Miracle of Sound: Calamity (Bastion)

[MiracleOfSound]

Brilliant work, another stunning piece of music! I love the multiple vocal layers and the way they gradually build and come together at the end. A nice way to reference the rebuilding of a world, if it was the given intention.

Exactly Well spotted.

I liked it! My favourite from the last few songs you`ve put out. I actually had Bastion, but never really started playing it, even tho I`ve seen so much positive stuff being said about the game. So the heck with it, I´ll just start the download on Steam.

You won't regret it. It's a wonderful game

I understand wanting to one's own style but after the intro I expected something more reminiscent of the original soundtrack.

Don't.

The vocals don't really fit the tone (except the part sung in a low voice)

They weren't meant to.

and the "Backtrack(..)Keep you on the right side" and "Cloudburst(..)Knuckles of your own hand" where too much of a shift in style and felt horribly out of place.

Heh, they're my favourite parts. I grew up on Faith No More and bands that always throw curveballs like that into their songs. God help you if you ever try and listen to Frank Zappa or Opeth with such a limited scope for what feels too different or out of place.

I've never listened to anything that MiracleOfSound has put out before. Thankfully, I've corrected that mistake.
Seriously, this is great. I keep replaying it over and over...

Welcome

I'm really digging that deep, smooth voice--really reminiscent of Sweet L.A.--and the quick switch to a softer, raspier voice works really well. Add that to the ridiculously catchy melody and the ending with the overlapping vocals being just perfect, and this song is amazing.

Although I've gotta say, every time I heard the line, "So bring it back or start anew." I heard it as "So bring it back or start a new..." and kept expecting something after it, haha!

Ha I never thought of it that way but it totally makes sense with regards to the mechanics of the game

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Thank you so much Gavin I've been waiting for you to do Bastion for so long and I am SO not disappointed.
One, you got the feel of the soundtrack style music; that eclectic mix of guitars and electric stuff and everything. And then when you started singing you sounded like Rucks (The Narrator) at first, not sure whether or not that was intentional but it works excellently. Then you've got the actual lyrics which seem to simultaneously describe the the story and its progression, and also the mechanics and weaponry.
In short you're excellent and so is the song. I fucking love it. Thank you so damn much. I really ought to apologise for being so ridiculous but hot damn I'm excited and happy and I just love the song.

Thank you, read all of that comment and it made me smile. Glad you, someone who is clearly a huge fan of the game, saw where I was coming from with the song

 

[MiracleOfSound]

For the first time listening to one of your songs I was a little dubious going into this one, since the Bastion soundtrack is my absolute favourite. However, once again, you've taken the essence of the game (or film) and put your own stamp on it in a way which is reminiscent of the source but still feels fresh. I LOVE this - from the intro which really sounds like it's straight from the game, the awesome chorus, the gravelly vocals... Great work sir!

Was definitely nervous about tackling something with such a well loved soundtrack, but in a way I feel like that challenge made it better, with such wonderful source material to draw ideas from

I'm actually kind of fascinated that people found this as being too different than the game's soundtrack. One of the aspects I loved most about Bastion's soundtrack was how eclectic it was, there were a lot of different elements and genre's at play in there.

Agreed. The whole idea with this song was to take various scattered elements of the OST and make something fresh from them.

 

[The Almighty Aardvark]

Didn't actually like it. Too much rock, not enough blues; doesn't gel with the theme of the game's actual music. Maybe that's just the problem with doing music about a game that's specifically known for its soundtrack. Usually Miracle of Sound is really good about matching a game to its musical style (e.g. Sweet LA or Wheatley's Song), but this was just a swing and a miss.

I actually think it felt pretty appropriate. Especially the guitar, that sounded almost like it could have come straight from the game. I see what you mean about how it could have had a little more of a blues feeling to it, but this still worked for me.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Great song! I really like how it fits with "genre" of the OST but still has that Miracle of Sound feel. I'll need to let it marinate with further listening before I can speak to the nuances of it, but it's really impressive. I especially like the harp? at the beginning. It leads into the song very well and sorta of reminds me of the intro to Sovngarde song.

This isn't related to this song in particular, but do you write the lyrics and the music together, or do you write one first then fit the other to it?

It's different every time, no real ruleset there. This one was kinda done all together - guitar in hand and pen on the table

 

[Fijiman]

Another masterpiece, Gav. Can't wait to see what your next song will be.

 

[Ken_J]

"Kid wakes up. Nah I'm just foolin."

 

[beefpelican]

So I found the lyrics a bit cheezy, but I guess that's just what's gonna happen when you make a song about a game. The music, on the other hand, was fantastic. It seemed like another song off of the soundtrack. Do all of these fit so well with their games' music?

 

[Carbonyl]

I'm not sure I like this one, the last few actually have had this same vocal-y thing, where you have a bunch of your voices all weirdly laid over each other and I felt like it would have sounded better with just one voice instead of the group of them.

Last few? All my songs are layered. Might wanna either get used to it or stop listening cause it ain't going anywhere.

"You can't fix a broken heart in a couple of days, so bring it back or start anew"

What a lyric, the whole song is excellent but that line in particular stands out as a great piece of songwriting. It fits the themes of the game, makes perfect sense to anyone unfamiliar with Bastion and has a very nice ring to it too... Kudos

That's my favourite line in the song actually. I like how it opens it up to people who have not played the game but also makes sense in the context of Zulf and the Ura

Beautiful song for a beautiful game. Still, it is a little disappointing that the song is missing that slight western touch that pervades the entire game.

Never really stood out for me to be honest. I focused on the parts that jumped at me, such as the beats, guitars, strings etc.... also I didn't want to mimic a certain song from the game too closely

Ahhhhhhh! I'm not trying to insult your normal layering! I like it in a lot of the other songs, there was just something about this one and Hengsha, I think, that I felt didn't.... it sounded like a bubble that wouldn't hold together properly when leaving the bubble-blowing-stick thing and it wasn't satisfying to me in some way. If that makes any sense? I'm sorry... I can't... I can't word and this is coming out wrong and I really like your music almost all the time. Please don't be mad at me.

 

[[The]Rock]

Be right back, guys, Ahmma go teach myself how to play this one.

Why do you write such catchy songs, Gav? They take up all my spare time.

 

[Barciad]

Sounds like Mark Lanegan.

 

[Kelgair]

O.O Amazing.

I never thought I'd hear a lyrical accompaniment that worked so well with the musical style of Bastions OST. But damn, you've done it, and more.

 

[hickwarrior]

This is why I don't post in these forums: Everyone already said what needed to be said.

Gavin, never stop experimenting in styles. Things like this would never exist without you doing so.

Also, it reminded me that I need to complete bastion one of these days. I still haven't done that for a year or so.

 

[Excludos]

I'm surpised you dared to touch one of the best gaming soundtracks out there, and you did a damn good job of it. A lot of the same notes as Bynn the Breaker, but different enough that its your own. And it sounds amazing. Well done!

Also, how good is Bastion?

Really good. It is just so amazing. The gameplay gets really fun once you have a couple of good weapons. Plus the soundtrack is beautiful, and the story is very touching. Oh and the Narrator is brilliant. I really don't think they got much wrong with bastion. It is completely worth all $15. There is even a new game +. I don't know how many hours it will take you seeing as I ddin't get it on steam.

It was a rhetorical question

 

[Tax_Document]

Alas, I have not a single ounce of a talent that ye' posses, MoS.

However, I find this song one of my favorites and will be purchased ASAP!

 

[Salakayin]

This song is amazingly impressive. The instrumentals reflect well the variety that the Bastion soundtrack has within it. Which is one of the things I adored about Bastion songs, they all had a different theme for their respective environments. You've just happened to nicely mesh a few of them into the same song! And the lyrics, mate. Great references to the overall theme of the Bastion plot while making them independent in their understanding within the context of the song. I quite enjoyed this song. I found Bastion to be a well-crafted game, and I think you caught its essence very effectively. So I say, well-crafted on your part!

 

[Jamous]

snippety snip snip

Thank you, read all of that comment and it made me smile. Glad you, someone who is clearly a huge fan of the game, saw where I was coming from with the song

You're always welcome Gav; as you might've guessed I rather like your music. Now I must admit I have a question: When is it on Bandcamp? I kind of need to move without bouncing up and down.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

snippety snip snip

Thank you, read all of that comment and it made me smile. Glad you, someone who is clearly a huge fan of the game, saw where I was coming from with the song

You're always welcome Gav; as you might've guessed I rather like your music. Now I must admit I have a question: When is it on Bandcamp? I kind of need to move without bouncing up and down.

It'll be on Bandcamp later today

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Please don't be mad at me.

Not mad at all, lol.

Also was the last verse and the first verse being the same a very deliberate decision? (And if so it works brilliantly as an opening and an end that's an opening, plus the way it takes from the line in Bastion that does that. Which you know I guess because you wrote it as that. Oh look I'm gushing.)

Yes - the song is in many places meant to imply time moving backwards and things happening that have already happened before

 

[Boba Frag]

As usual, I want to play Bastion again now.... Fantastic job, Gavin! Shame it'll be a while before your next one... Then again, I have this ever growing back catalogue of yours to keep me occupied while you work!

 

[LordFish]

(8)I dig my hole you build a wall, One day that wall is ganna fall, Ganna build that city on a hill, Some day those tears are ganna spill, So build that wall and build it strong.(8)

Loved your song almost as much as the one above Although I have been wondering, Do you capture the game footage yourself or do you get it from other sources?