Hello everyone!
In today's devlog, we've got a very special guest: my wonderful, amazing friend Luka (itch.io, soundcloud), who generously lent us his incredible talent to create five (!) unique soundtracks for ORBA that are absolute bangers - just because I asked (I still can't believe it). He's going to take you through the making of the music for the last two levels. Happy reading (and listening)!
Missing #2? We wrote a technical, itch.io specific devlog about the web demo, you can find it here: DEVLOG #2: Deploying ORBA to the Web
Hi all! Today I want to tell you a bit about Orba’s original soundtrack.
When I was first asked to create the soundtrack for Orba, I had just a rough idea of what the general vibe for the game would be. I knew it would be inspired by a Japanese pagoda and that we wanted to reflect this - at least partially - in the music. For the initial track - which became the track for the first level - we iterated and scrapped a few ideas and ultimately ended up with the track that is also present in the first trailer. It’s fast, aggressive and still has a few Japanese elements to reflect the game’s inspiration. This set the tone for how the rest of Orba’s music would sound.
In Orba, every level is unique, with its own challenges and mechanics - and the tracks were meant to reflect their uniqueness. Specifically, we’re going to talk about the creative process behind the tracks for the last two levels of Orba - the Air trial and the Void trial.
The track for the fourth level is a welcome break from the fast-paced, aggressive Techno soundtrack of the previous level. While the actual tempo of the two Drum-and-bass tracks is faster than the rest of the music, it doesn’t feel all that rushed thanks to the classic breakbeat and irregular hi-hat patterns. I mainly drew inspiration from Liquid DnB, a Drum-and-bass subgenre with slow pad sounds and softer drums than some other DnB subgenres. The track incorporates various flute sounds, namely samples of the Shakuhachi, a Japanese bamboo flute, in order to enhance the more airy feeling of reaching the upper levels of the tower. After having played through three levels of the slightly claustrophobic tower, the level design opens up and lets the player get a glimpse at the outside world: The visuals of the large windows and clouds passing by as you climb the tower, together with the more “chill” and airy aesthetic of the track is meant to transport the player to an air temple.
The void trial - the last level of the game - is meant to really test all you have learned throughout multiple runs through the previous trials so far. The mood is mysterious and focused, which I tried to reflect in the soundtrack. While all other tracks are quite aggressive or at least fast, I wanted to take a more progressive techno vibe into it.The constant beating kick is meant to remind you that it’s getting serious. You’re on the final level and whether this is your first attempt at beating the game or your tenth time, trying to improve your clearing time - the last few minutes of the run are always stressful. The level is difficult and full of surprises - and the music is not meant to get in the way of the player’s focus.The track has very few musical elements and all get introduced quite slowly, so as to not overwhelm the player with an action soundtrack full of drops.
Overall, the music of Orba is meant to be more than just background music while you climb the tower. It’s meant to accompany you through your own journey of exploring the game and keep you motivated as your skill evolves alongside the difficulty of the various levels. We can’t wait for you to hear all of Orba’s music in the full game release!
See you soon!