05
September 2025
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2 Comments
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Cue of the Week: “Shoppes and Puzzles”

Here’s another village music cue from Escaping Wonderland, this one with a lightly playful character.

Mini-editorial: Why did we as a society stop spelling “shoppe” that way? If the answer is efficiency, then why isn’t the second word “puzls”? Feel encouraged to contemplate these questions while you listen.

Click below to play in your browser, or amble over to Spotify or Apple Music.

29
August 2025
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1 Comment
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Cue of the Week: “The Village”


I love writing atmospheric village music, which often comes up in games. There’s an opportunity for gentle expressiveness and, depending on the style of the game, an element of melody. This week’s selection is one of three cues for the village biome in Escaping Wonderland. The visuals of said village were partly inspired by those of Kiki’s Delivery Service (my fave Miyazaki film) so there was lots of emotional fuel for the score.

Click below to play… or click a link to jump to Spotify or Apple Music.

22
August 2025
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Cue of the Week: “The Attic Door”

This cue from the OST of Escaping Wonderland falls into the creepy/disquieting/what’s-that-crawling-on-your-arm school of game underscore. The player, trying to get to the bottom of a time-obsessed cult, approaches the lair of their object of worship.

By the way, if you’ve been listening to these cues on Spotify, please feel encouraged to follow me there! In these modern algorithmic times, small endorsements mean a lot for visibility. (They also give me a warm feeling.)

08
August 2025
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Cue of the Week: “The Non-Persistence of Time”

Here’s my official favorite music cue from the soundtrack for Escaping Wonderland. This music accompanies a game level with some clever time-travel problem solving, and is meant to evoke some of the supernatural flavor of the experience. Call it two-thirds cosmic metaphysical wonderment, one-third disquieting mystery.

Click below to play… or click a link to jump to Spotify or Apple Music.

25
July 2025
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Cue of the Week: “The Mouse Witch”

This is my second favorite piece of music from Escaping Wonderland: a mysterious theme for a mouse enchantress. Rather than being a fierce witch, she’s actually quite lovely and helpful, and a concerned mother. The score correspondingly takes on a gentle mystical quality, with hints of 20th century musical Impressionism.

Click below to play… or jump to Spotify or Apple Music.

27
June 2025
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5 Comments
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Cue of the Week: “Reckless Mice”

In the game Escaping Wonderland, the player needs to negotiate with several teen mice who have adopted a rather risk-indifferent lifestyle. (The visualization of which is rather amusing; play the game if you’d like to experience it firsthand!)

This week’s music accompanies the mice with a dark carnival tune, emphasizing the comedic side of an incautious lifestyle.

Click below to play… or jump to Spotify or Apple Music.

20
June 2025
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Cue of the Week: “Estate Explorations”

This week’s music selection from Escaping Wonderland accompanies the mischievous puzzle-solving happenings in the game’s estate biome.

Click below to play… or jump to Spotify or Apple Music.

06
June 2025
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Cue of the Week: “I’m Not Sure That’s Entirely Safe”

Continuing the exploration of the Escaping Wonderland soundtrack, this week’s music selection accompanies a region inhabited by rebellious teen mice. Specifically, they’re rebelling against basic safety precautions, casually lounging near burning stoves, mouse traps, etc. Needless to say, their mom is concerned.

The score reflects their blasé attitude with a quasi-vaudevillian mood and theme for solo whistler.

Click below to play… or jump to Spotify or Apple Music.

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