Those that have been following Cloudherder for a while are no stranger to the fact that I am very much a fan of Bear McCreary as a composer. The sheer amount of thought and care that goes into his compositions really show in both the intricacy of the music itself, as well as the staggering attention to detail each cue reflects when tying in with the fiction it accompanies.

Thankfully for us, he is also very well-written and introduces the public to each work he’s involved with in a behind-the-sheet-music view that details everything from the themes and how they’re composed to the talented instrumentalists that play his work.

Bear’s latest blog entry goes into great detail about his most recent project, Dark Void. While it appears that the game may not be living up to the great ambitions of both the developers and his score, the music itself is—even divorced from the associated material—a perfect example of how to create and evolve effective themes, motifs, and associate them in an extended and nonlinear form while still accommodating for live instrumentalists in an inventive way. (That was, admittedly, a bit of a mouthful.)

Even if you don’t understand exactly all of the technical terms being thrown around, give it a look and listen. It’s a rare glimpse into the creative process of a very talented composer.