Play single
Discovery - Synlyfe's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Overall | #55 | 3.998 | 3.998 |
| Composition | #57 | 4.062 | 4.062 |
| Impression | #60 | 3.991 | 3.991 |
| Correlation to theme | #69 | 4.018 | 4.018 |
| Creativity | #85 | 3.929 | 3.929 |
| Quality | #96 | 3.991 | 3.991 |
Ranked from 113 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Judge feedback
Judge feedback is anonymous.
- I'm sorry to hear about your ear injury! Here's hoping that you're recovering well and are going to keep making music. This submission has a lot of promise and some quite interesting textural blending that I think is very effective. The use of sharkuhachi flute I think works in its brief appearance, adding a new, breathy layer to the soundscape that fills it out. In that moment, I really found that everything you had been building to kind of snapped together, which was lovely to hear. I'm sure due to the nature of your shortened preparation time, the track as a whole feels a bit disconnected from itself in that it doesn't seem to quite build toward a target, even as the textures that I do hear are very nicely put together. Structurally I think it just needs more of a sense of direction, where the listener can know that they are being taken on a journey-- told a story-- that's clear and concise. Even though in games we know our music is going to get sliced up and recombined in implementation, having a clear journey from the get go makes a huge difference. Given that you had such a short time to prepare I think the result here is admirable!
Description
Genre: Ambient, electronic.
Purpose: Theme; could function as a title, credits or a lore-driven level theme.
More info available below in "How does it fit the theme"
DAW: FL Studio 21 + Native Instruments, Heavyocity, Serum and stock plugins.
I wanted the track to be driven primarily by piano and strings and then use woodwinds and synths to buff out the composition. Composed in a minor key, but not inherently spending too much time on the defining minor notes - tried to strike a balance between sombre tones and a subtle but progressive hope.
Link to DAW overview on YT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyBn1Zm4Nik
Can be streamed via Audiomack, link below.
Message from the artist
Was super pumped to join this jam but unfortunately sustained an ear injury the night before it kicked off. After a couple of much needed quiet days, I finally got a chance to start on my submission approximately a day before the jam was ending.
There's very little post-work done, and there are a couple of instances of clipping that I missed upon exporting. All in all I'm decently happy with the composition but I would have liked to have taken it much further and developed the concepts within a lot more. I feel as though the chord progressions in particular are lacking, as is a general sense of substance.
Theme
How does it fit the theme?
I wanted to focus more on the spirit the child is speaking to and what it represents, so I opted for a minor key and left some of the child-like visuals, emotion and expression to the instrumentation.
I used short, delay and reverb soaked synths in Massive to represent the bubbles and wrote primarily for piano, strings and woodwind to set the tone; slightly sombre but with hope on the horizon. Marred happiness and fond memories are two keywords I kept in mind while scoring.
Ultimately the child is speaking to a spirit of a (presumed) loved one, manifesting amidst the bubbles and chalk drawings of fish. I let some reverb tails ring out a little longer and soak the ambience to really sell the water and sea creature vibe as best I could. Playful synths to represent bubbles and the occasional use of a shakuhachi flute to pay due respect to the culture.
Link(s) of the submission on streaming services
https://audiomack.com/synlyfe/song/discovery
Number of tracks1
Genre
Soundtrack use permission
Any non-commercial project
Leave a comment
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
Comments
Fascinating beat. I loved how it worked with the lead instruments. Thumbs up!
Hi Synlyfe!
SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!
This is the first work I listen of a different kind of ambient style because of the use of acoustic instruments. So I'm very impress. I love how smooth they can be if they're treat it in a very carefully manner and you've done this really, REALLY WELL.
I also love the aesthetic choices you've made with the strings arrangement and with events like the flute effect (overblowing) in just the right places.
The overall sound is so on point and very cohesive as well.
You've done an amazing job in such a short amount of time!
Wonderful work!!!!
(Following you on Itch, wishing to know more about your music)
Thank you very much for taking the time to check it out and comment! Appreciate the compliments, and I'm glad you liked the track! Hopefully next jam I'll have a little more time to work a little more. 😄
Great textures, catchy rhythm, great composition, this has it all! I love the occasional shakuhachi for some extra flavor. Love the combination of the synths and that groovy bass with the strings. Great work!
Very nice atmosphere. I like it!
Really nice choice of instruments and the structure of the track is well thought, Nice submission!
Amazing composition! I love how you’ve melded both electronic and orchestral influence so seamlessly together! The chip-tune drums are a very tasteful addition! So much substance - and in only a day?! Hats off to you! Fantastic work!
Appreciate the commendation! Thank you for checking it out, I'm glad you dug it! :)
Really Enjoyed it! Nice work with the strings and the progression! The second part when the "chiptuned" drums kicks in with the drop just made the whole song better.
This song keeps evolving and showing its many beautiful facettes. It sounds and feels like a cool breeze shouting over the sea spouting up silt and fine drips of water on a hot day. And I can't get enouth of it. A very calming motive with need sound flourishes and a sparce but stong instrumentation. Stunning work! I am pretty stoked what's to come next of you.
Really appreciate you taking the time to check this out and leave a comment. I'm glad it resonated with you and that you found it enjoyable! We'll see what the future holds. :)
Definitely a strong case of quality over quantity! It's a single track, but it's an absolute BANGER. Loved the arrangement on this and you hit me in the feels with this one. Great job!
Appreciate you checking it out and leaving feedback. Hopefully I'll have a little more time to do more in the next jam! Best of luck. :)
Really cool and stylish-sounding track. Good work!
Thank you very much for checking it out and leaving a comment!
While only one track in length, I still think that this music encapsulates the overall tone of the picture theme better than most of my tracks. Great work!
The reverb effects are very unique! The ambient is very interesting, especially the rhythms... be careful with the mix because it distorts a bit in the low frequencies. However, the composition is original, great work!
Yeah the (lack of) post-work definitely notches it down a bit, I really should've been more conscious of my levels but I was just anxious to get it out. 😅
Appreciate you taking the time to check it out and leave a comment, thank you!
Don't get me wrong, I believe your composition is actually valid and original. The note about the mix is just a suggestion, but in the end, we all know it's difficult to write a story, compose multiple tracks, and mix them properly in just a week. Even my work has some gaps that I didn't have time to fill. My intention was to offer advice to improve it, even though the contest has already started. As stated in the rules, we are free to continue working on it even after the game jam has begun. ☺️😉
For sure! No offense taken, no worries at all. I wish I'd caught the instances of clipping and had more time to properly do some post-work but unfortunately was on the back-foot. I've been mulling over the idea of continuing to work on it but I'm a little undecided at the moment. Going to take a few days to see how I feel about it! :)
My advice is to keep pushing forward because the initial premises have a lot of potential. Trust me!😉
Appreciate the encouragement, may well revisit it and try to implement some things I didn't quite get a chance to work on the first time around. Thank you again!
Well, what can I say...
Excellent track! A very beautiful, charming and bewitching track that speaks to my soul.
I liked it) Thank you very much for the beautiful work!
Beautiful! I loved the syncopated rhythm to keep thinks a bit more lively (and bubbles popping) and the breathiness of the flute was perfect for the underwater vibe
Very well crafted piece of music, fantastic choice or instruments!
It's a pity you could not do more. I would love to hear that :)
Thank you for checking it out all the same! There's always next jam - we'll see how it goes. :)
Maybe it's just because it's late, but this song connected in a way that has me playing it on repeat. Super expressive and emotional! You really executed well with the tools you had at hand. Sorry to hear that you were unable to participate in the jam more than you did, I just want to hear 4 more of your songs like this one!
Appreciate the kind words and you checking it out. Glad it resonated with you! It has grown on me a little after the initial bout of disappointment for what could have been, but I'm happy to just have something that I was able to submit. Thank you again, and there's always the next jam! :)
Really enjoyed all the different flavors that evolve throughout the track
Really impressed with every section! Think you nailed the underwater/bubbly aspect of the theme really well. I think your processing decisions for the delay and reverb were perfect for setting the scene in the arrangement. Really impressed with the mix too, even with the short amount of time you had due to injury. Great work!
Thank you very much! Appreciate you giving it a listen and leaving a comment. There's always the next jam!
wooowss this is so well put together, fantastic job, cant wait to hear more from you!!
Hey Synlyfe, how are you? Hopefully you're doing well! This composition... this composition is what I WANTED mine to be! Just a PERFECT blend of beautiful orchestral elements, rich synthesizers, and super cool electronic rhythms and percussions!
First and foremost, you immediately captured me with the opening Piano Sound, it's just so rich and full! The Solo Violin plays such a heartfelt, moving melody and I'm loving this! I'm feeling INCREDIBLE at 0:55, I absolutely love these Bass and Percussion sounds, they're so moody and fit the soundscape so perfectly! I also love the Flute that you introduce at 1:12, and the increased intensity in the kick (I think it's a kick?) also helps this moment really shine! All of the sounds introduced at 2:15 are just majestic and otherworldly... I really do feel that I'm being lost inside someone's world, or perhaps lost inside my own dreams or imagination.
This composition is just so immersive, it truly has a sense of place and when I listen to this piece, I really do feel that I'm being transported somewhere. That's something that's very difficult to accomplish and the fact that you were able to give me that experience through your music is INCREDIBLE and a sign that you are a highly thoughtful and talented Composer (in my opinion). If this was on Spotify, I would definitely add this to my playlist and if this was in a game I was playing, I would definitely stop just to listen! I really love this Composition and knowing that you made all of this in just one day... you are beyond impressive!
Anyways, I really love your music and I'm glad you chose to participate despite your ear injury. I hope that you're feeling better and that your ear recovers soon! I can't wait to hear more of your music in the future and I wish you the best of luck for this Jam, Synlyfe!
Thank you for the detailed comment! Was not expecting such praise, honestly. Appreciate you taking the time to get your thoughts down and share them with me. I'm really glad you enjoyed the piece and that it was able to stir such a variety of feelings in you. I think a lot of people were caught off-guard by the middle section, so hearing that it was well received is both a relief, and a delight! The part from 2:15 onwards was my last ditch effort to fill out the remaining minute so I could submit it so I feel a little iffy about it myself, however reading your comment has made me feel a lot more appreciative of it, so thank you again. :)
Major respect taking the time to detail your thoughts so thoroughly and share the love. I wish you all the best in this competition, also. Take care!