itch.io

The transition between the different instruments is remarkable. I think that if someone isn't aware of the challenge of reduction, they won't even notice. It's subtle, beautiful, and charming. You composed your theme with delicacy and mastery

I listened to it several times for the pleasure of being carried away by the beauty of the medieval theme and trying to hear the trio of instruments at every moment.

I think I will listen to it many more times for inspiration.

Thank you for this beautiful composition

Superb use of modulations that give it a film score feel. With so few instruments, you've achieved three things:

• given your character personality
• created rich, enjoyable music
• sounded professional

It's very impressive.

I see I'm not the only one who struggles with making videos.

Question: at 1'33" there's a violin tremolo that moves from right to left (it's a really nice effect). Which soundbank did you use?

It's the name of a character I made up when I was playing TTRPG, and I used it by default on the internet. I didn't think it would be difficult to pronounce in languages other than my own because, basically, it wasn't meant to be pronounced at all.

So that's the story behind it :)

The 4/4 theme is awesome, really. It has a Megalovania from Undertale vibe without plagiarizing it.

Melodically, both 4/4 themes are excellent.

However, since I like you and think you're capable of doing incredible things even in a short amount of time, I'm going to take the liberty of criticizing the 6/4 part: the melody doesn't breathe enough. The rhythm is too similar in each measure. In 4/4, you do three measures with the same structure, and the fourth gives it some breathing room and restarts the loop. Surprisingly, you didn't do that in 6/4. I feel like the melody is more intellectual and that you tried to fill up the 6/4. Am I wrong?

Otherwise, the 5/4 in transition mode is great, the tempo halved works very well.

And your transition sounds are used more sparingly.

Despite my criticism, believe me, I really like it and I'm impressed by the quality you've achieved in such a short time. It's a real talent!

Like the other comments, it's worth listening to with headphones.

Throughout the first part, you managed to build-up despite the limited number of instruments. In the second part, it slowly fades away.

It's subtle and well composed, well done.

The choice of instruments is great. The leads are powerful and convey a story all on their own.

The lead starting at 0'27" immediately reminded me of Risk of Rain and Christodoulou—that sound is awesome.

I love the atmosphere. The drum solo starting at 1'29" is superbly executed.

The little piano arpeggio adds a touch of unease, which works really well.

Hey! Nice to see you again at a jam! I'm going to listen to your composition.

Thanks for your comment.

You're right, I didn't push the “spooky” aspect too much because it seemed cooler to me than “ghost.” So I didn't use minor chords or tragic modulations.

Thank you for your constructive comment, I appreciate your honesty.

Thank you !

After the jam, I'll rename my YouTube video “Rhythm Heaven - Lost Track” to attract traffic (and a ton of haters).

Thanks for the comment, I love funk too and really enjoyed working on this track.

I'm really glad you like it.

I don't know where I could have a career, but I wouldn't mind it.

You can pronounce my name: Cell-Key-On

Sometimes you notice details that I placed there unconsciously, but in this case, your interpretation of my music is all the more remarkable. Yes, when I placed the ghost's lines, I thought about how difficult it would be to make it more intense at each stage.

It's incredible that you noticed that while listening to the music.

Thank you!

I'm glad you like it (and to know that you also like Rhythm Heaven).

What a level!

It's brilliant to have mixed the saxophone for the cool side and the theremin for the spooky side.

The fact that it's on the left and right reinforces the call-and-answer and I love it.

Now that you've mastered odd time signatures, it's a delight to let yourself be carried along from 4/4 to 5/4 and then 6/4 so smoothly.

Each creation is more accomplished than the last, your progress is remarkable, and I am amazed by the quality of your work.

What a sound design! The panning is great, it's worth listening to with headphones to enjoy the excellent stereo sound. You've handled the limited number of instruments really well. Your music remains rich despite this constraint.

You're one of the most creative jammers in terms of sound, and it's always a pleasure to listen to your creations.

And I see that you continue to draw inspiration from Libra's Theme for the tempo variations.

(Excellent backstory by the way, and well done for managing to incorporate Ghool into your story)

I love reading your comments, firstly because they are complimentary and that's good for the ego, but mainly because you don't hesitate to be honest. 

The second part is indeed more joyful, and that's a bias I have. Thanks to your comment, I thought about it and asked myself why I imagine a joyful part in boss music. The answer is “Nobuo Uematsu” and his boss music from Final Fantasy. I've listened to his OSTs so much that I've become completely immersed in them. In all of his boss compositions, there's a more uplifting passage, which is a way of representing the heroes' hope in the face of the boss. The boss theme is mixed with the hope that the player will defeat him.

On the contrary, in Koji Kondo's music (which I've listened to a lot), there are no cheerful or hopeful parts.

So there are two types of boss music:

• Classic boss music (just the boss theme)
• Music that represents the battle between the hero and the boss

Thank you for making me realize that!

Wow! Thank you for listening so attentively.

You managed to hear the C/E inversion, you have an incredible ear (perfect pitch?).

It's great to have your analysis. It's very informative.

You're absolutely right about the sharpness of the attacks. As an aside, the second section was weak because of the lack of attack on the strings. It took me a while to realize that I shouldn't play louder, but shorter and sharper. I corrected part of it, but I didn't have time to do it properly everywhere.

I'm really impressed by the accuracy of your feedback. Thank you again for taking the time to listen and, above all, to comment.

On behalf of the winner of the previous round and official “rival,” I am very honored :)

Thank you for your comment :)

I'll take the time to listen to that.

I'll send you my feedback in a private message :)

Great composition, as usual! But even though you've changed genres, your music remains solid and the atmosphere is perfectly conveyed.

I think everyone will have noticed the excellent sound design work, which creates tension right from the start.

It has an effect that you put behind two transitions (at the very beginning of the music and at 1'54") where the sound of breathing stutters, which really makes it feel like a movie.

Well done, as always. Team Bird is sure to score a point with you :)

The way the cello ostinato responds to the choir is very beautiful. And despite the repetitiveness, you've managed to keep your music interesting thanks to clever variations (the male choir, the cellos stopping, etc.).

Very good composition.

I like the conga, which is slightly out of tune at the beginning, complementing the guitar. It's simple and melancholic.

And the groove of the fight music is really cool.

With the sound design of the intro, I wasn't expecting such a cheerful sound. Very unsettling (in a good way).

It's very creative, and you've done something that's rarely done: gently varying the tempo.

You really have a very original style that's instantly recognizable.

Great choice of instrument. And I love the drum break you use. It launches the next section really well.

I agree with Jofes, the variations are a little timid, but you can hear small differences. For example, at 1:00, you loop with the saxophone and add rhythmic elements (crash or ride). It's cool, but it's barely noticeable and doesn't kick things up as much as if you had doubled the saxophone in the third or added a counterpoint with another instrument.

In short, your music is indeed a little long for the variations you offer, but rest assured, there's some really good stuff in there (melody, groove, and break).

I don't think I'm wrong in saying that you've only been composing music for a short time.

You used the major pentatonic scale, which is a very good idea, as it avoids “wrong” notes and dissonance. Your music is simple but pleasant to listen to.

Keep it up! 

I wasn't expecting theremin, it's a great idea to illustrate the guy.

The 90s vibe is cool, it looks like a boss fight in a beat 'em up (like Streets of Rage)

I really like it.

Super dynamic! Really great to listen to.

You have a real talent for creating polished music in a very short time.

Now for the technical points: the rising sound that serves as a transition is good but overused. For some transitions, you could simply stop the drums a few bars before the next section starts, which would allow for some variety and doesn't take long to do (especially for someone who loves speedrunning like you).

In any case, I love the NES/chiptune vibe without the chiptune sound—it's a really cool sound.

Wow, what a banger!

It's awesome! The mushroom taking to become gigantic at the end, the giant's heavy footsteps, the slowing down of the tempo to illustrate the heaviness. It's fantastic.

There are so many things that are good. The 5/4 time signature is so well composed that it's “easy” to listen to.

The choice of instruments sounds like a forest.

I love the sixteenth notes on the marimba.

And you've done a tremendous job with the mixing:

• -the sound design that illustrates what's happening
• -the balance between the instruments
• -the reverb, which is perfectly used to give the impression of depth.

Bravo! Excellent!

Your music takes us on a real journey. It's cool to hear the voice of :)

A few technical details:

In the first phase, your bass sound is panned to the right, which throws off the balance. It's not mandatory, but in general, it's better for the bass to be centered.

The glitch sound (white noise) made me think :) was talking to us through a screen. Maybe bitcrushing the white noise would have made it sound less like a TV.

Apart from these details, I loved it.

I wasn't expecting saxophone, and it's really cool, especially the dissonance. It reminded me of the tense scene in Cowboy Beebop.

And it's a good idea to have incorporated the sound of the shotgun.

I like the melancholic piano melody. It sounds like an encounter with a depressed but friendly character from Hollow Knight.

The second part is, I guess, the revelation of the enemy. It's very clever to have illustrated that musically.

However, this second part is less memorable, and I find the bass too loud in the mix.

In any case, it fits the theme well. Nice work!

Wow, thank you so much for your message! 🥰 It truly warms my heart to see how much time and care you put into listening to my musics and writing such a detailed and enthusiastic reply. Knowing that you enjoy what I compose is a huge motivation for me, and you’re definitely one of the reasons I keep joining these music jams.

I’m also really happy to see that you finished in such an excellent place this time — you absolutely deserve it! And now I can’t wait to hear your next piece, especially with those exotic time signatures you can use. That’s going to be so exciting.

Thanks again for your support and kindness, it really means a lot to me! 🙏✨

Yes, I've seen people use this tool during jams before, but the result wasn't as good. For such a limited tool, you've done a great job!

It's so awesome.

The crescendo is excellent.

You've mastered the art of counterpoint with the oboe run during the first part opposite the piccolo doubled by the glockenspiel. It's very, very well composed.

And that descent at 23" (end of the second measure of theme B) does something to me, I can't quite put my finger on it, but I love it. My ear expects something more conventional, but you launch into the second part of theme B in a brilliant and surprising way that I really like.

I'll stop there because I could go on describing everything that works so well.

Sublime!

The 9/8 seems to revolve around us. You've managed to make it sound like a natural tempo. Still as talented as ever when it comes to enchanting melodies, I love what you've composed.

I don't know if it was your intention, but Glass Space and Studio Violins 2 sound like slow breathing.

Your music is soothing and seems to say, “Sit back and enjoy the stars.”

(And what a pleasure it is to jam with you)

When I first listened to it, I hadn't read your lore. And I didn't understand the woman's voice. The fact that it's the goddess is a brilliant idea.

It's a shame that the ending is so abrupt, unless it's to show that when the party ends, the goddess dies immediately.

I really like the melody that sometimes plays sixteenth notes, it has a Banjo Kazooie and Rhythm Paradise feel to it.

I don't know if you're familiar with Castlevania's “Bloodlines,” but the resemblance to your bridge is crazy (and I love it)