Frame

In 2003, I worked on two Doom mod soundtracks in parallel: one was Action Doom, the other was RTC-3057. Here is the latter in all of its low-res .ogg glory (as compiled the original .wad file).

My feelings with this soundtrack are mixed. Quality varies dramatically here with a tendency for the worse. I threw dozens and dozens of tracks or, rather, pieces of tracks, at Shaviro (the lead) while he was working on RTC. I wanted him to have options. It also means that most tracks are raw, mixes are all over the place and melodies are dodgy when not completely off.

Still, Doom fans always tell me how they love this soundtrack. It probably helps that RTC-3057, like Action Doom, became a classic. I guess the music works better in-game.

"RTC-3057 Title Screen" is your typical 10-second introduction clip. Apart from some horribly abusive use of a compressor, there is nothing special here. Still, I really like the ominous voices in the end somehow but the mix is not kind to them.

"Machines" is a track that I composed on Fruity Loops before even knowing of RTC-3057. When Shaviro asked for some ambient loops, I remembered how easy it was to make those in that software. I worked on "Machines" some more and even made other variations that can be heard in the game but are not in this compilation. I chose this one because it has some kind of musicality that's missing from the others. Incidentally, you hear this one during the introduction.

"Exactamente" is clearly one of the best tracks in here. When I switched from Fruity Loops to Reason, I was amazed at what the latter offered, or rather overwhelmed. When you just got a new toy, you use and mix everything together. "Exactamente" is exactly that, with its saturated drums, its melancholic strings, its random noises and its vibraphone. What sets "Exactamente" apart though is what I still struggle with to this day: structure.

Truth be told, I didn't compose "40". Shaviro had this .mid file he was in love with. I just imported it into Reason on top of some synths and effects of my liking. I was never found of it but Shaviro was happy. Oh, and same abusive use of compression as in the title screen track.

"New Floor Puzzle" was composed in something like half an hour. Suffice to say it's as minimalist as it gets. The reason of the rush? Shaviro had selected some other horrible track of mine for the floor puzzle area in the game. He wanted to ship, I told him I could do better in half an hour... and so I did.

"Douce" is my first ever use of a custom sample in Reason. I don't remember where I extracted the piano from but I do remember I was really proud. Eleven years later, I just wish I could have focused on structuring the piece instead. All those accidental dissonances don't help and, come to think of it, neither does this horrible choir synth.

"Device" is pretty much in the same vein. I was actively after the dissonances this time but the strings are just painfully repetitive to the point of being boring. I still like the very beginning of the track though.

With "Continuum", the quality goes up a notch. It's simple and repetitive but catchy. There's a lot more subtleties in there than catch the ear. 

"Guardians" is another gem on par with "Exactamente". The rhythm in this particular piece is probably the reason why most people think of the whole soundtrack as drum and bass. "Guardians" also started a trend where I would structure tracks as two-parters with a dramatic shift in atmosphere right in the middle.

"RTC-3057 End Screen" is a weird beast. It is very structured, restrained and features some pretty solid drums programming. And yet I find it pretty boring. It sounds like work... which it was. I guess it's somehow a fitting track as the credits roll.

And that's it for RTC-3057, I hope you enjoyed this decade-old soundtrack despite its many problems.

Exactamente

Machines

Static

Excerpt from the play "Silences" which will be released on September 4, 2020.
Ⓟ 2020 David Braud
====
Silences will be performed during the exhibition of the painter Rémy Disch.
3_8 september, 2020
Galerie Bansard, Paris
https://www.dischr.com

Murmures (theme)

user616021557

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