This next album isn’t even Homestuck music. It’s the first volume (with dozens to follow, presumably) of the soundtrack to Jailbreak, the very first MSPaint Adventure. This is an unofficial album written primarily by Robert J! Lake. It’s in a little bit of a gray area, so far as this specifically Homestuck music blog goes. Gamzee? can I get a ruling on this?
He’s gonna motherfuckin’ allow it.
There’s about 40 minutes of non-bonus-material music… I’d be willing to bet that a leisurely read-through of the comic would take about that long. What better way to put the album through its paces than to accompany each song with an out-of-context picture from Jailbreak?
By Robert J! Lake
It’s a little more melancholy than you might expect for an opening track. That’s not to take away from it, though: the first half’s gloomy and brooding, and the second half picks it up into something a little more frantic.
Image source: MSPaint Adventures.
I imagine the gravity of his predicament is really setting in at this point. Not only is he stuck in jail, but he’s subject to the whims of a manic command prompt. Pumpkins phase in and out of reality randomly. There will be blood.
By Mark Hadley
Love that deep bass triangle wave and plucky melody. A good fit for a set of woodland elves that are probably evil (their policy with regards to infants is particularly troubling).
Image source: MSPaint Adventures.
A rare musical accompaniment from our protagonist. Go ahead, I dare you. Make these words fit the song.
By Andrew Huo
Another tune with a solid, strong intro that opens up into a consistent beat. The main chiptune track is pretty improvisational, especially in the second half.
Images source: MSPaint Adventures.
A fitting salute for an officer of the law. And one that at least one other law enforcement agent has been subjected to.
If you’d like to read the high-resolution version of Jailbreak, you can find it here.
By Erik “Jit” Scheele
Simple yet effective. Another cool pair of melodies that meander around each other. The playtime’s a little deceptive: the tune’s doubled up in the second half and the fadeout stretches it a little more (in the commentary Jit even mentions as much, which I thought was funny).
It reminded me of reports I’d write in high school: 12 point Arial (so much bigger than Times New Roman), spacing set to 2.2 lines, margins set to 1.75” on the left and 1.25” everywhere else. If I could have exploited word spacing and kerning, I would have. Courier New would have been pushing it over the top, though.
Image source: MSPaint Adventures.
Hey, look at that. Timed it just right to stumble into a moment in the comic that actually relates to the song. Soggy gourds provide the best armor protection. Fashionable, too.
By Robert J! Lake
The main riff’s drawn from Arcade Thunder off of Volume 8. I like this tune better, though: there’s a great, rushed energy to it, where Arcade Thunder’s a little more mellow. And it’s as chiptune as a song can be. Have a listen starting at 1:10 or so: if it were any more electronic, it would have been composed procedurally in BASIC. My top track for the album.
Image source: MSPaint Adventures.
Prisioner #2’s emotional high point in the comic. Things will go downhill pretty quick, after he’s shot by (and then, later, shoots himself with) a harpoon gun.
By Robert J! Lake
A slow-paced remix of Softly, off of Volume 5. It’s surprising how many unique ‘instruments’ RJ manages to coax out of a limited palette: thumping bass, white-noise percussion, and a couple of triangle- and pulse-waves that carry the main melody.
Image source: MSPaint Adventures.
Jailbreak, the prequel. So many unanswered questions. Why is he wearing a boot on his head? How did they die, with the conspicuous absence of any stumps in the room? Is the handgun just another key, and are the three keys actually just other, assorted firearms?
UPDATE: sometimes the scope of this loosely-bound series of comics boggles my mind. It turns out that some of these questions have been answered.