Permafrost: The reverb level you used is spot on with the barren expanse vibe that I imagine. The ambient wind sound also creates great imagery. The rising and falling action feels like the wind picking up and slowing down. I would stay in this area extra long while playing just to listen to this music loop for sure.
Across Seasons Menu: I am a fan of how in depth you went on this track despite it being the menu theme where players often don’t spend more time here than they need to. I think this track serves the purpose of menu music excellently though: create expectations for what to expect moving forward and get the player excited for what’s to come.
Phantom Murmurs: I like the sound design used in this track. The strange noises and dissonant interjections sound ominous and chaotic.
Midnight Sun and Like the Earth: I like how these two tracks build from one another. The warble effect also adds character building and allows us to imagine what the creature looks like even without a visual. The more upbeat version feels like a transition from cold to warm just like the transition to summer as your story suggests.
In Her White Lace: This is a very elegant track and I like the use of the low flute. I also love how you take 2 basic chords and expand on them with lots of chord extensions in the pads and background synth arpeggios. This adds a mystical effect that makes this a cool track.
Dazzling Days: The driving percussion and bass are my favorite part of this track. The effective use of table can make a track sound very special, in my opinion.
Blossom of Grace: This is probably my favorite track out of all of them. The melody is well-crafted and drives the progression of the song. The rhythm sections are smooth and add foundation without getting in the way. The ambient noises and harmony instruments add character to the track and are perfectly interspersed in a fun exchange with the melody. The craft you put into making the synthesized melody instrument sound like a true soloist is awesome.
Falltown: The synth string melody has a very fall quality to it and I commend you for your instrument choice. I get Animal Crossing vibes from this track which helps set the scene even more for a small autumn village scenario.
Crimson Dyed Leaves: I like the waltzy feel of this track, but then I was very impressed with the complex metering you achieve at the end of the track and how seemless it transitions from ¾ time to something different.
Frost Again – Atonement: The paucity of melody and the simple rhythm give this track a feeling of banishment. But I think it’s interesting that you contrast that feeling with multiple major chords throughout in the minor key, as if not all is lost.
Credits – More Earth than Sea: This is an excellent final addition as it repeats the main ideas from the primary track, but has a warmer quality to it giving resolution to the tension built up in the rest of the soundtrack.
Overall: I think you are gifted in your ability to tell a story through your music. On a personal level, I took lots of inspiration from your work in the previous jam for my submission to this jam and wanted to write a story to underline my soundtrack just like you did. I feel humbled by the fact we both wrote tracks called Permafrost! This time around you let the listener fill in the blanks with details and while I would be very interested to hear more of the game’s story, I don’t think the emotional journey of the main character’s arc is lost without the added context; you were able to expertly convey that throughout the sequence of tracks. Thank you so much for sharing your work!