So I thought I'd post one of my recent additions to the soundtrack and briefly comment on how it works and contrasts with different elements of the game.
Indoors vs outdoors
I want the outdoors and indoors music to contrast. Being a school, the indoors music needs to represent simplicity within a confined space. Outdoors is, at the moment, divided into two categories, within school grounds and beyond school grounds. Both of which should promise a sense of unattainable freedom, one more so than the other.
Indoors: Quiet Class RoomsSo far I've limited indoors music to only a few tracks/layers, in some cases as few as two. If you listen to the example below, you'll notice it's very minimalistic. I've tried to create a sense of confined subtle suspense (the longing and excitement to break free from a dull environment and discover more). It's like a ticking clock in a classroom that let's you know you know where you are yet encourages you to escape.
It's a common theme I'm trying to create throughout the game: From the outside the school seems safe, predictable and rigid but underneath there is a terrible secret and mystery.
Outdoors: The Cove of Sand & SnowDepending on your choices in the first chapter of the game, your character Max may make an escape down an icy underground spring. When he awakes, he's been washed up on the eastern shore of the island, a small cove to be exact. It's snowing and Max is soaking wet. His HP slowly decreases until you find warm shelter.
Unlike the indoors music which should create a sense of being confined, the outdoors music remains minimalistic to represent of the confined location of the island, yet it teases you with an unattainable freedom (especially if you're beyond the school grounds). Imagine looking out across the ocean, knowing the possibilities yet you're without a boat.
For the outdoors music there's generally a few more layers. You still have the rigid base ticking away to create the subtle sense of confined suspense but over the top is more free flowing sounds which should imply a much more open space.
For both tracks, the only instrument I've used is the monophonic Moog Little Phatty synth. As mentioned in my first post, it's the primary instrument I'm using for the whole soundtrack.
SoundsYou'll also hear my sea shore field recording. Although the surf was very small when I recorded it, you'd be surprised how aggressive small waves can sound when they're breaking closer to the shore and sometimes on the sand. I removed a lot of low-mid frequencies to reduce the harshness and then just knocked off the very highest frequencies to soften it up and allow it to blend better with the music and other sounds rather than forcing itself to the front of "the mix".
You'll find the discussed tracks in the link below. Both are just drafts.
Thanks for reading and enjoy!
Developer
