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Songs from the Lake's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Creativity | #52 | 3.780 | 4.083 |
| Quality | #67 | 3.703 | 4.000 |
| Impression | #90 | 3.395 | 3.667 |
| Overall | #92 | 3.379 | 3.650 |
| Storytelling | #117 | 3.086 | 3.333 |
| Composition | #153 | 2.932 | 3.167 |
Ranked from 12 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Description
Genre: ambient
Game type: adventure/puzzle/dialogue-based/immersive-sim
What the tracks represents: each track represents a different level or zone of the world (named The Lake in my case).
How did I compose my tracks: I always started with the textural layer, which would then lead to composing the chord progression/melody second, and then all more percussive and/or supporting musical elements. Each track is composed of 2 parts, the second being a variation on the structure showcased in the first part.
DAW: Ableton
Message from the artist
This is my first OST jam so please be kind :)
Theme
How does it fit the theme?
I chose ambient as a genre as I believe it fits well with the forgotten/lost/derelicted nature of the theme. They all have a very melancholic quality, which can evoke the feeling of something that once was, but is no more (or less so). Finally,I also chose very clear melodies, which are supposed to mimic the lead part in a traditional song, although the inhabitants of my forgotten world aren't human.
Link(s) of the submission on streaming services
https://soundcloud.com/lefleuve/songs-from-under-the-lake
https://soundcloud.com/lefleuve/songs-from-above-the-lake
https://soundcloud.com/lefleuve/songs-from-around-the-lake
Number of tracks3
Genre
Soundtrack use permission
For game jams only
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Comments
Thanks everybody for the comments, really appreciate it! A bit more context on my submission in case you're interested :)
- It took me around 6-7 days to compose & produce all 3 tracks, although I recycled some of the ambient and/or music elements from previous unused projects.
- All the tracks are very atmospheric by design (I went a bit nuts with effect processing), but they all have some musical/melodic elements in them, as I wanted to stick to the "Songs" part of the theme.
-Below the Lake had to be very watery & low-frequency focused; Above the Lake had to be very airy/spacious, and Around the Lake is a combination/clash between the two.
-Lore-wise, I see it as follows: there are 2 primordial beings (one up above & the other down below) that are dreaming and singing reality outward, and the result/clash of these 2 opposing forces is what created the Lake, with its inhabitants (which the frog is one of).
I think that ambient tracks are the hardest to write because everything has to be so intentional. I like how much detail you put into all your tracks, especially in Songs from Above the Lake. The beginning really made me think of "The White Door Day 6" from Rustylake. Rustylake has some really good ambient and instrumental music so it is definitely worth checking out if you haven't already! :)
Ambient music isn't really my style but I listened to it all. I enjoyed the weird noises throughout, specifically the synths you used in songs from around the lake. They gave it a goofy vibe while still keeping that eerie energy it felt like the OST was going for.
a really nice collection of some very immersive ambient music! it had a nice progression where it slowly transitioned from calm to haunting as you go deeper into the lake. i thoroughly enjoyed this entry!
I’m not usually a big fan of ambient music, but this was a really interesting audio journey, and really well mixed one!
The concept of the three zones works really well; each track has its own personality, and paints an interesting image in my head of what the level would look like.
Really nice work! And congrats on you first OST jam, I hope you had fun!
Songs from Under the Lake: Very daunting, and despite sounding nothing like a lake, it feels like I'm in a haunted bog, with glimmers of moonlight, and the distant moans of wicked creatures... honestly, it creeped me out! The second half feels a bit more melodic at times, but still, there's little to cling to musically. It's pure atmosphere.
Songs from Above the Lake: this one is a lot more subdued and palatable, which I think brings some balance to the previous track. I like the gentle, wandering bassline, and soaring synth melody above. It creates an almost calm atmosphere. The layering of the various synths also creates a lovely effect. This is really immersive! I'd love to know more about what happens in each area of the game--who are we playing as, and what are we doing in this haunted, mysterious lake?
Songs from Around the Lake: ooh, this is funky and strange--love it! There's some seriously impressive sound processing going on here, I have no idea what I'm hearing, but I think it's really cool. This is, like, music for a frog/lake creature cult where they do a bunch of drugs. Which wasn't on my bingo card, but here we are!
Overall, you should be proud of yourself. This is some impressive work, and I can only imagine how involved it must have been to put this together with such detail, especially given how long the tracks are. Well done, and keep writing!