An exploration into an ambient, warped soundtrack, using sampled instruments to create a nostalgic and soft expression of emotion. 

This track utilises only the sounds included in MINIMA, Xperimenta's latest offering, available entirely free at: https://www.xperimentaproject.com/minima/?doing_wp_cron=1617537782.9416680335998535156250

The Water Below (2021)

Original film score and sound design for Andrew Huang's Spacetime trailer. Available from his website or through The Cue Tube.

Spacetime Title Sequence for Andrew Huang's Mission (2021)

A rich, yet light and airy contemporary classical piece, depicting the wonder and splendour of leaving the atmosphere and glimpsing the sun over the horizon of Earth.

Astral Horizon (2021)

A mystical and celtic-inspired atmospheric piece, blending the lines between traditional folk music, classical orchestration and modern synthesised sounds. Using the new Albion Solstice library as inspiration, the piece creates the sound of the Carpathian Mountains, building an emotional journey through the mist, to match the amazing drone footage captured by Archie from The Cue Tube.

Carpathians (2021)

A simple, yet persistent pace, like the ticking of a clock or the beating of your own heart. Constantly aware, yet never admitting, that the seconds fade away faster than we'd like. 

A quick piece of music used to demonstrate the string orchestra's placement in the stereo field. Notice that the heavier instruments are placed towards the centre, while the higher instruments occupy more of the stereo field. This is an alternative contemporary panning method that works as a hybrid between the classical orchestra seating arrangement and the modern day pop song.

Time Returns (2021)

You can hear the dry grass, the scrapping metal and the wind through the rafters in every strike of the performer's bow. 

An intensely detailed and intimate library, Spitfire Alternative Solo Strings provide an amazing experience, creating the expressive uniqueness found in the most unconventional stories of independent cinema. It is a pleasure to hear the scratchy rawness of the samples shining through and the many articulations on offer provide a well rounded tool for many different styles.

Weathered Past (2021)

Designed as library music, with loop-able sections to enable video editors to cut to fit.

Freefall (2021)

An adventurous and quirky animation, Fetch: A Very Short Film has a wonderfully crafted, heart-warming, simple story. While the overall feel was one of simplicity and wonder, adventure and danger lurked nearby, so scoring this short was challenge in balancing the small, sweet theme with the bigger, epic sounds of the middle chase scenes. It was a pleasure to take part in the Composer’s Choice Contest, good luck to everyone who has entered!

YouTube: https://youtu.be/C7kNGzEFXSw

Fetch (2021) - Composer's Choice Contest

Director: Shannon Brimelow
DOP: Travis Hodgkinson
Sound/Score: Stephen O'Connell

An original short film, Out of Sight is a classic story with a twist. Opening on a chase, it seems that two children are hurriedly trying to escape the formidable guards, but is all as it seems?

This is the first cue, a dramatic and epic soundtrack to a tense chase scene of cat and mouse.

Out Of Sight (2021) - Short Film

Utilising the  Metallurgic Alchemy, a Pianobook Community Sample Library, the picture of an arid landscape, a lost city and a desolate and alone planet. High above, however, the silent eyes survey the land below for any hint of survival. 

Image Credit: Photo by Clément Falize on Unsplash

Drones - Featuring "Metallurgic Alchemy" Sample Library(2021)

Demoing my latest library for Pianobook, MelloSaw, this piece took me in quite a different direction than I intended, but I'm pleasantly surprised. While it isn't the retro 80s synth cinematic piece I wanted to demo for this library, it is a great example of how you can use it within your own musical style. It has a lot of flexibility built in. 

DOWNLOAD MELLOSAW FOR FREE: <Link coming soon, awaiting upload to Pianobook>

The MelloSaw Patches used in this demo track include: 

- Distorted pitch bending lead that enters halfway through. 
- Main arpeggiated line throughout the piece. 
- A string synth patch faded in and out in the first half of the piece. 
- A tape brass synth patch in the final stages of the piece. 
- A heavily distorted pitch bending riser and drop at the start and middle of the piece (layered with other elements). 
- A sparkly tape warped and delayed background texture in the first half of the piece, with automation on the tape delay's time and feedback controls. 

Other library uses include: 

- Evolution Sounds: Bowed Cello and Violin
- Strezov Samples: Freya Choir
- Heavyocity: Symphonic Destruction Braams
- Native Instruments: Rise and Hit, Battery, Action Strikes
- Waldorf Synth STVC (Hardware)

Photo Credit: Michael Olsen @mganeolsen via Unsplash

Enigmatic Waves (2022)

My entry to the Berlin International Film Score Competition, a piece inspired by the changes in the story, from arid desert planet to a beautiful oasis. The changes can be felt in the music and it reflects both the wonder and the sadness in the story.

Genesis - Berlin International Film Score Competition (2022)

AWARD - 3rd Place Prize

This is Stephen O’Connell’s submission to the incredible #scorerelief2022 film score competition, hosted by The Cue Tube. Thank you to The Cue Tube team for providing not one, but two different films to score! It’ is the competition with a heart, so make sure you visit the fundraiser page to support In Place of War and the incredible work they do! 

WATCH THE VIDEO: 
SUPPORT THE CHARITY: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/scorerelief2022 

A note from the composer: 

This was an incredible challenge and a great way to branch out, away from hybrid orchestration and into a more textural score landscape. Not one to do things by halves, I committed to the brief’s enthusiasm for music that bordered on sound design, where melody takes a back seat. I let the dialogue’s natural three phrases guide my storyline and tried to focus on creating a mood, guiding your feeling towards the script as we move through the clip. 

While I’ll doubt it will wind awards for its technical finesse, lyrical nature or complexity, I believe it conjures the atmosphere needed, allowing the dialogue to shine through and land its important message on the audience. My score is merely there to enhance that journey and I utilised harmonic shifts and dynamic swells to create the tension and vibe needed to support that message. With a focus on pointillistic orchestration, it builds a melody from fragments of instruments in the background, but lets the swells and textures take hold and dominate the soundscape.

I Catch You - Score Relief 2022 Film Score Competition (2022)

Apricity... Feeling the warmth of the sun in winter. How fitting for the feeling and mood of this track. 

The idea of this track was generated using Kaleidoskye, a new sample library I've developed, free on Pianobook. It is a sparkling, swarm library of delayed guitar textures, a great pad and atmospheric tool for media scoring. Check out the link below. 

KALEIDOSKYE: Link pending availability on Pianobook. Will be updated soon. 

Photo: Alain via Unsplash.

Apricity (2022)

The Legend of Vox Machina lives on in a new Amazon Prime series! This is my take on how I would approach writing a main theme to an animated action series like this.

Legends (2022)

Fractured Time (2022)

Twilight Sunset (2022)

This is my submission to the Vocalise 3 Rescore Competition by Heavyocity. You can check out the video here: https://youtu.be/m72BlFCKtU4

Breath of Life (2022)

Demoing my latest library, Fauxillon, available through Pianobook.

Rushing to Daylight (2022)

Entered as part of the 2022 Spitfire Audio Scoring Competition. Check out the full submission here: https://youtu.be/46c_osKKzaY

Bridgerton - Spitfire Audio Scoring Competition (2022)

This track demos the free library Snowfall, available on Pianobook.co.uk.

Snowflakes (2023)

This track demonstrates the capabilities of the free Amalgam Analogue Synth library by Stephen O'Connell, a FREE Kontakt library available from Pianobook.

Radiance (Naked Version) (2023)

You And I As One (2023)

Myths Of The Tigris (2023)

A demo track featuring Berserkr, the new library from Keep Forest that combines punk and folk drums for an epic sound.

Photo by Shahin Khalaji via Unsplash

Fire And Blood (2023)

Radiance (Full Version) (2023)

Legacy (2023)

Roots (2024)

A Breath Of Life (2024)

A Final Bow (2024)

This track demo's the amazing Heritage Piano by Sonixinema, a deeply emotional cello sample library that has over 45GB of samples for a really in depth sound. It is well suited to pieces like this, where long, emotional melodies are in the forefront. 

Image via Unsplash: Credit Benjamin White 

Reclamation (2025)

This demo track exhibits the Noon Instruments library Vessels, out now! 

Photo via Unsplash: Credit Mikita Yo

Vessels (2025)

A track made entirely from Novella Carbon by Westwood Instruments. Photo Credit: John Fowler via Unsplash 

Popular tracks by Stephen O'Connell | Composer