o***********************
o* 6 DAYS A SACRIFICE **
o***** soundtrack ******
o********* SE **********
o***********************
o***********************
o***********************
o***********************
o***********************
o******** by ***********
o*Mark "m0ds" Lovegrove*
o***********************
o***********************
o********2007***********
o***********************
o***********************

1. the conception
2. the score
3. the response



1. THE CONCEPTION
=================

After completing the Trilby's Notes, I had a feeling which was later
confirmed that Yahtzee would be bringing out another installment. This
seemed like another exciting oppurtunity because I had really enjoyed
composing the original score for Trilby's Notes. I also realised it was
a chance to rehash the old themes, and make them better, for one last
time. The choice of using similar themes from Trilby's Notes was simple.

There was no way my music was going to be the same as the original use of
RPG Maker music, hence why TN sounded very different. As the fourth 
installment would recap parts of the previous games, and link into Trilby's
Notes, I felt it was best to keep the same themes. It was like giving
the score that "one last time" feel.

It was also a matter of keeping it spooky. I'm not completely satisfied 
with the "spookiness" of this score, but it's still enjoyable to listen to.

Right from the start I envisaged re-hashing the themes from TN. In some
of the tunes you will hear the distinctive "5 days a stranger" melody I 
talked about in the TN SE soundtrack notes. Well, in this score it's only
slightly modified to now read "6 days a sacrifice"...listen carefully! ;)

Yahtzee had only given me a list of roughly 6 tracks to compose, but I
decided to create a couple of variations for different scenes. Nearer the
end of it's production, I found it difficult to write suitable themes for
new parts, one struggle was the "descending" theme for Dacabe. This is the
only tune that has a different, un-used version. I changed it right at the
last minute. All the other tunes were written straight off, without
problems. There was just a concern that the descend tune wouldn't fit the mood,
and I wasn't satisfied with how it sounded through MIDI.

original_descend.mp3		
	- the original composition played through my keyboard

original_descend_midi.mid	
	- the tune written in Cakewalk for MIDI



2. THE SCORE
============
(in order of date composed)

 01. MENU (00m24s)

I needed to keep it simple. As there was no particular new theme
this time round, I didn't want it to be obvious that's where it was
leading from the simple menu screen. Yahtzee had originally asked
for a tune which played from the menu through the intro sequence,
but I realised it would probably be best to make one for each, the 
menu AND the intro sequence.

 02. INTRODUCTION  (01m54s)

This composition followed on directly from the MENU track, re-introducting
the "5 days a stranger" melody, with the subtle change in musical syllables
or whatever you might call it to create "6 days a sacrifice". It sounds quite
like the music from TN, it is supposed to conjure up some memories. 

The last 30 seconds of this track were removed from the game as it did not
suit the mood, but this pack contains the complete original intro music, again
just a re-hash of the "Remember the days" track from the Trilby's Notes score.

 05. PHANTOM MANOR (02m24s)

This tune came pretty easily. I wanted it to be slow and fairly suspensful,
as Yahtzee wanted it to seem as if something was lying in wait. Again, though - 
there comes a re-hash of a melody from Trilby's Notes. That's right, Tall Man's
harpsichord tune! I think The second half of this track is far more foreboding 
than the beginning. Tall Man's theme sounds quite freaky! Again, a memory conjurererer.

 06. URGENCY (00m39s)

I didn't know if this tune would get used, but again it's just a new
improved version of the "danger theme" from Trilby's Notes. I find it
tough to decide which I like best, though :)

 09. MANIC PANIC #1 (00m29s)

I had major PC problems over the course of this soundtrack with my 
keyboard. It would restart the machine everytime it was plugged in
through the MIDI lead. After re-installing, it worked long enough
for me to write these two panic tunes, which were only really meant
to be "temporary" items. However, the problem persisted and re-installing
didn't work the second time round. I had wanted to compose these on the
keyboard as it's far easier to make the stranger sounds, but never
managed to make any renditions.

 10. MANIC PANIC #2 (00m49s)

Same again, it was meant as just a test but has ended up in the game.
Perhaps it'll be replaced at a later stage? :) These are basically
variations on the "Dark World" theme from Trilby's Notes. Much faster
paced and more intense, but possibly not as freaky as the original 
"Dark World" piece. 

 08. DEFOE THEME EPIC (01m17s)

"This plays in sad and tragic scenes, like when the heroes are laying to rest Samantha Harty's corpse, or when an unpleasant truth is being revealed. It should reflect all the sadness, hopelessness and oppression Dacabe feels in his captivity."

I kept the tune simple and slow. I eventually decided to make two versions of this
track, this one - the completely tragic version, and  

04. UNPLEASENT TRUTH (00m45s)

this one, the slightly less intense tragic version! Well.

03. EXPLORATION (03m03s)

Through the majority of my soundtracks, I hit a certain point where I think, oh
shit, I've replayed the same melody over and over and just tried different ways
to fit it into different tracks. I'd already gone overkill on the "6 days a sacrifice"
melody, but on creating this tune I realised it had to sound much different. 

So again I went for slow strings, playing away the sorrows. The hardest part of this
MIDI was trying to make sure each stringed instrument didn't overlap and cut out the
sound of another string part. I would explain that further if I could :p

11. DANGER THEME (00m29s)

This had actually been created very early on in the stages of the score's development.
I decided it would work best as the danger theme as there was some concern about the
"urgency" tune being the main danger theme. This tune is short, it's repetitive, but
it's the Tall Man theme!

13. END CREDITS  (01m29s)

Now that I had every major theme in place, and in my head (except the descend tune) I
decided to write the end credits, which usually acts as a kind of end of game medley.
Okay, you'll actually notice this one isn't very medleyish, moreso "That's the frigging
end!" 

07. THE COMPLEX (01m38s)

Finally an idea for the complex came to my mind, and I put this MIDI down with just
a day to spare before the deadline for Yahtzee. It's not perfect, but it's pretty
moody! This tune may be slightly different in the game, because I changed it slightly
after release. My favourite part of this track is probably the last part, because the
jingling glockenspiel sound is something I haven't been able to achieve in past MIDI's.

12. DESCEND  (00m36s)

The last tune with just a couple of hours to go! Again it wasn't perfect, but I had
thought it needed to sound more "stepy" than "descending". Meaning, I took more of a
staircase into account in this composition than in the last one, which sounded more
like floating downwards. It's a music thing :p



3. THE RESPONSE
===============

The response was comforting. There wasn't much talk about the soundtrack, well apart
from one comment that it didn't suit the game particularly well :p Someone else made
the comment I wanted to hear most though, and that's that they were glad to hear the
same themes from Trilby's Notes. So that outweighs the other one! ;) 

Either way, I hope you enjoy the music for what it is! I'm not really one for writing
music for dark, serious games. 6DAS and TN are probably my darkest scores so far, and
even they sound quite 'bombastic'. However, it's helped me control lower notes. For
example, there's a lot of strings in this score, playing deep low notes. A lot of the
time they have strange pitch bending sounds too, which I'm now more confident in.

If there's one thing I felt this score missed, it's that really low pitch bending that
I used in Trilby's Notes, (the main theme for example). That sound could've worked well
in several places in this music. None the less, I've had fun, thousands have had fun
playing Yahtzee's game - and now you're having fun listening to the soundtrack, so it's allllll good!! :)

So long!

I'll see you soon in the Nelly Cootalot: Spoonbeaks Ahoy soundtrack readme file! 

Bye-bye!

:)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
copyright  mark lovegrove

contact Mark at
> speilbergjnr@hotmail.com

Please share but do not modify!
...or YOU will pushed down an elevator shaft...

Screen 7 - www.screen7.co.uk
	 - www.screen7.co.uk/music/midi
