Skip to main content

Indie game storeFree gamesFun gamesHorror games
Game developmentAssetsComics
SalesBundles
Jobs
TagsGame Engines

Hey there! Sadly, I can't rate your piece since I didn't submit my own entry, but I can leave a comment nonetheless :)

Ever since I first heard your works (which was 'Sunset Sands', at the Town Music Jam #1), you always had a preference for classical instruments and orchestration. This jam must have been good practice to leave your comfort zone, just like you tried out some synthesizers in 'The Malmechanics of Big Ben' a few years ago. And as you always do, you manage to make it look easy ;)

As I am slowly getting better at music-making myself, I start to realize what some of the aspects are that you do so well. One thing that always amazes me is your layering of instruments. Just looking at your DAW screenshot is daunting - I see a tremendous amount of instruments and have no idea how you make it work. But I can slowly see the layers! I find it surprising that you see them too, without color-coding ;). I see how you layer different instruments over each other, creating a uniquely blended instrument (perhaps even panning the sounds out a bit). I can see and hear how you manage to add subtle background melodies and instruments which you don't always consciously hear (unless you manage to focus on it) yet still add to the sound - if you left these instruments out, you would definitely hear the difference! And you do all of of this so naturally, so cleanly, every time again.

And that makes your songs consistently great. I've never heard a song from you which I found getting annoying after a few listens. I can always put them on repeat and expect myself to not get bored of them. And this is no different. It is a clean piece, with so many different layers which work together fluently that you barely notice they exist. A lovely entry, once again! I expected nothing less :)

(+1)

Hey Nick! Thank you for leaving such a kind and thoughtful comment. You are right that this was a new style for me and it was a challenge to not touch any acoustic/orchestral instruments. It was a lot of fun to figurw it out though! Regarding layering, I think it is often happy accidents that lead to the finished product. I often start with a very basic structure with a chord instrument, a bass, and a melody, then I think "oh this sound needs a little more buzz/richness/high register/etc" and I end up experimenting with many different sounds which can sometimes turn into something that looks complicated, but often was just trial and error until I reached the sound I wanted. I do spend a good chunk of time balancing levels and pan positioning instruments playing the same line to help it all meld together which isn't always obvious on the DAW screenshot. I've been trying to get better at writing countermelodies and melodic floirishes to add more interest so that the loop doesn't feel stagnant without detracting from the main melody. Hopefully what I did worked the way I hoped in this song. Thank you so much for listening and leaving a comment! Comments are the most helpful for improvement over scores anyway!