Sophie Nguyen Week #11 - Chaos Language
A popular video game, titled NieR:Automata is famous not only for its brilliant mechanics, story, and design, but also for the music. As I had watched every member of my family play the video game, I was mostly interested in the music. Almost it’s entire playlist is made up of songs in a language that does not actually exist called “chaos language”. The songs were written by Keiichi Okabe, a Japanese composer who worked with Emi Evans to write the lyrics. Okabe would go to Evans to tell her the languages in which he wanted the words to sound like, to which in turn, Evans would study the language and create words.
In NeiR, Evans and Okabe combined their skills to seamlessly transition into new atmospheres. For example, when in the campsite, the music and singing would be more peaceful. After a boss fight, the music would become sullen and more dramatic, almost as if it was mourning a loss (Ave Maria esque).
Evans had done the same for another video game, titled My Brother Rabbit. My Brother Rabbit is a puzzle game from the point of view of a child who wants to help his younger sister fight a sickness. This game I had played myself, and again, was mostly interested in the music. In the title screen, the song, “Dreams” plays with Emi Evan’s singing. I thought it was amazing how she was able to put so much emotion into the song without even speaking real words. I highly recommend listening to some of the songs she sang for these two video games, to see the different emotions she conveys and atmospheres she creates with her voice and the music.
In My Brother Rabbit, the music in the title screen sets the mood for the entire game. The “chaos language” allows space for the audience to have creativity when it comes to the music in itself. The beginning starts with piano, but the made up language gives it a sort of fantastical atmosphere, which represents the creativity of this child’s mind. It also sounds a bit melancholy at the beginning until the music box replaces the piano. With Evans’s singing, almost in a daze, the song sounds quite literally like a dream.
Personally, when watching movies, the accompanying music usually drowns into white noise. I don’t notice that there’s music until silence washes over. If done right, the rhythm of the music should trace the ebb and flow of your emotions as the screenplay occurs. For games, it is pretty much the same except the abrupt changes in music gives you brief heart attacks in between. I guess I’m trying to trace the underlying psychological interplay between the music and what’s happening on screen. How does it make a game more immersive exactly when there isn’t background music in real life. As I’m typing up this comment, I’m reminded of Mrs. Ng’s alarm that played whenever times up during a test. The sharp rise in my heart rate literally overwhelmed my surroundings. What if, instead of the rhythm picking up when enemies come, the music quiets into a peaceful melody?
ReplyDeleteHi Sophie,
ReplyDeleteYour experience with NieR:Automata's music enhancing its gameplay reminds me of one of my favorite video games, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The game itself is spectacular. It features a gripping storyline, fun combat mechanics, and an open world experience with so much to do! However, the highlight for me is definitely the music. It always sends chills down my spine when the Rito Village theme starts playing at night, and I often listen to the videogame's OST for my studying. If you ever get the opportunity, I would highly recommend playing it.
Sincerely,
Krish
Hi Sophie,
ReplyDeleteYour mention that the music in the title screen of My Brother Rabbit set the mood for the entire game is just another reminder of how powerful music truly is. I know that a lot of people find joy in playing instruments, but as I don't play an instrument after quitting the piano many years ago, I know I find real joy in listening to music. Although the music was just a minor part of your blog post, I see it as a true representation of how little things can have great power.
Hi Sophie,
ReplyDeleteI don't play NieR (I know that 2B exists, and she's very attractive,) but the concept of "chaos language" sounds like something that I would only find in the game developers of Japan. As much as I love NA games, Japanese really are known for the most "far-out" ideas that somehow make their way into popular culture. My parents hate video games; when I try showing them video game soundtracks, they just criticize them for being part of the video game's addiction factour. What they don't see is the creativity and the sheer emotion they evoke. Thank you for sharing my appreciation of these things.
Sincerely,
Sean Wang
Hi Sophie,
ReplyDeleteThe music of video games is an important factor in the game overall. While I do not pay much attention to the music of a video game while playing it (I usually turn off the music if it sounds unnerving or distracting), I can sense the appeal of the music when I listen to game soundtracks. The music is usually what makes games emotional and can be quite clearly be evidenced by how a lack of music makes a scary video game much less scary.
Sincerely,
Raymond Yu
Hey Sophie, I'm not that familiar with video games that have their own music (other than the Super Mario franchise), and it was really interesting to read about how composers come up with it. The concept of "chaos language" is really interesting, and I like how it can show so much emotion without meaning anything at all. I will definitely listen to some of those tracks! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Sophie,
ReplyDeleteI think you bring up an interesting point that language can convey emotions even when the words don't convey any meaning. Reading your post I realized that, despite me not knowing a droplet of Japanese or Korean, I can still feel emotion emitting from the lyrics when I listen to songs of that language. I think its pretty cool that even basic tone of voice can help us understand the emotions and intentions of a speaker--a meaning that transcends definitions.
Yi-Kuan Cheng
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Sophie,
ReplyDeleteReading your blog post reminded me of the best game that is out there (in my opinion): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The music when roaming around a random area is so relaxing. I would probably fall asleep to it. It is amazing. You won't regret buying this game!
Sincerely,
Vivan Waghela
Hey Sophie!
ReplyDeleteI don't really play video games, but I totally understand why the music in the background would impact your experience with it. I'm a huge music nerd and I believe the power of music is undeniable. Music can completely change a memory, experience, or even media. In terms of a video game, the music sets the tone and works to complement the aesthetic created by the game. The music of a video game also plays a factor in how accessible and is and how many people it reaches. For example, people play Mario Kart music when they study and make jokes around the Wii Sports music. Thanks for sharing your perspective:)