[starfall]

Hey folks,

Just thought I should drop a line and let you know that you can listen to the EP soundtrack of our game Luminati
at http://www.morningdewmedia.com/luminati. I used some really cool instruments in the music production of the game, like the Bawu, which has a really haunting timbre.
You can also listen to tracks from other released (and upcoming games) at my soundcloud page.
http://www.soundcloud.com/mattiasholmgren

Luminati was recently released in the app store, so go and check it out.
Game description:
Luminati is an enchanted connect-four with powerups.
Play against the smart AI or beat your friend in the 2 player hotseat mode, it will keep you hooked for hours.
Easy to learn, but hard to master. Game Center integration for online leaderboards and online matches is coming in version 1.2!

Key features:
- Singleplayer and 2-player hotseat mode.
- 10 levels to complete.
- Powerups to gain advantage.
- Gorgeous graphics design and animation.
- HD Retina graphics for the iPhone 4.
- Cinematic soundtrack composed by Mattias Holmgren.
- Post your scores to facebook etc.

The game was previously awarded in the international "Games that challenge the world" competition.

Luminati app store link:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lumin...429413476?mt=8

Luminati Lite (FREE version) link:
http://itunes.apple.com/se/app/lumin...433148212?mt=8

Recent titles I've worked on are:
Valet Parking (DSi), Charmed (iPhone), Flight Deck (iPhone), Vegas Towers (iPad), iDamaged (iPhone), Legio (PC).

Listen to more new tracks at my website.
http://www.morningdewmedia.com

[Calum]

Hey Mattias,
I'm enjoying the music on your website and I must say i'm inspired by your success.
Could you tell me what software/VSTs you are most frequently using (particularly in your orchestral stuff)?

[starfall]

I'm glad you like some of the music I produce. It's been a long road, I have put alot of time studying film music and composition (actively and non-active), different musical genres since I begun writing music in the age of 15-16.

It's easy to overdress music with too much sounds, melodies, chords and instruments. But with time I realized that the core of a good/cool/long-lived theme benefits alot more from less-but-better-sounding-instruments and to develop melodic ideas (with a more delicate hand). The "Less is more" works on everything! =)

Today I try to work with as much real instruments as possible; real piano, real drums, real flutes / percussion / guitars. But of course I work with ALOT of software too. =)
For the orchestral themes I use VSL (Vienna Symphonic Library) & East West Symphonic Orchestra Play, but also mix some other libraries in. And I tend to setup my own controllers, so it's easier to work with the dynamics of the melodic lines in realtime instead of programming (CH11 etc.) I also have a wind-controller connected to my Yamaha EX5 keyboard so you can "breath" the dynamics, like with a real flute/clarinette etc. Though I also use it sometimes while recording strings to "breath" the dynamics. Hehe, it works quite great too. It saves a bit of programming-time. Since a few months back I'm also using the iPad alot for controlling some of the music software....it's amazing with a touchscreen as controller.

I converted from PC to MAC a few years ago, since I had spent a fortune (and many years) getting PC's to run smooth. I was fed up with the windows platform for composing... Switched to MAC and Snow Leopard OS and everything has run smooth since day 1. So I would recommend getting a MAC in a heartbeat. =)
Also get a soundcard with good A/D - D/A converters if you are going to record instruments live....I suggest Apogee.

East West libraries are quite cheap and for a starter, I would go with them.
Today there are better libs around though, like Cinematic Strings & LA Scoring strings and East West Hollywood strings. But you can do alot with the good-old libs from East West and the VSL library is tremendously powerful to get accurate orchestral mockups. Even Kontakt 4 has some good orchestral sounds which I might add to a song.

Kontakt 4 is my main sampler, I've been using it since version 1 and grown comfortable with it.
I got a large custom library which I add new instruments too every year which I designed myself from all kinds of wierd sound sources (soda streamers, bottles, cash-machines, sitars etc.etc.) It's also kind of a trademark to have some of your own sounds popping up a little now and then throught your songs. To get your own unique sound.

It also helps with a good reverb. Since I nowdays work almost exclusively with LOGIC, I tend to reach for the Space designer within Logic. It's quite good. But Altiverb is the king to my ears when it comes to good reverb sound.

Though I'm using Logic now, I've been mostly using Cubase in the past, and some Ableton Live... Live is wicked, easy to do cool and spontanous electro stuff....

But I'm overall most comfortable with Logic since I work alot with scoring-sessions (notation), and it's so flexible in many ways. And comes packed with the best sounding vsti's in any DAW. The VSTi's that comes with Cubase sound very dull / lame.

Cubase 6 is nice too (still do some of my songs with Cubase), and Pro tools 9 is also great.
But Logic is the nr.1 DAW for me.

I hope you got some insight in all my blabber.

Cheers,
Mattias
MORNINGDEW MEDIA
http://www.morningdewmedia.com
http://www.morningdewmedia.com/luminati

[ambinate]

this is great stuff! i really like the soundscape you've got going on - the instrumentation and arrangements are really well done and it has a nice, spacious vibe. i've never heard of this game before but i'm thinking about checking it out now after hearing the soundtrack.

[starfall]

YES, the full Original soundtrack OST from LUMINATI is finally available at bandcamp.
http://mattiasholmgren.bandcamp.com/album/luminati-ost

The album features 12 tracks, and many of those are bonus tracks from the trailer and themes produced during the Luminati scoring sessions. Fans of Hollywood action/thriller scores and unique ethnic instruments will not be disappointed. On one of the tracks I even played the chinese Bawu which has a really haunting tone.
Check it out and let me know what you think of it!

Cheers,
Mattias
http://www.morningdewmedia.com

[starfall]

Just wanted to let you know we released version 1.2 of Luminati with tons of new stuff in the app store.
Check it out and let me know what you think!

New features in v1.2:
* Online match against random opponent implemented.
* Online leaderboards.
* Achievements implemented.
* 2 player mode spawns both Wings of fury and impaler.
* No powerup limit in multiplayer mode.

Bugs fixed:
* Moving tokens in the same instant time was up resulted in unsynced game board.
* Game board is now correct after Wings of fury powerup usage.
* Fixed random crash (cocos2d updated to 1.0.0rc3)

[Kuolema]

I listened to the EP...it's really nice. I like the ending theme a lot
I don't have an iphone, but I'd download the game if I did...it looks neat!
Btw, what's a bawu, and which tracks is it played on?

[StauntonLick]

+1 for the ending theme, very nice!

[starfall]

Originally Posted by Kuolema

I listened to the EP...it's really nice. I like the ending theme a lot
I don't have an iphone, but I'd download the game if I did...it looks neat!
Btw, what's a bawu, and which tracks is it played on?

Bawu is a chinese "reed" wind instrument, sounds a bit like a Clarinett. Quite dark tone, haunting. It's got a quite narrow scale, so it's crucial to play with alot of bending between the notes. =)
The instrument is featured in a few of the tracks but is most prominent in the song "Wings of Luminati".
http://open.spotify.com/track/6Yimx5l1UITsRGEkPQk8yR
You can hear it clearly at 0:30 and throughout the track.

Luminati OST album is now also on spotify, iTunes and Amazon etc. Check it out and thanx for the support!!!

http://itunes.apple.com/se/album/lum...st/id447896199
http://open.spotify.com/album/2Y7cxxP3GLnxewfg1CiYhU
spotify:album:2Y7cxxP3GLnxewfg1CiYhU


Cheers,

Mattias Holmgren
Morningdew Media
www.morningdewmedia.com