Hello everyone, and welcome to the sixth edition of The Midnight Chronicle.
The Cycle began, 1666: Amsterdam is in Early Access right now.
One thing we knew you'd love is the music of the game. That's why this edition shines a light on Devlog #3, covering the sound and music behind it.
From Montreal to Amsterdam, we've prepared a great video to close out our Devlog saga.
1666: Amsterdam Original Soundtrack
View game pageSpeaking of music: the complete official soundtrack is now available to buy or grab the Early Access + soundtrack bundle for 10% off.
For those who prefer streaming, stay tuned for the next full moon for the release of the songs on music streaming platforms.
Here's how it'll work for streaming: songs from Early Access unlock first, and the rest unlock progressively as we update the game, all the way to the 1.0 release.
But own the full soundtrack now, and every song is yours right away!
The sounds of 1666: Amsterdam
From Jorane's original compositions to Philippe Charron's sonic vision and Sophie-Agnès Mongeau's sound design, this episode dives into how three artists built an audio world spanning three periods, each with its own voice, its own magic, its own silence.
The music of 1666: Amsterdam comes from the
artist composer, Jorane.
Jorane is an award-winning artist whose voice and cello create musical landscapes of rare emotional intensity, a pioneer of atmospheric songwriting and cello rock across a dozen albums and international tours.
She is supported here by Éloi Painchaud, her constant collaborator, who co-signs the mixing and mastering of her music.
Follow Jorane here:
https://linktr.ee/Jorane_Official
BEHIND THE SHADOWS
For the Behind the Shadows segment of this month. We spoked with Philippe Charron our Audio Director. about the team process for building the musical universe of 1666 Amsterdam.
From left to right: Morgan, Philippe, Dan, Kristian, and Sophie-Agnès (not photoshopped into the photo at all...)
Can you briefly introduce us to the audio team and each person's role in shaping the sound identity of the game?
Here are the members of the audio team:
Sophie-Agnès Mongeau
Sam is a sound designer. She touches on everything, including the sound design for magic in the game. She's also involved in combat-related sounds, among other things. She's also our foley specialist.
Dan St-Jean
Dan is a sound designer. Dan is responsible for acoustics, reverb, and occlusion in the game, a very technical responsibility! He's also involved in sounds tied to character animations, from the smallest to the biggest!
Morgan Hamel
Morgan is a sound designer. He's responsible for sound design on cinematics and UI.
Kristian Kurk
Kristian is a programmer. He builds the tools the audio team needs, especially for voice work and Triton Acoustics.
and I, Philippe Charron
I'm the Audio Director. I give overall direction to the sound, voices, and music of the game. I look for solutions to our technical challenges. I also handle the game's audio systems, whether they're related to music, voice, or mixing.
What makes the sound world of 1666: Amsterdam unique compared to your other projects?
Our very organic and grounded approach to sound design. We wanted to represent supernatural sounds in the most realistic way possible, while giving them a dark and frightening edge. At the same time, we bring in beauty and light, and that creates a nice rainbow effect!
What was your vision for the sound identity at the very start of the project? Was there a word, an image, or a feeling you wanted to convey to the player through sound?
At the start I had two words: Emotion and Immersion. I wanted the sound to sometimes be very ugly, to hurt, to scare. But I also wanted beauty, emotion. And why not both at the same time? I also wanted the sound to make us travel, whether through places or through time.
Without spoiling anything, what are you most looking forward to players hearing or noticing in the game?
A lot of things! You can shift very quickly from one emotion to another in the game. I can't wait for players to experience it... and hear it! I can't wait for them to discover Jorane's beautiful music, and to explore the city at the rhythm of its sounds and its inhabitants.
FROM THE STUDIO
Right now, some of us are still in Cologne attending Gamescom. We were there as exhibitors and to attend Opening Night Live, where we officially kicked off Early Access on the big screen. Meanwhile, back in Montreal, the rest of the team threw their own watch party to catch the big moment together, then got right back to keeping Early Access running smoothly.
WHAT'S COMING
Not sure yet exactly how The Midnight Chronicle will continue, but we're leaning toward keeping a monthly rhythm tied to the full moon cycle. That said, expect updates and fixes to pop up in between too, as we roll out new content.
See you on the full moon.
FROM THE ARCHIVE
The first spark changed everything. In an age lost to memory. Some flames never die.