The Thirteenth Hour Podcast

The Thirteenth Hour Podcast

By Joshua BlumArts
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The Thirteenth Hour Podcast episodes

  • The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #533: Musical Interlude - Trying to Figure Out Music from Legend (1985)

    In today's episode, I'm playing around with some music from one of my favorite soundtracks, Legend, using the score done by Tangerine Dream.  There's a piece in there I have always liked, called "The Unicorn Theme" and the same melody and chords get used in the ending song for the theatrical release in a ballad with vocals done by Jon Anderson called "Loved by the Sun" with the Tangerine Dream synths in the background.  When I first heard it, I thought it was an odd mix, with neither of them really fitting together, and I was always vaguely irritated they didn't just make "The Unicorn Theme" longer (the track on the score doesn't use all the bars heard in the film), but as I have gotten older, I have comes to really like "Loved by the Sun."  It is not an easy song to sing nor play (at least for me), as it requires a pretty big range.  I'm trying it today on the piano with just chords, which I found harder than the guitar, which I find easier to play for certain things (this being one of them).  That said, I think it'd sound great on the piano blended in with the notes from "The Unicorn Theme" since that is essentially what they did in the film, if I recall.   I'm going to play around with over the net week or so and see what I come up with.  

    Thanks for listening!

    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

    Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  


    It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

    -Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

    -->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

    -->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

    -->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

    -->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

    •  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
    • Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
    • Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
    • Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
    • Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
    • Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
    • Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
    • Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
    • Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

    19 min
  • The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #532: Mappa Mundi Playthrough - "Into the Rift" Part 2

    In today's episode, my brother and I are wrapping up the role playing adventure we started last week based on a setting in his role playing game, Mappa Mundi.  This week picks up after the main character, Axel, has fallen into a deep crevice in the ice.  Will he emerge?  What will he find in the icy depths below?  There were supernatural creatures (below) above the rift - what about within it?  Who knows what Axel will find in the depths below?!

     

    Thanks for listening!  Watch for the compilation of these two parts on youtube coming soon.  By the way, the track, "The Ice Giant," that I recently wrapped up is available on my Bandcamp page here.

    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

    Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  


    It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

    -Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

    -->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

    -->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

    -->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

    -->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

    •  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
    • Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
    • Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
    • Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
    • Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
    • Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
    • Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
    • Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
    • Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

    1 hr 27 min
  • The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #531: Mappa Mundi Playthrough - "Into the Rift" Part 1

    In today's episode, I'm starting the first of a two part adventure with my brother, the one I was making music tracks for the past few weeks.  This is for a role playing adventure we recorded a few weeks ago based on a setting in his role playing game, Mappa Mundi.  The music track I made will play in the background few times this episode to signal the coming and discussion of a supernatural being we are referring to the Ice Giant.  There is a lot more about the giant and the world created for it in the game - see https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2025/10/13/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-531-mappa-mundi-playthrough-into-the-rift-part-1/

    I'm currently working on an animation for this guy ...

    Thanks for listening!  Part 2 coming next week!

    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

    Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  


    It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

    -Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

    -->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

    -->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

    -->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

    -->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

    •  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
    • Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
    • Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
    • Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
    • Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
    • Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
    • Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
    • Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
    • Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

    1 hr 12 min
  • The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #530: Musical Interlude - Finishing "Ice Giant" Part 2/2

    In today's episode, I'm pretty much wrapping up the track I started last week for an episode that my brother and I recorded a few weeks ago based on a setting in his role playing game, Mappa Mundi.  I'm using the same DAW (digital audio workspace) I started learning how to use last month, the free web-based program Bandlab. 

    Part of the reason for the past month and a half of making tracks this way was to warm up to the idea of making music entirely digitally (since that is what most people in the niche I probably most closely align with musically - synthwave - use).  I must confess as a nonjoiner, I tend to ignore, be oblivious to, and occasionally even take perverse pleasure in being the contrarian.  So I was using a more analog approach until now, mostly because it just worked.   But now I can see the benefits.  Yes, there are downsides (it's basically all done in front of a computer), but I think it's a worthwhile investment to learn this program and then progress to some of the more commonly used DAWs that most music producers use.  They are just tools, after all, and at the end of the day, any tool is just that.

    What I still don't know if using a DAW actually saved me any time.  I actually don't think so.  That might because of the ongoing learning curve.  But it might also be due to the capability of fiddling more with things on a more microscopic level, whereas the analog world involved more guesswork and the necessity of being okay with imperfection, even with the finished product (as anyone who has heard the pops and hisses of records and cassettes can attest to).  With things going digital, I can see the capacity to fiddle endlessly and never fully finish anything.  So we will have to see.

    This episode also made a little mention of Jane Goodall, one of my heroes, who passed away recently.  I brought it up since the premise of the track is that you're a naturalist/explorer observing a supernatural phenomenon in the world of the game (cue pixelated depiction below), but though she gave a lot to the world due to her work and her passing marks the end of an era in some ways, I actually don't she'd want people to be sad and pessimistic at her passing.  She championed for people to have hope (since 2022 she did a podcast she called her Hopecast, after all).  She championed for local change.  She championed for us to remember that one does not need to go to the ends of the Earth to find adventure or do good - good starts right in front of you with your own life, your own family, your own community - a great thing, I think, to keep in mind in uncertain times.

    Thanks for listening!

    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

    Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  


    It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

    -Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

    -->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

    -->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

    -->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

    -->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

    •  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
    • Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.


    https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2025/10/06/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-530-musical-interlude-finishing-ice-giant-part-2-2/

    27 min
  • The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #529: Musical Interlude - Working on "Ice Giant"


    In today's episode, I'm working on a new track for an episode that my brother and I recorded a few weeks ago based on a setting in his role playing game, Mappa Mundi.  I'm using the same DAW I started learning how to use last month, the free web-based program Bandlab,  which I have found is great for quickly storing ideas for later.  When I was working on "The Hunt" last month, I had the idea for an arpeggiated pattern than might fit once scene where your character reacts with a mix of awe and respect at an ice giant (see the pixelart depiction below) that lumbers by on the snowy tundra, leading a train of transfixed animals.  But I didn't have a chance to work on it fully until now.  So this week, I'd able to get into the weeds with it.  

    Speaking of which, here is the completed version of "The Hunt" that I submitted to the contest. 


     Thanks for listening!

    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

    Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  


    It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

    -Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

    -->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

    -->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

    -->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

    -->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

    •  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
    • Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
    • Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
    • Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
    • Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
    • Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
    • Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
    • Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
    • Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

    https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2025/09/29/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-529-musical-interlude-working-on-ice-giant/

    24 min
  • The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #528: Musical Interlude - Working on a Dark Synth Track for "A Shadow in the Moonlight" Part 4

    In today's episode, I'm building on what I have been discussing the past three weeks as I continue to make a dark synth track to accompany one of the many hunting scenes in The Thirteenth Hour prequel, A Shadow in the Moonlight, about a cursed hunter who has to spend eternity hunting an enchanted deer.  

    I've wanted to learn to use a desktop based DAW to make and edit music so am using this track as a way to do that.  I've settled on the free web-based program Bandlab which also have a companion mobile app.  While it doesn't do everything, it does far more than I expected it to do.  I have tried to resist the temptation to fall back on my analog ways and cheat the purpose of this exercise :)

    At this point, the track is 90% done.  Just some fine tuning left to do with the final mix.

    Thanks for listening!

    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

    Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  


    It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

    -Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

    -->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

    -->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

    -->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

    -->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

    •  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
    • Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
    • Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
    • Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
    • Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
    • Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
    • Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
    • Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
    • Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!


    https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2025/09/22/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-528-musical-interlude-working-on-a-dark-synth-track-for-a-shadow-in-the-moonlight-part-4/

    24 min
  • The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #527: Musical Interlude - Working on a Dark Synth Track for "A Shadow in the Moonlight" Part 3

    In today's episode, I'm building on what I started discussing last week as I continue to make a dark synth track to accompany one of the many hunting scenes in The Thirteenth Hour prequel, A Shadow in the Moonlight, about a cursed hunter who has to spend eternity hunting an enchanted deer.  

    I've wanted to learn to use a desktop based DAW to make and edit music so am using this track as a way to do that.  I've settled on the free web-based program Bandlab, which is supposedly the easiest one to start using, though I will say that I have found none of the ones I have tried intuitive or especially user friendly.  That said, connecting a keyboard to the computer has helped a great deal, and I expect that the initially hassle will have longer term payoffs in terms of flexibility and range of tools at my fingertips when making new tracks than I would have doing it all analog.  So, I'm trying to not throw my hands up in frustration and go back to what I know since the whole point was to learn how to use a DAW in order to make this track.  This is the main melody behind the track.

    One of the soundtracks that served as an influence was William Goldstein's score for the Chuck Norris film Forced Vengeance.  There is an Eastern flair to it (the film takes place in Hong Kong) that is perfect for one of these schlocky 80s martial arts films along with an ominous tone and plenty of tastefully done 80s synth.   You can actually listen to the entire thing on William Goldstein's YT channel.

    Thanks for listening!

    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

    Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  


    It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

    -Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

    -->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

    -->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

    -->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

    -->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

    •  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
    • Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
    • Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
    • Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
    • Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
    • Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
    • Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
    • Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
    • Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

    https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2025/09/15/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-527-musical-interlude-working-on-a-dark-synth-track-for-a-shadow-in-the-moonlight-part-3/

    19 min
  • The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #526: Musical Interlude - Working on a Dark Synth Track for "A Shadow in the Moonlight" Part 2 and Experimenting with Generative AI via Nauk Nauk to Bring Toys to Life

    In today's episode, I'm building on what I started discussing last week as I continue to make a dark synth track to accompany one of the many hunting scenes in The Thirteenth Hour prequel, A Shadow in the Moonlight, about a cursed hunter who has to spend eternity hunting an enchanted deer.  


    I've wanted to learn to use a desktop based DAW to make and edit music so am using this track as a way to do that.  I've settled on the free web-based program Bandlab, which is supposedly the easiest one to start using, though I will say that I have found none of the ones I have tried intuitive or especially user friendly.  That said, connecting a keyboard to the computer has helped a great deal, and I expect that the initially hassle will have longer term payoffs in terms of flexibility and range of tools at my fingertips when making new tracks than I would have doing it all analog.  So, I'm trying to not throw my hands up in frustration and go back to what I know since the whole point was to learn how to use a DAW in order to make this track.

    In addition, I have been experimenting with another digital tool called Nauk Nauk to make short videos of the toys I've made.  The app is basically generative AI specific to action figures and making them move.  I'm not super for or against this kind of technology, and while I touch on some of the operational pros and cons of using this kind of tech (at least from what I can see), this is one I can get behind.  Who doesn't want to see their toys come to life? Especially ones you've made!  Case in point - this one of Beverly Switzler is my favorite so far: https://www.tiktok.com/@13thhr/video/7547184629434813710?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7547583918360708621

    Thanks for listening!

    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

    Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  


    It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

    -Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

    -->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

    -->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

    -->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

    -->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

    •  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
    • Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
    • Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
    • Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
    • Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
    • Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
    • Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
    • Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
    • Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

    34 min
  • The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #525: Musical Interlude - Working on a Dark Synth Track for "A Shadow in the Moonlight"

    In today's episode, I'm working on the very beginnings of a dark synth track to accompany one of the many hunting scenes in The Thirteenth Hour prequel, A Shadow in the Moonlight, about a cursed hunter who has to spend eternity hunting an enchanted deer.  While I've had ideas for the soundtrack to this story for years and even filmed a number of segments for some future video every time I'd see a good full moon, I have never gotten around to putting anything down until now, mostly since I could not think of an appropriate theme to knit it all together - until now.  (This is probably an outdated idea in the era of library music often used for TV and movies, but I still subscribe to the idea that a soundtrack is best if there is a central  hummable melody that has elements that show up from time to time in the other parts of the soundtrack.) 


    Speaking of which, my inspiration for this track comes from one of my favorite soundtracks, Trevor Jones' Last of the Mohicans.  The opening scene where Hawkeye, the Daniel Day Lewis character, is chasing a deer through the forest.  While it's a simple scene in essence, the interplay between the film and the sweeping score is pure movie magic and, in my opinion, an excellent example of how music totally makes the scene.   

    Thanks for listening!

    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

    Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  


    It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

    -Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

    -->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

    -->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

    -->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

    -->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

    •  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
    • Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
    • Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
    • Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
    • Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
    • Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
    • Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
    • Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
    • Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

    https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2025/09/01/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-525-musical-interlude-working-on-a-dark-synth-track-for-a-shadow-in-the-moonlight/

    20 min
  • The Thirteenth Hour Podcast #524: Thirteenth Hour Sequel Writing Update 3 - Let's Learn a Little About the New Imperial Rangers

    Today's episode is about the unit Logan from the Thirteenth Hour is a part of, the Imperial Rangers, who coincidentally, mostly meet their end in the novel.  They are replaced, however, at the end of the novel by King Darian IV's all female guard, as they are comparably trained.  Readers of The Thirteenth Hour actually get to meet two named Esmerelda and Skye (shown in the picture below from The Thirteenth Hour).


    Other Rangers - Stella, Camilla, Lilia, Jenny, Maggie, and Kathyrn appear in the sequel and have their own personalities and preferences that I'm currently shaping.  I'd love one day to do a stand alone adventure with the new Rangers.

    I've been thinking of doing another reading and picked a few possible novels to choose from.  If you have any preference, comment below!

    Thanks for listening!

    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

    Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form, on CD, and on tape!  


    It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs and tapes are out now! 



    -Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

    -->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

    -->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

    -->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

    -->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

    •  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
    • Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
    • Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
    • Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
    • Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
    • Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
    • Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
    • Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
    • Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

    32 min

About The Thirteenth Hour Podcast

From the publisher's feed

The Thirteenth Hour books are 80s inspired illustrated fairy tale fantasy novels that pay homage to fantasy, sci fi, and teen movies from the 80s as well as the music of that era. This podcast…