Spooky little song for my game

[Mouth for war]

Ok this is my second attempt to create some music for my game. supposed to play in a dark forest. Hope you like it

http://www.datafilehost.com/download-8bb3af77.html

[Anian]

Actually, it's sounds like it would fit an arcade game, cause it kinda has a lot of changes in it, but otherwise it's sounds pretty good.

[Mouth for war]

Thanks! glad to hear it.  Yeah you're right but I guess i didn't want it to feel too repetitive. 

[guv]

this is really good, which program did you use?
the overlapping of the different layers works really well...if that makes sence

[Mouth for war]

Thank youvery much  I used Cubase SX3 and a M-audio keyrig 49. Nothing really fancy hehe

[Viking]

Pretty nice, captures the mood admirably!

Since you're after criticism, here goes:

• The piece uses the same instrumentation throughout -- basically pizzicato strings with bowed string accompaniment or vice versa.  For more interest, a track of this length should vary more.  For example, some French horns suddenly playing the F#-C tritone fairly loud in their upper range, followed by some quiet, menacing string tremolos (or some other very fast notes in a repeated pattern) would break things up a bit.  Then you could introduce a solo oboe playing some longer melody on top of the tremolo, etc.


• The piece uses the same basic C F# C Ab pattern throughout.  While this is a very effective pattern for this mood, it loses its effect after being played over and over.  You should move to another chord sequence, then perhaps back to the original; and then move to a different key with different primary instrumentation at some point, then migrate back to the original, preferably by some sequence other than a reverse of the original modulation sequence.


• This music works well for a relatively light-hearted game; and if that's what you're after, you've nailed it!  On the other hand, if you're trying to write something that will make people jump out of their seats, I'd suggest making the piece generally much quieter, more dissonant, and less overtly "busy."  Vary it subtly to capture the listener's attention, then punctuate it occasionally with sudden, comparatively loud notes and/or crescendoes that lead nowhere.  The idea is to make it discontinuous so the listener isn't quite sure what to expect next -- in the same way that he isn't sure what expect next in your dark forest.

Hope that helps!  Let me know if the above isn't very clear.

[Mouth for war]

Thanks! I think i know what you mean and i'll try to do some changes to it  The game itself is not scary at all. It's a cartoonstyle adventure game so i thought it suited the game pretty well.

[Phemar]

Some very good points by Viking, I second everything he says.

Nice track, though with a bit of work it could be very effective.