Description
Marsh Droid is a (mythical) game about an android who wakes up in a marsh. They weave through reeds and water attempting to remember who they are, but find themselves quickly taken in by nature, becoming the marsh's stalwart protector. The game would have the player in the role of the Marsh Android, collecting memory fragments and fighting would-be marsh harmers (such as other, scarier, androids.)

The soundtrack was inspired by lofi, and electronic music, noise music and the calls of animals I've recorded over the last year. The soundtrack was made in Ableton Live 12! With field recording from a Tascam DR5. I wanted also to make something quite sound-designed as there is a lot of character to be conveyed (and fun to be had) approaching music like a sound design project. Obviously for a full game I'd maybe dial back the animal field recording motifs!

As per the game idea, the soundtrack maybe represents the fusion of nature and slightly broken digital technology, as the android's circuitry is changed overtime by various mosses and mushrooms interweaving and creating new points of contact.

Track 1 is a sort of main theme, a big sweepy synth pad to add some organicism and softness against an initially menacing melody. But the 'ice synth' melody softens the feel and represents the android discovering their new tranquil identity as a marsh protector. Reversed orchestral clips are supposed to represent memories 'playing back.' The outro to cassette static and abrupt stop combining with (real original!) cricket and frog samples show an ear listening out for danger.

Track 2 is a kind of exploration suite, opening with the frogs again. There is intended to be a structured, uplifting kind of tranquillity as the Marsh Droid assists animals and what not and finds positive, happy memories.
The track moves to a (lowpassed!) melancholy, sombre feeling, attempting to convey more painful, or sad memories the android discovers. It finishes on a hopeful note again, as the android resolves inner memories and looks once again outward, and the high frequencies come back in to the mix.

Track 3 is a sort of combat suite. Plenty of bits to chop up and loop to suite various encounters with nasty marsh-destroying androids. Continuing to fuse organic and kind of broken digital bits, there are 'vocally' sounding pads, more animal samples, and a more menacing motif from the main theme. I also thought a big, sludgy bass could sound some kind of digitally-corrupted evil toad or something. The track ends on a stutter which could maybe represent a 'game over' or life loss mechanic.

I've definitely missed stuff but there's literally 12 minutes to submit tally ho

Message from the artist
Thank you so much for listening. This creative project was hugely valuable to me! I won't get sappy, but I needed something fun like this to sink my teeth into. Thanks again.

Theme

How does it fit the theme?
The Marsh Droid's memories are reflective of 'their world' and the soundtrack attempts to convey a first-person narrative. 'Inside my world' to the Marsh Droid is an exploration of memories as they find them, but also the corporeal, organic, swampy world they've come to protect.

Link(s) of the submission on streaming services
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCG7hrFKF5eAR2q9xogXl_p4b976nYDYl

Number of tracks
3

Genre

Soundtrack use permission