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Wanderlust's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Composition | #3 | 4.625 | 4.625 |
| Overall | #4 | 4.375 | 4.375 |
| Correlation to theme | #5 | 4.333 | 4.333 |
| Creativity | #6 | 4.333 | 4.333 |
| Impression | #7 | 4.292 | 4.292 |
| Quality | #14 | 4.292 | 4.292 |
Ranked from 24 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Description
This is a hybrid orchestra/electronic soundtrack for an imaginary video game, Wanderlust. I imagine this game to be an adventure/exploration/collector 3D platformer. In this story, the child from the “Runaway” theme image is now a young girl and after struggling her whole life with wondering where she and her family came from, decides to run away to find her home that she believes to be lost. The entire journey takes place in a dream state as she runs away through the Amethyst Forest finding her way to the crystal-clear forest pools before finding the Starry Cave. In the cave, she encounters a horrific creature. As she cowers in fear, she realizes that the creature seems to grow. But before hope is lost, she hears her mother’s voice telling her to stand up. As she does so, the creature retreats and becomes less menacing. The cave brightens and she realizes that her fear feeds the creature. She takes steps toward the creature with increasing confidence and the creature shrieks and scurries back to the depths of the cave. She then realizes that what she was looking for was not lost. Her home is with her mother and that when together, she is safe no matter where they runaway to.
I created this soundtrack using Logic Pro X and BBC Discovery Orchestra. During this jam, my time was limited, so I challenged myself to write music for me that I enjoy listening to rather than writing what I think other people want to hear. I’d say I succeeded in writing music that I enjoy, and I sure hope you enjoy it too!
Message from the artist:
I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. Thank you so much for listening!
Theme:
How does it fit the theme?
I tried to write my OST to fit both the theme “Runaway” and the image prompt. I wrote music set in a world with a forest that had an eerie yet whimsical feel like the image, and also took inspiration for my main character from the people in the image. In addition to the music accompanying the story of the girl running away through the forest, I also tried to embody the theme within my composition style and approach for this jam. The first way I did this was by “running away” from the home key. I used modulations frequently and used almost every note as a tonic note throughout the OST. I took this a step further and as the OST progressed, I even “ran away” from the major mode and used every mode of the major scale in progressive darkening of the sound to emulate moving away from the warmth of the major key, representing home, to mirror the feeling of being more distant from home the further you progress in the game. (Track 1 – Ionian, track 2 – Mixolydian, track 3 – Lydian, track 4 – Dorian, track 5 – Aeolian, track 6 – Locrian with a flavor of Phrygian and chromaticism, and track 7 – back to major). This continues until the resolution theme which returns to the home key of C in the major Ionian mode. To further represent the main theme of running away and returning home, one of the main motifs used is an octave jump up then back down representing moving away and coming back home. I also used other techniques of such as accelerandos and changing tempo, switching time signature, and using rhythm to create a sense of running, etc. This OST is a complete embodiment of both of the themes provided.
Link(s) of the submission on streaming services
https://soundcloud.com/user-639826435/sets/wanderlust
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Comments
Great work! I just found this after listening a 1/4 of the way through the "Best of OST Composing Jam #4" playlist. I also have BBC Discovery Orchestra (from Spitfire Audio) on GarageBand. I haven't yet created a piece with this Orchestra but I hope to in the near future.
Look forward to speaking to you in the future!
Woolstone
Thank you, Woolstone! It's a great free product to have in your toolbox and I think it can be made to sound really good.
Also, I have to ask, are you planning on participating in the upcoming OST Crunchtime Jam #2?
I am sure hoping to! I work that weekend though so there's a chance that I may either have to skip it or do something short. I'm certainly participating in the Main OST Jam #5 in December!
Hey, do you want to connect over Discord? I would love to work with you some time in the future and being able to contact you quickly would be useful.
I'd be good with that. My discord user is Blue_Lava#0527.
Okay, sent a friend request👍
Lovely OST.
Amethyst Forest is my favourite, such joyful theme.
Wow! Beautifully orchestrated from the opening track all the way to the end. Love the contrast between the more serene tracks like the menu music to the more playful, upbeat tracks like the amethyst forest, to the spooky vibes of the start of fear itself. The transition on starry cave was sublime. Mixing was solid across the board. Thematically relevant and I love how you used music theory to add to aid your thematic development. It's hard to make a bop in locrian but dammit you pulled it off and made it funky.
You've shown your mastery of a variety of styles here and you should be very proud of yourself for the work you've put in!
This means a lot to me! Thank you so much for listening carefully and sharing your thoughts!
I loved it all the way through! Amazing melodies and composition, each track felt unique in its own way, yet still fits together wonderfully with the rest of the soundtrack. I'm on my third listen now and I still can't get enough of it! ^^ Great job!
Wow, thank you so much! Writing such varied music was challenging, but also very fun. Thanks for listening!
This was a really enjoyable listen. I really like how varied each track is; They all feel like they have their own unique place and identity in your imagined game. I think the track "Amethyst Forest" was my favourite. I liked the energetic, upbeat nature of it and it really painted a vivid picture of a lust forest in my mind. Starry Cave was another one I liked. I love when the drums kick in.
Also something in your submission's description stuck out to me:
That resonated with me as I find that in a general creative sense, that is something I struggle with as well. I would say based on your submission that you really succeeded at that challenge!
Great job!
Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm glad that that phrase resonated with you, it's something that we'll probably always struggle with, but in the end as long as we like the music we write, I think that's what matters most. I think that it's also attractive to others when we are passionate about our own writing. Thank you for your thoughts!
You're welcome! Thank you for sharing your work!
Great composition, orchestration and pacing on all your tracks! I especially loved the progression of "Starry Cave" which was very cinematic.
All in all, great job really! 👏👏
Thank you so much! That one's a personal favorite of mine as well.
Loved every second of it
Very nice soundtrack and atmosphere, great work!
Thank you!
Wanderlust really paints this picture of an place ripe for exploration and adventure. A sense of new found freedom! Good Stuff!
Amethyst Forest is great! I can help but think of some classic N64 Titles from the late 90s
Starry Cave, the distortion on what could be a guitar but maybe a bowed string instrument (hard to say) but I liked it a lot!
Fear its Self, Its boss time! Good build with tension into a situation you may or may not be ready for!
Homeward, Gather your thoughts and things, reflect and hit the road.
I love this, the moods set in each piece paint great pictures. Its convincing that this would be a legit game sound track. My vision would be a retro style top down adventure. Great work!
Thank you so much for all your thoughts! N64 era music probably has the largest influence on my musical style so that is a huge compliment!
I jotted down some things while listening to your utterly superb entry:
Title: Ohh, this is a beautiful opening. I feel like I'm flying over our forest and things are in full bloom everywhere. Definitely an extremely uplifting feeling. A sense of wonder. Wow.
Menu: Very relaxing and pretty menu theme.
Amethyst: Nice opening with the percussion. Oh wow, what?? That's a cool opening melody with some really interesting underneath progressions. I'm thoroughly impressed. Also very cool synth that kicks in later. I don't know why, but I'm almost seeing something like Banjo Kazooie when I listen to this. It's invoking a similar feeling in me. Very very cool.
Flowing Forest Pools: Arrr matey. While scurvy pirates might not be the first thing I think of when I think forest theme, I guess this part of the soundtrack be located on the coast? Another impressive track ye made.
Starry Cave: This opens very promising and beautiful. I'm so looking forward. This is beautiful. I love how that little glidey synth waves its way through the beautiful melodies. Ooh, that's a cool little fluttering effect with some great panning action. Ah nice, percussions. This track really invokes a platformer feel in me. Ooh... drums. Nice!
Fear Itself: Wow, this sounds very interesting. This sounds like nothing I have ever heard before, but you nailed it. It definitely has that boss fight feeling.
Homeward: Yeah, this feels like coming home. It feels like a nice resolution and it's comforting to get to a more light-hearted mode after the last track.
Y'know what really impressed me about this soundtrack? Every time you opened a new track, I was just edging on my seat to hear where you were gonna take us next. And every single time you exceeded all my expectations (melody, sound design, mixing, the lot). Wow. Normally, I always pick a favourite, but I don't know how to do that with this one. They are all so unique yet they work together so well. Man! Stellar work! Definitely going on my regular rotation this one.
Wow thank you so much for sharing all your thoughts. It is super nice to get to experience the reception of my music in what seems like realtime based on your comments. Thank you for noticing so many of the nuances I intended purposefully in my writing!
Very nice title theme with great buildup. I also love the Amethyst forest theme. Great use of "woodsy" percussion and beautiful harmonies. Homeward is beautiful, too and I like how you subtly hint at the title theme again. These are great compositions and very well finished. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for noticing the return to the title theme and for sharing your thoughts!
So beautiful! I felt like I was floating through the trees of a colourful forest..😄 Amazing job!
Thank you!
I really love "Amethyst Forest." It's super fun. It's perfect for that lost level of Mario somewhere.
This soundtrack is great! What I like most is that it sounds like it's made for a contemporary video game (as opposed to cinema, my chill jams, or my next 8 bit project.)
Thank you! Comparing my work to Mario is a huge compliment for me!
The use of modes from bright to dark is an extremely creative idea!
Strong use of Lydian, especially when it can be one of the trickier ones to work with. The use of E Lydian and 3/4 really reminds me of one of my own submissions (similar melody!). Amethyst Forest is my favorite track here.
Love the classic pirate-like use of Dorian here. Accordion is always a fresh touch to hear!
Starry Cave really does give the cave feel, and love the sweet melodies over those classic Aeolian progressions.
Love the Locrian use, its not often you see a track sitting on Locrian for so long! Very tough and evil sounding.
And then a powerful and yet mellow ending track back in major! A satisfying conclusion.
An amazing OST that takes advantage of all the different sounds the major scale modes grant!
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! Oh nice I'll look forward to listening for that similar melody!
Your composition is incredible! That first track had so much emotion in the piano, it was such a good introduction into the rest of the soundtrack. You manage to keep a great amount of quality throughout the soundtrack. My favorite track was Homeward.
Thank you!
Holy crap! You blew me away with the title theme! Epicness overload I'm crying. This is one of the most harmonically beautiful entries I've heard this jam. 0:42 is glorious. Starry Cave was also a highlight, again beautiful harmonies. Fear Itself is a bundle of fun and then right back to supreme beauty with what I can only assume is the credit song. You really took me on a journey with this one. Great job as usual! Hope you keep participating in these jams :)
Thank you so much for your comments! It means a lot that you enjoyed my music because I think very highly of your music and compositional skills! I think Starry Cave is a favorite of mine as well. I can assure you that I will certainly keep participating as long as I am able - it's fun to see everyone hone their skills and find their voice over time with each jam.
it sure is :)
Track 1: This piano opening is beautifully cinematic, and an awesome start to your soundtrack. I am extremely excited to hear your use of modes-- it is clever musical ideas like these that add interest to any soundtrack. Great opening theme, definitely gives this game a sense of awe and wonder and has me excited to keep listening.
Track 2: this is a simple, beautiful menu theme,.
Track 3: I love this catchy theme! So far your music has been attentively written, and it all sounds great. I am glad that you aren't shying away from changing meter, modulation, and having plenty of consistent changes to the music. Better to have one minute of great, diverse music than 4 minutes of a repeating chord-line, it really keeps the track moving.
Track 4: another really well-done track, I enjoyed the accordion and the wide variety of instruments used here-- using a lot of instruments is an easy way to add diversity and prevent the timbres (no pun intended for this pirate-y track) from getting boring.
Track 5: At this point in your soundtrack, I haven't yet said "okay, I get the gist of this track, let me skip to the next..." You do a good enough job of keeping things very interesting that I have listened to each track fully. This one is no exception: definitely giving starry cave vibes.
Track 6: Wow, awesome usage of the Locrian mode here, this track goes so hard!!! That transition into the beat was awesome... absolutely killer boss battle music.
Track 7: Only because you're so good I feel like I can nitpick, the melody in this track was slightly hard to follow. It drifted without much direction or shape. Other than that, the track sounds really beautiful and makes a lovely conclusion to this amazing soundtrack.
From one composer to another, fantastic job. I am glad that you embraced modes: they really are a simple and effective way to add interest and character to any track. I hope you continue to write music, as you've got the gift of charming, lyrical melodies, music with plenty of character, and a knack for writing meaningful, awesome stories.
Wow, thank you so much for your attentive listening and for sharing your thoughts with me- it truly means a lot and as a self-taught composer this is how I am learning and improving! I admire your work immensely and take all of your feedback to heart. Regarding the nitpick (which I am grateful for!), that is actually exactly where I got stuck. I couldn't figure out where to go with the melody and had to rewrite it multiple times. I know that it resulted in an open-ended way but since melody is often important to my style of writing, I think that your suggestion of giving it shape and an endpoint is definitely something I need to focus on with every one of my melodies. Thank you for your comments!
When the harsh synth started in on 'Fear Itself' it really got cooking! Love it!
Thank you! This was the last one I wrote and I had a lot of fun with it.
I love all of these tracks! I like how melodic and varied they are.
Thank you! That was the goal and it was a challenge. :) I look forward to listening to your submission!
Very nice work m8👌 lovely music
Thank you so much!