29
April 2022
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Cue of the Week: “Beyond the Walls”

Here’s the fourth atmospheric piece I wrote for Green Ronin’s post-apocalypse D&D scenario, The Lost Citadel. (As with the others, delivered via Syrinscape’s cool gaming audio system.) This music accompanies players as they explore the desolate lands outside the city, populated by armies of the dead.

At the opening, I used a mournful english horn solo to evoke the lonely landscape (I may have taken some inspiration from Berlioz here). The music turns more militant towards the end, evoking the undead armies on the march. Or at least on the lumber.

28
April 2022
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“Dice Legacy” OST now available!

I’m really excited to share this one; the Apple Music release was delayed for months, meaning that I couldn’t really promote it. But that delay is over!

Dice Legacy is a distinctive and rather creative real-time strategy game. It’s set on a ringworld. The citizens are dice. Dice fight, explore, level up, and even have children. The enemy is… well, I won’t spoil that. The soundtrack blends orchestral textures, ethereal vocals, a mournful cello theme, and the distinct sound of the Swedish nyckelharpa, a bowed folk instrument with a fantastic raw expressive sound.

The latter comes courtesy of nyckelharpa specialist Mats Wester, and gives the score a Northern European flavor that echoes the architecture of the dice settlers.Also featured on the score is Simone Vitucci (cello) and Eurielle (ambient vocals as well as lead vocal on the song “The Land in the Sky”).

Listen to the soundtrack on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, or your other music digital service provider of choice.

08
April 2022
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Cue of the Week: “Tidewater”

Here’s the second of the atmospheric pieces I wrote for Green Ronin’s The Lost Citadel. (That is, a novel turned into a 5E D&D RPG module with music provided via the Syrinscape audio system. Whew; complex!)

Accompanying an abandoned portion of the eponymous city (where players will, naturally, dare to tread) this music is ambient, creepy, and just a bit desolate.

01
April 2022
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Cue of the Week: “Redoubt”

When I share game music, it’s typically something I’ve written for a computer game. This week’s selection, on the other hand, is score for a human-beings-IRL-rolling-dice role playing game, The Lost Citadel.

How does a tabletop RPG have a music accompaniment, you ask? There’s a neat system called Syrinscape that lets gamers add sound effects and music to their D&D or similar experiences. This week’s music is game-specific content for said system.

Music for live gaming is typically ambient, as it has to establish a sense of setting without disrupting the constant conversation between players. This selection is score for a bustling citadel in a post-apocalyptic medieval-ish world. There is some influence of Mideastern folk music, which reflects the adventure’s cultural backdrop.

Morituri Te Salutant // Michael Gordon Shapiro - Highlights
  1. Morituri Te Salutant // Michael Gordon Shapiro - Highlights
  2. Emerald, Texas // Highlights
  3. Mythic Battle // Highlights
  4. The Yard Sale // Michael Gordon Shapiro - Highlights
  5. Investigations // Highlights
  6. Home Room // Highlights
  7. Sands of Arabia // Highlights
  8. Spider Cult // Highlights
  9. Poker Night // Highlights