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Pacific Blossom's itch.io pageResults
Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
Creativity | #13 | 4.323 | 4.323 |
Quality | #14 | 4.387 | 4.387 |
Overall | #16 | 4.213 | 4.213 |
Correlation to theme | #18 | 4.290 | 4.290 |
Impression | #28 | 4.129 | 4.129 |
Composition | #92 | 3.935 | 3.935 |
Ranked from 31 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Description
Genre: Ambient, generative
Length: 0:38:23
My idea of the game, while not very specific, is that of an adventure game, set deep within the ocean, starring a spirit of the water loosely based on the one from the image prompt.
The aesthetic aims to be cute but deep, pulling directly from my current styles and workflows. I imagine the game to be overall wholesome and charming, but both the prologue and the epilogue being of nostalgic sadness for a time bygone.
The specific purpose / meaning of each track can be found directly besides each title. On the Soundcloud descriptions you will find additional details.
The creation process involved starting each track with improvisation and generative patching, in a musical brainstorm of sorts. I did put a little bit more emphasis in deliberate motif composition than is usual for my current musical projects. Some of the tracks feature a leitmotif, made to represent the water-sprite's inner melancholy, or whoever is the object of such emotions.
I guess I've been influenced to do something cute from having recently obsessed over Baba is You, and also the image prompt might have given me a subconscious Ghibli inspiration. The surreal vibes of the ending area want to be like Earthbound's weird bits, although I haven't personally played it.
Software used: FL Studio, VCV Rack 2 pro, Caustic 3. Other software synths and effects.
Hardware: Polysynth, modular synth, electric guitar, effects pedals, mixer, VCA compressor
Message from the artist
Thank you very much for listening. Please, feel free to download, reupload, reuse, etc. I'd be glad to be given credit, and to be informed about any interesting projects that might want to use my work.
Theme
How does it fit the theme?
I took heavy inspiration from the image prompt to conceive of an adorable sea spirit living beneath the ocean, having said goodbye to a motherly protector in the past, but living a happy life.
The text prompt inspired the whimsical and colorful tones, the emotionally-driven style of the story. I wasn't thinking consciously about it, but I had the idea that the final segment of the game would be a surrealist voyage into the inner self, accompanied with the more vanguardist track of the bunch; That, I'm just now realising, fits the text prompt so closely!
Link(s) of the submission on streaming services
https://soundcloud.com/john-url-himself/sets/pacific-blossom
https://youtu.be/eONdCm9WEqE?si=qFiirkca8n2RIUQ7
Number of tracks8
Genre
Soundtrack use permission
Any project
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Comments
The colorful and mesmerizing waveforms in the video were super cool and honestly enthralling!
Wow...it's simply amazing. The way all of these layers of sound come together to create such beautiful soundscapes is truly amazing, I have no other way to describe it. I've never been much of a synth person, but this submission has got me looking for tutorials on them. Thank you for sharing this fantastic submission!
Great soundscape, well balanced mix, actually one of the best ambient album of this jam. Well done !
Commenting again bc I cannot stop thinking about this submission, this is genuinely amazing
Modular and Generative all the way!!
Me and my friend Texas adored the drawings!! They are just so special, that resemblance to how we view our childhood once
Sharp - Zone 3: The Depths, Rusty - Zone 4: The Docks, Autumn - Epilogue are the favorites!!
Ambient genre is kind of hard for us to sit in one place, boring at times, but we do sit down our bum and listen to interesting bits to embrace the atmosphere you expertly created
PS - There's just something in your song that I want to remix to express something, would you let me do it if I ever find free time? (It may not be ambient)
Thank you so much for listening! I'm just sayin'... CC-BY. Like if you even wanted to put my music to fascist propaganda, I could say nothing as long as you give credit. (please don't do that though lol)
It's flattering that you took the time to soak in the ambiance of my tracks, being as they are long, slow, and numerous. This IS a good genre to put on the background while doing stuff... or while doing nothing at all 🧘
If you do put together something with my music, I'd be very glad to hear it! Also I might be able to provide some stems. In any of those cases you can contact me on Soundcloud. Email is good but I'm not going to put my address on a public thread. (it should be available on my SC or Bandcamp somewhere though)
In any case, thanks for your time!
Are you Jon Patch like Don Patch?? Also very cute artwork and cool soundscapes. Maybe more melodic focus would listeners in? but in an actual game I think this would work very well!
Thanks for listening and taking the time to leave a comment! I did have the thought that for a contest you might want a little bit more staying power. I did actually compose a few melodies instead of going full generative melody salad (the first track is a good exception - full salad and improvised keyboarding). But as a minimalist I didn't want to overdo it. There is actually a leitmotif on three of the tracks!
For this first entry on the jam I just bet all in on my own generative, improvisative process, and my riff-based ambient style. If you check some random track on my SC chances are it's similar. But it's valid criticism, especially after listening to some of the insane compositions and arrangements on the contest. The closest I got is the final track, you can't run a generative patch on a guitar... But you can noodle on it! And so I did. And add effects and automate those, too.
And yes! right out the Hajike dojo in Edo, I'm ready for some sparking protagonist action! That show is very special to me.
It's also a pun of sorts with the whole modular patching thing, and my name is John but in catalan. Also like, I'm John Patch. like when you say John Twitch, or John America, to personify something as a whole. I'm Patch himself. silly stuff.
Extra bonus points because my fat orange cat is called Garfield.
Had this on just now and "Zone 3 - The Depths" really stood out with those detuned, electronic descending things. That's a really cool sound! Great stuff!
Thank you so much! It is a bit out of tune... Part of the charm of analog instruments, I guess. You tune stuff together by ear. Also probably a pinch of very slow vibrato in there. It did come out as my favourite of the bunch.
Fantastic collection of tracks here, great sound design and beautiful throughout. Really has that underwater feel too.
Not really much to say other than this is great!
This is absolutely incredible! It reminds me of some of Jean-Michel Jarre's work, I was completely immersed and enthralled from start to finish. It's impressive how unique each track feels - my favourite is probably Sakurako, I think it contains some of the best synth sounds on the album.
Fantastic job, you get my vote for best ambient work in the jam!
Wow, masterful synth work here. The tracks showcase your expertise with these instruments. Same with the guitar. Everything is very professional. Thanks for making and sharing!
Impressive is definitely the word I'd use, here. Deeply atmospheric, draws you into what I imagine to be a very dark game with a lot of exploration and tension. This could be an indie game soundtrack, for sure.
Impressive soundscape, very immersive, really great work. Love those drifting changing voices. Also nice mix an balance =)
Very immersive album. It feel like drifting...
A shame this has so few ratings (at time of writing) this is genuinely some of the best work I've heard in the jam thus far. Incredibly well composed, mixed, etc. Fantastic job!
I love this dreamy soundscape you created. Each song has a floating feel to it that really immerses you inside of this world. "Cherries - Zone 1: The Reefs" and "Tako - Zone 2: The Ravine" were my favorites. Thank you for sharing this!
This is amazing, Your work sounds so beautifully melodic yet ambiental at the same time, and every detail about it feels 100% professional. Outstanding job!
Amazing sound design. I'm very impress by your OST. It motivates me to continue learning about synthesizers. GREAT WORK!
I'd give a nice comment, but Everyone else has done it for me! I gave you 24/25 stars I guess my vote was biased to my love of the game Tunic which has a very similar soundtrack. im repetitively reminded of it throughout listening to this soundtrack great job!
The sound design is striking. The autumn epilogue is my favorite ! The guitar is a vibe !
this OST is so good! loving the synth sounds and overall sound design. amazing little melodies and fragments throughout. i also especially love the artwork, which tells such a fantastic story. great guitar work in the epilogue!
super moody overall and really evocative. great job with this, it rules!!