yea i noticed when went to read the project page, but unfortunately that was after listening to everything. and thanks for the updates.

Thank you, I will assume you are talking about "The World In Ashes"
The How-
not sure how familiar you are with modular music, but for anyone who is not i think its fair to describe it as physical vst modules that can interconnect with each other via patch cables.  Without getting too into the weeds, the case i am working with is comprised of 3 loopers. During the piece only two loopers are being used. The Drone in the beginning is coming from the top right instruo module and the high pitch singing from the second to last from the upper left row.  There are other modules but i wont bore you with the details. Last module i will mention is the Quad Filter Module with the red button which is creating pure tones from the audio source file. This case was put together on the basis of subtractive synthesis, there for it needs a sound source to make music as it can product the music itself.

The process-
The jam page had a video called Sequentia: Dies Irae. I took  a aux cable from my computer and recorded a loop from the first minute of the song/youtube video. One of my loopers also doubles as a granular synth so the loop was split into short cuts and rearranged at different pitches and speeds (Specifically only 3 pitches and speeds which creates the high pitch singing you hear. The original loop from a second looper is patched into the filter which is creating the pure tones you are hearing towards the middle of the song, with "count to 5" guitar pedal for additional effects. I don't think anyone mention it but there was also some very subtle panning goin on but thats something im experimenting with. Also the video has a lag from the audio unfortunately. At the end i am attempting to draw a connect between the original source material and the music that was just created. 

Alltogether the process takes 4 to 6 hours to create the initial song, and then another 4 to 6 to tweak. Meaning I decide how each section is delivered, transitioned, mixing techniques, or whether to include panning. Then once i practice cleaning up the patch by adding knobs to the volume of each voice/instrument. i do a couple performance test runs, and then hit the red button on my camera for a one take recording session. I also record to seperate files incase one gets corrupted or damaged which always seems to happen. But at least its hardware which i trust way more then a daw. Before this my daw work flow was much faster but redundant and uninspiring as everything i made sound the same. I couldn't escape the limitations of my habits, skills, and knowledge . Plus, daws freeze on me constantly.


In conclusion the process is hyper exploratory and i never know what i am going to make, which i love.
Is it practical? Not at all!
Can i be commissioned? only if the client likes surprises!
but this new way of creating has returned the joy i once found in making music to me. and thats worth so much more then the perfect piece because i exist in the imperfections. If i had a slogan, it would be "Happy Accidents" or "More Happy Accidents

At first listen i think this is organ that at some point layers several keyboards sounds, one of which being a harpsichord?  A lot going on just with instrumentation alone. It is always a breath of fresh air to hear what sounds like a soloist as in one player. Where most submission would require an orchestra. I can hear the classical but im well acquainted enough to have a taste for it, but it sounds like something from the baroque period structurally. (I could be wrong tho, its been years since my theory & composition class). Also understanding this piece as a call and response between classical and jazz, with jazz being noticed by the chord structures and classical distinguished by one note at a time. Also the jazz section seems lack a the tonal center, or maybe a shifting tonal center.
Man my head is exploding, this is the most academic piece in this submission to me. i almost get an adams family impression but that maybe the selection of instruments. Particularly super nintendo adams family, but not 8 bit.  Generically this would fit a dark game that seeks to defy expectations, and is just as challenging to play. Music for academics fit only for games that embrace hard core gamers. Nice job!

Maybe it was the picture of a home but i absolutely got the impression of a healthy family coming home. Particularly that of a sitcom intro song. So maybe a father creeping in to surprise his loved ones, or even a veteran returning home. Some games this could work for are a animal crossing (sitcom edition), maybe a farm simulator.

iMMediately love the drums on "whats going on" in the section that leans heavy on the bass. Very catching and perfect for a dark beat'em up game. Thinking arcade ninja turtles with joy sticks and buttons in a night setting/scene. Definitly my favorite song of the 3. see the creeping in aspect/theme more clearly in this song as well. Going off the veteran idea, i would consider this the feelings of deployment Locking into the mindset of the mission. Reference examples include side scroller shooter games, metal gear solid type, Dark platformer, hotline miami, etc.

great production on the last song. Don't have much to say about it. This song is reminiscent of Monkey Ball game sound track  for game cube. A lot lighter compared to the dark tone of "wHATS going on". Makes more sense in combination with the first song for mood consistency. 

I dont play many positive games so can't really speak on the "this is home" and "A new beginning". As they live in a genre outside my interests. But Great Work!!!

(🤣Currently talking to my lawyer...Lawsuit pending...)
Listening on Youtube
Very minimalist... in the beginning
what is that second sound that comes in at 0:44? was that sound designed or a preset instrument? Sounds amazing and fills out that high end real nice.
I think even with the beat i would still classify this as ambient? electronic? Electro beat? yea im bad at classifications as well.

2:34 sounds like a piano with the mids and lows taken out. but the sound effects of the piano foot pedals remained. That build up is a thing of beauty.

Lots of great sound designing in the piece, really sets it apart. This was a really unusually strong game jam, like everyone was on their game for this jam.

The overall vibe reminds me of the mixtape "More Life" by Drake. specifically the song "4422" with the ending/climax of your song.
I saw this as ambient in the beginning. Then it lowkey become something close to drum and bass? 

Optional Slight criticism at 3:05 when all  the instrumentation come in, i thought was a missed opportunity for a build up. That section of the song is what i would consider the climax and a proper build up that creates anticipation would have been the most amazing release. not sure how you would have pulled it off, it flowed too well, Like a rollercoaster with no drop. was it still a fun ride? yes, but it could have been so much more.  the music was perfect, i guess my issue was with slow building and lack of anticipation using a modern trope (like a riser, filter, drums cutout, etc).

In regards to games. the music is too good. So good that it may compete with the game play. i genuinely believe that climax section needs visuals that are over the top just to prevent people buying the OST over the game. The first two or three section before the culmination would fit really well in many types of games, especially dealling with space or space shooter game with great visuals. I could see this in the wipe out pure soundtrack list.

in regards to the them of creeping in, disregarding everything i said above as criticism?, you nailed. the fact that you followed the theme is what bothered me 😂😂. wanted more volatility. 

Amazing work!

Well done. you really have created an ost ready to be adapted to a wide spectrum of games. The music does not scream for attention, which lends itself well to visuals without competing.

"Dying" up and down arpeggios to simulate in my opinion a heart beat starting, soley for the purpose of drawing one last breathe.

"Come to the light" characterized by the high pitch xylophone communicating uncertainty, fast approaching.
 
"Final Judgement" is the first introduction of more complexity in the score/music. The beginning also reminds me of erhu or kokyu music. seems like music to be used for a build up. Moments before the climax.  While "heaven" seems to be the after math, invoke a state peace with the call and response between the violin and what sounds like bells or percussive triangles.

Limbo. has a far and near expression to it. the melodic instruments closer in depth and the drums farther. in modern music drums are used for timing but your execution is more on similar to operas and classical music. This is particularly apparent the next piece "Hell". where the drums and percussive elements step into center stage. First time I am seeing someone use a timpani the way it typically sounds amongst an orchestra.

I could see this entire playlist or OSTs being used for medieval games. Great WOrk!

i can see a calm cool and stoic wrath being exhibited.

makes sense for the "creeping in" theme but for functional purposes, I would remove the build up and start at 0:13 when all the instruments come in. I just don't think people will spend enough time in the main menu to get 13 seconds in to hear the music. Build ups make sense when setting the scene so maybe if you include beginning credits/brand logos? but todays attention span will never hear the song with the intro.

guessing 1:10 is a new song. Thats a big change in mood. The drum sticks playing in the beginning create that seperation between the first song and second. but the drum sticks also make me think this is done in a small club that our character frequents. im thinking a fun club that facilitates assasinations while everyone is partying via the female attendents. This days target likes to be the life of the party. Something similar to Death Parade anime but more discrete.

new song change at 2:37, same location new day, new assignment. Target is quiet and caustious.
3:50, assassination goes wrong and the target picks up on the mission. Suspician is high and the employees find out he is an investigator. But the mission is abandon and the investigation leads to a dead end at 4:49.

Love the noir approach to the theme. Reminds me of the samurai jack episode with the noir robot who got hired to dispatch "The Samurai" because his precious dog was taken hostage by Aku. Keep up the great work. Also the cover art is perfect for the sound of this work.

P.S. Just realized the name of the song changed on the video. apologies. I was listening while writing. also i mention bar because you did a really great job of conveying the space through the use of reverb placed on the drums specifically.

Playlist on youtube in short form was brilliant and innovative. awesome thing about the shorts is that the song can repeat while i am writing a comment/feedback. Gona be honest thought it would be more fun to give everything a cold read before reading the project page. I see you put a lot of work into this, so definitely want to pay my respects.

Cold read means i did not read the story while listening. I listened to the music in the order written below which may have been backwards. (My apologies, i guess i went in the order they were uploaded from top to bottom)

Emergency (Cold read)
-Interesting take on "Dies Irae", love whats happening with the melody, like its slightly askewing from what we understand as the tonal center. I would describe this as anti-hero music. World is falling apart but the player/character maintains peace of mind by stay true one's own moral compass. The setting being a fully functional city at night time, where the chaos exist internal via the people. Similar to the recent cyberpunk anime. 

On my way (cold read)
-a lot of these songs are upbeat, and not meloncholic as i was expecting. Nice gems and hyper listenable in not require visuals to listen to. Great standalone piece. Nice use of synthesized voice?  Seems more like music waiting for a vocalist. is that a rubbing sound against the mic? in the beginning? i get the impression of an "on my way"  being told as a lie. Like when someone says "ill hold off the enemy so everyone can escape, ill be on my away after everyone gets out" but everyone knows he is sacrificing himself for their sakes. This song is a reflection of the emotions of the fleeing people in the aforenoted scenerio. Very creative take on the theme.

"Siting Between"  (cold read)
-Nice job mainting that melodic theme. seems like a prelude or outro to "on my way" as a transitional element. Maybe even a slow down/slo mo sequence to emphasis specific moment.

"Worm" (Cold read)
-Game play music happening in the back ground with a slow build that only happening once you ending or get closer to the boss room. Could also serve as a transitional piece for a loading screen. 

"Where did i go" (Act 1)
nice panning. Interestingly enough i listen to this song last and then starting reading act 1 while listening to it. Act 1 seemed very description heavy. Didn't get a sense of direction or purpose, more like a description of an establishing shot.  curious what the intent was with act 1 or was it just free writing?

-Would be nice to know which acts go with which songs.
i'll also be honest, i couldn't get into the writing, personally not a big reader. I should also mention, heavily descriptive writing that doesn't push the story forward is not my thing. I like intention and predefined goals that the character is working towards and any details that don't push the character in the direction of said goals, seem like filler words. The story was too creative for me, But love the idea of pairing writing with music. Keep this collaboration going!

Nice job, Irae reborn structure reminds me of hyms sung in roman catholic church. what did you use to create these piece? In regards to a daw or live recording for some of the instruments?

court of maddness had a line in it that reminded me of "here comes the bride" note progression. The song still sounds dark but now my culture baggage/bias has my mind looking for that reference. Maybe thats relevant though and i can see how that could be incorporated in as a love interest scene. 

regal gratitude: definilty see why you said unfinished does seem like an incomplete thought. but so far so good

Would it be fair to say it sounded like a Crystal Robot Castle? or maybe even a Robotic Crystal Castle? mmm?

Agreed on all points. If you are interested in doing more jams like this just click on "jams" at the top of the screen (or type  https://itch.io/jams in the url) . Then type "OST" or "Music" in the search box.

Didn't know about  blamscamp v0.0.3 , that pretty cool, thank you for sharing.
Hearing those thick bells make me think about church bells, NFL, and EA sports commercials, that my own cultural bias.  Interesting piece, pretty violin heavy, so i cant help but see it as an orchestral piece with the tampini and what sounds like xylophones. I think people are so accustomed to orchestral pieces as soundtracks that this would fit right in with most industry standard game music. I could see this song working as a transition into a crystal castle with a positive tone. I understand this music to have the mood of "congratulation on making it to the crystal castle but the work is not done." Very clearly hero centric if that makes sense. So i would define it as "Enter the Hero" music for quick transitions after returning to the king (i say king because orchestral instruments are native to european culture) successfully.
Nice job. 

apologies, after listening to a few others i realize the fault lies with me or my computer i guess. Not sure why, but maybe it was because i was listening through quick look apps.

Regardless of that, welcome, i was the one who made that post on reddit. Happy you made it here. How did you feel about the jam so far?

I completely understand. Sports and Art school have made my skin super thick to critiques. There is nothing quite as demoralizing as spending a week on a painting, slightly improving it every day. Then being told at the end of class that you screwed up early on and need to start from scratch after a few weeks of effort. Therefore in the spirit of art school, I will take your criticism and apply it to the next piece i work on. As i am a big fan of starting from scratch to incorporate improvement on a stronger foundation.

Also, its difficult to give constructive feedback when you don't what people's goals are. Which would result in people not having any opinion or response to a specific work. Therefor i realized that people weren't necessarily trying to be polite, they just didn't have a reference model to judge your work against. An example would the host telling us in detail what constitutes a crystal castle. Drugs and Snow flakes can also be perceived as crystals, so who is to say that sniffing and feet in the snow would be elements of a crystal castle. As a result art school critiques were lack luster when the artist didn't state their objective with the piece. Cold reads were the only way to tell the artist "This is what i think your piece is trying to say".

Within the first few seconds i thought this was a raggae or raggaeton track, waiting for that classic beat and bassline to drop. Then it flipped my expectations with the arpeggiations with the drum and bass? (i think?) rhythm? Nice consist use of the musical theme introduced at the beginning of the song, never straying from the theme and mood.

The end of the song after the strings ended, invoking the feeling of nostalgia with a crystal ballerina whined up toy. Can't say the song is happy or sad, just seems more like one of "Longing" for something that no longer exist. Maybe homesickness from the ghost of a child who died a horrible death in a castle(her home) and that became a manifestation of said betrayal becoming the infamous crystal castle. Haha, apologies for the rant, that depiction sounds like an episode of sailor moon. Either way well donE, no complaints on my end.

Thank you for the detailed feedback. You are appreciated. Hear you on the file name part, i was scared it might get flagged with the name so i wanted to play it safe. I wasn't sure if the word "Meth" would result in a type of ban, good to know it hasn't...so far.

Also, While i was recording, i forgot to turn up the reverb on the end of chain module, which would have created a crystal cavern type of reverb to the entire mix. Would have sounded super cool cuz the reverb accentuates the high ends, but practice and live performances are two different beasts and😅there was so much going on, i just said screw it. I was on my third take and i thought good enough, worst case scenario i can add reverb on the dry signal and just never got around to it. Great feedback though, love seeing people find the flaws and hidden goose eggs in my work.

powerful start, would have let drag out longer, before soloing with what sounds like xylophone with echo, which communicates distance to me. These works great as a theme for scenes with the character. to let the player know the difference between play time and cut scenes. 

particularly a cut scene where the player enters a crystal castle with his guard up. Dont know why but this reminds me of the original jak daxter classic with pre-cursors.
Good stuff!

whoa timeout are you using musecore? thats impressive! i struggled with that program, but its been while. I dont practice reading music enough, so when i tried the program it was fresh off a music theory course where all the knowledge was fresh in my mind. Do you have any training for music? did you use midi? or input each note?

🤣 its funny you say that, i want my audience to focus on the music, not the person creating the music. Thats how i know you actually like the music. In the same way that when you go to an orchestra the musicians are wearing all black. For me you can enjoy the art and still have the option to dislike the artist. Like how photo realistic paintings completely erases the brush strokes that ID's the artists. Because brush strokes can also be used as a form of signature (for example: Van Gogh). Art is subjective, People are political. More curious to know what you get from a cold read of the piece colored only by your own bias. 😂But you are not the first to be bothered by the gloves, sounds like you appreciate the artist more than their work.

nice execution on waltz, can hear the triple meter.

Not sure why exactly. but the snare didn't seem like it belonged in the mix. i would have enjoyed this song without the snare in general. Maybe i just have some cognitive bias with snares alongside orchestral instruments? or maybe its that orchestral instruments are usually heard from a distance with a reasonable amount of reverb and the snare sounded too dry and close in relation to the other instruments?  Not sure to be honest, just didnt fit for me.  But great job nonetheless. 

You killed it!!
even the bass seems to have a harmonic overtone melody. Didn't realize the potential of chiptune. At first i thought zelda for gameboy advanced, and then scope broadened as the music started to go through variations in sound pallete. and i say sound pallete because what you did seems more like sound design then stock instruments. The sounds designed indicated a scene change for me, but all still in the crystal castle, so not straying to far from the main theme. Just variations on the main theme. Mario 64 could have learned a lot from the coherence displayed in this one song. Well done!

Modular!!!!!!!!!!!! Love the setup!

Im imagining  walking in a crystal cave where every step creates echoes. and as you walk you hear get accustomed to ambience being created by simply moving in the space. Simple enough to compliment very design heavy game art. Nice Job!
Curious, is the 3 hours reference how long it took to set the patch up?

Nice transitions! Would this genre count as classical?
the beginning is very heavy on the high end and seems to incorporate some glass sounds? in correlation to the theme. The transition gradually adds in more low end. The low end does seem bit loud though, its presence in the second section conflicts with the other instruments. But after that, great job with arrangement, narrative crafting, and sticking with the theme!

😤Always great to see other modular artist!

Not sure if its the audio or me but the volume was a little low. I had to turn my volume all the way up. 

I can definitely see the scene of walking into a large abandon mansion after escaping from a terrible snow storm. character looking in awe of the aesthetic appeal of the crystal foyer. or even an entrance scene for Victorian ball of some sort. Great work!  Got lost in the ambience and had to listen again. 

Why?

Noted, thanks for the feedback. Sometimes i think of starting with drums and groove since attention spans are shortening. Flashing the interesting parts first, to bring back in later. Will try to implement the drone next time around.

Bandlab!!!, This is my first time coming across someone who uses bandlab, would have to hear your feedback on its work flow and access to instruments. i believe it is a cloud based daw, correct?

the beat at the beginning definitly creates tension and anxiety.
would have loved to hear reverb or echo in that water drop to create a sense of space. the texture has reverb so the dry water drop makes me think the camera in front of the leaky sink or cracked test tube. while the liquid version of the virus is dripping on the ground. From this scene the virus could become air borned, get stuck to the bottom of someone's shoe, or maybe the virus is enroute. So many possibilities. which is good. i'm think as an intro/theme song to dexter but instead the main character being a serial killer, he is a chemical biologist, maybe working during WW1 or working for hitler on experiments but digress. Stepping away from film and into games, i could definitly see this as part of an intro sequence to a game. Great job!!!!

Condolences , thank you for keeping his memory alive!

Nice painting, was it made with oil paint? and the attention to detail with the project page was a nice touch as well. The Sonic selection is tight and well thought out with no wasted instruments. You must make music for film with the way this piece is curated.  Remarkable work! I gave full marks for all the sound effects happening under the textures and music lines.

all im thinking is Madmax. Pretty sure this is how Mad Max: fury road started. Can absolutely see a main character or player tied up "moments before destruction", Nice job.

Love that unique sound you have chosen for the end of the piece, is that a synth? Appreciate the effort put into the home page.  The drums seem a tad loud compared to everything else in the mix but that could just be my speakers. Great job with creating tension with the transition between the flute and what sounded like a guitar with pedals or synth! 

full marks, nice job with the browser game and amazing work with the music. i noticed that when the character moves away from the radio the music gets quiter to create a sense of space. would had super light reverb just to create a sense of being in a room. 

Instrument selection in the beginning (outside the snare) reminds me of far east asia, but the execution seemed classical european. Nice transition to modernity. i could see this working for a ninja turtles game. 

HELL YEA! for some reason i thought i broke the rules and followed the rules at the same time since the piece was as you say "controlled randomness" with "incidental rhythm". Its been a step in the right direction for my journey to create generative music and then live stream all the songs the algorithm i setup creates. Let it run for a month and then post self-generating patch in a ost game jam 🤪. i digress Thanks for noticing the ending, was afraid most people would not have the patience for the payout. 

Thanks!

Noted, will tone down the screeching (pun intended). I guess i went ear blind to it while listening, i toned it down during production but should have done so more. Thanks for the feedback!

Many thanks, glad you felt inspired, please do try it! i find that non-producers need the human element to identify with art, so adding a voice over would be wise. Still working on better integrating a human element to my visuals. But one could argue everything we do is an effort to tell a story. How you tell it, determines who can hear it.

thx
i try to be consistent with my chaos

Thank you,
i try to walk that fine line between music and noise in my composition.

Dark rising tension. Works well for setting the mood for a time limit based gameplay or a dark scene mention to create anxiety for the player. The arpeggiation are a really nice addition as well.  Nice work

Thx, i relish the opportunity to walk that fine line between music and noise.