Requiem for a Muse

YouTube find: RemixSample

September 16, 2022 / JC

Ambient has become my absolute favorite genre of music, and on YouTube I really like seeing people create and play it. Like general synthesizer overview videos, I prefer those that have very little if any talking. One of the first pages I discovered, and keep coming back to, is RemixSample. One of the main “selling points” I think is that he doesn’t use any extravagant expensive gear. In fact, some of his music is only done with software instruments, and yet it sounds just as good (if not better). He also has a good balance of effects (namely delay and reverb) to sounds. In ambient this is not just important but critical.

In addition to his YouTube channel, there is a Patreon page you can join. Along with music, he offers sample packs along with answering questions on music gear, production, etc.

Mount Shrine

September 8, 2022 / JC

While I’ve been listening to Cryo Chamber for a number of years now, there are a few key artists that have come to the forefront as my favorites. Among those select few, the very best is Cesar Alexandre, aka Mount Shrine. His work is a unique mix of pads, drones, and static radio. That’s simplifying it greatly, and like any ambient music you really need to just sit down, close your eyes, and pop those headphones on.

Unfortunately, Cesar passed away due to COVID-19, but he left behind enough work for Simon Heath (head of Cryo Chamber) to complete and release his posthumous album: All Roads Lead Home. I don’t know if that was the intended name of the album Cesar was going to use (it’s also the name of the final track), but it’s certainly fitting for his final work. It was indeed a pleasant surprise to be able to hear more of Mount Shrine’s fantastic work. I hope Simon, along with Cesar’s family and friends, are proud of all the music he created and the lasting effect it has had for fans around the world to help cope and/or escape.

itch.io finds: August 2022

August 5, 2022 / JC

9 Childs St

I first saw 9 Childs St played by Gab Smolders, and I really liked the atmosphere and tension of this game! The full game is in development, and I look forward to seeing what all it adds and changes compared to this demo.

The Building 71 Incident

This is one of the rare games that I played myself before watching someone play it on YouTube. The Building 71 Incident has a great atmosphere and even more (if more subdued) music and sound effects. It is a very short game, and the ending is a little bit sudden and lackluster. But it’s a promising beginning for the developer, and I look forward to see what might come next.

The Crypt Terror

The Crypt Terror is my top pick of these 3, for its atmosphere, audio design, graphics, and setting. It is also quite short with a sudden ending, but for some reason it didn’t bother me as much. If the player takes their time to walk around and really absorb the setting, it’s simply fantastic and eerie. It is featured in the 90th(!) 3 Scary Games episode from Markiplier.

Artwork find: Alena Aenami

January 14, 2022 / JC

While browsing Reddit I was immediately taken by the above illustration by Alena Aenami. Her artwork is abstract but still easy to pick up tiny details the more you look, and her use of different colors in each work enables me to take the time to really look at each one. Along with showing her work on Artstation, she has a Patreon to support new work, along with wallpaper packs via Gumroad.