Since we weren’t able to have a meeting last week, the MA students sent us a PDF containing everything we asked for in order to continue making more music and sound effects. I and Will felt it was important to create a sound that continues to develop and evoke emotion or themes throughout the video game. And if they showed us what the story of the game was and what each level represented we could create that. Will had a great idea since this game is to do with creating a robot’s brain and giving them consciousness that perhaps the music should reflect that. If the music begins less complicated in the first few levels and adjusts as the robot begins to learn new things. From atonal to tonal.
We finally received information about the actual story behind the game. As they did keep changing and not deciding where they were going with it. On the PDF it says.
The player is a memory-filling company worker whose daily job is to fill the robot with false childhood memories in order to complete the robot’s cognitive behaviour. On this day, he receives an unusual, assignment from a mother whose daughter has died, and the player is asked to populate a doll robot with a digital backup of her dead daughter; the entire game is a process of the player fitting in her daughter’s digital soul into the robot’s physical body (a process of synchronisation) so that each level is a link to the completion of this digital soul cognition, corresponding to the different content of each level and this is also linked to the daughter’s preferences during her life.
Looking at this I think potentially about music and sound effects. Thinking around what I’m trying to evoke. I believe we will need the ambience sounds of a factory going on. The robot is being built so we will also need technological sounds. I will rent out an electromagnetic pickup to record some sounds like these that will work perfectly for the game. Make a few variations for building the robot. The music element I find because I can’t compose with music theory it might be difficult. But I am imagining some 80s style of music similar to what I and Will did in the first week.
Currently, for the music list, they said.
Game start, background music for game start and, game states, background music for the first level.
Again not much but at least for now, we know we need to do two songs. I do remember in last week’s meeting they spoke on how they aren’t sure how many levels they have time to implement due to time restraints so this is something we will have to workaround. Either make more and be prepared if they manage to make another level. Or create more anyway to choose and see what fits around the level and give choice to the MA students.
This was the visual references part of the PDF. It seems very dark perhaps, the bottom screen reminds me of modular synthesis modules and I’m sure what I’ve created can be used in some way. I have a few recordings that I made on the modular which I haven’t had time to edit yet but I will be now I have a visual aesthetic. Again it does help so much having references as you can listen to the music while looking at the references to see if it works.
We also asked last week for music references, despite now thinking this could be a negative thing as myself and Jingya are not musically inclined. I listened to them and I do feel a tad overwhelmed. I know they don’t want the music to the same standard and these are mere references but it does make me stressed for the music creation process. I’m not a composer and typically the music I make is experimental hip hop, which samples other things. I’m not sure about the legality of sampling for someone’s video game and clearing/licencing issues so I’m deciding to only sample or use royalty-free sounds or create my own. I do still have the idea of recording someone playing keys and my housemate with his violin. I’m not sure how realistic that is at this point. But I will still attempt to do so.
Alice Madness Returns, I listened to the album and it’s rather simple. Just plucking instruments and keys. Drone sounds and the odd sound effect. It sounds more like ambience than music but they did say after initially hearing our music that they want it simpler. I think it’s totally possible to create something like this. Reverb heavy sounds with drones. I also think it suits the theme heavily. That is if they keep the story and theme they have now.
Next was Cuphead, I’ve played this game before so I knew what I was going to be listening to. I’ve actually watched a behind scenes of the music creation process that this game took when creating it. This I feel will be incredibly hard to replicate unless I use samples but again the licence issues appear when doing so. I think this style is out of the question for me at least, perhaps Will might be able to. But this sort of music requires full bands and scoring to create. I also don’t believe this will suit the vibe of their game unless they wish to create something lighthearted which they may want to.
Lastly Rusty Lake. The playlist was filled with depressing sad, slow classical piano music. Alongside synthwave/drone sounds. Again something I believe is definitely possible. It’s not overly complicated. I want to attempt it and I do believe I haven’t given it enough of an attempt. I find myself giving up before I try as music is something I enjoy creating but doing so in a linear fashion can dishearten me before I even start. I want to try to create something like Rusty Lake and the Alice in wonderland game.
They then had a section for the art style. for the game and interface section. Again they say, retro science fiction with lovely and creepy. Interesting too how we can do both we sound? A good challenge.
They also speak that the right side of the screen where the mini-game happens will be black and white. Old school. I believe the sound effects of the electromagnetic pickups will work perfectly. To really enhance this retro vintage science fiction element. Alongside some modular sounds.
Then on the left, as they described last week there will be a doll or robot that will be built as the minigame occurs. On the left side, it will be coloured and creepy but cute as shown by the art references. I believe the music that is near Rusty Lake will fill this in. If we have feedback sounds and fuzzy tv noises for the right-hand side of the screen with mainly sound effects. Robot whirring sounds as well. Then overall music with reverb and drones for the left-hand side that also fills the right I believe it will work.
Here is some current artwork of the doll alongside some references of what they want. Cold and creepy is what they’ve written. I think reverb can add that cold feeling they want really well. Valhalla Reverb.
The game interface, alongside ideas and the first version which they showed us last week. I think the sounds will fit perfectly. Especially for the right-hand side of the tv section.
Lastly, they gave us information on only the first level which says. Langauge section, how can we incorporate language into the music and sound effects for this level? Reversed speech? Human speech distorted and reverberated as sound effects in the ambience of the game?