Gather around for a mythological concept-themed album! Darren Troy Jenkins captivates and enthralls with his cinematic folk pop album, ‘Apollo & Hyacinthus: The Blood of Olympus’.
NYC-based composer and screenwriter/songwriter Darren Troy Jenkins has created a grand cinematic musical universe to reimagine the tragic Greek mythological story of Apollo & Hyacinthus. This album serves as the score to Darren’s upcoming feature film project, for which he has already created the entire screenplay and score! He seeks to now partner with avant-garde multimedia professionals (and has already garnered interest!) who truly see and feel the gravity of this project and would like to work alongside him to bring this epic to life on the silver screen.
The almost 90 minute long album ‘Apollo & Hyacinthus: The Blood of Olympus’ is a beautiful collection of orchestral, cinematic soundscapes, each depicting a scene, a mood, and a prevailing emotion to match the scene in question.
We open with ‘Troy’s Theme Overture’. It immediately sets a reflective mood with its soft, gentle piano tones upon which soul-stirring violin melodies dance in melancholy. The tone is one of suspense-led gloom, a feeling that something larger than life and fearful is soon approaching to upturn the way things are. It’s beautifully composed and sets the stage for what’s ahead.
Next up is the title track, ‘The Blood of Olympus,’ and stakes have definitely escalated here. Very grandly, we might add. This opens like the score to ‘God of War’, dramatic and ominous all at once. Loud horns ring out along with orchestral vocals, as to herald the entrance of a divine being. A brief pause, then that swells with the surprise addition of rock riffs and drums. The balance between orchestral arrangements and modern rock sounds is a compelling experience. The cinematic, IMAX-esque scale of this track cannot be praised enough. Over its 3 min runtime, it takes one through a storied range of emotions: awe, fear, and hope being just a few.
‘You Will Wait’ starts with soft angelic vocals, heavenly atmospherics, and a stripped-down click beat. The vocals, soft and sultry, narrate the reimagined love story between Apollo and his lover with catchy jazz-pop tones. Subtly deep basslines hit, and the track deepens in tone and intensity. Cinematically produced, every word and note feels compelling; it has you listening and bobbing along intently.
‘I Run For You’ paints a shadowy, ominous color over proceedings. Strong, stirring female vocals tell a tale of fighting against all the odds, against the earth and the heavens, just to meet your love. Complementing backing vocals and solid drum and basslines make this one of the best-composed tracks on the album for its overall effects.
‘Help Is on the Way’ slows things down to a gentle, reflective tone. It conveys a complex range of emotions with soft, soothing strings and swelling harmonies. One of irrefutable hope mixed with anxious waiting. The track serves as a beautiful interlude between the other dramatic tracks. It soothes, relaxes and uplifts the spirit.
‘The Golden Oasis’ continues in a similar vein, while the track before felt like you were in transit, this calming track makes you feel like you’ve just arrived at a beautiful, serene place. As the title suggests.
‘Apollo’s Fury’ builds ominously, like an approaching storm. To convey the earth-shattering extent of anger being expressed here. Dark, hateful vocals speak in defiance and accuse him of stealing the love he so dearly kept close to his heart. As the track continues to unfold, the intensity rises, anger turns to molten rage as the vocals declare in shouts now, ‘A vow of vengeance, newly made.’ A brief pause adds more gravity to what’s about to unfold.
“Hyacinthus in the Sun.” is a loving remembrance of intimate moments. A soulful country pop vibe that expresses the euphoric, exciting love they shared between a god and a mortal. The vocals soar with magnetic charm, singing, “Hyacinth in the sun, blooming just for me,”
Darren has really put in a lot of heart & spirit into creating ‘Apollo & Hyacinthus: The Blood of Olympus.’ Combining his excellent screen/songwriting skills across genres such as classical, pop, jazz, rock, and blues with music-making technology makes for a compelling listen for anyone who’s into dramatic, cinematic soundscapes.
Stream the entire album on Spotify:
