tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20582587607321445882024-03-15T18:09:54.360-07:00SequesterOfficial website for Sequester: a melodic project influenced by various genres of music.Ryan Bochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13688139545113339913noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058258760732144588.post-91419412066181213222024-01-13T16:16:00.000-08:002024-01-16T01:47:14.671-08:00January 2024<p>Over the next few weeks, I'll be uploading the remaining four Sequester albums to Bandcamp, starting today with 2018's <i>Hermit</i>. I believe this will be the first time that all of my tracks are available to download in a lossless quality, since the former CD Baby shop (and other stores like iTunes and Amazon) only sold MP3 or similar files.*</p><p><a href="https://sequester.bandcamp.com/music">https://sequester.bandcamp.com/music</a></p><p>As for the next (eighth) album, I'd like to have it finished before the end of this year, but we'll have to see how things go; I'll be sure to provide an update here once the timeframe becomes more apparent to me.</p><p><i>*Edit: I looked into this further. Turns out there was a period sometime between 2013 and 2017 (judging by forum posts) where CD Baby did offer FLAC. It was then discontinued, with MP3-320 being the highest option for a while, before they eventually shut down their digital store altogether in 2020. So if that's all correct, then this will indeed be the first time that my entire discography is available in a lossless format.</i></p>Ryan Bochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13688139545113339913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058258760732144588.post-14045455217442297672023-09-18T18:00:00.006-07:002023-09-18T22:03:22.209-07:00September 2023<p>After roughly eight years of chipping away at it whenever I could -- the last two or three being particularly arduous -- my game, <i>Sclera</i>, will finally be releasing on October 13th, 2023. A good looking date if I've ever seen one (Friday the 13th, no less) and just in time for the Halloween season.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0GF_xmlaF87xe1ndaPIL1XWmDdehtcFQT6L1CfiQyMajF3N-th4W-2qSHpS1WzKNQGC494OVXAwKuCgK3G-dsoiMiO4lJBhzHRsV1xKJex94TfQaeTvTU0pKgNhkJyVM-a6v9jH6Qj_UFX7JADGVTAgNxGIvJn6kM4iIj78xu_myOiiCQpWXgOXhMGho" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="460" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0GF_xmlaF87xe1ndaPIL1XWmDdehtcFQT6L1CfiQyMajF3N-th4W-2qSHpS1WzKNQGC494OVXAwKuCgK3G-dsoiMiO4lJBhzHRsV1xKJex94TfQaeTvTU0pKgNhkJyVM-a6v9jH6Qj_UFX7JADGVTAgNxGIvJn6kM4iIj78xu_myOiiCQpWXgOXhMGho" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2598560/Sclera/">https://store.steampowered.com/app/2598560/Sclera/</a></h3><p>Instead of a whole new website, I've just set up a <i>Game<b><u>s</u></b> </i>tab here on sequester.ca -- plural if only for the surreal case that I should be insane enough to make more in the future; I'd rather keep my entire body of work all in one place, though, regardless of the media type or genre. </p><p>While I know exactly what I <i>would </i>do for a sequel, time is the great barrier here. With the number of hours and stress that went into Sclera's creation, I could probably have put out another four or five Sequester albums; yes, music will always be my main creative priority. But having said that, Sclera is the ultimate passion project, combining my love of music, horror/dark fantasy fiction, and turn-based games. Even if I do only get to release one, niche as it may be, I can still be happy with this personal goal being accomplished.</p><p>So I'm sure you won't be surprised to learn that the most enjoyable aspect of this endeavour was composing the music. You can listen to the main theme here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lo8Spxrow8">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lo8Spxrow8</a></p><p>Work on the next Sequester album will resume in the new year. For now, "We're not going no further 'till we've had a breather."</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8FuMHt8r_X7008sQ2JKWhz8-GkxwhrDru0MJHdsKf9SyUvKW5n4KA0ZsN9cLs59qyNtdfD2tt2359HlSK3lTx4DqBV3ZP-4nEpOCMf8lKifMsxw6jcJCXk9q0tmGNnu1P0nyIFeqI9YtiLo-Gm34fsa_ha9Jis33mZp8GmpaWoWoB6iqnJemPt3iNl-Y" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="498" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8FuMHt8r_X7008sQ2JKWhz8-GkxwhrDru0MJHdsKf9SyUvKW5n4KA0ZsN9cLs59qyNtdfD2tt2359HlSK3lTx4DqBV3ZP-4nEpOCMf8lKifMsxw6jcJCXk9q0tmGNnu1P0nyIFeqI9YtiLo-Gm34fsa_ha9Jis33mZp8GmpaWoWoB6iqnJemPt3iNl-Y" width="320" /></a></div>Ryan Bochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13688139545113339913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058258760732144588.post-35987278259951106302022-12-05T14:25:00.004-08:002022-12-06T00:51:27.329-08:00December 2022<p>Not a whole lot of news to report, but I wanted to give you all an update since it has been over a year now.</p><p>I was hoping I'd get my game finished in 2022. Unfortunately, that won't be happening for various reasons. I'm still working on it nearly every day, though; it is just a lot of work, and life's obstacles can often get in the way. Right now, it is writing out the random encounters (essentially CYOA short stories) that is taking up my time. While I also have a smaller-scale, procedurally generated story system -- where paragraphs are broken down into their core sensory elements, and then random (but environmentally appropriate) selections are made to create the story -- the encounters currently being worked on are all the custom written, hand crafted ones. As the game is largely text based and horror themed, this is an area I'm being fairly meticulous with in order to capture the correct mood while also giving each skill check a chance to shine. But once I finish these encounters, it should be smooth sailing from there: finalizing assets, testing, general polish, etc. I'm aiming for a release next year, but the timeline for completion is harder to predict than it is with music production.</p><p>Speaking of music, some progress has been made there, but I'm very much focused on finishing this game. The songs for the next Sequester album are all loosely arranged, at least, and a bunch of the lyrics have been written, and most of the guitar tones and synth patches have been finalized... So with those types of decisions already out of the way, I should be able to just slip into the recording process without too much hassle. And damnit, am I looking forward to it. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," indeed.</p>Ryan Bochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13688139545113339913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058258760732144588.post-27531259701773305442021-10-15T23:56:00.003-07:002021-10-16T12:03:45.881-07:00October 2021<p>Hello everyone. It has certainly been some time. I've received a few messages asking if I was dead, so given the state of the world, I suppose an update is in order. Nope, not dead. I've avoided the Rona<i> </i>so far; a natural proclivity for extreme introversion I'm sure has helped. The record shattering heatwave here in BC this past summer wasn't fun. And in New Westminster, we've had a number of random fires from barges, old piers and buildings that keep filling the city with highly toxic fumes. I'm still alive for now though.</p><p>I've arranged a number of new songs, and finished recording the instrumentation for one of them, but it will be a while yet until the next album is released (probably 2023-2024). At the moment, most of my creativity has been dedicated to another project I've alluded to before, which I guess I'll finally elaborate on. I've been slowly working away on a small video game for a number of years, and the end point has actually started to appear. I've nearly finished all the programming at least, and my attention is currently on prose, visual art, and audio. The game is a turn-based strategy Lovecraftian roguelite with CYOA elements. It's definitely niche, but something I've wanted to make for ages. Due to how time consuming solo game development is, I'm not sure how many of these projects I have in me -- as Sequester is where my main passion lies -- but I do consider this a bucket-list item of sorts, and one I'm quite proud of. And the music will be more <i>synthwave </i>and <i>ambient</i>, channeling the likes of John Carpenter, which will be a fun change from my album material.</p><p>So that's all for now. In case any are interested, I'll post more info and appropriate links when the game is complete. Until then, thank you as always for the support.</p>Ryan Bochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13688139545113339913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058258760732144588.post-89222959578649450092020-06-29T18:06:00.000-07:002020-06-29T18:06:29.306-07:00June 2020 - CivilizationI've released a new album to Bandcamp consisting of a single 21:30 instrumental track, <i>Civilization</i>, an homage to one of my favourite game series.<br />
The idea behind this one was to have a number of acts that would relate to different civ eras, where progressing through them would change the instrumentation and increase the phrasing being used. For example, while the first act consists mostly of percussion and 1-2 bar phrasing, the final act uses synthesizers and 6-8 bar phrasing. Everything is then tied together with guitars, drums, and a few subtly changing melodies that signal the start or end of an era.<br />
<br />
Link: <a href="https://sequester.bandcamp.com/album/civilization">https://sequester.bandcamp.com/album/civilization</a>Ryan Bochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13688139545113339913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058258760732144588.post-39268227091991318602019-12-17T16:25:00.000-08:002019-12-17T16:25:12.748-08:00December 2019I wanted to take a brief break from my other projects and do a Grinch cover for the holiday season: <a href="https://youtu.be/aMR0wzN2xcE">https://youtu.be/aMR0wzN2xcE</a><br />
<br />
Merry Christmas and happy LOTR binge.Ryan Bochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13688139545113339913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058258760732144588.post-33392608998851607682019-08-09T10:54:00.000-07:002019-08-09T10:54:39.536-07:00August 2019I can't believe it has been over a year. As you probably all know by now I'm not much of a social media guy, so figured I'd at least show a sign of life here. No real news to report just yet, though there is most definitely stuff in the works. I'm currently working hard on another project (I'll make a proper announcement on that eventually) and the next album is still a few years out; in the mean time there are also a few covers I've been wanting to do, so expect those on my YouTube channel-- one of which I'll put out in December. And thank you to everyone for checking out <i>Hermit </i>and for all the kind words that were sent my way.Ryan Bochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13688139545113339913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058258760732144588.post-50579985132454188342018-05-08T09:23:00.004-07:002023-03-06T19:55:00.990-08:00Hermit ReleasedIt has been a long time coming, but I've finally finished and released Hermit.<br />
<br />
You can find the album available for download at CDBaby here:<br />
<a href="https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/sequester4">https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/sequester4</a><br />
It will also appear on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and Google Play within a week or so.<br />
<br />
This website is updated with the lyrics and album info in their appropriate sections, and I've also uploaded track two, "Bloodborne," to my YouTube channel:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCkd8BRVzXc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCkd8BRVzXc</a><br />
<br />
While the overarching themes of Hermit could be considered mostly negative -- with some reoccurring topics being isolation, stress, anxiety, depression, failure, love and death -- its actual finality and the conclusion to this laborious process feels quite positive. There is admittedly a bittersweet tinge, as goes for each album release (or any journey's end for that matter), since it leaves behind a void of sorts in the sudden, unaccustomed absence of what was. Thus the cycle continues, with fresh musical ideas and other projects already in the works.<br />
<br />
It has also been 11 years this month since Visions of the Erlking, which is rather difficult for me to fathom. I'd like to sincerely thank everyone who has stuck around or joined in along the way.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Goodbye for now,</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ryan</div>
Ryan Bochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13688139545113339913noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058258760732144588.post-56530926910544019122018-03-08T21:09:00.005-08:002022-08-16T16:40:15.244-07:00March 2018 UpdateHard to believe it has been a year since the last update. Time really flies.<br />
I still have three songs worth of vocals to record, but otherwise everything else is done (including all the lyrics and the artwork). The release will be within a few months at any rate, likely in June.<br />
<br />
Here's the track list:<br />
<br />
<i>Hermit</i><br />
<br />
1. Safe in Obscurity<br />
2. Bloodborne<br />
3. The Boy Who Lived<br />
4. The Black Company<br />
5. Forgotten Ones<br />
6. Magicant<br />
7. Dead Man's Switch<br />
8. Means of Comfort<br />
9. Augment<br />
<br />
1 and 8 I'll leave to interpretation, but the rest are pretty identifiable.<br />
Game-wise, there's 2 (Bloodborne), 5 (Torment: Tides of Numenera), 6 (EarthBound), and 7 (Shadowrun Returns). Number 9 shares themes with Deus Ex, but I wouldn't say that was necessarily a direct influence; more so the notion of aging as a disease and how man's potential immortality could be achieved through biotech.<br />
Book-wise, there's 3 (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone), and 4 (the first book of Glen Cook's series of the same name).<br />
<br />
While I try to pay homage to inspirators from various chapters of my life, I'd say 3 and 6 are the more nostalgic songs on this album. Generally, all of my favourite games are strategy related, having started with Civilization around '92 (well shit... seems I'm getting old), but it has always been those story rich RPGs like EarthBound that first come to mind when it's time for writing lyrics, as such were the stories that sparked my childhood imagination the most. EarthBound was actually the first RPG I ever owned, which I craved for my ninth birthday due to schoolyard and Nintendo Power hype. I remember us looking all over town and, just before defeated resignation, finally finding it at a Canadian Tire of all places-- that giant box with the included player's guide sitting high on top of a glass case.<br />
And a few years afterward, I have Rowling to thank for really getting me into reading novels. Prior to that, it would have been just the occasional Goosebumps or Animorphs. And comics, but those are still on the menu.<br />
<br />
Anyway, this will be the last update since once the vocals are all tracked the album will be released shortly thereafter, as I've been iteratively mixing along the way so there shouldn't be too much work left to do at that point. See you then.Ryan Bochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13688139545113339913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058258760732144588.post-75507770463418593822017-03-01T09:03:00.001-08:002017-03-01T09:04:40.684-08:00March 2017 UpdateI'm working on the remaining instruments for the final song, then from there will move on to writing and recording all the album's lyrics and vocal melodies. Everything has been taking a bit longer than I would have liked, partly due to a wrist injury that happened autumn 2015; playing guitar wasn't possible for about four months there, and it still hasn't fully healed yet so frequent breaks have been required. But the worst is over and here we are now in the final stretch of my sixth album, which will simply be titled <i>Hermit. </i>I'll post the artwork, full track listing and usual song descriptions in the next update after some final deliberation. I'm also moving at the end of the month, which is never fun, but a quieter building is most welcome.Ryan Bochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13688139545113339913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058258760732144588.post-40469247250194957402016-09-05T09:53:00.000-07:002016-09-05T09:54:48.503-07:00September 2016 UpdateSince the last update I've finished all the guitars, bass, and keys for four of the songs. I should be finished recording the rest of the instruments before the end of the year, and then will start doing vocals early 2017. I'll aim for a summer release, but we'll see how things go.<br />
<br />
I might put aside one of the planned songs for a future album, however; said song acts as a successor to an earlier one of mine, which in turn is to be based on a certain game's successor that unfortunately keeps getting delayed. The wait has been tormenting, if you catch my drift. Whether that track makes the cut will depend on which month of Q1 the game supposedly gets released, so that I'd have time to actually play it and write appropriate lyrics without delaying the album itself. For all I know the story of these Forgotten Ones could end up being a forgettable one though, in which case I guess I could turn the song into an instrumental? Or just write about the original again. But with Avellone, McComb, and even Rothfuss on board... I can't say I'm too worried.Ryan Bochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13688139545113339913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058258760732144588.post-34800956742415213062016-02-12T16:38:00.001-08:002016-02-12T16:48:11.052-08:00February 2016 Update<span data-offset-key="7mtji-0-0"><span data-text="true">All the drums for the next album are finished so I'll be moving on to the guitars next. Each song has its subject finalized and most have a name. My idea for the album title itself has remained the same for the better part of a year, but I'll be sleeping on that some more in case I do have a change of mind. Otherwise, all is well, and I'm looking forward to recording some guitar.</span></span>Ryan Bochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13688139545113339913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058258760732144588.post-27682824650243438092015-10-31T15:48:00.000-07:002015-10-31T15:48:21.459-07:00Halloween UpdateAll the guitar demos are finished now, so next week I'll begin the official recordings for album number six. There are going to be eight songs and one instrumental; I'll post title names and such further into production once more of the lyrics start taking shape. I've also been working on another project, which I'll elaborate on when this album is closer to completion. Keeping busy!Ryan Bochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13688139545113339913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058258760732144588.post-21182143146706057262015-07-04T10:43:00.000-07:002015-07-04T10:44:28.031-07:00Summer UpdateQuick update since it has been a while, though there isn't much to report. I'm a third of the way through the latest guitar demos, but I'm on a break at the moment due to a heat wave here in Vancouver and my inability to function in such temperatures. All the rough drafts should be done this Fall and then I'll dive into normal production at that point. I also have some lyrics written, which is unusual for me this early in the process. The goal right now would be to have the next album done by late 2016, but 2017 is more realistic. And expect a <i>Bloodborne</i> song. Obviously.Ryan Bochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13688139545113339913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058258760732144588.post-35972328933725817192015-02-28T11:38:00.000-08:002015-02-28T12:12:07.539-08:00ClueI've been wanting to do a video game cover for a while now. All the
usual suspects like Castlevania, Mega Man, Zelda, etc. have been done to
death, so here's one you may have never heard and has been stuck in my
head for over 20 years: Clue, from the SNES, somewhat in-sync with some
pugs.<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nuf5DD74g00" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nuf5DD74g00</a>Ryan Bochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13688139545113339913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058258760732144588.post-46465191466089165082015-01-16T16:22:00.000-08:002015-01-17T09:42:51.337-08:00Website CompleteI've finished with the website, all the lyrics are up, and <i>Nameless One</i> has been <a href="http://sequester.bandcamp.com/album/nameless-one">moved to Bandcamp</a>. So if you have never checked out album number two before, or liked it and feel inclined to donate, you can do so there from now on. It is still available for free, or you can set your own price.<br />
<br />
I will return (eventually) with a cover song to be posted on YouTube. Good luck guessing.Ryan Bochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13688139545113339913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2058258760732144588.post-90685229796823068892015-01-10T18:01:00.000-08:002015-01-14T01:00:44.724-08:00AnewHello! I'm finally getting around to working on a new website, and will have all the links, lyrics and album details back up ASAP. I'm keeping the sequester.ca domain, but redirecting over to blogspot since I don't really need a hosting plan these days.<br />
<br />
Thanks to everyone who supported Missing Image, as well as those who dipped into the back catalogue. I thought I'd go on a bit of a break from music, but it didn't last very long-- I've loosely arranged 11 new songs over the past couple months, have been playing around with new guitar tones, and am more or less ready to start working on some demos. I can't say when a new album will be released yet, or how many of the songs I want to immediately work with, but I may stick to shorter albums going forward so that I can continue to put out new material at a comfortable rate. This will also help keep motivation and inspiration high throughout the process. <br />
<br />
Before any of that though, there is an instrumental cover I've been meaning to do...<br />
<br />
Happy new year,<br />
<br />
Ryan<br />
<br />
PS. Here is a recent interview I did: <a href="http://www.metalzone.gr/interviews.php?action=details&id=315&lang=en">http://www.metalzone.gr/interviews.php?action=details&id=315&lang=en</a>Ryan Bochttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13688139545113339913noreply@blogger.com0