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A jam submission

Splintered TimepieceView project page

Original Soundtrack submission for the OST Composing Jam #6 (July 2023)
Submitted by digitbraul (@digitbraul) — 15 minutes, 25 seconds before the deadline
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Splintered Timepiece's itch.io page

Results

CriteriaRankScore*Raw Score
Impression#373.8753.875
Composition#393.9173.917
Quality#483.9173.917
Overall#573.6833.683
Creativity#703.5423.542
Correlation to theme#1073.1673.167

Ranked from 24 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.

Description
Various genres. The hypothetical game is a vertically-scrolling bullet hell shooter (Danmaku shooting game).
Tracks 3-5 represent levels, the others are for cutscenes and possibly menus.
I started out with an e-piano improv and then created pieces out of it, for the 6th track I used an old project and dragged the instruments into the current set (which eventually turned into a mess).
As for the DAW I used Ableton Live.

Message from the artist:
Thank you so much everyone I'm incredibly happy to be part of this jam!! (*/ω\*)

Theme:

Tick Tock...
Picture theme

How does it fit the theme?
I initially thought about incorporating clock sounds into the soundtracks (which ended up happening and I liked it) and I used subtle (not so intricate) polyrhythms and time signature changes to better portray it.
The hypothetical game is itself meant to better depict it, and I think the soundtrack would highlight these features better.

Link(s) of the submission on streaming services
https://soundcloud.com/digitbraul/sets/splintered-timepiece

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drQUvElqTRE

Soundtrack use permission

Yes (CC BY-NC)

Any non-commercial project

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Comments

Submitted(+1)

An enjoyable contrast between the slower, more peaceful tracks in the menus / cutscenes and the upbeat funky grooves of the actual levels. All the menu / cutscene tracks don't have any drums, so when the the level starts the player instinctively get some adrenaline pumping due to the pace. Uroboros Unbound is probably the most impressive track, it still maintains the funky groove but is mixed with a fun scale (Phrygian Dominant with an A natural sometimes?) and some exotic percussion instruments. Production for the drum and bass is great, they're clear and punchy, making the beat unmissable. Enjoyable listen!

Developer

Thanks! I'm glad you found it enjoyable! yes the B section in Uroboros Unbound has an A natural in it, which I found to be interesting because the Phrygian Dominant and natural minor share the same upper tetrachord (which in the Hijaz maqam it's the Nihavend jins (starting the 4th degree) in Middle Eastern scale nomenclature), I don't know much about how modulation is carried out in this kind of music but I essentially moved the lower tetrachord (C Db E F, also called Jins Hijaz, the characteristic nodes of the scale so to speak) to start on the E key, the 3rd degree of the scale.
My knowledge of Middle Eastern music is quite limited, I hope it provides some insight nonetheless! ^*^

Submitted(+1)

Thanks for the explanation, that makes a lot sense, it's a bit like a parallel melody. I haven't studied Middle Eastern music at all, so you're definitely the expert here :P

Submitted(+1)

Nice mix of calm, peaceful songs for cutscenes and upbeat, groovy ones for a dynamic gameplay! You are talented for both :) 

I loved the groovy bass and it's sound in Chronocturnal Reverie 👌. The fast cadence of chords right at the beginning of Soaring The Stratosphere 🤩, and the song is so catchy! Well done :D

Developer

Thanks!! ^^

Submitted(+1)

Really playful! My personal favourite is Chronocturnal Reverie (I see I am not alone XD )

These will do great loops!

Developer

Thanks!

Submitted(+1)

The light-heartedness of the first tracks got me interested, although I hadn't realized this would be a bullet hell, until I read. But they sounded great. With Soaring the Stratosphere you conquered me, It groves so good! I like your bass in general, and the whole OST :D

Developer(+1)

Thanks! :D

Submitted(+1)

A unique mix of sentimental and fast-paced tracks! Your faster tracks had me grooving and bopping my head to the beat, while the slower pieces were very sweet to listen to, with excellent chord progressions used. "Onwards a Future We'd Hope to Remember" was my fave - I loved the heart-tugging melody with that cool little bit of jazz thrown in there.

Developer

Thanks!

Submitted(+1)

At first, I thought "Huh, this is kinda calm for a Danmaku game." Then the 3rd track hits and I was like "Yup." I was fond of Chronocturnal Reverie, it sounded like Snail's House with an emphasis on the bassline haha.

Developer(+1)

I love Snail's House's music. Thanks!

Submitted(+1)

A Reverie in Uncertainty: Very pretty intro with a slight sense of sadness from some of the chord choices. Great intro track!

Anticipatience: Waltz, but make it a clock. I love this!

Chronocturnal Reverie: yo this is a BOP! had me bobbing my head all along. Great sound choices. 

Soaring the Stratosphere: Addictive rhythm and slap bass! Good vibes while having lots of driving energy at the same time.

Uroboros Unbound: I was not expecting the Phrygian Dominant and ethnic feel. I absolutely love this. I would love hearing this in a game as a desert theme, the slap bass is a unique twist on the usual instrumentation. 

Onwards a Future: Cute track! Feels like a happy ending (though I know its not the final track)

Fin: Credits vibes! Carries very smoothly from the previous track.

I really like how the tracks are all short, avoiding too much repetition to stay as interesting as possible. Favorite is Uroboros Unbound, closely followed by Chronocturnal Reverie. Great work!

Developer

Thanks! I appreciate you taking the time to provide feedback for each individual track! 

Submitted

Very nice mix of genres! Good work!

Developer

Thanks!

Submitted(+1)

My favorite is Chronocturnal Reverie. I love how the groove switches from 4/4 to 3/4 and back again!

Developer

Glad you liked it! ^^

Submitted(+1)

Such a lighthearted, fun to listen to musical suite. If this was a Nintendo game soundtrack, I would totally believe it. Well done!

Developer

Thanks a lot!

Submitted(+1)

A Reverie in Uncertainty: This simple beginning acts as a great gateway to the rest of your OST. I felt very relaxed knowing that there was sure to be some energy coming up soon!

Anticipatience: This piece definitely sounds like a clock shop. The chord progression is really beautiful and the 3/4 time signature emphasizes a laid back feel for this track. I would hang out in this section of your game for a long time, even with the short loop - it just makes me feel good!

Chronocturnal Reverie: This new style is a cool juxtaposition from the previous two tracks. This is a really cool jazzy track and I love all the elements of it from the bass and rhythm sections to the pads to the main synth melody. Very well made track.

Soaring the Stratosphere: This track sounds reminiscent of some Wii style Nintendo tracks which gives me a sense of nostalgia when I listen to this one.

Uroboros Unbound: This cool new desert-y sound was very unexpected, but I love it! It is definitely a contrast from the previous tracks, but I would be curious to see how it would fit into your game.

Onwards a Future We’d Hope to Remember: The music box style seems to fit with an ending theme to the game. It seems reminiscent of Peach themes in the Mario series. I was caught a little off guard with the abrupt ending. I wonder if this would be the place for a repeat?

Fin: I absolutely love the third chord of the phrase! The somber shift in mood gives a bittersweet feeling that I think would make me be sad to finish this game!

Overall this is a large variety of music and I think you nailed every style you went for! My favorite track (despite being the most different from the others) is Uroboros Unbound, there’s just something about that one that transported me into your game and really made me get what you were going for. Great work and thank you so much for sharing!

Developer (1 edit)

Thanks for taking the time to dissect the tracks! I'm super glad you liked it! ^^
Also edit: the 6th track, Onwards a Future We'd Hope to Remember is supposed to loop but I was too lazy to export it again (since I did everything in a single project which became a total mess) haha

Submitted(+1)

Hey. Good to see you here too. I really like the effects that you use. It makes each track more full-sounding. I should take some notes from you.

Developer

Thanks! I'm glad that you found it inspiring!

Submitted(+1)

I really love the tone of the first track, A Reverie in Uncertainty, a very soft and soothing composition, but IMHO prepares me for a completely different kind of game. The in-game tracks on the other hand, goes total bullet hell kind of music from the late 80s or early 90s (at least that's my memory of things). And then again a really sweet track as the "end piece". Now, these difiitely would work in a game, and the contrast would be nice, but it caught me a bit off guard just listening to them (before readin the background). Anyway, really well done!

Developer

Aww thanks!!

Submitted(+1)

This is fantastic! The bass guitar going wild on track 3 - 5 is a highlight for me. As for a favourite it'll go to Uroborus Unbound.  Desert music is awesome & the aesthetic in this does wonders! Well done. 

Developer

Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked them! ^^

Submitted(+1)

I really like this! I feel like most of these would work really well with games that deal with killing time like Animal crossing or something. Very cute and appealing! I think your artwork illustrates the music too!

Developer

Thanks!

Submitted(+1)

Really liked that there was an energy and character to these tracks that too many entries I have listened to so far have lacked (where they sound the part but all become pretty predictable and samey). I particularly liked 'Chronocturnal Reverie' (and the general puns in the track titles - nice!)   

Developer

Thanks! ^^

Submitted(+1)

I couldn't really place where the "soul" of the OST was, then track 3 hit and everything made sense. The levels are where it really nails it for me. Honestly, if it had just been tracks 3-5 I would have still been super happy.

Developer

Glad you liked them! I actually had more tracks in mind but I didn't have enough time to finish them all.

Submitted(+1)

The funk is off the charts in some of these tracks! The slap bass is super tight and the slower pieces were just lovely. Awesome job :)

Developer

Thanks! ^^

Submitted(+1)

Nice work! I think the mood and atmosphere of these tracks is really nice, it somehow feels both calming and adventurous. The third track almost gave me Steven Universe vibes, which was really cool! 5 might be my favorite because it sounds so mysterious, it’s perfect for a desert setting and those are often my favorite themes in video game music. The last track felt like a really nice finale as well. Even though the genre of your hypothetical game is a shooter type, the OST sounds kind of cozy :)  

Developer(+1)

Thanks so much! I love desert themes and I've always been fascinated by the way they're orchestrated in the games I played.
I think the jam cover page colors gave off that cozy vibe and I ended up going with it haha!