaken, and Geoff's skeleton makeup on Jack's Lament.
This is one of several videos that VoicePlay has done that are based on video games - they've all been very interesting, to say the least. Warriors (the first appearance of #VioLayne), Enemy (both based on League of Legends), a short (Peaches) from the Mario Bros, where Geoff hits his highest note yet - a rock-tenor scream that almost matches Eli! My personal favorite is their rendition of the Halo theme (which was complimented by the composer on another reviewer's channel), but their latest Sleeping in the Cold Below, from Warframe is a complete ear-bug - it's REALLY hard to get it out of your head once you've heard it!
Cesar had pointy elf ears as well, not to mention he was painted blue lol :) Rick is an amazing makeup artist & I've always loved how he's able to completely transform them into so many different characters
Yes those runs are difficult to do with impeccable tuning. I wonder how edited that section is (how many takes they've used segments from), or if he is able to do it that accurately live
Thanks for the information!
I am not a gamer but I have to admit the music that accompanies those games is sometimes fantastic.
They’ve done a lot of game themes or songs associated with games. This one is one of my favorites partly because I can enjoy the music without being distracted by lyrics. I love the somewhat medieval sound (not to mention the incredible set and costumes.)
Because I don’t play I’m not sure but I believe this is partly a combination between the general Dragonborn theme and the Skyrim theme, one of which is more war like. The shouts are from the game and the shout FUS Ro Dah is a shout that the Dragonborn can use to produce a percussive effect that knocks all the enemies down.
Watch for the release that I thought (and hoped) would be put out today. It is a follow up to Hall of the Mountain King and it is absolutely insane. Between watching the Patreon release and behind-the-scenes and listening to the karaoke track I almost have it memorized by now! I very much look forward to seeing your reaction to it.
🎇🎇🎇 .. once again , Voiceplay overachieves in a magical way. I actually thought some months ago , Sir Hairless , that you would start your journey with Voiceplay with this video. In some ways I am glad that you waited because you know the members and their capabilities now. The make-up and costumes are stellar. I think that every video game creator should consider using Voiceplay for their soundtrack. They are always better than the originals. That was a nice surprise about you and your group singing Latin to a soundtrack ... that would be a great snippet to show us. We all know that you can sing. The harmonies here make my arm hairs stand up.... Eli especially is masterful on this one. Thanks again for such an entertaining break down where you hear so much... you are the champion of music reactors in my opinion. 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
🫡🫡
Yes I could show a snippet of the soundtrack but it would give away the game
Just so you know, the Halo theme might have a surprise for you. This was great! I always drop whatever I’m doing to watch your Voiceplay reactions!
Spectacular! They really transport us in a different time of the story teller troubadour. Thank you SH. 🤗
Fus Ro Da is a power word that helps players in the game.
Ooo thanks for the info
This is the video that introduced me to Voiceplay 2 years ago after I watched Geoff for the first time in his "Ain't No Sunshine" video.
It is a very beautiful and powerful song and video.
Oh yes the new one has dropped. It is a wonderful medley of classical pieces. Absolute chaos!
Thank you Dale & Carol and Sir Hairless! Another great choice!
Bravo, Sir H! I think the true power of this song and arrangement is that it makes everyone want to stop life and play Skyrim--a 13yo game. Why? Because we get caught up in the fantastic beauty and storytelling that VoicePlay creates here. Their vocals sweep us up into a delicious fantasy. ⚔
Ooohh Voiceplay just released a new one that you need to check out!! Classical Chaos-Voiceplay ft. Rachel Potter. They are so stinking creative and versatile. I love seeing your reactions and analysis of their music.❤❤
I always love your analyses. Hoping you'll do Voiceplay's "Sleeping in the Cold Below" soon!
I always look forward to your reaction and analysis of Voiceplay and Geoff Castellucci! Thank you so much to you and to your patrons for their choices.
they are just so good at whatever they cover
Any time you analyze Voiceplay or Geoff's solo work, I'm in! Thanks for your in-depth information. I'm not a gamer but enjoy their arrangements of just about anything.
Again, very well done.
It is also a pleasure to listen to the analysis of time and harmony, a rare topic on almost all reaction channels and instead, in my humble opinion, fundamental to understanding how the melody develops. Another excellent comment that also denotes the passion for this sublime art. Thanks
Thanks! Yes, I agree it's fundamental
Sir Hairless! Another stimulating analysis. Thank you!
Also, love your head tap intro and that it is always done fresh for each new video! 🥰
As many times I have listened to this along and with your reaction, I still get goosebumps. Thank you for telling us why.❤
Thanks again for a great reaction. I love Geoff's arpeggio section.
I'm hoping that their cover of the Halo theme is somewhere on your radar to do. Also Drunken Sailor for its very different arrangement, the Lion Sleeps Tonight for its sheer joy, and The Luttle Mermaid medley to be introduced to Rachael Potter before her reappearance - and to see Geoff painted blue again.
I love this one!
Another master class in music theory. Awesome!
Always can learn something from your analysis!! I've never noticed the half bar displacement during Omar's entry. With rhythmic varieties and chord changes, there are always something new and fun in VoicePlay's arrangement. Great reaction (as always)!!
Thanks so much for your expert and informative analysis of this cover. I love Voiceplay but I have come to appreciate their incredible talent more and more because of such knowledgeable reactors as yourself. Please keep them coming.
I have been loving VoicePlay for a good while not but listening to this first segment with you I suddenly realized how crucial Eli is to making these songs they sing so awesome. We know they are all extremely talented and of course the base is killer but Eli is a monster in his own right.
I totally agree with you. To me the base (the cake) of VoicePlay is Geoff, Layne and Eli. I can’t imagine any of them leaving the group. Then everyone else that has ever been or will ever be involved are like the icing, sugar, sprinkles, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, fruit, etc … Though I am starting to feel like I also can’t imagine the group without Cesar now. I just love him so much. He adds ALL of the sprinkles you could ever ask for and more!
"Atrociously nice." That's a new one from you! AHAHAHAHAHAHA! That sent me! I had to pause for a good minute to laugh my ass off!
Close second..."Geoff going on a mad one..." 🤣
I have been in absolute love with the music from The Elder Scrolls series since Morrowind, which won game of the year as did every Elder Scrolls game after it including Skyrim. The main Elder Scrolls theme (around 1:30 in VP's The Dragonborn Comes video) is absolutely gorgeous and changes with each game to fit the feel of it. They're all fully orchestrated and some bring in full choir as well. Morrowind's version evokes wonderment and exploration, Oblivion's version evokes conflict and tension, and Skyrim's is tribal choral and is just straight up freaking EPIC! They're all so different but amazing. This video has them all in order. The whole thing is less than 8 minutes in total and it's SO worth a listen: ua-cam.com/video/EMao-aSeO2w/v-deo.html
The Elder Scrolls online also has its own version, which takes longer to get into the recognizable theme and takes liberties with it until the big swell near the end, but it is still VERY good: ua-cam.com/video/DQqytEB7-VE/v-deo.html
I have played all of these games and they have absolutely earned all of their awards. Incidentally, Malukah's covers of their Skyrim music led Bethesda, the game studio responsible for the series, to include her as an in-game bard voice in The Elder Scrolls online. So as your character is walking around, you'll sometimes find bards standing around playing & singing. One of the voices you'll hear from the female bards is hers. They included quite a few unique bard songs for variety and I think there are 4 different singing voices, 2 male and 2 female. The games are so alive, it's crazy!
Also, just for funsies... Layne is dressed as an Imperial or Nord (varieties of human in the games but I'm not completely sure which) Barbarian, Eli is dressed as a Breton (another of the varieties of human) Wizard, Omar is dressed as a Bosmer (Wood Elf) Archer, Cesar is dressed as a Dunmer (Dark Elf) Battlemage, and though Geoff is also dressed like a Nord, I'm convinced he's really just an actual dragon in disguise. He didn't do the Fus Ro Dah (a percussive shout attack in the game) because they didn't want their studio leveled.
Amazing! So many things missed if you don't know the game
New to the channel, If you haven't reacted to Peter Hollens and Lindsey Sterling's cover of the Skyrim theme song, you may want to check it out.
Someone else may have mentioned it already, but near the end when you hear "Fus Ro Dah" that is a dragon language word for "unrelenting force." Dovakim is the dragon language word for Dragon Born. The title song is sun entirely in the dragon language.
C# is an interesting note for Geoff. C#2 is a note even his speaking voice gravitates to a lot and is about the bottom of his tessitura. He also does a lot of songs in F# which, as you know, C# is the 5th of F#. Anyway, yeah, you will hear Geoff using C# a LOT.
This was the first song I've heard form Voiceplay and I was instantly blown away. As someone, who had heard the Skyrim intro music sometimes even a 100 times a day (making mods for a game has its downsides 😅) and thus it lost most of it's impact on me by then, it was a really gorgeous reimagination that felt like I've just heard it for the very first time. Which is a very, very rare gift.
edit: removed some faulty info
I’ve always loved this one even though I had no prior familiarity with the game or song. In the BTS Cesar had to lay down in between takes because his chainmail costume weighed 20 pounds. Then he did the Single Ladies dance in it at the end. I couldn’t love these guys more!
Wonder if he got to keep the chainmail!?
@@SirHairless Oooh, good question! They auction a lot of items for charity and I think they keep ones they might use again. Cesar was probably OVER IT after this shoot. BYE chainmail! BYYEEE!
Thank you for another great analysis & reaction to VoicePlay! It’s amazing to watch how much positive energy and musical wisdom they always bring out of your beautiful hairlessness☺In fact, your hairlessness is not only beautiful but also very talented, with some relevant achievements in the music field that make us very proud of you (singing in a soundtrack of a famous game, yay!)🥂Congrats, Sir, and keep up the excellent work! 🤗
Hey Maria, sorry I missed this! I was going through comments filtered by "I haven't responded to yet" and saw this there from 2 weeks ago Haha thank you for the hairless appreciation
Thank you, as always
@@SirHairless Hey, Sir! As the French would say in this kind of circumstance: “pas de pròbleme”! I understand you’ve been busy amidst all the numerous activities related to the channel (comments to read, reply the demands of your community, prepare new videos, …), in addition to live your personal life, enjoy your summer days, etc😅 So, there is no need to be sorry about anything😉Btw, I’m not sure if you already saw it, but some weeks ago I left a reply on your reaction to PTX’s ‘Come along’ with few things for you to enjoy when/if you have free time. Wish all the best to you 🤗
@@Maria...-mo5qm There's just never enough time Oh sorry I've missed it, will go and find it!! Thanks
I absolutely love techie-geek shit! I'm fascinated with your dissections of these songs. Keep up the great stuff.
Another fantastic overview and breakdown, Sir. I do believe you’ve skyrocketed to the top of my favorite reactor list with this one. Keep up the great work.
My favorite Skyrim cover.
Cesar was wearing real chainmail (over 20 lbs.)...... Also, Voiceplay makes great use of contrary motion in their covers...Geoff going one way, and the others another.
I noticed great contrary motion in Grim Grinning Ghosts and Drunken Sailor. I’m sure there are more but those jumped to mind.
Excellent analysis and reaction... as usual!
"I always wanted to play Skyrim _growing_ _up"?_ Gosh, you make me feel old! I started writing computer games professionally in January 1986 - that's a quarter of a century before Skyrim came out... 🤨
Wow, sounds amazing - what a skill to have!
@@SirHairless Ha ha, very outdated now...
You add so much more to your VP reactions than anyone else. I hear new things after I have heard you that I didn’t recognize before. You’re the best!
Thanks!
Love your analysis! I learn so much with each one! Thank you so much!!
Thank you for another enlightening reaction and analysis. I enjoy your reactions, because I get to learn why they sound as awesome as they are.
I would love to see a reaction of you together with "The charismatic Voice". You two combine the classical musician's perspective with the (classical) singer's perspective - and no matter if you choose a capella or metal it will be delightful. So much to discover...
One od my abso;;ute favourites. Just brilliant on all counts. I'm not a gamer but it doesn't matter at all, This cover stands alone for me. Omar really suits those pixie ears. So does Cesar actually :) Another great reaction.
i love in the diminuendo before the last phrase - Eli is belting at the starts, and he dims down without losing all that support. Wonderful!
Great reaction Sir H. Not a gamer for this, D&D was my thing. But VP makes one go out and explore. 😅
If you are interested in another game song, check out Home Free's Skull and Bones which was written by Adam Chance for the game.
Great reaction as always. If you want a unique Voiceplay experience check out their collaboration with Kirt Hugo Snieder and their twenty one pilots mashup ❤
Voiceplay has also done Halo, another game theme. It was done as a tribute to a fallen former member with the background told at the end. Geoff was even lower in this cover, hitting an obscenely low B0. I hope you watch and analyze that one too.
Did you catch that metalic sound at the very beginning, before Geoff's lugubrioius first note? To me, it sounds like a sword being pulled from a sheath, though I don't know if that fits with the weaponry of the time. Whatever it is, it is subtle and very cool.
Watch Layne at that time. It’s the sound of a whetstone sharpening his sword.
@@Wildecat10 I never noticed that. Thanks!
@@janeramirez8767 I guess I tend to watch Layne. 😉
@@Talarain Gee! You mean like a whetstone sharpening his sword?
@@Wildecat10 So do I, when Eli's not on screen. I guess I just wasn't ready for the video to be starting already. I should know better.
very gentle headslap today :D
Need to give it a bit of a rest
You should hear the Lindsey Stirling version, too.
they also do Halo
❤️❤️
Genial❤
Next 'gamer' should be Halo. That will be fun too. Great analysis. Learning a lot about WHY I love their body of works.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
If you like Music from Videogames, than check out Voiceplays Halo: ua-cam.com/video/SLSzMDHyZ3g/v-deo.html&ab_channel=VoicePlay
You will not regret it! ... There's less singing, but there's a lot going on, which will be to your taste.
Epic Geoff face xD
Dragonborn Comes shows VP's deep dedication to detail; all those who play Skyrim are blown away by this cover. Thanks for the video. Have a lovely weekend.
Thanks, you too!
Awesome, Sir! I always learn so much and appreciate Voice Play even more!
Soo good! Please check out their "If I Were A Rich Man" cover 😊❤
Dear Sir! You'r really becoming my number 1 reactor to VP - my only interest musically. You really help me understand what's going on here... my heart already got it. Now my brain could follow...😅🎉❤ Thank you!
Thank you for another VP analysis. I seem to remember that Geoff mentioned that, when he’s arranging, the rhythm is his early decision. When he’s creating the various parts for each member, he sings a demo of that part (l’m still wrapping my brain around Geoff sing an Eli demo). Your comments are a welcome aide for my understanding the complexity in each VP performance.
Yes, yes yes! As a music geek I really appreciate your in-depth analysis. Thank you.
Voice Play is my second most admired a capella group. They always amaze.
I've never heard this particular song ( which I could play on repeat over and over).
I have heard their version of Halos theme song which I really love. You might consider reviewing that one. They did the song in reverence to a friend who they lost who loved to play Halo with the group while on tour. It is a totally wonderful performance.
❣️R/A🎼
They never ceases to amaze me.
If you watch that on, be sure to watch the outro. Nothing to analyze, but you’ll learn so much about the origins of VoicePlay and the reason for their choice of this song. You might want to finish analyzing the music before playing the outro, since many reactors find it hard to talk afterwards.
@@Wildecat10 I've seen it! A lot of info there!
Thank you, sir ❤
Reviews I've watched by fans of SkyRim say the foreign language is Elvin and Geoff as "the Dragon Born" is speaking with a "dragon voice" so much lower than average person.
In advance: I'm not into Skyrim, but I like "fictional/constructed languages (conlangs)" like Klingon (Star Trek), Dothraki or Valyrian (both Game of Thrones).
The conlang here is called "Dohvazul" (=Dragons language) and was created especially for the game by Emil Pagliarulo, a senior designer and writer for Skyrim. It was inspired by Nordic languages (like Sir Hairless recognized) - and "Beowulf" in Old English. He added some unique linguistic elements, to create a believable exotic-sounding language for the dragons in the game. A common pattern in the language, "3-syllable-shouts" (like VP did "Fus Ro Dah!" in the middle of the song), should sound forceful like a dragon spitting fire and had a purpose in the gameplay, too.
@@MtheHell Thanks. I did hear the name of the language but couldn't remember it.
Jesus Christ, such beautiful things Voiceplay does... Dam...
Thanks! Awesome reaction. I am really enjoying your reactions. I love seeing something I enjoy from a different perspective from someone who also appreciates 5he music. You should totally check out carry on wayward son also featuring Omar and if I were a rich/girl featuring Ashley. Absolutely amazing.
Wow, thank you, that's very generous of you! Those recommendations are both on my list - can't say when I'll get round to them (my list is large), but I plan on getting to them all eventually!
Always love your reaction and analysis to voiceplay and solo geoff! 😊💜💜
This was a brilliant reaction and analysis! Thank you 🙏🏻 i always end up appreciating the artists more after watching your analyses
What I love about ‘Sir’s’ reactions is the focus on the arrangements! I know how the music ‘feels’ to me - he explains why it feels that way.
Thank you again, kind sir! Always looking forward for your analysis of VoicePlay’s music. 🥰👍
Es emocionante el bajo tan profundo que me hizo vibrar todo el cuerpo, las voces magníficas y en el minuto 12 parecían cientos cantando al mismo tiempo, que maravillosas voces, y que magistral es la naturaleza de las cuerdas vocales del ser humano que puede hacernos vibrar, llorar, reír, temer y saltar de felicidad y emoción. Gracias por otra master class mi niño de ojitos cristalinos. Por mis hijos conozco el juego pero gracias a ti la maravillosa música que tiene. Sigue así mi niño y no cambies nunca la pasión por todo y por sobre todo la calidad y la tu forma de enseñarnos a comprender más allá del sonido. ❤❤❤❤❤❤
Their cover is sonically fascinating to me, and now I have some idea why because of this discussion.
Beautiful! Thank you for your analysis and reaction!
Love Cesar’s solo then duet with Geoff. Thank you for sharing with us
Loved it! Song and you! ❤
“Atrociously good”… I love it! Another great VP description! “Filth” and “bass face” are great too❤
Thank you Sir. Another great reaction. Another video game cover you would like is "HALO Theme" - Acapella with VoicePlay featuring Scott Porter (original Voiceplay member). Watch the post blub too, it discusses why they made the cover. BTW The video has sort of that Pentatonix "Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy" vibe.
I think the Dragon Tongue sounds mostly Slavic, but with hints of Nordic roots (having studied both Russian and Norwegian). The Welsh I didn’t hear in it, although I can see how you would have seen some of that.
Yeah my mention of elements of Eastern European languages would be the Slavic-ness
Love this!! ❤🎉
Loved the analysis! Eli requested this song and is a huge Skyrim fan, not sure if Omar was before making this, but he sure was after it. Thanks for the R/A, really enjoy your videos. Many thanks to Dale and Carol, I've been looking forward to him R/Aing this song!
translation, as i didn't see one in the comments:
DOVAHZUUL: (Dragon speak)
Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin,
Naal ok zin los vahriin
Wahdein vokul mahfaeraak ast vaal
Ahrk fin norok paal graan
Fodnust vok zin dro zaan
Dovahkiin fah hin kogaan mu draal!
------------------------------------------------------------
ENGLISH:
Dragonborn, Dragonborn
by his honor is sworn
To keep evil forever at bay!
And the fiercest foes rout
when they hear triumph's shout,
Dragonborn, for your blessing we pray!
Greetings once again, sir! Now that you have discovered Malukah (aka Judith de los Santos, IIRC), I will again recommend Baba Yetu in which she collaborates with Peter Hollens. Another computer game soundtrack as well, although Baba Yetu won a Grammy for the composer, Christopher Tin 😊
Wonderful analysis thank you! They did a great job here. 🌹🕊
It's great that you picked up the regional language roots used for Dovazhul (Dragonspeech) as the setting of the game, Skyrim, is the part of world the Nord are originally from. The Nord are heavily based on Vikings and other Northern European cultures.
This is one of Geoff's arrangements and he loves including dissonance. "Fus Ro Dah" translates to "Force, Balance, Push." According to VP, Geoff is an Imperial Barbarian, Cesar a Dunmer (dark elf) Battlemage, Omar a Bosmer (wood elf) Archer, Eli a Breton Necromancer, and Layne a Nord Jarl. Cesar is wearing a 20 pound mail shirt and real metal gauntlets. Geoff said his lowest in this was a C#1 and Eli was up at E5. Check out their Halo and Still Alive covers for more gaming music goodness.
This song is so soothing to me. If you'd like to react to another game theme; VoicePlay blew me away with their take on Halo.
Damn, dude, I wish these vids were available when I was studying highschool music. I would have got so much more (and realised I was going deaf earlier but that's not so important)
Skyrim is by far my biggest love in gaming.
This Song is like an anthem for my. For the last 13 years everytime I hear this song my mind turns into a world full of freedom and fantasie a safe place for me.
Fus Ro Dah 🙌🏻
😮 I am a basso profundo as well but I can't make my wife believe that all men can't do these octovist drops at will. But your analysis are always spot on. My father was a great composer and conductor so music has always been my first language. Clearly it is yours as well.. Kudos
Thanks!
Thank you so much for your donation 🙏 And welcome to the Egg Whites