Some of these pieces of music are merely loops, or sketches, this is why some of them end so sharply.
rock & more
Here is the soundtrack of Waco, a videogame on which I worked as a sound designer and composer. The goal of this casual waste sorting game is to throw garbage in the right bin. I composed loops for each of the three possible gameplays, based on the same chords, but on each gameplay, the rhythm, melody and style are different.
I composed each gameplay music in five steps, following the levels progression (1 music for 2 levels, each gameplay containing 10 levels). As the player progresses in levels, the music becomes richer, more complex, with more instruments and more immersive arrangements.
Here, the first gameplay: "drop the object". I created a kind of pop music, with a hint of rock.
Here, I introduced an unexpected instrument, the dulcimer, to create some surprise for the player. Sometimes the strings can produce music a little out of tune, creating a sound that might be considered like the noise of garbage.
In this one, I wanted to keep on surprising the player (and enjoy what I was doing!) by introducing some weird musical universes into the piece. This is why you will come across some winks of a harpsichord paraphrasing the 2nd prelude of The Well-Tempered Clavier by JS Bach (do minor), a honky tonk piano playing saloon music, and finally, a bandoneon in the Piazzola's style...
This kind of musical "game within the game" also fits my desire to be able to step out of the game you are playing and discover new places that have nothing to do with the original place of the game. It might sound abstract and a bit absurd, but you can stop, have a beer, chat to one of the characters, before you get back into the game again.
Ah ! A big band... what else ? In'it, Quincy, Count, Duke ??? ;) I liked to test the idea of a big band as an immersive set for gaming music. Players will say if it works as I feel it should.
Here is the second gameplay, where you have to change the direction some conveyor belts turn. I find it quite crazy and busy, so I made this rock'n'roll theme, with a slight rockabilly inspiration. However, I also gave it some quiet moments when the samba enters smoothly, and then moves forward again.
I discovered some samba rock tunes while learning how to dance the "samba de gafieira" in Brazil, through some tunes by the group Jussara. It simply inspired me.
Listen from 01'00'' to 01'15'' : that's my favourite moment in this musical series for this gameplay. I love how the music starts again, runs under the pressure of the one note repeated on the piano... Enjoy...
Back to movies. "Al Séptimo Día". Here, rock music is used to express the disappointment, rage and fury of the main character before her ex-husband who didn't dare to have a child with her or stay with her because she was supposed to have cancer. The scene is very brief as she jumps in a friend’s car and they start having a quiet conversation while driving on the road. The music intends to follow this quick evolution of the plot and let the conversation begin and remain the central sound element in this very emotional talk.
Here is the music I aimed at when I composed the "Sketch 3" you can hear and read about on the funk/jazz/samba page. Once again I was moved, pushed and shaken by the rhythmical section, consisting of bass and guitar. It had to be slow to make you feel its naughty swing. Here again, I also mixed various options in the bass section.
A very old theme for me. I composed it thinking of those TV programs where they visit beautiful hotels around the world to whet your appetite for travelling... I wanted this music to have the same charm, elegance, feel kind of "international", and be connected with exotic sonorities... I also intended to make a brief electronic slice at the end.
Here, a very intense theme... Wide, obsessive, moving, heavy. Its name is OBS. It can be deep and overwhelming as is the case with any kind of obsession... ;)
This song is from my friend Quentin. He created the lyrics, the melody, the chords, and he sang. I made the arrangement and recorded it. He wanted the instruments to have some tasty unconventional presence...