As presented here, this cue from “Down the Rabbit Hole” proceeds in an orderly fashion from start to finish. The in-game experience is quite different. The anonymous adventurer has slipped down a ladder into a seemingly eternal rabbit hole. As she learns to slow her descent, the frenetic music gradually becomes sparser and more gentle.

To create a sense of “falling forever”, I had the music descend down the symmetrical whole tone scale, which, conveniently enough, finishes up exactly where it starts.

If you’d like to see/hear this sequence in context, check out this YouTube video. The music’s pretty soft so you may need to crank the volume.

Or just listen to the music as usual:

Spotify:

Apple Music:

YouTube: (no subscription required)

Here’s more music from Cortopia’s recently-released Down the Rabbit Hole. This region of the game is a surreal crystalline ocean, co-existing with an upside-down version of itself.

This atmospheric cue is a departure from the impish neo-Baroque tone of the rest of the score. I had fun adding backwards effects and chords that enter “too early” relative to the predominant harmony.

Spotify:

Apple Music:

YouTube: (no subscription required)

Here’s more music from Cortopia’s recently-released Down the Rabbit Hole. This cue was originally written for another part of the game, but was deemed too regal for that level’s rustic environment. However, it worked perfectly for a section of the King of Hearts’ castle near the grand finale.

Spotify:

Apple Music:

YouTube (no subscription required):

This week’s music comes from my score for Cortopia’s VR game Down the Rabbit Hole. Lewis Carroll’s mythology is so familiar that the title of this music alone probably sets your expectations perfectly!

I usually put these cues on SoundCloud, but due to various soundtrack-release-contractual-mumbo-jumbos I’ll refer you to the music playing widgets below.

Spotify:

Apple Music:

Finally, good old YouTube doesn’t require any kind of subscription:

This week I continue a series of cues with an inspirational or uplifting character. I was surprised to find how few of these I’ve written. Film and game music tends to be dramatic in mood, conveying strife and mystery, poignant introspection, pulse-pounding heroism, or awe-inspiring wonderment. Requests for simple positivity don’t come along often.

Fortunately, George Adams’ extraordinary documentary Touché: A Blind Fencer’s Story gave me one such occasion. This theme, here on piano, accompanied the documentary’s subject’s journey from fully-sighted mom to blind fencing champion.

Michael Gordon Shapiro · Catherine’s Theme

This week continues my series of cues with an uplifting or positive musical character, meant to provide a little emotional boost during stressful times. 

This week’s selection is a nostalgic cue from the film Against Time. At the scene’s heart was a particularly moving performance by Craig T. Nelson, which made it easy to find musical inspiration.