Why did Alton Towers use a stock soundtrack for Oblivion?

[Zeock]

Oblivion's music is a stock soundtrack from an album called Strictly Drum 'N' Bass, released in 1997 (It is called 'Stressed Out'). Why did Towers use this as the music for Oblivion?

 

[Alastair]

If you mean why from a technical standpoint, then I assume they simply licenced it. Being a library track, it's entire existence is to be licenced for usage in film, TV or elsewhere. If you mean why they chose to do that as opposed to having an original score written then I really have no idea! It's a question I've often wondered myself - it'd be interesting to find out the backstory to that someday.

 

[pluk]

My guess would be they knew exactly what sort of sound they wanted, but this being something of a niche genre it would not be something their usual roster of producers would be have the expertise to achieve. Probably a very limited number of producers to approach back then too.

 

[jon81uk]

Why wouldn’t they?

Disney also use a lot of pre-existing tracks throughout their theme parks, but particularly Epcot.

 

[deanW]

Drum and Bass was quite a new sound in the 90s, developing from the disco-rooted house music of the late 80s and the also-developing hip hop scene - it was probably much easier and more cost effective to get a decent drum and bass track from the ‘Strictly Drum n Bass’ production music collection, rather than try and have someone produce something specific for the ride (that actually sounds good) in an era where it may not have been as simple to create Drum and Bass as it is now…

That’s not necessarily the correct answer, it’s just what I have always assumed

 

[Zeock]

If you mean why from a technical standpoint, then I assume they simply licenced it. Being a library track, it's entire existence is to be licenced for usage in film, TV or elsewhere. If you mean why they chose to do that as opposed to having an original score written then I really have no idea! It's a question I've often wondered myself - it'd be interesting to find out the backstory to that someday.

Thank you! I meant from both of these standpoints when I created this thread.

 

[Trooper Looper]

Probably because they wanted to keep on a schedule and wanted the ride and ares ready to open, so using a stock soundtrack was probably a huge time saver for them. Though I'm not complaining, how can you not love Oblivions Soundtrack!!?

 

[Steve74]

Probably because they wanted to keep on a schedule and wanted the ride and ares ready to open, so using a stock soundtrack was probably a huge time saver for them. Though I'm not complaining, how can you not love Oblivions Soundtrack!!?

I've no idea on timescales for writing scores for rides, but I wouldn't have thought it could've held up the opening of the ride because I'd imagine musicians/composers are given as much time as possible to write the music after the initial theme and story is decided upon.

 

[Trooper Looper]

I've no idea on timescales for writing scores for rides, but I wouldn't have thought it could've held up the opening of the ride because I'd imagine musicians/composers are given as much time as possible to write the music after the initial theme and story is decided upon.

You're right, but wasn't X-Sector a lest minute thought before the rides physical construc began? Maybe they did have the time, but maybe the budget went into the New Ride Cars.

 

[SuperMuscleMan]

Its quite a unique soundtrack. I don't think it's dated either do you? I much prefer it over the smilers which sounds very theme park to me. It's nemessing in its own 2000's way. Also with the colour scheme and the reversed negative look I think it worked.

Drum and bass was a fairly new thing and part of me thinks maybe the soundtrack came out of the video. If I were given a brief to make queline videos (filmmaker here) I would often use sound as the starting point with the crash if the symbols I think it's quite symbolic of the ride. (Even for a prelim)

Also from an editing point of view the beat is quite fun to work with. If you think about it oblivion was the first ride in the UK to really use queline video to tell the story . The graphics would not have been cheap or quick to make at that time. So I can see a sample was sent with that soundtrack and maybe they liked it so much they stuck with it?

 

[Trooper Looper]

Its quite a unique soundtrack. I don't think it's dated either do you? I much prefer it over the smilers which sounds very theme park to me.

Finally, a man of Quality! Never liked the smiler soundtrack really outside of a few exceptions. I think Oblivion as whole, including It's soundtrack, has aged incredibly well and doesn't feel dated at all, heck I think it's 90s feel gives it a lot of character many Rides nowadays lack IMO.

 

[rob666]

Just come out from listening to Leftfield's Leftism far too loud (for an old man), while decorating the back room.
Similar style and time, the music was the peak of fashion for a few years, and the first loud real music to a ride at the Towers, it was anything but background music.
I still love it, but in my mind it has aged badly, a sound of the past, not the future.
Reminds me of playing the original Wipeout on the ps1.
Jeez I'm old.

 

[Matt N]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t Oblivion originally due to have a steampunk theme, with the area of X-Sector being named Port Discovery? I must admit, I think I would have preferred the steampunk theme, in hindsight.

I do think that Oblivion builds suspense very well through the videos, but I must admit that its theme (or at least, the execution of that theme) does now seem like a product of its time rather than something totally timeless, far more so than something like Nemesis. I like the inherent concept of the theme, and I think that the concept still resonates today, but I think certain elements of it, like the technology in the queue, the soundtrack and to a lesser extent the videos, are certainly showing their age a bit now. The ride’s vibe feels very “1990s”, in my view.

Watching the videos now, I think the Lord of Darkness character is still a brilliant way of building suspense for the ride ahead, but the videos do have certain quirks to them that definitely show that they’re a product of the late 1990s. For instance, the way that they occasionally spin things around randomly on the screen does give off shades of the old Windows Movie Maker…

 

[ChristmasPud]

Money is the only reason.

It's not even a good example of drum and bass.

The only reason fans like it is because it's there and not been changed for over 20 years.

 

[Plastic Person]

Electronic music is particularly cyclical in fashion, and DnB has had a few goes round since 1998, while staying popular on the underground. I am fond of Oblivion's aesthetic, but I think it is very much a product of its time, especially 'Stressed Out'. As @Niet Roken says, it's not a particularly shining example of the genre.

'The Magic Factory' documentary that charts the progress of the ride's launch and construction is a good insight into the cultural landscape of the country at the time, high on the promises of the new Millenium and the veneer of 'Cool Britannia'. Whereas Nemesis was magical and otherworldly, Oblivion is much more focus-group led and overtly youth-oriented. When the time comes, I don't think it would be as easy or sensible to refresh as its predecessor in Forbidden Valley.

 

[Zeock]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t Oblivion originally due to have a steampunk theme, with the area of X-Sector being named Port Discovery? I must admit, I think I would have preferred the steampunk theme, in hindsight.

I do think that Oblivion builds suspense very well through the videos, but I must admit that its theme (or at least, the execution of that theme) does now seem like a product of its time rather than something totally timeless, far more so than something like Nemesis

I would have preferred Port Discovery too. I also think that the Smiler could have fit well into this area, as I'm sure that the Marmaliser could look like a steampunk piece of technology if that was the objective.
I would have to say that I think both Nemesis and Oblivion are a product of their time, however this isn't an issue as it gives those rides character that some of the newer or more timeless rides do not have.

 

[ChristmasPud]

I think people are overthinking the original question. If they wanted an electronic soundtrack to be cool and contemporary they would have hired a cool producer.

Instead this was the kind of 'background music on Channel 5 daytime TV' method of music selection. Cos it's bland enough to roughly fit and it's free!

 

[Matt N]

If they ever did refurbish Oblivion Nemesis-style, I’d actually be very happy if they took a few notes from Gardaland and their “Oblivion”.

Oblivion The Black Hole is similar in concept (albeit somewhat less dark), but takes that concept down a far more themed route. It looks to have a very heavily themed queue and some really nice little details during the ride, such as objects being sucked into the hole! It also has a really cool, dramatic orchestral soundtrack.

I’m not suggesting that they change the theme to align with that of Oblivion The Black Hole, but if they stuck with Oblivion’s current premise and took it down a more themed route like Gardaland did with their Oblivion, then I think that would suit the ride very well and strongly enhance it for the contemporary consumer. It might make the Oblivion concept a bit more timeless.

 

[Zeock]

I’m not suggesting that they change the theme to align with that of Oblivion The Black Hole, but if they stuck with Oblivion’s current premise and took it down a more themed route like Gardaland did with their Oblivion, then I think that would suit the ride very well and strongly enhance it for the contemporary consumer. It might make the Oblivion concept a bit more timeless.

I would like Oblivion to go down a more themed route, but this would likely damage the mysterious aura around the attraction that was created by the (purposefully?) little amount of theming that Oblivion has now. Perhaps Towers could slightly tweak the theming to fit with the MOJ theme of The Smiler, but overall I think that Oblivion's theming is fine as it is.
EDIT: Perhaps we should get back on topic?

 

[Alastair]

I think people are overthinking the original question. If they wanted an electronic soundtrack to be cool and contemporary they would have hired a cool producer.

Instead this was the kind of 'background music on Channel 5 daytime TV' method of music selection. Cos it's bland enough to roughly fit and it's free!

This. I don't buy the "D&B was so new so it would've been difficult to source a producer". They were constructing the world's first vertical drop coaster which dropped into an enormous underground hole - finding someone to write some drum & bass should've been the least difficult part of that project. If nothing else they could've simply hired Dominic Glynn (who wrote the original library piece) and simply asked him to write something longer and more ride-attuned in that style.

For what it's worth, I think the track is far too short for a major coaster like Oblivion. Yes it's got a certain vibe, but it's literally looping every 2 and a half minutes which feels infuriating to me even just standing in the station for 10 or so minutes occasionally!