Chris Christodoulou - Arctic Oscillation | Risk of Rain (2013)

Album out: smarturl.it/ris...
Composed, performed & produced by Chris Christodoulou
©℗2013 Chris Christodoulou
--
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#RiskOfRainOST #RiskOfRain

[@uzulim9234]

I'm doing a mathematics PhD and I've been using this track as my work music recently. It has a strange way of soothing me while retaining a sense of awe at the undiscovered territories. Lovely soundtrack.

[@AstronautDown]

Thank you! Good luck with your PhD

[@uzulim9234]

@@AstronautDown Thanks Chris! By the way, the song has a really great drum track and synth tone

[@poaclo212]

holy shit im just trying to a get a bosc in math rn but eventually hope to go for the full phd. thats fucking sick tho that youre already getting yours and i have to agree this is some good music to work to. gl to us both!

[@vodago]

How'd it go?

[@justinmusic83]

Timing on that bass line... took me an hour and a half before being able to play it correctly 🤗

[@AstronautDown]

It's really very simple, just figure the polyrhythm and then play while thinking the meter of both the drum pattern and the chord pattern... Just kidding. It took me a lot of takes until I started recording each note separately to get it right :)

[@Vitae_]

@@AstronautDown the one bass note thats off in coalesence during the breakdown always gets me when im table drumming, ill get it one day!

[@Noobsareawesome1224]

What the

[@Outer-Heaven_Supercomputer]

what's better than an odd time signature? a prime time signature!

[@sirblockepicmcswaggins5248]

The actual gameplay is thematically similar to the music and the general story layout. As the game begins, you're normally pretty afraid of most things, avoiding confrontations with monsters that are a pain to deal with at an early point. However, near the end, you actively seek out every last one. You enjoy hunting them. They are no longer the monsters, you are the demon that the Colossus is scared to check under his bed for.

[@Ch4oTiK]

Even the Bogeyman, has a Bogeyman. His mirror image, in a funhouse mirror. Usually of his own creation. Sometimes though....

[@hiphyro]

Those temple guards still suck tho

[@berchibal]

Even the circular chord progression fits with the loop like gameplay, this song is Risk of Rain for me.

[@Apotheosister]

That's actually pretty interesting, I've never thought about it like that, Risk of rain is really designed well! On my first couple runs everything waa terrifying and new, I dreaded confrontation. And by the later runs I actively hunted down enemies, waiting during downtime for those extra scraps of money.

[@Tenebrys]

As the teleporter finishes cycling and you start to get your bearings again, you feel your heart swell with joy. Warm sunlight. A cool, gentle breeze. Hills rolling away in every direction. It's not a perfect view. Ruins dot the land all around. Whatever god was worshiped here, he either died, or left for a long, long time. You're not safe, either. Already, you feel the planet's angry gaze again, drilling into you, filling you with the familiar dread. They'll be attacking soon. So why do you feel so happy? Why does it feel like you have so much to fight for now? Why is your mind already mapping out your emplacements, like you already know every crumbling inch of this temple? Why do you feel like you're already home?

[@catwoe5707]

I would like to read more. What are your influences? Have you written anything since?

[@Tenebrys]

@@catwoe5707 Hey, and thanks for the comment! Sorry I didn't get to you sooner; KZbin's weird about how it decides to notify me of comment replies. I write various weird things, most of them posted in the comments on KZbin uploads of game OSTs. Great game music is where I get a huge amount of my inspiration, after all. I'm always trying to chase down more inspiration, too -- the only way to get better at writing is to keep doing it, after all. Let me know if you want to see more of my writings, or if you know of any game music that might work for inspiration, and I'll see what I can do! :)

[@LucasChosen]

​@@Tenebrys I'd like to see more of your writings, out of curiosity and also because I'm learning both english (not my native lenguage) and how to write. And also because you're pretty good :P Cheers!

[@Tenebrys]

@@LucasChosen My stuff's sorta scattered around KZbin at the moment, but I'm thinking about getting it all together into one place, like Fanfiction.net. Would you be interested in that?

[@silence7524]

@@Tenebrys i suggest deadbolt for the amazing track(and yes, because chris worked on that too), and the ost for a game called "Nihilumbra". i like to write things too and is working on a story of my own so i'd like to see other peoples work for inspiration of any kind. thanks for reading and you can work on those if you'd like i won't force anything

[@Cats777]

Underrated track.

[@victorkelp5154]

Why the 800 parents, game?

[@sevvvich8118]

Boar beach on Monsoon's AHAHAHAHAHA be like:

[@quack3891]

@@GleebyDeebyEeby "why am i on glass again"

[@petergriffin8086]

Why the 800 parents, for the second time?

[@MechWarrior894]

You learn what you can do without

[@Cyberw4y]

Nice touch with the thunderstorm in the background.

[@RaptorMocha]

glad this track got a sequel of sorts in ROR2!

[@alecu5885]

which one? is it the rallypoint delta-ish one?

[@rheabyrne9822]

@@alecu5885 Boss theme for Sky Meadow. (5th stage)

[@chocobo5038]

Yeah, but I think the first soundtrack in general is better than the second

[@RaptorMocha]

Chocob o , I think both fit their game’s perfectly. RoR2’s complements the artstyle very well

[@logynskibeeski6061]

@@alecu5885 No, that's hydrophobia

[@김주호-y4d]

7 years later....

[@Noobsareawesome1224]

11 years later, buddy.

[@vithor592]

That's gorgeous,dude. I don't see a game with a music so delightful since X6.

[@yourweirdplant]

The way it changed from inside to outside sound and started raining at 4:45 made my brain tingle and I love it so much

[@Protog3n_pd2]

Gup

[@reformedorthodoxmunmanquara]

The difference between this track and Antarctic Oscillation is absolutely nuts, bro.

[@chillknight3940]

Quite literally polar opposites lol

[@reformedorthodoxmunmanquara]

@@chillknight3940 Wow, that’s actually amazing.

[@Yanncki64]

I love the progression of this song, i'm not really an expert on composition and stuff, but I like how it starts sounding like the song was made on a Megadrive soundchip (or is it just me?) and proceeds to sound more complex and "epic" (excuse my buzzword) I feel like this reflects the level really well, this is always the point where I start to reflect my run of the game, as I am about to decide to proceed to the finale or repeat the previous levels, and the progression of the song fits that theme perfectly Was that the intention behind the song? Or am I just thinking too much into it? I also apologize if I ask too many questions, but I started to appreciate good videogame soundtracks more and more recently, and learning more about the creation process and the amount of thought that goes into the making of the soundtrack is very exciting to me ;)

[@pseudogenesis]

Chris Christodoulou You know, I would LOVE it if you were to make videos analyzing some of the songs you made for Risk of Rain and the choices you made regarding their structure. I've been trying to learn the ins-and-outs of composition but I have no formal training, so all this goes over my head. A video or two talking about a few of your songs (especially that darling Chansom D'Automne) would make my month. That said, I know you're busy. :) Either way, killer soundtrack.

[@Afonqueror]

pseudogenesis That would be wicked. Also Chansom D'Automne is heavenly, I can't stress this enough ^_^

[@pseudogenesis]

How did I never know about this? Thank you so much, I'm definitely going to enjoy this.

[@Afonqueror]

Chris Christodoulou Oh my! I will listen to this as soon as I am done playing for today :D

[@manuelvargas9737]

I thought the same thing of knowing that the way Arctic Oscillation started was with a Megadrive like vibe.

[@poccer7722]

I am currently in a cycle in which I come back to the Risk of Rain soundtrack every 2-3 months to discover another song thats absolutely beautiful, and then I forget about it again. Only to return...

[@Noobsareawesome1224]

Yeah, like the game, Risk of Rain Returns lol

[@ixcatls]

My favorite track. It's tranquil, but also somehow epic. It makes sure to let you know that this is the final stretch.

[@GleebyDeebyEeby]

Endere until you decide to loop and break the game with skull rings and crits

[@Rucka_Inc.]

Probably the best soundtrack in the game. Gorgeous.

[@Cyberw4y]

Look. Coalescence is out there.

[@Rucka_Inc.]

@@Cyberw4y Good, but overrated. This song is better.

[@Reptiloid87]

The buildup in this track is amazing, gets more intense and emotional with each layer. You're quickly turning into one of my favorite composers.

[@delightXD]

When I heard the thunders, I really did think it was raining outside, even at my 3rd loop...

[@felipewrany]

This music is simply fantastic, I just can't stop listening to it!

[@CronyneWARE]

Well, I just bought your soundtrack, so. There yah go. Considered putting the soundtrack on Steam for purchase too?

[@CronyneWARE]

Chris Christodoulou 'Ey, no trouble. I wanna start buying more soundtracks anyway. I certainly won't trump your decision for dignity, that's for sure. Respect.

[@Soolkold]

My favorite track in RoR, I think the soundtrack is one of the reasons why the game was so praised. The music you wrote is really touching, and might be one of the best soundtrack I've heard, with LucasArts' The Dig. Bravo

[@Soolkold]

It really is an awesome game indeed, I used to play it a lot when I was younger, and I still play it once every two years since then :) Glad you liked it !

[@radiophonics]

yet another favorite track!

[@TarnationCarnation]

Hi chris. After listening to the soundtrack a few times, I noticed a reeacurring melody within the level tracks. There is this descending sus 2 & 4 arpeggio that comes in at least once for almost all of the level tracks, but not this one. Is this intentional? Why did you leave it out of this one? Is it actually there and I just haven't heard it?

[@mayyoutubebeannihilated]

TIL musician is a language

[@TarnationCarnation]

Strasz Honestly I'm not even sure if I said it right.

[@6xten]

The long, high notes of that glassy-sounding synth in the more intense section are playing that very same theme, just played more as a layer on top of everything than as a main melody. Quick edit: listening to it again, it actually shows up throughout the song with different synths, just modified a bit from the original 4 notes.

[@holycrapjesusman]

I'm not sure if I know exactly what you're talking about but the main melody snippet used throughout most of the game does show up here like at 0:57 for example

[@shadowbot5498]

idk if it's too late or not but I believe it called 'leitmotif'

[@MrVoroff]

There are, for now, four moments of gaming where i just sit back, relax, close my eyes, and breathe deep - because they give me that ... sense of "homecoming". The Temple of Elders is one of them. Everytime. I enter the level, i'm feel like i'm getting home from a long, long journey. (2) The last level of FTL - the Last Stand. Getting there IS a long journey, and the music there is my gratification and my motivation and my preparation. The two other moments are : (3) the whole "sunless sea" game :D Good tracks too. And then .. (4) Stalker S.O.C. Full game too. But no soundtrack. Just the ambiance, the sounds of wind and wildlife. Gunfire in the distance, screams in russian. I know that place and its dangers, i mastered the hazards, and returning there feels .. just great too. "I'm home. At long last". That's the feeling that this Arctic Oscillation gives me, and it works wonders in conjonction with the gameplay of RoR. Homecoming and melancholy.

[@LSEpic]

Love this track. I feel it really captures the atmosphere of the Holy Grounds level - dangerous yet serene...

[@Noobsareawesome1224]

This song feels as if you knew what the temple was. Like if you've been there, and seen everything there is to see. You've never been here, but everything looks familiar. You tell yourself you've never been here, but not even you can believe what you said. Or, you wen't though a portal, only god knows where to. You see yourself, again, and again, and again, you ask yourself: What is this? Where am I? You answer your own question: past lives. Bandit, HAN-D, Miner, Sniper, Acrid. Commando, Enforcer, CHEF, Huntress, Mercenary. Not all, but most, they ask you: Do you know who we are? You say no. They answer almost instantly, as if they knew the answer. We are you. The past you.

[@bottinator22]

nice how the background vignette is more noticable at 4:40 and then resets at 5:15, when that part ends

[@vincentmadden6112]

at around the 4th minute or so, this really transforms :D I love this song.

[@DONKINDONUTS]

This is one of the tracks that's, like... _drilled_ into my mind. Something about the way it starts, building as *soon* as you arrive from the teleporter always stuck with me. I can practically _hear_ the teleporter noise of arriving on the level!

[@quartzfiend]

This is my ultimate "zen" music. When I need to focus intensely on work or if I want to just space out, this song always hits the spot. Love it so much.

[@kilozombie]

Definitely think this is my favorite track in the collection, but all of them are outstanding and beautiful; nothing has set the tone of a game for me like RoR's soundtrack. Great job, Chris, and good luck on all future endeavors!

[@silkenemperor]

You make music so soothing you could sleep to it.

[@spiderdian2]

Oh yeah babyyyy, It's back

[@VikriViri]

aww yeah

[@raiinamoor9597]

Aww yeah.

[@thewizard7886]

Aww yeah

[@lunk2569]

aww yeah

[@Marzlpan]

aww yeah

[@woogigooie]

I listen to this games soundtrack to draw. it's calming but also makes me move faster and make decisions quicker

[@mariahrivera6728]

uhmm can you marry me please

[@AstronautDown]

Whoa, whoa, jumping straight to marriage? Ask a man on date first... :)

[@3DavyJones]

80's nostalgia.I can almost say this is a copy of some known music I've heard somewhere.

[@AstronautDown]

Probably stole it from Jean-Michel Jarre :)

[@potatocannongb3328]

While i was completely obliterating enemies i couldn't realise how you used rain sounds near the end. Thats really damn neat!

[@hoqiliang3064]

damn holy, as in temple of the elders holy :3 its very bootiful

[@frogmin7994]

The best track personally. I love this song and it goes so well with The Temple of Elders.

[@pyrysavolainen2582]

Sounds excellent remind me of faster than light.

[@CounterShift15]

That's pretty funny, considering this is the music that appears on the last level, the crashed spaceship.

[@colinbusick1337]

+CounterShift Negative. Last level is coalescence. This is the Temple of the Elders.

[@CounterShift15]

Ah yeah, I realized my mistake a while ago

[@theofficialtastynacho0898]

this song feels like the credits to a movie

[@BloodiedDoomguy]

I'm digging this one in particular Chris, it just has this tranquil feel to it! Nicely done ;)

[@Nexoosen]

Just want to say thanks and great job on this entire soundtrack, I think you're music really shaped the feel of the game, and made it what it is. I also have to add, this is one of my favourite OST's in the past few years, up there with greats like bastion. Thanks again and hope to hear all of your future music.

[@trustinthemetal]

i fucking love this song

[@jessy61071]

the creators of risk of rain did them selves a huge favor. this music is great, and the game its self is great. They work VERY well together.

[@logjamstudios1963]

I had this on .25 speed on accident and wondered what happened to the quality of my risk of rain Playlist.

[@llsr7359]

I can hear beeping of the drones in the background.

[@hollowsteel]

This is such an amazing song to write and animate to! It has such a chill vibe, yet supplements work greatly without distracting from it, not to differently to how it supplements gameplay. But even listening to it on its own, not doing anything else, just sitting down and listening in bed (with headphones in ofc), it is an incredibly endearing track to listen to! All of the instruments work together so well, oh and that bass is just pure greatness! This is definitely one of my favorite songs from Risk of Rain 1, and goes immeasurably hard! I think it’s up there with Once in a Lullaby and The Raindrop that Fell to the sky as some of the best songs Risk of Rain has ever had!

[@DonNiko]

Buen trabajo chris

[@AstronautDown]

¡Muchas gracias!

[@bobbob1876]

Okay, so I just redownloaded Risk of Rain (my computer committed self-brain-bleach) and it downloaded in like 2 minutes. I know that music contributes a good amount to the download time. Chris, what kind of god magic did you use to store your music?!

[@AstronautDown]

I haven't been involved with this at the slightest. Last I knew the audio was stored in ogg vorbis codec, medium quality (akin to mp3@192kbps). So I'm guessing the download is not very big, probably ~60-80mb. That shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes nowadays. Maybe your connection is just faster than the last time :)

[@howardcandice2352]

this sounds like child-like wonder, great job!

[@l123u6]

Played RoR2 and the music was so good that I bought RoR... Needless to say, Chris just never misses.

[@shauna2559]

Theres such a strange optimism yet fearful anticipation in this song. Its like a feeling of "wow, its beautiful up here, and by now I feel attuned and powerful on this planet, and yet im so close to my finish that if i died now itd be more tragic than ever. I havent time to pause for sightseeing, i must keep going forwards."

[@xGatoDelFuegox]

Can you climb the tower?

[@shockyfrs]

5:05 is why this is my favorite song in the track

[@MrJack8700]

do me a favor and MAKE MORE PLEASE I AM BEGGING YOU. specifically for RoR

[@interstellarradio]

Chris Christodoulou If that never happens, im coming for you. ...And if the sequel comes out without your soundtrack, Im going for the devs :D

[@DemoniteBL]

interstellarradio I'd rather have a prequel of RoR! :D

[@Giannis132000]

Chris Christodoulou Ξέρεις κάτι που δεν ξέρουμε μήπως? XD

[@luckluster]

My new favorite theme in the game, makes me not want to leave that damn temple....

[@BrandonGomez15]

Confession, I listen to this track while playing RoR2 (and many other games). This is just soo good! Much love!

[@posynechic]

신비로운 진행

[@vodago]

Not sure if you'll ever see this my cool composer Chris, but why the Astroboy profile picture?

[@Ploist]

Never noticed how layered this song is until now. Love the details I’m finding

[@delightXD]

My favorite track!

[@selensewar]

This music is too good for this mortal plane.

[@W3RTY5D]

Awesome soundtrack. As well as many of these have been. :P

[@caleborg5688]

Corpses litter the battlefriend around you, your weapons still smoking hot. Were the bodies of your allies or your foes? You didnt even know anymore. You stare through your deed as the rush of battle finally leaves your body. The rain comes down in droves all around you. You can almost feel it washing the sins from your back. Almost.

[@chunk9709]

Literalmente la única razón para seguir jugando Risk of rain 1 en la actualidad es la puta banda sonora. Prácticamente imposible que exista otra persona como Chris, mi religion.

[@juangalvez2404]

I'm, uh... pretty sad. I don't think I ever listened to this song while going through the OST. Like I HEARD it, but only now have I LISTENED to it... and I've realized that, much like The Rain Formerly Known As Purple, I've missed out on a lot of this song's greatness because by the time I get to hear it, I'm at a point in the game where I have to rush the teleporter to make sure as few beasts spawn as possible and I have a chance to make it to the next stage. Absolutely tragic, cuz this is such a good track.

[@yourweirdplant]

Listen to the whole Chris Christodoulou channel. You won't regret anything

[@florix1057]

nice effect at 4:44 - 5:13

[@rechordchen2561]

I search for something about arctic oscillation, the found results is the music

[@elestupido9482]

This sounds similar to the HLM2 track- Voyager (the beginning)

[@azekia]

Also known as "Song that might play as you get bombarded by explosive claymans, part 3"

[@maxvogel1467]

From my picture you can tell I love this pvp mercanary

[@nachfullbarertrank5230]

I really like how you used the motif here, probably my favorite usage together with chanson d'Automne :D Also really like how it keeps modulating as a build up, don't think any of the other tracks do that. genius soundtrack!

[@bennie1079]

this is so fucking cool. I have heard this song so many times, and yet, I STILL absolutely love it. It's so cool.

[@mBrajan]

''Video paused. Continue watching?'' ghhhhhhrgggh!!!

[@langstonstevens6551]

show this to any drummer(especially jazz)and they will go NUTS

[@themeepanaught]

I hear bits of Monsoon in here.

[@ElFillDelSele]

Such awesome OST you made there, pal. Gonna buy it right now. Gratz on this piece of work.

[@ToolShopGuy]

has a Neverending Story vibe to it... which is fantastic!!!

[@ElBromoHojo]

Evokes in me part Running Man and part Neverending Story vibes.

[@chaoticfisherman373]

When the enemies starts shooting missile

[@sysdod]

Your songs all feel like they are in space. It's awesome. In this I see a man in a cyberpunk world running from the feez.

[@Protog3n_pd2]

it's kinda sad that i do just rush to teleporter instead of listening to this track ngl

[@thefirebeanie5481]

HOLD ON IS THAT PIXLE ART?

[@Numerlon]

I absolutely LOVE the soundtrack. But I still have questions about the individual tracks. Is the beginning of this one inspired by popcorn? Or is that just coincidence? :D

[@rachskald]

+Chris Christodoulou Love your work and this track specifically :)

[@randomusername6]

Heh. "Hails from"

[@amaric2202]

Dear Chris, where is the main menu theme for RoR? I can't seem to find it in the OST.

[@silverstar4505]

The name is "Risk Of Rain", you should find it in the OST playlist on his channel

[@matthewnickles3938]

4:42

[@mrwaldoful]

beautiful

[@mrwaldoful]

fire