Thank you JuZ! You won't be believe how good it feels to get a response! One of the funniest (in a kind of sad, or at least frustrating way) things about doing this is how you pour countless hours into making something you're beyond excited to share with people, only to get a "like" from basically your mother and best mate on facebook, and of course right underneath on the Feed is a picture of someone's (bought) lunch with 20+ comments and half a hundred likes. Oh well, then.

Sorry for venting. You guys are awesome!

Thank you JuZ! You won't be believe how good it feels to get a response! One of the funniest (in a kind of sad, or at least frustrating way) things about doing this is how you pour countless hours into making something you're beyond excited to share with people, only to get a "like" from basically your mother and best mate on facebook, and of course right underneath on the Feed is a picture of someone's (bought) lunch with 20+ comments and half a hundred likes. Oh well, then.

Sorry for venting. You guys are awesome!

Don't worry about it. Where we are now, the likes and views don't matter at all. Just focus on making the next one always a bit better than the one before. Youtube comments are notorious for being a freakshow of the lowest iq's on the planet but on the other hand it's also impossible to get any constructive criticism there. No matter what, the comments are either mindless praise or haters, nothing in between

Oh and those guys can't score a videogame with instagram so fuck 'em, right

edit:

Oh man, youtube comments - they are a barometer of NOTHING.

Wonderful way to put it, this is what I tried to say.

[JuZ]

Oh man, youtube comments - they are a barometer of NOTHING. Seriously, find the most wonderful thing on the planet, put it on youtube and watch the imbeciles roll in. You'll have your bible basher, your 14 year old over-the-top homophobe, your "it was better when XYZ did it 5 years ago" wankers, your Islamic fundamentalist, your ad for *spam*... and so on.

You're making lovely music Mika, and I hope you continue working on it and eventually get to where you want to be.

These forums (one of my precious few channels of promotion) are open again!
Released this thing recently. More video game-y stuff.

[youtube]5xyuM0C7lOg[/youtube]

Got my software working again. Here's some new work that I'm really quite proud of. Pretty heavy shit here (and it's not even metal!).

[youtube]pp4uJilFM7Y[/youtube]

https://soundcloud.com/mikzor-1/mika-hohko-the-weight-of-an-ocean

Laying on the cheese once again. Here's a melodic little dance track I felt quite inspired to make. Hope it's noticable.

[youtube]IjTD7ZtUJp8[/youtube]

Planning on finalizing this with a vocal version as well, although I would actually love some lovely tones of the fairer sex for this one. If there's someone out there who would like to feature who has the gear to record at home, I'm VERY interested.

Hey-oo!

Anyone up for some eastern flavoured dark psytrance-ish stuff? Coz here's some.

[youtube]Z8w6e6VP17U[/youtube]

Soundcloud (free download): https://soundcloud.com/mikzor-1/mika-hohko-daemon-dust

[youtube]eFZLu7k0gPk[/youtube]

Warning! The following text may contain traces of nut, theoretical nerdery and abstract pretentiousness. Totally gluten free however.

Note: The artwork is made by Lo Joakim Stålbrand

"Overpowered" tells the story of a power struggle. In one corner we have the agonist, represented by the D Phrygian mode from a G-minor scale. The protagonist, if you will, is played by the D Lydian mode derived from an A-major scale. The scales are separated by one single semitone, yet are in a sense as far apart as they possibly could, together filling up an entire 12-tone western scale. During the piece, chords from these two scales continue to vy for dominance in the composition.

0:03 - The piece plunges into the struggle right away. The competing factions are evenly matched, with the melody leaping from Phrygian to Lydian with a steady frequency, from bar to bar. After the initial introductory mood setting minor chords (Phrygian and Aeolian, respectively), the pummeling pulse of the rhythm section stays rooted in its tonic in D, but commits itself to neither the minor colouring (F) of the Phrygian mode, nor the bright major (F#) of the Lydian mode. A lot of loud brasswork and the aggressive spiccato pattern of the double basses and cellos establish the aggressive nature of the clash of these opposing forces. For the second half of the section woodwinds join in to add a subtler, yet more frantic sound, with some chaotic flute runs colouring the palette further.

0:28 - The choir begins their chanting with a descending melody based on a chromatic progression of the Aeolian modes of the two competing scales. The melody finishes into the ominous livid sound of the Phrygian D-chord, but is soon overtaken by the vivid horn-backed fanfare of the Lydian major chord, also in D, which manifests itself fully, and perhaps prophetically for the first time here.

0:43 - A rumbling bridge of trombones, tubas and fluttered french horns shove us right into the eye of the storm. The deadly dance continues. The basses and cellos continue to throb in the waltzing 3/4 pattern, while the violins play shifting dissonant harmonics to maintain the tension between the contestants while they eye each other, measuring the opponent. An alien sound emanates from the bowed and pitch-bent gamelan that waveres up and down in chromatic semitones. For a brief moment all is still except for the beating heart that forms the rhythm of the piece, and the tension in the strings becomes almost unbearable.

1:10 - The fight is in full force again, with the brass rushing in with vengeance, but the sound this time is different, more heroic. Although the melody starts with an A#-chord from the G-minor scale, the A-major scale is now rapidly gaining ground. The melody clearly resolves into the bouncy, if not even jovial step of the major Lydian D-chord. Flutes ripple into the pattern excitedly in spirited staccatissimos and trills while oboes sweep in to reinforce the harmony.

1:23 - Before it all is over, however, the agonist has one last trick up its sleeve. It slings itself suicidally upon the protagonist with all of its remaining strength, and for a moment the scales cascade from one into the other in equal measure. The lower section of the orchestra dives and ascends with the chord progression (D-Lydian to A-major) in a series of pummeling staccatos as the physicality of the action intensifies.

1:31 - A similar chord progression accentuates the brawl, but with different modes from the respective scales (A-major to E-Mixolydian) filling in. The section resolves into G-minor, threatening that things may have gone sour, but the exclamation of the choir section continues through A# into a victorious A-major chord as our hero overpowers its foe once more, this time conclusively. The attacker has been overpowered for the final time.

1:43 - The battle is over and the time for reflection has arrived. A-major scale completely dominates now. The harmony is perfect, but the chord progression, while peaceful, is not entirely one of pure cheer. Victory is bound to be bittersweet wherever violent conflict arises, and such is the case here as well. The contemplative, even spiritual tone wells up, moved by the ethereal cadence of a church organ and the choir section while the gamelan chimes in with a sparse melodic pattern.

2:15 - The chords crescend into a grand string arrangement to celebrate an ultimately triumphant resolve. A lot has been lost, but not all. A loved one's embrace brings us back to the ground as the violins, violas and cellos swell into a sonorous, clearly defined, eartbound melody.

2:32 - As the hero walks away from the terrors of the remaining carnage, the ghostly beauty of the organ and choir returns, this time joined by a clearer melody line strengthened by the airy, tender tones of a children's choir. The movement gently settles into a final glorious statement of the Lydian chord in D. The final sound we hear is the omnipresent pulse of the same heartbeat that has driven the entire piece along. The beat of a heart that has not been hardened by tragedy.