itch.io

https://itch.io/jam/414097/add-game/4352667/11135419?token=xNjREbpreSrQXRvra9Mip...

Here you go!

This thread is for changes you would like to see in the future for this jam. Some current changes I have planned for the future:

• Submission period extended to 14 days. (This is so there will be more time for research, I feel like 7 days might not be enough)
• Providing examples of fan-music that imitates the style successfully in "Resources and References" tab (Potentially)
• Links to free VSTs/Samples that could be helpful in the "Resources and References" tab
• Bonus Challenges 
• An official discord server

Let me know some changes you would like to see!

I went ahead an listened to both, not too much of Bungie Halo games (will need to research more), but I will go ahead and add it to the list.  I've also listened to AoEII's soundtrack (but just the original 1999 one, I'll have to research more about DLC and definitive edition), and It seems like a good choice for a pre/early-2000 PC game midi soundtracks (with a nice amount of harpsichord). Also, for future themes I will be using a random wheel for selection, but DOOM should have a pretty high weight (because of its unique genre mostly; music genres that are similar to each latest jam will be temporarily excluded/lowered in weight in the selection process, so there's a good chance it will be selected)

If you have a late submission, post the link of your project here and I will give you a late submission link.

Hello, for the clicking I might be able to help, Does the original video export click too or is it exclusive to when you uploaded it to youtube, also what video software did you use and do you know what the bit-rate of the audio codec settings was for the video software? 

It depends mostly, I listened to your composition and I would consider it original enough to be its own thing! I would say I pay attention most to how exact the melodies when deciding. So something like route 1 in GSC I would consider a remix of route 1 RBY. It's hard to really draw a line for this so I'll tend to give benefit of the doubt, since the primary reason I made this rule was to incentivize the researching/analyzing part of imitation and to prevent situations where an artist might use a significant portion of another song without understanding why it sounds like Pokemon. In the future, I will try to see if I can come up with a more clear criteria for what I would count as a "remix"

Yes, both music files should be downloadable in the same itchio project and then you're ready to submit! 

Hello Nick! The noise channel was often reserved just for Pokemon moves/actions/battle-cries to minimize how much they would have to interrupt the music when sound effects played. You do not have to omit drums if you end up making a red/blue style theme though (even if you make a traditional Gameboy chiptune track with only 4 channels)! FireRed and LeafGreen could be good references to look at if you'd like an idea of what drums could look like structurally in the original tracks (if you haven't checked them out already)

At the time of this post the submission phase is still ongoing. I just wanted to let everyone know that I will be extending the voting period by 3 days to give musicians extra time during the voting process (for a total of 10 days). This is because the Impressions Composing Jam submission period ends very close to the end of the voting period for this jam, so 3 extra days will be given for musicians who are participating in both jams, meaning more time to listen and provide feedback on other's submissions while not worrying about missing a deadline for another jam.

I've listened to a bit of each and I think they would make great editions! I like Halo's Infinite cinematic style soundtrack and I think it would make a nice edition, I also really like strings to be honest so it is nice to have a more string-heavy soundtrack. For No Man's Sky, I only really knew that is was a sci-fi exploration game that feels infinite but I was not at all expecting the experimental rock influence, I think it would fit perfect! I was really looking to put more rock-influenced soundtracks on the list. I looked a bit more into No Man's Sky soundtrack and apparently it is a bit like minimalist composition too (don't know the term for more complex music that uses a large variety of phrases in a non-fixed structure),  so that could be pretty interesting for a theme!

I think I might group for genre with Roblox themes. From what I've seen, there seems to be a pretty big demand for Roblox horror music from indie devs and I think it could be a good theme for musicians to practice horror/thriller soundtracks but also it could make a good collaborative non-commercial event for creating music that can be used by game devs (but it will be opt-in and not a requirement for the jam)

Yes, there will be more like this one! They will be a little infrequent but I will remember to notify you when I host one again, eventually I'd like to create a discord server to make that easier too. If you are looking for music jams in general there is the Impressions Composing Jam currently going on too, it runs a bit longer than this one. You might also want to be on the look out for OST composing jam (largest music jam) and the ScoringTech jams (music jam I see frequently here)

Yes, it is completely ok to get feedback from people who aren't jam participants before submitting

Thanks for letting me know! I accidentally had it set to checkboxes instead of single choice, it should be fixed now!

I will check them out tomorrow morning (It is late where I live currently)! And no worries about the time of post, suggestions close at the end of the voting period!

I will add this to this list! I have never played this game but I saw my friend play a bit and I remember how unique the soundtrack was and how it fit the gameplay really well, so I feel like it would make a great addition to the list!

I think those are some good choices! Those are perfect for some of the electronic subgenre holes I had in the list too

I would consider a song that borrows a significant amount of the composition from a song of the franchise as a remix. Harmonic elements can be similar, but direct melodies/melodic motifs should be very minimal. A similar (or even the same) sound palette is completely fine.  I think one way to look at it is: If your song can be considered an "alternate original theme" over a "remix" for a concept in the franchise, then it is considered ok! An example of "similar but not a remix" can be found in the final fantasy franchise, the battle theme in Final Fantasy 1 is very similar to the battle theme in Final Fantasy 4, but they are different enough to be their own unique themes 

I'll add it to the list! I listened to a little bit and I think it is a very nice soundtrack

This thread is for suggestions of future styles you'd like to see in this jam if it is hosted again. I am looking for game soundtracks that have a fairly unique style. My knowledge of game soundtracks is pretty limited so feel free to suggest soundtracks you like! A mix of games with simpler music theory (like Yume Nikki) and complex music theory (like Zelda TOTK) would be nice to have

Some examples of potential future themes:

• Zelda BOTW and TOTK
• Nier: Automata
• FURI
• Borderlands 3
• DOOM
• Ace Attorney
• Street Fighter III
• Silent Hill
• Earthbound
• Yume nikki
• Omori
• Skyrim
• Cuphead
• Minecraft
• Persona
• OFF
• Journey 

Edit:

Lots of good themes have been suggested! I have a list of some holes that I would like to be filled

• Brass-heavy soundtracks (That doesn't have much other orchestral instruments, aside from typically a sax or clarinet. But emphasis on the brass)
• March-heavy soundtracks (think 2/4 time signatures, prominent snare drumming) (Wait, just had an idea for patapon)
• Botanica (If this even exists in games, I am not really sure)
• Traditional Folk genres (that doesn't use fusion often)
• DnB/Jungle soundtracks (Ps2 might be a good place for this)

For now it will just be itchio forums, I might make a discord server in the future if I end up hosting a jam like this again though! I mostly want to see how everything plays out first, and see what changes I might need to make to the jam before making an official server

Hi, with the theme revealed (Pokemon). Here are a few resources and references for understanding the style and composition techniques.

If you have any resources you would like to add, this is the place for it.

-A few concepts to pay attention to while listening

Panning:

The panning in Pokemon music can be incredibly unique at times, I don't really know how to describe it, but there's sometimes so much going on in terms of stereo movement it is unlike much I've heard before (even from game soundtracks on the same game systems). Pay attention to it in the reference tracks

Bassline:

While pretty important for most music, it is a really important element often forgotten in fan tracks. Very often used for groove/rhythm rather than for just extending a chord

Motivic elements:

Pokemon music has a formula to it at times; Certain chord progressions are everywhere, variations of a distinct melody appear often too (you'll see more information about it at the bottom). Not always necessary though (especially in more modern stuff)

GENRES:

Genre isn't too important for making a song feel like Pokemon. There are a wide variety, from the original chiptune, to hardcore EDM, folk orchestral fusions, and even experimental wolf howling funk(???)

Prominent Genres:

Most prominent: EDM and JPop/Pop (These genres not only have instruments/sounds from the genres, but hold most of the common song-writing structures found in the music of the games)

Less common (but still fairly prominent): Jazz (music theory) and Orchestral

Common fusions with the most prominent genres: Rock, Orchestral, Funk, Jazz (instruments and music theory mostly, but tends to lack longer-form structures or solos seen from these genres)

Less common fusions: Folk (from any culture really), Ambient, and DnB

Generally genre shouldn't matter too much, but you might want an element from the structures of EDM or Pop/JPop 

ERAS

Chiptune Era (Pokemon red/blue, gold/silver):

Music born from limitation, you do not need to limit yourself to 3-4 sound channels if you decide on this era.

• (Iconic theme, very common motif) Opening (Pokemon Red/Blue)

• (Chiptune area theme) National Park (Gold/Silver)
  
  

Synthesized Instrument/Midi Era (Pokemon ruby/sapphire, diamond/pearl, black/white, sun/moon):

Some live instrumentation here too, but the design philosophy is pretty consistent. A shift to more orchestral and jpop/rock elements, and a wide range of electronic subgenres. Many instruments usually come from Roland or Proteus sound banks (of the early 2000s). Motivic elements are very prominent

• (Beginning Town, Orchestral influence becomes more obvious) Littleroot Town (Ruby/Sapphire)

• (Jazz theory influenced) Lake Theme (Diamond/Pearl)
• (Japanese Folk-influenced battle theme) Ho-oh's Battle Theme (Heartgold/SoulSilver)
• (The famous opening motif is back) Victory Lies Before You/Last Pokemon Theme (Black2/White2)
• (Similar to opening motif and common rhythm) Zinnia's Theme (OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire)
• (Groovy Slap Bassline) Gladion's Battle Theme (Sun/Moon)

Modern Era(Pokemon Sword/Shield, Legends:Arceus, Scarlet/Violet):

I feel some of the philosophy has shifted to "feel like you are there in the moment" style themes, meaning lots of dynamic music (music that changes real-time depending on the situation), and music elements that literally highlight the environment itself. Instruments are often live or imitate live instruments, electronic synths and distorted guitars become much more prominent than orchestral elements before (but they still exist, especially in the legends games)

• (Pop/Orchestral theme, with some "wolf elements") Slumbering Weald (Sword/Shield)
• (A bit more ambient take on an older theme) The Heartwood/Eterna Forest Remake (Legends:Arceus)
• (Incredibly Dynamic battle theme, a little minimalist too) Paldean Gym Leader: All parts (Scarlet/Violet)

Music theory resources:

8-bit music theory (The creator responsible for this video) is a good channel in general for music theory of video games 

Listen-along channels that tend to cover theory (THAT ARE ALSO HELPFUL IF YOU DON'T KNOW MUCH THEORY. Search for Pokemon specific videos):

https://www.youtube.com/@DaviVasc

https://www.youtube.com/@MusicTheoryforGamers

Ask any questions you may have about the jam here!

** I am no longer accepting team invites but feel free to reach out if you ever want to work with me on a jam in the future

Hi, I am a composer who specializes in rpg-style music! I love the rpgmaker horror genre and I would love to work on a project with someone!

Here is my latest jam submission if you'd like an idea of how my music sounds under a crunch. It is inspired by Pokemon and the Mother series (mostly earthbound):

Why The Stars Remain Silent

Or here's an example of my recent music made to fit common RPG themes. It is inspired by OFF (which is an RPGmaker game with a dark tone):

Tearing Down Sticks and Straws

Contact me on discord (tossdacook) or email me (tossdacook@gmail). I look forward to working with you on a team!

** I am no longer accepting team invites but feel free to reach out if you'd ever want to work together in another future game jam

Hi, I am a composer! I've been really excited to compose for a game and I am really looking forward to working with a team! Some of the genres I am most comfortable with are Retro VGM (nes to ds-style music), Hip-Hop, and Industrial (and I love doing experimental stuff too). I can do a bit of sound-design, but mostly for digital sounds (I also have a tiny amount of experience in python, but it'd probably only be helpful for checking code logic rather than actual coding)

My latest jam submission (If you'd like an idea of how my music sounds under a crunch): 

Why The Stars Remain Silent

Or my latest album (Composed to have 2 battle themes, 2 area themes and a boss theme):

Tearing Down Sticks and Straws 

Contact me on discord (tossdacook) or email (tossdacook@gmail)

Thank you! I'm glad you like the time signatures, and I would highly recommend looking into metric modulation as you practice odd time signatures too (which I don't think it is necessary to learn but I personally found it to be helpful for practicing, but I mostly did that because I wanted to make similar music to Mother 3 which relies heavily on metric modulation for it's time signatures)! Also, I haven't heard of StarBirds before but I'll have to check it out, I can't believe I never found out Kurzgesagt was involved with a game!

This is a really lovely soundtrack! I always enjoy music written to a story and I think you communicate it well through the soundtrack! Some great choices of instruments as well! I love story-driven soundtracks but for some constructive criticism, I feel the main motif could've been developed more for the purpose of breaking ambience for character association, but that's pretty subjective and mostly a personal preference when it comes to the ambient cinematic-style music attached to meaning (like a story), and I still think you communicate your story well!  Nicely done!

This is a cool soundtrack! I like your instrument choices a lot, and the synths are very very nice! I also like the cohesiveness of how you structured your soundtrack! A little bit of a subjective criticism, I love the drum timbres you've chosen but I would've liked to see a bit more variation in the drums patterns given the more ambient structure (especially in track 1 and 2), but that is just a matter of personal taste, and I don't dislike the drum pattern you have currently - I still think they are nice. I also really like the interpretation of the theme and your progressions highlight a vastness with a hint of eerieness which I think fits perfectly for space! Very nicely done!

This is a really cool soundtrack! I love how you chose to compose for the theme, everything feels "cosmic dreamy"! I also really like track 2 it feels very imaginative and awe-inspiring and the vocals are some nice touches. I also really like the layering you did in your tracks. I have a couple small constructive feedback; I like how you use the crashes throughout your tracks to give them some more impact, though, I feel the crashes could be a little bit quieter or they could use a high shelf filter in all the tracks, or maybe even a reverse crash (or another sibilant texture) to crescendo into it to ease into a bit (but that'd kind of ruin the impact a tiny bit). I also want to emphasize the hat in track 2 like FoxHyode mentioned, I really really like track 2 but the hat poking out in the treble is the main thing holding it back I feel, but I still think you've composed these wonderfully and the whole soundtrack feels very wondrous, like exploring the vastness of space! Very nicely done!

Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed it!

This is a great soundtrack! I love all the different mix of timbres you've chosen and I think they fit well. This is a great space journey too and I think you capture the theme well!

For one small constructive feedback, I like the tone of the first track and it feels like a great start to a journey, however I feel like the lower synth pans too far into the left or right sometimes, mostly because it is holding the "weight" of the track (sub/bass frequencies) and the mix feels uneven when it goes too far in the panning at times (I also listen on headphones so it is a bit more sensitive there), but despite that, I like the addition of the bass and I think it adds a nice energy to the track and conveys what you want to very well! I enjoyed the story-telling especially and the piano really ties everything together, very nicely done!

I think this is a nice soundtrack! This is my 3rd attempt at leaving a comment cause itchio flagged me as a bot the other day but I was able to comment on someone else's post today so I am hoping it goes through. I mostly wanted to say that I think the lack of time signature in the first track worked really well and there's a very nice sense of atmosphere in it, it is also my favorite of the 3! I also really like how you used the stereo field! and idk what or how you did to the piano in the second track but I like how it sits very, very pleasantly in the mix! I can't remember what else I had to say from the other day but those are the main things I wanted to express (maybe you'll get a couple surprise notifications if my comments didn't end up getting lost to the cosmos), You highlight the theme very well and it was nice listening to this!

I love the ambience you have created here, I like venus especially I think it is my favorite one out of the bunch! I like your progressions of harmonies in the tracks as well and I think you capture space really well here! I ended up listening to whole thing throughout 3 days so my feedback might be a bit spread out (also I hope itchio lets me leave this comment too cause I got mistakenly post flagged as a bot the other day, probably because I take too long to write comments or something haha)

For some constructive feedback, I will focus mostly on the Uranus track as an example; I really like the calm nature and the warm-timbred synth with the wind-like fx playing in the background offering a nice and simple atmosphere, I believe the textures could've evolved a bit more for the duration though. There's many different ways to approach that but I have a simple example that wouldn't require any extra instruments, one approach I can think of is an automation of sweeping an EQ on the noise/wind every now and then, almost like a non-traditional "Call and Response" between the sine wave and the noise/wind, but there are many other ways to develop the textures as well! That aside, I still think you did a great job highlighting how Uranus feels (as well as the other planets)! Ambient is a really difficult genre (I personally think it is one of the most difficult ones), so I wish you luck as you continue to explore that area! Nicely done here!

Thank you and I appreciate the feedback! I am glad you found the soundtrack fun to listen to! Also I mentioned this to someone else but since you liked the glitchy aspect of the second track, if you haven't heard earthbound's battle themes I would highly recommend checking them out !  I think the technical term for the time signature stuff I did is metric modulation (but the tempo shifts are a bit rougher than what is traditional for that concept)

I agree that the tracks could use more development! (Especially the first track haha, I didn't want it to have a chorus while I was writing it, well at least not in the first 2 minutes of what a full version could look like)

I also agree that the cosmic horror elements feel lacking too! The main "dread" track (I called it Dread Man's Switch) I had to scrap before the jam but it was a cool concept (like a mix of the prowler theme from Spiderverse and "Air Raid" from LISA: The Painful), I even felt like I was going insane making it because the chords felt like they shouldn't work at all:

Here's one of the progressions I had for that dread track in mind, idk if they conveyed dread well but they were made by taking a normal progression and then adding notes that relate by 4ths

I will try to take your advice with darker tones in the latter tracks though, the last track is sort of supposed to represent a very subtle grim return to ignorance and I think your advice could especially help with conveying that fully!

Thanks again for the feedback and thanks for hosting this, I really liked the longer style jam!

Thank you! I am glad you like the jerky style, you might like the earthbound or mother 3 battle themes if you haven't heard them before! I didn't even notice the similarities to Aphex Twin while making this (I need to listen to them more often), that is a nice observation!

Thank you and I appreciate the kind words! I am especially glad you like the trumpet too because that was the part I was most afraid of how it would sit in the mix (mixing instruments with really bright timbres scares me haha)