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A jam submission

The Crimson Church pt.1View game page

Song made for the the Impressions #3 jam
Submitted by muttzilla — 2 hours, 24 minutes before the deadline
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The Crimson Church pt.1's itch.io page

Results

CriteriaRankScore*Raw Score
Sense of Atmosphere#44.6004.600
Overall Uniqueness/Creativity#83.9003.900
Execution#123.9003.900
Overall#143.8673.867
Correlation to Theme#153.7503.750
Composing Quality#233.7003.700
Listenability#443.3503.350

Ranked from 20 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.

Link to Streaming Service
https://soundcloud.com/muttzilla/crimsonchurch1

Description
A devastating raid struck your village. Your sister was taken, and word reaches you that she’s been brought to the Crimson Church beyond the valley. Determined, you set off on a treacherous journey through jagged mountains and shadowy caves, traveling alone.

At last, you glimpse the church in the distance. But the closer you draw, the more doubts creep in—what awaits you there?

Inspired by Brian Eno, I limited myself to 8 tracks in Ableton, embracing its layout to approach the composition from a fresh perspective.

The song begins with a menacing, claustrophobic feel, evoking the fear and desperation of our protagonist as they embark on their hero’s journey. A surprising chord change introduces a glimmer of hope as they spot the church from afar. However, as they approach, the rhythm quickens, the atmosphere tightens, and unease grows—what dangers lie behind those doors? The track concludes unresolved, leaving us suspended on an F#, mirroring the hero’s unanswered questions and the unknown fate that lies ahead.

Screenshot of DAW
Yes

Description of Setup (Optional but recommended)
Kontakt 8: Ethereal, Analog Dreams, Kontakt Player
Analog Lab V: Drone, Pads, Percussion
DecentSampler: Drone

EDIT: The track is not "mixed" it was a live mix while playing using the Mk3 knobs and faders.

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Comments

Submitted

I could really feel the sense of dread with this track. So many layers that gives it a very dense and eerie atmosphere. IMO, this is where ambient drone really thrives. The slow-moving elements immerse you into the darkness so subtly that you're forced to feel the true horror of the environment. You pulled it off really well.

I agree with some reviewers that maybe some extra mixing and EQing out a few harsh frequencies could help, but it wasn't distracting enough for me personally. Still a very enjoyable (and creepy) listen.

Submitted

Well that is truly 100% ambiant all the way through, so many textures here and there, I agree with some of the comments, some annoying high frequencies that can probably be tone down a bit and yeah maybe the bass clips at some points due to so many layers stacked together but anyway you nailed your atmosphere, good job

Submitted

Nice drones and I really liked the addition of percussion at the end to keep it fresh and moving! I can definitely hear the Eno influence.


One note: the bass notes seemed to clip at a few spots. This might have been intentional as it wasn't overbearing.

Submitted

This is more in the suspense line that some of us were thinking.  Good sense of unease going.

Submitted

Unsettling and full of textures! I love the lack of resolution and how the ambiance and dissonances set the mood really accurately with your idea!

HostSubmitted

This is a cool track. I feel like there's some high pitch thing going on that's maybe hurting my ears a little in the first minute ish. This might be from me having tinnitus, but it was something kind of noticeable. 

I think I would reduce some of the highs a bit too in general, just EQ the highs down a little on the track to make it feel a little overall softer on the ears.

It is really cool and definitely works really well for ambience. 

Great work!

Submitted (1 edit)

The unsettling intro builds tension that needs to be released, and we think we're gonna get it when the high keyboards come in.  But we don't.  We get beautiful dissonance over a seriously, seriously creepy pad.  This is actually freaky.  Making *actually* freaky music is pretty difficult, but you are doing it in spades.  The percussion around 8:45 is extremely tasteful.  The beat when the kick hits at 10:30 is so damn groovy, this is the payoff we were waiting for.  The ending is slightly abrupt, but appropriate and adds to the overall bizarre feel.

The piece has a warm analog noise feel, almost like it would feel at home in a 70's sci fi horror movie.  I'm pretty stoked to see Brian Eno as an influence.  This is definitely, positively, without a doubt, very well done ambient music.

EDIT:  I forgot to say where this music took me.  It took me to the Crimson Temple.  And unlike a poorly written/directed horror movie, or a halloween movie, this particular Crimson Temple is truly horrifying.  I don't know what's going on in there but it honestly scares me in a genuine way.