00:00
00:00
Newgrounds Background Image Theme

Medina5Arts just joined the crew!

We need you on the team, too.

Support Newgrounds and get tons of perks for just $2.99!

Create a Free Account and then..

Become a Supporter!

The Descent Of A Champion (NGUAC Finals Rank 23)

Share

Author Comments

/!\ This track features audio panning, for the best experience please use headphones /!\


Oh the things I hear in my head, if only I could express them fully. After having life issues get in the way and procrastinating the composition of this piece for the last week, I finally sat down and gave it a try.


Aside from cymbal crashes, this piece was created using the Pokemon Emerald Soundfont. I really think that the creative minds at work on the production floor of GameFreak/Nintendo need to be given more credit. However, you dont need a fancy synth keyboard and $5000 worth of equipment to make music, just a piano roll, the patience to drag out the notes on your own, and the motivation to put your emotions into sound just like all the great composers before us.


I really wanted to emphasize the grandiose finale of the competition in the best way I could think of, through an orchestral composition straight from my ADHD brain, to you. This is my first attempt at using a real orchestral setting to express something from my head, inspired heavily by the amazing works of Motoi Sakuraba and his contributions to Dark Souls, Nobuo Uematsu and his performance in every Final Fantasy you can think of, Harry Gregson Williams and his unfathomable ability to convey cinematography into a scene in games such as Metal Gear Solid, and many more composers we have to thank for the current era of video game music


While it is a tad more repetitive than I would like it to be, changing tempo is outside of my skillset at the moment, so this is about the best I can do. I decided at the last moment that since a loop does not really fit an orchestral piece, I would end it on a sweet note and let it fade out instead. (Shocking, I know. I never do that. Feel free to listen to it on a loop though? <3)


Yes, I added a chiptune segment.

No, you cannot stop me.


Cheers to everyone else who participated in the NGUAC, I am eternally thankful for the chance to showcase some of my talent, as many of my friends growing up, and even some of you in the community, have encouraged me to do. I wish all of you the best.


~ Interloping


iu_1262849_3138495.webp

Log in / sign up to vote & review!

I like the quirky synth brass instrument at the beginning and the church bells on the downbeats. The melodies are catchy, although there’s a bit of dissonance at :32, and the percussion could come through clearer in the mix. I’d suggest mixing the percussion to include more mid-range frequencies, and also double-checking the equalizer in other instruments to make sure there aren’t so many low-pitched tones that are interfering with them. That might help make the percussion sound more distinct in the mix.

That said, I especially like the melodic contour at 1:01 and the cute, 8-bit breakdown at 1:26. This track is well-varied harmonically, and flows smoothly as well. It sounds a little too dynamic to fit into a video game soundtrack, but the sound design and flavor are certainly there. Overall, strong work here, Interloping! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

The section at 1:31 gave me chills. Or that was my fever. I don't rightly know which.

I appreciate the nostalgia of this soundfont, the creative arrangement, and the approach to panning, which reminded me of the N64 days, ironically.

Where I think you could improve -- volume of bass, and some tweaks to percussion EQ for better readability in the wider composition; this will lend to perceived fullness. The Emerald soundfont was never known for having very defined drums, due to limitations of its native sound system.

Interloping responds:

I think it may have been a combination of your fever and my subtle tones :P

In this piece there wasnt much of a bassline to be honest, more so just a tuba to fill in the low frequency while the french horns and trumpets dominated their roles, but I know what you mean. I often hesitate to bring up the volume of both the drums and the bass lines because Im worried that they will add too much gain, or simply overpower something else in the mix. Peer review has definitely taught me this is not the case, and maybe on my next piece I will take this into consideration.

I have tried using "Real" drumkits before but honestly, on FL Studio soundfonts, they tend to sound really fake, and noticeably so. Im still seeking out drums that can replace my current ones that maybe have their own cymbals instead of me having to make a separate track for the crashes all the time :P

Thank you for your input once again, I enjoy seeing familiar faces coming back to watch me grow as a composer <3

You had me hooked from 0:00. This is giving me Final Fantasy V boss battle vibes and I'm here for it. I just read Nobuo Uematsu in your description as soon as I wrote that... so yeah, it definitely came across. I think this would definitely be to his tastes. My favourite part is 1:37, which actually makes me feel more Chrono Trigger feels, with a slight aura of airship theme. One of my favourite submissions this round! Best of luck in the NGUAC :D

Interloping responds:

On the contrary, I think this is my favorite comment that I have ever gotten. I try really hard with what I have, which is the basic version of FL studio. Just a piano roll, my brain power, and a lot of clicking/dragging.

Video game music has been one of the few things in my life that has made me truly feel amazing, inside and out. I want to convey the same bold, empowering emotions that I have felt from the greatest writers before me, who also happened to be using what they had available, with everything they've got.

I hope that you can find it within yourself to share this gift of music in your own form, and pass on the feeling of euphoria that I have felt from the moment I first heard my first song on Sonic 2 as a toddler.

Cheers, friend. I wish you all the best.

- Interloping

straight up fire, this would really fight in some over the top pokemon romhack where the final champion has the whole weather trio in his arsenal

Interloping responds:

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't heavily inspired by the bouncy, catchy scales that Junichi Masuda has whipped up over the decades. I'm glad a pokemon battle is what came to your mind, as a personal dream of mine is to write a track for a pokemon game.

Although I do think weather teams are just obnoxious to play around, and swift swim was rightfully banned about 10 years ago ;-;

Pretty Good

Credits & Info

Interloping

Artist
Listens
3,111
Faves:
23
Votes
41
Score
4.77 / 5.00
Uploaded
Aug 29, 2024
6:50 PM EDT
Genre
Video Game
File Info
Song
3.1 MB
2 min 18 sec
Software
  • FL Studio

You might also enjoy…

Licensing Terms

You are free to copy, distribute and transmit this work under the following conditions:

Attribution:
You must give credit to the artist.
Noncommercial:
You may not use this work for commercial purposes.
No Derivative Works:
You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.
Wall Art by
Magibauble

Main Sections

Extra, Extra!

Community

NG Related

©Copyright 1995-2024 Newgrounds, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use