orijinl. - CAVITY (OST)

For the VGDO Music Jam 2024

Theme: Drifting Away

Soundcloud Link:

• https://soundcloud.com/orijinl/sets/cavity-ost

The Starting Idea: Oblivion and the Drifting Light

Initially, I felt more of a connection to the image theme, with the interpretation of some alien drifting away from home to escape oblivion. The theme of “Drifting Away” now insinuates being relocated from their homeworld due to an ancient entity that has the power to erase anything form existence, known as the Cavity, and pursuing the Drifting Light known as the Beacon.

Now, applying this idea musically, I knew I wanted a sort of techno/electro-themed soundtrack to imply a space/sci-fi aesthetic. The blue colors and figure from the original image theme reminded me of the game VVVVVV, which has an 8-bit soundtrack, which I then decided the soundtrack of CAVITY to be paired with warping synths, electronic drums, and 8-bit instruments. Since I normally compose songs through piano, I tend to keep piano somewhere in my songs to retain the original sound. The same idea applies to CAVITY, but I wanted to convey the idea that the piano represents hope. For example, the first track “Beacon” uses piano to carry the main harmony (with the title “Beacon” implying the phrase “beacon of hope”). With tracks like “Four Shadows” and “No Trace Left,” the piano is “corrupted” (distorted or reversed), indicating that hope tends to relinquish when in the presence of the Cavity.

Tracklist

1. Beacon
   1. "The dawn of a journey with no clear end. Even then, you have to keep pushing. Just follow the Beacon."
      1. The first track of the OST, which has the purpose of either a first stage/tutorial section. I knew I wanted a sort of warping bass, echoing piano, and a synth that “orbits” around the listener in this song to get this feeling of drifting in space. We also get the first glimpse of the leitmotif of the “Beacon,” which can heard later in the soundtrack (”Horizon”).
2. The Estranged
   1. "You’re not alone. There are others, estranged from their homes, just like you."
      1. A moment of peace, a rest stop/shop/town. The piano is clearly heard throughout the song, which has a melody with spaced out “calls and responses” within it, like a distant civilization calling out to whoever is left.
3. Four Shadows
   1. "It’s near, and its roar foreshadows total oblivion."
      1. Approaching danger, like a boss, or a stage that the Cavity is present in. You can hear its distant roars in the background of the track. The piano that once gave hope now sounds distorted and slightly detuned, corrupted. We also get to hear the leitmotif of the “Cavity.”
4. No Trace Left
   1. "It won’t stop until it consumes you, with no trace left."
      1. A face-off against the Cavity. A boss battle, a dangerous encounter, or a chase sequence. I mainly focused on creating intensity in this song. Again, the piano can be heard, but its reversed, like hope is unwinding. The snare is actually a glass shatter sfx. I had this idea of the Cavity shattering reality before it consumes (the cover art also has a shatter effect as well, which I went off of).
5. Horizon
   1. "As the Beacon drifts away, you find it hard to continue; however, its light shows a new path on the horizon. You must press on. The Cavity is catching up again."
      1. The aftermath of a great battle, resulting in some loss. The Cavity’s roar can still be heard, but also, a familiar melody too. Because this was the last track I had planned, I wanted the motifs of both the Beacon and Cavity to be present in this song, to show conflict between these two forces, and the inner conflict of the player/protagonist (to give in or to follow the drifting light).