Echoes of the First Dreamer

“I’ve known Marty twenty years, been his colleague and friend for almost as long, and I always thought I was a fan of his music. Everyone loves the Flintstones jingle, we’ve enjoyed the trailers, and his in-game music is fantastic… but for me, it was always about the “Official Soundtrack” album. Just like the game, but without the distracting gunfire and explosions!

“Only it turns out I had never really, REALLY appreciated Marty’s music until last year, when I listened to an album he had composed and arranged specifically as a stand-alone work, recorded live in a single session, and presented exclusively as a listening experience. It was breathtaking. That’s why I encouraged him to undertake a similar project at Highwire and create a musical prequel for Golem. And why I am so excited that all of his fans (me included) are being invited to help make it happen.”

– Jaime Griesemer, Creative Director at Highwire Games

 

A Listening Experience

Echoes of the First Dreamer is not the soundtrack to Golem. It is a musical prequel; composed, arranged and recorded as an independent work. It will be released before the game and introduce you to the world and themes of Golem. (If you haven’t seen it, check out the trailer!)

In order to fund Echoes we need your help. A stand-alone album of this type is more complicated and expensive than a traditional game soundtrack, and pulling it off will require more time, more musicians and engineering support, and more sophisticated mastering and editing. This project can only happen with the support of the Marty Army!

Backer Rewards

In exchange, we are offering several exclusive backer rewards. Of course, everyone that backs the album will receive the digital version in high-quality audio format. But for those that back at a higher level, there are CDs, shirts, vinyl albums, and more. These exclusive items will not be available for purchase; this campaign is the only way to get them. There will even be a limited number of signed copies available!

And of course, if you have a lot of disposable income and are a little bit crazy, you might even be able to tour the studio during a recording sessions and watch Marty at work! Just remember to put your phone in silent mode or it’ll be a short visit…

 

Production Budget

Once the project is funded, here’s how the money will be spent. Immediately almost 1/3 is set aside to fulfill the backer rewards, as well as Kickstarter’s fees, taxes and other charges. Another 1/3 goes toward composing, arranging, engineering, mastering and mixing the album, including studio time. The final 1/3 goes to the musicians performing during the live recording.

The mathematically inclined have noticed that the budget actually adds up to more than our Kickstarter goal. That is because the founders of Highwire Games believe in this project, and since it does have some overlap with Golem’s development, we want to contribute to it as well.

 

Stay Tuned…

As the month goes on, we’ll be announcing more details about the album, including stretch goals and more exclusive backer rewards… so keep an eye on this page for updates!

Acknowledgments

Artistic and creative credit is important to Marty, and to Highwire, and to our community, so we want to make sure to thank a few people that are helping out with this Kickstarter Campaign.

• Collin Moore – Campaign Manager
• Mary Traverse – “Doll in Repose” artwork
• Travis Brady – Doll concept for Golem
• Noah Kaarbo from Ozone Interactive – Graphic Design
• Jaime Griesemer – Production Assistant
• Fangamer – Consultation and Reward Fulfillment
• The entire Highwire Team for crafting such an inspiring world