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New Ambience: Lifeboat
🕑 Added 2025-08-27 17:46:21 +0000 UTCCongratulations on surviving disaster #1...(Patrons receive 8 additional versions of this track)
Greetings Patrons,
This week's track takes us to sea. You, or you and your small band, are the only survivors of an ill-fated ship. You managed to escape just in time, as the main mast of doomed vessel sank beneath the surface. But your problems aren't over. In fact, you're all slightly screwed. The boat has scant rations, there's no land in sight, and what is that strange singing coming from just beyond the fog?
As you might imagine, the ambience here is waves, wind, boat sounds and the eerie calls of the siren. Often, siren song is depicted as being beautiful, but I found that when I tried that version it either fit with the music - and got lost - or didn't fit (out of key) and clashed in a not good way. I settled on dissonant clusters that 'sort of' worked. This way they sounded better in the ambience track, and worked as a 'huh?' aspect in the mixed version.
Musically, I layered lots of low strings, treated strings, solo cello, brass and woodwinds, as well as some percussion, to create an undulating, sometimes frothy vibe that mimicked the ocean. I was going for dramatic, but with underlying tension and unease. (Is my boat mate looking at me hungrily?)
As this in Patreon exclusive sneak-peek mode, I've included the mixed version (live on the site next week), as well as music-only, and ambience-only versions here. Additionally, I created 2 'no sirens' versions. These are subtle to be sure. I also created 2 'calm' versions which remove a lot of the wind sounds, the sirens and add seagulls. Maybe you've weathered the worst of it and have spotted land? Finally there's an ambient 'no boat, no sirens' that's basically wind and water. I guess this is for lying flat on your back on a beach, after surviving whatever horror that all was. I hope you find these useful.
Thank you all, as always, for your continuing support.
Best,
Tim
