diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | album/epic-of-jack-noir-directors-cut.yaml | 4 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | album/vast-error-vol-6.yaml | 36 |
2 files changed, 20 insertions, 20 deletions
diff --git a/album/epic-of-jack-noir-directors-cut.yaml b/album/epic-of-jack-noir-directors-cut.yaml index 3278ecfb..7362e0bd 100644 --- a/album/epic-of-jack-noir-directors-cut.yaml +++ b/album/epic-of-jack-noir-directors-cut.yaml @@ -43,10 +43,10 @@ Commentary: |- This is all I have to say, thank you for reading my spiel. Crediting Sources: |- - <i>Witch's Cadence:</i> ([Bandcamp credits blurb](https://witchscadence.bandcamp.com/track/epic-of-jack-noir-directors-cut), excerpt) + <i>Witch's Cadence:</i> ([Bandcamp credits blurb](https://witchscadence.bandcamp.com/track/epic-of-jack-noir-directors-cut)) Track art by [[artist:dizzims|Dizzims.]] Referencing Sources: |- - <i>Witch's Cadence:</i> ([Bandcamp credits blurb](https://witchscadence.bandcamp.com/track/epic-of-jack-noir-directors-cut), excerpt) + <i>Witch's Cadence:</i> ([Bandcamp credits blurb](https://witchscadence.bandcamp.com/track/epic-of-jack-noir-directors-cut)) References [[track:liquid-negrocity|"Liquid Negrocity"]], [[track:the-ballad-of-jack-noir|"Ballad of Jack Noir"]] and [[track:double-midnight|"Double Midnight]] by [[artist:toby-fox]] and [[track:the-dirty-snakes-coup|"The Dirty Snake's Coup"]] and [[track:im-sorry|"I'm Sorry"]] by Witch's Cadence. diff --git a/album/vast-error-vol-6.yaml b/album/vast-error-vol-6.yaml index e399b87e..70b3e4e3 100644 --- a/album/vast-error-vol-6.yaml +++ b/album/vast-error-vol-6.yaml @@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ Cover Artists: Referenced Tracks: - Deconstruction ~ Visions of a Future Untold (Original Loop) (MIDI Version) Commentary: |- - <i>Rainy:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_aQBX-NNXw), excerpt) + <i>Rainy:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_aQBX-NNXw)) So, Deconstruction is the newest of the tracks I did for Volume 6 and one with an interesting history. As you’re probably aware, this song was done in collaboration with [[artist:witchs-cadence|Cass Preston aka Witch’s Cadence]]. However, unlike my other collabs with other people, Deconstruction is primarily Cass’s production and arrangement while I composed [[track:deconstruction-visions-of-a-future-untold-original-loop|the original song]] that served as the basis for the track. When I was writing songs for VE in 2025, I was in the throes of relistening to the whole Homestuck soundtrack and got curious about the process music team members went through in arranging [[artist:buzinkai|Buzinkai’s]] tracks for albums. This curiosity then led me to try and do something similar where I would write a short song loop and have someone else arrange it into a full song. I thought to most accurately recreate the process, that I would start by writing something using PxTone. If you read the commentary for [[Blood Packt]], the initial loop of Deconstruction followed a similar workflow. I started by composing a [[track:deconstruction-visions-of-a-future-untold-original-loop-midi-version|midi version of the song]] in FL Studio using the OrgMaker soundfont that contains the sounds used in the original release of CaveStory. I did this not only so I could accurately recreate the sound in FL but to make the transcription process in PxTone easier. After I finished the loop, I then sent the midi of it to Cass for her to arrange and produce while I transcribed the midi version into PxTone. I think the only thing that changed from the MIDI version of this song was that I lowered the song down a key in the version you hear on the album. Honestly, I don’t have much to say about the arrangement other than it being fantastic. Cass really elevating the song to a new level of grandness and intensity that I really couldn’t have imagined. --- @@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ Referencing Sources: |- Dangerous Beauty (1998)<br> Bart Rapping Against 50 Cent - The Simpsons S16E09 - <i>Rainy:</i> ([HSMusic Discord](https://discord.com/channels/749042497610842152/779895315750715422/1447060245338656838), excerpt, 12/6/2025) + <i>Rainy:</i> ([HSMusic Discord](https://discord.com/channels/749042497610842152/779895315750715422/1447060245338656838), 12/6/2025) [...] Self-reflection references [[track:dead-2-rights]] --- @@ -122,11 +122,11 @@ Cover Artists: Referenced Tracks: - Cure For What Ails You [Demo 3] Commentary: |- - <i>Rainy:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9zQnQWgS0w), excerpt) + <i>Rainy:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9zQnQWgS0w)) As you can probably tell, Cure for What Ails You is yet another collab between me and the illustrious [[artist:dbnet18|dbnet]]. As those who’ve read my previous commentaries might be aware, I wanted to collab with them on the track [[track:occult-hymns|“Occult Hymns”]], but it fell through because of scheduling issues. As an attempt to make up for that, I reached out to him to help develop a sketch I had written on piano. The idea I initially had for the track was that it would be a song related to the harbingers/mirthamaniacs given the whimsical carnival sound of the sketch. However, I was on a bit of a secondary character kick after reading SBB and decided it would be more interesting to do tracks for characters who don’t have that much music. As a character, Cadlys is interesting because he plays around with the ideas of masks and personae; I find this compelling and am looking forward to seeing how it develops further in the comic. In terms of the writing process, this song came together in a very similar way to [[track:by-my-blade-justice-is-served|“By My Blade”]]. After sending dbnet my initial sketch, they wrote the main harpsichord riff that you can hear throughout the track as well as a melody I would modify for the b-section. Once we had both of our respective ideas down, I took the lead and arranged a draft version of the song. Based on what we had already, I decided that an orchestral direction in the vein of [[track:some-kind-of-alien|“Some Kind of Alien”]] by [[artist:toby-fox]] would work best. I fleshed out the ideas that we had; I added percussion, backing instrumentation, as well as new sections based on the work we had already done. My most notable inclusion is probably the various tempo changes that you hear throughout. To wrap things up, dbnet gave the song a final arrangement pass with an orchestral library in addition to mixing and mastering. Overall, I’m happy with how this song came together. I think the final product manages to coalesce our styles into something more cohesive than By My Blade. - <i>dbnet18:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9zQnQWgS0w), excerpt) + <i>dbnet18:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9zQnQWgS0w)) It was a big honor to work on Cure for What Ails You with [[artist:rainy]]! I always enjoy working with their ideas, they definitely come up with bangin' tunes. As Rainy said, this came about due to not being able to collab on [[Occult Hymns]] (sorry!!).<br> Upon hearing it, I thought it needed some orchestral magic. At the time, I was experimenting with the capabilities of EWQL's Opus orchestral libraries, so when Rainy reached out to collab I thought 'perfect!'. It mostly uses stuff from the EWQL Symphonic Gold libraries, as well as the Solo Violinist library. It was definitely a fun challenge to work on my orchestral mixing as well as figuring out the weird quirks that EWQL and FL Studio has when writing songs that are "between" keys (The entire song is tuned up by 25 cents so EWQL has a mini meltdown about it lol).<br> @@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ Cover Art Dimensions: 3041x3009 Referenced Tracks: - One Troll's Scrap Is Another Troll's Mecha [Demo] Commentary: |- - <i>Rainy:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZy95H1QpjU), excerpt) + <i>Rainy:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZy95H1QpjU)) Shout out to [[artist:veritas-unae|VeritasUnae]] for the title suggestion. If I remember correctly, the impetus for this track was me listening to [[track:hydro-city-zone-act-1|“Hydrocity Zone Act 1”]] from Sonic 3 and thinking that I wanted to make something similar for Oricka. For better or worse, Violetbloods have historically associated with Sega Genesis/Megadrive sounds thanks to [[artist:toby-fox|Toby Fox’s]] instrumental choices on [[Eridan’s Theme]]. Rather than leaning into the swashbuckling triplet driven feel from that track, I decided to lean heavily into the swaggering funk/new jack swing influence present in Genesis-era Sonic music. In addition to Hydrocity Zone, I took inspiration from other tracks with similar inspirations such as [[Davesprite|“Davesprite”]] by Toby Fox, [[track:buzz-off|“Buzz Off”]] by [[artist:warxtron|Warxtron]] and [[track:character-catastrophe|“Character Catastrophe”]] by [[artist:caelan-kier]]. With this medley of influences, the song feels more like a Murrit track in the vein of [[track:mammory-master|“Mammory Master”]] than anything you would typically associate with Oricka. Regardless, it’s a favorite of mine because of how different it is from what I usually do. --- @@ -215,11 +215,11 @@ Referenced Tracks: - Volcanic Viper [Demo] - Ferocity Weaving Commentary: |- - <i>Rainy:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwJn7lufzqY), excerpt) + <i>Rainy:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwJn7lufzqY)) I have a confession dear reader: At the time of writing, I had been a Guilty Gear fan for about 14 years. I adore it; I love the story, I love the characters, I love the world, and more than anything I love the music. With all of that in mind, I have not once in the 8ish years of being a composer attempted to write in the style of Guilty Gear. The main reason is that up until this point, I felt that I was too inexperienced to even begin to approach making music like that. Sure, I’ve taken inspiration from guilty gear tracks for songs like [[track:tsukuyomi|“Tsukuyomi”]], but I have always had trepidation about emulating [[artist:daisuke-ishiwatari|Daisuke Ishiwatari’s]] style. It wasn’t until my reread of VE where saw VIlcus’s character design that the idea of doing a Guilty Gear style song came to me again. Volcanic Viper is a love letter to the XX era of Guilty Gear music. I know newer fans might be disappointed with the lack of vocals considering their emphasis in strive, but I’m most familiar with this era of Guilty Gear music (I’m old, sue me). The main source of inspiration for this track was [the arrangement of “Conclusion” from GG1 in the Guilty Sound Box Collection](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0iKSxq1yHI) which guided how I structured the track. Additionally, I took influences from metal acts that clearly influenced Daisuke such as Motorhead and Black Sabbath. I wanted something that captured the hype those songs evoke to match the energy that Vilcus brings to the ring. It’s a fun track to make honestly. I love working in the realm of rock/metal and this gave me an excuse to do so. Referencing Sources: |- - <i>Rainy:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwJn7lufzqY), excerpt) + <i>Rainy:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwJn7lufzqY)) References [[track:ferocity-weaving|"Ferocity Weaving"]] by [[artist:kal-la-kal-la|Kal-la-Kal-la]] --- @@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ Art Tags: Sampled Tracks: - Cut Throat Boogie (Live in Chicago '24) Commentary: |- - <i>autumnalEquinox:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUFeTFuItPs), excerpt) + <i>autumnalEquinox:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUFeTFuItPs)) This one is built off of samples taken from [[artist:king-gizzard-and-the-lizard-wizard|King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizards]] [live show in Chicago from 2024](https://bootleggizzard.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-chicago-24). Outside of that there's nothing here thats really too special about it other than I thought that the song fit Necron pretty well. Shoutout to KGLW for providing stems of every live show they play. Referencing Sources: |- @@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ Cover Artists: Referenced Tracks: - Spacewalking with You [Demo] Commentary: |- - <i>Rainy:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cTogdXyCK4), excerpt) + <i>Rainy:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cTogdXyCK4)) Addendum: I wrote this commentary sometime in 2024 when a early version of Vol.6 was initially coming together. Rather than try and rewrite the commentary I'm leaving it as is. @@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ URLs: Cover Artists: - Killua Commentary: |- - <i>autumnalEquinox:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVPeOEn9wOU), excerpt) + <i>autumnalEquinox:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVPeOEn9wOU)) This is the only track I did for Vol. 6 that I went in not intending it to be a vast error song but I cooked so hard on it that I think it deserved to be more than a one-off track that i release randomly. This one isn't really based off of anything really but sonically is kind of similar to an original track I made a while ago ([Star Scattered Ocean - Autumnal Equinox](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU-9JUnsnFg)). --- @@ -352,11 +352,11 @@ Referenced Tracks: - Blood Packt [Demo] - Bloodsucker Commentary: |- - <i>Rainy:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrWE6_Lhx5o), excerpt) + <i>Rainy:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrWE6_Lhx5o)) I remember that I wrote this song hot off the heels of my readthrough of Thaumatrope. If the title didn’t give it away, this song is about everyone’s favorite blood stealing weirdo, Lutzia Cullex. I remembered her design from dbnet’s [[album:background-noise|“Background Noise” album]] and learning that she was the protag of Haustoria was a pleasant surprise. As for the song itself, I wanted to write a song that evoked her upbeat shounen protag energy while conveying her off kilter proclivities. To this end, I challenged myself in a couple of different ways. Firstly, the entire song was written in 7/8 time, a time signature I’ve used before but never written an entire song in. 7/8 is noted as having a distinctly “off kilter” feel to the average listener which helped convey vibe I was going for. Secondly, I decided to use mixolydian chords to give the piece an upbeat feel that felt interesting compared to the normal major key. Between these two stylistic choices, the song was shaping up to be pretty “out there” as far as my music usually tends to go. The final layer of challenge that defined the sound of the track the most however, was the decision to write the song in the style of Cave Story. I love Cave Story’s music; it was a deeply foundational soundtrack to me as a teenager and I’m frankly shocked it took me until now (like April 2024) to attempt something in that style. With that in mind, it wound up being far more involved than I initially thought it would be. Trying to write a Pixel-esque catchy melody using odd time signatures and weird scales was an undertaking for sure. I even went as far as to transcribing the song into PxTone for the sake of making sure my arrangement was as faithful to the sound as possible. Frankly, I put way too much effort into a song that’s barely over the 2-minute mark, but it was a good exercise in song writing and utilizing music theory concepts. I’m especially proud of how I managed to arrange dbnet’s [[“Bloodsucker”]] into 7/8 time Referencing Sources: |- - <i>Rainy:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrWE6_Lhx5o), excerpt) + <i>Rainy:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrWE6_Lhx5o)) References [["Bloodsucker"]] by [[artist:dbnet18]] --- @@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ Referenced Tracks: - Half the Journey [Demo] - Curtain Call Commentary: |- - <i>autumnalEquinox:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvYpRPSZzKE), excerpt) + <i>autumnalEquinox:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvYpRPSZzKE)) This track is loosely inspired by [Phantom Pt. II by Justice](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QCBkwmsOk0). I made a custom serum patch that emulated the sound of the iconic overdriven bass from that album and really wanted to use it. This track is probably my second favorite that I did for the album behind [[track:eidolon-vast-error]]. --- @@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ Referenced Tracks: - Bane in Blood [Demo] - Raining Blood Commentary: |- - <i>autumnalEquinox:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGc8LDaYesE), excerpt) + <i>autumnalEquinox:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGc8LDaYesE)) I always thought Vast Error needed a few more metal tracks. This one is based off of "[[Raining Blood]]" by [[artist:slayer]] (its so obvious it hurts). I originally was going to sample from that song to add some vocals to the song but I thought it sounded tacky so i scrapped it. Some of the drumming and song structure for this track were inspired by [Self-Immolate](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmAlQvDQGoI) by [[artist:king-gizzard-and-the-lizard-wizard|King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard]] and [Crystal Mountain by Death](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F4tT_JNl40). --- @@ -502,7 +502,7 @@ Referenced Tracks: - Song For The Lost - By My Blade (Justice Is Served) Commentary: |- - <i>Lilithtreasure, Witch's Cadence|[[artist:witchs-cadence]]:</i> ([HSMusic Discord](https://discord.com/channels/749042497610842152/779895315750715422/1447020006062817361), excerpt, 12/6/2025) + <i>Lilithtreasure, Witch's Cadence|[[artist:witchs-cadence]]:</i> ([HSMusic Discord](https://discord.com/channels/749042497610842152/779895315750715422/1447020006062817361), 12/6/2025) > holy cow- > @@ -546,7 +546,7 @@ Commentary: |- IV. Are You Happy With Your Life?<br> V. Mox Nox - <i>autumnalEquinox:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msz-x_WNK-o), excerpt) + <i>autumnalEquinox:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msz-x_WNK-o)) My biggest project to date. I started making this song all the way back in March of this year on the 18th and I finished the final mix of this song 9 days before this album came out. Orignally, I wanted to make this very proggy much like "[In the Presence of Enemies](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=methQx40Vd8)" by [Dream Theater](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOqFAHwYETg) but as the song goes along you can hear the switch in style I think. It might be a shock but I didn't plan for this song to be as long as it was. By the time I was at the 12 minute mark I decided I might as well make it the longest VE song lol. Some of my inspirations for this track were Dream Theater, Keygen Church, Avenged Sevenfold (the double tracked guitar solo), and [[artist:pink-floyd]] (the ambient middle section akin to [echoes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcDiOUQBFd4)). Referencing Sources: |- @@ -584,7 +584,7 @@ Referenced Tracks: - Deconstruction ~ Visions of a Future Untold (Original Loop) (MIDI Version) - Reconstruction ~ Elegy for a Bygone Era Commentary: |- - <i>Rainy:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXTq2L8Hwr8), excerpt) + <i>Rainy:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXTq2L8Hwr8)) If you’re reading this then I’m assuming you’ve read the commentary [[track:deconstruction-visions-of-a-future-untold|on the arrangement]] I had [[artist:witchs-cadence|Cass Preston]] make for the album. Here I wanted to explore more about the composition process for this song and what I was thinking at the time. As I discussed previously, I wanted to try and recreate the process of having my track arranged by someone else much like how [[artist:buzinkai]] had her track arranged for homestuck album. With that in mind, the composition is very much me indulging in a bit of Buzinkai worship. I tried my best to write something in her style without blatantly ripping off any of her songs. There are some obvious influences for sure; [[track:doctor]] and many of her other homestuck era tracks were among the primary influences guiding the track along. It wasn’t the only one though. Another major influence was [[track:terras-theme|Terra’s Theme]] from Final Fantasy VI which was playing at the time. I felt that the “somber but determined” vibe of both the songs mentioned fit Sestro’s general vibe although that might just because he feels very Egbert coded to me. Because I was writing this song with the intention of it being arranged by someone else, I wrote it in a such a way so that Cass would have lots of room to expand on it in any way she wanted. To that end, I packed a lot of material within the short loop. One of the things that is so compelling about her music how she’ll often have background elements filling out the empty space in a mix. These can be anything from strings, to arpeggios to even entire counter melody lines. So, in the writing process, I utilized many of the song writing devices she would do in her music. It honestly made me appreciate her music even more as every aspect of her songs was deliberately written in a way to completement the other component parts. This is probably the most explicitly Homestuck sounding my VE music will ever get but I do think it works. Much like how Vast Error deconstructs the original comics tropes and reconstructs it into something new, this song borrows the sound of one of the Homestuck music team’s most important figures to pay homage to her while doing something entirely new. Crediting Sources: |- @@ -592,6 +592,6 @@ Crediting Sources: |- Music by [[artist:rainy]], Art by [[artist:kate-shrike]]. Includes CC-BY-SA elements from [[artist:caitriana-nicholson]] (Skyline photo) and [[artist:lara604]] (roots texture). Referencing Sources: |- - <i>Rainy:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXTq2L8Hwr8), excerpt) + <i>Rainy:</i> ([YouTube description](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXTq2L8Hwr8)) References [[track:reconstruction-elegy-for-a-bygone-era|"Reconstruction ~ Elegy for a Bygone Era"]] by Rainy and [[artist:cristata]] |