GKCFP: Music and SFX

[Casey]

This thread is for Sandjosieph and the group of people who will be working on the soundtrack for the audiobook. If you are interested in participating, let Sand know here or by private message!

[Acherus]

I'm interested in making music and/or auditioning. Ive already contributed a few numbers.

[sandjosieph]

We should agree on a few theme tunes for the characters.

[Acherus]

Ok, we've got the main lullaby. Who should work on who's theme? Or should we just contribute everything we've made and vote for the best, like with the auditions?

[sandjosieph]

We could do that. Although I will admit that I'm actually better at arranging things rather than original theme tunes.

[Babble-jargon Bill]

May I make a suggestion? Find some way to include the famous Wilhelm scream somewhere during a chapter.

[fuzzyone]

I'm trying to think of a suitable chapter for the Wilhelm scream... maybe Dr. Disaster? From the Aliens, maybe, but I think they have pretty specific sound effects assigned to them. The only other scream that's coming to mind is Kat at seeing Ketrak... and that doesn't quite fit.

[Dentrala]

I'm interesting in making musics.

Trying to think of all the people who need themes... Do you guys think Annie and Kat need different themes?

[sandjosieph]

I've already got a lullaby for Annie, though a more everyday theme might also work for her and everyone else. I actually got something in line for Tea on the bonus pages.

[Casey]

Hey Sand, as a suggestion, why don't you link all the existing musical parts that are up on the YouTube page?

[sandjosieph]

I'm on it!

Here are the current songs posted on the channel...

SandJosieph:

Annie's Lullaby


Sunny Birmingham


S1 vs Bullbot


Coyote's Theme test (originally Muut's theme but changed after reconsideration)


Acherus:

Artificial Habitat


Robot Room

[Rasselas]

These are amazing! And I'm not just saying that, this is real talented work. I say it as someone who also makes music. This is totally inspiring.

Edit: I think my favorites are Annie's Lullabye and S1 vs Matador (shouldn't that be Bullbot?). As far as the ambiental ones go, Artificial Habitat is awesome as well, while Sunny Birmingham is perfect for what it is. Robot Room is a little bit awkward because of the uneven rhythm. It should either be completely even and correct, or *more* uneven. The mix as it is, I find it makes it seem like an unfinished, unpolished thing. But the melody you've got is fun, I love when it gets into the higher register.

[sandjosieph]

Thanks for pointing that little oversight of mine out. Right now, I'm working on a quick little ditty for the Bonus Pages with Tea.

[deliciouscake]

I'm interested in writing music, although it looks like you've already got that well covered! Can also sing soprano if anyone needs one for their scores. I will put some samples of my voice up tomorrow.

[sandjosieph]

Do you think you could try the lullaby? Feel free to add words, or even a chorus part.

[Rasselas]

So, uh, I guess you guys got me psyched with your awesomeness so I spent some time improvising and this came out.

www.speedyshare.com/614301733.html

If you think you can use it.

[sandjosieph]

Apr 17, 2009 23:17:29 GMT Rasselas said:

So, uh, I guess you guys got me psyched with your awesomeness so I spent some time improvising and this came out.

www.speedyshare.com/614301733.html

If you think you can use it.

I'm sure we can use it...especially for an occasion like this.

[xanbcoo]

These are all really good, sandjosieph. The only one I don't like is Muut's theme because thematically it sounds a little too "bubbly" for a character like Muut.

The rest are neat though. Sunny Birmingham is so good.

[sandjosieph]

How would you think if I gave Coyote the Muut theme I am currently testing?

And I tried to capture the madness of Zimmy's Nightmare world with Sunny Birmingham.

[xanbcoo]

Apr 18, 2009 1:13:17 GMT sandjosieph said:

How would you think if I gave Coyote the Muut theme I am currently testing?

Oh man, I can totally see that. Great idea.

I just imagine Muut coming off as very ethereal and wispy. I think his music should reflect that.

[sandjosieph]

Alright then, I can change out the names...

Perhaps someone else can come up with a theme for Muut.

[Casey]

I actually liked Muut's theme... but as a suggestion, if one wanted to make it a little less "bubbly"... perhaps try taking out the brass hits that come in on measure 7 altogether, and then advance the introductions so that the panpipe main theme (do, do ti sol, sol, etc) (which is the motif that I read as the actual "theme" of Muut) is introduced a little earlier.

In fact I think if you spin the thematic material around that motif you can adapt that to make each scene of Muut a little different. This particular passage you've posted, with the second instrument introduced in that do-sol-do-sol repeating pattern, gave it the feel that I thought fit perfectly with the atmosphere for the whole scene down on the Annan shore.

But like when little Annie meets Muut in Good Hope, you might want to see Muut's theme counterpointed with Annie's lullaby and/or Surma's theme.

As far as instrumentation as representative characterization I think the panpipe sound is dead-on perfect for Muut and I'd love to see that motif and instrumentation maintained even when his theme is blending with another character's. Here in this passage you played Annie's theme on Muut's instrument (after intrudocing Muut's own theme) and I think that is critical for establishing that Muut's and Annie's pasts are already intertwined... the music giving us a clue to something that isn't expressly stated for several chapters afterwards. I think it's brilliant. And then later when Muut is mentioned again, if you counterpoint both Muut's theme and Annie's lullaby together (each with their own representative instrumentation) it will allude back to that history, even as the history is being shown, and remind us that Oh, we've already been told that they had a history and we didn't even know it at the time.

...hmm did I mention that my major in college was composition and choral conducting? I think I "geeked out" a little bit up there. But anyway, I really like what you're doing with the Muut theme.

[sandjosieph]

Thanks for the input, although I did kind of agree with xanbcoo. It did fit Coyote a little better. I might be able to come up with a new tune unless some else does.

EDIT: You're right about the panpipes and I plan on using them for most of Muut's appearances in the future.

[Casey]

I wonder if Muut and Coyote ever hang out together in the Native American deisphere?

[xanbcoo]

Maybe they play cards ?


www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=277

[sandjosieph]

Here's some ambience I managed to scrounge up...



As you can hear, it's pretty uneventful.

[sandjosieph]

Here's some random music I came up with. I was thinking that it could work with either Mort or just random wandering around. Tell me what you think.

[fuzzyone]

Yeah... that's a good Mort. Really sets the mood for how silly a character he is.

[Acherus]

Here's a tentative theme for Kat. www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKyRw2J3gwc&feature=channel_page

Like it says in the video, it's the rough version, so please offer any criticisms you have.

[sandjosieph]

I for one, couldn't think of a theme for either Kat or her mother, so it's better bthan anything I've come up with. And it's in a chord I can work with! I was, however, expecting a little more electronic blips and pops. Perhaps this can be used for the Kat and BirdBoy (can't remember his name) them.