Connor Helms is a young, award-winning contemporary Classical composer from Arizona who draws on an eclectic palette of musical influences. An aficionado of non-Western music, nearly all of his works have a tinge of various cultures without sounding cliched or gimmicky. Connor has a particular affinity for Japanese, Chinese, and other Eastern musical styles, which shows through in his more traditional-sounding ethnic pieces. He currently works as an orchestrator and composer of film and game music, and he also produces Electronic tracks.
Contemporary Classical, chamber ensemble. Odd timbers and colors, striking harmonies and melodies, plenty of rests and breathing space. Easy to cut up due to long rests, so no need to worry over tempo syncing. Slow, unsettling. Great for murder, crime, biopics, thriller and suspense. Instrumental, Action, Impending Orchestral
A dynamic and exotically exciting percussion ensemble. Authentic Peking and Lion Drumming rhythms. Intricately detailed, interlocking and intertwining, this is an explosive pack that will lend an authentic Chinese flavor to any video game, movie or game trailer, or film scenes of all kinds. Instrumental, Drums, Taiko Drums
Authentic Chinese Yangqin solo piece. No cliched and gimmicky tackiness, just the Eastern harmonic tendencies taking the listener on an emotional journey. A meditative and serene intro segues to a more fast and furious section highly idiomatic of the heavily ornamented Yangqin style. Brooding outro, Instrumental, Chinese, Chinese Folk Solo
An intense buildup. A huapengu with a score to settle is joined by a rather breakbeat Fangu. Intense and calculated rimshot exchange segues into a booming theme with omniscient bianzhong bell set. Luo gong crashes and Bo cymbal whips mark the dramatic passage of time til all fades to dying bianzhong, Instrumental, Drums, Taiko Drums
Authentic Japanese Daiko Ensemble - This track features the abrasive and pervasive Gaku-daiko in a battle agaist the taiko. Fast, furious, primal, this track is perfect for action packed montages in films and swordfighting/gunplay scenes in video games. Instrumental, Drums, Taiko Drums
The soprano sax is the perfect solo instrument to carry such a somber tune. The backing orchestra does not detract from this feeling but instead serves to introduce the bittersweet atmosphere and support it. A couple twists and turns such as a harp solo and sax/harp duet along with full tutti. Instrumental, Classical, 21st Century
Harp, vibes, and bowed marimba set the stage for a full large sized orchestra. Replete with variously muted brass instruments (bucket muted trombone glissandos included). Think an edgy quieter suspense cue from a Star Wars or Indiana Jones flick. Instrumental, Dangerous, Mysterious Music
An authentic Japanese shakuhachi piece. No cliches or gimmicks, this is a playable work that is unmistakeably Japanese. Slow and meditative, it soon builds into something a little more furious. A flurry of explosive staccato and idiomatic pitch bending bring about a unique atmosphere of Nipponia. Instrumental, Japanese, Min'yo
Great way to produce a pensive, eerie feeling across any genre/medium. Large sized modern orchestra. Starts with alto flutes in unison playing a highly atonal descent, going into a somber english horn. Plenty of bass/contrabass clarinet add to muted brass. An atonal and loud tutti ending sequence. Instrumental, Dangerous, Mysterious Music
Very large modern orchestra that includes contrabass and bass trombone, cimbasso, 8 horns, 4 trumpets. Features 7 string distorted electric guitar, a Moog modular analog synth, and a couple of Omnisphere digital synths. All packed in a orchestral minimalism ostinato/techno action cue. Vocal Pads, Action, Intense Electro-Orch
Authentic Futozao Shamisen. A despaired intro forebodes a rapid arpeggiated run. Manic and neurotic, it flows like the misty fog of this swamp. A depraved pyscho chase scene is given exotic timber and driving rhythm. Great for video game cutscenes as well, Instrumental, Asian, Asian
Authentic Hosozao Shamisen piece. After an ominous theme, a pulsating variation begins. Idiomatic staccato runs/interspersed melody notes take over. A break in the chaos comes 45 seconds in with a slightly faster take on things. This lasts about a minute (good for background) before chaos returns. Instrumental, Asian, Asian
Relaxing soundscape of nature and the drone of a choir. A flowing solo piano enlivens the upper stratosphere before an ethereal music box takes over; while the piano weaves a spell of mystic peace. It's joined by a playful bass guitar. Piano foreground is intersected by mysterious shakuhachi. Instrumental, New Age, Contemporary Instr
Authentic Futozao Shamisen. Traditional kokema swing gives a mocking groove quality to an otherwise haunting harmonic language. An odd yet regular pulse keeps things moving in an eerie style, and there is plenty of variation including short silences for added tension. Chromatic runs lead to a climax, Instrumental, Asian, Asian
Authentic Hosozao shamisen. After a 20 second foreboding, things turn sour. A fiery and rapid staccato passage that demonstrates hell hath no fury like a shamisen cranked to 11! Great for montage cutaways as it can easily be chopped. Instrumental, Asian, Asian
Authentic Hosozao Shamisen. Things escalate quickly and lead to a striking climax. The staccato strum is alternated with melody note in rapid bursts of unadultered Japanese fury. Great for video game cutscenes, film chase scenes, darkness of the night, general chaos. Also great in a comedic context, Instrumental, Asian, Asian
The harmonic language is varied, lending to the ternary form. Ruminations of dark depression. Lots of space with 'ma' rests are slowly overtaken by more flowing lines; disparate. A contrasting episode of foreboding and neurotic worry gives way to the original theme work, before a gagaku anti-climax, Instrumental, Asian, Asian
Bianzhong bell set swiftly hammers out a driven and repetitive sixteenth note melody while a haupengu flowerpot drum pounds harshly on 2 and 4. The tangu drum plays a tribal rhythm with Bo cymbal crashes and Luo gong clashes to add to the syncopation. Instrumental, Chinese, Chinese Folk Ensembles
Authentic Daiko Ensemble. Includes lots of great backing tracks, the perfect underscore for film, game, and tv. Builds and escalations, premonitions and omens, explosive foreboding, lengthy quiet and repetitious - it's all here in one pack! Instrumental, Drums, Taiko Drums
After some scurry and shuffle buildup, a trippy low pass filter-sweeping overdriven synth kicks in. Delirious and unsettling yet highly rhytmic with both simple and complex elements. Low pitch shifted grunted vocals in the second half add to the esoteric atmosphere. Very easy to cut up, single tempo, Instrumental, Science Fiction, Space Disco
A Mood Modular meets a Roland Juno. As the track fades in, you can hear the the motif based acid Moog melody, as it hops over the syncopated and percussive bassline of the backing Juno. Driving triumph is the main emotion, outlying a hero's journey to the final confrontation. Easy to cut up! Instrumental, Electronic, Electro-Industrial
A cascading and tumultuous marimba, a piercing and fluid oboe, and a powerful cello coalesce for an African rhythm inspired delirium. Its dizzying minimalist cells make for great psychotic and mental breakdowns of any genre, whether comedy or horror. Atonal and neo-tonal madness! Instrumental, Classical, 21st Century
Temperatures begin to chill, leaves begin to fall. Snow accumulates, and the atmosphere is set for the Holidays. Jazzy and impressionistic, a distinctly American style of orchestration through stacking and planing. A range of extended techniques make for dynamic textures, perfect for any Fall scenes, Instrumental, Dangerous, Mysterious Music
An original loop of African percussion and pitched percussion. Features a gyil and two kalimbas alongside a brekete, kidi, axatse, etc. Extremely complex and dense rhythmically, it remains easily danceable. The melodies are dark and brooding, a sort of unsettled premonition. Instrumental, African, African Contemporary
A brooding soundscape, followed by a drawn out passage of orchestral hits. Unrelenting, unforgiving, the hits just won't stop. Faster and faster, darker and darker, the chords growing more gruesome. Ends with a drawn out dissonant piano. Perfect for slasher flicks, stabbing scenes, gore scenes, Instrumental, Horror, Horror Action Intense
Heavy metal meets industrial techno. A heavy 7 string rhythm guitar with an overlayered robo-filtered 7 string guitar melody overhead. A metal drumkit and gritty punchy noisy sound. An edm bass drum overhauls the feel and worlds collide. Great rhythm and pulse, perfect for cutting action montages. Instrumental, Alternative, Industrial Rock
Floating but dense and weighted. Lively and spritely but dark and heavy. A contrast of dance rhythms with muddy quartal and extended tertian harmony for a chamber ensemble theme fit for a madman. Perfect for the evil manor overlords or elegant and refined demi-humans. Hits and wind down at the end. Instrumental, Classical, 21st Century
Tribal African sounding drums pound out a steady, hard, fast rhythm. The track then turns to a dark reggae with minor chord offbeat synth backing over the drums. Next a brassy arpeggio synth chimes in to add a dark doom disco flavor. Mix of tribal, reggae, and disco. Easy to cut to, villain montage, Instrumental, Dance, Experimental
A balaphon, a kora, and an ngoni. Recurring rhythmic and harmonic motifs set the mood for this jam on an original African birimintingo. Light hearted, uptempo, upbeat, it's sure to add childlike playfulness through its complex simplicity. Beautiful melody, interesting danceable rhythm, good vibes. Instrumental, African, Mande
A short improv by 2 djembe and 2 dun dun on the very familiar 'Manjani' percussion piece. Uptempo and upbeat, this 30 second drums-only track is sure to add speed and ethnic flavor to any use, particularly montage scenes, fight scenes, chase scenes, etc. A nice rounded climax at the end, Instrumental, African, African Drums
Diabolic shadows float by. The nocturnal creatures are out, but the moon is not. A vigorous piano harmonics rhythm, bowed vibraphone screeches, conch shell tone flute, clarinet barrel pops, screechy bridge bowed contrabass, and animal cries by blowing glissandi through a removed bassoon. Instrumental, Horror, Halloween Horror
Gritty and acidic synth with low pass filter-sweeping. The closed hat and processed snare chime in with their industrial underpinning. A space age bass drum them fills the space out as the ensemble is joined by a disturbingly dark-cartoonish synth stab. The ever watchful computer-tone looms. Instrumental, Electronic, Electro-Industrial
A modified Pierrot Lunaire ensemble. A melancholic atmosphere lays out the scene of a small town with dark secrets. The haunting melody in the solo piano slowly builds as marimba, then viola, trumpet, contrabass, and finally winds are added. Somber winds and high strings build to a vibraphones fade. Instrumental, Classical, 21st Century
Things start off with an uneasy piano theme - minor thirds in one voice, major thirds in the other. Woods switch off quietly playing the melody with percussion. Then strings and trumpet play an arcing melody. But the eerie mood deepens and the texture gets busier. Then swirls downward with a marimba, Instrumental, Dangerous, Psychedelic
A piano, upright bass, and clarinet are caught in a mutli-dimensional journey. From dark and haunting child-like piano melodies, to driving African rhythms, to beautiful clarinet solos and more - a perfect track that is easy to cut up for any game or film in the thriller or horror genre! Instrumental, Classical, 21st Century
Things start off bleak. The bleakness gets even worse. The woodwinds get clustered closer together, things start getting louder and more chaotic. Then a moment of halcyon overpowers as the ensemble rings a bright sounding sustain. But life is a roller coaster, ending with dissonant piano sustain. Instrumental, Classical, 21st Century
Steady and stately rhythm, with an unsettled atmosphere. The harmony is quartal and extended tertian, offering a slightly dense and dark style of upbeat dance. Backing in the piano, marimba, and contrabass for driving rhythm. The woodwinds take turns playing variations of the melody. Wind down fade. Instrumental, Classical, 21st Century
High, gritty voices sing their factory-machine melodies as a restless bass drum underpins the downbeat driven track. An expertly live-manipulated synth with low pass filter-sweeping hits the beats and changes, making for a great dark rhythm that is easy to cut to/for. Very versatile scene-wise. Instrumental, Dance, Experimental
Just a sitar and tabla. A driving, danceable rhythm with the bassy, heavy handed dagga drum, and a catchy, momentous melody in the sitar are all that's needed here. Perfect for a slightly Western feel for Indian media, or an Indian feel for Western media without being too staunchly Indian classical. Instrumental, World Music, Indian World Fusion
A clash right at the start; the full force of the chamber orchestra with a dissonant sustaining piano chord. Next odd timbers (such as bowed bridge on contrabass) lay over a bed of dissonant and haunting woodwind backing. Dark vibraphone middleground to top it off, Instrumental, Horror, Horror Edgy
