VariantX04
Loser slave of the system :(
![awlogo-2.png](https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1915882/awlogo-2.png)
Alright then
Agent Whiskers levels up! Stage 2: The Path Untaken is Agent Whiskers' sophomore album, a sprawling electronic experience featuring 7 tracks that take you on a journey from the album's mysterious and eerie beginning to its vengeful end. Stage 2 is an adventure that unravels with every track, offering a cohesive structure while setting an atmosphere and tone that lasts throughout the album.
DOWNLOAD CODES
Hey, GAF! Please help a fellow GAFfer out by showing your support and spreading the word! If you could pay for the album, I'd be grateful but your support honestly means more than a few bucks. Get your download code in post #114. Quote to reveal the codes. Tell me what you guys think!
BOMBA! Special offer at Bandcamp! Buy the album for $3 or set your own price.
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FIRST ALBUM: Official "Abstract Forms of Solace" NeoGAF Thread
![full49.png](https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1915882/full49.png)
Cover art by GAF's own Retro.
Track listing
1. Awaken (A Paradise in Ruins)
2. Contagion (A Dance With Death)
3. Rescue Me (Deep Sleep)
4. Retribution (Feeling Alive, Battle Scars and All)
5. Downpour (Finding Love in a Post-Apocalyptic World)
6. The Getaway (Just Drive)
7. The Final Chapter (The Godless King of No Man's Land Awaits)
Hey guys! I'm excited to announce that my new album, the video game-inspired journey "Stage 2: The Path Untaken", is now available on iTunes and Bandcamp. I'll be updating the thread with reviews and backstory on how I developed this album. Thanks to everyone for supporting me.
Why Stage 2? Why The Path Untaken?
During the recording of this album, I realized how much of my influence from video games translated into the music, and along with the narrative structure and this being my second album, I decided to give it that name. The Path Untaken is basically the overall sound of the album. It's a far cry from my first album and I hope it shows how diverse I can be. The Path Untaken also serves the story and premise of the album.
About
I started writing this album right after the release of my first album "Abstract Forms of Solace" and completed it in less than 3 months. This was a very ambitious (I was lucky, it just happened) album for me in that I wanted to completely absorb the listener and transport them into a world with a constantly shifting narrative. No filler, just a pure video game-inspired journey from beginning to end.
What's Changed Since "Abstract"?
I learned a lot from writing "Abstract". I realized I had this knack for cohesion in terms of where the album would be going next, although I feel I didn't capitalize enough on that with the first album. This is something that translates really well into the second album but I went further by adding the story elements, something secondary to invest in as you go through the album.
I also completely overhauled the drums. Being a drummer for 5 years, the stock Logic drum samples I used for the first album quite honestly bore me. Even though they lent a lot to the music, I still felt they were very limiting in terms of beat variation and fills. So I decided to write every single drum note on the album (aside from Awakening's first two minutes and Logic's Latin Fire percussion sample). I believe the extra work I've done on the drums give the songs more personality and power.
Last thing that's different is that this album is 11 minutes longer, despite it being a 7-track album. I've heard your grievances over why some songs were so short and now almost all tracks are at the 5 minute length with absolutely no breathing room. I tried to pack in as much music as I could into this album without it sounding generic or engineered. I aimed to make it natural and free-flowing.
Equipment Used
I produced and recorded this album on a 2.53GHz Core Duo, 8GB RAM MacBook Pro (#thankssteve), Logic Pro 9 and its basic instruments. Nothing flashy at all as I'm entirely new to the technical part of recording music.
Album Cover
After winning the contest by making that awesome cover for my first album, I decided to work with Retro again since I'd already thought out what I wanted out of the album cover and he was beyond capable of delivering. We wanted to give off a video game/adventure vibe out of the cover along with a hint at the narrative core I tried to firmly implant into the music.
More info in Retro's post (#49) below.
Random Tidbits
There's this weird distorted bell sound at the very beginning of "Awaken" and at the end of "The Final Chapter", I'm leaving it up to the listener to determine what that is in terms of the story that takes place. Stripped down, it's originally intended to signal the beginning and end of the story.
Also in the first and last tracks, you'll hear a voice saying "Alright Then" just before the dramatic climax of a song. In my own nerdy little way, I like to think that this is the protagonist facing imminent danger and persevering in the end. It especially hits home in "The Final Chapter" where you feel at the beginning of the track the odds are against you. As soon as that "Alright then" is uttered, the battle begins and you're kicking all sorts of ass.
Reviews
Melissa Nastasi said:Agent Whiskers is a name to remember. Stage 2: The Path Untaken, is one of the most intriguing and exquisite albums to come out this year. This is one piece of music that you will want to give a listen to. You can tell all of your friends you knew about Agent Whiskers before he took over the music world as we know it.
Airelav said:Agent Whiskers is back with his sophmore release. Even before reading the biography for this album its clear what is driving this album. Perhaps its abundantly clear to me because I am a bit of a gamer. The underlying tone of each track are video games. It reads like a soundtrack to an RPG with sprinkles of old 64 bit games. This time around it feels a lot more fun and specialized. His previous instrumental release was driven to be ambient keys to keep your ears occupied without too much distraction. Its clear he changed his direction slightly and it works. I thoroughly enjoyed the flow of Downpour (Finding Love in a Post-Apocalyptic World). The rain plus thunder added a nice feel to it. A majority of these tracks could easily be heard as you slay virtual dragons and cast spells as you explore and conquer levels. Its a solid follow-up to his debut.
Matthew Forss said:Agent Whiskers is a talented electronic wizard with very solid songwriting skills. As an instrumental album, the electronic adornments soar to new heights with various percussion, sounds, and ambient bliss.
Jason Randall Smith said:Agent Whiskers certainly has a way with using melodic hooks to evoke a mood and Stage 2: The Path Untaken manages to present each song as its own chapter in the story. Although most listeners depend upon and prefer lyrics to provide the narrative, gamers and fantasy buffs will undoubtedly gravitate towards this release. Considering that it ends with ominous bells and an explosion, could a sequel be in the works? Only Agent Whiskers knows for sure.