Almost there

Getting closer and closer.  I'm thinking it won't be very long now.

This is where we're headed

ok, stuff is going.  But not working yet.  Again, sorry for the lack of updates, I'm working on a backlog, our internet's upload speed is like 2k/minute, and I'm trying to get the new site working.
http://www.graey-music.com/
design elements.

Why so many misses?

Well, I've missed a few compositions lately, primarily because I've been working on the new website that is not on blogspot.  And busyness.

Week 18.1

Context*:  Robots becoming self aware
Emotion*:  strangeness
Other:  flashing lights, dancing subprocesses

Week 17.2

Context*:  Realizing the twist ending

Emotion*:  Dawning realization, suspense

Other:  threatening atmosphere

Week 17.1

Context*:  The ionosphere plotting against humanity

Emotion*:  Dread, fear of the numinous

Other:  Something beyond human understanding

We seem to be on a space-oriented binge lately.  This one is full of strangeness, lots of synthesis.  Sort of in e minor, sort of e synthetic.  Some kind of starspawn, an abominational offspring of the two.  This one went better.  Working on the actual website et all.

~græy

Week 16.2

Context*:  A trucker named Jug swears vengeance

Emotion*:  Jog don't have no 'motions

Other:  Ennio Morricone with a dash of Johnny Cash

That one didn't go as well.  I tried to mix in some sprinkles of Cash, some classyness from Morricone, and a bit of disturbing cacophony from something 'Lynchian' like Lost Highway.  And didn't do particularly well.  But the new schedule is set, so it's done and up.

~græy

Week 16.1

Context*:  Space pool!!!

Emotion*: Supremacy

Other:  Cosmic shattering of planets for my enjoyment

Space Pool!  Well I started out trying to make it enjoyable and fun, but then I realized that this is 'cosmic shattering of planets'.  Slightly sinister.  Just a bit.  So I went with some crashy dissonance, this one is mostly synthesized to make it more in the science-fiction vein.

~græy

Week 15.2

Context*:  Last goodbyes
Emotion*:  Grief
Other*:  Two instruments

Did my best.  Again, I like texturizing these short , but I think this works without more orchestration.
I've always felt that the standard setup of major=happy, minor=sad doesn't strictly work.  I feel that there's a point while you're trying to illustrate emotion where minor and minor-based chords don't work for expressing the true depth of that sadness.  You've gotta flip it back around.

~græy

Week 15.1

Context*:  Running from a gang of percussionists in a giant cavern

Emotion*:  Heart racing, head pounding FEAR!

Other: "Drums in the deep"

I think this one came out well.  I need to get some more full orchestra percussion samples.  I had an awesome set sampled in a church, but I seem to have misplaced it during my musical hiatus, post Berklee.  Lots of deep choir bits, lots of tension.  The pattern is a Bmin-Cmin4-Fbmin-Ebmin4-Fmaj, or i-ii4-iii-iv4-V(1:30), not a standard progression but the 4ths make it fit (no, those aren't sus4, just drop the 5th, or you could look at it as a carry-over from the previous chord.  Without gettin all technical-like.)

Yeah, like I said, I feel that this one worked out well.  I'm going to attempt to do Tuesday/Thursday updates.  I need to get myself into the habit.

~græy

Week 14.2

Context*:  A kitten playing
Emotion*:  Silly and happy
Other:  a meow at the end

The hardest part was getting a cat to meow into the mic.  Usually, it's no problem, screaming over the smallest inconvenience is a daily occurrence.  Sometimes they scream for no reason, then forget they're screaming.  This time I had to go find a sound effect, because they just would not make a sound, like some kind of kitty oath of silence for their monastic order.
This one's simple, ABC sections, I went with some 'playful' sounding instruments, glockenspiel, toy piano, some silly choir bits and a grain synth I made special.

Braid

Braid

PC/Xbox360/PS3/OSX/Linux
Released 2008

Developed by Number None and Hothead Games

Designed by Johnathan Blow

Braid is a puzzle platformer with some intriguing mechanics, beautiful backgrounds and a look and feel that is at once familiar and foreign.  It has a combination of unique gameplay, gorgeous and somehow textural visuals and a swelling soundtrack.  I feel that, if one of these three pieces was less well executed, Braid would be far less engaging.  However, none of them were, and it is.  Engaging, that is.

Braid's gameplay is puzzle-oriented and a straight up platformer.  Oh, and you control time, which makes for some very intricate and difficult puzzles.  In addition, your power over time changes with each section of the game, giving it a very different dynamic.  From jumping on the strange hedgehog/human-faced enemies to speaking with an adorable dinosaur, the basic gameplay is straight-up Mario.  But, in addition, you can rewind, fast forward, do four-dimensional loop-the-loops and all other hoo jiggerypokery.  The puzzles are different, like something I've never experienced before.

The art appears in two parts, a moving foreground and a slowly panning larger background (painted).  the foreground visuals are 2D and fairly static, with some well-integrated particle effects, but the backgrounds are where the game really shines.  The paintings are incredible atmospheric, setting the mood for the entire game (that gets enhanced by the haunting music).  The backgrounds are really beautiful, and gives the game a truly unique look and feel.

The music, composed by a variety of peoples all from the label Magnitude.  The soundtrack is ethereal, moody and melancholy, and really sets the tone for the detached and dreaming game-scape.  You often rewind time, and the music plays back backwards, enhancing that detached and strange feeling.  This is one game soundtrack whose integration into a game is essential for the game.  At least for me.

~græy

Week 14.1

Context*:  Watching the Geminid Meteor Shower
Emotion*:  Awe
Other:  Majesty in silence

I think this one went well.  The french horns bring some of that wonder and majesty.  The bells are the shooting stars.  I could have created more space, but I thought that focusing on the majesty and wonder aspects would do well.  Something we haven't really explored here.   I tried to create some space, keeping the harmonies relatively thinned and the instrumentation simple.
Sorry for the hiatus, it's been busy and rough.  I'll do my best to make up for my missed weeks.
~græy

Working on it!

Hey super-incredible fanbase, I am, in fact, working on new material.  Once again, I apologize.  Here's some proof.  I'm going to be streaming content as I work on it in the future, so go check me out on the ustreams.  Just search for username graey.  I'll add some color commentary as well, this was a dry run.

here's a link
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/12544216

here's a video

~græy

Week 13.2

Context*: giant monster fight!
Emotion*: Explosions, destruction
Other: A cry for each beast

This one was fun.  I created a different vocalization for each monster, out of a variety of different bits and pieces, just like they did in 'ye olde days' of sound engineering.  The plot of the piece is pretty straightforward, the two characters come together, clash, and one is victorious.  I wanted to keep with a largely orchestral instrumentation, since Akira Ifukube created so much drama with the original Godzilla score.  This one was much longer, but that didn't fit with the story.
Anyways, something near and dear to my child-like heart

~græy

Meaningless pageviews update

Hey folks, we just hit 2K!  That's Two G's.  More compositions coming soon.

Week 13.1

Context *: Birds flying
Emotion*: Joy
Other:

Another three-worder.  Well, I wanted to try to tell a story with this piece, and I think it worked.  You tell me.
It begins with some tentative and awkward steps in a warm and safe place, then builds some steam as our intrepid young avian puts more and more into his/her effort, up to a climax, then soars.  And little bird feels elation at its accomplishment, but realizes that it is, perhaps, a lonely life up in the skies.

~græy

Week 12.2

Context*: Break Ups

Emotion*: Relief

Other:

Well this is the three-word submission I was complaining about. So I've taken some liberties and made it... not terrible.

Context*: Staring out a window

Emotion*”: Recently heartbroken but there's a break in the clouds

Other: rainy sunshine

That's better.

With this composition, I tried to thin it out. I'm guilty of adding more texture than is necessarily necessary.  Simple, floaty and sad.

Rainy sunshine on a dark windowpane.

~græy

Sorry

My apologies, dear readers.  I thought I could keep up with the compositions, but between new job and holiday times, I have not.  I will get my chastised, but still very shapely, music-blogging hiney back into gear ASAP.  And fix whatever other problems are happening.

~græy

Week 12.1

Context*:  Recently acquired proof that god hates you
Emotion*: Kinda bad
Other: Greek chorus

More mad props to the Symphony of Voices samples.  This one is pretty straightforward, as evidenced by the description.  Went with a choral arrangement, with an uncomfortable half-step chord change to up the 'kinda bad'-ness.

Update 1/3/: fixed the ending of the video, no idea what went wrong there, but it is fixed.

~græy