Play soundtrack
Being Human Soundtrack (One Summer Night)'s itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Storytelling | #53 | 3.842 | 3.842 |
| Composition | #63 | 3.895 | 3.895 |
| Creativity | #74 | 3.737 | 3.737 |
| Impression | #77 | 3.737 | 3.737 |
| Overall | #89 | 3.653 | 3.653 |
| Quality | #199 | 3.053 | 3.053 |
Ranked from 19 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Description
Slice of Life! aka my favorite genre to read or watch!
I composed the tracks through a variety of ways including, from voice memos of me playing guitar/piano with some lovely background noise, mixing digital and live sound, and garageband and bandlab.
I've always been a fan of various medias such as videogames like It Takes Two, Mario Odyssey, Animal Crossing, and Overcooked, tv shows like When Life Gives You Tangerines, This is Us, Haikyuu including comics and books... all of which showcase daily life, overcoming hardships, and building skills such as independence, and teamwork. I believe that at the core of being human, is to be inspired, and if you've done that, then you have certainly lived. Even if everything does not pan out right and go left- those aren't the only two directions to go. Every emotion you feel, every blink you produce, and every step you take... you are here. When I saw this project on the upcoming jams page, all I wanted to do was create, and tell a universally compelling story about what it means to exist. There is no true moment where your life begins, the reality is that it has always been in motion. This is a game of life. So here's to all you've been through.
Goal: Keeping in mind the theme of one summer's night, and my hope for weaving my obsession with time into it, I settled on a way to incorporate all 4 seasons.
Being Human (The Imaginary Game!)
You know how the Spiderverse animated movies had different versions being shown in the movie theatre, even if there were only minor and miniscule changes. That would be so cool! I was thinking of at least having three different versions of the game, where you play as someone at any random point in their life, regardless of age, background, etc. You run around, do what you wish to do, interact with others, build your own profession, withstand your losses, and celebrate your wins! So kind of like a simulator. The game would begin with a little narration about the characters past, so you can know who are you, but not too much, so that way you can also make who you are. I'd like to lift spirits of those playing the game, maybe those who have been waiting for a second chance. or those who aren't satisfied with the way things are, or think they might be too old to pursue their passion. Also the game is targeted towards anyone, any age. There is no special goal of the game, except to live it- that is all!
Soundtrack:
spring in a heartbeat - main theme (spring)
seasons of blossom - daytime theme (winter spring summer fall)
wake up the fireflies - played when adventure is around the corner! (summer)
laying in the grass - pause menu, sunset music (summer)
chamber of reflection -nighttime theme (winter)
petals - played when your character is nearing the end of their journey... the leaves are falling off, and the sound of the piano becomes more frail, delicate, crunchy, less full reminiscent of just a faint memory. (winter)
one summer night - Montage Theme (summer), a look back on your life the things you've done, the things you haven't done. the friends you made, that one childhood stuffed animal that got lost years ago... You are looking back fondly on that one summer night. No matter what you have or haven't done, be proud!
the end of our beginning, and the beginning of the end- credits
Though our spring is over, it has been a great season, year round. I hope you have enjoyed it!! (all the seasons)
P.S if you have read this far, thanks for sticking around:). I got super excited and inspired by this project that I just had to tell the backstory, my perspective, and how the imaginary game would progress! So thanks so much for reading, and indulging my love for music, the imaginary videogame, and art! (my first time drawing grass for the cover art so hope ya like that too!) I can't wait to listen to everyone's projects! And if you would like to check out more of my music, here's the link!
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6rxRWW7xGCqdF886Uoi5Bj?si=hgQd8U7QS8-JfrXeNrNbnA
Message from the artist
I hope you enjoy listening! I am excited to hear what you all have been working on as well!
Theme
How does it fit the theme?
The songs (hopefully) craft a narrative on what it is like to experience the four seasons we call life!
Link(s) of the submission on streaming services
https://soundcloud.com/mylo-vanna/sets/being-human-soundtrack-one
Number of tracks8
Genre
Soundtrack use permission
Leave a comment
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
Comments
Beautiful performance, even for a casual listening.
Spring in a Heartbeat: I really like the piano interplay with the various wind instruments to create both a spring feel as well as a light slice-of-life feeling. I really like the inclusion of the harp that seems to herald the gameplay after you click out of the title screen.
Seasons of Blossom: Guitar, flute, and piano create such a warm and inviting feeling together! There are elements here that work for any time of year and I think it works especially well for portraying an “in the moment” sort of feel where there are no worries at all to think about.
Wake Up the Fireflies: The raw piano has a Vince Guaraldi sound to it. I love these harmonies - it seems to convey a warm evening scene with a bright starry sky.
Laying in the Grass: I can hear some of your influences in this track. Animal Crossing is the one that comes to the forefront of my mind hearing the soft and minimal instrumentation that plays a simple line very beautifully.
Chamber of Reflection: This piece has a very cinematic quality that holds a lot of emotion bundled up within it. I love the live nature of it - further making the game’s theme of being present in this life even more palpable.
Petals: The waltzy nature of this piece carries with it a beauty and bittersweetness fitting for an emotional climactic track. I love those colorful falling chords at the end!
One Summer Night: This has a very nostalgic and tranquil quality. I really like the inclusion of the strings with the instrumentation from the main theme.
The End of Our Beginning, and the Beginning of the End: I really like this track - I think it’s my favorite of all of them, mostly because of the light and jovial melody and rhythm and a playful yet reminiscent harmony.
Overall: I can feel the passion that went into this project and it is inspiring! The serene seasonal progression of your tracks would accompany your idea for a game of life very nicely. The highlights for me were the live piano performances that breathed so much freshness into this soundtrack, as well as your ear for harmony that helps convey so much emotion. This was a joy to listen to. Very nice work and thank you for sharing!
I just love this and all the little quirks. It's like a warm hug. The flat guitar string on seasons of blossom, that little bit of synthetic texture on laying in the grass, the background noise on the piano tracks. Well written and well played, but unfussy. It feels earnest in a way that really resonates with me.
The main thing that stuck out to me in your submission is how much personality each of your tracks have. I think you've done a wonderful job portraying different scenes throughout your soundtrack. Like others have mentioned, I believe that some adjustments to your mixing could elevate this soundtrack to another level (for example there were some cases where I thought the woodwinds were taking up just a bit too much and were drowning each other out). However, this is a tiny nitpick in an overall fantastic submission. Great work on this and thank you very much for sharing!
The light and airy melodies you create for the main theme are effective at evoking a spring feeling, buds and blooming, birds fluttering, everything beginning anew. I like the rhythmic pattern and flowing melody in wake up the fireflies. The dissonant chromatic notes slip into some passages add a certain charm and reinforce the human element in your design.
I particularly enjoyed the contemplative atmosphere you create in laying in the grass. I can imagine the velvety grass and staring up at the clouds, and there is a tinge of something somber here too that I cannot quite put my finger on. The extended harmonies in chamber of reflection are a breathe of fresh air, and there are some Debussy-like moments that melt my heart. Excellent work.
Lovely piano playing here! I think you did a pretty good job of capturing the vibes you were going for; changing of the seasons, day-to-day life, etc. "laying in the grass" breaks up the soundtrack nicely and brings the energy down a bit, which leads interestingly into the melancholy tones of "chamber of reflection." The dissonance here after the middle part is a strong choice - I don't know that I'm in love with it, but I don't hate it either. It certainly made me stop to think about it! I respect the direction you took with it, regardless.
Interesting callback to spring in "the end of our beginning, and the beginning of the end." I feel like for this one, the concept was there, but it could have used some more emphasis on the strings or more variation on the piano to differentiate it from the first track and make it feel a bit less busy.
Overall, I liked the ideas you had going on and it was a pretty enjoyable listen! I think that a little more focus on mixing to give your instruments more room to breathe and highlight the leading sound would help your music to really shine!
thank you so much for the feedback! I'm happy that the chamber of reflection got you to think- it was a spontaneous improvisation at the piano and I just went wherever it felt like it needed to go! It wasn't necessarily meant to sound as pretty or as cohesive as the other seasons channeling the unexpected outcomes of winter. Also thank you so much for calling out the return of spring in a heartbeat! I am so so sooo glad someone mentioned it. I wanted there to be an incredibly subtle change between the first track that doesn't quite allow people to tell the different nor the similarities at the same time... they aren't quite able to put their finger on it, but it signifies the ending of the game and a full circle moment. Spring in a heartbeat, is inspired by the drama When Life Gives you Tangerines, I wanted to change up that feeling that although spring offers a sense of renewal and beginning, it could very well also mean the end of something. The only difference between the first and last song is the bass line. As a bass player I love how just changing that alone can change the entire trajectory of a tune. It definitely does feel more full, a bit heavy, and a bit tense at some moments, and I wanted it to feel a bit unsettling but also bring resolution. I also do wanna work on my mixing, and combining those vsts and acoustic instruments, because at some parts I feel like the winds are doing too much, or I want to lay more dynamics within the piano, or change the sound of the harp. Sometimes the melody does fall into the background which I do wanna fix! Thanks so much for the feedback, I will take it into account in my future pieces of music:)!!!
Ah love the piano parts so much, really made the songs feel like they were telling the story of life changing shape throughout different seasons (also as a guitarist who's mostly stuck to fiddling with the midi piano roll for my piano parts I'm always in awe of people who can just go to town in that regard, love to see it). I think Wake Up Fireflies stuck with me the most, but the whole album is lovely!
Thanks so much! The fireflies one is one of my favorites to make, I was really inspired by zelda soundtracks for that one and eventually I want to make a full blown epic orchestral version of it!
As someone who was also inspired by slice-of-life for their submission and has written music based on the seasons in the past, I loved hearing your take on those ideas! The variety here is really great. Your tracks have a lot of character and do a good job of representing each season in a different (and fitting) way. I especially like the solo piano compositions! I don't mind the mixture of different types of recording (I actually really like it) but I do think putting a little bit more attention towards the mixing and mastering process would go a long way. Lovely submission!
Thank you thank you!! Definitely gotta work on mixing and mastering, it's not something I'm used to since I just play piano and record it straight up from my phone and that's it! I feel like in some tracks it does provide that homey minimal background noise feel, but I also feel like it's something I should pay more attention to when transitioning songs, and mixing virtual and acoustic instruments:). And omg I've gotta go listen to your submission, I'm excited to hear it!
All of the tracks flowed together really nicely to the point of feeling 1 really large song.
I think sometimes the seasons though felt too similar. I think more variation in instruments to differentiate them more would be good to make it feel more complete as an OST including all 4 seasons.
Thanks for the feedback, I'll definitely look into it! For the more orchestral songs on the track i did use mostly the same sound palette and instruments, so I'm definitely looking forward to exploring that more👍👍!
This is a very pretty collection!! I think you did a great job of really making the songs feel alive, almost so much so that I felt alive by proxy. Which I mean... I am alive haha but in a different, spiritual way, if that makes sense. You've definitely captured the essence of Spring the most. As Fall approaches for me in the Northern Hemisphere, you've made me want to head south and skip right back into blossom. If I can offer some constructive criticism, I do think a few of your tracks get a little busy in the high end, especially at the climatic finales. Nothing too bad or anything, just something I noticed while listening. Great job!
Thank you for your music, Milo. It feels very pure, and sometimes a bit playful, which I like. Even if it’s clear they weren’t recorded in the same way, the songs still feel coherent and part of the same work. I don’t know if it was intentional, but there is something I like about the sound of that slightly flat F# in the guitar of "seasons of blossom". Good job!
Thank you for your music as well!! Thank you for the comment, I wanted something to seem a little off, like something slightly changing within the guitar line to show how time and the seasons are changing! I didn't even catch that lowered f# but I'm glad it sounds cool🤩👍!!
Love the cover art! The piano sound was great in petals! I'd love to see that combined with some of the more orchestral instruments! In the second song, the guitar (namely the f# on the high e string in the arpeggio melody) which is a natural challenge when combining VSTs with audio recordings, but just something to be extra careful of in your future musical endeavors! I noticed you talked about It Takes Two and Haikyuu in the description, and you were successful in translating that feeling of simple, peaceful human existence in the way that those two pieces do. Good work!
Thanks so much for your comment and your feedback!! Petals has to be one of my favorite ones to make- I was walking around campus looking for a piano to play on that had an aged, slightly crunchy sound and found it in petals! I definitely want to try out some more orchestral stuff in the future, and I'm glad there are more fans of my favorite videogames and shows:D! I didn't quite catch what you meant on the second song but were you saying you could hear the difference in the audio recordings and the VST really clearly? Should I work on mixing them more? I'm open for any tips you've got:)
that’s an awesome story about the campus piano! And i was talking about the tuning of the guitar being slightly different than the VSTs, definitely something you’d be able to fix though, just wanted to point it out for your next soundtrack :) !