Music for "Conspirocracy"

Problem · Mon 11/03/2013 22:31:01

Hi Guys,
I want to share some of my latest work with you.
I've uploaded two tracks that I composed for KodiakBehr's lovely new game "Conspirocracy".

The first one is the background music for a typical city setting. If you look at some of the screenshots (especially the isometric view) you'll get the idea. For this preview, I mixed the music with background sounds, so this is what it should sound like in the final game:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1891681/music/conspirocracy/city-preview.ogg

The second track is intended for a short cutscene. I don't want to give away too much, but as the title says, it's about ascending a mountain

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1891681/music/conspirocracy/mountain-preview.ogg

Any feedback for these tunes would be highly appreciated. Maybe I'll upload some more tracks later.

Diamond16 · Tue 12/03/2013 00:48:44

I like both tracks. I like how the first track is quite laid-back, despite being the background music for the city. The chord progression is pretty neat too

Problem · Wed 13/03/2013 08:58:01

Thanks for your comment, Diamond.

I was going for a "busy yet relaxed" feeling for the city theme. It's a background music that will play for a longer time, so it had to be rather low key and blend with the background noise.

Anian · Wed 13/03/2013 11:15:18

It's rather evocative of SimCity cool funky stuff, so I guess mission accomplished. I like it.

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens · Fri 15/03/2013 01:59:21

Very groovy, I get the vision of some noirish detective questioning suspects on filth-laden streets while desperate people eye him. Almost like a montage sequence.

Tune 2 is a very different kind of sound, almost like visiting some Egyptian curio shop...at Miami beach.

I will be paying attention to your music, my fine fellow.

Problem · Fri 15/03/2013 08:25:37

@Anian: Yes, the tune has a SimCity feeling to it, and you're not the first to notice that. I guess hours of playing SimCity 3000 have had an impact on me.

@Shane: Thank you! The tunes are very different indeed. The game has a great diversity of locations, and this is reflected in the music. The challenge is to make everything feel coherent nonetheless, but I'm confident that we'll make it work.

Here's another one. A short cut-scene with sounds, I guess the name says it all: Riot

CaptainD · Fri 15/03/2013 18:26:20

I like the way the first tune has got a bit of 60s spy thriller soundtrack about it!

Viking · Sat 16/03/2013 03:00:39

I really like the "city" tune -- it's very effective, and it is busy while still remaining background music (which I really struggle with). I really don't have anything to add to this!

I'm not quite as convinced by the mountain ascension music. It's nice music, to be sure, and it sounds somewhat exotic, but I don't particularly get a "mountain climbing" feel to it. Perhaps it just needs some wind ambience or something.

I don't know exactly what goes on in the cutscene, but one way to make the music subtly suggest mountain climbing is to have the notes rise gradually as it goes on. If the cutscene involves someone getting closer to some climactic moment (usually in these sorts of situations there's something vitally important at the top of the mountain without which the world will surely end), then the music could reflect that also by becoming louder, and/or more intense, and/or busier as well.

The riot music is pretty good too, although it feels a little funk-ish for a riot. I would imagine a bit more aggressive music, but it does work, especially with the riot sounds you've put in the background.

Great job overall, thanks for sharing your music with us!

Problem · Sat 16/03/2013 06:46:18

Thanks for your detailed feedback, Viking!

The mountain ascension is a rather comical scene in a strange setting, that's why it sounds a little weird and not like a traditional mountain climb. I'm quite confident it works, but to explain the context would probably be too much of a spoiler. I'll consider your suggestions though.

The riot music is a similar case. I thought about making it more aggressive (e.g. by using an electric guitar with lots of overdrive). But it's also quite a humorous scene, and the music should match the city theme, so I went for the "funky" sound.

Problem · Mon 06/05/2013 21:52:26

The soundtrack is nearing completion (so far I composed 14 tracks for the game), and I'd like to share one more tune with you.
Conspirocracy can be roughly divided into three "acts", each with a very different mood. The following preview is from the final act, and of all these tracks it's my favourite to listen to. I'd love to hear your opinions:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1891681/music/conspirocracy/maze-preview.ogg

Viking · Wed 08/05/2013 02:35:51

Very nice and atmospheric! My only comments are:

The percussion, particularly near the beginning (around 0:25), seems like it's in a different acoustic space than the other instruments -- much further to the front. I'm afraid my ears are trained more to orchestration and form and less to effects, so I can't tell for sure, but it sounds like there's much less reverb on the drums than the other instruments.
The string ostinato is very effective at first (around 0:50), but it gets a bit old after two or three minutes. Try switching it out in the more climactic parts with French horns, and put the strings on the melody instead. Or you could leave the strings in but transpose them down an octave for a subtler effect. I realize that transitions in background music need to be smoother than those in foreground music (like credits), but I think it could still use a bit more variation.
It seems like the same two four-bar chord progressions are repeated throughout the piece. You might consider inserting a slightly different section in the middle somewhere, like a bridge, before the main theme comes back again.

It sounds great, and I'd love to hear the final version of the track!

Problem · Wed 08/05/2013 07:54:48

Thank you Viking, your comments are always very helpful!

You're particularly right about the second point, I'll try to give the strings a bit more variation.

Problem · Wed 15/05/2013 13:19:36

Here's a new version of the track. Considering Viking's suggestions I varied the strings. I also adjusted the instrument and reverb levels slightly.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1891681/music/conspirocracy/maze-preview2.ogg

Viking · Tue 21/05/2013 02:08:13

Much better all around. Sorry for the delay in replying! The only minor niggle is that where the strings now change at around 2:04, they seem to get weaker, despite the rest of the music sounding like it's building up. I think that's because it goes from chords to single notes that are further apart. You might consider changing it in a different way, like spreading the chords out from (e.g.) a B-D-F# triad to B-F#-D, and perhaps modifying the rhythm, or which notes are accented. Regardless, it's a pretty minor point, and I think it sounds great.