Is this too strange to make good game music?

www.lostpast.com/music/bali_theme.mid

it is for my php game... starts out in 8000 BCE and I wanted something between african and balinese gamelan... too much bali and people in the west go WTF?

is it too much bali to be good to western ears?

Sounds like someone beating pots, pans and bottles with a spoon on both my systems. I'm not sure its supposed to sound like that. Maybe post an MP3 version instead...

no, thats about right.

thats what balinese gamelan sounds like....

:/

http://www.emusic.com/samples/m3u/song/10595182/10473322.m3u
see.. thats a live recording... I think...


I mean... it supposed to sound like its 10,000 years old... should I have included a phat boo base and a piano?

Kewl, Hillbilly Rock!

Well................. um........

.....it a fair likeness.... but I can REALLY see it getting on people's nerves.

yeah? so it is still too bali?


the problem is that western ideas about what music should sound like are so narrow....

it is hard to get something kind of authentic for a 8000 BCE musical score, without sounding kind of annoying to western ears..

i'll prolly just use this for a town's theme somewhere.. a place you spend too little time to really be put off by the music.. I'll try something more... native american... for the main themes.. since that is much more appealing to western ears...

Also... if anyone thinks i'm being elitist about this, I'm not. I have been listening to this kind of music for a long long time, and it is hard for me to put myself in the shoes of someone who has never hear balinese gamelan.

I like it, I don't find it annoying anymore, so I need people here to tell me if they can get into it..

The .mid sounds fine to me, but then again I liked the Akira soundtrack. :)

I wouldn't mind this music in a slow-paced game, I like the first 10 or so seconds the most and the last few seconds.

Not in a million years. It sounds like a skeleton 'entertaining himself' in a dumpster.

Although I was poking fun at GFKs description (BTW, I actually used to play the spoons in a bluegrass band), I liked it. I mostly listen to instrumental music. As a musician, I enjoy creating music inspired by middle-eastern, orient, celtic and Native American styles. In fact, the Native American flute has become my "main" instrument.

Go with what feels right for your game, and for any game, you should provide the option to turn the music off (I never listen to music in games).

When I click it I get an "Invalid Menu Handle" error!

To me thats not music at all. It sounds like a noise you'd create yourself tapping the kitchen sink with a fork while waiting for the kettle to boil.

It sounds like something a beginner would create with 10 minutes knowledge on making midi music.

If you're trying to portray old at westen ears, go for some basic drum music.

wow.. what a range of likes with this one...

I mostly agree, tho, that it would be annoying if the main overworld theme were this. I will go with more native american stuff for the most heard themes in the 8000 BCE timeframe.

I also love the akira soundtrack WendellM, but I think thats javanese?? I don't remember. Sounds different.

"Meh."

Wouldn't download anything for free with this behind it.., sorry..

BTW, forget all the things you were mentioning about western music/instruments vs 8000bc, in filmmusic this doesn't work. Like anyone cares about those details anyway. Joe Public just wants appropriate music, and of a rather good quality when possible, if that means western instruments/style, so be it.

Face it, Gladiator from Hans Zimmer featured harsh synths in the lower regions... the public loved the score, even the setting being Roman!


ps. if you like the gamalan idea, listen to Beyond Rangoon, by Hans Zimmer.. another example where music from the far east and a western backdrop delivers excellent music. And even if you think it's crap/too western.. just go check IMDB for 'Beyond Rangoon' and read the comments, they all love the score.. *that*'s your audience if you want to sell, not those few ppl who prefer genuine un-western-ified gamalan music.

perhaps you are right.

however... you'd have to download it first to know the music was there, and if you were 5 hours into what is becoming a great story, you would prolly keep playing. I don't know anyone that stopped playing a game they were enjoying immensly because of some music they didn't like. They would just turn it off.

also, you act like it can't be done...

What about the Civilization soundtrack? Loads of people find those to be great, and they are very authentic.

If you haven't heard, you'll prolly find some of it online

either way, music considered annoying enough by the user to even consider turning it off (or playing the game without background music as a result of this), will reduce the overall playing experience & immersion of the player.
The general opinion of the game (and word-of-mouth advertisement) will be lower as well in such a situation.

In the long run, it may pay off to change to something a little bit more mainstream...

www.lostpast.com/music/travel.mid

this is iteration 2. a lot more mainstream. Yet, also, a lot less authentic.

it still can't move me.. :/

I still get "invalid menu handle". I'd like to hear what all the fuss is about ...

you seem to be the only one Grey... can you go to www.lostpast.com ? there is just a junky piece of nothing there right now.

CS.. I've given up on moving you.

yeah that website works, empty images...

I don't know what to tell you, grey. Other than you seem to be able to go to the site, and see it how it is meant to be right now... I don't know why you can't download the midi...

I suppose offering a choice is out of the question? ;)

You are standing in a village in 8000 BCE. Would you like the villagers to play:
1) African/Balinese gamelan music
2) Spice Girls' "Wannabe"
3) Toby Keith's "Courtesy Of The Red, White, And Blue (The Angry American)"

Your choice?

actually... that could be a legit option... a custom on location soundtrack, you just give the site a file path of a song you personally think fits the mood of an area, and it remember and plays that song off your own hard drive.

or..

it asks you
What is the file path to a song you think sounds angry?
What is the file path to a song that makes you sad?

I kind of like it. It reminds me of the music in the old Star Trek NES game for some reason.