Over the past week I was approached by a parish friend, who likes music as much as I do... and we've gotten to jamming together, which is awesome. I went to his band's radio show at Radio Verulam (it's a community radio station based in St Albans, Hertfordshire) and although I didn't contribute to it -- I watched from the sidelines -- I enjoyed it very much. Later that week, on Friday, I was taken to one of their studio rehearsals.

I was initially sought after as a vocalist, but I could not look up the songs I was to sing over the last week. It was oven-hot in my room, and my PC would shut off if I didn't fan it with both hands! So I came, eager to listen, and perhaps contribute. I came as the drummer... and this was my first time ever giving proper accompaniment to any song.

This is the result.

Mind, I had not had any proper practice for two years (no access to drums), and I'm self-taught, and it took me a good fifteen minutes and three whole pieces before I could finally play anything. Still today I have managed to surprise not only my friends, but myself. I uttered a string of thank-yous to the Man Up There. Still today I hear a pounding deep inside my heart. I really do mean it when I say the drum is my favourite instrument, even though I'm not the best at it. I did my best; judge for yourselves.

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In other news, I've heard that the NGADM audition results are going to be out on Wednesday 1 August, barring any delays. There is a fair chance that I won't be able to look up the results until Friday 3 August. Starting tomorrow I'll be away on a five-day retreat, the Faith Summer Conference at Woldingham School, Surrey. Although there is wireless internet in Woldingham, I am voluntarily staying away from the Net for five days. It'll be a good time for me to get rid of some ballast.

I trust everyone has done his best for the NGADM. Everyone has submitted his best piece to the audition. I wish the lot of you all the best, and I do certainly look forward to reading the results!

With regards to how far I'd fare, I can't say I know. Given the amount of submissions, it'll be difficult for the judges to pick the best 32. And again, some of you may know this -- this is my first NGADM. I will not expect anything, but like many, hope for the best. : )

With that... I guess I'll see you when I return to Hatfield on Friday!

I recently had the opportunity of translating (from French to English) an interview with Shinji Hashimoto and Yoko Shimomura, two people behind the development of the Kingdom Hearts series. That interview was taken by KHDestiny at the Japan Expo 2012 in France, and before being translated and featured onto KHWiki, KHDestiny were the sole holders of the interview text.

Read the contents of the interview here.

As many may know, Yoko Shimomura is responsible for the game's soundtrack. After perusing this interview text a number of times, I've come to realise that a lot of us work the way she does.

We work alone at our desks, often unsure of what we do, and it takes feedback from people telling us how much those songs have moved them. And when we hear that feedback, we are humbled and happy. I can imagine it being especially the case for Shimomura, who has worked on the KH soundtrack for the past ten years.

Is there anything she would like to remake? Yes, she would feel like us every once in a while, thinking 'oh, I could change this', but once a work is finished, it is finished -- and you doubt the gamers would have it any other way.

I am actually surprised, not to mention dumbfounded at the amount of reviews I have been getting on Version 1 of Westminster Tune ~ Preuve de foi. I truly appreciate all the listens and reviews this piece has got. Thank you. ^_^

I did mention in my previous post that this was the VERY FIRST PIECE that I had ever submitted to Newgrounds. Back then, I had only but the basics of sequencing, I had up to Grade 8 music theory but it wasn't enough to make the best piece. Granted, I had the ideas, but not the means to make those ideas work at the time.

More than a year has passed since I finished Version 1 of Westminster Tune, and a lot of regulars at the Audio Portal have been so kind to give me pointers as to how to go about making my songs memorable and easy to listen to.

Cases in point: Westminster Tune (version 1 and version 2), Capital of Soot (version 1 and version 2) and Yearning (version 1 and version 2).

I can never say that I'll ever finish learning: once I've learned how to mix and master properly, something else will come up that I'll need to learn. So getting reviews on Westminster Tune is quite a humbling experience, to say the least, because those reviews are made on a piece where I had only begun to grapple with FL Studio. Some people were impressed, some weren't. I guess the same can be said where P-Bot suddenly decides to feature a piece of mine from last year with absolutely horrid mastering.

I really hope to make my pieces memorable, and I can safely say I'm just getting started.

Friends, remember Westminster Tune ~ Preuve de foi ?

It was the first track I'd ever submitted to Newgrounds. Back then, a lot of things were centre-panned, I did not mix anything, but it was an idea that had come from my much-awaited visit to Westminster Cathedral in January last year.

I now present to you... Westminster Tune ~ Preuve de foi, revisited.

Some of you have been waiting for this track to be remade, and I'll admit, it's more than a year overdue. But I am honestly glad to share this with you. ^_^

I joined on 26 June 2011.
It is now 27 June 2012.

...

..........My, how time flies. And I'll admit, I've come a ways since I first joined.

Thanks to all of you who gave me support, who reviewed, and even those who became my friends. Just..... thank you. ^_^

I'll start with the sad news first. Well, only that a lot of people here already know the sad news. Eiomaru's project did not get through.

I only have this to say: what sets apart one project from another? If I had a project in development and I only had the main plot, and I had to describe it in a minimalistic manner so as to avoid spoilers, people would still be fighting over whether to fund the project or not. The example I provided was a case in point for him. Eiomaru had a simple main plot. No one even knew what the subplots were, and rightly, they wouldn't know until the projected release of the film. The first trailer, being what it is -- the first trailer -- wouldn't reveal the more minute details.

Funding artists, small-scale or otherwise, is about risk. If you've taken part in soundtrack-writing for games or films, you know what I'm talking about. We can have details revealed to us, but we won't know what they'd be like until we see the final result. While some people might be short-changed, others might be very satisfied. The bigger the game company, the more low-profile they are going to be, for if not, everyone would jump at the minutest detail of the game or film in question. That is the case, of course, unless you're working in their quarters, and have access to all the plot details.

So here we had a risk. We didn't even know what the full story would be like. All we saw were the first trailer and a brief synopsis of the main plot. And people were disputing over whether to fund it or not. That didn't help. I'm sure much of NG would be happy about the people who pledged something. If we don't know what the full story would be like, what attitude are we supposed to take? Optimism, that the film would be more of a blast than we can imagine? Pessimism?

I rest my case. And on that note, I did pray for Eiomaru and his project. It might not take off now, but I hope that it'll go to greater heights soon.

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And now, for the happy news!

I have told some of you on the Audio Portal that I was going to go live at Knightsbridge -- it went well! ^_^ It was a rally concert demanding the freedom of Asia Bibi (and the rights of minorities). It didn't get as many people as we hoped, but I like to think that what we did that Thursday afternoon was just the beginning.

I interviewed one of the representatives to the event (he's from Aid to the Church in Need), and they picked up the interview video, and thanks to that, Kingdom of Herts is slowly getting across to others.

At the time of the concert, my bandmate, Christo Tracey (Merlyne) was away at Bury-St-Edmunds doing his motorbike test. I urged him to do well on that day. His results are even happier news: he passed!

If anyone would like to hear what I sang on that day... Draft III of the song in question, Indignation, is stream-only on Bandcamp. If you'd like it to be downloadable, please either comment or PM me.

Well, that's it for now! Back to composing, cleaning out my room, and all the other things I need to do for today.

Before I go any further, I would like you to read this forum post.

Now, considering I had no more than two buyers for Project Chaplaincy's Taster EP, I know precisely what it's like when artists suffer. And I'm sure there are among you who are going through the same situation.

Bear in mind that these people, having done all they could, are now turning to the community for support. What will they think when Newgrounds doesn't support them? They'll definitely feel the community they were a large part of.... they'll feel that we've failed them. And if we don't do something quickly, we REALLY WILL HAVE FAILED THEM.

It's about Eiomaru, and not me. I may be using Project Chaplaincy's EP as a comparison, but it's probably the worst comparison I can make. Still, because it's something I can relate to on a personal level, I'll use that comparison.

I'm a student. I'm looking for a job. I don't claim to have much money to my name; just a monthly allowance of £140 which gets depleted pretty quickly. I could go out on the streets begging with a cup in hand for money to buy a new, improved microphone. That is how desperate I can get. And still, I pledged something to Eiomaru. With what happened to Project Chaplaincy's Taster EP, I made a promise.... I made a promise to support struggling artists in my situation. And I'd do even more so if I have more funds.

Come on, what's a pound? A fiver? A tenner even? What's two minutes of your time writing about this, telling others to support this project because we're all going to be in for something good?

I tell you, with the amount of flak this project has received in Tom Fulp's newspost, I'll say: Eiomaru is not the only one who can be ashamed of his own community. If things go at the rate they're going now, I would. I'm not going to be the artist who expects everyone to support me, and yet, I sit at the sidelines not doing anything. That's not going to get me, or anyone for that matter, anywhere. A little bit of altruism would go a long way in making a Man.

EDIT 16 June: Now I've had people misunderstand the content in my post when I first wrote this. Let me make this clear: I am here to lambast people who say "I'm broke, I'm broke" but can't contribute even a single pound or dollar to the project. It's a nominal contribution, but far better than nothing. I find it awful at best, but I bear in mind that I can't force anyone. Still, someone as talented as Eiomaru deserves more than what he's getting now.

Straight 2:1s in all subjects. I now have a 2:1 LLB (Hons) law degree!

Celebrate with me! :D

A few months ago I gave an introduction on the bullet hell shooter project, which we* titled Project Chaplaincy. Some time after that, we gave a preliminary preview to the game's OST and artwork.

Now I'm glad to announce that Kingdom of Herts' Bandcamp page now has its first EP, which is the Project Chaplaincy Taster EP!

Since 7 is a recurring number in the project, we decided to go ahead with seven tracks, some of which you may have already heard on Newgrounds -- you may have heard In re Reveris, Day of Reckoning, All The Way Down and Arise Once More in their unmastered, badly-panned glory. But after the success of two of my more recent tracks, I took to remastering seven out of 20+ tracks in the OST, and they are now there in the EP. It's a taster of what is to come, and I do highly recommend putting your headphones on and turning the music up to full volume. Also, each track is 99p and the full EP is £6. If you guys are in the US or elsewhere, you'll be paying your country's equivalent, so no worries!

I know we want a game with very good gameplay mechanics, very good art direction, a very good OST and a very compelling storyline. It isn't everyday that we find games like these. Project Chaplaincy has two inspirations: Okami and EBF 3.3 Bullet Heaven. Inspiration can be drawn from Okami for the art direction and storyline, and from Bullet Heaven for the gameplay mechanics. Both have good soundtracks.

Christo and I are writing the storyline at this point. We can give the gist at the very least... In England, an ancient evil, which had once been locked away a thousand years ago, breaks free from its chains after waiting for the time to be ripe. It spreads seeds of fear, doubt, anger, violence, despair and envy over the people. Evil is at a rampage, strange beings roam the streets, people attack others indiscriminately, and the atmosphere is simply choking. You play a young priest, and six friends (all young adults), and the seven of you set out on a journey all over England to find answers as to what that evil actually is, and hopefully to set things right wherever you can go.

Well, that'll be it for now.

*NOTE: I say "we" because the project involves Christo Tracey (Merlyne) and myself, as well as the collaborators who undertake to help us make this a success.

Um... yay? :D

Well, considering this is my first NAC entry, I'm glad I landed something. Still, I am a bit ticked off by the fact that two people (one being a judge) confused the OBOE SAMPLE for a SAXOPHONE... even Sorohanro and Camoshark got it right!

Oh well, it was all good fun. I bear in mind that the piece was not intended to be submitted in the NAC in the first place. Because it is where it is now, I'm happy. But I'm even happier to have gotten in touch with my deepest feelings for my mother. On that note, her birthday wasn't too long ago, on 30 May. I have made peace with my past, now I pray God that time will heal me. I know she's in good hands now, and I won't take to worry over the events of four years ago. And I'm sure that she can hear my songs even from where she is.

I'm also glad over the fact that this is the first piece that I've been able to mix well, and from there came my much better piece, Capriccio "Bullet Heaven".

I've listened to some of the entries, and I suggest you listen to them too. The tracks I've linked are the winning ones, and I can definitely give a standing ovation to some of them. If I had to give one personal recommendation, it would be Norske's Flight of the Seagulls -- I found that quite the tear-jerker.

And as the credits roll on May's NAC, I begin to wonder if I should take part in June's NAC. A lot is happening right now -- good and bad alike, and I don't know whether I'll be able to make a piece in due time. We'll have to wait and see!

Thanks to all who commented and reviewed and who have supported me to this day.