Growbot now has a musician. I met Jessica Fichot at IndieCade last year in September where Growbot was a Digital Select.
The atmosphere and emotion she creates in her music is perfect for the game. Her background music enriches gameplay and her cinematic/cutscene music enhances the story.
One of my favourite tracks is this background piece for the player's bedroom. I love how Jessica has incorporated the light sprites' sound into the music:
In the opening scene of the game Nara explains how the light sprites kept her up all night with their static song. It's a small detail, but Jessica created a short melody to go with it and it helps to make the world and its inhabitants feel real.
As you move from the bedroom to the kitchen, the music shifts first from melancholic to light and adventurous, and then when Starbelly enters it moves again to something more fun and mischievous. Even though the music regularly changes and supports the player's exploration, I love that it maintains the underlying themes of apprehension and isolation.
Here’s the background music for the Kitchen along with Starbelly’s theme. I’m in the process of re-recording Starbelly’s voice in a deeper tone:
In the hallway beyond the kitchen there is a door leading up to the garden which is locked. The player needs the permission of the Chief of Security to enter. Thanks to Jessica, Wee Ted now has a drum roll to accompany his march:
The final room on the first floor is the Captain’s study. There Nara can equip herself with a number of useful items such as a Brainapilla, who serves as a hint system within the game. I love the wistful and nostalgic mood the music brings to the room with its sparse piano notes and old vinyl crackle. It serves the game plot well as Nara has been cut off from the Captain and her peers.
The only cutscene on the first floor plays at the beginning of the game, and describes the location of the world and reason why the player is there. I’d already created the sound effects for it prior to working with Jessica, but she was successfully able to weave the music around them. She also developed new and unique sound effects which enhance what was already there, my favourite being the eerie sound of the crystals growing around the station.
You can listen to more of Growbot’s music on our YouTube channel: Youtube.com and on our Soundcloud account: Soundcloud.com
