Cult classics in any medium are always fun, aren’t they? For something to have a group of fans who absolutely adore a piece of media, and to adore it together. And that just makes it all the sweeter when it gets a wider recognition, doesn’t it? Even in SpinShare, I’d bet that those who followed Edge’s charts closely, while he was still somewhat under the radar, were excited when he became something of a Spin Rhythm household name.

Boasting a vested history in the customs community of games such as Geometry Dash and Cytoid, Edge brought his rhythmic expertise to SpinShare with charts of 万神纪 and Internet Boy, before exploding in popularity following the surprise winning rechart of New Year. Since then, his charts of songs such as Take Me Far Away, Snowflakes and selections from Pokemon Black & White being some of the community’s fan favourites.

Forged in stars among the Milky Way Galaxy, Edge’s charts never fail to take us far away. Let’s talk with Edge to find out why he’s our favourite internet boy.

Introduce yourself to the readers! Tell us a little bit about yourself.

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Uh, let’s see… someone who spends too much time with video games, mythical creatures enthusiast and art enjoyer (my only reason to still use Twitter lol). Currently learning web development while also trying to be a bit of an artist myself.

What got you into Spin Rhythm XD? How did you find out about it?

There’s actually two instances of me discovering the game, prior to actually purchasing it on Steam. Both happened around April and June of 2020.

At first, I saw Darnoc publish a video of his first ever custom chart on April 1st. If you’re a Geometry Dash oldie, I can basically guarantee that you’ve subscribed to him at some point. Me being one of those, I happened to see that video in my sub feed, but seeing how the game worked at first glance plus the turntable setup, it all looked kinda weird to me so I quickly forgot about it.

The second time I’ve seen the game it was on my friend’s stream. He’d play it to take a break during his art streams, so I got a better look at it. That’s where I really re-evaluated my thoughts on it and was pretty much convinced that I had to get the game, especially knowing that it had customs support.

What made you decide to chart for Spin Rhythm?

There’s no answer to that question because I would do so with quite literally any game that allows creation of custom levels / stages / whatever you call it, almost involuntarily. There’s just something about creating your own content and being able to play it in a game that tingles a specific part of my brain. It’s uhm, almost addicting.

I’ve tackled custom charts/levels in multiple games at this point but the most notable examples prior to SRXD would definitely be Cytoid ([a] Cytus clone) and Geometry Dash. Hell, I’m still actively involved in the community and creation of levels in GD due to being a community moderator. Being one allows you to see the whole scope of possibilities in terms of level design. People are still coming up with new ideas in it despite being stuck in a 4 year old update. Kinda crazy if you think about it.

Anyway, I suppose the reason I started working on custom charts specifically for SRXD is simply because I realized how much more expressive the game is compared to most other rhythm games. You have very distinct game elements (taps, beats, etc) that still combine very neatly into a single packaged experience that I feel like other rhythm games don’t make you feel as much.

What’s your general process behind a chart? How do you decide which songs you chart?

I wouldn’t really say that I have a specific process in terms of charting, or at least not something unique to me. Sometimes I might listen to the beat of a song and start placing beat notes in each section beforehand, sometimes I’ll just do it on the go while also taking care of the other note types. The only habit I have is placing down cue points before doing any charting, so I have a clear idea of the scope of the chart and the length of each section. This also helps me figure out the transitions between them.

Picking songs? Whatever I like. I wouldn’t say I have particular preferences or strong dislikes towards any genre… Well, almost. At the end of the day: I like song, I chart song. Most of the songs I’ve charted are likely to be tracks I listened to hundreds of times beforehand so I knew how to approach them in my head. Yes, I’m talking about the rhythm gamer curse of imagining charts as you’re listening to a song. Never gets out of my head sometimes, and I don’t know if I like that or not.

There are interesting exceptions to this though, namely The Darkest Night and distraction point, requested by fellow community members Ozma and AbysmalCosmos. Sometimes I can find inspiration quickly enough to chart a song I’ve barely, if ever, heard. The game definitely helped me develop this skill, as charting something you’ve heard too many times already can get boring, compared to a fresh tune.

Is there any particular way you’d describe your charting style? What makes it stand out, and what makes it similar to other styles?

I’d say I just try to do my best to represent the song best by using notes and movement relative to the loudness/intensity of the song, and only sticking to specific “rules” when choosing how to chart certain instruments. You’ll rarely ever find me using beats for anything that isn’t loud percussion (kicks/drums/snares) or beatholds if not for bass or an overlaying leading instrument. You could argue that it’s self-restricting in terms of how original you can make a chart feel, but I put game feel first over everything else. You can make the most unique pattern ever, but if I won’t have fun hitting it I’ll probably end up not enjoying the chart overall. 

I suppose the only real “unique” trait in my charts is the abundance of taps. It’s something that’s been stuck in me since the osu! days, as beatmaps tend to have triplets or whole note streams rather often past a certain difficulty. The concept of “more inputs equals more fun” definitely translated into my SRXD charting. That, and how I initially started playing the game itself, with both inputs on the keyboard and the mouse being used only for spinning/movement (Z / Spacebar).

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Even after switching to turntable, I still chart with this mindset. The only thing that changed is that I tend to chart “drifty” patterns more often, sometimes without realizing it. Not having the issue of slamming your mouse against the keyboard because a chart forces you to move to the left too much was truly frustrating, which is where this playstyle shines. 

Tap streams are still my favorite pattern to chart where it makes sense and they are still extremely satisfying to hit on the jog wheels for some reason. Why? Beats me.

Are there any other charts or charters that you look to for inspiration in your charts?

Not really. The closest of an attempt at doing that, that I could recall, was creating a match string as dynamic as the one in Breakdown (Kadd and Kali’s chart). Other charters have unique approaches to the way they chart the tracks they choose, and trying to be like them would take away from your own authenticity.

Collaborating is much more fun instead. It’s a game of fitting two different pieces of a puzzle together in a single frame. You don’t want a chart to feel disruptive in style, after all.

You mentioned how you have experience in customs for other rhythm games, and have played a good amount of them yourself. Has this experience transferred over to Spin Rhythm, both for charting and playing?

Charting in SRXD feels like a more unique experience for sure, at least compared to the notable examples I brought up earlier, both physically and ideologically. Because of that, I wouldn’t necessarily say that my experience with those games really translates into Spin. It’s just too unique of a game. I suppose the only thing that carried over is my habit of playtesting while working on the chart, rather than speeding through the process and fixing everything at the end.

Geometry Dash relies a lot on feedback on the visuals as well, not only “bug fixing” the layout of the level, and Cytoid relies on fixing “blind spots” where your hands would cover up the approaching notes. It makes the whole process a whole lot longer, but at least it guarantees that the final product will be less prone to cause issues for other players.

You’re also the winner of the second RemiXD contest, sweeping the floor with the surprise favourite chart of New Year. What are your thoughts on RemiXD and its evolution since this contest? And of course, how do you feel about having the chart that more or less blindsided everyone with how praised it was, including you?

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RemiXD, logistics wise, has come a long way from the original form it was in, and definitely went in a better direction. In an ideal world, bias from judges wouldn’t be a thing. The constant reminder that we’re humans is still there though, so things can’t always go well from the first shot. I imagine that’s why there’s such a bittersweet sentiment around my New Year entry.  I’ve recently replayed it myself, and I’ve already found so many things I’d rather have the chance to fix, especially considering that we have beatholds with no release now. I think the way I charted beatholds there could really benefit from not having releases, so that it doesn’t feel like an unnecessary timing challenge.

As for the community’s reaction to it, it’s… kind of understandable? My experience with charting back then was still rather on the lower end, so seeing a no-name rise through the ranks in a competition like this would certainly generate some reaction.

It’s not something that never happened to me before outside of the context of contests, games or not, but I felt like the win caused a bit of a split in the community that I saw as very tight and friendly, until then. It almost caused a sense of guilt in me, but I decided to not think too much about it and find a new song I could stand listening to for another 10 hours of charting. 

Speaking of RemiXD, I’d say that your charts were something akin to cult classics; they were great, but somewhat overlooked until the RemiXD win put your name on the map, at which point people played and loved your older charts. Would you agree with this?

Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve always charted for my own enjoyment of bringing a song I love to life in a unique rhythm game first. People showing appreciation towards them was only a byproduct which I didn’t actively try to seek out. The best thing about it is just knowing that you didn’t try some weird shenanigans that would infuriate whoever had to play the chart.

Again, the only exception to this were the request charts. After all, you wouldn’t want to disappoint someone’s request with an unplayable or really boring chart, right? At this point I already feel like The Darkest Night didn’t age very well, but I suppose that’s just what happens when you keep improving and looking back at what you’ve done before. It was my first attempt at tempo mapping something that doesn’t sit at a constant BPM so there’s that extra added challenge (that didn’t go so well).

A fair amount of your charts originate from rhythm games such as Arcaea, Cytus, Deemo – and even Geometry Dash. What’s your history with these games, and the songs you opted to adapt to Spin Rhythm? Did you opt to adapt elements from their respective charts in the original game, or did you approach them with a blank slate?

I found out about both Cytus and Geometry Dash around late 2013. GD is still an amazing game that just keeps on evolving thanks to its players and creators, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Cytus on the other hand was probably my first proper rhythm game I’ve ever played. This one was also hard to drop as its gameplay formula still remains really fun and I can definitely say it reshaped my taste in music. When it comes to the specific songs I’ve opted to chart so far, it was mostly due to having listened to them so many times that I had a clear idea of how to carry them over to SRXD. 

I actually found out about Snowflakes on VOEZ first rather than on Deemo (which is a game I also did play way back then but didn’t enjoy it as much because of its’ more… homogenous style of tracks?). Regardless, my idea of the wacky match strings that rely on leniency was definitely inspired by the VOEZ chart.

Flashback is also a funny case as I discovered it first on Dynamix rather than Arcaea, but that didn’t stop me from carrying it over either. ARForest is a very unique artist in the rhythm game scene and this track is no exception, so I couldn’t resist but to chart it as well. It’s also one of my charts I spent the least time on, start to finish. I guess I was just really excited to work on it.

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It was my first ever chart uploaded to SpinShare, and the entire process took maybe an hour at best. It was just a “test drive” of the editor so there’s nothing interesting to see there. Freewheel chart yucky.

Quantum Labyrinth was my first ever Spin chart collaboration that I asked to do with 20/3 as he was also interested in tracks from Rayark’s games. I wouldn’t necessarily say that this one was inspired from its’ original Cytus chart as it was too basic, or rather undercharted. 

I do plan on bringing more songs from all these games to Spin though, especially Cytus II. What can I say, Rayark just knows how to pick bangers for their games.

It’s a bit silly to ask considering how wide the umbrella of songs is, but you also have quite a few charts from hardcore artists and related genres. What appeals to you about this style of music, and how do they translate into Spin Rhythm charts?

Those songs are the prime example of me appreciating particular tracks from a genre I don’t regularly come back to. Akira Complex just has some really nice tracks that are easy to chart and aren’t unbearable with loud percussion/bass lines. Take Me Far Away was a bit of a gem as well that I decided to chart shortly after playing it on RAVON. In general hardcore tracks are straight forward to chart, but I tend towards the more melodic ones. The beats are easy to put down and the rhythm rarely ever changes from 4/4. The only variable is how crazy you want the chart to be I guess.

I should chart some RiraN as well to my chart library. They have some more “oldschool” hardcore tracks but they’d be fun to chart anyway, especially the Daydream album.

There’s also a few Pokemon B/W charts you’ve done from time to time. What’s your connection with the Pokemon series and their respective soundtracks, particularly that of Gen 5? Do you plan to visit any other Pokemon games?

Pokemon games are a big part of my childhood. Gen 4 was my starting point, with Diamond specifically that I never completed because I realized Platinum exists afterwards which is just the superior version. These games also have some amazing soundtracks but I must admit I like the soundtrack of Gen 5 more overall. It uses a really iconic soundfont that gives it a more unique vibe, which isn’t something I can say about the more recent games.

I think I’ll definitely revisit the soundtrack from the other games though. There’s at least one banger in each of them that would deserve a chart.
Mount Coronet from Pokemon Platinum… oh, just thinking about that track melts me inside, even though it might not turn out the most interesting as a chart.

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—- May 17, 2021 —-

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Alright, now let’s finish up. Of your charts, are there any that you’re particularly proud of? Which one was the most fun for you to chart?

Distraction Point was really fun both to chart and it’s one of those charts I often come back to replay myself. The music video for this song made the task even more fun. Watch it, it’s hilarious. 

Hypersynthetic was fun to chart in the drop sections by experimenting with slider shapes to represent the leading sounds. Snowflakes is still my favorite chart in terms of unique visuals that still plays well enough. Knowing myself though, I’ll probably come back to these in a few months thinking “eh, could’ve done a better job with this and that”.

Bipolar was also an interesting one. I tried to replicate the energy of its RAVON chart, which resulted in an absolute tap-heavy monster chart, and the convoluted colors swaps only add to the chaos.

Any charts that you consider your favourite, or any that you feel got overlooked?

The only ones I could think of are Cervelle Connexion and Split. The first one just being a cool trance tune from Dynamix, which in itself is a rather obscure game that only got traction in the Asian mobile gaming space. Split, on the other hand, is an absolute banger from a Friday Night Funkin’ mod that I playtested. FNF is definitely not the most appealing game out there for us more “hardcore” rhythm game players so naturally the songs coming out it aren’t too popular here either.

Anything that you have to say about the SpinShare community?

I regret not joining this community sooner that I could’ve, back when upon releasing my second chart ever, Enigma, I was contacted by Matt and dinx who were super cool with their feedback and the invitation to join the server. I don’t know why I didn’t take up on their offer initially. Maybe I wasn’t sure I’d commit this much time into charting. Heck, I’ve already gone way past the 1000 hours playtime milestone, yet probably half of that was in editor/playtesting mode. Insane.

This is one of the coolest communities I’ve had the chance to be a part of. Please keep being awesome like you’ve always been since then.

Also, what the hell y’all. This community has yet again reshaped my music taste so much. I never thought I’d enjoy bass house had you asked me this 2 years ago. Now half of my Spotify playlist additions is just music you people chart.

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Any advice that you’d like to give for charters?

Don’t be afraid to attempt charting whatever song is your favorite. While it is true that sometimes not all songs come out as amazing charts, what’s truly fun is the process itself. As long as you have fun, any song is the ideal choice. And don’t be afraid to ask for feedback! This community is full of great charters that are down to help you out if you’re feeling unsure with how to proceed.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

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One last thing: one pattern must be made illegal. Which pattern is now illegal?

Zick triangles, mainly. I don’t know why, but the extended ones in some instances play well. They’re still super awkward to read though, so… that’s a no from me.

Also taps/liftoffs on the outer lanes. Gross.

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—- May 27, 2021 —-

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—- September 4, 2021 —-

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—- September 11, 2021 —-

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Are there any other artists or songs that you love outside of Spin Rhythm? Any that you want to chart, but just haven’t gotten around to yet – or you just don’t think their music would be a good fit for Spin Rhythm?

One of my favorite artists, who I’ve been listening to for years at this point, is Skrux. His style in the future bass/EDM scene is unique, and his melodies are genuinely heartwarming. His music has done wonders to my mood more times than I could possibly remember.

Turning them into Spin Rhythm charts would be… interesting at best. Due to the nature of most tracks, they’d end up very chill and easy. Perhaps I could turn it all into one big showcase for beginner players that are just getting into customs with some 20-25 XDs. Regardless, I’d recommend you check him out if you’re a fan of the genre. He’s a genuinely talented composer.

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