Split

I've decided to leave this blog dedicated to music and associated audio productions and have created a new technology blog oddSprite Tech (link).  This new blog will be updated regularly with articles pertaining to being a professional 'techie'.  I'm also going to start posting here more regularly not only about music that I compose but about other music I'm listening to or have heard on the radio or in TV Shows/Movies.

oddSprite

The Joy of Smash

I refer not to the brand of dehydrated potato but to the series of beat-em-up games from Nintendo, the latest of which is Smash Bros. Brawl (link).  I will admit to being a bit of a Nintendo fan-boy.  A lot of their titles appeal to the child in me and are in my eyes simple, pure fun.  I spent most of my second year at university playing Smash Bros. Melee on the Gamecube and then Brawl when it came out on the Wii.  Brawl is in some senses a masterpiece of a game.  In some senses it's pure fan-fodder and in some other senses it's one of the most finely-tuned and intense fighting experiences on any console.

I had a friend visiting last weekend and we picked up Brawl again after a 6th month gap in play and the addiction quickly hit again.  Each battle is varied, intense and spectacular.  The characters and varied and it's still possible to get a hit out of playing as your favourite Nintendo mascot.  Personally, I love Mr Game and Watch.  For those of you who don't know he's a 2-D sprite from a series of hand-held LCD games from the late 80s (maybe early 90s).  They haven't made him 3D, they haven't even given him fluid animation.  He looks and feels like he's always felt.

As a comparison we tried to play Dead or Alive 4 on the Xbox 360.  Now, I love a bout of Halo 3 and Gears of War so my gripe here certainly isn't the console hardware.  My gripe is a game which can be won by someone mashing two buttons with their eyes closed.  I kid you not.  One of us was a seasoned player at the old Dead or Alive franchise.  That poor individual in question nearly broke a controller after throwing it on the floor in frustration after the button masher triumphed for the third time in a row.

When I compare these two games the amount of depth that can be present in both games is immense.  However, for me, the game which ends up being the most fun is obvious.  I don't think I need to mention the title again.  BRAWL!

oddSprite

A Year and a Bit

Well, it's been a little over a year and a month since my last post.  A lot has happened in my life:  I've graduated from my masters degree, gotten myself a job, moved house twice and this week (God help me) joined a Gym.  The really scary thing is how quickly it grabs you.  I would describe myself as a 'Gym-o-phobe'.  I cannot stand the 'Jockular' attitude that permeates through most Gyms like that glorious mix of sweat and oxygen through the air.  But I guess it's a question of finding the right Gym for you.  Exercise is good and so what if the guy next to you is doing reps with 36Kg dumb-bells; it just means that he's got less space in his body for his brain.  Sorry, that was a little below the belt.  But then comedy these days seems to be following a trend of 'The More Offensive the Better'.

I recently moved and updated my website (now located at http://www.oddsprite.com).  It now hosts not only my most recent work but the two albums I've released and all the other tracks that I've composed and recorded over the years.  I'm also working on turning the site into an ASP.Net website complete with a streaming web-player written in SilverLight so that visitors can listen to tracks before they download them.

I'm also going to try and post a blog entry once a week starting April.  I plan to cover many topics including Software Development (I am a professional software engineer), Music Production Techniques, Computer Gaming, Films and Misc.  Misc covers everything else.  So really I guess I should be saying that I'll be posting about anything that occurs to me.

oddSprite

Transient Reasoning: The Album

Dear Listeners,
It seems I have changed my mind, prerogative of a young scientist to be sure. The album material that I was going to release separately has been completed and fashioned into a 38 minute album. Yes, yes, I know it's short for an album. But then again, the whole thing is free, so please no moaning! The tracks are arranged in complementary or contrasting pairs either in terms of tone, orchestration or tempo.
I should also point out that even if you have already downloaded any of the tracks listed in this post, download them again. These are new versions, some with new lyrics and parts, and all have been re-equalized and the dynamics tweaked. I think it's safe to say that oddSprite has never sounded so good.

1 -- Birth of the Universe -- MP3
The beginning of creation, nothing but black, empty, nothingness. And out of the void comes life. The ambient pads represent the void and the orchestra is the giver of life. A moment of beauty in the dark.

2 -- Paradise of Life -- MP3
The universe has formed, the earth is a paradise. Mankind is building its cities, thriving in the cradle of earth.

3 -- Child of Technology -- MP3
A new life is created. A life brought into being by the machinations of science and industry. Confused and alone, it reasons its purpose in the universe.

4 -- Cyber War: Heart of Steel -- MP3
The life finds man unworthy to survive and starts a war of man against machine.

5 -- Angel of Vengeance -- MP3
A man stalked by guilt, the Angel of Vengeance has him in its grasp. A melody and narrative about the darker sides of the human psyche.

6 -- Angel of Mercy -- MP3
Compassion, kindness and mercy. Bravery, sacrifice and determination.

7 -- Tears for the Eternal -- MP3
A being who lives forever is a being cursed for eternity. When thinking about immortality, spare a thought for all those who will pass by, never to be seen again.

8 -- At the end, we Begin Again -- MP3
A man has lived since the dawn of time. He speaks to the people of the Earth, pleading them to improve themselves and their attitudes. To progress towards something bigger and better.

A fairly grand idea for a first album I'm aware. I'm also well aware that a lot of people won't agree with some of the views I hold about life and civilisation. And this is the reason the album is called Transient Reasoning. Since I may feel this way about the human race and society now, as a being of learning and youth my views will change with maturity, age and wisdom. As will yours.

Enjoy as always,
oddSprite

Cyber War Part III : Upgrading Soundtrack

Many months ago in August, the last update was posted. Many things have occurred since then, least of all being term one of university.
The album project I was working on has been shelved. The tracks as they are will be released, but not as part of an album. Look out for them in the new year.

However, I have here to release to you, 4 tracks containing selected themes from my Christmas soundtrack - the latest installment of Cyber War.
Featuring the Cybermen from Doctor Who, the story tells the tale of the next Cyberman invasion of the parallel earth as featured in the second series.
With only one part remaining until this story reaches its epic conclusion, if you're interested in listening to the audio drama itself, the website is here with parts 1-3 available for download.

Cyber War Part 3 : Upgrading Soundtrack
1. Cyber Conversion/Titles - MP3
2. The Controller/Remember/'I will destroy you!' - MP3
3. Inside the Factory/Setting Humanity Free - MP3
4. True Motives/The Captain/Go on Alone - MP3

Enjoy as always,
oddSprite