DescentBB

Is it just me, or does the Descent 1 music have a kind of distinctive sound that is recognizable, but not really a facet of any common genre?

Perhaps it's just my imagination, but one of the things I've noticed about the music from Descent 1, is that there is not much else like it, at least not much that I'm aware of.

It seems that there is some unifying characteristic that lends a certain, difficult to quantify, personality to all the songs. Maybe its just nostalgia, but it really seems like there is a kind of signature melodic quality to the pieces that is distinctly descent-ish. It might be the unusual key that seems to fluctuate around the scale from time to time. I'm not sure, so I figured I'd ask if anyone else has noticed the same thing. The tracks \"game13.mid\", \"game14.mid\", and \"game21.mid\" are good examples.

At any rate, I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has any thoughts or observations regarding the descent-ish-ness of the descent 1 music.

I think it stands out just for having 22 different songs for different levels, plus different songs for menu screens, credits, briefings, etc in addition to having some songs that go well with the levels they play in.

Games these days often just have a few tracks that get mixed differently to form the entire sountrack for the game. Take Left 4 Dead for instance, all of the music in the entire game is just various spins on the same music that plays during the menu screen.

I speak only for myself but, I think it’s an “imprinting” kind of thing, most of the game music I ever heard was from Descent, so I started to associate that type of music with Descent. My brother on the other hand has listened to the music from many other games, and recently placed his collection on my media box at work. Well I keep saying…that’s cool Descent music, and he keeps correcting me. (but I do think the actual Descent music is a cut above the rest)

For example: Autopilot has made music for a number of games, and it all sounds like Descent music to me.

I might go out on a limb and say the genre is something along the lines of: Game/Techno/Ambient.

Seriously


Descent I, Descent II, and Descent III all have different types of music. DESCENT III However was a one sided TECHNO interpretation of Game style music... but not truly of grunge/electro-industrial subgenre origins like descent or especially like Descent II. So please do not lump them together like that.


D1/D2 music is electro-industrial

D3 is just plain techno

Haunted rules in D2.
"mmmeeeeerrrraaaaaaammmeeerrrryyeeannaaawwww" <-fav lyric.
edit: Never mind. They took out the lyrics for the D2 version. Still my favorite.

BUBBALOU wrote: So please do not lump them together like that.

No lumping, sticking, or penning. Don't do it! Seriously.

I heard somewhere that the D1/D2 music was supposed to sound vaguely as if it was made by machines. Maybe that's part of it?

Oh yeah, that's right... I tend to forget Descent 3 has music because, well... its forgettable, much like the entire D3 Single Player experience.

Octopus wrote:No lumping, sticking, or penning. Don't do it! Seriously.

Fold…Spindle…Mutilate…

It’s all part of my evil plot to destroy the community.

The only way to really destroy this forum is to advertise it on newgrounds or ebaumsworld forums. Just as long as you don't lump it...!

I've been looking for years for music like the D1 music (the music for level 1 being my template) and haven't found nearly as much as I'd like to have. What comes the closest that I've found is industrial and drum and bass sub-genres.

For example, Ogre of Skinny Puppy was rightly featured on the D2 redbook audio since SP's music does often have a Descent-like feel. Front Line Assembly, Front 242, Circle of Dust, and Argyle Park have stuff in that vein as well. A good example is FLA's \"Strategic,\" and oddly enough, Depeche Mode's \"Never Let You Down (Aggro Tech).\" Though the rest of his music doesn't fit the bill, Derek Sherinian's \"Starcycle\" has the same sort of sequenced keyboard loop that works as well.



And then's there's neuorfunk, a sub-genre of drum and bass, which has more frenetic rhythms, but the overall bleak, futuristic, spacey vibe feels right to me. Here I'm talking about artists like Black Sun Empire, Psion, and Dieselboy.

Of course, this is just the more electronic side of the Descent music. If you're into the more rock-sounding tracks, I haven't really given much thought, but some 80s gothic rock might begin to approximate that sort of sound.

d1/2 music comes frome the computer music/tracker (mostly made on fast tracker or impuletracker) scene from that time, its pretty old right now (but there is still new full-featured tracker for windows called renoise!! Which is really kick-ass) but i suppose you can find TONS of it on the net anyway. I doubt you will find something on the CD, since its mostly free, and sometimes in tracker formats like .mod or smth.

Apocalyptica's cover of \"Heat\" by whichever band it was reminds me strongly of Descent. Check it out.