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Ciarán Cosway
Positivity, enthusiasm, and curiosity drive my musical process. My experience composing with orchestral and electronic elements - alongside recording live instruments - allows for a wide stylistic palette that I am constantly compelled to collaborate on, and explore.
I also have skills in interactive music design, music production, and music editing, alongside playing a variety of instruments such as; the Japanese Shakuhachi and Shinobue flutes.
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STack, clack, clock! | Video game
A strategic, puzzle block stacking game developed by indie dev Minsan. The brief for SCC! was to ensure a low-stakes experience which lulls the player into a meditative state while stacking. I took influence from the gravity physics speed, and pre-done audio design for technical choices like tempo, and key. The rest came from a guideline of ‘relaxing but playful’. These directly impacted the subtle synth plucks, and overall calm open harmonies in the main track.
I composed three loops for this game, with the added two having structural and harmonic ideas pulled from the main theme. I composed and recorded myself playing the Shakuhachi and Shinobue flutes for track 2, while the 3rd is a virtual Kalimba instrument which I fully designed, sampled and then sequenced from scratch.
Please see highlights of the music to the gameplay, or the full tracks.
daybreak | action animation
This project was an audio & music commission to write a cinematic ‘Western’ action score, with elements that reflect feudal Japan. I composed and recorded myself on the Shakuhachi & Shinobue for main melody, and harmonic lines, as well as using a virtual koto instrument and relied heavily upon taiko for percussion. I also attempted to limit myself within the tonalities of Japanese music, the minor pentatonic specifically, in order to adhere to a consistent cinematic tone. The tracks required heavy communication with the team, as the animation was continually developing on a tight deadline. I worked hard to write for the movements within the action, and utilise dramatic hit points for the tempo and section changes within the music.
Please see the highlighted clips, or listen to the music separately below!
Dimlight CAFE | visual novel game jam
This was a quick turnaround entry for NaNoReNo visual novel game jam. I combined recorded instruments, like the tin whistle, and acoustic guitar, digital synthesisers like Massive, and virtual instruments including patches from the Roland JV1080 mainly for the high-end sparkle.
The soundtrack in the game also features a basic interactive layer system in which the music dips the melodies during sections to give the loops a longer lease of life. This happens at 1:03 - 1:10 for ‘A Star’s Wish’, and at 3:10 - 3:17 in ‘It’s Getting Late’.
Please see the highlighted clips, or listen to the music separately below!
REACH OUT!
Please reach out and get in touch with me on:
ciaranjai@icloud.com
or find me on any of my social pages!
