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I just love this and all the little quirks. It's like a warm hug. The flat guitar string on seasons of blossom, that little bit of synthetic texture on laying in the grass, the background noise on the piano tracks. Well written and well played, but unfussy. It feels earnest in a way that really resonates with me.

Really fun trip through a wide array of moods! Well composed and everything sounded crisp and beautiful. I can relate to being chronically unable to stay in a genre, but I'm glad it worked out for you 'cause those are 9 excellent tracks that feel cohesive. I think Don't Touch the Electronics into Of All the Buttons to Press was probably my favorite sequence overall.

Really beautiful stuff. Cohesive, varied, fun to listen to. The quick double-time bit near the end of By the Pier is probably my single favorite moment, but it was killer from end to end. Great work.

Sick! Well conceived, well composed, well mixed. Enjoyed the big schnasty breakbeat.

I adore it! Some of the best orchestral work I've heard so far. Feels so lively with all the overlapping textures, sets the mood beautifully.

definitely gave me the feel of being abducted off the pier by hot pirates, 25/25

Like the dreamy texture of everything. The woozy tempo fluctuations, the unexpected flurries of activity. Really fun listen!

I like it! Cool jazzy flavor, nice smokey texture. Got two very distinct vibes out of that loop.

Big fan of this! Very strong album, feels nicely varied but also focused. Scratches my ears real good.

I really like the compositions here, and the live guitar and bass give it some spice. The tracks are all well suited to the setting you describe and cover a nice range of moods, and I like the nostalgic feel running through the whole OST. I agree that some better MIDI instruments and more variation in the velocity/articulation in the piano/string/wind lines would help the live and virtual instruments mesh better and add a sense of polish. Great work overall!

Cool to hear some heavier live instrumentation! Loving these bass tones. It all feels very tense and moody. Love the "bumbling" feel of Rumbled giving way to confrontation with the guitar coming in. I feel like the mixes have a little bit of low-frequency mud that could be cleaned up, but it's not obnoxious and there's enough space in the arrangements that it doesn't obscure anything.

Damn, man. That's just three really, really good tracks. The theming is compelling, and everything sounds awesome. I'd like to hear you exploring the emotional ground in between the more open main track and the density and bombast of the battle tracks, but using the time you had for this jam to develop the pole pieces was the right play, 'cause the results are killer.

And this is your third music project ever?! Shut up dude.

I was skeptical starting off, but I ended up liking how confidently weird this is. It kept me listening just to see where it would go. Sometimes charmingly eccentric (the almost accented piano pedal *KER-CHUNK* in Exploring the Underworld, the ending of Because I care about YOU, everything on Talking to a... what), sometimes unexpectedly pretty (Menu of the Day, Holes in the Trees, the Mikus in Endings who also qualify for the first category), sometimes yelling obscenities at me by the bus stop (the church tracks, Hands through the TV). There were places where it was a bit overwhelming to the ears, but I can definitely picture it as part of a game. I'm a fan!

First entry I've heard with this much acoustic guitar focus! I enjoyed it a lot. Everything sounds clean. The bliss theme is super catchy. Real summer pop vibes.

I like the increasing intensity levels on the anxiety theme, though I feel like the chord progression alone is pretty intense even with just the guitar, and I wonder what it would sound like with more room for the emotion to ramp up - maybe starting off with some slightly less spicy chords, getting more dissonant as the additional layers come in.

I feel like the guitar parts are very nicely written, and they generally sound good, but maybe a little stiff on the single-note lines. A little more dynamic variation and maybe some legato embellishments could give it some extra texture. Going by your description I'm assuming it's a Kontakt library, though if it is, the strumming and the muted strokes make it feel more organic and physical than most virtual acoustic stuff I've heard.

really cool submission overall!

I really dig this. The instrumentation is pretty sparse but the sound is big. Some of the synth sounds give me OMD vibes, and I'm super into it.

Prologue has a great vibe. I feel like it could go in a lot of cool directions with some more time to develop.

I like the textural and rhythmic variation on Oasis - I think the eerie vocal sample is really cool - though I feel like some splashes of different melodic content  would help fill out the arrangement.

Epilogue is my favorite. Super warm synthpop sound, love that nostalgic chord progression. I feel like this track does a good job of creating a sense of progression within the 4-chord loop structure.

Cool vibes! I like the way the instruments fit together and the melodies are solid. a little more movement could spice it up a bit - stuff along the lines of the different layers coming in and out on lonely, the parts where the drums drop out/get swallowed up by the filter are nice. maybe another melodic line that fits into the chord progression? Keep it up!

Great work! Really beautiful compositions, consistent but varied, and I'm a big fan of the leitmotif you came up with. The synth sound that starts off midnight, memory, melancholy hits just right for me. Last Dance With You really nails the feel of the couple learning to play one song well as beginner musicians. I always like a melodica, though it comes in a little harsh in the title track.

Really impressive work! Skillfully composed, expresses a wide array of moods. Makes me want to get better at using orchestral plug-ins.

Love this! All impressive compositions and a lot of fun to listen to, but I'm especially partial to the last two. Huge fan of a big stanky Hammond. Mix sounds super clean too, my personal bias against That One Roland Bass Sample notwithstanding.

So sick! Awesome compositions, awesome mix, great feel, killer storytelling. The bassline on Ikari's fishing contest is just *stank face*.

Awesome stuff! Great compositions all around. I'm especially fond of Fortuna and The World. The instrumentation feels really nice on all of it, and the Hundred Seventieth Promise theme makes for a very strong leitmotif. The initial version of it nails the church music vibe. If there's one thing I would like, it's to hear more elaboration and extension on that theme - I feel like the different textures and vibes of Hundred Seventieth Promise, Temple of the Sun and One Summer Predicament present opportunities to take it in several directions. Excellent submission.

I like the instrumentation you used, it defines the setting quite well (is that a hurdy gurdy on The Storyteller?). The tracks are well composed and do a good job conveying the story. The mix is nice and clean. The first two tracks and the Silk Road tracks are probably my favs overall.

I do feel like it could benefit from a little more elaboration in some places. The daytime bazaar music, in particular,  feels a little bit static - some kind of melodic content that contrasts with the main rhythmic figure might add to the vibe of a bustling town center. The flute(?) melody that comes in near the end of the nighttime version sort of fills that role. The Resolution has a nice buildup to it, but as the finale, I feel like it wants a little more time to grow.

Great work overall! Really solid submission.

as a big 90s alt fan you are speaking my language. I often have a hard time with sampled instruments, but it feels appropriate here - kinda adds to the 90s-ness of it. I like the heaviness of No Hopers, and the more industrial sound of A Hard Bargain feels really well suited to the production.

the mixes strike me as pretty bass-heavy. this gives the big transients like the kick drums in Oblivisci and the big stabby bass synth in A Hard Bargain some really nice impact, but where there are long sustained bass notes like a lot of No Hopers, things can get a little muddy. taming the rumble helps the rest of the voices stand out more.

cool stuff, and it's nice seeing these genres get some love in this space!

this feels like a PS1 game that sold like 5,000 copies, and changed 5,000 lives.

very cool and moody, fits the vibe you talk about really well. as others have mentioned, it would be great to hear it louder and get more of the details. I like it a lot!

This is so damn good dude. Awesome compositions, super cohesive storytelling, gives a great sense of the characters. The little bit of live instrumentation makes me want to hear the whole thing done live (or at least with really nice VSTs). Well done.

Very nice work. The consistent sonic palette does a lot to create a sense of place, and the shared melodic ideas help convey the overarching narrative. The mixes are all pleasant to listen to. I especially like Halcyon Docks and the cutscene tracks.

There's a lot of cool stuff in the two wetlands tracks. I think the ostinato works really well to create tension, and the lyre (?) melody is nice. I wonder if it might benefit from a little more variation during the buildup to that melody - maybe just little added bits of texture along the lines of the violin squeals (?) from Aestival in the exploration theme, or some quick melodic elaborations over top of the battle theme. Boiling Brine especially feels like it might benefit from having a little more space filled - maybe the double time feel makes the melody seem sparser and the sparser parts seem longer.

Bringer of the Tides! I love the composition, and the drama of the time changes. The only thing I want is more guitar. They add a cool new texture and give it the feel of a climactic moment, but they're kind of fizzy and buried in the mix. I want big chunky chugs right up in my ears! 

Awesome submission!

I like it a lot! Establishes a mood really well. Even the denser parts of the arrangement still have enough air to make out the distinct parts.

Swell and Fade:
The synth-flute(?) lead makes a nice through-line for all the different moods, from ambient to driving and back again. Really hits the story beats. The rave/hoedown in the 3rd part was unexpected, and maybe a little incongruous, but I'm not mad at it.

Sea Highway:
The almost-train beat in the intro threw me a bit, but the main drum pattern is nice. Creating the progression mainly by adding and removing layers makes for good traveling music, and keeps the loop from feeling too repetitive. 

Ribbon:
Like the lead/bass synth mimicking the motion of a ribbon eel. The addition of the live flute tosses in some nice textural variation just before it starts to feel repetitious. I think bringing the flute out more in the mix might have made it feel a bit more mystical, but then again, having it a little obscured might add to the alienness of the Sky Eel.

Really nice ambient orchestral work that I think perfectly suits the sort of game you describe.

nightfall by the coast:
Like the big quartal string swells under the sparse piano line. Plays nicely with the ambient sounds and does a great job setting the mood.

wandering by moonlight:

Mischievous-sounding. Gives me Pikmin vibes a bit. Short and sweet.

as the fireflies bumble past:
Still nice, but I'd say the weakest of the bunch. I like the way the different textures play against each other, and I think the main riff is cool, but the rhythm is so strong and goes on so long that the one little section of piano melody kind of gets swallowed up, and the absence of variation makes the piece as a whole feel like it wants somewhere else to go.

contemplations and quiet revelations:
Loving the bit after piano drops out. You create a nice sense of tension and progression here from the interplay of so few parts.

suddenly, dawn:
And we're back! Recontextualizing the piano melody from the opening, and the unresolved ending, really help tell the story.

Awesome job!

I think there are some cool ideas here that could be developed into something really good. I can hear where the vocals would've gone - unfortunate that your plans fell through.

Summer night:
Love me some big bombastic synths and e-drums. The clickiness of the kick drum could stand to be tamed a little. I'm looking for a hook to grab onto - feel like this one's probably suffering the most for the lack of vocals. Without the main melody, it gets a bit repetitive.

I think the composition is pretty. I can buy it as an acoustic pop ballad. This one's got more going on, though I think the vocal line would have done a lot to fill it out. The guitar sound strikes me as pretty MIDI-ish - I'd recommend adjusting note velocities and timing to simulate strumming, which hopefully your VST or DAW can do automatically.

good bye:
Really like these chords and the sounds you used. I like the SFX as a storytelling idea, but the way they're mixed is a bit jarring (the door slam, particularly). The buildup is cool, but it doesn't really give me sadness/heartbreak - it's melancholic, but the way it builds reads more mysterious and uneasy to me. Before I read the project description, I thought it ended with one of the characters getting abandoned on the beach...

All in all, I'd say this is a solid foundation, and with better luck with logistics and a bit more polish, it could be awesome.

I like the composition a lot, lots of really cool ideas and nice melodies. The choice of instruments really helps sell the setting and the characters, and the stylistic roots distinguish it from a lot of game OSTs. Love the time changes in Un Paso and the story they tell.

One thing that I think would make these pieces stronger is more dynamic range, within each part as well as the overall mix. Your orchestration lends itself to dynamic playing that could really enhance your compositions. For instance, when the bandoneon comes in in the main theme, it stays at a pretty consistent volume, and seems to fill as much space as the entire string section, almost like someone's playing the higher stops on a pipe organ. Having it come in quieter with the strings coming down to meet it, giving it room to swell and fade, could highlight its distinctive voice and make the piece feel more like a live performance.

I agree with previous comments that the piano sticks out a little, especially on Un Paso, but I'd say more dynamic movement in the line would probably go further than a different sample set. More contrast between the grander and more intimate moments would also make the storytelling even stronger in both pieces.

Criticism is easier to elaborate on than praise, but I think there's more to praise than to criticize. Awesome work!

thank you!

noted on the treble - mixing is definitely the aspect of production I know the least about, and balancing the lead voices on that track was a struggle. the EQ did get a li'l bit spiky toward the end. I also got kind of fixated on making it dense because a lot of what I do feels pretty sparse, and started messing around with forces I only vaguely understand (i.e. throwing a giant multiband compressor on the master and using it as a "make it bigger" knob) and your ears might have paid the price for my hubris

Someone in the Discord mentioned Chrono Trigger, and the progression in the B part (or something very similar) shows up a lot in that OST when I think about it. Makes sense that it would be burned into my brain.

glad you submitted what you got done, 'cause it's really nice. I can definitely relate to losing motivation partway through a project, though. who knows, maybe someday the urge will strike to come back to these and flesh them out to a point you're satisfied with. what's here is already strong, and the weaker bits just need a little more refining.

Really cool! A solid entry, interesting, evocative and easy to listen to. Definitely worth expanding on outside the confines of this jam.

I like the melodic ideas going on here, and the doowop progression is always a solid base to work from. As mentioned, some mixing would enhance the experience - the piano, especially, takes up a lot of space for such a simple line, and backing it off some would offer the lead voice(s) a little more room.

I'd also like to hear some elaboration on the drum part - nothing too busy, but some variation as the melody builds could help strengthen the overall sense of progression within the framework of the 4-chord loop.

Really cool stuff! Very nice to listen to. Subtle and sparse but with enough texture and movement to hold interest, and the mood shift when the rumble hits is strong yet smooth and organic.

YoooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOO

the crunchy samples (and that bass) give me early-mid 90s shareware vibes, which can get into. I think it's a really fun composition.

if anything the pixel samples might be a little too crunchy? the mix is clear and I can pick out all the different voices, but it's also quite loud as FoxHyode mentioned, and the treble is pretty aggressive in places.

the part at 0:20 where u crest the last hill and the falls come into view just as the edible hits

the tension definitely comes through. I get submarine vibes. I think some more variation over the course of the track would help keep listeners engaged. within that 2-chord loop there's room to play with dynamics, phrasing, expanded melodic ideas - stuff in the vein of the pizzicato part toward the end.