Belium

EDIT: Added disclaimer and corrected some mixups with the tribes in the story.

Please read:

Belium is a conceptual album made for the impressions jam OST #2 that tells the story of fictional tribes through sound, mirroring the rise and fall of civilizations.

The album is structured in five movements, each inspired by a stage in an empire’s life cycle—expansion, unification, prosperity, war, and downfall.

PAINTING 1 – THE FIRST CLASHES

Track 1 – Shibinito Face InTras'tes

The soundscape is divided: on the left, the music of the Shibinito tribe; on the right, the InTras'Tes war drums. As the battle unfolds, Shibinito’s melodies fade, their rhythms overtaken. Some of their instruments begin to adopt the InTras'Tes patterns, symbolizing stolen technology and forced adaptation. A lone voice is added to the InTras'Tes choir—evidence that a few Shibinito survivors have joined their ranks. As the sound pans right, We start hearing distant echoes of a cheerful tune from an unknown village.

Track 2 – InTras'Tes Invade Kentyans

The cheerful tune of the Kentyan village sets the stage, but soon, from the left, the InTras’Tes war drums arriving can be heard. The Kentyan princess’s flute flees first, followed by warriors and villagers. The Kentyan king and his most loyal soldiers stand their ground, represented by deep strings and the unwavering tone of the dhong. But the InTras'Tes emerge victorious. Their song absorbs the defeated strings of the Kentyans—yet no new voices join their choir, a sign that no Kentyan willingly followed them.

PAINTING 2 – UNIONS AND CONQUESTS

Track 3 – Shibinito Meet Kentyans

A flute melody drifts from the left—the last gift of the Shibinito people, written by a fallen king’s brother in his honor. From the right, the Kentyan princess plays a sorrowful tune for her father. As they approach, their melodies intertwine, forming something new—a fusion of past traditions, giving birth to the Shikentyanit civilization.

Track 4 – The Tale of the Five Tribes

The InTras'Tes army marches forward, crushing three villages in its path. With each conquest, new instruments are added to their arsenal, and new voices bolster their choir. But when they reach the final village, their arrogance becomes their undoing. The peaceful melody they heard from afar masked a deadly ambush. The InTras'Tes are slaughtered, their expansion halted. Yet, as the victorious Arostians return to their tranquil song, two faint voices from the InTras'Tes choir remain—whispers of a legacy that may still endure.

Track 5 – Times of Peace

The newly formed Shikentyanit tribe thrives. Their song is bright, joyful—an homage to the old Kentyan traditions, but with old rhythms and fresh melody. The cycle of war has, at least for now, given way to harmony.

PAINTING 3 – AN EMPIRE AT ITS PEAK

Track 6 – Times of Prosperity

Melodies overlap, harmonies clash and merge—this is not chaos, but the sound of a great metropolis, where different cultures coexist in a vast and intricate dance. The Shikentyanit empire has flourished, its music rich with history, its layers a testament to its complexity.

Track 7 – A Tras'Te Ruler Over Arostian

A whisper spreads through the city—an ambitious ruler has uncovered their InTras'Tes ancestry. The once-forgotten war choirs begin to resurface, and unease settles over the kingdom. The people tremble at the thought of what is to come.

Track 8 – We Are Warriors

The Shikentyan people, faced with a looming threat, awaken their warrior spirit. Their anthem resounds—a defiant cry, an assertion of their strength and history. The echoes of their ancestors live on in their battle song.

PAINTING 4 – THE GREAT WAR

Track 9 – The Great War

From the distance, the InTras'Torians approach. The march builds, and then—chaos. The battle erupts into pure sonic devastation. Harmonies shatter, rhythms clash, melodies collapse into disarray. The empire fights for survival, but war spares no one.

PAINTING 5 – THE FALL

Track 10 – The Last of the Shikentyans

A single flute and a solemn bass remain, playing in the vast emptiness where an empire once stood. The war is over. The cities are gone. But their echoes linger, whispering the story of what was lost.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately to adhere with the jam deadline, I had only 3 days to conceptualize, compose and mix this work.

The mix suffered quite a bit, even having some instruments left out like the heavy distorted guitars and piano.

2 songs were left out "Civil Unrest" (Painting 4) & "What once stood"(Painting 5)

And "The Great War Pt.1" & "The Great War Pt.2" merged into "The Great War"
Civs loopables also left out.