Corny, slightly evil chiptune. It’s a boss track for the kind of bumbling villain that ties damsels to train tracks. Like, I don’t know, Clubs Deuce or something. It reminds me of whenever one of the Edison family shows up in Maniac Mansion: they’re technically the bad guys, but usually they don’t really mean any harm. The kid usually just wants to talk about his hamster or his commando package or something. And Nurse Edna just wants a little attention, if you know what I mean.
Speaking of Maniac Mansion: it’s an old, old adventure game, but if the Homestuck game is even remotely like it in spirit, I’ll be mightily pleased.
Shortcuts builds a lot of its sound off of the real world – all of the tracks feature samples and background sounds taken from various locales. The source for this song was simple enough: a busy crosswalk with a robotic countdown. Yet from that meager seed comes a really solid little piece of music.
The world slowly fades away into the jam (except for our friendly guide, the disembodied robo-crossing guard). If done poorly, this could easily be called gimmicky. But it’s not done poorly. It’s immersive and clever, and a great, relaxing track to boot. My top track on the album.
The first half’s a long, drawn-out crescendo with a mix of traditional strings and eerie synth. That composition transitions into the backing for a somber, weighty cello reimagining of Endless Climb, one of the better, more original takes on that melody.
More than any other tune in Homestuck, this one feels as though it’s been pulled straight out of an NES game, circa 1990. That really distinctive triangle wave bassline does it, I think. Reminds me of tunes from old classics like Guardian Legend or Rampage.
By Jeremy “Solatrus” Iamurri. Featuring Clark Powell on cello.
The chiptune melody’s catchy and relaxing, especially when the percussion kicks in. And the bridge has a bit of that Earthbound ‘safe at home, get some rest’ vibe.
This one would fit right in on Strife! As on many of the tracks on that album, there’s a killer metal track backing up a lighter, simpler main melody. Good stuff.
It’s the first minute or so that does it for me on this track: eerie, naturalistic synth percussion, combined with bombastic bass drum. The choir’s a tad indulgent, but on the whole it’s another cool take on Teal Hunter.
A brooding remix of Ruins off of Volume 5. The eclectic mix of synth, drumkit, and electric organ gives this version a wholly different feel: more ominous than its calm, thoughtful predecessor.
By Michael Guy Bowman. Original “Harlequin” by Mark Hadley. Guitar by Joseph Aylsworth.
A faithful, almost note-for-note rock cover of Harlequin for most of its length. The bridge at 1:20 is more interesting, though, as it takes off into a little more freestyle solo guitar work.
Written by Tyler Dever. Arranged and produced by Kalibration.
If it were done with old-fashioned organs and a backing big band, this would be the sort of track that introduces the bad guys in a radio serial. A fitting piece for Caliborn.
There’s a few different versions of the first part of Cascade: an early version called Cascade (Beta) on Volume 8 as a bonus track, as well as the version actually used in the Flash animation (that would make it the Alpha, I guess?). Tensei released a reworked version well after the fact, as well: Cascade (Drector’s Cut).
It’s as much a jam as the original, and I dare say parts of it sound like a remastering: tune in to the guitar section starting around 0:50, the sound is fantastic. Some other parts have been changed up as well, like the xylophone part in the beginning.
A grim, booming accompaniment for the arrival of evil incarnate. I don’t know what effect is responsible for the soft, pattering drumline throughout most of the track, but it’s a really cool sound.
What a cool trio of intertwining melodies. Deep in the background is faux-bass and faux-strings, done in synth. On top of that, a robotic chiptune melody wanders its way through the whole song, and the combination of these two backing tracks create a great contrast with the more traditional piano primary.
I especially like the jazzy backing set for this one, and the extended instrumental around 3:00 is sharp and… I don’t know, urbane, I guess? Reminds me of a walk through a busy city.
It’s a fun, deceptively simple little melody, and I especially like the crunchy drum part in the first half. That undulant bass backing instrumentation sounds almost like a set of weird, artificial bagpipes.
Bumbling chiptune. It hits just the right wacky tone to accompany a private investigator who starts off trapped in his own office. I like this one a lot.
I know it's from an older post, but I'm pretty certain there's a mandolin, not a guitar, on "Phantasmic Youngsters." The voice of the instrument and the style of playing makes this clear.
You’re right! A little further research confirms it: Tristan Scroggins is an accomplished mandolin player. There’s a couple performance videos on his website here.
That backing, whomping synth from Frost makes another appearance here. The composition stands on its own, though: the fuzzy bit around 1:50’s pretty slick.
By Robert J! Lake. Original “Verdancy” by Kalibration.
The original version of Verdancy is kinda plain: a new meter, some eerie effects, and a counter-melody helps to flesh it out into a jam. To put it into comic perspective, it’s as though Jade knocked out a bass solo, sent it to Dave, and he sent it back with the turntables in full effect. The jarring, panning guitar riff is especially cool.
By Xenocidebot. Original “MeGaLoVania” by Toby “Radiation” Fox.
The synth intro’s a little jarring, but that growling electric guitar that drops in almost immediately helps to make up for it. It’s a somehow harsher, more metal remake of MeGaLoVania.
A mellow tune for lying back and watching the prognisticant clouds float by. I especially like the rather reserved brass in the back: it gives the song a bit of a noble, dignified feeling.
Whoa, this is some seriously cinematic, ‘cast the ring into the volcano’ music. Rust Servant made it onto coloUrs and mayhem: Universe A, but I like this one even better. The heavy-metal electric guitar mixed in throughout gives it even more gravity, and a little bit of more modern style.
By Malcolm Brown. Original “Explore” by George Buzinkai.
A smooth, big-band orchestral accompaniment for Hussie’s meta-vengeful search through Doc’s apartment. The sound channels the spirit of Henry Mancini big time, and the terrifying wolf howl in the middle (complete with the band’s reveal flourish) is a neat, hilarious touch.
Heh, probably the purest rave track I’ve heard to date in Homestuck music. This one chronicles that one time Jane and Roxy found a neon pyramid full of glow sticks.
A bouncy, lighthearted remix of his original Serenade, off of Homestuck Volume 8. Just a half-moment’s shift in the lead makes for a whole different tune.
For a song written in a minor key, it’s almost impossibly bright and cheery. And it’s the inspiration for an endless parade of remixes and covers. A quick search shows no less than twenty remixes that draw inspiration partly or wholly from this one song.