We wrote this song in January 2021. Lyrics for it are written, but they will be released when the singing version is.

Photo taken by Masha when we visited Melbourne in 2014. Masha: "I always thought the camera's flash in this one looks like I am holding light. I like it. It is also a really good memory of going to PAXAus during that holiday, we met up with a lot of interesting game developers, musicians, and friends we hadn't seen in a while."

Thank you for the support and for listening. Have a great day.

Photograph of a Memory

Photograph of a Memory - Instrumental

Photograph Of A Memory - Instrumental

An experimental track which started off as another song and split off, getting a life of its own. We wanted to see if we could compose a track with a heart pumping synth at its core, combined with some magical sounding synths that Masha crafted on the Roland Gaia SH-01.

The song art was made by Masha using Pixel Studio.

Hope you enjoy, and thank you for listening.

Swag And A Bag

Heart Pump Beat - Instrumental

We aimed to make some happy/sad dream-pop with a melodic reverie soundscape, bittersweet, about realising July is here again. (Where has the time gone?)

Masha Solo is the vocalist and lyricist. She also drew the song art.

Lyrics:

Anyone seen
Where the time’s gone by?
Living memories 
Drifting through my mind

The time is flying by
It's already July
How did all these 
Months slip by me?

With every passing day
Though it all feels the same
It's a constant 
That we're changing

Killing
Seconds
Minutes
Hours
Days fly
Weeks fly
Months fly
Years die

Before you even 
Know it,
Moments
Turn to memories

Try to achieve 
All my goals
And dreams
Time can't freeze

It's time we realise
That we don't have the time
Time to waste on being angry

With only some much time
We should prioritise
Do the things 
That make us happy

If I am luckier than most
And live to eighty, then
18 thousand more days
Would be all I have

All I can do is try my best
To notice I'm alive
In this moment
Breathe in, make the most of it

Because in spite of how time flies
I'll still spend every year
Right by your side
Always
Till we disappear

Mulu Lagoon

July

Our first official EP 'Tumultuous Disturbance In Time' was composed from 2020-2022. 

Made for the Vuhu Island game's original soundtrack.

Art by Masha using a background made by FreeCreativeStuff on Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/users/freecreativestuff-6346290/

Tumultuous Disturbance In Time

Collapse Of The Grand Illusion

Character created by Rob and art by Masha. It is the character Riven's theme song and will be on the album 'Realms'. 

Rob: "Riven is a scientist who's on the brink between genius and insanity. He is from our Parallel Tales series, specifically the second story 'They Call Me A Thief'."

Our guest drummer here is Tot. from Japan who we think did an excellent job (Thanks, Tot! Really fun drums and a great fit for our song)!! Here's a link to Tot's page: @tot-beat

A vocals version is in the works. A tidbit about the song: The sound effect at the end was purely accidental, but we decided to keep it as we felt that it fits the story.

We hope you enjoy this surprise collaboration. Thanks for listening!

Realms

Riven Halfwaye - w/ Guest Drummer Tot. - Instrumental

Riven Halfwaye - w/ Tot. on drums - Instrumental

Now available as a Single on Bandcamp! https://archmagemusic.bandcamp.com/album/synth-mage-single

An upbeat song about the magic of creative expression using the synthesizer.

This is essentially the Archmage Band manifesto about how we compose music and why. Thank you for listening!

Lyrics and vocals by Masha.
Synth work by Rob & Masha.
Song art by Masha.

Lyrics:

Spreading positivity
Through thoughtful creativity
Let will of Jesus guide my heart
In this I gain new clarity
I am a different kind of mage,
Reject all malice; cruelty; rage,
Refuse to be in devil’s cage
Instead I aim for purity
With purpose, crafting rhythms
That I see as correct,
In everything, the lead and drums,
And how they all connect
There is a very ordered state,
In what you call my oddities,
But I think my eccentricity
Creates the best of melodies
x2
(In all the work we undertake)
(He’s there, helping us)
(Let God, guide your heart)
(God’s will guides my heart)

Shaping each noise from humming lightning
Teaching my robots how to sing well
Sounds like a droning choir of floppies
In actual fact, three oscillators
Love casting music, I’m a synth mage
Space sounds fly wildly out from the stage
When I’m inspired, I have no limits
Aiming for sound waves with uniqueness
So many synths, when combined they make brand new sounds,
I think that’s cool, let me try and add one more module,
Slowed down my DAW right to a crawl
When I export it, I’m enthralled
I’m a go-getter, I’m relentless
I do not tend to settle for less
I used to be a mere apprentice,
When it all clicked, it was tremendous

…Let me mesmerise you for a sec
(Did it work? I hope so, that wasn’t tested yet)
Let me show you these muso tricks
Here’s some more I’ve got up my sleeves
Bit-crushing parts to sound so retro
Layer synth noises, add crescendo
Have so much fun creating tunes
Catching shooting stars with harpoons
Grand arpeggios like cascading waterfalls
Melting sounds of detuned chip bits
Turn up distortion, push up that drive
All of this process brings me alive
Love casting music, I’m a synth mage
Space sounds fly wildly out from the stage
(Let God, guide your heart)
(God’s will guides my heart)

Enlightened

Synth Mage

A nocturne inspired by "Into The Night" by 'Big Black Delta' and the general mood of 'SONOIO', two of our favourite music projects.

We've been working on this song as a first foray into space rock since November 2021, finalized in late July 2022. Hope you enjoy, and thanks for listening!

Royalty free background image from Pixabay. (has since been deleted, unknown author)

At The End Of The Day - Instrumental

(Soundcloud exclusive)

Originally this song was composed by MODWUMP (Craig Manga (@craig-manga) and Mr. Tim (@unclesofwise) and was remixed by GrevusAnjl (Justin Mackay @grevusanjl) and then again by Neons Gone Mad (Craig Conley @professoroddfellow, Michael Warwick). 

GrevusAnjl's version is here: https://soundcloud.com/grevusanjl/modwumps-widdershins-grevusanjl-the-prodigiously-ironic-rendition

Archmage Band's contribution to this song is Masha's narration of the fable in Neons Gone Mad's video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmlt50Zf4wU) and the fable is by Robert Louis Stevenson.

In the future, Rob Ulysses will join in with the Timekeeper's parts and we'll release that version when it's done.

We hope you enjoy Masha's narration! We thought the music and the remixes were amazing. Great work, everyone involved!

Art by Masha using a royalty free ocean photo from Pixabay by jensphotography.

Collabs and Remixes

Widdershins, A Narration by Masha Solo (By MODWUMP, Remixed by GrevusAnjl and Neons Gone Mad)

We've been working on this song since 2015, releasing a demo of it in 2016 on "The Bonfire Party" demo collection (which is no longer online, by our choice). Now we think this song is finished enough to post.

Our intention with this one: an emotional journey through a heartfelt melodic structure, designed for our 'Vuhu Island' game.

(For now we're using a software guitar, but we'd love for a real electric guitar sound so if anyone wanted to play it, let us know.)

Thanks so much everyone for stopping by and checking out our tunes.

Song art by Masha.

The Bonfire Party

From The Forest To The Sea (Vivika) - Instrumental

It's our 50th published song! :)

Now available as a Single on Bandcamp! https://archmagemusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-dig-site-at-night-single

The instrumentation was composed in September 2021 and the singing completed September 2022. Lyrics, Singing, and Song Art by Masha. Background photo taken in Pompeii by Masha. Synth work by Rob and Masha. Drums by Masha.

A night scene composition for the Vuhu Island game soundtrack. With the ruins partially dug up looking ominous in the moonlight, this is a nocturne which feels a bit uneasy in mood as the spirits and bones have become unsettled from their resting place by industrious archaeologists.

Lyrics:

Late at night,
When the past stood still
And wasn’t being brought to light…
x2

By hard-working archaeologists
By daylight
Something suddenly gave me quite a fright

Spoken: (Something gave me quite a fright!)

I could have sworn I had seen something
That wasn’t really there
Could it have been some sort of ghost?
I couldn’t help but stare
Into the space I’d seen the change

Got swept up in a reverie,
Of time that had elapsed
I wondered about the concept
Of what secrets it could host

Late at night,
When the past stood still
And wasn’t being brought to light
By hard-working archaeologists
Something gave me quite a fright
Spoken: (Something gave me quite a fright!)

I could have sworn I had seen something
That wasn’t really there
Could it have been some sort of ghost?
I couldn’t help but stare
Into the space I’d seen the change…

But then my eye was drawn to where
The artifacts were kept
I looked at the fragments of clay, engrossed
Standing alone in the outpost

Got swept up in a reverie,
Of time that had elapsed
I wondered about the concept
Of what secrets it could host

What ancient life was really like?
8,000 years foremost?
If we’d discovered things we thought
Were too advanced for us to know?

Forgetting and remembering
The knowledge that we sought
Forgetting that we’d learned it
Because that culture’s naught

Refocused on the present,
I made myself alert,
I didn’t see the ghost again,
No movement - air or dirt

Gave me quite a thrill
To think that ancient souls
Could tend to reappear
And may dwell among us, still

Archaeology

The Dig Site At Night (Extended Vocals Version)

Blessed Single

Blessed (Heavenly Rework)

A soundtrack piece written for the Vuhu Island game, aiming to be pretty yet providing a sense of wonder and mysterious uncertainty.

Synths used: Roland Gaia SH-01, Figure, Reason Compact

Synth work: Rob & Masha

Artwork: darksouls1 on Pixabay for the song art.
Teaser trailer: syaibatulhamdi on Pixabay for the moon phase image.

Remixing is allowed, provided you credit & link back to us and it's noncommercial.

Temple of the Moon - Instrumental

Temple Of The Moon - Instrumental

This song is for a game main menu screen for a game we are working on by the same name, 'Modern Entropy'. We made this song with the idea in mind that entropy has always been around, but the kind we have now is a very modern kind of condition - having to make sure the alarm wakes us up, going to work and back, having messes pile up and be cleaned up again, having limited free time and choosing what you do with it each day, choosing who you talk to or befriend, or who you date, and the dating game. However we made the song itself reflect 80's/90's feeling vaporwave disco styles.

We were joined by Bruce Parsons who composed additional synth and piano parts. Thanks for joining us, Bruce! Bruce's page: @blankreg

After Bruce joined us, in a final jam session Masha added a lead and a dub echo lead throughout the song, and later an intro when she was going to sing.

We hope you enjoy! Thanks for listening.

Lyrics by Masha for this version and singing as well.

I put my things in order
They’re in disarray
I feel like this is natural
Though initially I felt nothing but dismay
Realisation hit me once again
I should not be surprised by now
Chaos is the natural state
I’ve since learned
These days we’ve a
Modern kind of entropy
The kind that envelops you
In chores and mediocrity
No secret cheat or recipe
Can fully stop its anarchy
It doesn’t care about anybody
Chaos is the natural state…
It’s fair and treats us equally
Though charmlessly and caustically
Every day is a blank slate
Just don’t let yourself forget
Chaos is the natural state
I’ve since learned
That chaos is the natural state
That chaos in perpetual state,
Is chaos in the natural state

-

City drawing by Hiob315 from Pixabay.

[Modern Entropy]

[Modern Entropy] ft. Bruce Parsons - Memory Box Mix

Free/Pay What You Want

[Modern Entropy] ft. Bruce Parsons

This is the version used in this music video by Neons Gone Mad: https://youtu.be/0q7x7fvAAxU

This song is for a game main menu screen for a game we are working on by the same name, 'Modern Entropy'. We made this song with the idea in mind that entropy has always been around, but the kind we have now is a very modern kind of condition - having to make sure the alarm wakes us up, going to work and back, having messes pile up and be cleaned up again, having limited free time and choosing what you do with it each day, choosing who you talk to or befriend, or who you date, and the dating game. However we made the song itself reflect 80's/90's feeling vaporwave disco styles.

We were joined by Bruce Parsons who composed additional synth and piano parts. Thanks for joining us, Bruce!

We hope you enjoy! Thanks for listening.

Lyrics by Craig Conley for this version,

Mod entropy
We atrophy
Debauchery
Melancholy

We can't attain
We must abstain
With some disdain
It's all inane

Let's all decay
Degenerate
Go on the wane
Go down the drain

[Interstitial]
Abbreviate
Like this quatrain
Just pull the chain

Mod entropy
We atrophy
Debauchery
Melancholy

Modern Entropy Single

[Mod Entropy] ft. Bruce Parsons And Neons Gone Mad - Neons Music Video Version

[Mod Entropy] ft. Bruce Parsons & Neons Gone Mad - Neons Music Video Version

This version of the song is for our game called 'Modern Entropy' for its main menu screen.

We made this song with the idea in mind that entropy has always been around, but the kind we have now is a very modern kind of condition - having to make sure the alarm wakes us up, going to work and back, having messes pile up and be cleaned up again, having limited free time and choosing what you do with it each day, choosing who you talk to or befriend, or who you date, and the dating game. However we made the song itself reflect 80's/90's feeling vaporwave disco styles.

We were joined by Bruce Parsons who composed additional synth and piano parts. Thanks for joining us, Bruce!

Bruce's page: @blankreg

[Modern Entropy] ft. Bruce Parsons - Instrumental - Main Menu Version

'Realms' is one of the first tracks we envisioned would be on an album by the same name back when we started composition of the track in 2015. In 2022 Masha mixed and mastered the song.

Later on there will be a version with lyrics and Masha's singing.

The song art was first designed by Robert this time, who drew Masha a surprise whiteboard sketch back in 2016, which was left on the whiteboard for a whole year after that. In 2022, Masha recreated the design from memory using royalty free photography from victoria-rt, buddy-nath, and merlinlightpainting on Pixabay.

We hope you enjoy the listen. Thanks for stopping by.

Realms - Instrumental

Written for the game Vuhu Island, this track was first started in 2017 and mixed and mastered by Masha in 2022. This song is meant for the moment when we learn there is more to the broken blue amphora than first meets the eye.

Synth work by Rob and Masha.
Art by Masha.

Thanks for listening!

The Broken Blue Amphora - Instrumental

This song is Masha's love letter to game design and development.

Now available as a Single on Bandcamp!
https://archmagemusic.bandcamp.com/album/press-start-to-work-single

Vocals and lyrics: Masha
Synth work: Masha
Song art: Masha
Drums: Rob
Basslines: Rob

Lyrics:

Time to brainstorm
So let’s press start to work
On games
Even more fun
Than pressing start to play
For us

We work hard now so you press start to play
Someday
When it’s ready, we'll be sure to tell you first
You can playtest

Thank you so much for encouraging us 
in this endeavour
You don’t realise how much your interest means 
To me, a creator

I can't wait till I have more time to code
Trying to finish the mini game mode
Always seems like there's so much more to do
Just so that one day, you can all press play

Making adventure games like it's the mid 90s
The world does always need more good stories
And I hope that I can contribute a few
I hope that I can add something of value

All the backgrounds finally finished, I’ll add them to the game
All the characters are finished, I’ll add them to the game
Something’s wrong, I’ve got to fix it
Another bug, created more bugs!
(More bugs!)
But I’ll get through this nonsense

All the dialogue is written…
That took us years,
That took us years,
That took us years,
That took us years, 
But it will not be in vain

You'd also be shocked at how long this took us all in all
To get even halfway
But it will all be worth it in the end, 
When the players press play!

Brainstorming time, 
Brainstorming time, 
Brainstorming time, 
Brainstorming time

Let’s get to work
And make this game,
Come on, my team -
You’re all so great!

Time to brainstorm
So let’s press start to work
On games
Even more fun
Than pressing start to play
For us

We work hard now so you press start to play
Someday
When it’s ready, we'll be sure to tell you first
You can playtest

It’ll all be worth it in the end, 
When the players press play!

Press Start To Work!

[Press Start To Work]

We made this version for a new friend on SoundCloud who wanted to rap over parts of the song, but it also makes for a great standalone extended version in our opinion, so we're releasing it separately too.

Originally composed in 2014, and refined and added to over the years. Masha Solo is the vocalist. A heartfelt song of ours, layered with synths and effects. It covers the idea of how important having a cup of tea with someone can be, just talking about life (In particular how your life matters, so don't disappear - you are the only one of you)

The beautiful song art for this one is a watercolour painting by AngieVX_Art, a really good friend of ours and talented poet, artist, designer and translator. You can find more of her art here: https://www.instagram.com/angievx_art

Thanks for listening!

Lyrics by Masha. The extended version's order is different.

Lyrics:

Hey, you look sad!
Hey, you look sad!
Hey, you look sad!

I know right now
That you are all stressed out 
But
We can work it out
Yeah
We can work it out

Hey! You look sad,
I want to help you so bad,
You seem incredibly drained now, 
Something wrong?

Feel free to vent,
Talking it out could explain, 
Because I’d like to know now, 
What it is you underwent

Hang on, dear friend
Life will get better again
It sometimes comes down to balance 
I think you work way too hard

Let’s go and relax,
Maybe I’ll make us both tea?
Did you want black, milk, two sugars? 
Sure, sounds good to me

Sit down and I'll make your cuppa tea 
Just chill here with me
And we'll work it out
I know right now
That you are all stressed out 
But
We can work it out
Yeah
We can work it out x2

You are right here for a reason 
(Don't disappear)
We need you
You are the only one of you, 
(Don't disappear)
You’re unique
Why do you think that you’re not loved? 
(Don't disappear)
We love you
You have your place in this world, too, 
(Don't disappear)
The world needs you

On this wide Earth,
There is nobody like you,
And there will be a piece missing, 
When you’re gone

Everyone dies,
But this is not yet your time
And we’ll get through this together, 
Please for me, stay strong

You are so nice
It's hard to see you so sad 
You may not feel very needed 
But you are

Let's go and relax
Let's go and relax
Let's go and relax
Sure, sounds good to me

And I'll make your cuppa tea
And I'll make your cuppa tea
Sure, sounds good to me
Sure, sounds good to me

We can work it out

A Teatime Talk Single

A Teatime Talk (Spend Some Time) - Extended Remix

First composed March 2016, and had an odd code name for a while that was randomly generated text: 'manysipivu' and later it went by the code name 'Phoenix' for a long time. However after other instruments were added, we felt the mood was more of being caught in a daydream in which you have a ton of ideas, and how that feels. In 2022 Masha mixed and mastered the song and named it 'Swept Away By Stunning Inspiration', with the song art by Masha alluding to the fact that it's a companion song to both of our tracks 'Autumn Breeze' with a similar theme to 'When Passion Conquers Fear'.

Synth work by Rob and Masha.
Art by Masha using free Canva resources.

Swept Away By Stunning Inspiration - Instrumental

We started this song almost exactly 2 years ago in November 2020. Its code name was "Meeting" and it quickly got named to 'When I Realised...'. It is a love song at heart. When we built the synth sounds we were inspired by the Portal 2 Soundtrack by Aperture Science Psychoacoustics Laboratory.

Art by Masha using free Canva resources.

Arcane Arcade

When I Realised... - Instrumental

Composed and played in March 2016 by Rob and Masha, mixed & mastered by Masha in November 2022.

Art by Masha using a royalty-free photo from Pixabay by a user called tabor.

This is going to be the last song uploaded to this SoundCloud account as we have reached the limit.

Floating In A Hot Air Balloon

Floating In A Hot Air Balloon - Instrumental

Archmage Band was formed in 2013 by Masha Solo and Rob Ulysses. The synth pop/chiptunes/dream pop duo is based in Australia. 

Masha is the frontwoman of the band and she is also the main artist for song art unless stated otherwise. 

Gear: Rob and Masha both play the Roland Gaia SH-01 Synthesizer primarily, also making use of apps like Reason Compact and Figure for additional synthesizers and drum machines.

For enquires, collaboration or remix ideas, or just to get in touch with either Rob or Masha, contact Archmage Band at mail@archmagemusic.com

Solo Accounts:
@masha-solo
@rob-ulysses

Thank you all for listening to our music, have a lovely day.

We have reached the upload limit so you can find our older music and new music both on our Bandcamp at Archmage Music: https://archmagemusic.bandcamp.com

Archmage Band

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