maxwoodsportfolio-blog

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Here is an Essay on Live Sound I wrote in my second year.

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Research Proposal

Video game soundtracks: West vs East

My main interest in music is music featured in video games, being primarily inspired by Japanese Role Playing Games (JRPG) and indie games. I believe that music is integral and essential to its enjoyment and impact, and I want to undertake a practice based research into Japanese cultures’  influence on video game soundtracks and how they differ from western soundtracks.

To begin this study I will start by investigating the history of popular Japanese music in the 70’s and 80’s, focusing on the city-pop movement and jazz fusion. I will be looking more deeply into how Japanese descriptions of genres vary from western genres. I hope to research articles and interviews with various Japanese composers discussing influences and theory behind their work. Contrasting this, I will be comparing Western composers and their styles to the themes I find within these articles.

Keeping these themes and styles in mind, I plan to take an in-depth look into popular Japanese game soundtracks. I have chosen a list of games that I know well and have enough depth to explore the influences and effects of the soundtrack on gameplay. I will specifically be looking at JRPGS like Sonic, Mario and Pokemon.

To contrast this, I will then research video games of the same genre in the West and examine their soundtracks. I will choose popular games that I know well in the same vein as the games chosen before so a clear comparison can be made.

After researching the history of Japanese music and specific game soundtracks, I will be drawing common themes and influences present in Japanese games when compared to Western soundtracks. I will be looking for themes like musical theory, variation, and impact on gameplay focusing on how the soundtrack fits the tone of the game.

I will then use what research I have found to create four tracks, two influenced by eastern styles, and the other two western. To do this I will set myself an RPG game brief and create songs for this game in each style.

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This track was arranged by me, separate from my uni degree. I was inspired by the music created for the openings and main menus within games from the 90's to 00's, specifically Pokemon Mystery Dungeon and Chrono Trigger. I wanted to create a piece that upholds an adventurous tone, whilst having a practical level of repetitiveness that retains the listeners attention and excitement for the game.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Opening - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH0J1fUqx90

Chrono Trigger Opening - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBaqb_rUkN0&list=PLSHMcAUZYM-7vN5kvYQ_032Vdp1zRWETw

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This song was written by myself and a band I was a part of during college and my gap year. I’m proud of how this song turned out whilst having no prior experience of production until starting my degree. We played many shows and events in my local area, and were lucky enough to perform at a festival called Gig On The Green.

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I made this track for one of my modules for my degree, in which I had to professionally mix and master a track. Unfortunately due to the Corona Virus, we were unable to use any studio equipment provided by the university so all instruments are recoded by myself at home, or are Midi. I decided to challenge myself and produce a live 80's sounding track.

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In my third year of my degree, I was given an advert which I had to score music to. My aim within the audio for this video video was to stay to a tech-y spy theme, as it is evocative of the roles Kiefer Sutherland, the star, is known for portraying.

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Although these demos are works in progress, I plan to one day return and finish them once I have learnt new skills and have more experience. Still, i believe they show the depth and variation of my work. 

  0:00​ - This first demo was written to be for an EP I started to write before the start of lockdown. I was trying to steer away from the more rock style I was making with my band, and try to experiment. 

  0:29​ - I made this demo when i was working with a post/math rock band before the corona virus pandemic. Post/Math rock is something I'm particularly interested in and I am hopeful once restrictions lift, I'll be able to find/start a band in this genre. 

  1:50​ - This demo was also supposed to appear on the EP I was writing, but I cut it as it didn't fit in with the rest of the songs on the EP. 

  2:40​ - I was inspired to make this demo from listening to the Persona 4 soundtrack. I wanted to make something contemporary that would play as background music in a shop or supermarket in a JRPG.

  3:00​ - This final demo was made for one of my friends who requested a song in the background of his university work and for his portfolio. It's a step out of my comfort zone as I haven't made anything like this before, but I think this demo shows promise.

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I originally had two separate ideas that were too short to stand alone, so I challenged myself to blend them together, this being the result. I was inspired by the soundtrack to the film 'Garden Of Words' and films by Studio Ghibli to create an evocative piano driven piece.