LONG BLOG
New Music : 2AD15 - II
Hello, friends.
I've released a new album of music called "2AD15 - II". It is part of the 2AD1X series of albums I've been releasing since 2014. I released 3 last year, and this is my second one this year. As far as future plans go, I'm probably going to hold off on a 2AD15 - III, at least until I release a serious album. 2AD1X albums are generally meant for what I call "jams", songs that I write in few hours, and send out into the world to be judged harshly ;)
Instead of just posting the album and potentially creating my first failblog, I want to write a little bit about each song.
1) Journey Through the Galaxy : This song was originally written for a member of the community for what would've been Songs for Gamers Volume IV. Unfortunately, it didn't sound anything like what they requested. I offered to try again, but due to personal reasons not related to me, they decided not to be a part of the project. It was around this time that I realized I no longer had the "drive" I did to write music based on other music. Hell, I wasn't sure I could write music anymore, I was so exhausted. I moved the 2 tracks I wrote for Songs for Gamers Volume IV to the "complete" Songs for Gamers. This song has a 2d side-scrolling shoot-em-up vibe to it.
2) The Ferryman : I wanted to write something a bit dark, something that could play during an encounter with Charon, the Ferryman that takes the dead to the world of the dead.
3) Just a Genius : A fun jam I wrote with a silly name. I'm not sure what I was going for. I was testing out a new "drum kit", and created this odd piece. The bridge has a bit of "changing the radio station" vibe to it, which is what I was going for, also part of the drum kit.
4) Dragon's Tear : I wanted to write something kickass, in the style of dramatic movie/game music. The title suggests an encounter with a dragon, where the dragon ends up so angry, he cries, and this dramatic music would play as the walls of the cavern shake around him.
5) The Elements : An experimental piece, trying new stuff as I tend to do. It has a very video game-esque arpeggio lead. It also borrows progression from another song I wrote a long time ago (that was a dance remix of a song I wrote for a friend). I figure if that song is never going to be heard, I might as well use the cool progression :p
6) Entranced : Not sure what I was going for with this one. I suppose it could be a boss battle in a shoot-em-up, which is kind of a running theme for this particular album.
7) Corridor : A simple, dramatic piece, probably can play during a scene of distress.
8) In Plain Sight : Another dramatic movie/video game music piece. Meant for infiltration music, but can also be used for a sad scene.
9) Skyscrapers : Experimenting with that same drum sample kit from Just a Genius. Different drums, but the way it handles samples is really neat. I also started "beefing up" my sound by layering instruments. This song, and the last two, are the results of experimenting with beefing up melodies and such with layers of different instruments. I think it could be the beginning of a new sound for me.
10) Intelligence Report : A chill beat, something that could use vocals (if anyone is interested :p), I figured since I wrote a lot of faster songs on this album, that I should include a slower piece. These usually end up standing out amongst the faster stuff.
11) Friendly Fire : Probably my favorite piece, and a great way to end the album. Starts with a catchy melody, then builds up to an explosive, rich song with lots of layered instruments. Goes with the shoot-em-up theme of several songs on this album. I like to write spacey, melodic music :p
I enjoyed making this album, even though it took 3 months, which is actually a long time for me. I usually crank out albums in a few weeks, but as mentioned, I've been really tired. I've written so much music since last 2014, it's a wonder that I've written as much as I have.
I also wanted to mention the Songs for Gamers album. I took the 3 volumes, the 2 songs I wrote for Volume IV, several remixes/rearrangements I made, podcast themes written for the community, and the April Fools album, and combined them into one super album simply called Songs for Gamers. The album art was provided by SirDavies, using the amazing drawings from RobertoPlankton. This is the absolute definitive release, and the last time I will touch this album. It's almost 6 hours of music, all written for members (former and current) of this website. It's my greatest achievement, and I'm happy to have reached out to so many people in order to make it.
What does the future hold? I'm not sure. I have ideas, but I think I need time. I need to actually sit down, craft an album before writing it, and then put my heart and soul into it, similar to what I did with Walking in Circles.
As always, I hope you find something you enjoy listening to. Thank you, friends.
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