This post was last modified: Dec 9, 2024 at 12:32 AM by DxHustler3000.
(May 7, 2024 at 10:04 AM)DxHustler3000 Wrote: Not visual art, but I thought I'd drop the some of the music tracks I've written for DxHustler's posts, and do a bit of commentary and explain the process.
Following up with the rest of the tracks.
A Quiet Boardroom:
Not much to this one - I took some inspiration from that song that plays when you get dinner with Sans. From Undertale. A lot of the decisions made here were done just for vibes - the ticking clock going double-time during the end, the light vibrato on the piano. This is the Hustler at their quietest, most contemplative, and the song reflects that. This is one of the only tracks written that uses just one instrument, and happens to be one I can play. Maybe one day I'll learn this piece. But yeah, no choir, no harpsichord. You could almost imagine the Hustler playing this to themselves, alone.
One thing that was intentional - the explosion of arpeggios diverting from the established song structure halfway through. I wanted to invoke this idea that things were breaking down, becoming chaotic, but for it to immediately resolve into a much more confident rendition of the base motif shows their determination to stay in control.
The Greater Good:
WOAH it's almost the exact same melody but with different instruments!! Toby Fox would love me. Luckily, I will surpass him one day. This theme plays during the 'resolution' of Hustler's origin story, and fittingly, starts with traditional Celtic instruments before erupting into a triumphant orchestral arrangement. The tune is slightly different, having changed the chords out to make it a bit more bittersweet-sounding.
Of note is the lack of harpsichord. In terms of instruments representing characters, the harpsichord firmly belongs to Dx. Marth Hustler. This is all about BPI-1000 now, who, as well as revealing itself as a force to be reckoned with, is also revealing that you have been listening to ITS theme song. Not the Hustler's. I wanted to do more with this idea, but forgot.
Unused: Change in Lifestyle:
This would have accompanied a series of panels/text logs bridging the gap from Hustler selling the mask and becoming a millionaire, to them arriving at a secured BPI facility with the means of retrieving the mask. Probably some shenanigans involved - I envisioned the majority of the cash being spent on hiring private investigators and bribing guards, but I think it's better to leave that whole thing unexplained. It's a fairly generous leap of faith to begin with.
The drum line is from Cuphead. Those guys are the only people I trust to throw down a truly sick semi-improvisational jazz drum beat.
Doggie Dog World (Spirited Mix):
Other tracks would take the established melody and spin it into a new song via changes of mood, instrumentation, and chord progression. This song is truly a remix in the traditional sense, given that I just opened the workfile for the first song and started adding things. Drums. Funky electric synth. Louder choir. Trap beat. Violin stabs.
After securing Looob, the Liturgic Seal, and having only one apostle left to bless, Hustler is at their most powerful state so far. The growing intensity of the music reflects that, with the drums pushing the song along a faster tempo, the choir inserting themselves into basically every passage, and the instruments sounding more strained in general.
Negotiation:
I wrote this in like half an hour after waking up to like twenty people wanting my character dead and buried. Too bad I have an appealing character design who tells funny jokes.
Unlike the other tracks, which were made to accompany longer forum posts, I made this one to be listened to 'live', in Discord, while I laid out my negotiations. I thought it would be cool to slam the three people who are still awake by UK sunrise with a new song jumpscare while I made thinly veiled threats.
Descend:
Speaking of funny songs, let's talk about Descend. Due to unavoidable circumstances, I found out DxHustler was going to die like a month and a half before that day phase started. After the initial grief, I at least wanted to go out with a bang, and a fakeout. If I could make at least one player think I was moments away from actually becoming God, and then revealing that I actually died 5 minutes later, I'd be happy.
This song helped achieve that mood. An intentionally bombastic and dramatic piece, it blasts BPI-1000's theme with a full orchestral suite. There's sections where the component pieces of DxHustler shine through (the harpsichord line, tribal drums, choirs, etc), but seems a lot more unified and put together than anything that came before. Just like the apostles. Hypothetically.
As a hypothetical score for the Hustler's ascension, it's interesting that the 'university' rendition of the motif plays at the very end, using the clarinet (which is established as Lily's instrument)! Is the last remaining piece of Hustler's humanity shouting out, trying to break through the noise?
Σ Σ Σ Σ Σ Σ Σ:
Scary jumpscare song to follow up the previous theme. OH shit someone actually killed that guy and ripped the mask off of their rotting face. It's "The Greater Good" played backwards with one million stock horror sounds and effects. I threw in a FNAF scream. Fuck you
Dim Mwy Mil :
Roughly translates to 'Thousand No More'.
I didn't originally intend for this to be a Hustler theme. After they died, I felt there was more to explore musically with the harpsichord-violin-clarinet combo, and wrote this in my own time, deliberately avoiding quoting the 1000 motif. When I decided to attempt to come back as a wraith and complete that arc, I did end up adding a section at the end of this song that uses that motif. Just in case you thought we were entirely free of BPI-1000.
Compared to everything else, it's a lot calmer, moving through ideas and melodies without restraint. That reflects my own mood playing the character more than anything else.
This Time We Move In The Shadows:
You might notice that this one was uploaded in May, a while before the Hustler died. There's nothing too notable about that; I just got cocky and wanted to experiment with hypothetical 'ending' themes without even checking to see if my victory was inevitable. Silver lining, though - it made for a fitting tune to end the real arc.
I've been playing music since I was young. I started learning classical piano when I was maybe 7, and kept on that pipeline for almost 10 years. Because of that, a lot of my listening in my free time was classical and piano music, until I started reading Homestuck. Story aside, I became obsessed with its music, especially the way Toby Fox would effortlessly weave motifs together, in instrumentation and melody, and making new tunes out of old ideas. That was how I gained more interest in music as an artform, and I engaged with the medium much more from there, joining clubs and learning new instruments and starting shitty bands.
I wanted to pay tribute to that source of inspiration in a way, so this theme essentially remixes one of the best tracks from that comic, Do You Remem8er Me (in fact, this one was almost titled DO YOU RΣMΣMBΣR MΣ).
This piece of music is structured like a conversation and reconciliation between Lily, Hector, and the Hustler. Each person gets a chance to play their instrument over the backing piano. When Hustler begins 'talking' (the harpsichorrrrrrd), the others start to interrupt, but then they all come together for a new, beautiful melody. Finally, Hustler begins to play the 1000 theme, which they choose to play along with.
I don't normally like to talk about hypothetical character arc endings, because I think it slightly robs the real arc of its power. But the context is important to understand this song, so: in this ending, a fully-ascended Hustler escapes the facility and soars straight to Pengellert, meeting with Lily and Hector in 1000's burial site. During this confrontation, Hustler and 1000 are able to separate, 1000 appearing as the spirit of the fallen warrior.
While Hustler reconciles with Lily, 1000 educates Hector on the abhorrent circumstances of its existence, providing some greater context as to what 'the greater good' means to them. Together, they all decide to return 1000 to its resting place, and by doing so, silence the thousands of prayers from the restless spirits buried deep below the ruins. This probably would have killed the Hustler. I hadn't decided by the time I found out it didn't matter.
Regardless, many Pengellert residents would have seen this, which would spawn a small religion in time for the next game.
Unused: Love Song:
Another hypothetical ending song. This one is much cheerier.
Beyond sigma. Life coach and trading consultant. V.I.P blogger and investigator. Trader in rare fish and various oddities. Contact for free business conundrums.
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