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| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Composition | #46 | 3.950 | 3.950 |
| Correlation to theme | #63 | 3.750 | 3.750 |
| Overall | #66 | 3.690 | 3.690 |
| Quality | #82 | 3.650 | 3.650 |
| Creativity | #90 | 3.650 | 3.650 |
| Impression | #97 | 3.450 | 3.450 |
Ranked from 20 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Description
This started with exploring the piano, looking for sounds that represented the kind of home comforts that you hear in “home” themes in games, but I wanted something uncomfortable at the edge of it, some reason to prompt the runaway.
I liked the image of the forest, and I thought of that as a good couple of levels for a game (in my mind it was a platformer, maybe a Metroidvania, but I never thought about it too deeply, just used the resources as a jumping-off point), and I came up with the concepts of Forests of Darkness and Light. Using the same overall instrumentation (flute, clarinet, strings, harp, and a bit of percussion), I tried to make these tracks feel rich and full of strange life.
I scored these initially in MuseScore, then exported MIDI into Logic and used Spitfire's BBC Symphony Orchestra Core for my instruments (except Forest of Light, which I input with a mouse directly into Logic. Won't be doing that again.)
I decided not to use Leitmotifs, to see if I could create a homogeneous sound without them; I'm hoping the instrumentation and the harmony—which is a long way from anything I've written before—.
Theme:
How does it fit the theme?
The title and graphic both informed the style and sound I worked with, the idea of an uncomfortable home to be run away from, and a strange forest to be run through.
Link(s) of the submission on streaming services
Late edit to add a link to the collection on Soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/1A5GNgmudrcG3rMD7
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Comments
Nice job establishing the mood in Forest of Darkness, and keeping the woodwinds from Home to give a feeling of uncanny familiarity. There is a sense of urgency in the harmonies and chord changes, and combine that with the creeping tempo and soft instruments makes for an eerie feeling, like something is lurking. Great work with this!
Thank you so much!
I like how much tension this soundtrack builds between its light progressions and melodies and its darker side. It's like the two are constantly fighting each-other and you never get the chance to really settle on one. I really love how Forest of Darkness opens. I love how it's slightly ambivalent at first and then slowly sinks into a worrying tone. This track is probably my favourite of this soundtrack. The use of dissonance is really effective at making me uncomfortable in the later part. The woodwinds initially comforted, but then worried again. Awesome work!
Thank you! Very thoughtful comment and I’m glad you enjoyed the music.
Love Forest of Darkness, definitely captures its title! Love the base in Home, I like the idea of creating a contrast with the flute but I'm not quite convinced by its timbre. I'm impressed you composed it on MuseScore first, nice job!
Thanks—and cheers for the feedback too.
Great job! 😁
thanks!
Great chords in Forest of Darkness, the woodwinds throughout the soundtrack do a very good job of selling that forestry vibe! It would be interesting to see these tracks further developed into bigger/longer ones. Good work!
Thanks so much! Yeah I have to admit I felt a bit lost in developing the material in these, but I really enjoyed exploring it all the same.
I had another couple of tracks started as well. The one I’d really like to come back to is the reprise of Home, which would (ideally) resolve a lot of the dissonance of the original track.
That does sound like an uncomfortable home. It is a difficult task to come up with something that sounds like home and is uncomfortable at the same time. You struck both perfectly. Very mysterious feel in both forest themes. Good use of "foresty" woodwinds, too. Very immersive overall. Thanks for sharing!
That’s very kind, thank you so much! Sorry I missed your comment coming in yesterday.
Strong forest vibes throughout! Love the composition, and the lack of leitmotif is a unique choice The tracks still felt glued together from the use of common instruments, like the dissonant tremolo chords in the second and third track. I could very easily hear this in a game. Love the dissonant chords right off the bat in Forest of Darkness.
Thanks!
I like it! The textures are good! 😁
Thanks!
Great, stuff. Really creative! A stand-out submission so far from the ones I've seen.
I love the first track "home". The clarinet feels so exposed against the low piano notes, and things only continue to get more unsettling in a beautiful sort of way.
Wow, that’s so kind of you to say. Really appreciate the thought you’ve put into this.
Well at first I didn,t read the description I just straight listen to it and yep you nailed the "uncomfortable" part. I felt really uncomfortable with those harmonies and melody clashing each other. Other than that intentional clash, good arrangement, really set the mood you wanted. good job
Haha I’m glad I won you over! Thanks for the feedback.
Beautiful work! I really enjoyed the unsettling harmonies in those pieces. Nice orchestration, too!
Thank you so much!
Very pretty pieces. All of them reminded me so much of Copland.
Oh, thank you! Not a connection I’d made even listening back to them, but I see what you’re saying.