Inside The Score - The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - Cave / Dank Dungeons

Earthly claustrophobia

Yet another one of the iconic sound vignettes from A Link to the Past. The kernel of the series, that of creator Shigeru Miyamoto sense of wonder and mystery when he explored with his lamp one small cave in his hometown, is finally given musical justice with this avant-garde precursor to the Dodongo’s Cavern cue, albeit way more musical due to constant rhythmic pulse—okay, Zelda II supposedly had a Cave theme but that was technically just the standard Battle track.

This sound vignette even incorporates into its composition the sound effect from whenever Link is stepping on shallow waters. From listening to the reimagining of this track in A Link Between Worlds we can infer that the idea was to bring to mind the drops of water that fall from the ceilings and stalactites of these dank places, naturally formed within the earth’s crust from thousands of years of weathering. The composer just did not bother with a more subtle sound in A Link to the Past so the effect is closer to either that of the boots stepping on a body of water or the hero bringing a shotgun and reload it every time that the timpani signals a shoot. In any case we can now add speleology to the set of abilities of our hero. If you want the true Avant-garde experience just harm yourself and mix in the annoying heart beeping sound effect of Link to this track.

These Underground levels, carved out of endless expanses of rock, are staples of video games primarily because these tunnels can be designed pretty much in free form without any care for consistency with the map world whatsoever. You can use any shapes and lengths since everything is inside a block or below the earth (Only the depths in Tears of the Kingdom cared about being relevant with respect to the overworld).

Just like Mario has one this is the Underground level theme of the Zelda series. Both as musically strange as they should be.

Musical Analysis

The music captures the unease, tension and respect for the natural dangers of the world via traditional stingers straight from the masters of suspense. We get the pulsating low end that mimics your heart rate or breathing alarmingly, made appropriately monolithic and ancient with the perfect fifth interval and the Phrygian profile of just moving a half step. Here the half step movement from F5 to Gb5 is just meant to capture the traditional anxiety escalating feel. You never know what might be on these fantasy caverns with low light. The ultra low end of the environment is captured with the big timpani drums which have a pattern with an upbeat, making things more musical.

The strong pulse and trumpet fanfares played with the trombone sample that the composer often uses as a second trumpet also keep some of the militaristic march feel that carries naturally from the overworld theme. The brass plays, harmonized in fourths, similar dissonant figures and contours to those of the dungeons, based on chromatic descents.

We also get the Psycho strings straight from horror film language. They are a violin screech by now closer to a sound effect meant to disturb the moment the unexpected shows in.The sting here is created by harmonizing in major seconds and the use of a fast chromatic ascent. It is difficult to catch but in that stinger pattern there is exactly one instance of the fast scale being harmonized in minor seconds; the effect is pretty much imperceptible for the ears so who knows whether it has any subliminal psychological effect or was just unintentionally put in there.

And after we took a detour to the naturally formed dungeon and explored some of the bizarre short song vignettes it is time to go to the man made underground levels (although this track here is also put on some built underground spaces such as the famous Chris Houlihan room which was an easter egg made for a fan).