Adaptive Solar System Music
Project Summary
I wanted to do a project that challenged me to learn about composing for non-linear media, using software and programming to facilitate interactivity, and discovering the power of sound for immersion.
I used Sebastian Lague’s Solar System project as a foundation to work on, modifying and adding code to communicate with audio middleware FMod. In the game, there are a number of different planets which each have their own themes that evolve based on distance and relative velocity.
Distance - Horizontal Re-sequencing/Modularity
I used the distance from the selected planet to determine the section of music to play. In this case, this results in a rise of energy as the player gets closer to the planet, and a sparser arrangement when the player is far away, drifting around in space.
Speed - Vertical Re-layering
The relative velocity from the player to the selected planet determines how many and which layers (instruments) are playing. For this project, it generally follows a pattern of synths audible all the time, with a lead arpeggiated synth, bass, piano, drums and additional details introduced at higher speeds.
I aimed to converge musical affect, literacy and interaction (van Elferen, 2016) to maximise the immersion for the player. My choice of musical modes gives each theme an associated emotional connotation, combined with rhythmic choices, like the dominating power of the Sun which is in Lydian 5/4. This is reinforced with timbral decisions, like using ‘harsh’ square waves for the Sun, and ‘pure’ sine waves for the Humble Abode (Earth). The player comes to understand that as and how they play, the music reflects the game environment: the intensity rising as they approach their destination; the sounds of the planet once they have landed. This rewards and incentivises the player to explore more, especially if they want to discover the instrumentation used for each themes’ ‘Land’ module. Interaction, as mentioned, is a core element of the games’ music, with direct changes between game and musical parameters. In this way, the music adds to the game experience, by providing identity to each destination, and reflecting the journey the player makes to explore the solar system. On the other side of the coin, the game adds to the musical experience, creating a dynamic experience with a combination of predictable and unpredictable moments, with agency to control the music through the gameplay.
When the player hasn’t selected a planet, the space theme plays. It has two energy levels that play depending on if the player is travelling towards an object that they are looking towards.
Sebastian’s YouTube series on the original project: here
Please get in touch to report any issues at the email address below. Thanks!
There’s a known issue where stuttering or musical desynchronisation occurs at high CPU load, try closing other programs to avoid this.
I had the pleasure of performing Adaptive Solar System Music in concert at City University’s From the City Studios in 2022, where I played the game in real time, diffused through speakers all around the space.
van Elferen, I. (2016) ‘Analysing Game Musical Immersion: The ALI Model’ in Ludomusicology: Approaches to Video Game Music, eds. Michiel Kamp, Tim Summers and Mark Sweeney. Sheffield, UK: Equinox Publishing Ltd. pp. 32-52.