In my opinion, music is best when it serves as a catalyst for emotion. Because of this, soundtracks are my favorite type of music to listen to. When I create music, from humorous hip-hop instrumentals to a deep soundscape, I always try and use emotion as the driving force for composing. Below are some of my favorite songs I have made over the years using Native Instruments MASCHINE software.
For this solo game jam project, I built the game with my school's arcade cabinet in mind. I wanted to create an exciting 1v1 experience that even felt fun to lose. In order to do that, I needed a theme that would have the players dancing at the joysticks.
A distant, jazzy main menu theme. Perfect for a brief reprieve from the miner's life.
When selecting your character for a fast-paced deathmatch platformer, you need a track that will get your players amped.
A hyperactive battle theme.
A goofy main menu theme that blends the early days of hip-hop with "spaghetti-western" sounding melodies.
A smooth "Cowboy-Bebop" inspired combat theme for a subway level. I sampled the sounds of rail tracks as percussion during the breakdown. It was fun to slightly bend genres while staying within the musical tone of the rest of the game.
A fun and simple loop for a shop theme.
I created the aggressive Quake III Arena and DUSK-inspired theme for MORTEM. I also recorded the various sound effects using soda cans, boots, and grunts. Then reduced the sample rates down to ~11kHz to replicate the crunchy sounds of the original Quake. I think it was well-received overall.