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A jam submission

Beneath the Ocean, Within the SoulView project page

Sana, a girl gifted with water related abilities, travels to the depths in search of a treasure.
Submitted by KaS — 20 minutes, 50 seconds before the deadline
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Beneath the Ocean, Within the Soul's itch.io page

Results

CriteriaRankScore*Raw Score
Correlation to theme#624.0484.048
Overall#1433.7453.745
Composition#1583.7743.774
Impression#1713.6453.645
Quality#2233.6453.645
Creativity#2383.6133.613

Ranked from 62 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.

Description
​Sana, a magical girl who lives in a bubble house underwater, has gotten bored of life closer to the surface.

She feels something is missing within herself and wishes to see if rumors of treasure deep below are true. She ventures deeper and deeper, entering "uncharted" territory and fighting against mechanized fish (where did those even come from?)

She reaches the lowest part of a trench, but finds most of the treasure has been taken. Perhaps the depths weren't so uncharted after all. However, the long adventure has made her stronger willed as well as more appreciative of the peaceful nature of the upper waters. Perhaps the real treasure was the (insert cliche line)!

Prologue (Introspection): Prologue, and Sana's theme.

Subaquatic Saunter: This serves as an overworld theme when traversing the ocean. Written in 5/4 to give the idea of swimming rather than a more typical walking rhythm.

Subaquatic Saunter (Action): Dynamic variation of Subaquatic Saunter for when doing puzzles or fighting enemies.

Within a Bubble: Save room theme. Take a break!

Mechacanthine Foreboding: Transitional theme when approaching boss areas (the depths). This track with the tonal shift marks the shift towards the depths of the ocean.

Mechacanthine Chaos: Boss theme that might play when you fight a mechanized coelacanth. Ends with a short boss defeated jingle.

Epilogue (Within the Soul): Epilogue, and variation of Introspection, as Sana realizes what she was missing.

Message from the artist
I had a great time making this one. Thanks for listening!

Theme

Inside my world
Picture theme

How does it fit the theme?
I primarily used synths that I felt had a sort of water sound to them (particularly electric piano/rhodes and Mellotron winds) as well as extensive use of leitmotif throughout the OST.

I took the picture theme for an overall water themed OST, and the text theme (Inside my World) to reflect Sana's discovery within herself.

I primarily used the Dorian mode in the first half of the OST and Phrygian Dominant in the second half. This was a means of further showing a "two worlds" interpretation of the text theme, with the more lighthearted upper ocean and the depths filled with mechanized and heavily armed sealife.

Link(s) of the submission on streaming services
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLM6jJ1Ve8aIdV1LV3bLW-zumd__hIXnfd

Number of tracks
7

Genre

Electronic
Rock/Metal
Jazz
Ambient

Soundtrack use permission

Yes (Game Jams)

For game jams only

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Comments

Viewing comments 31 to 12 of 51 · Next page · Previous page · First page · Last page
Submitted(+1)

Your soundtrack is intriguing and caleidoscopic. It's refreshing to hear some proggy stuff, now and then! Bravo

Developer

Thanks! I'm glad you noticed prog influence, I'm a huge prog fan!

Submitted(+1)

Nice work on these tracks! They're really well composed and executed, matching the game's scenarios just right. I particularly liked the bassline for some of the tracks, specially Subaquatic Saunter. But my favorite track is Within a Bubble, the chords are stanking real nice there. Now my least favorite was Mechacanthine Chaos, I think the use of amem break here is not as interesting as having a drumline with more variation. And it also draws too much attention to it as well, making the other instruments a bit muffled.

Overall I enjoyed the OST so great job!

Developer(+1)

Yeah I originally tried a more unique drumline but I didn't like how it turned out, so I went with the more chaotic combo with the amen break. Thanks for the feedback!!

Submitted(+1)

Very pleasant and bouncy tracks! I enjoyed the variety of genres used. My favorite one is "Mechacanthine Chaos".

Developer

Thanks! 

Submitted(+1)

Great work on this! Arrangements are nice and varied, and I love the use of the various rhodes and epianos throughout. No issues with production on my end, everything seems to fit where it needs to in the mix.

Really like the lead-work in this, whether its on a synth, guitar or a flute. Thoughtful choice of melodies throughout and a nice variety of genres beneath - can't say I had breakbeats on my bingo card for this one!

All in all this was a fun listen with a lot of different elements and genres explored, kudos for going all out. Great execution of the theme, too. Good work, and best of luck! :)

Developer(+1)

Thanks for the detailed feedback! 

Submitted(+1)

Love the addition of some adaptive music for Subaquatic Saunter and I especially love that you had some killer guitar work in there with all the digital elements. Very unique take on a soundtrack that otherwise took me back to being a kid again, especially with that aspect ratio of the videos!

Nice job!

Developer(+1)

Thanks!! 

Submitted(+1)

Nice, you also went for some interactive music, first one besides me that I saw going this way for the jam.  Within a Bubble is bar far your best, mix is nice well balanced, composition is great, super chill. Well done !

Developer

Thanks!! 

Submitted (1 edit) (+1)

This soundtrack is great! It’s one of the first soundtracks I’ve seen so far to have a clear motif across all of its songs, which really ties the soundtrack together and gives it extra points from me! It sounds like something by Toby Fox, in the best way possible. Great OST, and I can’t wait to see what you make next!

Developer

Thanks! Toby Fox is a big inspiration of mine so that means a lot to me! 

Submitted(+1)

I really liked to hear 2 versions of Subaquatic! Both versions works well for their purpose :)

Great Ost with a clear identity all along, the guitars were a fun touch! Well done !

Developer

Thanks! 

Submitted(+1)

Portraying a wide range of diverse yet cohesive sounds. From the Zelda-like opening flute tunes, to more electronic and funky tunes, to almost santana inspired guitar work, I feel you captured a wide range of underwater moods and sounds. 

Developer

Thanks! Zelda OSTs are a big inspiration of mine! 

Submitted(+1)

I like the transition from something mellow to snappy and a electric guitar edge. Thoughtful thing for a game! Carrying those themes is also pretty good once the listener gets into them.

Developer

Thanks! 

Submitted(+1)

Great use of motif! Each track the used a motif worked it in seamlessly.

Love the contrast in instruments between Prologue and Epilogue; A more laid back timbre for the first and a more confident string one for the last track.  

Bravo!

Favorite:  Mechacanthine Chaos (loved the DnB elements)

Developer

Thanks! That's exactly what I was going for with Prologue and Epilogue! 

Submitted(+1)

First of all, I like how you are thinking about game soundtracks: different intensities for Subaquatic Saunters and a separate introductory track for Mechacanthine Foreboding. The music itself portrays a very clear story through your varied composition and styles. Love the chord at 0:58 in Epilogue! Great work here!

Developer

Thanks! That's my favorite chord in my ost as well, it's a D augmented chord! 

Submitted(+1)

Nice jazz harmony dude. Maybe better programation in your synths to make it alive. Nice work at all

Developer

Thanks! Yeah, I'll be sure to work on more synth programming 

Submitted(+1)

Cool submission! I really liked the use of two different modes to add contrast. It makes your soundtrack as a whole sound really colourful and varied while still sounding cohesive.

Developer(+1)

Thanks! 

Submitted(+1)

Great work! Nice use of time signatures and different modes. Like everyone else I enjoyed Mechacanthine Chaos a lot. My tiny suggestion is to consider connecting more of the guitar melody (more legato). I found the stops mid phrase a little distracting. That's a great riff though, dang. Thanks for making and sharing. 

Developer

Thanks for the feedback! Guitar is out of my comfort zone so I'm grateful for that tip, I'll make sure to keep it in mind when next I use it. Glad you enjoyed the riffs! 

Submitted(+1)

Prologue: Great idea including the main character’s theme in a prologue! I want to use that in the future. Love the dorian vamp with the simple, but memorable and beautiful flute melody.

Subaquatic Saunter: Oh I love your reasoning behind the 5/4, and itt works so well! Rather than even steps like running, swimming sometimes has a long stroke followed by a short stroke. This is peak musical imagery and gets extra points for correlation to theme and creativity from me for this!

Subaquatic Saunter (Action): Good job executing some dynamic soundtrack elements. Electric guitar is a great way to elevate the energy of a track for sure.

Within a Bubble: The jazzy harmony is melt-in-your mouth sweet! I get Pilotwings vibes from this.

Mechacanthine Foreboding: Uh oh, here comes the phrygian dominant. I think it’s always really fun to hear that scale used outside of the context of desert music. 

Mechacanthine Chaos: The breakbeat does add to the chaos and makes this feel like a boss theme. A mechanized coelacanth is really fun to imagine as the boss for this tune. I am imagining the scene as being like a chase type of boss fight where the boss is in front of you and you have to swim after it while it knocks boulders onto you and does other things to cause damage. I imagine the sun or some other light source on the opposite side of the giant boss so it looks all shadowy with dust falling from its scales. Fun imagery in your music!

Within the Soul: A nice somber end to this OST. The harmonies took me in a different direction than I expected which helped me understand what the main character was feeling better.

Overall: I appreciate the light-hearted story with the darker mood as you went on, paralleling Sana’s journey deeper into the sea. I love your organization and flow of tracks and your use of leitmotif in particular with Sana’s theme was great! Well done and thank you for sharing!

Developer

Thanks! I always enjoy your detailed feedback. I really like that image you got from Mechacanthine Chaos! Looking forward to listening to your entry! 

Submitted (1 edit) (+1)

oh my goad this ones so good! i loved the first song, it actually caught me off guard with the second chord lol, i though it would be something else. and i likes that the last one quoted the first too! and cant forget the amen breaks in Mechacanthine Chaos!

Developer

Thank you! Yeah I love the Dorian mode a lot lol. Mechacanthine Chaos seems to be the most popular one, I need to make more like that in the future

Submitted (1 edit) (+1)

Soundtrack feels like it morph into a full RPG at any moment! The soundtrack  has a lot of good genre variations, all of great quality too.  I especially loved the contrast between everything else and the Mechacanthines Tracks.  Really fond of of the amen break used in Chaos, adds another layer of danger to the mix.  


Good job!

Developer

Thank you!

Submitted(+1)

Really cool, mechacanthine chaos really is a mood ! You nailed the vibe, the sounds are sooo pleasing, especially the guitar !

Developer

Thank you! 

Submitted(+1)

Really nice and cohesive work! Your motific ideas were really catchy and i found myself humming along to some of them even if i hadn't had the most time to sit with them, which is a really good sign! I like the consistent instrumentation helping to keep everything together through the sound, as it really helped you feel like everything was the same body of work. As a word of advice, dont be afraid of doing more with your chords rhythm wise! Add in some simple piano arpeggios, or maybe some synth swells to give it movement while staying in your style, it helps keep the song pressing forward and lets the empty space feel more used, and then when you leave room for actual pause it feels even more impactful. Great work overall though! Really like the energy in Mechacanthine Chaos!

Developer(+1)

Thank you for the detailed feedback! Yeah that's one thing I really need to work on, have a bad habit of just using long chords most of the time

Submitted

Completely get it, and its not like its entirely a bad thing its just another place where you can help being out even more of your ideas, cause they are really cool!

Viewing comments 31 to 12 of 51 · Next page · Previous page · First page · Last page