My original songs (made for video game projects)

[Little Conqueror]

I'm making my own music for some low/non-budget video games. While I don't have a professional set-up (I'm in my second year of college, thus cannot afford such things), I'm trying my darnedest.

Anyway, I'll update this thread as I make more. This is one I've got right now. I've reduced the quality to make it smaller AND prevent it from being lifted by some unscrupulous folk, thus there's a bit of crackling (I've also disabled most of the musical intricacies, such as dynamics, crescendos, etc. so that I always have the more polished version, thus proving my authorship... and no, it's not because I don't trust anyone on this forums... I've had music stolen before)

The Battle of Xiang Yang - 1:24 (http://games.lambtron.com/files/thebattleofxiangyang.mp3)

(Note: It is much lowered quality, thus you will hear some crackling when it gets a little loud! Also, the volume is kind of low)

Meant to loop. This song is a bit experimental, though it does use mostly traditional harmonies. The time signature starts off in 5/4, then goes to 7/4 as well. The story behind this song? It takes place during a battle in the late second century AD in China at the city of Xiang Yang.

[JimboC]

I liked it, though it might have too much motion to be looped over and over as background music in a game. If you could maybe extend the piece a bit (15-30 secs) and slow it down some and maybe have it quiet down a little as well I think it would be perfect. You gotta give the player a chance to catch his breath.

But I did like it a lot. Great work! It's a lot more intricate than most music you hear and I really would love to hear more music like this in games. Those little extras you added in there aren't found in a lot of game music today it seems. I'd really love to hear some more of your stuff.

[Little Conqueror]

Thanks a ton for the comment. Yeah, another fifteen or thirty seconds wouldn't hurt. Glad you liked it - I kind of miss the days where music in video games was constant, rather than ambient.

[Simon Charles]

F*** brilliant! I'm crazy about odd time signatures and yours sound great! It takes skill to sucessfully pull off a 5/4 or 7/4 and make it sound 'musical'.

Thumbs up!

[Little Conqueror]

Glad you like it. I'm quite a fan of unusual time signatures when used in a rhythmic context. I feel that time signatures that the listener is not used to, but are placed in a strong melodic and rhythmic setting, can have the most dramatic effect. Of course, there's something to be said for good old 4/4 and 6/8, too.

[Opus131]

Simon Charles said:
It takes skill to sucessfully pull off a 5/4 or 7/4 and make it sound 'musical'.




Hu ? There's nothing 'unmusical' about odd timed signatures, it's not like we are talking about 12 tone pantonalism

As for the peice, i liked it, it would be great if gaming music would strive for something greater then the usual cinematographic yammering we get (if even, what gives with the sad state of modern musical scores ?).

Since film music went down the drain already, games might offer some refuge for the would be composers of today...

[Opus131]

Little Conqueror said:
Of course, there's something to be said for good old 4/4 and 6/8, too.



It's been said enought if you ask me http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[Little Conqueror]

Opus131 said:

Little Conqueror said:
Of course, there's something to be said for good old 4/4 and 6/8, too.



It's been said enought if you ask me http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif



Yes, it seems that 4/4 and other common time signatures are much overused. However, they still have their uses.

Glad you liked the piece. And I agree - video game music is one of the last bastions for composers. While there are movies with moving musical scores, more and more are using canned music that sounds quite generic. Unfortunately, games are getting that way too. No memorable melodies, or catchy tunes, or whatnot...

These might not be your taste - they're a bit sillier, and I've already posted them on the 3DR forums before - but these are some earlier MIDI works of mine.

Run Run Go Go - 1:10 (http://games.lambtron.com/runrungogo.mid)

Intended as a title song for a Commander Keen-esque game. Time signature is mostly 21/8 with a bit of 24/8.

Level One - 2:46 (http://games.lambtron.com/midi/level1.mid)

For an undetermined project.

Dungeon of My Own Design - 2:12 (http://games.lambtron.com/midi/dungeon.mid)

Another one with varying time signatures. A bit of 7/4, 4/4, 15/16, etc. I'm quite fond of this one for some reason.

Labyrinth of my Own Creation - 2:34 (http://games.lambtron.com/midi/labyrinth.mid)

The "sequel" to Dungeon of My Own Design, if you will, but I don't like it as much as Dungeon. Standard 4/4 time signature, except there's a part with 11/8 in there, if I remember correctly.

[Simon Charles]

Little Conqueror said:
Run Run Go Go - 1:10 (http://games.lambtron.com/runrungogo.mid)

Intended as a title song for a Commander Keen-esque game. Time signature is mostly 21/8 with a bit of 24/8.



Absolutely love that one. However, I count a 7/4 and that's it. Where in bejeesus can you count a 21? I don't even think such a thing exists.




The "sequel" to Dungeon of My Own Design, if you will, but I don't like it as much as Dungeon. Standard 4/4 time signature, except there's a part with 11/8 in there, if I remember correctly.



Love that one too. But you're gonna have to explain that 11 to me cause I've written songs in 11, 12 and 13 and they're nothing like that.

Again, you're f*** talented. I hope you're studying in music. Cause if you're not, start now and compose game music. What you have is raw money making talent. School that talent with formal education and you'll go places in the games business.

[Opus131]

Little Conqueror said:
Dungeon of My Own Design - 2:12 (http://games.lambtron.com/midi/dungeon.mid)

Another one with varying time signatures. A bit of 7/4, 4/4, 15/16, etc. I'm quite fond of this one for some reason.




Buhaha, you even put a polyphonic interlude in that one, are you gonna try to be the bach of video games ? http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I could defenatly see loving those songs in the old days of midi game music, good work there.


Little Conqueror said:
Unfortunately, games are getting that way too. No memorable melodies, or catchy tunes, or whatnot...




Sadly you are right, but i guess it's up to new talents to try to brake the mold, i don't think you can hold creativity for long, no matter how much you try to suppress it in favor of safe commercialism it will find a way sooner or later.

[Imfamous]

Games today just wanna add "atmosphere" to the games with the music. Things like subtle violins in the background.

I miss the stuff from Megaman X, Doom 2, C&C, and Red Alert.

[Little Conqueror]

Simon Charles said:

Little Conqueror said:
Run Run Go Go - 1:10 (http://games.lambtron.com/runrungogo.mid)

Intended as a title song for a Commander Keen-esque game. Time signature is mostly 21/8 with a bit of 24/8.



Absolutely love that one. However, I count a 7/4 and that's it. Where in bejeesus can you count a 21? I don't even think such a thing exists.



It COULD be written in 7/4, but listen to the subdivision of the beats. Each beat consists of three eighth notes. In 7/4, they would all be triplets. Very good ear, though, to recognize the seven beat pattern. And any time signature can exist, so long as the bottom number is a square of 2 (and 1). I've even seen decimals on the top number.



The "sequel" to Dungeon of My Own Design, if you will, but I don't like it as much as Dungeon. Standard 4/4 time signature, except there's a part with 11/8 in there, if I remember correctly.



Love that one too. But you're gonna have to explain that 11 to me cause I've written songs in 11, 12 and 13 and they're nothing like that.

Again, you're f*** talented. I hope you're studying in music. Cause if you're not, start now and compose game music. What you have is raw money making talent. School that talent with formal education and you'll go places in the games business.



Thanks for the compliment. I'll have to look at the score to see where the 11 is - I think the 11/8 bar(s) are in the break where the E minor major seventh chord is playing and all of the instruments are playing eighth note, eighth note, eighth rest, etc.

It's my dream to be a video game composer, but right now I'm getting my Associate's in Computer Sciences and Computer Information Systems. Then, when I transfer to a four-year school, I'll get my composition degree.

Personally, Lee Jackson and Bobby Prince are two of my heroes.

[Simon Charles]

Little Conqueror said:

Simon Charles said:

Little Conqueror said:
Run Run Go Go - 1:10 (http://games.lambtron.com/runrungogo.mid)

Intended as a title song for a Commander Keen-esque game. Time signature is mostly 21/8 with a bit of 24/8.



Absolutely love that one. However, I count a 7/4 and that's it. Where in bejeesus can you count a 21? I don't even think such a thing exists.



It COULD be written in 7/4, but listen to the subdivision of the beats. Each beat consists of three eighth notes. In 7/4, they would all be triplets. Very good ear, though, to recognize the seven beat pattern. And any time signature can exist, so long as the bottom number is a square of 2 (and 1). I've even seen decimals on the top number.



My mistake. I meant to say I only count a 7/8, not a 7/4. Still don't see that 11 thing though.

Visit my website to check out my odd time signature songs. Specifically, "the Gangster of Boats" for my 11, 12 and 13 signatures.

http://www.geocities.com/sorcerermusic/index.html

I know they're cheezy and amateurish (and by musical standards, unfinished) but if you like video game music, then maybe you'll hear some familiar arrangements or twists.

My problem is that I just slap a few chords and play those over and over again. I can never flesh something out into a complete song.

Oh yeah, and my 'alienz' cover is complete now, although the website says otherwise. If you like Duke 3D music, hope you'll like my version of it.

[Little Conqueror]

Don't be so hard on yourself. It's good stuff, you just need to keep working. I got my starts by laying down a "Brass Section" track and a "Bass" track and trying to write the compiled works of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Goes to show how far a little work will take you.

[biXen]

I like it, also listened to that dungeon.mid, very nice stuff I have to say. Wish you the best of luck getting noticed.

Although I play in a band and try to read some notes I really don't know what 5/4 and 7/4 means, I just know it's written on notes and have some kind of meaning for the tempo?! So excuse me for not getting into that discussion http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Simon Charles]

biXen said:
I like it, also listened to that dungeon.mid, very nice stuff I have to say. Wish you the best of luck getting noticed.

Although I play in a band and try to read some notes I really don't know what 5/4 and 7/4 means, I just know it's written on notes and have some kind of meaning for the tempo?! So excuse me for not getting into that discussion http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif



5/4 or 7/4 are examples of time signatures. The most common beat is the 4/4. That's 90% of all songs out there. Steady beat you can dance to.

3/4 is the waltz. You can count it, 1, 2, 3 -- 1, 2, 3...

Others are different, often more complex time signatures sometimes used in progressive rock, metal and classical scores. In LOTR movies for example, one has a 5/4 signature. And you can sometimes hear a 6/8 (or 6/4?) in John Williams's ET (if I remember correctly).

[Little Conqueror]

Theoretically, the only difference between 6/8 and 6/4 is the unit used to count the duration.

Theoretically.

4 - Top number: Number of beats per measure
4 - Bottom number: Duration of the beat (1 = whole note; 16 = sixteenth note; only values I've ever seen are 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32, though theoretically you could go past 64, but why would you?)

As Simon pointed out, most songs are 4/4, but a good many are 3/4 (yes, waltzes, or the American national anthem), 3/8, 6/8 (the Serious Sam theme song if you've ver heard it), or 2/2 (marches are an example).

I have some more stuff coming up soon. Thank you all for your kind words!

[biXen]

Ah, I get it, thanks for explaining that guys. And looking forward to hearing new stuff LC.

[Marty]

dude, you should remake the Space Quest (http://www.spacequest.net/sq1/soundtrack/) theme. that would be so cool http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Little Conqueror]

I will be uploading some very (in my humble opinion) good MP3 works for a non-existant FPS project soon. I'll be using them as my online portfolio works, as well.

[Plagman]

You didn't mention Jeremy Soule in your list of game composer heroes.

[Denz]

Han link for music for broken. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/redface.gif

[Delicieuxz]

LC, any chance of you uploading your songs again?

[Xgthug]

I never got a chance to hear them. http://forums.3drealms.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif