Strange Tides: A Confluence (OST Comp Jam #7)

To Reed, my confidant and muse, whose soul can fill an orchestra beyond measure.

You awaken knowing two things:

1. This world is not the one you know.
2. Your beloved lies waiting in a prison in the sea.

Strange Tides: A Confluence is a narrative-first action-adventure game about fighting your way through the sea inside a strange new world. Combat fierce endemic life, meet a colorful cast of friends and foes, overcome obstacles of the natural and spiritual world, and find your way to the one closest to your heart. 

Soundcloud Link: https://soundcloud.com/amelia-ridz/sets/strange-tides-a-confluence-ost-jam-7 

The album for Strange Tides: A Confluence was developed for the OST Composition Jam #7. It is a genre-defying mix of various orchestral instruments and native instruments of various diasporas, amplified with modern synths featuring rock-forward boss fights. The album is a brief 11 minute sampler of four tracks:

1. Awaken by the Verdant Sea, infamous for the occasional Ironshank Rampage.
2. Find the amicable and mysterious Buzz Merchant, but thieves beware: the shopkeeper does not tolerate Misbeegotten Goods.
3. Travel deep through the Cavern of Dreams to face against the tyrannical Herald of the Maelstrom.
4. Two souls meet in Confluence and lose each other Inside My World. 

  Strange Tides: A Confluence is inspired by:

• The genre-bending melodic storytelling of Darren Korb (Supergiant Games), Yoann Laulan (Dead Cells), and Borislav Slavov (Larian Studios)
• The imaginative and dense worldbuilding of games such as the Monster Hunter franchise and Felix Isaac’s tabletop roleplaying game, The Wildsea.

The chosen theme for Strange Tides: A Confluence are both “Inside My World” and the illustrated theme. “Inside My World” is both literal and figurative; your soul mate lies trapped inside their world as you travel deeper and deeper to the inside of the world to face them. The illustrated theme shows two people, two souls so close yet separated by the thinnest veil between worlds, drifting in an unfamiliar and colorful sea.

Strange Tides: A Confluence is made possible through Reason by Reason Studios. The electric guitar tracks were created with the Ample Metal Hellrazer VST by Ample Sound, and the jaw harp tracks were created with the Cowboy Harp VST by New Nation Audio. Vocals provided by Reed Coale and Amelia Giarusso. All other instruments, effects, mixing, and mastering was made and performed within Reason and it’s freely included Rack Extensions, including the Orkester Sound Bank, Humana Vocal Ensemble, and Klang Tuned Percussion.

The composer permits free use to use and modify the album for Strange Tides: A Confluence. 

Cover art by Reed Coale. 

Amelia Giarusso can be reached via email at ameliaridz@gmail.com