A signal travels around the known universe, searching for any signs of life. 

Despite the tone, this isn't actually about anything specific that's going on in my life. Just thinking of how to make a bittersweet song about drinking water. Also slight warning, but I didn't have access to my proper mic, so I had to use my headphones mic instead.

 

---

 

Remember the time we browsed the aisles?

Had a long talk about electrolytes and brands?

Well, now that our distance stretches miles

The taste of cold water hits much different than before it all began.

After a long while's journey, our wanderer returns home, only to find that it has been turned upside down. Where did everyone go? Why is everyone who remains acting strange? Sneaking around each bend and corner, our wanderer seeks any telling clue.

I just got a new computer and didn't set up my mic in time, so warning for really bad pops, sorry. -_-

-----

I've spent my whole life searching through the dark
Looking for light that trickles off in sparks
I've been the passerby of many broken things
I close my eyes and see what life may bring

A storm crashing through the sky
Makes me wonder why I even try

(A collab with Tpcool)

All we want to do is make a nice, simple song, but everything keeps getting in the way: strange acronyms, family obligations, and strict time constraints.

(Seriously, it's a collab with Tommy. He also came up with the title and description. And also also, he's cool. :P)

I think you're supposed to make catchy, upbeat music when you use Mega Man soundfonts, but screw that let's make some weird looping thing and delay it like crazy! Oh and add some Kirby, Zelda and Chrono Trigger soundfonts for good measure.

My ambitions were bigger than what I could actually do in an hour, oops.

-----

I once thought they had it all
And they didn't have to try real hard
Weary faces behind screens
Beating down on those that drop their guard

Full of confidence and optimism
Guess that meant I was naiive
So I faced the gnashing teeth
Hoped they'd treat me well
Yes I did believe

Would I even feel much different
Had they not thrown me?
Still I took it out on others
Couldn't tame the beast

I'm on a journey down this road
Scenic route ahead
Roll down the windows, feel the breeze
Rushing past my head

All these settings fuel my drive
And keep me going so I strive
To make the best out of this journey
Just as good as where I arrive

~

Although the road stretches for miles
Nature is breathtaking
Blue skies above
Pastures of green
This journey's in the making

~

I'm on a journey down this road
Destination ahead

You're staring at your reflection, when all of a sudden, your reflection starts talking back to you. That's not...really an expected or realistic occurrence, now is it?

------

I see you there
So different, unaware
Not who you know
I've changed now, and so

You'll learn, you'll grow
You'll take what life throws

Don't you worry
Remember who you are
And where you come from
Hiding it leaves inner scars

From one life to another, are you afraid as you venture through another cycle of life and death?

As you begin your descent, reality starts to take a turn for the worst. Engulfed in adrenaline and fear, you blank in and out of your peace of mind. When will it end?

I tried to make a melancholy song about pie hehe

----

Measure the flour, ready the sugar
Add in a little dash of salt
Crack up the eggs
Mix in the butter and vanilla
While you try to keep from grinding to a halt

Line up the dish, pour in the filling
Seal the crust just like your thoughts
Into the oven as I wait for the aroma
That I can't experience firsthand store-bought

Trying to find that slice of life
Where things are more than okay
Not too overly sweet like cake
But good enough to stay
'Cause all you need in life is a balance of filling and of crust
Take your pick and savour if you must

Can you bake 2000 pizzas in an hour to satisfy HUNDREDS of hungry customers, all while maintaining a clean, friendly restaurant AND preventing the rift between "pineapple pizza lovers" and "pineapple on pizza haters" from ruining your entire day? EASY CHEESY!

If I melted all the snow in town
Would I go?
Jump into the flooded river
And swim to you?

I was going to do OHC for real today, but my nose started bleeding profusely right before the compo began and didn't stop until about halfway through. :( Because there's not too many entries, though, maybe I'll share this...

"Relinquish" was the first "soundscape" piece I made for my Electroacoustic class in uni during the fall term (October 2018). Basically I took a bunch of vocal stems from previous songs I made, glitched some, Paulstretched others, then added in some recorded sound effects from around my campus with filtering and all that jazz.

I've been 'round searching for a place
New strangers, obstacles to face
One look your smiles do patronize
I'm not welcome I can see it in your eyes

Is it the way I talk that makes you lose your mind?
Or just my presence causing you to be unkind?
I don't know what it is and frankly I don't care
You've been this way with me each moment that we've shared

I'm sorry I couldn't be better
I only wished to stay the night
But if me here makes you uncomfortable
Then I shall leave to make it right.

The amazing adventures spiders can pursue when they become one with the aesthetics of nature.

Majestic, yet frightening. A beast before your eyes scours the waters in search of prey, fine flippers that guide him along the way.

This compo makes me grind my gears...it got me thinking for a solid hour of how I was going to approach this after going into "party" mode. I never recovered.

I'm feeling all alone again
Where were you back then?
Could this be the end?

Now all that's left is cold and space
As the snowflakes pass
Knew it wouldn't last

Take a dip in the springs and immerse yourself with the hot and cold senses of nature at its most tranquil form.

FL is being super laggy today and slow to render, yay... >:(

----

Sad I couldn't go where the people go
filling up their glasses
Just another outsider feeling down
bottle in my hand

Sip another drink as I watch the floor
filling up in masses
Jaded by the lights and the pumping beats
filling up my glands

Breaking a sweat as the people glance
Motioning for all to dance
I freeze

Turning away from them
Filling up my drink then I'm at ease

So just let me be
I'm trying to escape reality
Soaking up the waves
While jumping off a cliff into these graves

Staring off the deep end
While they mingle on the shore
So just let me be
I simply cannot take this anymore.

The big city. A little person. Excuse the live recording; I didn't have enough time to sequence this.

-----

The city towers
Monstrously tall
I'm trying hard not to get
swallowed by it all

These sessile giants
Taking in the sun
The people rush
A crowd of ants we've become

Shadow to shadow
We're just people on the run
At work in fifty storeys
When the day's just begun

And all the windows
Gleam their hopes up to the sky
The average worker stops to look up
And asks, "Why?

Why all these giants?
What's there to gain?
Why have a window I can't
Look down again?

Must everybody have to
Look all the same?
Somehow I sense these structures
Calling my name."

The city towers
Watching where I go
Hundreds of eyes gleam
'Til the light doesn't show

I won't be afraid
Although I aimlessly roam
There's a time to leave these giants
While I find my way home

Go to sleep
All your projects will wait for you tomorrow
Let yourself get the rest you need right now
Don't stay up
Think of all the things you could do next morning
Do you really want to miss a class again?

-----

...I ran out of time.

The battle is over. You have won. You fought hard. You earned your victory. Now rest...in peace, hero.

Who wouldn't feel strange trapped inside a mysterious, dusty, abandoned? house, with shelves lined with dolls?

Who wouldn't feel strange in a place where the porcelain and plastic hollow faces stare right through your soul?

Their eyes are everywhere. Your eyes are fixed in one place. You try to move, but they keep pursuing you, even though they remain perfectly still. You'll keep fighting until your mind stops fighting for you.

omg...what a rushed entry. I guess you could say I...used my intuition to make this, haha! It wasn't very good. :(

-----

Going down the same path again
But will I find my way back?

When no one's there to tell me how
Should I turn to myself?
But these feelings blur the lines
Tangling my senses
And they pause the cry for help

I can do this on my own
Gotta think this over
Make a left and then a right
What if this takes us 'round in circles
And we're stuck in here all night?

How do I find my way with
my intuition
With all these voices fighting in my head
again?

A traveller leaves behind a village after spending a long time there, setting foot for home. But as he walks down the gravel path, he can't help but feel like he's left something behind.

Pausing under the shade provided by some trees waving in the gentle breeze, he contemplates on whether or not he should go back and figure out what was missing.

"If it was important, I would have remembered it," he says aloud. He continues forth, trying to dismiss the feeling despite each step he takes nagging him a little more.

I wanted to go. My nerves were holding me back. What if it didn't go right? What if I wasted my first opportunity?

That was just it: I wasn't boggled down just by nerves, but by thoughts. Today, however, that was all going to change.

With a deep breath, I hope that my optimism will be as bright as the outcome.

You've been falling, but who knows for how long? The longer you descend, the faster you go, and yet...having been falling for a while with no chance that you'll land somewhere, you just kind of come to accept it. You're going down, and there's nothing to stop you. Our only fear is: where and when do we stop?

A table for two
Face drenched in candlelights
Exchanging pleasantries
and catching up in between bites

I asked him how he'd been
He said he's been all right
I wanted to believe him
even though we had that fight

I pushed the thought aside because we're here; this is our night.

We walked through the streets
We hung out in a park
And even nearing night time
It wasn't getting dark

Tried to enjoy the moment -
It's just like older days!
But never would I ruin it
By uttering that phrase

If only I could feel this happy...

Indulging every single day
Reconnecting, and patching up the fray
It won't take long to realize
That you're still gone and I haven't opened up my eyes.

In order to maintain a sense of sanity, one must calm themselves during times of inevitable isolation. Take company in the vast expanse of nature. Allow yourself to open up and release.

Signs you may be infected: having a grave desire to create run-of-the-mill chiptune.

Kinda went a little more loosey goosey with the theme. Oops!

I watched
And I dreamed
Laid back
It all seemed
Like I could float up to the clouds
Clutch raindrops in my hands in crowds of 4
Or 500 to 1.

Yet here I sit
Pretending things that should have been
Instead of being here
Depending on the machine

So I'll keep dreaming

You're a little nervous - okay, very nervous for this dance. Technically, you shouldn't be doing it. Outdoors, right in front of the big clock? You try to calm yourself, but you can feel your heart beating faster. Or is it the clock that is ticking faster?

Closer, you get to your partner. With a touch of the hand, the dance begins.

Just an afternoon out in the city with my favourite floof.

That mysterious, magical kingdom that supposedly exists above and among the clouds...

A watchful eye never sleeps. And when it spots you breaking the system, it never stops pursuing you.

There simply wasn't enough time.

------

Let go of ordinary things
Give in to the routine
Quiet and steady as you go
Working for the machine

No need to think
No work to do
Except the work
in front of you

Don't have to think
I simply do
Things just don't come
Out of the blue

The futuristic cyber city is bustling with technological advances transporting themselves to who knows where.

From the earth, there grows a single sprout. From a group of single sprouts, there forms a garden. From a garden, there forms the peace you find within as you immerse yourself in the growth of nature.

What is this drink? And why, when I take a sip, does it make me feel...like I'm losing myself for the better or worse?

(yes I used Harmless presets hurr durr insert grumblings)

Don't mind me, just chillin' in my sweet space car taking a spin around outer space.

Back then, we were happy
Facing shore to shore
We made plans to close the wide gap
A distance closer than before

Snapshots held in whispers
Hopes for better days
Did I think it'd all last forever?
Just for it all to be erased?

We promised we'd be together
No matter how far we are apart
And if we begin to drift further away
From the shore, I send you a heart.

A few drops and a few rays of sunshine accumulate into one sparkling, rainy wonderland.

In a school where everyone looks alike, it's hard to stand out.

Threads are made of strings...strings intertwine over each other to make layers...different patterns on the same sheet layer atop each other.

Our minds draw lines to things we want to see. If it's any consolation, some of us are incapable of seeing constellations. Well, barely, anyway.

I had no ideas, sorry, also sorry for the bad singing

------

Yesterday, standing there by the water
Watching those, lights above gleam
Flashes of colours fading to darkness
How could I ever so dream?

Just one look at the stars above
Watching over my friends
Fireworks going off the lake
And this year comes to an end.

You sense a surreal mix of fear and comfort in the darkness of the woods, despite the light that cuts through from the full moon.

As much as I enjoy the autumn leaves, I can only wish snow upon this vibrant orange, red and yellow path.

A sea turtle takes a pleasant swim through the coral reefs, dancing among the schools of fish and taking in the sunlight.

Joke title to an impromptu entry for the "Chipsgiving compo". The title may say "Chips", but I think it's a love letter to all music compos I've entered. Thanks everyone. I'm stepping out early for the night. :)

The song was composed in about the span of an hour, but it was definitely outside the compo time. I added the harmonies within the compo, though. So I guess this still counts as a bonus entry? LOL.

------

I guess it's time to think about the things that I am thankful for
Even though my time has passed
There's always more
Like the time I entered this competition where people make songs just for fun
I learned a lot and then my playlist grew an awful ton

There's a time and place
To cut to the case
And be thankful for the moments that we get to be together
It's easy to forget to thank you all

As kids...we all grow up so fast. One minute we're children and the next thing, the world changes. We must ponder and cherish these moments we share as a family, all while keeping in mind that our adolescence to adulthood will sneak up on us when we are at our most vulnerable.

The subatomics remain even, yet everchanging.

On a sunny autumn day, I take the time to reflect by the lake of the sights I will encounter and the goals I will make.

I close my eyes as I let the summer pass me by.

I'm left
Standing at this old street
Staring at these concrete
Buildings that were once grand
Now abandoned

I go
Searching for the ones who
Dwelled among this place, too
Left behind these ruins

It's an empty town
There's no one left here
It's time we left this place
So nobody draws near

Avoid the stardust, the chips and the void.

Will you be the first to fall, little raindrop?

The ultimate battle of the "olds". Who will win? No one knows.

Beneath the trees is where I lie
Red leaves reaching for the sky
In my head, I find peace
Under the canopy of the autumn trees.

More vibrato and 16th note arps twinkle upon the Milky Way tonight.

Imagine standing under an icy arch, with water flowing below. Gazing upon the ice, would you see the reflections of the water on it? Or would you see the water reflect the ice?

Sorry for the bad quality lol

----

Pink flowing petals washing out from the light
Gaze into the colours where red meets with the white
Carefully, we pick off petals
Toss 'em one by one
Until we reach the centre
And relax beneath the sun

Ah~ relax beneath the sun
In our petal bed
Where calmness fills our heads.

Ah~ breeze carry me away
Lift my petal bed
And dance beneath the rays

It's a lighted corridor, and at the end is a tree. An..Asian tree, I guess? Ooh.

The hunter shoots. He laughs. He scores.

I spent more time than I should have trying to make vibratos lol...

Nothing like the smell of freshly cooked pancakes in the morning to make you feel right at home.

The multiple beams of light come towards you and spread out.

Comfort food makes you feel at home while allowing your taste buds to go on an adventure.

Why wash the tablecloths when you can let the rain take care of it instead?

You stand before its grandness, its...pentatonic-ness? in a path you've never ventured before.

Man this went in a weird direction, but I ended up just going with it.

As the wind blows, the seeds scatter, far away from their home, or back to where they started.

Campfires are the best part of camping imo. The marshmallows, the crackling sounds, the smell of burning firewood, the warmth, the memories. It's the sound that brings people together on an otherwise cooler night.

Sending messages through the tunnel.

A crow on a branch overlooking the trees
Its back turned away, feathers ruffled in the breeze
The night starts to cover up the blue tints in the sky
With neverending grey clouds passing by

----

featuring a squeaky door and crappy sound quality

When everything seems so close in pictures, but so far away. Tonight, let's take a journey over the Earth and beyond.

The rain is pouring hard. I'm not even sure if this umbrella will cover me completely. Perhaps it's better to stay still than risk getting more wet by running.

The little sprout bursts through the soil, shooting towards the light. Well, plants don't travel at the speed of light, but....

Because 4/20, I'm assuming the theme is weed and I just am not aware of this fact.

So the closeups(?) reminded me of frost on plants and plants bursting out of frost and dew. hehe

There's a new leather apparel in town, and it's going to outshine the brightest, finest jewellery even on the streets at night.

The lines between the trees
The squares no one hoped to see
Bright blue colours out of place
Might just be my saving grace

Souls separated from their bodies congregate among others in the room they rest in before moving on.

Beaches are for relaxation. So let the salty breeze carry all your saltiness away.

The mind jumps in mysterious ways.

The dreary tones make it hurt all the more to be out in this magical weather.

A little adventure splashing in the puddles can brighten up any grey day.

They stare at you, but you only find there is more than meets the eye within the eye.

With every strike upon the anvil, new shapes are formed.

Who knows where bubbles could have traveled if they didn't pop so easily? But for the time being, enjoy what little bursts of fun they bring into our innocent lives.

Messages traveling rapidly throughout your nervous system.

Be nice to the trees, and they might give you a branch to lean on. A trunk to store your stuff. Some lighthearted sappiness. After all, these entities just want a little unity. So don't leaf them with something to bark at.

My angel
Where did you go?
I'll wait by your statue as the sun passes us by...

The ideal waves. The ideal beach. The long hike down and up the valley to get there. How I wish I could do it all again.

As your care pours out onto its growth, its trunk reflects colours of thanks, leaves branching out to the sky.

It's pleasant but nothing except a dead road end.

It stares back at you, tanned skin, crisp green freckles. One look and you know it was simply meant to be.

May the lava bring warmth to this cold desolate barren landscape.

Let your imagination distort what is merely reflected on the surface.

The storm approaches; lightning cackles in the distance. The sky fills with majestic colours that are wondrously unsettling. It has long awaited its opportunity to bellow upon the land.

It's a hit or miss when the nightlife is a blur and you're not a part of the action.

Stressed out, shaken
Heavily mistaken
Trusting those that pull apart the cracks

Want to make it
But all I do is fake it
Losing grip I fall off of the tracks

Looking through the pieces that have been pulled far apart
Piecing them together to form something like the start
Stepping back and seeing there's a spot, that glares back

This battle will not cease
To find the missing piece
Wherever could it be?

Whole, but never quite complete
Must find the missing piece
To keep my mind at peace

They won't know
because I hadn't told a soul until
Now
They'll try, I'll try, to fill, what's left behind

This battle will not cease
To find the missing piece
Wherever could it be?

Whole but never quite complete
Must find the missing piece
To keep my mind at peace.

You're didn't come for the lightshow. You just happened to be walking by, and you saw it happening. But it's been a long day, and you really don't have the energy to be excited.

Somewhere against the constant beats is a chiptune pentatonic solo.

How badly I wanted to see a shooting star! But it was like they only appeared in the night sky every time I blinked. Little did I know, as more lights went out, the sky shone even more brighter with its spectacular showcase, a brief glimpse of the galaxy beyond our world.

A frog on a unicycle has to go places. Dangerous places, really. One would think the path is smooth sailing, but once that bump in the road is hit, well, man...

Imagine if a large raindrop remained in stasis, but could watch the world around it pick up after the rainfall. What images would reflect off its smooth yet delicate surface?

Petals as bright as the colour of party balloons, bursting with fun and joyous celebration!

After all these years, you've finally found it - scraping through eroded rock. It's a treasure to behold, bring it up to the light! Let it bask in its glory, the glory is yours.

The time has come to make that trek to the falls, those waterfalls, so beautiful, yet deadly. Because this encounter with them could be your final.

The train passes through these fields, every day for an entire summer, once the sun sets and the crops bow to the passing breeze. And in that moment, it seems, all that slept in the heat of the afternoon picks up in motion to the beat of the rumbling tracks.

He sits across the table, a selection of his finest fruit treats paired with a cup of fine tea. Tempting, but perhaps to not be trusted with ease. You have to watch how you behave around him. After all, undesirable guests are met with a rather...undesirable fate.

As we overlook the cliffs, watching the clouds pass us by, the warm breeze rushes out to the waters, rippling the reflection of the coming night.

(As a nod to my first year on OHC, this PxTone entry is made entirely with ORG samples.)

So I got back super late, debated whether or not I should actually compo, started a piece for the compo, then realised that PxTone was lagging a ton and decided "screw it!" So here's a WIP I sort of worked on during the compo, but started well before it. For a future project. Like WAYYY distant future.

Life in the deep appears in waves, colourful, magical - if only glimpsed at for a brief moment.

Still deciding what to eat here? Don't worry; take your time. We have all the time in the world. There's no need...to rush...at all...

Or do they patiently wait for a better opportunity?

I am super uninspired today.

Somewhere, deep inside, your hardware jams to the beat. That's a good thing though! Isn't it?

It sticks in your mouth; it comes with a buzz. A rush to create a sensation with the wrong amount of fuzz.

You don't always get to see the things you want to see. But if you sit back, relax, maybe those things will come when you least expect them to.

Petals so delicate, yet intricate, spread outwards from the flower like ripples in the water.

Lost about half the time allotted due to external issues, but apparently that won't stop me.

The rocks in the second picture reminded me of ones seen in a little river, where the water flows freely over them.

You see them, trudging up the hills, but remember that zombies used to be humans, just like you. A mix of terror and remorse fills you as you run, strange memories pounding in your head.

You can sense it - the darkness, as you enter.

The darkness, as it embraces you in its arms.

At first, it seems that it cannot be trusted. But then again, it's just there. A contrast. What can it do?

The last entry of the year needs to go out with a huge bang of NOISE.

Also fireworks are terrifying imo but yet their colours are still intriguing...

A cold winter's night, the snowflakes fall like stars. If you hold out your hand, one may land and let you examine its detailed, complex, beauty before it melts away.

You arrive at the web but no one's there, only memories captured in dewdrops cling tightly to the fine, delicate strings.

Uh oh.

Cut short because apparently I'm not supposed to be compoing. Though I felt the need to not let what I've worked on go to waste.

I thought I had time...

Change on the horizons is a shift from beneath.

Even the sun needs to rest, above its canopy of clouds.

(Still haven't mastered the art of beginning with a lead in Caustic. So patterns will have to make do. Also still trying to get a feel for the instruments/percussion idk. )

You're driving down a snowy road, trying to get away from the mistakes of the past. Your grip on the steering wheel is losing grip like wheels against the ice.

And while the speed makes the destination's success uncertain, time, somehow, remains in stasis, hanging for its dear life on the snowy branches.

There it came, beneath the waves, bursting out in its magnificent glory.

Thirty minutes wasted wandering aimlessly through the woods that is my unfocused mind.

They found you, and they want to befriend you.

Not relevant to the theme at all lol but I spent all morning working on this and have to leave now. -_-

There's a spark amidst the ashes, a light of hope through the imminent destruction that decimated the city I once knew. Do we start over or move on?

Sorry my mind is a MESS right now.

It's been a lousy week and my head is all over the place. But yeah, colours and noise. :D

The noise of nature penetrates my wandering thoughts of nothingness. The light penetrating beneath the canopy brings hope to a new day.

They said there would be fairies on this trip. They were wrong. D:

Sometimes you end up lost, and end up in unfamiliar surroundings. All you know is that they're beautiful, and you're in the moment, so you've got to make the best of what you've got.

Running through wheat fields in any endless direction desired...a gentle breeze weaving around the plants, snaking through the ground.

Growth can be slow. Multiplication starts gradually. And yet it still remains with structure, with pattern.

My focus shifted towards the last two images in the array.

("A spiral's path is gradual and changes at every turn."