beyond the edge of the world - lookfar (dungeon synth EP)

forgotten spells, forgotten songs...
inspired by the earthsea book, the farthest shore
0:00 the far reaches
2:11 the old speech
4:16 astral invocation
6:53 entombed
8:23 dragon with no tongue
10:25 wall of stones
12:59 archmage, goatherd
14:24 doorkeeper of the grove
15:55 the inauguration of a new king
18:08 children of the sea

[@ChrisTrenary]

louie zong is the only person i know that can go “i wanna make a dungeon synth ep” and actually release it a few days later

[@wdfinbllngsly]

holy shit these are some vibes my dnd players will adore

[@lasergabe]

DUDE I used this whole album for my last session the players loved it, DO IT.

[@krzlcve]

ABSOLUTELY

[@gabejones8112]

These songs almost single handedly kept my session _vibing_ when I prepared almost 0

[@arthurbarros5189]

Please, share with us how it was.

[@darksentinel082]

everyone out here all poetic and im just like "mmmm moosic"

[@meanieweeny4765]

mmmmm

[@taniani884]

Both r good

[@ace9110]

hm yes, music

[@noodlesnook]

mmmmmmmhhhhmmmmmmhmm

[@mollofistraye5164]

this is poetry as well. YOU CANNOT ESCAPE

[@FleurMarigold]

apocalyptic, mysterious and yet tinged with hope... I've never heard anything quite like this before!

[@alvarderoo8991]

Check out Hyper Light Drifter's OST by Disasterpiece it has similar vibes!

[@derpherp1810]

Rain World and Caves of Qud got similar vibes too.

[@minnarew]

@@derpherp1810 rain world fan spotted you got discord?

[@notNyxiann]

@@derpherp1810 yeah

[@Snickersnek]

First track feels like a Ghibli's Nausicaa or Laputa scene where the screen pans over vast, dilapidated arcane machinery and golems with overgrown plants. Awe-inspiring, faintly sinister, sombre, yet also peaceful and optimistic. Actually a lot of this album has that fantasy Ghibli scene-setting segment vibe to me.

[@jordanmathenia1966]

I can't unhear this.

[@ReavoEnd]

The only thing I know about Earthsea is that Ghibli made a movie adaptation, and it wasn't that great. Not their finest work!

[@michalahenderson7652]

also tales from earthsea!

[@queti486]

obligatory "jeje, la puta"

[@craigpopiolek4287]

Next thing you know this man's going to make a harsh noise EP about the food pyramid

[@FelixHelix]

00:00 / "the far reaches" moonlit, you rest by your fire embers dance behind your eyes and your mushroom stew. it's cold here, but you've been colder. 2:12 / "the old speech" you can't sleep the ice tickles your veins. you serve yourself the stew... it's hot, but you barely feel it. fuck it, anyways. you like the cold and you embrace it with a smile. 4:16 / "astral invocation" something strange. light breathes upon the damp rocks the smoke swirls and spirals in an ancient tongue of patterns. you'd like to understand it but you probably never will. 6:53 / "entombed" you're losing control hold on, ask questions keep it together, ground yourself you breathe and the ground breathes with you. has the forest always been so alive? 8:24 / "the dragon with no tongue" there is no evil it exists your head, doesn't it? but that's just an afterthought. you wonder why the forest is melting in the distance but don't really care about that, either. 10:15 / wall of stones you meditate into the gravel. have your hands always wobbled like this? you think you picked the wrong mushrooms. it was the red caps... right? 12:59 / "archmage, goatherd" the sun begins to glow beyond the veins of trees. a goat of rainbow horns and three eyes and fur of stars and hooves of fire chased by a pissed off bird. that's hilarious 14:25 / "doorkeeper of the grove" the world is the most beautiful thing you've ever seen a chaotic time connects you to the thinnest layer of existence. the smoke swirls and spirals now speak a language you understand, but haven't they always? 15:55 / "the inauguration of a new king" stretching to your feet you haven't slept, that would be a waste of time. 18:09 / "children of the sea" you run around the dew and smile at the trees and stare at the clouds and feel the blue ocean of sky on your face and place your warm cheeks on damp grass and talk to a beetle and breathe with the light and the trees and the rocks and the ground and the grass and the sun and the moon and the stars and in the deepest sigh the chaos that connected you aligns your soul with the void. you drift among the endless. you've never been happier to be right here. you are a bit hungry, though... good thing there's plenty of stew could use some warmth, too. you rekindle your fire. would you like to save? y / n edit: thanks for the heart, Louie. i love your art ❤️

[@namhnguyen8111]

Wow this is great

[@thecomedymaker3663]

Y

[@quartxio]

this is so creative and inspires me to write aaa !!

[@garfridges628]

This reminds me of the Oregon trail game nice storytelling!

[@ReavoEnd]

Hearts disappear when comments get edited...

[@everydaylouie]

louiezong.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-the-edge-of-the-world forgot the bandcamp link whoops lol. thanks for listening

[@bitchables5469]

The dungeon looms before you Trees Moss Leaves They cover You enter So does a breeze Nearby, A dungeon looms.

[@lazypotato3707]

dont forget the waifus

[@lazypotato3707]

you might get hungry

[@broccolitomato1085]

@Lazy Potatoシ Sir-

[@makeyourownpie]

Nice haiku

[@shayl76]

God bless this comment

[@Trogdor390]

Louie getting into Dungeon Synth? :o Louie Black Metal EP when?

[@prithvithakur7950]

Louiehemoth

[@emtheplatypus337]

Louieuronymous

[@jpegcrust]

please do this louie.. we saw hints of his untapped evil darkness potential in burn him down

[@nammajeff38]

I would stab someone 23 times in the head for louie to make a black metal album

[@tail421]

Haha) it somehow reminds me Summoning

[@yungjose3369]

When will your name be a part of a huge game, coz your talent in music is incredible

[@baeguevara354]

yung jose Idk if he’s been a part of any video game soundtracks, but Louie already works with Cartoon Network as a storyboard artist, animator, and writer for the show “We Bare Bears.” Weirdly enough though, I don’t think he’s brought his musical talents to that project... maybe he prefers it as a side hobby?

[@Shroom64]

@@baeguevara354 Pretty damn good side hobby if you're right.

[@sylviat1976]

Louie always reading the vibes perfectly! Anyone else having a hot dungeonmaster summer?

[@stolasish1184]

(I love your profile pic! I saw it online a long time ago it's so cool!) Also I am, my friends have finally said they want to start playing, this'll be wonderful

[@maiat4876]

I'm in Aus having a cold dungeon master winter but these vibes still fit, Louie has vibes for everyone

[@cyberhonk2999]

Yep

[@KathleenIllustrated]

okay okay i havent even listened to the song yet but this cover art is INCREDIBLE. the texture. that perspective. the muted palette. MY MY MY.

[@levilukeskytrekker]

+.

[@emmat5319]

the first song brings tears to my eyes. i feel like i’m coming back to a home i’ve forgotten, everyone long gone. i went to battle far across the sea, thought i’d never return, and find that my village is abandoned.

[@charlieo8020]

15:55 You step around the corner. There is a clear line on the ground. The line itself does not exist; rather, it is formed, illusory, by the sudden change from the darkness of the cave which extends for... which extends into the mountainside, behind you. It is formed by the stark shift from that complete darkness to the stark, hard light of the sun, bursting into the cave with the fury of a profoundly foolish adventurer. The sunlight is familiar to you, of course. It must be late in the afternoon, by its angle. Or early in the morning. You cannot remember which way is east. Your left foot sends aches and yelps to your brain, and the tendons in your calves whimper at the very thought of trying to hobble across the remaining distance into the open air. Your right foot has nothing to say at all, strangely. Slowly, you make your way to the light. You feel the sun on your feet, then your knees, then your chest, and finally, your face. Sensation returns to your left hand, and you run your fingers through your matted, greasy hair. A breeze lights itself upon your face, and suddenly, you realize the droning hum of a million tiny sounds echoing for eternity that defined the dungeon is gone, and you hear the swaying of trees, the tweeting of birds, the rustle of leaves. The clearing as a small creek bubbling across its floor. The sunlight pecks at the ground through the branches. The grass between your toes is soft and forgiving, as if you'd never abandoned it. A doe meanders through the forest, keeping one eye on you. The air is clean and fresh. The nightmare behind you, for a moment, ceases to exist in time and space and memory. Your mind consists of the sounds in your ears, the sensations on your fingertips and toetips, and the smells in your nose. Your bag falls from your shoulder. For now, even you are in a limbo. This grove is peace--behind you is a nightmare, and in front of you is a life. Between the two, this grove. You take a deep breath. You retrieve your bag. You wash your face in the creek. It's morning, you realize. The sun is to the east. You step out into the forest.

[@melanietong644]

I'm not sure if it's the synth, but the music feels like it carries a distorted vibe. I feel like this would be perfect for a campaign where you have an "alternate universe area" Very much like Link to the Past or like Delta Rune. It's very lovely and inspiring me to make a campaign :D

[@zebteched]

I imagine a pixelated rpg style courtyard of a medieval style castle but broken apart and floating in the empty void it is held in. There are bridges that often align to form paths to other sections of the courtyard. mainly monochrome colors are used to distinguish the cold stone from the courtyard and the void below, with a slate/futuristic blue haze to draw the border between the two, each section is seen with a slight bob as if a large raft on an ocean.

[@loafbreed7246]

make it, please. 💙

[@jameswallace1926]

Omg yes I need to do that

[@headphonic8]

Look up Earthsea. That’s what this is inspired by

[@ParryThat]

LOUIE YOU CAN'T KEEP MAKING ALL THIS EARTHSEA INSPIRED CONTENT MAN, IT'S TOO GOOD

[@horseenthusiast1250]

Nah he needs to keep making it, this fandom is so tiny lol

[@Lejo04]

Louie has other Earthsea content? I’d love to know what the other stuff is!! This is fantastic!

[@sirpuffball6366]

W a t c h h i m

[@christopherharris2695]

I love this album so much, it's so evocative of the mystery and wonder I love to see in a fantasy setting. But it's also got these synthesizer 80s sounds that trigger such strong feelings of nostalgia, even if there's not anything in particular I'm actually nostalgic for. A perfect 10/10

[@FabulousaAliya]

I just played my first session of DnD last Saturday and I'm so pumped to play again with this backing our first dungeon!

[@muffindubs725]

The second I learn what dungeon synth is louie just provides and I’m here for it

[@xiao668]

Louie Zong Pops into reality to personally hand you some lovely reading music then pops back out to continue to be the hero we need but don't deserve.

[@-WilsonCostanilla-nx9wb]

Me: I need sleep *Sees notification* Me: **nEvEr mInD LoL**

[@iwistudio7337]

Heyo

[@TheRocksEyebrow20]

Had to check if out before bed too haha

[@smoothblink]

no sleep gang, I see you

[@PaintedAvian]

that is literally me rn

[@sirSpookyToons]

USE IT TO SLEEP BRO

[@bird2693]

Ahh the nostalgia of Earthsea✨as always, the magic in the novels is the same magic in your music

[@FelixHelix]

he writes novels, too? he's such a creative and beautiful dude :)

[@catbra1n]

The tales of Earthsea are a set of novels written by Ursula de guinn NOT Louie Zong

[@MisterAppleEsq]

Ursula Le Guin is awesome, and so is Louie.

[@NotCthulhu]

There's something so mysterious about these. The first one especially. Hearing it the first time while looking at the art made me imagine something like a D&D party opening a portal to a plane of nothing but endless forests or jungles. Something exotic and natural but unnatural at the same time, where it's clear it's something much more surreal than just a forest/jungle -- something that's just dimensionally, elementally, a forest/jungle... if that makes sense. Something like the jungle dimension in Jumanji or the secret jungle level in Nuclear Throne.

[@headphonic8]

Look up Earthsea. That’s what this is inspired by

[@zebteched]

All of louie’s previous EPs sound like nice accompanying overworldly themes and with this one we just took a step into the final world

[@alvarorubianes9410]

This year I read through the whole Earthsea cycle. Literally changed my life and how I approach fantasy stories. Le Guin sits right beside Tolkien as my top favourite writers of all time.

[@AudrenDev]

“But when we crave power over life-endless wealth, unassailable safety, immortality-then desire becomes greed. And if knowledge allies itself to that greed, then comes evil. Then the balance of the world is swayed, and ruin weighs heavy in the scale.” - Sparrowhawk, the Farthest Shore

[@shyfroglet]

I'm a simple man; I see a new Louie Zong video, I add it to my study playlist.

[@nahnonawnoe]

This feels like exploring ruins with new life growing through the cracks. Finding mechanations beyond your understanding overtaken by plant and fungal life.

[@liliasusan]

So eerie, I love it! I also just started reading the Earthsea books, so what a nice coincidence

[@liliasusan]

!!!! it's been awhile but i'm finally on book three !

[@NukaColaLight]

I just started reading The Farthest Shore for the first time, perfect timing :) ^^

[@zoecloud691]

I especially love “entombed”- it gives me the same claustrophobic sort of feeling that (I imagine) one would feel in the tombs of atuan

[@PalladiumAlchemist]

It's like this ep is singing directly to my little goblin soul.

[@matchascloset8935]

YES YES THE LEGEND HAS POSTED

[@eleanorolson6497]

I loved Wizards of Earthsea and this is super reminiscent of it, great tribute!

[@balrogdahomie]

This reminds me a lot of a more fantastical, less depressing version of Caretakers “An Empty Bliss Beyond This World” Not sure why, but it gives off a very similar vibe

[@Ninsects]

As a huge fan of the Earthsea Cycle, I have to say that I am very grateful someone has released a whole EP inspired by it. THANK YOU.

[@AlinaTheGoblin]

The Farthest Shore, probably my favorite of the Earthsea books (tied with A Wizard of Earthsea). So glad you released this, what a fantastical gift :)

[@leticiasoaresberwanger9319]

That ending always gets to me... It's so beautiful.

[@CyrusdVulture]

This made me start reading Earthsea. I'm not at The Farthest Shore yet but I can really see how this fits the stories.

[@pyroduck]

That first track sounds like an epic text scroll over a verdant valley, castle perched on mountain in the back but cloud are rolling in and the goblin army approaches

[@aizab9652]

distorted synth in the far reaches reminds me of all the old puzzle / point and click games i used to play as a kid :)

[@dgerety9999]

This is gorgeous. I love the Earthsea books and this is a wonderful accompaniment.

[@Enshadowed]

this feels like a walk in the forest on a sunny day

[@pannekook2000]

This beats you over the head with tritones and dissonant intervals in the absolute best way possible

[@ykMMD]

Ok so, because of this amazing EP, I've fallen into a spiral, and it's all your fault Louie. I listened to it and it brought back 90s memories of Zelda Ocarina of Time right away. Most specifically, The Forest Temple and the Lost Woods. I started watching a 12 hours video of a full walkthrough of the game. Then I found out there was a remake for the 3Ds, so I watched another full walkhtrough of that version (about 11 hours of video) (instead of doing a lot of things I was supposed to do lol). Then I was like, omg I need to play this game again. To my horror (and my sister's) we couldn't find our N64 at my parents place. We looked everywhere, but nope, it was nowhere to be found. I started asking everyone I knew if they had an N64, and I found one (at last!) (bonus, my friend had the OG OoT with the red blood and the Islamic chant in the Spirit Temple lol). Then for Christmas, my girlfriend got me a 3Ds with Zelda Ocarina of Time !! So I replayed the game. Then I replayed it again in the Masterquest mode :') Now I'm playing Majora's Mask and a Link Between World. I mean, it's not the worst spiral to go down into, but here is where Dungeon Synth brought me.

[@elmaor129]

I feel like there is armour on me right now and I am in the medieval times and I feel so... at home? Like my past life occupation was a knight???!!!

[@elmaor129]

Ok I didn’t mean it like that holy w h a t

[@elmaor129]

@Is me ? oh ok bai its like afternoon here where i live but thanks and please rest because if you dont rest you'll make grammar mistakes and that is not good. i am lazy to correct mine :) please sleep more and drink more water that will help you oh and by the way I am flavour feline perish

[@GorrilaJohnson]

inb4 the inevitable wet blanket commenter says something like "Uhhhm no you DON'T want to live in medieval times dude! Are you stupid!!?!?! You would be covered in shit and dying of teh plague!!1!!1"

[@alvez29]

the only thing i need in my life right now it's just an adventure, 8bit, open-world, fantasy-rpg, post-apocalyptic, dungeon game to go with this music

[@thomasferranti5310]

Just heard Mineral Hall and now this. Lovin' 'em! 😅 They're cinematic, dramatic, just great! I could easily imagine your music fitting into my film - "VirusMan".

[@zer0zes]

I will never be able to put how this makes me feel into words... but it's beautiful and strange and evocative. It's a wonderful homage to The Farthest Shore.

[@maxcampbellmusic]

So atmospheric. I'm a composer but I always put so much in at once... I could stand to give it some space like this.

[@brandongunn77]

Very high quality sound font. Composed professionally and it even has good visual art. 10 out of 10.

[@hopskit7888]

Oh my goodness this is my favourite type of music, it's the kind that gives my mind stories and pictures to look upon, thank you^^

[@elmaor129]

This is so cool once again Louie you have knocked me off my feet

[@lunarmoon7636]

this is the perfect thing to have playing in the background while you read any fantasy/sci-fi book

[@hhhannahhh]

I read The Farthest Shore a few months ago!! And wow!!!! I wish I had this soundtrack when I was reading it for the first time TT^TT

[@TheUnluckyEverydude]

Oh, I guess I'll just sleep to this then. Thanks!

[@zane8868]

oh my god louie zong made a dungeon synth album. truly the greatest timeline

[@thecomedymaker3663]

Is this going to be released on Spotify

[@ethanf7558]

Its on there if you hadn't seen yet

[@thecomedymaker3663]

Ethan Fardoux really thanks

[@SakiIsSaki]

you know when someone is good at making music when tehy can make great rpg music that holds you along with jazz to follow you and it all sounds good

[@lonnimac6974]

Ah yes, more artistic fuel. Outstanding music as always, thank you so much!

[@Halberddent]

Louie's music is so good that the last five songs are all "most replayed."

[@mr_beebo2465]

Keep it up Louie, I'll always be here waiting for your amazing work.

[@Frenchydude89]

Astral Invocation is my favorite. It strikes a balance between future synth and primal drums that I haven't heard since Civ III, specifically the early game tracks. Thank you for the memories!

[@ollytreen]

this is the pure condensed spirit of earthsea. thank you

[@andrewhayden9896]

I think this ep is some of your best work to date. Some very atmospheric tracks on here. I can’t get enough of it.

[@kat3lynhammer801]

I only just realized this now, a lot of videos that I have seen in my near pass have been from this Creator, and I had no idea! This person has been pleasantly haunting my recommendations. I'm surprised I did not realize this until now!

[@fidelraftstro9230]

Jesus Christ this hits like a freight train, like keep doing what you're doing my dude cause this shit hits like binding of Isaac and crawl if their soundtracks were mixed

[@krzlcve]

This whole EP feels like a warm hug, like some nostalgia for an RPG I've never played, ik I'm gonna keep coming back

[@indigoward4396]

I really liked the first book. I can't to get up to The Farthest Shore. 🌏🌊 You make lovely music, Louie.

[@VaalanHei]

Oooooh, nice to see your take on dungeon synth! Love it!!

[@rosenmarille]

Doing my sumerian hw while 2:12 the old speech plays is Some Kind of vibe 10/10

[@clairet3604]

I’m currently reading The Farthest Shore, and you’ve captured the moodiness and hopefulness of the story so well. It makes me love this album even more.

[@fetaup9293]

Louie Zong? More like Louie... Song. I don't know where I was going with that, fantastic tracks by the way!

[@tomsentaylor1268]

Sounds like if NIN did the soundtrack to Nausicaa. I love it.

[@jacobgruber388]

Great work! I really liked astral invocation and wall of stones

[@sarahr.5112]

Perfect name for this, definitely makes me feel like the world around is closed off and I'm seeing something I shouldn't be able to, like I'm the only one to know our world stops existing past the this point

[@gandalfthegrey1873]

This is fantastic and so lovely but the song Entombed (starting at 6:54) sounds like a robot Owen Wilson saying "wow" over and over again. Like, in a super aesthetically pleasing way, but once I noticed it, I can't get the image out of my head. Woooow.

[@beaudali6021]

Working on two warforged portraits for a commission right now, and i just wanna say THANK YOU for this perfect soundtrack

[@MarcBliss]

I just started a D&D campaign, and this is my new soundtrack. Hell yes.

[@Pe0ads]

Best dungeonsynth of 2020 imo. PLUS inspired by Earthsea, damn. although I still need to read that one!

[@yeetme3387]

I've been putting your songs in the background while I do my homework (and its helping me relax a lot!), and I have to say this is one of my favorites, gives me the vibe of a spooky mysterious part in a game, but also makes my mind go back to Chihiro and Akira. Love it, playing it over and over again

[@atakiri]

This is so haunting and beautiful. I so hope you release more ♡

[@WaverlyKaddafewcharecters]

Thank you for being there with your great videos in hard times

[@iknowthatyougreatlyloveyou1613]

amazing, damn i wish there was 10+ albums of that stuff from you

[@emmadenis5735]

I love these books, I love your work, and I love this album. Thank you!

[@gh0stsp0ng35]

was about to go to sleep but the zongs songs come first

[@Fernt]

I have a huge long spotify playlist of dungeon synth i fall asleep too... Astral Invocation is one of my favorite tracks in the whole dang genre!

[@SpiderofPnyx]

This is the first project ive heard of you and it’s absolutely great, really refreshing take on the genre

[@someonecool8454]

pleaseee more like this, i love this album more than life! (it's also the only thing that makes me enjoy studying)

[@roachdoggjr1]

this gives me a rainworld/hyper light drifter type of vibe and i love it

[@illusemytrustyfryingpanasa9249]

how glad must i bee to discover one of my favourite musicans updated this while I'm writing on my fantasy book. amazing.

[@emmarounsville1479]

Yes yes YESSSS MY AESTHETIC, the perfect balance between Pokemon mystery dungeon and Hyper Light Drifter!!

[@mellowbee9464]

I've never heard of this genre and it is now my new favorite thing. Incredible EP!!!

[@karpinheadphones7377]

Your work is just amazing. Some sounding of orchestral folklore, warm emptiness of the soul and light electronic notes create a great combination of some kind of fear and a fairy tale. Not in vain I found this channel, it brings so much inspiration!

[@thedustwhispered]

so mysterious! i love the vibes. wall of stones is my favorite track.

[@PureHagelslag]

Your cover artworks are always so amazing!

[@hectic-glow-clouds8723]

!! louie this is incredible... It feels so tangibly ursula le guin + joe hisaishi + mort garson+ rpg vibes. ancient magic, the slow and heavy footfalls of giant gods, the choking fog of the past catching up.

[@marziandhermind]

Nothing has made me want to drop everything and run off into the woods looking for magic and adventure more than this music (it's also giving me mad Adventure Zone: Balance vibes which I ain't complaining about ^3^)