So I tried playing "Ori and the Blind Forest" but got stuck in the intro because I just had to make a forrest song!

I based this one on the design of "Naru, Embracing the Light". There's an ostinato part repeating over the two repeated phrases which make up the bulk of the song, then theres a brighter bridge into a more excuberant outro phrase which can loop back to the start if needed. Lots of wood percussion as well - temple blocks, marimba, xylophone, claves, etc. 

I threw in som jawbone and cowbell for good measure. Gotta have more cowbell!

Whispers Of The Wind

A track for a game jam with retro theme.

Made using Famitracker, this track can run on the NES using only the default 2A03 audio chip. This means the entire song is made using two pulse waves, a triangle wave (with only one possible volume setting) and a collection of 16 types of white noise. 

Good times!

Battle Maggots

Another track for the retro themed game jam, played alongside "Battle Maggots".

Commando Maggots

I tried playing Chrono Trigger but couldn't get out of the first house because I started analysing the soundtrack.

"Time Passes By" is inspired by Chrono Trigger's "Peaceful Days". If we denote a phrase consisting of two bars by a capital letter the song is basically "IABAB*CDABAB*CDD", with B* being a slight alteration of B. At the halfway point CD the two lead instruments trade melodies and I use a trombone to accentuate the off-beat.

I also got a chance to use Cinematic Studio Brass and Cinematic Studio Solo Strings extensively. While their sound and timbre is excellent, they do feel a bit sluggish to use and many hours went into tweaking note starts and velocity envelopes to get things reasonably tight.

Time Passes By

In my continued efforts to play Chrono Trigger I instead find myself  analysing the soundtrack.

"at Circus Pomp Galore" is inspired by "Guardia's Millenial Fair". Basically I looked at how the phrases were laid out and what feelings they conveyed and then did my own take on it. 

I think it is interesting to note that a lot of the structure comes from things being organised in pairs. Basically there are two (small) motives per bar, two bars per phrase, two phrases per sentence and then two sentences per verse. The verses then convey certain moods similar to chapters in a book.

For the melody I simply made some mock up lyrics for phonetics. Here's the main theme:

Come one
Come all
Hurry, step up to the fair!

We got fireworks
Mechanic turks
and not a single care!

So come on one
Come all
Hurry step up to the fair!

And the tears you've shed
Will turn to bread
at Circus Pomp Galore!

at Circus Pomp Galore

Spin-off track for "at Circus Pomp Galore".

Curtain Call

Touching Stars is about, well, touching stars. Sort of an ambient/fairy-airy song.

Of note is that the melody in the second part is 11 beats long. First a regular measure of 4 beats, followed by 3 measures of 5 triplets, ending with a measure of 6 triplets. 5x3+6=21, 21/3 = 7, 7 + 4 = 11. So it comes up one beat short per phrase, but run it four times and it's back on track!

Touching Stars

Summer Cruising

Playing around with phrasings and measures.

I have no idea what genre this is. Mostly inspired by video game music, which is pretty broad.

Sunny Side Up

When you play an RPG and get access to an airship. The sky's the limit!

Sailing On Clouds

So I was playing Spirit Island over Tabletop Simulator the other week and it hit me - some soundscape would be nice. 

This week's track is meant as background music when playing the game, the theme is the invader's Coastal Explore - lapping waves, creaking mooring ropes, jolly whistling infantry marching of into the unknown.

Big shout-outs to https://freesound.org/ where I got the awesome Foley. Especially the public domain licensed sounds, so easy to work with. Credit goes to the users:

Rmutt, for some awesome mooring rope: (Sound ID 145721)
Lippy_ua, for more awesome mooring rope: (Sound ID 511099)
mikewest, for the sound of a pulley: (Sound ID 394222)
felix.blume, for the sound of waves: (Sound ID 510236)
YourFriendJesse, for the sound of pelicans and seagulls: (Sound ID 242083)
rhostik, for more seagulls: (Sound ID 220905)
Martineerok, for bringing the thunder: (Sound ID 264825)

Johan Kvastad

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