Amazing work! Love the arrangements and the sound design, the beat at the end of the second track could hit harder maybe in my opinion, other than that awesome vibe, fits the theme perfectly!
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Midnight Meeting at the Secret Lake's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Composition | #6 | 3.826 | 3.826 |
| Overall | #9 | 3.774 | 3.774 |
| Execution | #12 | 3.652 | 3.652 |
| Vibe/Atmosphere | #12 | 3.870 | 3.870 |
| Listenability | #12 | 3.696 | 3.696 |
| Correlation to Theme | #13 | 3.826 | 3.826 |
Ranked from 23 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Description
A 3 part suite. Please listen to in-order and read the accompanying story and composer's notes below if you would like more context. (a more reader-friendly version of the story and notes are available on the project page itself)
Listen here:
https://soundcloud.com/tokyofrequency/midnight-meeting
Note: Part 1 was originally going to be the original submission only, but I liked where it was going and wanted to tell a continuous story instead as I felt it was more interesting. Thus part 1 will sound the most ambient of the 3 parts. I still used uncommon modes for all of the parts.
Story:
Part 1: The Boat Ride: Fireflies and Lanterns at the Lake
The journey begins on a boat. You are but one of many boats, and it's dark outside. The small lanterns from the houses and other boats are the only thing you can see, but you've waited all your life for this event. Waterfalls and caves, darkness, and even whirlpools will not stop you.
Through the darkness, you manage to find refuge in a cave and notice the most beautiful glowing fireflies floating around. They help guide you to your destination. It's funny, how even in the darkest of times, nature's lights find their way to guide you.
After your escapade, you come across a small sanctuary, in front of it you see a line full of people, waiting in front of an iron-clad door. After waiting in line for quite a while, you are now able to enter.
Part 2: Entrance Fee: The Yakuza's Den
A strong, intimidating guard figure stands at the entrance. Clad in dragon tattoos, you could tell that this was none other than a Yazuka. He sticks his hands out, as if he were expecting something from you. You look above, and it says that you must pay an entrance fee to pass this point.
Although the price is steep, you've heard rumors of the Yakuza - those who do not obey them may lose their pinky... After some hesitation, you decide that you will pay up. After a long journey, you decide that this fee is not going to stop you. You pay the man, he takes the money and nods, and you're finally through the entrance.
Inside, there is a tatami room neatly arranged in a simple manner, yet maintains a classic charm. You decide to take a seat, amongst the audience members, who you notice have come from many distant and foreign lands, making you not feel too bad about the long journey and steep price.
A figure emerges from the shadows into the light, and the room goes silent. It's time for the show to begin!
Part 3: The Geisha's Mysterious Dance
The moment you've been waiting for. The Geisha's dance. Clad in exquisite and exotic robes, with a painted face that looked almost unreal. She began moving, slowly, calmly, but elegantly. Her robes flowed like the wind, and her body moved in many ways, it was haunting, but beautiful, with a mysterious, otherworldly charm.
And just as soon as it began, it seems like it ended. It was short, but it was unlike anything you've ever seen before. Everyone in the audience was speechless, and tears were shed. It was as if all of your troubles went away, and even if just for a brief moment, you were transported to another world. You wanted more, but the show is over, it's time to go home.
With the memories of the journey, you sailed back home, hoping to save up again to see the Geisha's mysterious charming dance again.
Composer's Notes
Part 1:
I was inspired by Indonesian music, in Particular Pelog Selisir. It's close to Phrygian (it is Phrygian but without 4th and 7th scale degrees), so it has a dark tone, but fewer notes lets me express a particular mode more well without getting too dark. It's also a mode of the Okinawan Ryukyu Scale from Japan, so there's still a connection to Japan. The kinds of rhythms and instrumentation used remind me of the song Avatar's Love from Avatar the Last Airbender.
Part 2:
I was inspired by the song Setuna from the YTTD OST, as well as the Sleeping dogs OST, in particular Bei Bei & Shawn Lee - Into The Wind. (and maybe a bit of hip hop from Nujabes as well). I also took some inspiration from Gagaku (Japanese Court Music).
I used a few modes ranging from Phrygian to common koto tunings such as Hira Joshi, Kumoi Joshi and Kokin Joshi.
Part 3:
I was inspired by the kimono girl encounter scenes (and the music that accompanies them) from Pokemon Generation 2 (Gold/Silver/Crystal).
I was also in particular inspired by the Ho-oh summoning dance from HeartGold/SoulSilver.
I once again used a few modes from koto tunings such as Kumoi Joshi and Kokin Joshi.
I was also inspired by Enka and Tango Music, particularly Habanera.
Misc. Credit:
BG image and cover art is another Japanese art Piece by Kobayashi Kiyochika: Fireflies at Ochanomizu circa 1880
Link to Streaming Service
https://soundcloud.com/tokyofrequency/midnight-meeting
DAW Screenshot - Demonstrate that this is your own work
DAW Screenshots attached for each piece.
Discord Tag
tokyofrequency
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