Skip to:

Desynced Vol. 1 - Commentary

1.6k words across 9 entries.

Winds of Change Listen on: Bandcamp, YouTube, SoundCloud

Rainy: (YouTube / SoundCloud descriptions, excerpt)

Winds of Change has an interesting history. Back when I joined the DMT, I wrote a song called "Cooldown" that was intended to be Dad Bedford's Strife theme. Initially I had intended it to be a strife theme for both Dad and Kate sort of how "Aggrieve" from the Homestuck OST was a strife theme for both Rose and Her Mom. However, as I read the comic further, I understood that Dad probably would never raise a hand toward toward his daughter (but dear-person is different story). With this in mind, I decided to set out and make a strife theme specifically for Kate. I had intended this song to be on Volume 2 but we needed to round out the track list for Volume 1 and my song fit the general tone of the album. As for the song itself, I decided to go for a more 8-bit direction that was reminiscent of the early Homestuck strife themes like Showtime and Aggrieve. I incorporated elements of Kate's theme, "Daughter" as well as the previously mentioned "Cooldown" I'm fairly proud of how this track turned out, especially with the Cooldown section towards the middle.

A Very Forgiving Kind of Guy Listen on: Bandcamp, YouTube

Levc: (YouTube in-video commentary)

(0:00–0:12)

This was the first track i made for the album!

i made a piano sketch wich, as you can hear became Evan's theme (the tittle its a reference to his introduction i think)

as a trivia fact, i made the whole song the same day i joinded the DESYNCED music team.

(0:16–0:28)

I read his introduction like 3 times to get a good feel of his personality.

what i got out of it was that, its a good guy! kinda lighhearted? and a little bit of a nerd that writes a lot...

so, i made this lighhearted theme for this really "kind of forgiving guy."

(0:30–0:42)

Now, with the introduction of one of many(?) motifs for this character, we heard for the first time my new favorite instrument to use in this album for some reason. a vibraphone.

i like the melody of this, its easy to remember, at least for me. and easy to sing, at least for me again.

(0:44–0:56)

HELL YEAH, i love this transition to the next section. i feel so smart for a doing this like you all have no idea LOL.

it was easy to do, basically compress all the instruments with the bitcrusher and then match with NES waves to continue the song. its easy to coprehend if you hear the piano in the transition.

(0:57–1:04)

SASSY PIANO

(1:06–1:33)

Now its time for some sweet repetition so its even mroe easy to remember in general.

now there is no 8 bit part, being replaced with an acoustic/organic instrumentation instead

(1:35–1:52)

i need to say that im not sure how to feel about this... anticlimax?? im not sure how to describe it...

i just put it here to transition to the end if im being honest

(1:53–2:12)

And to finish this commentary some sweet TRIANGLE WAVE SOLO to end in a really happy note.

because i love using triangle waves as leads instead of a cliche bass.

thats all for this song folks!

Levc: Have a good day!

Cooldown Listen on: Bandcamp, YouTube, SoundCloud

Rainy: (YouTube / SoundCloud descriptions, excerpt)

Cooldown is a bit special to me since it was the first track I wrote when I joined the desynced team back in November 2019. Dizzy needed a strife theme for Dad Bedford since the person who was initially going to make it left the project before I joined and I was more than happy to fill in. Seeing as this was going to be the first strife theme for Desynced, I took major inspiration from the track "Showtime" by Malcolm Brown as that was the first strife theme in Homestuck. I wanted to created a melody that was as catchy, memorable and remixable as Showtime's main melody. Despite it being my first song for Desynced, it still one of my favorites compositions.

Behind the Door Listen on: Bandcamp, YouTube

Levc: (YouTube in-video commentary)

(0:00–0:22)

The history behind this song its interesting...

I got the idea from reading the update where Kate's Dad tries to Talk to her behind a door (as you can read by the title itself).

So , i needed to make a cute and kinda inspiring song to reflect the good nature in his words.

how? well, starting with a shy aproach using a slow intro that resolves into the speach itself (the rest of the song.

(0:23–0:41)

The original piano sketch, was good, a little too good, the team told me that it fits better for the "DESYNCES Anthem". wich for me was an honor to make.

the problem was, that practicly i needed to start from scratch in a new melody that fits the scene better.

so i did one of the most fun parts of making a full soundtrack...

Play with leitmotifs!

(0:43–1:03)

I added Cooldown because its related to Kate's dad and kate herself. turning a fight theme into a emotional theme its poetic in a way. like, it adds more meaning to the motif in a special way.

i need ot say im a really big fan of cooldown and rainy. he makes really good strife themes.

(also the piano its a emotional ver of Temporal Guardian because dad)

(1:04–1:32)

And to end a good foreshadowing of future events and music. telling story trough music its GOOD.

also, the door sound effect at the end was originally sample for a spooky theme i made for a challenge long time ago, it was a perfect oportunity to use it again... and well...

to end the song,
it was necessary to
open the door...

Witch Hunting Listen on: Bandcamp, YouTube

Levc: (YouTube in-video commentary)

(0:00–0:15)

I got the idea of what exactly to do with this song the moment i read the intruduction of this Funny antagonists that showed up out of nowhere in the comic.

I KNEW i had to do a a fun villian song... but how??

that was the real challenge with this one.

(0:17–0:42)

I took inspiration from payrus theme from Undertale,and Frog's theme From Chrono Trigger, even tho its not obvius at first.

and you will say, "oh levc i get Papyrus as a inspiration, i mean, goofy villian goofy song but, how did Frog's theme inspired this at all???"

(0:45–1:24)

Well, i took the point of view of the goofy villians! they kinda see themselfs as heroes? or at least they dont see themselves as really bad guys.

So i tried to do one of the most ironic songs i ever composed by making a Heroic theme for one of the groups of antagonists.

i send the piano sketch to the team and the idea was aproved, so i just orchestrated the song.

(1:26–2:10)

AFter that i didnt know what else to put to end the song...

so i did this little improv in piano. yes, this is me playing.

im sorry for being bad at it haha.

(ALSO SECRET MOTIF IN THE END AND THE MAIN MELODY ITSELF)

Lady Listen on: Bandcamp, YouTube

Levc: (YouTube in-video commentary)

(0:00–0:22)

When i made this theme i didn't know alot about Jes...

Dizzy told me (after i said i didn't more ideas for songs) that i could do this theme for a mysterious lady and show me an early drawing of her.

i inmediately say JAZZ and did a jazzy song. with a misterius intro.

(0:23–0:45)

I think that i most like about this theme its the use of the bass itself.

basically the bass its the melody of the song, with all the other instruments being accompaniment.

i Use 2 Basses to make it more... realistic? at least i tried.

(0:46–2:02)

I really don't have anything else to say about it.

other than the use of my vibraphone, there is no more trivia commentary to say about i.

just enjoy the music :3

Mother Dearest Listen on: Bandcamp, YouTube, SoundCloud

Rainy: (YouTube / SoundCloud descriptions, excerpt)

Dizzy wanted a theme for Kate's Denizen, Gaea, that was a variation of The song "Daughter" by PotatoBoss. So I took the opening chords and arranged them into the repeating motif you hear throughout the song. I got the idea from listening to the track "Penumbra phantasm" and hearing how that track arranged the chords for Doctor.

Mirror Mirror Listen on: Bandcamp, YouTube, SoundCloud

Rainy: (YouTube / SoundCloud descriptions, excerpt)

I initially wrote this track for Volume 2 as theme for Evan's Land. At time of writing, the land has yet to be revealed so I am somewhat limited in what I can say right now. Given that I was writing a land theme, I took major inspiration from some of the Homestuck land themes (I.E Doctor, CaC, Endless Climb).In terms of the song itself, I decided to mess around with counterplay between melodic lines.This experimentation led to some interesting results melody and motif wise. I played around with that style a whole lot more in Evan's strife theme but that a discussion best saved for Volume 2's commentary...

Desynced Anthem Listen on: Bandcamp, YouTube

Levc: (YouTube in-video commentary)

(0:00–0:26)

The First thing i send to the theme was this intro. And to me, its the most iconic part of the whole song.

also it has all the instruments all the song will use. i tried to do a BIG cinematic introduction that, resembles like.. entering this new universe!

(0:28–1:22)

Using a Chromatic progression i tried to go full on nostalgic for the theme.

like, you can take it like its in a really poetic way? of, seeing how beutifull the universe is. but its more nostalgic to fit the feel of the story.

how? whell, with a electric guitar and a flute its a good combo to get that feel. at least for me it does get that feel

(1:24–1:58)

This melody was originally intended for "Behind The Door"

i Named the piano improv file "anthem" because it had a really antehm-ish rythnm. but then they liked it and had the idea to make it the anthem of the comic.

im really glad they say that, this is one of my favorite melodies i have composed.

(2:00–2:28)

AND NOW, THE OBLIGATORY ELECTRIC GUITAR SOLO!!!!

The epic nature that we associate with that sound makes it have a more strong emotional power. like its a solo with a lot of soul you know?

(2:30–3:00)

And now, a mysterious outro that doesn't resolve.

Because it's just the beginning of something of something really excellent.

View original file ( kB MB). (Heads up! If you're on a mobile plan, this is a large download.)