Mitsukeru

Mitsukeru is a puzzle platformer following an artist, Kasumi, and her daughter, Mitsuki, as they search for each other. Their home, recently damaged in a flood, contains several pieces of art by Kasumi: by magically travelling through the paintings, Mitsuki can use her chalk to change the artwork, which in turn can help— or, usually, hinder—Kasumi as she passes through the same places. The perspective shifts between the two until the pair is reunited in the end. Mitsukeru explores themes of artistic and personal identity, the realities of being a parent, and ways disaster can bring us together.

Mitsukeru uses a chamber orchestra with a blend of intimate solo winds and strings, percussion, and several unique instruments like autoharp and zhongruan, alongside recorded scribbling noises and a chamber choir. The musical styles are dependent on the artwork the duo is presently inhabiting, and includes minimalism and impressionism.

I remember composing Forester, and somehow having the energy to write more than 20 tracks! I desired to write something with similar scale and emotional impact this time around, but other recording gigs and applying for a visa got in the way a bit. I’m still proud of what I’ve done, and hope you’ll take the time to enter the emotional world of this game I’ve envisioned.

Each painting is a journey for Mitsuki, but especially for Kasumi, who is the true main character of this journey. Each painting sees her overcoming a challenge of being a parent, and reckoning with her past failures as an artist as she has struggled to find her unique voice. Still Life with Plum is simple and balanced, representing a perfectly and intentionally arranged life. But, as parents know, the best laid plans can fail. Children won’t often act, or be, the way you expect them to. Impressions of Akari River, a lush and towering scene, represents how physically, mentally and emotionally, our children grow more advanced than us. Keeping up can be tolling on our entire bodies. Finally, Motions, No. 18: shows how a parent cannot shy away from the care of their child, no matter the monotony. It is the most frustrated and uninspired period in Kasumi’s life, a style she has escaped into that works, and has even found her success, but which is unfulfilling and damaging to her health. Finally, she discovers Mitsuki inside of Glassy, tucked away in their attic. It’s charming, representing childlike wonder, with subtle nuance, and is a truly compellign style. She now learns that channeling your inner child and viewing the world through their eyes is the only way to fully embrace parenthood. And that art is truly about personal expression— no matter how childish. We intrinsically work better when we are truly inspired and care about what we are creating. This childish style truly inspires Kasumi, and she and Mitsuki are able to rebuild and recover, with her leaning into her original style and, hopefully, finding success.

1. A Quick Learner: as a very young Mitsuki, we follow our mother, Kasumi as she teaches us simple art skills— aka, teaches us how to play. Her hand is precise, and Mitsuki’s thick chalk can’t emulate it very well.

Since this is a early, core memory between Mitsuki and Kasumi, I tried to keep the texture simple with plucked strings constantly dovetailing each other, contrasted by light, rhymically ambiguous humming. The humming also introduces a core motif, a homophonic gesture that alternates between ii-V.

2. Dreamworld: three years later, a disoriented Mitsuki wakes from her dream to find her bedroom filled with water and giant, mystical bubbles. Across the room, a still life painted by her mother gently glows. As she hops around her flooded bedroom towards the painting, trusty chalk in hand, she steps into the painting. This track plays whenever Mitsuki is navigating the house.

Dreamworld introduces the main motif that returns throughout most of the tracks. Its ethereal quality shows how Mitsuki views the damage done to her home by a terrible flood— more on that later.

3. Still Life with Plum: The first level of the game, a simple watercolor landscape. This painting was made for Mitsuki’s room by her mother. In this level, the player must use the drawing skills taught by Kasumi to proceed.

This heavily rhythmic track utilizes mixed meters, including 25/8 and 13/8, and densely stacked chords, to create a jubilant vibe. Modal inflections and some other things add an adventurous quality as well.

4. Tea with Mr. Plum: After reaching the subject of the painting, Mitsuki draws a face on the plum, bringing Mr. Plum to life. He invites Mitsuki to join him to tea, and asks her to find his other friends, a.k.a. the other fruits scattered around the level, for a garden party.

5. The Garden Party: after gathering the fruits, Mr. Plum’s garden party begins. The fruits discuss how long it’s been since they’ve come together, and how happy they are to spend time together, especially as they grow older. After some refreshments and minigames, Mr. Plum sends Mitsuki on her way.

This is one of my favorite tracks! I love the nostalgic english horn melody and wish I found a place for it to return elsewhere in the soundtrack.

6. Missing: Kasumi wakes in the early morning to her home flooded with water and severely damaged. As she wades slowly and heavily from her end of the house to Mitsuki’s room, we see the extent of the destruction. When Kasumi arrives, Mitsuki is nowhere to be found, presumably still in the painting. This music plays whenever Kasumi is navigating the house.

This piece is intentionally very sparse, with nonvib strings coupled only with the rumblings of thunder, distant vehicles, and one iteration of the main theme on harp. Its in direct contrast to Dreamworld, Mitsuki’s far more magical perspective.

7. Impressions of Akari River: While Kasumi is exploring Still Life with Plum, Mitsuki travels to another painting, this one of the Akari River, the river that runs by their home. This painting is in a more abstract, impressionist style, featuring a rushing river, trees that climb to the sky, and a trellis of grand clouds above. Mitsuki again uses her chalk to explore this new world.

I was inspired by the string writing of Takashi Yoshimatsu for this piece, and wanted to explore polyrhythm while working within the impressionist style I have long enjoyed. The polyrhythm and quartal harmony hopefully creates a sense of flowing water and the vague swaths of color that comprise impressionist art.

8. The Ducks Converse: after Mitsukeru draws silly faces on the ducks in the painting, they begin to vent about the difficulty of flying, wishing they could ascend directly to the clouds and soar down from there. They task Mitsuki with making a path to the skies using her chalk, and she agrees to guide them.

This track contrasts a neatly composed romantic waltz with the quacking of ducks. There is absolutely zero humor intended here— none. It is a gravely serious piece.

9. Descent from Cloudtops: after leading the ducks up a chalk pathway, they leap from the clouds and soar above the beautiful painting. As she flies down, Mitsuki spots the exit from above and leaves the painting.

I was vaguely inspired by Hedwig’s Theme from Harry Potter, at least for the rapid pace of the line. This track was a treat to write, but surely wouldn’t be a treat to play!

10. Motions, No. 18: Another painting of Kasumi’s, this one is repetitive and difficult to traverse. It represents a frustrated and uninspired period in Kasumi’s life, a style she has been unable to escape from since the birth of her child.

Steve Reich’s influence is clear here— I have long been inspired by him, and could think of no better accompaniment to the final level in the game than a track in this style. Minimalism has a way of sticking with you for weeks after you listen to it, and the only release is to write some of your own.

11. Glassy: After Mitsuki plays through all the levels, Kasumi must then pass through all of them— a great challenge, because the players previously helpful chalk drawings are actually a hinderance for her quests. Finally, mother and daughter convene inside of one of Kasumi’s oldest paintings from when she was just starting as an artist. It features a beautiful sea with great bubbles rising above it, all illuminated with a magical glow from below. Kasumi, having battled through all three paintings, has revisited her past as an artist, and has gained understanding about being a better parent to her daughter— and being true to herself as an artist. The piece ultimately ends with the two exploring Mitsuki’s dream world together.

I had high hopes for this track to be more grand, but found myself all out of compositional steam after writing 10 other pieces in just 8 days. I hoped to write a credits track as well, just to wrap up this journey more neatly, but this was all I could muster. I hope it is acceptable! Perhaps I will extend this soundtrack someday in the future.