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)

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)

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)

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)

Signals is a short film clip provided by Heavyocity for their Foundations Competition. This piece was made entirely with their free Foundations instruments, bar the percussion line.

Signals (2023)

A short demo track for the Spitfire Audio library, Albion Colossus.

Colossus (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)

An alluring piece created entirely from Toska, the Kontakt sample library by Noon Instruments.

Barren Light (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)

This track was written as a test and demo to the recently released BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover sample library by Spitfire Audio. A truely powerful and accessible sound library, the plugin works with all major DAWs and is a mere 200MB in size, making professional DAW composition on the go a reality. 

The Green Vale, named after the work's cheery note and the BBC SO's recording home, Maida Vale Studios, works to present all instruments with nearly all articulations available, to give you the best understanding of the capabilities of this sample library. Using idiosyncratic film score tropes and light to heavy textural layers, the library has an unmistakable music for film quality that takes barely any effort to produce. While it produces this feeling almost immediately, it is still possible to produce a wide range of emotions and textures that can lend its hand to most of what you throw at it. At the time of posting, this library is only USD$49 or free with a brief questionnaire from Spitfire Audio.

Written and recorded in 2020.

The Green Vale - Demo for Spitfire's BBCSO Discover Plugin (2020)

Score Relief 2021, hosted by The Cue Tube, provided me with an open slate when scoring to the short animation from Blender Foundation, titled Spring. With such a focus on the dramatic journey this young woman has to go through to drag her land out of winter and into spring, it gave me a chance to explore a more textural score, with a slightly dark and mysterious edge. With all creative decisions entirely down to me, I chose to embody the wonder and mystical nature of the ritual and go down a different path than others may have travelled with their scores.

Popular tracks by Stephen O'Connell | Composer