[snipped in 2021 due to personally identifying information]

Before you read this hyped, nothing bad has happened, I am not going anywhere, not upgrading and not doing a collab (yet). Now the common ones are out of the way...

Hi guys, FortressLord here, giving an update on me, my music, and whatever else comes to mind.

First off, and most importantly, MY PRE-CURRENT-PC DISCOGRAPHY IS ON BANDCAMP! [link broken]

Note not all songs are on there, but there's 3 albums there, 2 totally unseen until now.

Enjoy totally for free! (I was even worse then but there's still some cool FL stuff)

Second, I have been practicing like crazy!

Basically, here is (are ?) my changes summed up:

• I use more sensible chords now.
• I will try tempos other than 174, 150 and 140 BPM.
• I use simple automation (not auto clips in the playlist, just editing).
• Drum and Bass even closer to me now. Expect less Trance and House and more DnB, WITH NEURO AND LIQUID BEING TOYED WITH.
• I have found some cool sounds; The free GMS synth with heavy compression, various piano soundsets and synths put through multiple mastering channels, half-bitcrushed sounds (heavy effect, but the plugins for the bit sound will be set to ~40-70% volume for a weird effect.)
• I am going to be making some melodical stuff rather than my weird, intentionally simplistic music of old.

So there we are.

Last news (I can think of) is my style is becoming more evident: Expect even more chimes synths, with short, Techno-inspired riff segments.

I'd be surprised if anyone actually read this far, but this has been FortressLord. Peace out.

[snipped in 2021 due to personally identifying information]

Okay, so despite only getting one question on Newgrounds, I got quite a few questions in other places, like the real world. Here are the results!

Q: Will you make 'rougher' music types like Trap, Brostep and Neuro?

A: Trap and neuro I've attempted, neuro was very hard due to the moprhing, powerful basses I just can't automate enough yet. Brostep I have tried and I'll re-attempt later on, but it's too much of an acquired musical taste for me to try too much with. Other 'rougher' music types I will try, I'm assuming that's including hard Hip-Hop e.t.c.

Q: Imagine Drum n' Bass is no longer an option. What genre do you now produce if any?

A: I would jump on to Trance or House music if DnB was no longer possible. If Electronic music was gone altogether, but computer-based designing was still allowed, I'd make Classical or really strange Rock.

Q: Why the Orange/Purple/Black theme?

A: Orange is my favourite colour, so that was natural. Purple complements orange, so I started using it. It ended up having a really nice, colourful yet dark effect that seems pretty cool. The black is just a space-filler really, but I do use it on purpose a lot because it makes colour stand out nicely.

Q: What artists influence your style the most?

A: Pendulum (I guess more so the earlier Pendulum), BT, Zircon and a few others who kind off feed into my work.

Q: Other than music, where does your creativity go?

A: I used to draw, but I mostly stopped and slowly got worse at it, and now I write fiction, do lots of modding and level design for various video games, and edit photos. Oh, and I've recently got back into Blender, and got Nifskope (both are 3D modelling).

Q: Would you do vocals?

A: I would do vocals gladly if I had the voice for it. Being an amateur writer AND a musician sometimes I think up some really good lyrics and tunes, but I have neither a good voice nor a vocalist friend. You know what? I'm making a track called 'Through It All', and as soon as I'm done being ill, I'm trying out a mic for it!

Q: What is your dream for being a music artist?

A: Great question, and one I have thought about a lot even to decide on. I'd like to be well-known, but not for my ego, just so I can share music with others. I hope to join with a music group like Liquicity when I'm properly good, but dreams rarely come true.

Q: What speakers/monitors do you have? [Merged with 'What headphones?']

A: Creative A60 speakers, but I use my Denon HD1100 DJ headphones more when creating new music. My monitor is an iiyama ProLite X2377HS, it is 23". I could have got two monitors, but my preference is to have a single large one.

Q: You're a gamer right? What's your fav game?

A: I gave this some thought, and I can't decide between Skyrim, Garry's Mod and Neverwinter Nights 1 (the Bioware one of the original 2 games. It was FAR better.) I'm quite creative so Skyrim is only part of the top 3 due to moddability. (Is that a word?)

Okay, so I know this is weird thing to come back to after a while of no music or news, but a few people in real life have asked me questions about my music, music in general and where the whole 'FortressLord' thing came from.

It got me thinking, and I've decided to make a Q&A session here!

I have some questions already, and any you guys PM or leave below will join those, until I post the accepted questions and honest answers. Thanks!

I figured it's about time I make a news post. This time I didn't plan what I'd say, so let me just type up some basic points.

My PC

• Still good.
• Speakers very useful and sound great.
• I am playing too much Skyrim... Or not enough?
• I put lots of data onto my newer PC (e.g. drum hit samples)

My Activities

• Mostly unimportant.
• Lots of experimenting with music.
• Learning totally new styles.
• Got GiMP back, practising image editing.
• I put lots of data onto my newer PC (e.g. drum hit samples)

​

My Music (What really matters here)

• Planning to rescue some old songs for release.
• Drum and Bass EP soon. (Released first)
• House EP coming soon.
• Ambient album coming soon. Expect my best melodies and emotions for these! (Released last)

I was away for a bit because I got a totally new PC!

Plus another [QWERTY] keyboard, mouse and even speakers.

I won't bore you with all the details, even if I could remember all of it, but my new PC has:

• Windows 8
• Double the RAM (Now 8GB, with slight boosting)
• AMD Graphics card (musically only really shows visualisers faster)
• Speakers have good depth and built in bass modules.

The following is a photo of what I use as an all-in-mostly-one studio. It's not like it shows much of my identity anyway (as I said in the Solestar Guide, I'm not super shy just choose to use mystery as a little recurring trend.)

Not pictured is the actual tower ('PC Case'), my guitars, my microphone (pathetic, hope to replace), keyboard synth and analogue mixer (not that I ever had to take it out).

Okay, after SO long waiting, those of you who care can get my first album for free here:

HERE AS WELL IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

I'd say to get it. It includes both versions of Interspecies Alliance, Human Hunt and some totally unseen tracks. There's also a guide with text directly from me.

I actually dislike a few of the songs now I'm FAR better, but it's been a great learning experience and I hope you at least appreciate the guide and it's insider details!

Also, if the download is in a folder of the same name, with a folder within that, it may help to cut it out and put it in a folder for my work rather than having a random .Zip lying around.

I promise this isn't my last album, and I'm spending ALL my free time experimenting with sounds, so even if the now oddly outdated Solestar (some tracks are still cool though) isn't your cup of tea (such a British expression) refrain from giving up hope.

I really want to thank not just people who not only actively track my progress, but everyone who has given me the will to do better, go longer with music, and make this album.

HERE IS A SMALL TEASER, BUT OF WHAT?

Alright, so I think Solestar as an album will be released on Dropbox or something like that, because the album actually INCLUDES A GUIDE as well as just MP3s.

The Guide shows backstory, which songs are the best, production facts and just general monologue from me.

The song list is coming along great. In no particular order other than what I read first:

Solestar (Tech Mix) - Techno w/ Hip Hop draws

Interspecies Alliance - Techno RELEASED ON SOUNDCLOUD!

Interspecies Alliance (DnB Mix) - Drum & Bass RELEASED ON NEWGROUNDS!

[EDIT 25/11] Journey in the Neostream - Dub/Classic Dubstep RELEASED SOON

What Happens - House

Shepard Shuffle - Trance/Dance

Ode To Autumn - Solo Piano (Bonus track)

Corrupt Soldiers - Weird Drum & Bass

Human Hunt - Drum & Bass RELEASED ON NEWGROUNDS!

Steel Jungle - Breakbeat [Very different, now called Darksteel Jungle]

Burning Peace - Industrial Rock

Heart of Rain - Techno/DnB/Rock (some parts get a bit chaotic but I like it)

Resonance Theory - DnB/Rock

Fallback Charlie (Redux) - Dance/DnB

Nocturnal Vigilante [Oct 2013 Edit] - Trance/Dance

I'm sure there was more stuff I had to say, but I'll add that in an edit if I remember.

Anyway, not sure how many people care about Solestar but here's an update anyway.

I'm going to keep this short and kinda informal.

Okay so I did have that sort of nice idea with the table, but releasing one at a time isn't a good idea.

Instead, once the album is done, I'll post a link to download the whole thing if I can, complete with all tracks and details.

As for the actual tracks, some old/unreleased tracks have been repurposed for the album. I remade 'Fallback Charlie', which was made about the time I joined Newgrounds, and only had about half an hours' work put into it.

'What Happens' was a challenge set for me to finish a House track in 45 minutes. I went back a while later to master a bit more, and the final result has really grew on me, so I salvaged it and put it on the album. I might put What Happens on NG as well.

'Nocturnal Vigilante [Halloween 2013 Edit]' will be on there as well. The voice samples are gone, the sounds are tweaked, and the editing is slightly better.

I'm making another album, actually my first since joining Newgrounds (I don't count the Necrophobia Soundtrack).

What this means for you is the songs will have extra details, and some will link together in some way.
I'll put the tracks going into it below, and some details. CHECK BACK HERE FOR PROGRESS.
I guess by downloading each one, they become collectible! Note that in-album all genres will be 'Electronic' for ease of finding and sorting.

__UPDATING TRACK LIST__
Number - Title - - - - - - - - - - - Genre - - - - - - - - - Progress
__
01| - - - - Solestar - - - - - - - - Drum n' Bass - - - Planning
02| - - - - CANCELLED, REWORKING
03| - - - - Shepard Shuffle - - Trance - - - - - - - - 30%
04| - - - - Colony Sayuna - - - Atmospheric ? - - 10% <-- New details!
05| - - - - Burning Peace - - - -Electronic Rock - 70%
06| - - - - Resonance Theory -Electronic Rock - 60%
07| - - - - (Untitled) - - - - - - - - Industrial ? - - - - -Sound trialing
08| - - - - (Untitled) - - - - - - - - Dubstep ? - - - - - - Planning
09| - - - - Human Hunt - - - - - Drum n' Bass - - - -15%
?????
Bonus! - Ode to Autumn - - - Classical - - - - - - - 15% <-- On hold

The table thing was a new idea. Sorry if you can't read it, but it's (hopefully) better than a long paragraph! In fact, I think I've done my usual thing and made a huge boring news post. Well, if you've read this far, CONGRATS!

I haven't finished a song/track/tune/audio piece in a month, but I'm putting up some WIPs.
They are not particularly my best or most recent tracks, but they should give you an idea what I've been doing.

-Digital Mind-
Also, I've got a 'capital' track in the works, like what I did with Nocturnal Vigilante.
I have got vocoding figured out, maybe not the most efficient way, but I can vocode samples and voice now.
It has an intro and hopefully lead later on that was salvaged from an abandoned WIP, and

I am making lyrics for it. I can probably try them myself, and I'll note here some lines and ideas. Check back if you like, and see my thoughts. Plus, I'd appreciate ideas e.t.c.

- Drum n' Bass-ish

- Saws (Non-literal : P)

- Crazy vocals, not in voice but maybe lyrics ?
- Recurring 'I got a Digital Mind' maybe.

- Currently being re-done, some parts sounded random.