Temporal Tower

(Please pardon the audio quality on my proof video. The tracks are uploaded to Soundcloud in full quality. You can listen to the full playlist here.

My submission for the 2023 OST Composing Jam! Since the theme of this jam was "Tick Tock", I decided to lean into an emphasis on time in my music. Reversed samples, odd time signatures, and lining up with real time (seconds/minutes) were some very key things I kept in mind while composing.

The premise of the game is that your childhood friend was abducted and taken to the top of the Temporal Tower, and ever since, strange things have been happening. Sometimes days rush by in minutes, other times the clouds stop moving in the sky. It's up to you to ascend the Temporal Tower, rescue your friend, and stop the strange going ons that have ensued.

1. Temporal Tower: https://soundcloud.com/arceusnmew/1-temporal-tower?si=59b389160b82440aa04aaa3677...

- The title screen music! That's all there really is to it :)

2. Present Plains: https://soundcloud.com/arceusnmew/2-present-plains?si=9d54dadef7794eddb60ddd6569...

- The music that plays in the first level! A bright and cheerful start to an incredible adventure up Temporal Tower itself.

- I made it really upbeat (for the start of an adventure), but hinting at the more sinister things that are happening in the Temporal Tower (with the bells and reverse piano).

3. Chrono Fiend: https://soundcloud.com/arceusnmew/3-chrono-fiend?si=ce6aceacfb4c4576b66aaf329676...

- The music that plays for the first boss fight. Its time manipulation powers are no joke, being able to speed up its own personal time, and temporarily pausing the world around it.

- I tried to display the Chrono Fiend's time manipulating powers by taking some lines from Present Plains, and rewriting them in 5/4.

4. Time is Money: https://soundcloud.com/arceusnmew/4-time-is-money?si=6c3c6f891b104c1bbec800e864d...

- The shop theme! The shopkeeper is a bit eccentric, but the wares he sells are top-notch. It's always good to stop by if you need to prepare for anything in the Temporal Tower.

- This song is exactly 60 BPM, so each beat is 1 second. The main melody is actually the hour chime on old grandfather clocks! I wanted the shop to feel very grounded in reality, which is why I made those creative choices.

5. Where Time Can't Reach: https://soundcloud.com/arceusnmew/5-where-time-cant-reach?si=ca912c91069f4236841...

- The music that plays in a strange dreamscape you occasionally find yourself in, aka bonus stages!

- Since the dreamscape is entirely separate from reality, the music's time signature is also very strange! It's in 4/4 at 33 BPM at the start, divided into 19 notes per beat. Then halfway through, it shifts to 6/8 at 100 BPM. Very strange, but very fitting!

6. Reminisce: https://soundcloud.com/arceusnmew/6-reminisce?si=0515f3f1651d4f1c949a6187d48ae4e...

- Music that plays in cutscenes, remembering times past with your childhood friend.  For every cutscene there's more and more reason to get to the top of the Temporal Tower.

- I tried to make this song very nostalgic sounding. The minor IV chord in the last section before the loop really makes it feel very nostalgic. In terms of time signature, it's a simple 4/4 to keep the memories grounded.

7.  New Dark Age: https://soundcloud.com/arceusnmew/7-new-dark-ages?si=e98cee306e2b4d6c860732658e4...

- The final boss theme. You've reached the top of the tower, and are now fighting the person behind the chaos that has ensued. It's up to you, not only to save your childhood friend, but the world as well.

- Since you're finally rescuing your childhood friend, I added the melody from Reminisce into this track. But instead of having it be that nostalgic and peaceful chord progression, it's a tense and dramatic chord progression to reflect the current situation. And of course, there are a few measures of 5/8, to show how the final boss is still manipulating things.

 Thanks for checking out the Temporal Tower OST! This was super fun to work on, and I'd love to hear what you think :)