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Red Circle Carnival's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Creativity | #15 | 4.161 | 4.161 |
| Overall | #19 | 3.882 | 3.882 |
| Quality | #24 | 3.929 | 3.929 |
| Impression | #30 | 3.893 | 3.893 |
| Composition | #35 | 3.893 | 3.893 |
| Correlation to theme | #45 | 3.536 | 3.536 |
Ranked from 56 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Description
The Jermaine family's annual Carnival, renowned for the vicious bloodbath it brings, was rumored to arrive within the week. Unfortunately for a certain news reporter, the Carnival came early to town.
This soundtrack is for an imaginary videogame called Red Circle Carnival, which heavily takes from our personal worldbuilding and storywriting. The game is meant to be a side-scrolling hack-and-slash roguelite that dances between high-paced action and calm repose —
- Play as a sketchy feline news reporter who brings their questionable morals into their workplace,
- Fight your way through crowds of monsters as you lust for the hottest scoops in the throes of the Carnival, and
- Hijack a radio station to broadcast gossip and rumors, shifting the collective psyche and altering your runs.
===
All tracks were composed on FL Studio and work was shown live on Twitch in two separate livestreams during the jam's timeframe. Total runtime is 10 minutes 44 seconds.
Track 1, "Broadcast Sesh", is both the game's title theme and the area theme for the radio station your news team hijacks.
"Frenzied Parade" and "District of Bells" are area themes for the actual stages you would enter during your roguelite run, and each stage theme has two versions. The Bumper version plays when paused, getting temporary buffs for the current map you're in, out of action for an extended period of time; the On-Air version plays when you're quickly moving through a stage or are engaged in active combat.
Track 4, "Sign-Off", is your "fanfare" theme after completing an area. This theme was inspired by a friend's idea of "weather forecasts", given the game's general theming of televised news and radio broadcasts.
Message from the artist
We've been dabbling in music for 10 years, but this year has been an anomaly — we've finally bit the bullet and released music on Bandcamp, and we've just participated in our first music jam ever! We hope you enjoy listening — we wanted to convey the dynamic change of music that our videogame concept would have and always enjoy stretching our creative limits by composing for a diverse selection of atmospheres. :~)
EDIT: We're just one individual, for reference! Apologies — it's a force of habit HAHA! Also, feedback and preferences are welcome! I'm always interested in growing and learning more.
Theme
How does it fit the theme?
The game concept tackles freedom of press — in particular, broadcasting news via radio and television to inform the general public. The main character (MC), a news reporter, is an individual of questionable morals; throughout the game, they are able to shift the general public's view of the current events by either entering the Propaganda or Fear-Monger routes. The MC is confronted with their choices as they progress, interrogated on if injecting false rumors into the public is necessary to arrest the Carnival's host and end the bloodbath — does the end justify the means?
Link(s) of the submission on streaming services
https://soundcloud.com/sootbonnie/sets/red-circle-carnival
Genre
Soundtrack use permission
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Comments
freedom of the press is an interesting angle to take, i can see the influence from those news station themes (especially in sign off, reminds of those kinds of tracks they would use on local stations)
YEAHHH a while back i watched a big-ass compilation of 1980s TV sign-offs which embedded itself deeply in my brain LMAO. i would've wanted to polish it more for cohesion at least ^-^"
Your Bass line are sooooo DOPE! Very great soundtrack overall too. Cheer!
Mmm! Your muffled/distorted instrument choices really scratch an itch in my brain. I enjoy the mixing and chiptune approach you took, it was really powerful and gave such a cohesive, defined OST sound across all your tracks.
thank you!! i'm glad though to be trying to incorporate more actual instruments. in the end i do love working with more minimal chiptune synths ^^
This is really good! Starting off, The Broadcast Sesh captures the title perfectly; I immediately thought of a news report listening to it! There is a lot of care and style not only put into music but the details as well, which I really like (The naming of the dynamic tracks with "Bumper" vs "On-Air" especially stands out to me)! I really like the timbres of all the instruments you've chosen and I think they blend quite nicely! You've got so much done with this jam in such a short time, that's incredibly impressive! For constructive criticism, I see a couple of grey circles in the cover image... This is clearly not JUST a red circle carnival! (actually after writing this, I just realized they might be red giving the illusion of grey), but jokes aside, I don't have anything that someone else hasn't already mentioned, very well done!
as much as i might want the soundtrack names to be clear as to what they indicate, i also really like track names that seem to mesh with the worldbuilding itself. i know *Splatoon* has a field day with that concept for sure HAHA
thank you for enjoying!! also i can assure you that the circles in the cover art are red (or at least red-orange) since i drew it :^)
Very impressive soundtrack, lots of things to say about it !
- The theming (story and visual cover) are very original and interesting to read through, makes you more invested into the music
- The instrumentation is really nice (truly feels like a GBA/DS game like Ace Attorney or Ghost Trick especially on Broadcast Sesh or Sign-Off, which is always a delight)
- Great variety between the mellower tracks and the rhythm/drive of the stages tracks, flows really well and is very pleasant to listen to
- Really liked the split between the two parts of the stage themes, it's very interesting to see the composition evolve from one track to another (also the repeated bell motif in District Bells (Bumper) reminded me of On The Ground from Drakengard)
- Also lick
Very great soundtrack overall, congrats for your work !
OUGH... how dare you mention Ace Attorney and Ghost Trick, two series that i love... I LOVE Ghost Trick ESPECIALLY!!! i'm waaay overdue for a replay, which i've been meaning to do since it got ported to Switch/PC. i'm glad those two tracks were enjoyable!! i'm trying to get better at writing groovy/funky tunes that are more mellow in nature. :^D
hehehe The Lick hehehe
thank you for enjoying and for the kind words!! i appreciate it lots ^^
Awesome stuff, one of the most unique soundtracks this jam with my personal favorite song being Frenzied Parade, I want that playing in the background of a game 100%.
Also the On-Air / Bumper variations were a great addition. I like how you really envisioned this as a game and provided those to further do that.
thank you for listening and enjoying!! i always defer to trying to make really groovy and upbeat stuff, particularly after having grown up with a lot of side-scrollers with good music.
there was some more that i would've loved to elaborate on musically for this direction i took in my work process, but i'm glad i was able to get a conceptual demo of it done at least! ^^
Now that was a nice, interesting set.
It's cool how you go from electronic to jazzy and back, while you keep the general vibe consistent.
Your On-Airs remind me somewhat of Neptunia series music (espesially those falling-off synth lines), just smoother and... less jolly?
District of Bells (Bumper) bass seems a bit too much in your face, but generally the whole thing sounds really good. I really enjoyed it!
thank you!! i decided to take a listen to some of the Neptunia series music to get an idea... wow, i DO see what you mean HAHA i wouldn't be surprised if those tracks work as musical inspiration material for me at some point. :3c
thank you for feedback also!! "District of Bells" being one of my later worked-on tracks is a shame since i couldn't polish it as effectively as the other ones. but i'm glad to have everyone's feedback to pinpoint what it was that was annoying me about the track(s) sdklgjskdlg HAHA
Wah, how frustrated I am that I can't elaborate on my impressions of your post :_
But, I can mention one thing - your post is one of my favorites of this jam! Rwar!
P.S. Rawr
wah, thank you! and no worries on not being able to elaborate — just saying that you enjoyed it means a lot to me!! ; w ;
This was so fun to listen to!!! I love the bumper and on-air versions of the 2 songs. The transition from bumper to on air with Frenzied Parade was so fire!!!
Overall this submission is super creative with the story and ideas it presented, i also thought the production quality and compositions were great! super amazing job :)
thank you for listening!! i really wanna do other tracks for this side-story videogame just to make more stage themes because the two separate versions idea makes my brain go brrr :3c
I love the detailed game description and its unique setting, it's a really inventive take on the jam's theme. Having two versions of each of the area themes is a fantastic idea too! I think Frenzied Parade (On-Air) is my favourite, it gives me very strong Streets of Rage vibes which is always good! Great work!
thank you!! i did find myself at a loss when i first started because there were so many directions that the theme could take; my friends suggesting to use my worldbuilding helped me settle down a bit better, fortunately
ooo, Streets of Rage again! i will definitely have to check out the soundtrack. fighting games just know how to have bangers in their music, after all ^-^
Hot dang! I'm dancing to the carnival and back with this groovy bassline!! Not much to say, excellent work, very evocative. The mental picture is very well painted.
thank you, thank you! a bit of a darker electronic vibe for a carnival to be honest, but then again it's more of a not-fun-and-definitely-violent one HAHAHA
I love the different variants for pause music and differing game state, it shows you put a lot of thought into the fictional game you're composing for, which I usually forget about. The compositions themselves are also pretty solid.
I only have one major complaint...Where's the calliope?! How are you gonna have a carnival themed game and have a soundtrack without a calliope?! You disrespect the concept of carnival's with this soundtrack!
I'm joking, of course. This was a fun soundtrack filled bops. Frenzied Parade (on air) was my favorite. Good work!
HAHA i was envisioning something drastically different from the typical carnival, i suppose — i'll have to see if i can incorporate a bit more if i continue this side-story for my worldbuilding ^^ i've never used the calliope much (i think i avoided it a lot when i used to do mainly MIDI compositions)
thank you for listening!!
The soundtrack and the game you imagined for it is great! If this was a game I'd actually play it! Also I love the differences between the bumper tracks and the on-air tracks, especially with how the bumper tracks highlight the baseline! Great submission!
thank you for enjoying!! :3 i really enjoy dissecting tracks into individual pieces, so i guess looking back on it, making theme variations probably gave me some freedom to change how different instruments stood out for varying moods
The story and aesthetic are super unique and creative (probably the most original in this entire jam, not to disrespect other submissions of course), and the music is fantastic - catchy, energizing and very well produced! Love it! I would love to see this developed into a full project, but even if not - great job!
Also, you thought we wouldn't notice the lick in Frenzied Parade? You fool! You can't hide references from musicians!
thank you for listening and for the kind words!! i get...a bit carried away with worldbuilding stuff HAHA and i'm glad the production is at least quality enough that i just need to focus on more advanced techniques!! makes me really happy :'~)
too bad that my reign of terror with the Lick will continue on after this jam!!! mwahahahaha!
I KNEW IT!!!! You rascal tried to coat it all dancey, but WE KNEW.
>:~D none can escape The Lick...
i'm half-tempted to make a composition whose melodies are almost entirely The Lick LMAO
Really enjoyable writing! Good pacing on most of the tunes that kept the energy really moving forward! I would maybe take a second look at the mixing in District of the Bells! That bass line is quite a bit louder in my headphones, doesnt give the other really cool stuff space to shine!
Great work!
thank you for listening and enjoying!! that's always one of my qualms with having a distinct melody in the bassline — this one was visualized in my head but proved more difficult to work with in practice ;~;
i appreciate the feedback! i'll need to figure out a better mental algorithm for mixing my basses HAHA
Very groovy. My favorite part was the piano run in Parade.
thank you! i really wanted to throw some piano runs into one of the tracks for this project as experimentation
Firstly I think the concept of the freedom of the press is a great interpretation of the theme, very original from what I've seen/listened to so far. Really cool crushed effects and instrumentation used throughout, I can definitely see this OST working for a game about cat broadcasters, something I didn't think I'd ever say haha, though it also reminds me in places of the Pokemon DPP OST which i love. The concept of Bumper and on-air editions of the tracks is great, really hitting that sense of worldbuilding. Frenzied Parade on air just feels so engrossing and groovy I love it! Also I rate the fact that you guys twitch streamed your progress, think that's such a great idea!
thank you for the review and kind words!! worldbuilding is my jam so when my friend suggested i use that for inspiration, i started SPRINTING. i've learned lots already about what can make or break cohesion in a soundtrack, so i'll definitely be more prepped for future works that involve soundtracks and the like ^_^
streaming is great!! it is, uh, an interesting way to pressure yourself into working a la "i do not want my friends to watch me struggle with a sketch for 1 hour", and is definitely not for everyone LMAO
I can see that worldbuilding is ingrained in the audio style, very cool. And ive considered trying to stream music making but id worry id fall victim to the stagnation haha
Red Circle Carnival - Groovy and dapper. It reminds me of "My Favourite Game" a little bit, so that is always welcome. Some potential room for improvement though: the snares feel a little bit separated and really catch attention. Especially starting at 1:11. But other than that, absolute vibe. How did you design this bass? I would love to learn from you, haha. (1:26 moment... it made this track my favourite)
Frenzied Parade (Both variants) - yeah, that is a great idea for the game, keeps things varied and interesting. As for the tracks themselves, well it is obvious that bass is your thing. On-air version's piano is pleasant, and the guitar reminds me of "Vs. Susie" - cool. The modultaions are also doing a great job of keeping that tension high and rising. 10/10
Sign-Off - In my opinion, it fits. Yeah, the instruments are different - so what? Nice rewarding feeling, while also remaining vague enough to make the listener interested in going further. The drums feel a little bit disconnected though, I'd pump up their volume a little.
District of Bells (Both versions) - The bells are great, nice selection of the plugin and writing. I would also rebalance the volumes a little, as the organ seems to be in quite an awkward position. Aside from that, yep - some great music.
Hope I was useful and I would really love to see you improve. The bass is already perfect, definitely use this power to your advantage!
Overall, the tracks are potent and unique, great submission.
(P.s. I am saving "Broadcast Sesh")
thank you for listening and enjoying!! note taken on the snare choice for "Broadcast Sesh", i was a bit shaky switching some of my drum samples to more live-esque instrumentation. i have no special ingredients for bass sound design specifically HAHA i use FLEX presets but am very mindful of what timbre/color i want in my basslines.
i appreciate your feedback on "Sign-Off"!! i'm so fascinated by how polarized that track seems to be, fun for me to think about for future works >:3, and thank you for the feedback on "District of Bells" also — that one i had trouble identifying what to fix, though i was probably going cuckoo during my 12-hour stream session HAHAHA
appreciate the kind words, i am learning a lot listening to everyone's submissions as well for my future growth!
I love the TR-808 cowbell in Broadcast Sesh! lol
I like how forward the basses are pushed here overall, and you did a good job making some groovy bass lines. They do tend to drown out the kicks though, which could be levied with either harder sidechaining or giving the sub-level frequency range more to one (kick or bass) and the low frequency range more to the other. But the vibes overall were head-banging. The game idea is really cool as well.
Good work!
i honestly forget sometimes when i add that 808 cowbell... probably because i make it more subtle to avoid hearing it LMAOOO
thank you for the feedback! i think i inadvertently push my basses since i always have fun writing basslines; since mixing is my weaker point, i really appreciate the tips on being more forward with sidechaining and EQing >:~)
thanks for listening and headbanging B)
Overall, this project is a pretty fun composition! I do think that the drums are pretty buried in the mix compared to other instruments and I would've loved to see the drums cut through the mix a bit more, but otherwise, I can see the direction you are taking with this project!
ohhh, thank you for listening!! i've always kept it in the back of my head to lower the drums more often than not, which may be a bad habit occasionally; so i'll keep your words in mind whenever i wonder if the drums should be quieter than quiet HAHA ^-^