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21 Days Of Video Game Music

This is the result of the 21 days of VGM challenge.

Track 01

Today is the start of the 21 days of video game music challenge! I already wrote a piece earlier today but wasn’t happy with it so started on this one in the evening once the day had cooled down a bit. Started out as a pirate theme but didn’t turn out as piratey as I would have liked. Still happy with day 1s challenge, though.

Technical details:
– Written using DefleMask for Commodore 64
– Mixed in Reaper
– 46.88 bpm
– Loopable

Track 02

Day 2 of the 21 days of video game music challenge.
For this one, I chose to write a stealth theme. Heavily influenced by the music from Metal Gear Solid 1, it uses a pad, some glitchy percussion, heavy reverb drums and some strings quietly sitting in the mix to make it sound a bit more organic.

Track 03

For day 3, I’ve gone for the underwater challenge. Made using 3 audio channels and one noise channel to simulate the capabilities of the Game Boy. I exported the tracks individually at the end to adjust the volume levels easier and apply some oldschool style reverb on the master mix.

Track 04

I took the “powered up” challenge for day number 4 and wrote a fanfare. 3 simple major chords, all a tone apart from each other. Had to learn how to map my midi keyboard to a Kontakt instrument to achieve the crescendo result I was looking for.

Track 05

Day five and we’re basically 25% of the way through the challenge. I chose the “so damn hot” quest for today and wrote a piece for a desert scene. To give it that Egyptian flavour I made the melody using the following intervals: R, b2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, b6th, b7th.

Track 06

For day 6, I attempted the nap time challenge. I’m very good at napping and this would be the perfect short cue for sending me off to sleep at an inn on an RPG game.

Track 07

That’s the first week down, woo! I finished off the week with “The Very Best” challenge which was to write the main menu theme for a Pokemon game. As Pokemon Blue on the Game Boy was the first one I ever played, I wrote the music for that system. I tried to make the music upbeat and with a sense of adventure!

Track 08

For the start of week 2, I took on the Elevator Pitch challenge: “That epic fantasy game you’ve been working on needs exactly 30 seconds of music for the App preview in the iOS App Store.” For inspiration, I listened to the Oblivion soundtrack and checked out the game trailers from all the way back in 2006!

Track 09

Really had to challenge myself with this piece. Not a style I’m comfortable writing in. Took on the “Super-Secret Meeting” challenge: Score a cue for a cutscene involving two characters who are totally meeting on the down-low.

Track 10

I’ve got DefleMask installed on the PC at work so I used my lunch break today to write this chiptune track. Heavily influenced by the Castlevania music on the SNES.

Track 11

I wrote this piece for a string quartet or quintet after doing some research on the Baroque style. In its current form, it’s being performed by my trusty chiptune samples.

Track 12

This is another chiptune track written in DefleMask. I attempted to take on the battle music challenge for this one although it sounds as if the battle is just about to begin instead of the fight actually taking place.

Track 13

For this challenge, I had a go at the Space Cowboy quest: “Write a theme for a space cowboy/girl character. Interpret that however you’d like!” I found a nice hippy guitar sound in Reason that set the tone for the whole track.

Track 14

2 weeks down, 1 more to go! Today’s piece is a simple trio of accordion, acoustic guitar and cimbalom, written in D Dorian. I had the image of an empty king’s hall by the sea when I wrote this one.

Track 15

“It’s nighttime at a broken down, creepy carnival and you’re exploring alone. Every bump in the night could be a killer clown or animatronic fiend ready to pounce.”

Track 16

Tonight’s track is in response to the Home For The Harvest challenge: “Create a gameplay theme for a Farmville/Harvest Moon type game”. I took a lot of inspiration (some might say too much) from the Stardew Valley soundtrack by ConcernedApe.

Track 17

Went for a gothic theme with this one! Aimed for a mini-boss sound; the kind of mini-boss you’d meet in Dark Souls.

Track 18

Very quick one tonight – game over.

Track 19

A relaxed electronic and ambient piece tonight.

Track 20

Get ready for adventure with today’s track! I’m one piece away from completing the challenge.

Track 21

21 days done! Here’s a fanfare for the final day. Well done to everyone else who took part! Looking forward to doing the next one.