Today, I'll be looking at the application of music in different stages in party games - start screens, pause screens, victory themes, and so forth. Here I'll be checking conventions of genres in a particular context, ways motivic material is handled, go-to orchestrations and arrangements, and so forth. This series will mostly be for my personal exploration and enjoyment, but you're more than welcome to tag along! These blog post basically are a distillation of thoughts and observations as I try to work my way through these pieces of music. (Maybe I’ll edit them from time to time) First I’ll supply some thoughts when I listen to the piece the first time and recollect my memories/experience from playing the game. Next, I’ll provide some more factual analysis including Instrumentation, Form, Primary Goal of the piece in its context, etc. I'll be diving into the first example today: Wii Party, a personal favorite of mine.
Title Screen
General Observation:
Starts with a slow synth fade in, followed by a drum fill that kicks in the tune. This track doesn't come across as particularly memorable, but more as a tone setter. It’s funky, but not sky-high nirvana funk (in Nile Rodger’s words). However, I do think it is for the better since won’t be spending too much time in the title screen anyway. It's a more 'invite you in' kinda vibe. It makes you tap your foot, but you aren't fully in its trance.
Instrumentation:
- Drums (+ Claps)
- FM Bass
- E-piano
- Synths (harmony support)
- El. Guitar
- Saxophone
- Pizz Strings
- Synthy Xylo layer combined with high epiano, used for ornamentations.
- Sine Wave Lead
Harmony is carried by e-piano (with a lot of bell-like qualities in the top-end), doubled with soft synths (filling up mid/lo range) in the A section. A lot seems to have quite a lot of dx-7 sauce over it. The rhythm section consists of drums and FM bass, which are supported here and there by a live recorded one note guitar. The melody is carried out by what seems to be a midi saxophone. Sprinkles are added with pizzicato strings and soft bell-like synths.
Form:
The piece has an Intro (4m) - A (8m) - A’ (8m) - B (4m) – Turnaround (4m) structure, which loops continuously. (It does have a slow fade in at the start which you only hear once, though.) The A section contains the main material and is quite punchy/plucky in its characteristics. Funky guitars, pizzicato strings, and plucky bass give this a vibe that even granny will bop her head to.
The B sections smooth things out a bit, with less attack in both lead and harmony. (And omitting of claps and snare) The saxophone get’s replaced with a soft, slow attack sine wave, with string-like synth support, which undulates softly underneath the slow melody. This short contrast doesn’t last too long, and before we know it we’re back at the beginning. This turnaround doesn’t really consist of melodic material but instead uses more harmonic and rhythmic material. With a short melodic phrase, resembling the main theme, just before the tune starts over again.
Primary Focus:
I think the primary focus of this piece in this context is to provide a quick head bop, setting a light and rhythmic tone in anticipation for some family fun. The main melody and harmony also evoke a 90’s sitcom kinda vibe to me. Some songs (including sitcom intros) seem to have this very approachable, lighthearted characteristics; warm, upbeat, singable, with quite some syncopation. (Or like the artists from Volendam say: ”Je moe ‘t kunnen fluuten.” - You’ve got to be able to whistle it.)
Main Menu / Select
General observation:
Now, this is smooth. I remember spending a lot of time here, and everyone always grooving along. The theme is rather simple but immensely catchy. It follows an A-B-C structure, with A being the main hook, B being a kind of contrast to the chorus, and C being a breakdown. Instrumentation seems to be a funk band: Drums, guitar, slap bass, B-3 (traditional church sound and something with a bit more air for some consequent phrases), and a similar slow attack lead as in the main screen, but more lively, mainly because of vibrato. (attack times does get shifted to a somewhat shorter time interval in the faster passages.)
Drums are taking up the whole stereo field, with toms being hard panned. I know notice the triangle, which is hiding in the background but providing a lot of info about when it's nice to bop your head. (It does get omitted in the C part since it’s not really needed there.) The triangle seems to dance with the left guitar part, letting each other finish before adding their own lines. They join in song in the B part.
The A part seems to be buttered with a quite deep vibrato'd organ pad that seems to be lack a lot of high’s. (A simple arrangement/mix trick to introduce the instrument/beef up the harmony, which makes the move in the b section seem logical.) An interesting thing is that the vibrato seems to be just a tad slower than the drums, which give it (perhaps unconsciously) quite a dragging feeling.
This piece has again a quite unique blend of instruments. (In terms of their source) While some are quite high fidelity, like the guitars, some are definitely more 'stylized'. (Recorded guitars vs. midi bass) The guitars very clearly have their own space, while percussion seems particularly isolated.
Instrumentation:
- Drums
- Percussion: Bongo’s (Center Panned), Triangle (Slightly Right)
- (Slap) Bass (to my ears a very typical fender sound used in Japanese bands; a lot of high sparkle – T-Square comes to mind.)
- Hammond B-3
- Left El. Guitar (Supporting)
- Right El. Guitar (Lead, more definition)
Form:
A1 – A2 – A1’ – A2’ – B – B’ – C – C (each 4m)
Primary Focus:
A soft, almost floaty backdrop to a discussion of a party discussing what to play. This loop is heard a lot, so the tune needs to be mighty catchy, and not have too many literal repeated elements that are too harsh on the ears. There’s quite a lot more variation here in comparison to other pieces because of that.
To be continued.