Here’s the transcript for the second Rapid Composition exercise where I again work with an 8-bit style, restricting myself to just two square channels and one for triangle.  The notation is probably sloppy as all hell, but remember that this was written in 90 minutes.  Also, I encourage anybody interested in composition to join in : the only things I want to have provided for the article are a link to the music, preferably something I can embed like Soundcloud and some visible notation, whether it’s done on traditional score, box notation or whatever.

Thursday July 12, 2012

12:43 Suikoinfinity:
Hello again and welcome to the second week of Rapid Composition where I am suddenly given a theme carefully selected and then given 90 minutes to come up with a piece of music to accompany that idea!

12:44 Suikoinfinity:
Last week we did some underground exploration, who knows what we have in store for this week, but at the turn of the hour, my fate shall be revealed!

12:44 Prota:
The wheels of fate are turning.

12:45 StevenDPX:
Heaven or hell!

12:45 Suikoinfinity:
Along with me are Prota and StevenDPX who will help moderate the fun, and make sure I’m not cheating, say hi guys while I configure my sound hardware!

12:46 StevenDPX:
Ahoy!

12:48 Suikoinfinity:
For the record, I just read 30 pages of a really shitty book for class, so for tonight, I’m going to stick with my same setup from last week : The old 4 piece combo – two square waves, a triangle… actually, let’s see what I can do without noise support. Just the Squares and Triangle.

12:49 StevenDPX:
Okay. 8-bit right?

12:51 Suikoinfinity:
Hell yeah, 8 bit. It’s just going to be a little bit rougher with only three lines of music to work with.

12:52 StevenDPX:
Heh, this should be interesting regardless.

12:52 Suikoinfinity:
Usually noise is used for percussive effects, so the sound is definitely going to be a little bit light.

12:53 StevenDPX:
You might not need the noise for what we have planned for you. Right Prota?

12:54 Suikoinfinity:
There’s always room for noise, even if the job calls for something more lyrical sounding.

12:55 Prota:
I wouldn’t be surprised actually.

12:56 Suikoinfinity:
Just don’t give me something wacky like “T Hawk dying in my arms slowly” and we’re good. 4 minutes til party time!

12:56 Prota:
Don’t worry, we’ll save that for a future segment.

12:57 StevenDPX:
Hahahahaa!

12:57 Suikoinfinity:
I’ll listen to my T Hawk theme song for the time when I need to reflect upon it then.

12:58 Suikoinfinity:
I keep forgetting what his theme sounds like, instead I have Fei Long’s stage playing in my head…

12:58 StevenDPX:
I keep getting Cammy in there somehow.

12:58 Suikoinfinity:
Two minutos.

12:59 Prota:
T Hawk’s theme is actually pretty cool, but only when it’s sped up towards the end of a match.

12:59 Prota:
But yes, the time is drawing near.

12:59 Prota:
One minute left.

12:59 Suikoinfinity:
And my theme is………….

12:59 Suikoinfinity:
I’m getting scared again

1:00 Prota:
Again, as you should be.

1:00 Suikoinfinity:
It’s time!

1:00 Prota:
Two long-time friends find each other on opposite sides of the battlefield, both representing their countries…at dawn.

1:00 Suikoinfinity:
…. what the hell?

1:00 Prota:
The responsibility of one’s duty versus the sacredness that is friendship, this is a true battle between men! However, the ultimate fight will be James against the clock! Who will win in this war between the musical and the temporal?

1:00 Suikoinfinity:
Alright, I’m on it!

1:00 Prota:
Good…good…

1:01 StevenDPX:
Alrighty!

1:13 Prota:
I’m pretty interested in what James will come up with this week, especially since I can see this going a number of different ways.

1:13 Suikoinfinity:
This is rough >_< I’m still drawing a blank 1:14 StevenDPX: Think of a branch of military, probably one involving flight. 1:14 Prota: Mama mia, don’t tell me you’re letting time get the better of you? You have to show it what’s up. 1:18 Suikoinfinity: I’m fighting, trying to work with the dawn part before the battle part. 1:19 Prota: That works though, you can build from the internal fight you’re having. 1:40 Suikoinfinity: Oh yeah, this is getting weird. 1:40 StevenDPX: We like weird. 1:40 Prota: I concur. 1:45 Suikoinfinity: My window closed T_T 1:46 StevenDPX: Hm!? What window! 1:46 Prota: ? 1:46 StevenDPX: The composing one!? 1:46 Suikoinfinity: This one, I froze out >_<

1:46 Prota:
Phew…

1:47 StevenDPX:
Woof, man you scared me there.

1:47 Suikoinfinity:
Thanks for the reminder, always save my work!

1:47 StevenDPX:
Yep. Save save save.

1:50 Suikoinfinity:
Ugh 40 minutes left on the clock and I’m getting that writers block again

2:00 Prota:
Happens to the best of us, you just gotta power through it.

2:00 Prota:
30 minutes left on the clock.

2:00 StevenDPX:
tick…tick..tick…tick…

2:00 Suikoinfinity:
Yup, and I haven’t modulated once… this is coming out to be a pretty straightforward piece.

2:11 Suikoinfinity:
Well, I think I’m more or less done with the whole piece, just gotta tweak some notes here and there so it doesn’t sound repetitive.

2:11 Suikoinfinity:
Clocks in at 1:17, not too bad.

2:11 StevenDPX:
And with time to spare.

2:12 Suikoinfinity:
Nah, it needs a lot of tweaking

2:14 Suikoinfinity:
Maybe another bar here and there too

2:21 StevenDPX:
It’s 2:21.

2:21 StevenDPX:
9 minutes left.

2:22 Suikoinfinity:
I think I’m done, just gotta listen to it again to make sure I’m sticking to it.

2:23 Prota:
Take advantage of the last 8 minutes then.

2:23 Suikoinfinity:
This was actually pretty hard, because I stuck to a single scale for the entire duration, I chose a pentatonic to work with, so I only had 5 pitches to work with.

2:29 Prota:
One minute left…

2:30 Prota:
Time!

2:30 StevenDPX:
Ding! Time’s Up!

2:30 Suikoinfinity:
LMAO I already recorded the MP3 and have it uploading to Soundcloud

2:30 StevenDPX:
Daaamn. Already!

2:31 Suikoinfinity:
I’m not going to upload everything tonight, but I figure you guys deserve a taste of what I’m going to put up after class tomorrow for sticking with me so late!

2:35 Suikoinfinity:
Posting it on the staff page now…

2:37 Prota:
Nice, I don’t mind a sneak peak.

2:38 StevenDPX:
Not bad! Some parts were actually pretty close to the example I posted to Prota while we were brainstorming.

2:39 Suikoinfinity:
What the hell was the original example anyway?

2:39 StevenDPX:
You wanna see?

2:40 Suikoinfinity:
Of course, let’s all check out what the original idea was based on!

2:40 StevenDPX:

It’s from Ace Combat Zero.

2:41 Suikoinfinity:
Still gotta play that series, but that’s some pretty awesome music!

2:41 StevenDPX:
Wait ’til the flamenco part.

2:42 Prota:
Same, haven’t played the series, but I’ve heard amazing tracks from it.

2:42 StevenDPX:
It’s an amazing series.

2:43 Suikoinfinity:
Welp, that’s something to look into, but I’m willing to bet that we’re also about ready to look into our sweet pillows and pass out for tomorrow’s recording.

2:43 StevenDPX:
Yep. Time to get some shut eye.

2:43 Prota:
Very true. I have to admit though, between this song and last week’s, I really enjoy analyzing your tracks and having a story unfold in my head.

2:44 StevenDPX:
Same here man.

2:44 Prota:
It’s been some good stuff, so we’ll be expecting more when next week comes along.

2:45 Suikoinfinity:
Much thanks to the both of you, I wouldn’t be able to do it without you guys! Thanks also to all those out there reading and listening, hope you enjoy! See you next week for another theme from the minds of DPX and Prota for me to try to work some music out of!

2:46 StevenDPX:
See ya!

2:46 Prota:
Later.