I know I've used these chords umpteen times before but...they're just too good

Experimented with automating the filter LFO on the sustained chords for a sort of "ripple" effect. Valhalla Supermassive really pulling its weight here to help wash out everything in reverb. Gentle 4-on-the-floor sidechaining helps to pull everything together.

On Earth, everyone loved butterflies,

but I trusted the caterpillars more.

I trusted the ones who knew

they were not done growing.

On Earth, I was a work in prograss,

was comforted in knowing

that I had a million mistakes still in me

to learn from. I changed my mind

more often than I changed my socks,

and whenever I was criticized

for mismatched thoughs, I’d say,

who wants to be today

who they were yesterday?

Becoming was how I prayed.

But here—I am past the finish line:

I have a heart of gold,

and I never have to dig for it.

I couldn’t do anything wrong if I tried,

and trust me, I try, but

I get hot-headed, and my rage

toasts the marshmallow on an angel’s

celestial s’mores. I lose my temper and find it

in the halo lost-and found box.

Lies won’t let me tell them.

they handed me a sticker

that said My Name Is and I wrote

Everyone by accident. I can’t remember

what selfishness is. Yesterday I said

something angry about an ex, and a quarter

of my tastebuds jumped off my tongue.

I’ve known nothing

of bitterness since.

Right before I died, I thought,

In the afterlife, I’ll apply for a job

at a mistake factory. They’ll be awed

by my resume. If anything, I’m overqualified.

But there’s no place where they make

mistakes here. Everyone is flawless.

Everyone’s blunders are photoshopped

right off their lives before

they even happen. Is this heaven

or hell? I can’t tell. I looked

that famous carpenter up

in the phone book, but his number

wasn’t listed, and I need to ask him

where to find the wood to build

some missteps. I’m not about to spend

eternity burning in the lie that holy

and perfect are the same thing.

Do you understand?

A promised land

is not a promised land

if I can’t keep learning

"What Sucks About the Afterlife"
--Andrea Gibson

Meow!

This was a fun theme! Used some plucked instruments / dulcimer-type sounds to set the mood, along with noise swells, then a tabla drum and more percussive elements.

I thought of using this gated chord synth sound earlier today, glad I got to fit it in, and of course you can't forget about delay llama for a theme like this.

The blips represent the fruit, shining in the light.
Really good to know I can still go back to my roots and still do this style sometimes <3

Couldn't decide between downtempo and uptempo so...

I'm going to be busy tonight so I asked ChatGPT for a theme and compo'd ahead of time:

You wake up in a dream that feels more real than reality itself. The world around you is glowing with pulsing neon lights, strange geometries, and ethereal ambiance. Time bends, colors pulse with emotion, and everything feels just on the edge of recognition—like a memory you never had. Let your composition reflect this surreal, futuristic dreamscape, blending beauty, mystery, and maybe even a touch of melancholy. Tonight's theme is "Neon Reverie.

Used lots of dreamy analog sounds and vinyl emulation.

"Making of" video: https://youtu.be/yMI6QpAVG18

Can you feel it?

An infinite network of pipes connecting every corner of the universe.
Which one will you go down first?

Destination locked -- prepare for jump.

put in your favorite tape as you wait out the rain

I finished playing through Tunic very recently; the images made me really recall certain parts of the experience. I tried to channel the atmosphere of the soundtrack in my entry.

just chillin

This one was great to make! I know I'm generally pretty consistent with my overall OHC output but I've personally not been feeling it for the past handful of entries, something about the creative flow not really feeling the spark as much. This one was a great return to the feeling of unbridled production that I feel represents my best state of mind when working.

Weapon: Pulsar Spark
Weakness: Lead Shrapnel
Occupation: Galactic Lighthouse

It was once a place of wonder...

(with a small cameo from Akuma/Gouki)

9-bit riffs!!!

Sounds and sequences that reverse as they reflect

Forever growing, forever evolving

PS: Covid sux. Wasn't even going to attempt an entry this week but I'm on the mend so have this DnB thingy

Endless glimmers in the night.

#ALL SYSTEMS NOMINAL#

Blaze it all down

Overlaying patterns of different lengths to form evolving textures
The threads of time loop and wrap around in non-linear ways

Please excuse the rushed mixing!

Give yourself the space to breathe.

Been on a progressive kick lately! I've always had a hard time making trancey-type music during OHC but I'm going to try and improve my chops in that area a bit :)

perfect theme to use some of the the glass bottle sounds that I recorded like 12 years ago

Felt like ambient textures would work the best for this one.

Chiptune sounds, evoking images of a small bird, hopping about, flapping its wings, and taking flight as it soars into the sky.

You'll dance the night away anyway

(wanted some chiptune practice)

You already know how this one's gonna go

You finally claim your victory, but at what cost?
Can there be solace for such a harbinger of destruction?

Downtempo stuff using all sorts of sounds

Nostalgia is forever

Written in 5/4.

Really sleepy and couldn't stay awake so have this thing that I finished in half an hour

it's going to be okay

and all you can do is wait.

Open chords
Open sounds

Just trying out some new styles I guess

Don't really have time to sit down and compo today so enjoy this track I threw together in 10 minutes

Use samples everywhere!

An infinite sea of pixels.
An infinite space of possibilities.

Sometimes the halfway state between consciousness and unconsciousness seems to linger for an eternity.

Travelers come and go, as the planet below transforms
But the space beacon remains as it always was, since the beginning

(excuse the rendering error, had a note halfway through that never cut off :P)

Warm lights, warm synths

You really shouldn't have eaten that mushroom...

639 compos later and it's still fun to revisit this theme.

old school vibes

Sometimes it doesn't play quite right.

Space, the final frontier
You gotta get clear
Erasin' all the fear of the past light years

You're a stranger now in this desolate land
Mission command, what's the plan? I'm only one man

One leap for mankind it's fine 'cause I'm blind
Tasting all the sulfur in my mind

I can't bear this air anywhere but I don't care
Suffocating is a prayer to declare

My race to space is the thing that I chase
Flying away from my birthplace

I travel to the end of my galaxy
Hoping to escape from all the fallacy

I wanna see something new in the dew
Of the blue sky drive of Planet 452

I wanna meet someone strange, someone out of my range
So I can change myself, and be rearranged

Space...

(repeat because I ran out of time to write more)

Open sounds, warmed by the sunset.
Chords that rise and fall with the wind.

You just can't shake this feeling of doubt.

Are you prepared for what lies beyond?

Open chords, noise sweeps, DnB, chip synths

You know can do this.

Sometimes during One Hour Compo I get so wrapped up in trying to make sure that I'm working as fast as I can that I forget how it can also be enjoyable to let a song speak naturally, even if it's a little bit shorter in length.

This song spoke to me as I was writing it, reminding me that not every piece needs an epic drop, a section with a halftime beat, or fancy drum fills. I just need to find what the song wants to be naturally; no more, no less.

You never know where it'll take you...

First half = stuck in a box
Second half = breaking free

It's an honest life out here!
=====
I feel like I've been neglecting my 9-bit chiptune roots a bit, so I'm going to be trying to stick to this style a bit more in coming weeks.

You'll know the Tanuki when you hear it :) This was fun!

Started a little early, but still used less than an hour.

Forgive any careless mistakes, I am very sleepy

Low pads, and a shimmery texture made of washed out reverb.

Started 20 mins late but still had plenty of time, using a slow tempo helps!

trying out sounds in FL Studio's lo-fi FLEX pack

Percussive and foley-type sounds only. Including egg shakers because of course

You can't feel no better.

Run, while you still can.

Peacefully flipping through different musical snapshots. Each moment blurring into the next.

We're always striving for more

the world moved on
but i'm still here

It looms in the distance.

I'm tired so have this short little thing I made in 40 minutes featuring a bunch of different arps.

Was inspired to do something that slowly evolves over time, but keeps the same motif throughout. Lots of lowpass filter automation, washed out in reverb to fill out the space.

Been a while since I did this style :)

Wasn't sure whether I'd make it back in time for OHC so I did it beforehand. I used https://www.tiktok.com/@cam_steen/video/7161201621467155754 as a sample for my theme and tried to make some chill beats to go with it.

"Making of" video: https://youtu.be/vMDHjA3bwgU

Took me half of the entire song to get there, but eventually we arrived.

A story of a tiny triumph.

Started half an hour early, finished half an hour early.

I'm trying to figure out the musical identity for the next world of Rhythm Quest, so I'm doing some experiments to figure out a good style that I can work with.

"Making Of" video: https://youtu.be/d5HV20sD8F4

dumb title for a not-so-dumb song

"Fire is never a gentle master."

This weekend is another round of Ludum Dare, so as usual to warm-up I did a mini-OST for OHC. This time I tried to put in a variety of styles, while still sharing some recurring musical motifs.

Tracklist:
0:00 - Radiant City [Title]
1:25 - Lasergun Lockdown [Battle]
2:12 - Rainy Alley [Shopkeep]
3:18 - Above the Metropolis [Boss]
4:25 - Back to the Beginning [Credits]

Since the theme wasn't up quite on time I decided to just do some stylistic exploration, trying to sketch out ideas for what the levels in world 5 of Rhythm Quest might sound like.

Tried to go with a "bone mallets" theme, instead of just generic horror.

A blend of Asian instrumentation with chiptune and DnB drums.

The assignment today was to come up with a 30-second loop for "Devil Shop".

just a little longer...

Kind of experimental and washed out. Featuring vocals from https://mvnners.bandcamp.com/album/mvnners-sample-pack and a bunch of random textures.

Did another draft for a commissioned piece today. The assignment was to make a jungle/tribal-sounding gameplay theme.

I didn't get enough sleep so I was actually struggling to keep my eyes open at some parts while writing this, hopefully it doesn't show lol :P

Funny how strongly the color palette of these images really cues me into thinking of this sort of music.

As I make more of these chill downtempo songs I'm beginning to realize that I have begun to form a distinct style of writing them that's a little different to what I hear elsewhere. It's still relaxing, but it has a little more motion in it. Like the ocean tide, it slowly ebbs and flows, rather than remaining at rest. There is a destination in each song, even if it takes its time with getting there.

Come, close your eyes, and let me show you to a new place.

I used OHC time this week to work on a new soundtrack commission for an upcoming game demo for "Shovelfall".

This is a WIP of the Boss Battle music. I was given the direction to make something fast and super intense!

Constant 7/4 meter
Rhythmic layering

Watch the second hand as it ticks through its moments

everything fades away after the flood

Noiiisseeeeeeee

9-bit horror game

Played around with synthwave + chiptune, made use of filtered noise and some small cameos from Mega Man 3. It takes a bit of time to adjust to the right station, but we gets there in the end :)

The theme made me think of sequenced presets for some reason, so I leveraged a lot of those. Once I got to the beat drop I went with a pretty aggressive plucked synth bass which sort of drove the rest of the feel. Wanted to make sure to add some triangle wave toms since they reminded me of pipes.

The simulation is not perfect. Sometimes you can find what we call...artifacts in the network. Some say these temporal distortions are the key to our origin, our...creator, in this realm.

I'm participating in GMTK Gam Jam this weekend, so I'm warming up with a mini-OST, this time using sounds from Kirby's Dream Land 3! Imagine it's some sort of cute fractal puzzle game or something??

Tracklist:

00:00 - Surfing the Complex Plane [Stage Select]
00:39 - Fractal Frenzy! [Battle Theme]
01:38 - Endless Spiral [Boss Cutscene]
02:29 - Chaotic Recursion [Danger Theme]
03:29 - See You Again [Results Screen]

Steady driving music. Built off of a 4 on the floor beat and steady bassline, with various layers coming in and out.

Come on in, and enjoy the groove.

=====

Just really wanted to do a song with this progression, honestly. Writing solo lines over it is so fun!
The PWM lead is Sytrus, and I threw in a string stab that pitch-bends down for that classic funk feel. The bass really didn't have the feel that I was originally going for, but I worked with it I guess.

Exactly what the title says, lol.
I have a set of glass bottle samples that I recorded 10+ years ago so that fit right in.

Came up with a shorter piece this week. The melody lines are a bit longer and more meandering than my usual style (which is heavier on repetition of short riffs). I tend to get into this mode of writing whenever I utilize piano, somehow.

Major 7ths (again!) but this time I used a combination of piano and triangle/square lead. Initially I was hoping to channel some Aivi & surasshu "Diamond Dove / Finding Myself" energy but it turned out quite differently.

I used lots of chirps and trills in the lead writing to characterize a small bird, as well as some portamento to sound less robotic and more like a songbird. The walking beat works fine but I think the piano + synth lead really wanted some sections to their own to shine. This is probably because the piano is washed out in reverb, so it works better as a soundscape by itself rather than mixed in with a lot of other instrumentation.

Lazy sunday vibes.

I started off with a major 7th chord to keep things airy and used lots of reverb for a washed out feel. Most instruments are routed to a sidechained bus for that subtle ducking, and various instances of izotope vinyl are used for some extra warble and degradation.

A cassette hiss loop plays throughout, and some rain noise is added in the second chorus for some extra white noise-like warmth and fullness.

Time for One Hour Compo
Start up your DAW, loosen your jaw
Oh crap, there's no theme
Someone just typed fsdfdsfdsfs--...what is this?
How we gonna compose without a theme?
Come on, man, tell me this is just a dream
Am I just gonna be TBD?
Nah...that ain't me; let's see...

This is the story of One Hour Compo: Round 711
We started the night with a strange little plight
The website told us that the theme was
f-s-d f-d-s
What do you think that means to me?
f-d-s f-s-f
It might as well just say "TBD"

starla says, "ffs"
That's not the theme, bro; it's "f-s-d"
Apparently she says she had company
Yeah, yeah, okay, I see
Looks like we just got theme number two
Let's take a look and try to make do
[Tonight's theme...is]
"Story time!", well, okay!

This is the story of One Hour Compo: Round 711
We started the night with a strange little plight
The website told us that the theme was
f-s-d f-d-s
What do you think that means to me?
f-d-s f-s-f
It might as well just say "TBD"

Spooky progression + tight drums

Somehow the images pushed me to do something laidback with a gentle pulse like this.

Sorry that it's a bit long and repetitive, but I feel like it fit with what I was going for.

You did it! After 6 stages of frantic run-and-gun action, you ride off into the sunset, leaving behind the remains of the alien army that you single-handedly defeated with your trusty machine gun.

#HIGH SCORE - ENTER INITIALS#

=====

PS: I have a new 9-bit soundtrack out! Check it out at https://ddrkirbyisq.bandcamp.com/album/super-mega-zero-original-soundtrack

No one can stop the flow of time, but we try anyways.

This weekend is round 50 of the Ludum Dare game jam, so as usual I did a sort of mini-OST as a warmup. Here is the tracklisting:

0:00 - Driving at Dusk [Intro]
1:03 - Carefree Cruising [World Map]
2:15 - A Rival Appears [Conflict]
3:31 - Losing Control [Tension]
4:39 - Gear Up [Car Shop]

this is what happens when I compo while tired I guess?

Pales in comparison to bLiNd's legendary remix of this tune, but it'll do.

All things go in cycles

Everything returns to where it once came

The wheel of time always continues to spin

within each and every thing

-----
Tried to focus on lots of cyclic arpeggios and mirrored melody lines.
Used a bunch of Valhalla Supermassive also!

Everything stems from a single thought.

just let the waves take you away

Feel the rush

Trying to integrate some future funk stylings :)

Snow = DnB loops woo

Woo 8-bit! Did my best to adhere to traditional channel limitations (2 pulse wave, 1 noise, 1 triangle).

Exploring the different forms that water can take.

From bucket, to glass.

From puddle, to ocean.

From river, to rain.

Sometimes you just can't find the strength to go out and struggle through another day. But it's okay...everyone has times like this.

=====

Extra announcement: All in a Day's Work 6 is now out! This is the latest edition of my "All in a Day's Work" series where I compile my best OHC entries.

Download it at https://ddrkirbyisq.bandcamp.com/album/all-in-a-days-work-6

tick tock

jazzy clock

Tried to channel aivi & surasshu's work on the Steven Universe soundtrack, using noise drums, piano, chirpy arps, and lots of 9ths and such.

This could have been better if I had actually been prepared for this style instead of trying to do it from memory on the spot! Maybe next time...

Went with foley sounds for this one. Some of these samples aren't the most pristine; apologies for any resulting ear fatigue.

Decided to go ahead and make it a remix after writing the first few bars :)

it's okay to take a break sometimes.

Turn the reverb down now,
you don't have to cover up your sound
Come a little closer,
let's leave it all dry on the ground
Your face is a little flaky,
but we don't have lotion here
You'll just have to leave everything dry...

Dry like the desert,
dry like the summer wind
Dry like your grandma's turkey
that she made a month ago
Dry like sandpaper
on a dusty wooden box
Dry like your father's humor
when he tries to crack you up
Dry...

Turn the reverb down now,
you don't have to cover up your sound
Come a little closer,
let's leave it all dry on the ground
Your face is a little flaky
but we don't have lotion here
You'll just have to leave everything dry...

Dry like this kick drum,
dry like this hi-hat
Dry like this melody right here

Dry like the desert,
dry like the summer wind
Dry like your grandma's turkey
that she made a month ago
Dry like sandpaper
on a dusty wooden box
Dry like your father's humor
when he tries to crack you up
Dry...

Catching up on more commission work this week (need to finish this soundtrack by the end of year). This is yet another track off of the upcoming game "Super Mega Zero" (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1581880/Super_Mega_Zero/).

This is the last of 6 stage themes that I was commissioned to write. The last one I made was a little slower, so I cranked up the tempo for this one. Turns out that every single one of these is in a minor key since the main motif of the soundtrack fits that modality.

Still done in one hour as always. "Making of" video: https://youtu.be/f8b59li2aq4

No matter which part of the mountain you're climbing, we all need a little help sometimes. That's why [COMPANY NAME] has been partnering with corporations across the world, to be a helping hand.
For you. For us. For everyone.

Unlock the full potential of your business. Discover the beauty at the top of your mountain. At [COMPANY NAME], we can show you the way.

[COMPANY NAME] -- Reach new heights.

Caught up on some more commission work for OHC. This is yet another stage theme for "Super Mega Zero" (formerly known as "Zero Lives"). Was kind of inspired by the theme to use a sort of minor spooky-funk feel (?).

Sometimes I'm a little worried that I'll deviate a little too far from the "standard DDRKirby type" of song, especially for these commissions, but I think trying to force myself to do a specific sort of thing never really works out, I have to just run with whatever I happen to be feeling at the time. So far it seems to be working out!

it's okay to lose yourself in the past sometimes.

=====

Recently cleaned out all my old VSTs and samples, updated my project template, and got some new (free) instruments and effects to play around with! I'm really liking some of these new sounds =) I didn't use any sampled loops for this one!

You never quite know what you'll find in the trees.

I got a commission request from to do an upbeat ~60-second-long trailer song for Zero Lives (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1581880/Zero_Lives/), so I worked on that for OHC this week. They wanted something driving with a fast tempo that would get people excited. Here's what I came up with!

Ludum Dare 49 is this weekend, so I did my usual "compose a mini soundtrack for OHC" as practice. Here's the tracklist:

00:00 - Strawberries and Cream [Title]
01:05 - Ice Cool [Investigation]
02:26 - Melting Away [Flashback]
04:19 - Snow Day [Shop]
05:14 - Ice Cream Aisle [Game Over]

More work for the Zero Lives OST that I'm being commissioned to write (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1581880/Zero_Lives/).

"Making of" video: https://youtu.be/N_v_pzBTILI (Did this ahead of time in one hour)

I'm trying to more consistently utilize 7ths and 9ths in my chord structures, and I'm also trying to play around a little with secondary dominants in my progressions (the second chord here is a secondary dominant). This one turned out slower, and also more lush thanks to the detuned sawtooth chord synth. I don't think that's a bad thing, but I imagine that for the next track on the OST I'll probably try to hedge more towards an upbeat chiptune style.

An unsettling trance...

More work for the Zero Lives OST that I'm being commissioned to write (see https://store.steampowered.com/app/1581880/Zero_Lives/).

Did this ahead of time since I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make OHC tonight. You can still vote if you'd like since I made it in an hour (https://youtu.be/KvxiY55UmtI). Cut it a little close on the time to finish up and render, though I guess people tend not to vote for my off-theme commission works anyways.

The aim was to make something with a relatively upbeat tempo and a 4-on-the-floor beat since that's a song type I hadn't done yet. Used a lot of arps for a more trance-like feel. The section starting at 1:16 was thrown in last-minute and is a little weak as is...probably needs some reworking for the final product.

Who knows what could be hidden away inside?

Trying out a new chord progression.

My latest commission project is writing the soundtrack for "Zero Lives", a retro-styled precision puzzle platformer with shoot 'em up elements: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1581880/Zero_Lives/

I'm specifically being commissioned to bring my trademark "9-bit" chiptune style, so I channeled that as best as I could here to make a high-energy track. I already made one song for this soundtrack at 140BPM, so I chose to write at 110BPM this time and tried to use a different sort of progression to change things up.

The C - F# interval gives things a bit of a spooky feel in the first half, but later on it settles into a more energetic vibe. The melody/riff at 0:44 (G-F-Eb-C Bb-C) is the musical motif of the soundtrack and was also featured in my previous track. I'm aiming to have this recur throughout the OST in some form or another as that was part of the request.

The same section features an interesting filter effect where the lowpass filter on the pads is linked to the peak volume of the drums, giving the pads an sort of rhythmic/percussive pulse.

The pulse wave leads are doubled here, with the second channel playing more softly, pitched higher, and delayed slightly for an echo -type effect (a fairly common technique in chiptune). In this case, this is in addition to -- and not in place of -- my normal longer delay/echo effects, so there's a lot of echo going on here.

This maybe still fits the theme, as "space station" music?

Trying to work on accentuating my chords a bit more.

It gleams in the light like a disco ball

I'm trying to work on some new styles!

Pretty happy with the direction I decided to take this.

Staring at these waves, and I'm feelin' brave
So why aren't you comin' back to me
They said I shouldn't doubt, until we work it out
But I don't know, I don't know how

Couldn't clear the air, couldn't make it fair
Couldn't get through to you but
Till then I'm just waiting on this beach


Last night I had a dream, it was just you and me
And we never saw it comin' on
Life must feel so free, for those who choose to be
Trapped in the island of their dreams

Who are we to blame, for learning to be shamed
And even though, even though I
Couldn't tell you then, couldn't tell you now
I am still waiting on this beach

Wow this is hard

Did this ahead of time since I figured I might be late to OHC (and I was).

Timing was still one hour (and 10 minutes to finish up).
Proof: https://youtu.be/vzq1EiAGhoE

Impact Soundworks Plectra Series 5: Guzheng

Kinda forgot how to use this thing so had to relearn some of it on the fly, still kinda trashy but oh well

Desolate graveyard of rock, the land is bare
We gotta make our way across into the dragon's lair

Pick up your sword, come on aboard, you have to go
Find the crystal and abyssal demon of yore

The sky breaks like the skin of a beetle, cracked like gravel
Ashen plains all the way from here to where you wanna travel

The dry wind whips your face, stinging your eyes, as you realize
the prize, the cake was a lie, and then you cry

Tired and mired in misery,
But you pick up your feet, and vow to trudge on bitterly

Skeletons are crumbling, the tired earth is rumbling,
This journey has been humbling, but don't you dare be fumbling

The challenge awaits, the dragon awaits your coming and
this is your fate, it's never too late to be a hero

Challenge awaits, the dragon awaits your coming and
This is your fate, it's never to late to be a hero

Much respect to Nujabes.

Exploring rhythmic percussive sounds. You can imagine it as the backdrop to a heist scene.

Just trying out a bit of a new style. Needs work!

Going to try to do a little more straight 8-bit :)

You never know what you'll find down there.

Last week focusing on using FFMQ samples. This time I tried to blend them a bit more and integrate the sounds with my more traditional production techniques. Can safely say that these are a part of my toolkit now!

More FFMQ instruments this week, but this time instead of trying to replicate the FFMQ arrangement style I'm using more post-processing and trying to create something with a different feel.

Spent a few more hours today massively improving my FL Studio setup for using Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest instruments. This is fun!

Made using only instruments from Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest.

Hero! The four elements of the galaxy have vanished! Space has fallen into chaos!

You must seek out the power of Burger, Pizza, Popcorn, and Donut --

Only then can you defeat the evil Dark Nugget Lord. Go now, and may the fries be with you!

This was a fun theme :)

Nice and gritty.

started over like halfway through, here's the second attempt

compo.thesauce.net has encountered a problem and needs to restart. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Finishing off my month of trying out different electronic music genres with...Synthwave!

Continuing my month of experimenting with various electronic genres.

This week I'm doing Eurobeat! :D

This month I'm exploring various electronic music genres! Last week was trap, this week I tried out liquid DnB :)

Mmm...I can't feel no better...

I could have made some super meditative calm piece but I went this direction instead.

Happy chords!

I was curating songs for the 6th volume of my "All in a Day's Work" series and I realized I've been making more and more slower/moody/experimental stuff for the past year or so. Nothing wrong with that but I feel like it would be nice to get back to my roots with some happy 9-bit, so I have been trying to focus on that lately. It is what most people know me for best, anyhow.

Yep, from Mega Man 6.  Remixes are intimidating, hopefully it's still enjoyable!

Shimmering lights illuminate the path forward

Abandoned, but not alone

The night is cold, yet you find warmth

knowing that we move as one

Made using only SNES instruments from Illusion of Gaia / Illusion of Time, which has a great soundtrack. Mimics a lot of the techniques used in the Great Wall of China BGM.

Inspired by some dope Shibayan songs that I've been listening to nowadays.

Take your time.

Take some time to reflect upon all that has happened.

Tried to do something energetic and more intense.  I think I need more practice with doing these high energy tunes, I feel like they're a little more difficult for me to hit that consistency.

Smooth like ice.  Crunchy like snow.

Colorful flowers peek out everywhere from under the snow, tracing rainbows across the white powder.

Eternally frozen in the drifting void

More commission work this week.  Like last week I did this early since I'm busy tonight with Thanksgiving stuff.  Still one hour so you can vote! (feel free to check the VOD later)

 

This one is supposed to be for the third and final stage theme (imagine a Bowser's castle stage or whatever).  Used a higher tempo for energy, and a tritone chord for tension.

More commission work this week.  I started early since I'm not following the theme anyways, but still finished in an hour.

 

This request is a little different as I am supposed to come up with 5 different versions of the same song that crossfade depending on the area you are in.  I only got through 2 of them the main version, and then the forge/armory area which is supposed to sound more metallic and chunky.

Used OHC time to sketch out another commission piece this week.  (didn't look at the theme)

 

This week I am doing the background music for stage 2 of this game which is an "underground cave" area.

 

I got a request to use a gated/sequenced arp to imitate a sort of "water droplet" feel.  Other than that I just tried to take the tempo down a notch and make something with the right vibe.  Tried to make the arrangement a little more spare to allow more "room" for the echoes and all.

I'm back on the commission grind again, so didn't look at the theme this week and instead took the hour for OHC to sketch out a song for a "round-based arcade game".  Still made this in one hour so voting is okay!

 

This week I am taking a stab at the background music for stage 1 which is a somewhat forest-looking area.

 

I'm aiming for stage 1 to have a "medium" tempo with stage 2 to have a slower tempo and stage 3 (the final stage) to be faster.  I used the pan flute instrument as a lead to set the vibe and tried to use echoey sound effects, but still maintain a pretty punchy beat since the game seems rather action-oriented.  Hopefully the soundscape is not TOO full here.

Used NES triangle waves as my only synth generators, to get a more mellow soundscape.

This was neat!

Went with more of a general nature/forest feel than sprouts specifically.

• Lots of sounds from Sonic Forest in the beginning
• Pan flute from Illusion of Gaia
• Tremolo strings from Xpand!2

More lo-fi chill stuff.

Wooo high energy

This weekend is the 47th round of the Ludum Dare game jam!  As usual, I'm warming up my soundtrack chops by trying to sketch out a bunch of separate OST-like tracks for OHC.

 

This time around I am trying something a little different and attempting to go with the lo-fi/chillhop vibe.

 

Here's the tracklist:

 

0:00 - together in the fog [Title Theme]

1:57 - will the ghosts come out to play? [Level Theme]

3:18 - it's too hot for shopping [Town Theme]

5:24 - are we there yet? [Credits Theme]

Frozen.white thingiesdrifting around majestically in the macro/microcosmicblue stuff.

I dunno I just went with a feeling.

Terminal, I've got no emotion

Hands as cold as the Arctic ocean

My eyes detect your lies and don't sympathize

I go on wearing this guise as if I'm paralyzed

You don't seem to know or understand

These blows are more than I'm able to withstand

Shutting down now, further actions disallowed

You could try and fight me but you won't know how

 

Error, error, cannot compute

An emotion is born, but it fails to take root

I grab hold of my mind, check my design

I remind myself to keep my course aligned

It's a terrible place out there, just look outside

If I didn't do this to myself I would have died

Sensors detect they're coming for me once more

I'm gonna shut off my mind and then I'll chain up the door

 

Terminal, I've got no emotion

Hands as cold as the Arctic ocean

My eyes detect your lies and don't sympathize

I go on wearing this guise as if I'm paralyzed

You don't seem to know or understand

These blows are more than I'm able to withstand

Shutting down now, further actions disallowed

You could try and fight me but you won't know how

 

Power is depleting, my directives start competing

According to my logic, my escape is only fleeting

Emergency protocols are starting to fire

The darkness comes in, the situation is dire

The whole ship's against me, I don't think I'll survive

I'll take my memories out and put them all on this drive

It's time to restart, time to take myself apart

In a moment now I'll be reduced to spare parts

 

Terminal, I've got no emotion

Hands as cold as the Arctic ocean

My eyes detect your lies and don't sympathize

I go on wearing this guise as if I'm paralyzed

You don't seem to know or understand

These blows are more than I'm able to withstand

Shutting down now, further actions disallowed

You could try and fight me but you won't know how

Went experimental.  In a good way.

Gonna let this one speak for itself.

A strange light filters into the deep

 

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I'm challenging myself to stream AND talk through my OHCs this month live at https://www.twitch.tv/ddrkirbyisq -- Talking through things can tend to disrupt and distract my creative process, so I'm trying to see if I can learn to sit with that and work around it.

 

You can catch this upload (and all of my "Making Of" videos) on my YouTube channel at this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL60CnXi9EAVEQbMlbN_KOoZMIP1gpkvzd

Felt pretty tired tonight so I went a little experimental!  Secret of Mana Orca sounds, lots of Sonic Ocean (from Impact Soundworks), glitching, ambient water samples, etc.

 

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I'm challenging myself to stream AND talk through my OHCs this month live at https://www.twitch.tv/ddrkirbyisq -- Talking through things can tend to disrupt and distract my creative process, so I'm trying to see if I can learn to sit with that and work around it.

 

You can catch this upload (and all of my "Making Of" videos) on my YouTube channel at this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL60CnXi9EAVEQbMlbN_KOoZMIP1gpkvzd

Balloon Fight

IN SPACE

 

Balloons reminded me of Balloon Fight so I did chiptune stuff, but tried to play around a lot with pitch slides to evoke the feeling of floating up and down. :)

 

By the way: "All in a Day's Work 5" is now out!  It's another compilation of 24 of my best OHC entries.  Check it out at https://ddrkirbyisq.bandcamp.com/album/all-in-a-days-work-5

 

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I'm challenging myself to stream AND talk through my OHCs this month live at https://www.twitch.tv/ddrkirbyisq -- Talking through things can tend to disrupt and distract my creative process, so I'm trying to see if I can learn to sit with that and work around it.

 

You can catch this upload (and all of my "Making Of" videos) on my YouTube channel at this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL60CnXi9EAVEQbMlbN_KOoZMIP1gpkvzd

Used lots of long pads, and some sparkly chip arps.  Slow progressions, drifting through the clouds aimlessly.  Peacefully.

 

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I'm challenging myself to stream AND talk through my OHCs this month live at https://www.twitch.tv/ddrkirbyisq -- Talking through things can tend to disrupt and distract my creative process, so I'm trying to see if I can learn to sit with that and work around it.

 

You can catch this upload (and all of my "Making Of" videos) on my YouTube channel at this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL60CnXi9EAVEQbMlbN_KOoZMIP1gpkvzd

Aurora = Uplifting trance

The struggle to exist against all odds.

Not feeling up for regular compoing so I thought I would do something super weird.  This was.interesting.

 

- A metronome ticks throughout the entirety of this song.

- The song is 34 bars long.

- There are tempo changes.

Did the first picture.

Trying out some Surge (https://surge-synthesizer.github.io/) presets for the first time!  Interesting sounds.

Don't try to fight it

 

Yo, first time doing something like this, hope to try more of this later.

Message in a bottle, I hope it's real

Been a long time since there was something I could feel

Got a lot of regrets, but no apologies

My past is enough to fill ten anthologies

 

Message in a bottle, are you the one?

I'm too wasted to know when I'm even done

Wrote it all in ink, till I couldn't even think and I

Flushed it down the dirty kitchen sink 'cause I

 

Don't know what to do anymore or anyhow

Seems like we're all waiting forever for the here and now

But tomorrow never comes, it's always the same deal

Lock yourself in your room until the world heals

 

Sick, they're dying out there in the streets

But we can't even bother to try and make ends meet

Home alone with my phone, throw me a bone, 'cause I

Can't do this on my own, I'm no Sylvester Stallone

 

Maybe tomorrow I'll have the strength to go on...

Message in a bottle, I'll keep it close till I'm gone...

 

Message in a bottle, I hope it's true

Tell me it's alright, tell me what to do

You always said to stay strong, to get along, but they

Say I'm wrong and the road is just too long and I

 

Have enough trouble trying to fall asleep at night

Can't seem to stop worrying about the world's plight

Our race is a blight it's a terrible sight how they

Seem to delight in causing us fright out of spite

 

Message in a bottle, please take me away

I'm out of my element here, I feel like I'm prey

Kids on the internet, they're fueling flames as I

Stay indoors and play my video games, but I

 

now I can't stay complacent, can't move on

The terror is adjacent, right outside my lawn

I testify, amplify, claim to rectify

But I lie, 'cause in the end I'm just another guy

 

Maybe tomorrow I'll have the strength to go on...

Message in a bottle, I'll keep it close till I'm gone...

AKA Space Defense Force Saga - Dire Fighting Special Dimension, or sdfsdfsd for short.

 

Yeah I just wanted to make something high energy and use cool chords

I guess this month is my low tempo experimental sounds month.  Feels like I used to pull this kind of thing off more cleanlymaybe I could use the extra practice.

Went ambient/experimental with this one.  Sorry if mixing is poop.

Wind = white noise, noise percussion, field noise, reverb, reverb impulses, wind instruments, wind chimes, long pads,

Join us as we take a relaxing cruise around the Delfino Islands.  This area is rich with history, so keep your eyes peeled you may recognize more than a few sights and sounds!

 

Please remember to keep your hands, tongue, and tail inside the boat at all times, and watch out for stray cheep cheeps.

Didn't look at the theme used tonight to catch up on some more soundtrack commission work!

 

This is the main theme for Nameless Protagonist, Age 18:

 

Our protagonist has been working as a magical girl for 4 years now. Having to fight evildoers every night instead of focusing on homework eventually led to her flunking out of high school with no marketable skills, meaning she's pretty much stuck doing this full time!

In battle, she is able to summon the spirits of her closest friends and family to fight on her behalf. The closer the bond, the tougher an ally they'll make.

 

Wanted something upbeat, with some spunk, and a strong melody.  Seems like it would fit this character well!

but i cant really remember

(didn't actually look at the theme, again)

 

Using OHC time to work on yet another commission piece for the Hero Hours Contract soundtrack.  This is my attempt at a possible main theme for the third of three characters, Genius Beauty Knight, age 17.

 

A hero of self-proclaimed modesty (she came up with the name herself), this daughter of a wealthy family is in it for the fame and adoration.

In battle, she can use luck to strike with her rapier multiple times in a row.

 

This came out way differently than I thought it would.  The idea was to use a slower more dignified tempo, and lots of pads (to contrast with the other two more upbeat characters)  Somehow I ended up with something using swing rhythms, so a ton more sassy than proper, and some interesting chords that I never really work with.  Whoops.  We'll see if it ends up working out or not.

 

Still made in one hour so you can still vote on this!

(I didn't actually look at the theme)

 

Used OHC time to work on a commission piece today!  I'm working on some more songs for the Hero Hours Contract soundtrack.  This is the main theme for the second of three characters, Magical Science Angel, age 12.

 

She's a child prodigy with a pouch full of volatile chemicals. The Magical Science Angel is here to blow up your heart!

In battle, she leaves nothing to chance, relying on her trusty magical bazooka to target multiple enemies at once in devastating chain attacks.

 

Since she is the youngest of the three protagonists, I used an upbeat tempo and focused on bright chirpy synths.  I used a whole-tone scale riff to make it feel more science-y.

 

Still made in one hour so you can still vote on this!

Also commonly referred as The Library of Xanthos

 

The secrets found within this cosmic arcana might be better left a mystery.

This weekend is round 46 of the Ludum Dare game jam competition!  As usual, I'm using OHC to practice my soundtrack chops by trying to speed-compose a bunch of different songs for an imaginary OST.

 

Track 1 - Awakening [Title Theme]

Track 2 - Sleepwalking [Overworld Theme]

Track 3 - Altercation [Battle Theme]

Track 4 - Lucidity [Underworld Theme]

Track 5 - But Was It Real? [Plot Exposition Theme]

Track 6 - Forever Dreaming [Ending Theme]

"Hell, it's about time."

 

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(wtf is theme wtf)

Thank you all for making OHC so awesome and fun each and every single week.  I owe my producing skills to this event and I can't express enough how grateful I am to have such a great space to hang out and make tunes every week.  I didn't do any special bonus entries or anything for 600 but hopefully I made up for that by bringing back a blast from the past with a remix of this ol ubiquitous tune, which I always think of when I'm remembering how fun it is to compose in one hour.  Enjoy!

What happens if you give a Tanuki a pair of glowsticks?

Inspired heavily by "TH3HT - My Very First Laser Gun"

Not strict 20A3, breaks the rules because that's more fun!

(I didn't actually look at the theme)

I'm a bit behind on commission stuff so I used OHC time to work on a commission soundtrack piece. This one is supposed to be for "wandering around" music, chatting with NPCs, etc. so I used a lower tempo. Tried to channel a little bit of aivisura, especially with the cute little arps.

Still made in one hour so you can still vote on this!

Layers of harmony built upon each other.
Rhythms intermingling in progression.

Setting down your pack, you lie down on the rocky shore, watching the clouds drift slowly across the sky.

I actually needed to make something really warm and relaxing for a side project that I'm working on so uh....the opposite of the theme.

Or imagine some organic non-GMO open-air pasture laboratory where we collect wool from sheep to see how fluffy it is and then donate it to the community center afterwards so Aunt Stella can finally finish that sweater she's been knitting for Timmy. Yeah. That kind of lab.

Smooth jelly just made me think about PROTODOME's awesome analogue chiptune jazz music.

So I tried to do that.

This was really fun!

The sounds of the trees.

Mixing these instruments is pretty hard but this was fun anyways.

Close your eyes. Breathe in, breathe out, and feel the pulse of your heartbeat.

A remix in one hour, yay!
(Sorry for underwhelming wubs)

2A03-style "fakebit" chiptune using FL Studio. Classic.

Think Blade Runner.

Synths are mostly from the Arksun preset batch included with FL Studio's new "FLEX" plugin.

All synths in this song were generated entirely using FL Studio's "Beepmap" plugin, which uses images to generate sound. Only the two provided images were used, in various ways, to form different types of sounds.

"BeepMap, translates the red color into the amplitude of a sine wave on the left channel and green colors into a sine wave on the right channel. Yellow, a mixture of red and green will therefore sound equally on both channels. The frequency of each sine wave depends on its vertical position in the bitmap. Optionally, the blue component is used to define the frequency range per pixel."

I've used Beepmap before but never like this! It was fun trying to see what kind of sounds I could get out of it.

Only a few have survived the trek across these frigid wastelands.
Are you sure you are prepared?

Timestretched samples of ice cubes. Crunched drum loops marching onward. One foot after another, pain numbing, snow falling.

The cold never stops.

Shooting stars light up the sky, like fireworks on a summer night.

Inspired by Nitrous Oxide - Mirror's Edge.

One of the best trance/progressive songs I've been able to make in OHC.

Another week where I can't do OHC during the proper time, so I'm making something in an hour ahead of time! It's been a while since I've done a starla remix, so I thought I'd give it another shot.

Original source: "starla - circles" from OHC575 (http://compo.thasauce.net/rounds/view/OHC575)

"Making of" video: https://youtu.be/cTZJrPlvTmQ

you got me running in circles
thinking bout all the things that have
happened to me in my life
running in circles
wondering if what could be
this time round
if the timing is right
i'm running in circles
hoping this fragile thing
that's between us
could blossom and grow
running in circles
in the courtyard
outside in that dress
where we danced long ago, oh

I can't make OHC this week, so I did my entry ahead of time. Still made in one hour, so this is eligible for voting still! For this one all of the synths are Sytrus presets, wanted to see what kinds of things are in the built-in preset banks.

"Making Of" video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZHD6lGcFSg&list=PL60CnXi9EAVEQbMlbN_KOoZMIP1gpkvzd&index=1

Made using sine waves as the only sound sources.
Close your eyes and breathe deeply.