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Big Ben's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Correlation to theme | #1 | 4.722 | 4.722 |
| Overall | #2 | 4.483 | 4.483 |
| Creativity | #4 | 4.389 | 4.389 |
| Composition | #5 | 4.556 | 4.556 |
| Impression | #8 | 4.306 | 4.306 |
| Quality | #15 | 4.444 | 4.444 |
Ranked from 36 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Description
Big Ben is a fairytale story about a curious mechanical town that depends on a being named Big Ben to keep time and peace for all of its residents. My musical palette was expanded as I used many different styles of music to tell this story. From orchestral, to electronic, to ambient, and even to toy box, this OST reaches far and wide while consistently keeping the central theme of time. In the small world of Tempo Town, Big Ben was created by the clockmaker Synchron to perpetually maintain the clock tower which is the heart of the town. The clock tower has a special power that if run continuously and consistently helps keep time moving forward at a steady pace and ensures peace and happiness for all who live there. Synchron, always endeavoring to make new inventions and gadgets to help the town, has recently created his newest timepiece in an effort to help Big Ben in his duties, but all is about to change when the timepiece does not behave as intended. Follow along in this musical novella to hear the story and imagine playing along in the clock-inspired game, Big Ben.
1. Big Ben: The opening scene of the game takes us to the clocktower at the center of Tempo Town. It is in the upper room with all of the mechanics, gears, and dials that Big Ben, the large gentle being resides and performs his duties for the town. Big Ben’s purpose is to ensure that the Tempo Town clock is running properly and continuously in order to ensure that time flows smoothly. Big Ben is a pure and good soul who, even though was designed by Synchron only to maintain the clock, has grown to truly love the people in Tempo Town and seeks ways to ensure their happiness. After observing Big Ben performing some of his clock-work duties, it becomes clear that something is not right and that same bright light in his eyes no longer shines the way it once did. Musically, this song orchestrally describes the immensity of Big Ben himself and the role he plays to the town. The clock sounds set the stage and provide a consistent underscore for the track and give a sense of imagery for the clock tower location. Using a 12/8 time signature (because there are 12 hours on a clock), my goal was to create a feeling of a steady flow and rhythm reminiscent of a ticking clock. The minor sound of this piece conveys the epic nature of Big Ben’s role while simultaneously foreshadowing one of the darkest times in Tempo Town’s history…
2. Synchron the Clockmaker: After the opening scene, you awaken as the main player, a citizen of Tempo Town who has just accepted a new position as the new apprentice under the greatest clockmaker, Synchron himself. His workshop is a quaint and modest abode with gears and clock pieces strewn about on every surface. You begin by wandering the shop and exploring the various gadgets. You can hear Synchron, a small but energetic old man, feverishly fiddling away in the background, hammering, twisting, and piecing together new clocks for the townspeople. The first task that Synchron has entrusted you with is to fix a small timepiece, which becomes a central aspect of the gameplay as fixing clocks around town helps the other townsfolk solve conflicts. The toy box style was used to show the good and lighthearted intent of the clockmaker and to mimic the miniature mechanics of all of his timepiece creations.
3. Tempo Town: After finishing your first clock, Synchron sends you out on a few errands and to help a few people around town with their clocks. As you walk outside, you are met with the laid-back and fun energy of Tempo Town. The constant wood block ticking is the rhythm by which the town flourishes. I used metric modulation in this piece to transition from 4/4 swing to a straight 3/4 and back again seamlessly to show how Big Ben is helping allow for freedom and variation all while keeping the tempo going. The townsfolk who inhabit Tempo Town are inherently altruistic and happy people that like to have a good time, as described in this song. You get to jam out to this tune while you explore the vast town and help many people fix their timepieces and gather supplies for Synchron.
4. Time Rifts of the Cuckoo Epoch: The following day, when you arrive at Synchron's workshop, you find him unconscious on the floor with papers and scrap metal strewn everywhere (more so than normal). There is also a hole blown in the ceiling. You find in Synchron’s hand a drawing of a mechanical bird and beside it, it is labeled “Cuckoo”. You can only assume that the cause of this disaster is Synchron’s newest creation and it must have had a flaw to cause such destruction. Synchron is groggy and groaning, but is in no shape to give you any coherent information or help at all. You run outside to find that everyone is in a panic and you see bizarre things such as people running backward and others moving back and forth as if stuck in a loop. The game then cuts to a scene in the clocktower where Big Ben is seen from behind pulling levers and moving at a rapid pace. He then turns and you see his eyes are red and the mechanical bird is on his head and then gives a loud squawking “cuckoo!”. The Cuckoo mechanism has infected Big Ben and now time is all out of sorts. Gameplay resumes and you can help the townsfolk one at a time with a special tool that Synchron gifted you at the end of the previous day. Knowing that Big Ben must be in trouble to cause so many and such catastrophic time rifts. You then make your way to the clocktower with the intent to save Big Ben from the Cuckoo! This piece uses changing time signatures to signify the time rifts occurring in the game. I wanted to subvert the listener’s expectations in multiple ways, but without making it unpleasant to listen to. I gave it a fast-paced feel and fun instrumentation to show the chaos that is occurring around you in Tempo Town.
5. The Perpetual Pendulum of the Moonlit Clocktower: When you reach the clocktower, you pull open the large doors and enter the dark and dusty tower. It is rather empty, and the only movement you detect is that of the enormous pendulum hanging down and swinging from the ceiling far ahead. In order to make your way up the stairs of the clocktower to reach Big Ben, there are gears and various obstacles that are stuck in a time loop that you must repair in order to proceed. You can hear the swoosh of the pendulum throughout this piece keeping time for the ambient droning music that is hauntingly beautiful, showing that while destruction may be occurring, you know that the pure soul of Big Ben is present and needs to be set free with your help. There is a glimmer of hope at 0:50 that is quickly snuffed away that I imagine encapsulates the feeling of Big Ben feeling trapped, but the good timekeeping being is still inside.
6. The Malmechanics of Big Ben: The time has finally come and you reach the clock room at the top of the tower. You are ready to face Big Ben who has been infected by the Cuckoo. As you enter the room, you see that this place has been affected the most by the time warping as everything seems to be moving in reverse. As Big Ben’s large shadow turns around, all you can see is the glowing red eyes indicating that he isn’t going to give in without a fight. As the epic fight begins, the clock tower seems to dissolve away around you, which you know means that Big Ben has begun to create a time vortex. You better defeat him quickly and remove the cuckoo to return him to his normal self! I used much of the same clock sounds as the title theme, but this time they are in reverse to exemplify the time rift. The sharp electronic music is a stark contrast to the other pieces which further demonstrates the chaos and unreal nature of the time vortex swirling around the entire room. This upbeat epic battle music is the perfect culmination for a climactic end to the Cuckoo once and for all!
7. Goodnight Midnight: When all is said and done, Big Ben slowly looks up from where he is left laying on the floor and you can see that the light in his eyes has returned to normal and that the Cuckoo is gone for good. Synchron comes running up the stairs to find that you have defeated the Cuckoo. He sheepishly shrugs his shoulders with a knowing look indicating that there is no need for any creation to change Big Ben who is kind and does his job well just the way he is. You then share a peaceful night watching the moonlit sky with Big Ben and Synchron while the credits play to this sweet piano melody. The ticking of the clock has returned to normal and you know that Big Ben is grateful and finally at peace again.
Message from the artist:
Thank you for choosing to listen to my soundtrack! This was a great theme and I had a lot of fun with this. Please enjoy!
Theme:
How does it fit the theme?
I covered this in depth in the description of my OST, but in short the entire story is centered around clocks and I use many musical techniques and sound effects to evoke the sense of being in or around many different types of clocks, clockmaker workshops, etc. In particular, I am proud of my fourth track "Time Rifts of the Cuckoo Epoch" as I combined a variety of time signatures to give the sense of time getting chopped and mixed up to match the storyline. In other tracks I used 12/8 time (12 hours on a clock), 120 bpm to match the ticking of clocks, clock sound effects, and other time manipulations such as reversing sound effects and having dynamic tempos. All in all, my track is completely crafted specifically specifically for the story I wrote centered around clocks and perfectly fits the theme.
Link(s) of the submission on streaming services
https://soundcloud.com/user-639826435/sets/big-ben
Soundtrack use permission
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Comments
it felt like i was watching a movie in my head! i loved reading the descriptions as i listened to each track. the world you've created felt really alive and complex, and you can get a great feel for every major character through it. the eccentric and happy-go-lucky theme of Synchron, the chaotic and panicky theme of the Cuckoo, and the restful, satisfied peace in the last song; each track was crafted masterfully.
i'd love to know how you make such interesting compositions! every track had so much going on that all blended together perfectly, it was wonderful! i adored this entry, thank you for submitting it :)))))
Character writing through music is a personal goal I was working on during this jam so I am so happy that it was something you noticed! Oh I wish I had a secret to share, otherwise I'd be shouting it from the rooftops! Honestly I find myself with every single submission I hear wondering how you and they write such awesome and creative music and wanting to emulate it! Listening to all the other submissions certainly gets the creative juices flowing for the next time I sit down to write something. Thank you so much for your comments and for your close attentive listening!
What an experience! Everything is so well though of, so well crafted and helps bring this entire world to life. That complete change of ambiance from the 5th track in stark contrast with the 4th (compared to the carefree life of the Tempo Town) was so well executed and really sets the mood for the challenge that's about to come. I absolutely loved "Malmechanics of Big Ben" and the super clever use of reverse samples as risers. Overall the sound design was spot on and used very skilfully! Also very beautiful piano writing for the credit track. You've really outdone yourself on this one, keep up the amazing work!!
Thank you so much! This means a lot coming from someone who wrote one of my top 5 favorite submissions for this jam!I appreciate you listening all the way through to get the full experience. Thanks again!
I love this soundtrack so, so much! Definitely my favorite jam entry so far (and I've rated more than 40 entries already). Your use of rhythm is awesome and I love how you alternate between a fun and a mysterious/epic vibe depending on the track. I don't know much about music theory so I can't give a more in-depth review, I just love the compositions, the style and instruments used and the overall RPG/adventure vibe.
Also, the story is great as well. I wish this game existed! It sounds like the perfect 2-4h indie artistic game. The art would have to be really pretty to match the music, though.
Thank you so much for listening! I don't think someone has to know music theory to understand how music feels (and I also don't think knowing music theory makes you a good musician by itself either). Careful listening and paying attention to the emotions that a piece of music invokes I would argue is a more important skill in being able to grow and write better music yourself. So thank you for your close listening! And I really appreciate your comment!
It's awesome how deep you've developed your story associated with each track! It makes visualizing what the gameplay would look like much easier and colorful, so I appreciate your effort very much. I love how diverse your orchestration is and how effectively they support the atmosphere and context of each scene being portrayed. Also enjoyed the sound design as well for immersion!! This was great!!
It's awesome how deep you've developed your story associated with each track! It makes visualizing what the gameplay would look like much easier and colorful, so I appreciate your effort very much. I love how diverse your orchestration is and how effectively they support the atmosphere and context of each scene being portrayed. Also enjoyed the sound design as well for immersion!! This was great!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to listen! I'm glad that having the story was a positive for you. I wrote it first and then made the music to achieve the specific emotions so I am happy if the music came across in the way I intended!
1. Big Ben - Great opening track, it kick things off with an aura of grandeur and sense of mystery. One minor gripe, it felt a little unnatural for all the ticking noises to get significantly softer at 0:20 after a short period of time, I felt slowing down the transition would help create a sense of physical space, like if the camera was moving into a different corner where there was less ticking noises.
2. Synchron the Clockmaker - Very fun and playful track, it really gives the impression of low stakes to let the player get to know the game at the start. Toybox instruments make you feel that you are still working with the clocks, just at a much lower level than previously displayed.
3. Tempo Town - It feels like the sun is shining and the whole time is bursting with activity. There's a swing in everyone's step and you're just happy to be doing your work. Enjoyable melodies with quite a sick bridge.
4. Time Rifts of the Cuckoo Epoch - Probably the most impressive track of this soundtrack, the weird time signatures were pulled of very well. The core of the melodies was mainly played in the "even" parts of the time signature, while the "odd" ends of the time signature was usually reserved for the transitions. Quite playful instrumentation once again, it feels like weird things are happening but it's not all doom and gloom.
5. The Perpetual Pendulum of the Moonlit Clocktower - Using the swinging motion of the pendulum as the base of the song is a great idea. The low pitch oscillations give the impression of incredible size. Tension definitely rises up a notch here. It feels like people don't normally get up so close to the clock tower, reintroducing that aura of mystery and grandeur.
6. The Malmechanics of Big Ben - The climax! The electronic instrumentation gives a lot of pace to the track, and the contrast from the rest of the soundtrack really makes it feel like a final otherworldly fight.
7. Goodnight Midnight - All is well again, a satisfying end to the journey. I found this track to stick out a a bit from the first half of the sound track, it's well composed but it doesn't have the same character without the clockwork ticking or other physical sound effects interspersed throughout the track. If it's meant to be played credits style where it shows you how everything ends in stills then it works but if the player gets to come back to the world to see everyone it doesn't feel as alive anymore.
Overall very ambitious soundtrack, stretching many different genres and incorporating many musical ideas. Good thought has been put into giving them connecting elements that suite the theme. There is also a level of tactile physicality captured in many of the tracks, breathing life into the world. Well done!
Wow, thank you so much for your dedication to actively listening to and commenting on each of my tracks individually! I will gladly accept the compliments as well as the feedback for improvement. In those areas you mention that could be better, I completely agree with you and did not really realize that those particular areas could be improved in that way so thank you for helping me get better! Thank you so much again!
To have done seven tracks is impressive to start, let alone each having their own distinct styles which each evoked different feelings linked to their level descriptions - incredible. I love your musical style and how each track said what it needed without become at all repetitive. 'Goodnight Midnight' was the highlight for me but seriously, any of these tracks could have been.
Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to my music and for the kind comment! I appreciate that you noted my tracks not feeling repetitive - that is something I was intentional about in this jam and wanted to make more proper intros and outros without relying too much on looping the music. Thank you again!
Wow, your 7 tracks told a whole show's seasons worth of story haha. I found "The Malmechanics Of Big Ben" to be a bit happy for an epic fight but that is a matter of taste. (I'm too edgy and listen to too much emo crap.) I felt the rest of the tracks were coherent and fit what you were describing.
Aside from good music, you could also try taking up writing as an avenue haha.
Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to my music! I appreciate the feedback and I bet it has something to do with many of my inspirations being Nintendo soundtracks - can’t be too scary for the kids! Haha, while it wasn’t the intent of this soundtrack, I definitely do want to get better at finding a dark sound so I’ll keep working on it! Thanks again!
Won't read your description now apart from the introduction, I 'll go as I feel on this one.
1. I pictured Big Ben as a huge force keeping an eye on the town, while feeling the future drama coming, superb intro! Very cinematic track.
2. I'm grounded into the game now, it's the beginning and it's fun. Clocks and mechanisms everywhere :D
3. I feel outside of town, the adventure truely begins I guess! I feel happy to explore the world outside of the town, seems beautiful.
4. Oh hey, it's moving, time signature is playing around with the clocks/mechanisms sounds. I don't know, the evolution from previous track may be the faster and excentric tempo and presence of much more instruments at once. Just more is going on and time seems to be accelerating towards a rupture.. Has this something to do with the last invention?
5. Title and intro, yeah it's happening now, something bad has happened. I see the town has suffered during my exploration, I feel desolation.. I have pictures from the opening scene coming in mind.
6. Time is troubled. Didn't expect this style of music, it's like I'm facing the bad guy (or invention?) of this adventure. There's a futuristic side to this song compared to the others, maybe I moved in the future to fight the one who hurt the town?
7. Seems like I've made it. This last one was a peaceful goodbye with reminiscences of the good and hard moments I went through the game.
--now reading... Haha, I couldn't get all that story but the feeling was close I guess. That was a really fun experience to have honestly (writing what I saw with only the description of the game in mind)!
Musically, superb quality. You ventured in different genres while keeping an identity to the soundtrack and that was entertaining! There were really cool techniques, well crafted, Bravo !
Despite all those experimentations from song 2 to 7, the 1st had the most impact on me. Amazing opening scene 👍
Thank you so much for your attentive listening for sharing your raw response to the music. I think that is a really fun exercise and I appreciate you showing me the degree with which I was able to convey the story and emotions in the music alone without having read the story that I based my music off of yet. Your compliments mean a lot to me as I highly respect your compositional skill. Thank you again!
Your tracks are very consistent across the whole game while staying really original on their own. I love it!
It's also fascinating how much music you are able to create in such a short time!
My personal favourite is the Time Rifts Of The Cuckoo Epoch. Changing of time signatures while delivering strong beat messed up my brain while listening to it and I loved it!
Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to my soundtrack! I really appreciate the compliments!
Great orchestration and soundtrack, the emotions they evoke and how varied they are.
Tempo Town, The Malmechanics Of Big Ben and Goodnight Midnight were my personal favorites. The sheer amount of effort you've put into them is admirable. Well done!
Thank you so much for listening to my soundtrack! You're favorites happen to be some of my favorites as well!
This is an amazing soundtrack! The world-building is top notch and unique, the idea of a friendly construct that maintains the flow of time was very intriguing to me. The range of emotions, multiple time signatures and overall quality of the composition portrays well your experience and skill as a composer - and if you don't have a lot of experience, you sure fooled me. I felt absolutely giddy listening to Tempo Town, a powerful impending dread and foreboding feeling from the Moonlit Clocktower, and then found myself nodding along to the Malmechanics of Big Ben. Yet even though every song on the soundtrack goes in a new direction than the previous, it still feels very cohesive and all part of a bigger picture. Excellent work, and I'm glad Big Ben made it in the end! :)
Thank you so much for your close and attentive listening! You touched on so many of the feelings I was trying to convey in my musical writing. I really appreciate hearing your experience as the listener. Thank you again!
Amazing soundtrack! I can really hear your range and technical skill - and perhaps most impressively, your storytelling ability through song. Each track brings your vision to life, and I can vividly imagine each scene. A clever mixture of tempos and instrument/sound types keeps things ever interesting, while being extremely enjoyable and catchy to listen to. "The Malmechanics of Big Ben" was a banger - got me dancing in my seat haha!! I was also heaps impressed by "Time Rifts Of The Cuckoo Epoch". Stellar stuff.
Thank you so much for listening and for your kind comment. I used the text story to guide my composition and I'm happy that my intentions landed as intended. Your compliments mean a lot coming from someone whose composition and story-telling I really admire!
Big Ben: high quality orchestration. Grand and emotional at the same time. Love the Andalusian cadence.
Synchron the Clockmaker: Cute, lighthearted percussion, really gives a quirky clockmaker vibe.
Tempo Town: This is premium town theme vibes. Really evokes happy feelings.
Time Rifts Of The Cuckoo Epoch: Those dropped beats from the mixed metre really make me think of the Mother 3 OST. I love the cuckoo SFX! This would make a great battle theme.
The Perpetual Pendulum of the Moonlit Clocktower: Stuffs starting to get serious! Love the choir and string combo. That deep bassy sound emphasizes the clock feel further.
The Malmechanics of Big Ben: This is so cool. Wasn't expecting the eletronic sound. The combination of Phrygian and Dorian after 1:05 is brilliant, gives a feeling of darkness with a hopeful lift from the IV afterwards. My favorite!
Goodnight Midnight: Very pretty conclusion. Great piano work!
Was looking forward to your entry! Amazing work as always.
Thank you so much for your active and attentive listening! After thinking about it, I think you're right about the Cuckoo track possibly working well as a battle track! I appreciate hearing how my music landed in your ears - thanks again!
1 - Great atmosphere, sets the tone of the ost wonderfully! I love the clock sounds you used, and the gong at the end is so resonant.
2 - Much more quirky and whimsical, again I love hearing the clock sounds play into this mood.
3 - This song sounds like home! It feels like one of those unique town themes that’s remembered in the hearts of fans for decades after the game comes out. I could totally see this growing on me throughout the game if I could play it.
4 - I don’t know what the time signature is here but I really love how unusual it is! It reminds me of the song “Oh no! WASPS!” from Bug Fables. :)
5 - One of my favorites. I love the thumping of the pendulum, and the layering of the strings is so emotional over the gentle tapping of the bells! I also really love the piano at the end, it’s haunting. This song sounds like what dread would sound like if dread were a sound.
6 - Oooh this one is so good, it’s very motivating (which it should be for a boss fight!).
7 - My most favorite track! The piano is so tender :) It sounds like the calm, relieved breath taken at the end of a tumultuous journey.
Awesome work, and I love how much thought you put into the story too!
Thank you so much for your attentive listening. I love hearing how my music is received by listeners as it helps me see if my intentions landed the way I intended. The emotions you described are exactly what I was going for in each track! Thank you again!
I really love The Malmechaics of Big Ben and Goodnight Midnight! Great work!
Thank you so much for listening and for the comment!
TL;DR but I cherish that you seem to have put a lot of thought in there! The music is high quality stuff that feels like it's from an actual game! This should definitely become a real game...
Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to my music! I recognize there is a lot of text and really I wrote it to help guide my music and I decided to showcase it since I had it. If the different emotions came across in the music, then that's really what my goal was. Thank you!
Good job!
Thank you!
That's amazing that you have skills in so many genres and that you made such a vast amount of work only in 10 days, I'm very impressed! Great work again!
This was certainly a learning experience for me to try and lean into and learn new genres. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen!
Great composition skills as always. The sfx were a very nice touch. Great work! My favorite track is The Perpetual Pendulum of the Moonlit Tower, there's something so melancholic but hopeful about it.
Thank you for taking the time to listen. Your feedback means a lot to me!