So it's been a while since I've written up anything here. Or posted any content for that matter.
What's in the works in the coming months - (In order of most likely to get released first)

Po3 Game - Chronosphere:
I have no idea whats happening with Power of 3 but my team plans to have our game released this year, if not then we will still put it together. I wont give too much away but it's an up scrolling, time manipulation platform game! With 3 super cool powers.
You can take a look at the Promo image RonaldRaven put together... it's awesome.
So I've been busy writing music for that.

My own game idea:
I've been putting together a design document for my own game idea. A side scrolling platform game with elements of guitar hero. Your character wields a guitar and plays some killer licks and solos to defeat his enemies. When the Po3 game finishes up I'll start looking for a programmer and an artist who would be interested in developing the game (if Po3 works out I might just use the same guys)

New Music:
Expect some new... heavier music in the next few weeks.

New Animation?!:
The climate in Australia is just not very nice to animators. Hopefully by majoring in Game Design and Multimedia for the degree I'm in I'll have a chance to put my foot in the door. But over the 3 month break I have I'm going to put something together. I just don't know what yet... I'll come up with a good idea or something, maybe I'll animate the first part of my game idea...

http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen /199526

So I got the Dark Knight DVD for christmas and appart from being an awesome music, it also has a really unique sound track. I watched the special features and was really interested by the Jokers Theme music which was basically an experiment with musical tension, with two increasing pitches building to a crescendo.
I was inspired to try that in one my compositions, - Nightmare (link above)

The intro sound is a guitar slide moving up over two strings. It's heavily processed under effects, The bass sound was a complete accident, I was going for something completely different, while I was trying sounds i had that straight pulse sound and it reminded me of Octavarium, i decided to keep it.

Theres also some Mars Volta influence in the guitar work, However I will never be as crazy a songwriter as Omar.

So the Grammy's were announced eh?
Yet again i see that i was completely over looked!

Personally i'll be rooting for Radiohead to pick up as many as they can! I think they've been nominated for 4 or 5, I can't remember. Also looks like Coldplay will be picking up a lot, I haven't heard much of Viva but its picked up a lot of nominations.
Appart from that i'm just waiting for Muse to bring out a new album!

Well after almost a year of work into this peice, Jericho's demise is ready.

http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen /170969

I'll be editing this post later with more information on the song as questions arise.

Mark Pay has just released an AMAZING Indie RPG called The Spirit Engine 2 - 4 years in production it is Visually stunning and and the music is great plus the gameplay is origional and exciting.

if you haven't played The Spirit Engine 1, Don't worry as this is an entirely new, and much better game.

There is a FREE demo at http://www.thespiritengine.com/tse2-do wnload.html

You can also purchase the game from the above link. If you want an entirely FREE game to see what TSE2 is like... why not play the first one, its a free download: http://www.thespiritengine.com/tse1.ht ml
Ive included a screenshot, more are available at: http://www.thespiritengine.com/screens .html

Im plugging this game because the first one was amazing, and the sequel lives up to that. Its definatly worth buying, or at the VERY LEAST try the demo. If you're into RPG's you will love this. There is many hours of gameplay to be had with this.

Ok well basically i thought id be able to keep doing this. But after some recent events in my life i have found myself too distracted and too busy to do the Audio Report.
However if someone would like to continue the concept i would greatly appreciate that. If someone just wants to carry on what ive done, leave a message and ill choose the best candidate i guess.

Just to let you guys know... sorry about that.

THE AUDIO REPORT #1
Welcome to the first issue of "The Audio Report." This is the first of what I hope will be a long run of interviews with artists, songs and more. If you would like to get involved there is more information at the bottom of the report on how you can help.
So please read and leave a comment with your thoughts :)

----------

Interview with SBB
SBB has been a contributor to Newgrounds since 2006. He has submitted over 40 songs in the last 3 years (in his main account that is). Most of his songs are in the ambient genre and the scores of his songs rarely fall below 4.5, this is a direct reflection of the quality of his songs.

Firebalt: How long have you been making music?

SBB: Since mid '06- April/May, I believe. I actually had a copy of Reason 3.0 laying around since late '05, but I could never bother to install it or understand how it worked. Then I got myself a Mac and messed a bit with GarageBand. I eventually got sick of that program and installed Reason, almost a year after I bought it (which I could say is when I started making music... I doubt my GarageBand songs were really music... or what?)

Firebalt: Have you had any musical training?

SBB: I take some weekly guitar lessons, but that's it. I figured out that whole music software thing myself.

Firebalt: Your prominent genre is Ambient. What do you enjoy about the Ambient genre?

SBB: I've said in a few review responses, and read in some reviews I've got too, that most of my songs aren't strictly ambient- more of a trance/ambient/chillout mix thing (but I submit it to Ambient anyway). What I enjoy about the genre is how wide the genre is, there's next to nothing that defines whether a song could be considered ambient or not. It's also thankfully easy to be original and experiment with the genre. And of course the delight to just sit back, relax and listen to awesome ambient and chillout music, from a listener's point of view.

Firebalt: What softare and hardware do you use?

SBB: Logic pro 8.0 and Reason 4.0 with a whole load of Refills (which are Reason extensions/soundpacks or whatever you want to call it). For hardware, all I've got at the moment is this some 25-key keyboard. I'll try to get a better (LONGER) one... sometime. :P

Firebalt: Do you have any little mastering or EQ tricks you would be willing to share?

SBB: ...nope. I know pretty much nothing about mastering, so I could be the one who needs those little mastering or EQ tricks :P

Firebalt: When your putting together a song, is there a process you follow or do you just let happen?

SBB: It happens strangely much that I start out by having a pad here and a chord progression there, then boof, I have inspiration and just continue from that (usually by adding a new melody, then drums, then whatever comes to the top of my head). Sometimes I just get inspired by something (which very often happens to be mountains, wind, snow and similar things- simple but beautiful things that we Norwegians like to say we have a lot of). So well, yeah I usually just let it happen and continue on the song with my next ideas for what will do good to the song.

Firebalt: Do find yourself writing multiple songs at a time if you get on a roll, or are you a "one at a time" person?

SBB: I never do more than one big project at a time- because when I have an unfinished project, all I really want to do is to continue on that song. I often do some side projects or loops while making other songs though.

Firebalt: Your music has been used in a lot of flash cartoons. Do you get around to watching many of them?

SBB: So far I think I've watched/played every movie/game my songs have been used in. They have been used in a total of 40 submissions I think, (66 with the alts) and they only appear once in a while, so it's fairly easy to get around watching all of them. The most awesometastic submissions I've been featured in are Prehistoric 2 and Via Sol 2, go play those games now :D!!

Firebalt: Did the makers of those games ask you to make music for them or did they find it in the portal?

SBB: They both found it, months after I submitted them.

Firebalt: What is one thing you would like to see added or changed in The Audio Portal?

SBB: An extended audio search (a bit like this), would make it much easier for flash authors to find music for their movies and games, and it'd be easier to dig up gems in the depths of the audio portal. That's one thing.

----------

.: Under the Radar! :.

During the last 2 weeks Iv'e asked members of the audio portal to send me links to some good quality songs that have gone under the radar. Here are 5 songs that deserve to have a little mpre exposure:

1: Rock your face off
- Indie
2: Sleeping chimes
- Misc I'ts like a lullaby)
3: Friendship
- Classical
4: No one's slave
- Video Game
5: Metical - Innovation
- Wasn't submitted this year, but it's a good cover.

How can I help?
Do you think you would make a good interviewee? You must be an active member of the Newgrounds Audio community. If you are, then send me a PM and ill take a look.

You can also help by sending me messages with songs that you find that have flown under the radar. They can be your own songs, but try to find other peoples material as well. Also they must have been submitted in the last month.

If someone could make a better banner (450 by 90) that's would be greatly appreciated

In the future I hope to get more writers involved. If you have any ideas for The Audio Report, please leave a comment or send me a message :)

People who helped in this issue:
SBB
kaptainkewl
ectsoman
jrayteam6
Fairuzons

- Lachlan

P.S If you want to discuss this in the forum then check out the offical thread.

I just finished mixing "Ode to Dm" and ive put it up. Its more Muse influenced that some of my other material.

What will i be working on soon?
Im currently putting the bones together for a rock cover of "In the Hall of The Mountain King"
I have no been able to get that riff out of my head, so yeh im going to rock it up a little.

New animation?
Im currently getting a big chunk of The Spirit Engine (based on the game) done. Mark Pay will release the game in a few months and i hope to release the animation a bout a week after release.
I get 2 weeks holidays soon, thats when ill knock the bulk of the animation down.
Ive also got another lil animation just about done... but its a secret.

The Audio Report
Ive been thinking of putting together a fortnightly interveiw of audio artists, similar to what Luis does with Flash artists. Im not sure if anyone is already doing this, but ill make a post in the audio forums when im ready to start it. Tell me if youde be interested in being interveiwed or helping out with the process.

Anyways, thats all for now...

Ive released 1 new song and 1 new loop in the last fortnight, come and check them out. Im currently composing for my HSC, its going to be an epic song so keep a look out for that.

Ok, this is my first post on a long time.
Whats happening this year:
The Success of Day In The life of A Jersey Cow: I was quite surprised to see a front page, Thank you to the admin that did that. Even though the rush of traffic lowered its score, i dont mind, im glad thousands of people saw my animation and now i know roughly where it really stands.
Anyway, because most people really liked it, ive decided to stick with animation.
So the projects that may or may not be tackled this year: A couple of shorter animations that are a bit of fun but carry a serious message and speak more to what i beleive will be released hopefuly in the next 3 months.
After that i must get round to tackling "The Spirit Engine". Anyone that hasnt seen Mark Pays (of Click Team fame) fantabulous 1 man produced game should check out www.thespiritengine.com
Anyways ill be producing a promotional animation based on the first chapter to the.... *Drum roll* sequel! TSE Part 2... cant wait.

And last but not least, i may or may not animate something for my HSC major work in english.

That is all