Music from
Flurb: the RPG
This project was begin in 2004 at the request of a fellow named Almasy Marquis. He was beginning to make an RPGMaker game based on the Live-Action Role Playing (LARP) system called "Amtgard". His story takes place in the land of Neverwinter, which is Amtgard's name for Florida.
So what's a "flurb"? Well, in Amtgard-speak, it's an insulting term for a novice. The exact definition I got from Almasy is "a person regarded as socially inept or foolish, often on account of an over-fascination with the roleplaying aspect of Amtgard and/or a lack of fighting skill." And since this game IS nothing but complete RPG experience, the name fits. :)
A DEMO of Flurb is now available for download at the main page, if you'd like to hear a bit of the music in context!
One other thing...I'm not composing "Flurb" on my own. I'm sharing this task with another fellow called Evan Joseph (aka Chrono). So this will only be my half of the task. The music is present in "Original Soundtrack (OST)" format...the loopable tunes will play through twice and fade out.
Enjoy! And if I'm a good boy, I'll be sure to actually FINISH this one... <;)
p.s. If you've ever visited the Terrasskasi page, then you'll know what I mean when I say I'm still in "Sakuraba Mode".
Main Theme from Flurb
When I first came up with the concept for this theme, it was much gentler as heard here. However, as I found out, it was meant for the main world theme, and as such was too calm. So I reworked it into a more upbeat piece.
The old fragment will eventually become part of the closing credits. When it does, I'll be taking it down.
Battle!
RPGs = battles. And composing battle themes is a blast. :)
For years, I've wanted to begin a battle theme with a "western/Mexican trumpet fanfare". For this project, I tried it...and it worked! As for the rest of it, it's all good fun...enjoy the "violin solo" in the middle. :)
Victory!
How about a little obnoxious brass to celebrate another successful monster shredding? You're welcome.
The Lost Woods
Yes, there is a place called The Lost Woods in the Zelda games. And my task was to pay a little homage to it. Of course, I don't think the original Zelda music went into a shuffle after the intro. ;)
Hidden Barony
This village is within the woods, so the music is a variation on the previous theme. Laid-back and twangy. Almasy himself said that he listened to this piece every chance he could get. Now THAT feels good to hear. :)
I Like Pillow...
Well, who doesn't? Just a quick little snippet for the inns.
The Magma Cavern
Hmmm...
Why don't I...um..."creatively acquire" the rhythm from "Tusk" by Fleewood Mac...
And then I'll use some suspenseful "Silent Hill"-style guitar riffs...
Hey...this actually fits together pretty well! :)
BOSS Battle!!!
Oh yeah...bigger boss monsters require different music for their battles. So I tried to come up with something exciting for those instances. It took a couple tries...and I STILL think it's missing something. Almasy says I shouldn't beat myself up over it...agree?
Darkwater East
If you've heard Terrasskasi's "First Time in the Big City", then this is an expansion on that idea...a super-upbeat song. (Dare I say almost-DISCO?!? ;) I think I prefer this over "First Time". I love how the saxophone turned out, as well as the "vocals". "Ooooh, whaaaaaa...Ooooh, whaaaaaa..." :)
Sailing
Here's another idea that's been around for awhile. Originally, it was meant to be based on "Cool Cool Water" by the Beach Boys (although "In Blue Hawaii" from Brian Wilson's "SMiLE" is a lot closer to the truth). One day in late 2004, I was tinkering around on a friend's piano (and tinkering is what I'm limited to, I'm afraid), and decided that it would work for Flurb. So I gave it a bit of a Chrono Cross feel per Almasy's suggestion, and here's how it came out.
Oh...and I also need to give credit to my friend's daughter Jaymie for helping out. As I was playing the tune on the piano, she began to hit the High C along with it. It fit SO WELL that I HAD to make it part of the final version. :)
So thanks, Jaymie...even if you think I AM a weirdo. ;P
Pirates
Ah yes, pirates. This particular band of brigands actually cares about the welfare of Neverwinter, and thus is selective in how they go about their business. So I decided to see if I could balance the "fun" side of swashbuckling with an epic, serious touch. I think I did just that.
Internal Strife
The pirates are only part of the trouble in Neverwinter...there are several elements that threaten to tear the kingdom apart. This tense, dramatic theme is for those moments in the story.
State War!
This takes the tension of the previous theme and livens it up for battles based on the story elements. Although...it was actually the other way around. Before I joined the Flurb team, I had most of this written just as a random piece. It could have been an airship theme or something else. But with the new project on my mind, I decided to use it here and finished it. THEN I reworked it for "Internal Strife".
Needless to say, I like this one better. :)
The Gladiator Pits
This piece does double duty, as our heroes face off challenge after challenge in the gladiator contest. What makes it interesting is that there is no music break between the walking and fighting...this piece plays throughout it all. So I gave it a heroic fanfare beginning before dropping in a snarl and swagger of rock organ and guitars. In the end, I think I'll call it good, trashy fun. :)
Shimmering Sands
It's a small village in the middle of the desert. So I think some bouncy percussion, twangy instruments, and a cheerful flute solo will fit the bill.
Oh, and here's a story for you. Wonder where the "din-ka, dinka, din-ka, dinka" beat and the crazy sitar came from? Well, my younger brother and sister like to pick on one of her cats by making her play her belly like a bongo. NO, I'M NOT KIDDING!!! :D
Ze Evil French
First of all, the name is NOT my idea. ;)
Almasy describes a bunch of "wily antagonists". I take that to mean that they're not really too threatening. So I make this little goofy number just for them. :)
A Place to Call Home
At some point in the story, the world music must change. This is where this piece comes in. Basically, it's a reworking of the Main Theme. You might say that I've tuned it inside out. Is that cheating? Well...I've already done that a couple times, so... ;P
More to come, hopefully soon!
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