By Marcy Nabors and Corbin Pangilinan
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 album Shortcuts, by Casual Sunday, is available for purchase at Bandcamp.
By Joren “Tensei” de Bruin
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.
Tensei’s album Songs Unsung is available for purchase on Bandcamp.
By William Ascenzo
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.
William Ascenzo’s album Rust Apocalypse is available for purchase at Bandcamp.
By Michael Guy Bowman
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.
Bowman’s album Comfortable Bugs is available for purchase at Bandcamp.
By Curtis Lyon
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.
The album Sepulchritude can be downloaded for free from the Skaianet Download Database.
By Michael Guy Bowman
It’s a song about the road (well, a road, anyways), and it’s a driving tune if I’ve ever heard one.
The album Shortcuts, by Casual Sunday, is available for purchase at Bandcamp.
By William Ascenzo
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.
William Ascenzo’s album Rust Apocalypse is available for purchase at Bandcamp.
By Clark Powell
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.
Clark Powell’s album Namesake is available for purchase at Bandcamp.