An element I haven’t taken time to talk about is the music in Miracle Karts.
Since I started I’ve composed over 30 original songs for the game! Most of the music is for the main UI and races, but a good chunk of it is location specific. Out of all of it the music, the songs that play at Zeke’s garage are probably my favourite.
Originally I planned to write the most obnoxious butt-rock for Zeke - I wanted you to be blasted with the chuggiest and loudest trash I could make. There would even be dialogue options to shame him into turning it down or off, but the idea kind of backfired.
Original theme for Zeke’s Garage (!volume warning!)
Even before actual testing began I was already sick of hearing it. I don’t think it’s the worst thing, but it was the opposite of what I wanted while tweaking my kart. Even at low volume I felt like it was making understanding the numbers harder.
Over time, as Zeke came into focus as a character, the inspiration for the music changed. He’s a character that everyone in the karting clubs go to for help and advice, and it seemed more appropriate that the music in his shop be warm and inviting.
Rather than try to fill up the garage scenes with a bombastic soundtrack I started writing some simpler songs with stripped down instruments, inspired by mid-century pop music.
In the end I wrote 5 songs for Zeke’s, all using the same setup and processing. Some are a bit more somber or upbeat, but all fade nicely into the background while you’re focused on your upgrades.
Now visiting Zeke’s feels like a welcome break from the more beat-heavy songs in the menus and races.
From my IRL experience in garages and woodshops, either following my dad around while he talked shop or as an adult feigning understanding, there was always some ancient radio crackling along setting the tone for the day. Songs hit different in a workshop. I remember hearing John Cale’s Sabotage for the first time in a shop and it blowing my mind. It’s hard to know how much of my fondness for the song is tied to that day with my friend talking about projects.
Thanks for reading. Feel free to share your thoughts on the songs or let me know if you’d like more music focused updates in the future!