The Struggler is coming.

Nxa

The Struggler is unleashed.
Hello, fellow strugglers.
I have an announcement to make, for who's interested in Berserk themed dark fantasy music specifically.

I'm releasing my second Berserk themed concept album, 'The Struggler', by the end of the year.
The first one was self-published in Dec. 2009, and I also shared it here on the forum.
This new installment follows in similar stylistic vein typical of me, hopefully with natural progression: hip-hop based, yet rather alternative, progressive, moody and layered synthopera.

Thematically I wanted to go deeper than previously, when I covered topics and characters track by track. I wanted to get more abstract, cover the emotional landscapes and psychological realities that lie beneath the surface.
Hence it took over a decade for the album to come to fruition. And when it finally did, it just came to me. I only needed to assist in it's incarnation, I felt. I was very pleased with the organic and rather effortless process. Especially when a central piece of the collection, 'A Cursed Boy', came to me unexpectedly, as I thought the tracklist was already finished. Then I knew it was finished: this is what it needs to be, this is it.
In short, as a pitch, the album is a version of the hero's journey, a psychological study of our beloved protagonist, The Struggler.

I released the first single, 'A Dance of Sparks', on the 22nd of September. It represents the beginning of the dark journey, the brighter side of the sonic spectum, when all yet seems to be in place.
Link to the song is attached here.

And, I'm releasing the second single on the 22nd of October, in couple of days. It's called 'Lurking Shadow', and as expected, marks the descent in to darkness. I'll be sure to post it here as it comes out.

I really hope you enjoy the music, I'm eager for it to find it's audience. It has emerged from a true passion for an unique work of art, that has had a profound effect on me since my teenage years in 2009, and stayed with me to this day.

Also check out my socials, and give a follow, if you will. Thank you!

Instagram - Nxa Gospel
Facebook - Nxa Gospel
 
I just checked out A Dance of Sparks and loved it! This is the kind of stuff I love to draw to, so know your work is inspiring other creatives as well. :D Thanks for sharing the insights about your process, too. Hearing it adds to the experience and appreciation, plus it’s interesting! I’m looking forward to hearing more so I’ll be on the lookout for the release!
 
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Nxa

The Struggler is unleashed.
Up up!

I don’t frequent forums anymore, so I forget to update stuff on here..! :sweatdrop:

The Struggler went through a struggle indeed, and was at risk of being shelved. Ultimately he persevered, like he does, and the release date has been settled.

The Struggler will come on July 28th.

I’m happy and excited to finally publish this project, that ended up being even more personal than I initially ventured.

Earlier this summer I released the third promotional single, ”Sword of Actuation”. You’ll find the streaming links right there.

At first, I was hesitant to publish any singles, to not ”ruin the concept”. But I was encouraged by my friends to put out this particular song, and I figured, what the hell. It’s been a while, and I want people to hear this anyways and if a single can help that, I’ll oblige. It has done relatively well, so I don’t regret the rollout.

I’ll pop up again, once the album release becomes relevant. Hope ya’ll well, be seeing you!
 
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NightCrawler

Aeons gone, vast, mad and deathless
I've skimmed through the album, and "A Cursed Boy" was the standout track for me (it has a clear Hirasawa vibe, the sounds and the layering of pads, keys and the vocalization used), very different from the others, almost doesn't fit with the rest of the album.
 
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Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Listened to the full album and enjoyed it. I agree with Nightcrawler that "A Cursed Boy" stands apart from the rest, and feels the most "Berserk-like" by way of Susumu Hirasawa. It evokes the Dreamcast game's OST to me. Other than that, a lot of your tracks have got a certain sound quality to them that I feel would befit an indie game going for an old school 16-bit vibe. I found that interesting; might be something you want to explore.
 
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Nxa

The Struggler is unleashed.
Thank you guys, for listening and feedback!

I've skimmed through the album, and "A Cursed Boy" was the standout track for me (it has a clear Hirasawa vibe, the sounds and the layering of pads, keys and the vocalization used), very different from the others, almost doesn't fit with the rest of the album.
It's curious that you say that, because that track was the last one I added, before which I thought the album was done already. Instead, 'A Cursed Boy' became the central piece of the whole. (well, I just peeked, I did mention that in the opening message already)

Listened to the full album and enjoyed it. I agree with Nightcrawler that "A Cursed Boy" stands apart from the rest, and feels the most "Berserk-like" by way of Susumu Hirasawa. It evokes the Dreamcast game's OST to me. Other than that, a lot of your tracks have got a certain sound quality to them that I feel would befit an indie game going for an old school 16-bit vibe. I found that interesting; might be something you want to explore.
Oh man, that is such a funny yet poignant remark; I have been told for ages from completely different sources, that my music sounds like something from or suitable for a video game. I can only surmise, that I guess I really should lean into that :D

Edit: Oh yeah, that DC game OST was crazy to me, when I discovered it. There's no way around the combination of Nico, Sister's Story and Indra being direct influences - although I didn't do it consciously at the time. (If you look up my song 'New Boy', you can hear my most clear Hirasawa reference vocally :troll:)
 
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