Friends, I present to you the fruit of the collaboration between Squidly, Hyptosis and myself.

Presenting, The Hut in Ayre Forest!

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Now admittedly, it was difficult, what with the finer details we had to pay attention to over the past 48 hours, being stuck for story ideas for an hour or so, dealing with processor speed problems when it came to programming and music. Still, we're glad it's done, and we're glad to share this with you.

We need an artist to complete our Game Jam 8 team!
The people in the team so far are Squidly (the man behind Second Wind) and myself.

Art is going to bring out the notions of the game a lot more, so any help is appreciated!

Please contact either Squidly or myself via PM.

Thanks!

EDIT 13:10.2012 15:47: The team is now complete. A big thank-you to Hyptosis for stepping in.

This post will be updated over time. Now a lot of my songs over here belong in collections, so I will list them as I go along.

Project Chaplaincy
NOTE: Not all the tracks from the OST are going to be uploaded on Newgrounds.
- Preliminary Audio Samples
- In re Reveris
- Day of Reckoning
- Bataile Royale (SNES version / piano version)
- Over Sunrise and Dark Cloud
- Arise Once More

Full soundtrack here!

The National Service Journal
NOTE: Not all the tracks from the OST are going to be uploaded on Newgrounds.
- City of Sunrise
- Capital of Soot
- Whispers in the Rain
- La Ligne du Départ
- Westminster Tune ~ Preuve de foi (version 1 / version 2)
- Étoile Perdue

Game Jam 7
- Happy Sunday Morning!
- The Wish of a Child
- Up, Up and Away
- Whoopsie

Full collection here!

Game Jam 8
- Crossing the Brook
- Through the Woods I
- Through the Woods II

Full collection here!

Newgrounds Audio Deathmatch 2012
- Propter Te
- Supplication
- Asperges Me
- Mio/Homura

EP coming soon!

Represent a Country and other related works
- Barnyard Céilidh
- An Uair am Feill

Video game remixes
- Abyss Tales of the Abyss
- Akai Tsuki/Lune Rouge Disgaea 3: Hour of Darkness
- Capriccio 'Bullet Heaven' Bullet Heaven
- Estavius Epic Battle Fantasy 3
- Gourmet Race/Castle Dedede Kirby's Epic Yarn
- Hometown Domina Legend of Mana
- The Overthere Shrine Super Paper Mario
- Paraphrase: Kairi - Naminé - Xion Kingdom Hearts
- Reach for the Stars Sonic Colours

It is strange that I am putting up a news post in less than 24 hours from the previous one, but I feel that it's only right that I explain what is going on. These situations all took place over last week and this week.

Some of you are aware of the events that transpired during the NGADM. Round 3 came, and I was paired up against one very established orchestral composer on Newgrounds -- Bosa. But he dropped the round so that I could go through, and also because he was going into hermit mode. I wondered why he would drop the competition for me....... I never understood it, but ever since then, I wanted to press on and win -- for our Lord and for Bosa, who had confidence in me.

End of factual background.

In Round 4, I was pitted against Waterflame, one of the most sought-after video game composers on NG, if not the most sought-after. At the time I was ready either for a win or a loss. I told myself I would do my best, and I prayed about the piece. So I sat down to work on it. Ideally, I wanted to win this, but I was ready at any rate. And I was okay with Waterflame winning -- after all, if he did, it was well-deserved.

During those two weeks, I had two assignments, which I did tend to regularly -- Practical Legal Research and Business Law and Practice. The classmates I met at uni had to cart themselves from London, so it was painstaking for them as it was for me. I made it a point that we met. For the most part, I had to walk with heavy bags straddled on my shoulder, sometimes, in the rain. Where I did my law work, I did it; where I didn't do my law work, I did my best to finish the music for the NGADM submission.

Then came the second week of submission. I would only get my music finished on Tuesday of that week. Wednesday was supposed to be recording day but a poor friend forgot to bring his mic (bless him), so the recording was postponed to Friday, the submission deadline.

Within that week, I was pestered by another friend, and shall I say, emotionally blackmailed, to correct, paraphrase, and footnote a submission (multiple times at that), and to contribute to a discussion board that I wasn't even a part of. Oftentimes I would be kept up late at night because I didn't want to leave the poor friend in the lurch. I was emotionally tense and did my best to exercise restraint from swearing. Then came Thursday night, the day before the recording. I was kept up until 5:00 AM that night, and as it was, I had very little sleep. I swore at my computer to no end...

I had four hours of sleep that night, got up at 9:00-something, went to university without even freshening up, borrowed the mic, returned home, used the mic for about two hours, making as little room for error as I possibly could, returned the mic, went back home to do the little mixing that I could and export the MP3, freshened up and went to uni again to submit my own assignments. Bear in mind, it takes me a good 20 minutes to walk to uni, and slightly longer with a heavy bag.

Before the results were announced, I befriended Waterflame, and while I encouraged him to give all he could give, he encouraged me when I was beginning to hit the low as it were, holding it in his heart that I had already won by coming so far. I accepted it. I was fine with winning or losing. I was just so thankful to have spoken with him. This was a time where I acknowledge I was doing what Akiko Shikata did in a month or longer, with a strained voice, lack of sleep, a mic that I could only use over two hours, lack of time and just two weeks of preparation, and he was still ever so gracious to me.

However, what especially hurt me was the fact that some people decided to be so insensitive and add salt to my already deep wounds with comments like these:

"This is an extremely difficult, if not impossible piece to pull off."
"I applaud you for making such an ambitious attempt, but IMHO you're biting a bit more than you can chew here."
"You tried something that was simply too hard for you to pull off alone."

I bear in mind that my mixing is horrible, and that it needs work. Lots of work. I'll gladly improve on the flaws. But these are essentially slaps across my already wounded face, which had been stepped on during the emotional blackmail incident. Also notable was the fact that I don't usually swear, but ever since that day where I stayed up until 5:00 AM, I swore like a sailor.

Knowing that I had lost precisely because of that incident, I went back to that friend and gave her a good, hard shelling over direct message. She was not going to give my opportunity back, that was for sure. The results came out on Sunday, and they confirmed what I had said.

I would not have been so embittered about this loss had it not been for all the crap that I had been put through over the week. In fact, I would have taken it like a sport had all this not happened. I also wanted to win this for Him and for Bosa -- there were listeners who knew that these songs were music from the soul, and I knew that if I won, it would be my chance to put back into the minds of listeners, music from the soul. Now that chance is gone............

Yesterday evening before Mass I spoke to Merlyne and he reminded me that the answer lies not in winning every single challenge, but being able to pick oneself up when I've lost.

I've been on the verge of giving up on my music and composing, and giving up on helping people altogether. In fact, I don't know why, but I feel as though my good desires are slowly dying, because of how battered I've been. But I don't want to lose those good desires, because they are who I am, and if I lose them, I will lose my soul.

Pray for me, please. I cannot take this anymore. If you should not be the type to pray, at least keep me in your thoughts.

As most people expected.

For the few who rooted for me in this round, I am truly grateful to you.

Farewell.

The line I used to introduce it was: Whose mind is cluttered now?

Presenting: Mio/Homura.

Admittedly, I made a humble attempt to emulate the sounds I heard in some Ar Tonelico songs, but the message is all mine, the emotion is all mine.

The long description should reveal everything to you.

Well, I enter this round with complete resignation.

P.S. (EDIT 5.8.12 at 17:14)

I am now at uni, and on the way there I did some thinking about the piece I have just submitted.

The piece seems to embody me in spirit, if not in musical style. Please, allow me to explain why.

The thing about me is that people either love me or hate me. There is no middle ground. So it is with this piece. Also, there are harmonic and discorded parts of the piece, which reflect the many things in me that are ordered and disordered. Still, if this piece may have the grace of piercing the skies and bringing down a ray of warm, divine light, I would be happier than ever.

People have raised concerns as to the status of the Epic Battle Fantasy collab which I started in July. I have had to put it on hold because:

- NGADM.
- Student visa extension application issues, a lot of which were things beyond my control.
- Housing issues which almost left me homeless, also caused by things beyond my control.

I'll be able to continue the EBF collab once the NGADM is over, and I'll be pressing for it more than ever.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In other news.....

4TH PLACE IN REPRESENT A COUNTRY WOOOOO!

Thanks to all who listened, commented and voted.

I just..... had a gut feeling this day would come, but I didn't expect it to be at the NGADM semis.

While I am aware that I went through Round 3 by default because Bosa relinquished the competition (T_T), I also realise that I am the least of the four of us who made it to the semis, effectively having the lowest score. Still, I thank all of you for your constant encouragement, reviews, listens.... and even the few of you who have added my work into your favourites. Some of you loved Propter Te even though the mixing in that piece was horrible. Some of you loved Supplication because of the connotations it bore. And some of you even loved Asperges Me...

I honestly appreciate it. I honestly do.

This is a round that I had long anticipated, in fact since Round 1. I bear in mind my lack of mixing skill, and yet, I want to give all I have. All of us know that Waterflame is one of the most sought-after video game composers on Newgrounds, if not the most sought-after. And rightly so: his years of experience, the projects he has worked on, and his general musicality show it. People had trembled upon hearing his name during the first few rounds.... no, I don't want to tremble. I want to walk into this round with the joy of a little child, fearing little.

Although I am genuinely worried for this round, I will do my best not to let this worry hamper me.

TroisNyxEtienne v Waterflame

The cards are on the table. He who wants to pick a card for either side may go ahead and do so.

Long and drawn-out process is long, but after completing the RAC submission, beginning my Legal Practice Course with introductory sessions all day every day, getting into a housing problem beyond my control and being rendered almost homeless, and breaking down in tears, here is my NGADM Round 3 submission. T_T

Friends, I present to you, after a full week of hard work and little rest: Asperges Me.

I hope it speaks to you as much as the story behind the song has spoken to me.

Everyone, I have advanced to NGADM Round 3. Thanks for all the support. Also, EbonHawk, you did well <3

I have now been pitted against one of NG's most established classical and neo-orchestral composers: Bosa. I do not know what this round will turn out to be, but I promise I will give all I have. There is a lot of inspiration to be drawn, even from Bosa himself. One thing's for sure: this is going to be one of the more unpredictable rounds of this year's NGADM.

I am honestly worried. Nervous. I suppose the thing I have to do this time is take each step as it comes, in the midst of all the uncertainty, do what I can and pray.

Let's give each other the best we've got, Bosa. <3 We're going to make it a round no one will ever forget!

EDIT 08.09.2012: Oh and also, there's a submission I made for Represent a Country. I believe in previous posts, I've talked about "An Uair am Feill" (which is Scots Gaelic for 'the hour of the festival'), and how I've been working on it.

Here it is! :D

I've been stuck on sections for a long time, and I wasn't sure how to pull off this grandiose, festive atmosphere very well. Now what you hear is the final result, and I'm very glad to say that it's finished at last.

Please, do tell me what you think! : )