Hook, Line and Sinker!!!!

[Madison Lastrega]

Hi Tom, ....See not just Todd keeps up with your stuff:)....By the way how are you anyway, Have a good day Sir, or evening or whatever:).........ML

[Verdite]

Good luck with the cd.

[Hguols]

WOO!! ‎  Thanks for the posts guys!
I'm doing just fine Madison Lastrega!

[dmpdesign]

Tom you'll do fine...Ive never heard of anyone that can put together an album as quickly as you can.

[Holy_Diver]

So, is this stuff (https://metalfroreview.blogspot.com/2009...-2009.html) really "Christian Black Metal" (that may be paraphrasing, I know the reviewer says something to this effect in the Youtube vid, but a search doesn't turn it up in the transcript?/review.

^I'm just curious how militant you might be about that / what it actually means (Christians do have a reputation...)


I would not write just to ask that. I'm curious... the review mentions the album is still largely if not entirely constructed versus dubbed (or whatever)

I realize this is very likely the ultimate way music will go, but I think there is still a lot of stigma about people producing music outside of a traditional studio. The review also I believe mentions there is a symphonic element to the project. That is something I think would lend more merit to this kind of a production... that is, basically you can argue you're writing for an orchestra and as a genre obviously computers/midi-like workflow is far more practical than renting out an orchestra of whatever. So in that sense you can totally argue for / justify the "virtual symphony" nature of the music as a distinct genre (if one does not exist already)

This alone however is still not enough to peek my interest...


I've always been interested in pioneering (if necessary) interactive music in games... this is something that afaik has never been done. I'm not much of a musician but having a fixed score in what is essentially an interactive/evolving experience has always struck me as utterly inappropriate.

I think KF obviously lends itself well to symphonic music. And Som is fairly primitive. Therefore in theory Som/KF-like games could be a fertile testing ground for a kind of experiment... where basically if you can imagine, you write the parts for an orchestra which would be played on separate tracks laid out in 3D sound, either about the player, or about the field, or both, and based on what is happening in the game, the parts are modulated in different ways, either emphasized, de-emphasized, shifted, or even re-written/mixed, with all the pieces being woven in and out fairly subtly to create a fabric, or at least something which feels somewhat improvisational but not altogether synthetic.

I'd be genuinely interested in setting up something like this, however I'm curious if anyone would be willing to really play with it and offer constant feedback, because although I'm confident I can implement this... not being a musician at all I would have no clue what features artists would require along the way.

And of course I'm curious if you/Tom of all people would be fully on board with this sort of thing. I have a feeling this sort of thing would turn some heads.


EDITED: I know Tom has been hostile about mixing game music and compact disc music talk in the same topic or project talk... by all means split this post if it's not topic appropriate / Tom is still selective about who he will respond to.

[dmpdesign]

The only game that comes to mind that even attempted this in the slightest bit was morrowind, which had a few different style tracks that would rather seamlessly drift into each other depending on whether the player was in combat or in town or whatever.

By no means am I saying this is anything like what youre describing, but it is the start of an attempt to move in that direction.

Tom no doubt has a shit ton of extremely good tracks for a KF style game that could implement what youre talking about. ‎  The DOM soundtrack, Trismegistus tracks and the ones he put in DD are excellent, and there are definitely parts of each that could be stripped out to make mood music dependant on whats happening in game.

Come to think of it...Trismegistus itself sort of explored this musical style as well...only giving the player hints of bits of music during certain events and situations. ‎  The more I think on it, that game really was very clever.

Tom I know others have asked (and I know its off topic) but what say you to helping me makea ‎  guide for Tris some time?

[Holy_Diver]

I think the basic idea I have is to put every instrument (or virtual musician) on its own track. I think that will create a much more believable tapestry. Truth is if you take a bunch of different instruments all playing something nice and just plop them together you tend to get something that sounds ok.

Without intentionally wounding Tom, it seems to me like a way he could both get in on the ground floor of something interesting while really distinguishing himself and his work, because what he's doing is really very outside already, and this would provide strong "rationalization" for how it is he's already working. Composing something like a "5D" musical score would be an impressive feat in itself... especially if he got really good at it. I don't know if a composer has ever sat down to consciously and formally compose music designed to adapt on the fly to what is basically a chaotic system with a finite set of knowable constraints. I'm sure it's been done in an art exhibit, but doing it for a real production would probably be a historic event.... however primitive the early attempts.

I've always thought something like this would be relegated to AI, but I think under the circumstances a reasonable case can be made for going in a more manual direction. ‎ 

[Holy_Diver]

I also want to add, if we could start tossing music into a communal pot. It would be much richer for authors, if instead of just traditional recording, the musical resources were more midi like, so authors could take a sound they like, and personalize it a bit for their game / situation. Then we'd be in a whole other world if the musical resources were like parts, that could mixed together not unlike the way maps are built from pieces. That I think would also help make something that is really hard for authors (music) a lot more manageable in terms of personalization. And when you have 5D musical scenarios your talking about a whole other realm. Personally I do want to eventually steer the ship of Som out into open waters were everyone will have to turn and look at it and say... there is a viable vision of a real alternative to the way games are being conceived. Something that is neither amateurish (aka indie) or haunted by the ghosts of mega corporate moguls. I actually believe the medium of games has yet to come into existence. Until everyone has reasonable access to the tools required to formulate a production from beginning to end it's not so much a medium like music or books that can include a vibrant proliferation of ideas.... it's just something else, an economic engine to be squabbled over by privileged elites or whatever.

[Hguols]

I guess to answer a few questions. ‎ This Hguols project isn't really Christian - I mean, it's instrumental music, how can it be? ‎ Music cannot express beliefs - lyrics are required for that. ‎ I would be considered a "Christian artist" as that's where my personal beliefs lie. ‎ MetalFRO is also a Christian, and that is probably where he makes the correlation. ‎ (otherwise, he probably wouldn't have mentioned it)

I'm not expecting anyone here to like the music, as it's an unconventional approach to an unconventional style all together. ‎ The only thing worth mentioning here is that 4 tracks from the Epitome album are "MIDI black metal" versions of the 4 songs I submitted to Todd for Dark Destiny. ‎ The sophomore Hguols album has MIDI black metal versions of the Diadem of Maunstraut music. ‎ 

These versions are different enough to be recognized as separate songs, (and they'll have different names as well) but they're written from those songs. ‎  Anyone wondering whether or not they like the music can listen to 4 full songs, whether from clicking on the banner in my signature, or the Hguols myspace page.
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Mick, your suggestions are noted. ‎ Thank you for making them. ‎ I'd probably consider following some of them if you knew anything about creating music.
As a musician, who's been writing over 10 years, I do have a certain method to my madness. ‎ While I'm not on a major label, at least I'm on one that appreciates me (now):

https://www.barrenmeadowsrecordings.blogspot.com

EEE just used me to make money for themselves - which sucked. ‎ I've learned my lesson.
__________________________

All the recent music I've made, I still have the original project files. ‎ This is for easy editing. ‎ Hell, I even have a few original Maunstraut midi files.

[Hguols]

Barren Meadows hooked up Hguols Epitome shirts already. ‎  ....which was very quick, and very awesome.



If anyone wants to get a shirt, just click the shirt. ‎  ^_^
Going with BMR for a label has been the best choice I've made ALL YEAR.

They're definitely treating me well!