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A Simple Walk Into Mordor

The first episode of Rooster Teeth’s new mini-series is up!
Rooster Teeth: A Simple Walk Into Mordor

The series documents Chris and Kerry’s 120-mile trek through New Zealand, traveling on foot from the set of Hobbiton (near Matamata) to the set of Mount Doom (volcanic Mount Ngauruhoe) to destroy a replica of The One Ring.

I worked with Chris on this project to produce several music tracks reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. As a huge LOTR fan myself,*** I was already familiar with Howard Shore’s wonderful score, but I’d never actually sat down to study it. I found a few hidden gems — for example, the eerie violin theme associated with the One Ring isn’t just in a minor key, it’s in two different minor keys at once, using bitonality to reflect the Ring’s mind-splitting effects on its bearer (think Smeagol vs. Gollum).

In fact I enjoyed studying the Lord of the Rings music so much I’m gonna keep right on doin’ it. My “Weekend Tracks” project is on hold just now on account of real gigs, but when it returns you can expect a (less obviously) Lord of the Rings-inspired track or two.

***Cobra Cards LOTR TCG shop has been closed for over five years, please stop calling me asking when we’re open. <3 That's what I get for registering a personal phone number with the BBB, I guess. :)

he enters upon an ordeal; he becomes lost

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Kickstarter for Project: Gorgon is live!

For the past few months I’ve been thrilled to work on Project: Gorgon, an ambitious indie MMO from Eric “Citan” Heimburg and Sandra “srand” Powers. Eric and Sandra are now running a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for more art, audio, and other expenses during the final year of development.

Project: Gorgon is a 3D, cross-platform, fantasy MMORPG with a “quirky, old-school feel.” It’s a pure PvE game with shared dungeons, a highly interactive world, and tons of charmingly bizarre skills. For example, early on you may have the misfortune opportunity to be transformed into a cow. You could find a way to undo the curse… or you could just roll with it. As you earn Cow XP, you’ll not only improve your combat kicks and moos, you’ll gain the ability to produce high-quality milk for “normal” players to use.

There are also words of power, daily combos, programmable battle golems, player-created treasure hunts, player werewolves subject to the real-life lunar cycle, and pants that leave enemies emotionally crippled. :)

Please take a look and consider backing Project: Gorgon!

the universe is not sufficient

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Weekend Track #1: Night Sky


Four years ago I joined up with Alchemic Studio, a mod team from the University of Texas, to participate in the 2008 ArtSpark Festival.

Our “sparks” were 1) a pastoral painting of a boy and his horse, and 2) an elaborate sculpture resembling a spiky flying saucer. After six weeks of non-stop Footmen Frenzy peppered by a few sleepness nights of game development (or was it the other way around?), we presented a humble little PC game about a shy country boy who’s whisked away to adventure among the stars.

The theme music I wrote for Eyrus was a simple piano tune intended to evoke a sense of childlike innocence and wonder, inspired by the delicate piano in scores like Elmer Bernstein’s To Kill a Mockingbird or Joe Hisaishi’s Spirited Away. Over the past few years I’ve kept coming back to Spirited Away in particular, and sometimes thought about that wonderful opening theme. The solo piano sets the tone, sure, but it’s the moment when the orchestra comes in that really tugs at your heart.

I wanted to see if I could accomplish something similar with the old Eyrus theme. So here’s “Night Sky,” an evolution of the original piano melody backed by strings and a little acoustic guitar. Music for camping out in the middle of nowhere, gazing upwards at an impossible number of stars.

~CB

do I see less or more?