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A jam submission

Dies Irae: Main Theme OSTView project page

Impressions Composing Jam: OST #1
Submitted by Klever Inside — 24 minutes, 4 seconds before the deadline
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Dies Irae: Main Theme OST's itch.io page

Results

CriteriaRankScore*Raw Score
Correlation to Theme#183.7804.083
Composing Quality#203.3183.583
Overall#233.2713.533
Execution#243.2403.500
Listenability#263.0863.333
Overall Uniqeuness#302.9323.167

Ranked from 12 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/solid-sounds-787113831/dies-irae

Description
I composed this orchestral sequence inspired by the "Death Knight" theme. I found the reference image really inspiring and it make me think about the Dies Irae motiv which I used in a brief section of this arrangement. This sequence has different sections that can be developed for a complete OST.

Dies Irae means "Day of Wrath" in Latin and its a theme associated to the apocalypse and the judgement day. These notes are used in classic music as a reference to this archetypical theme.

For this theme I used Ableton Live and all the instruments are from Kontakt, particularly: Symphony Essentials (High section, cellos and basses and brass), Emotive Strings, Kontakt Factory Selection (timpani), The Giant (piano). Tryied to make it sound as natural as possible by using lots of automation of expression and velocity parameters.

Hope you enjoy it!

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Comments

Submitted (1 edit) (+1)

Vibe is on point with the theme, but after the piano starts doubling the bass part it gets a bit too muddy since a lot of the instruments are playing in the low/low mid registers. Maybe cutting some low end from the piano, or not having too many other low register doublings going on could help a bit, just my feeling.

I think you nailed the vibe of the theme for me on this, good job!

Developer

Hey, thank you! I appreciate your feedback. I focused on the low section of the orchestra to keep the sequence from becoming too bright, in line with the theme of the Jam. Thanks to the feedback I’ve received, I now realize I could have spent more time on the mix, which I didn’t due to time, practice, and technical issues. However, this has been a great opportunity to improve, and the tips I’ve received have been invaluable. Thanks again!

HostSubmitted(+1)

Dark, slow intro. Works very well. Sounds kind of narrow like it isn't filling the space in the way I want it to. Sometimes people underdo reverb because they're afraid of overdoing it, when really there are some ways to mix it. One tip I got recently was reducing the EQ on the bass.

This would definitely work in a game. It definitely has a strong vibe. I feel like I'm in a 2D advernture game.

I like the addition of the Dies Irae chant in this! Heh. Funny thing about mine - for the last bit, I realized that I could sing Dies Irae to it, but I ultimately steered away from this approach because it made it sound more like an oratorio when I was going for something darker specifically for this.

I think overall the main critique is that the mix is a bit narrow and not filling the space, and then it sounds like it was clicked in. The piano is the best instrument a composer could ever know how to play, and knowing how to improvise on the piano will get you far. You're already good at composing, and I think improv would take you to a new level. That's pretty standard advice from me, but I still strongly, strongly recommend it!

Great work, and thank you for joining! :)

Developer(+1)

Thank you! I really appreciate your feedback. I will put into practice your tip regarding reverb. Perhaps the mix feels narrow due to differences particular reverb of each virtual instrument, which I didn’t addressed carefully. I’m also dealing with a damaged speaker so I’ve been mixing with headphones and reverb feels so present in my headphones compared the speakers. About the Dies Irae, initially I was not intending to use that melody but at one point, there were some space in the last section; I felt it could fit those spaces to make a question-answer section and it worked. But I agree about the oratorio sound, and its use is risky since it is a bit of a cliché, particularly in movies. Thank you again for your feedback and for taking the time to listen and share your thoughts and tips. This is really meaningful and enriching for me as a musician.

Submitted(+1)

Very mysterious composition, keeps us on edge, very dark too fit well the theme. good job

Developer

Thank you!

Submitted(+1)

It's dark and beautiful, good work! 

Developer

Thank you!!

Submitted(+1)

Really cool, I liked the foreboding but also kind of pensive and sad vibe that comes and goes throughout. The progression and transitions are really nice and I liked the subtle woodwinds! Nice work! 👍🏽

Developer

Hey! This was such an inspiring jam, and I really enjoyed composing this sequence. Thanks so much for your comment!