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Overview

NULCTRL is a BMS (Be-Music Source) track by Silentroom, first unveiled at the G2R2018 Climax, GO BACK 2 YOUR ROOTS 2018 song contest, where it secured 4th place in the individual score category and 3rd in the median category. Within the BMS scene, the track is classified under the MOTION genre, a label for minimalist, rhythmically driven electronic music built from sparse percussive loops and slowly evolving textures. At a steady 100 BPM, NULCTRL creates a hypnotic, almost mechanical atmosphere that matches its title concept, "Null Control" (ヌルコントロール), evoking a state where input is zeroed out and the system idles. The song entered the maimai DX series on February 7, 2020, as part of the でらっくす PLUS update under the GAME & VARIETY (ゲーム&バラエティ) category. Its maimai debut was followed by appearances in other rhythm games including lowiro's Arcaea and PM Studios' MUSYNC, making NULCTRL one of Silentroom's most widely licensed compositions. Outside the arcade space, an extended cut titled NULCTRL EX appears on the G2R2018 compilation album Groundbreaking and on Silentroom's album Rainbow Frontier, while the composer also released a free NULCTRL REMIXES collection featuring arrangements by multiple artists. The song's abstract video, also produced by Silentroom, embeds a symbolic notation system that visually encodes the notes being performed, a cryptic graphic score that community members have analyzed and partially decoded. In maimai, the MASTER chart (designed by 譜面-100号 and はっぴー) draws particular attention for its radical note distribution: only a single Slide note among 897 total notes, offset by a heavy 248 Touch notes. The extreme imbalance breaks from typical MASTER chart conventions and creates a pattern that demands precise spatial aiming rather than sweep-based play. The EXPERT chart, designed by Jack, offers a more conventional but still demanding introduction to the track's rhythmic structure.

Videos

Official PV

Open

Official PV

Open

Master chart

Open

Expert chart

Open

Charts

DX

BASIC
3(3)
147 notesDesigner: -|Tap 114Hold 12Slide 2Touch 12Break 7
ADVANCED
7+(7.6)
245 notesDesigner: -|Tap 147Hold 54Slide 8Touch 26Break 10
EXPERT
12+(12.6)
523 notesDesigner: Jack|Tap 311Hold 158Slide 29Touch 19Break 6
MASTER
13+(13.9)
897 notesDesigner: 譜面-100号とはっぴー|Tap 564Hold 72Slide 1Touch 248Break 12

Trivia

  • NULCTRL originated from the G2R2018 Climax BMS song contest, where it finished 4th overall in the individual score category and 3rd in the median category.
  • The BMS genre label for NULCTRL is MOTION, a classification used by Silentroom for minimalist, rhythmic electronic tracks with a focus on movement and pulse.
  • The title NULCTRL reads as ヌルコントロール (Null Control), suggesting a theme of zeroed-out or neutralized input, a fitting concept for a song built on sparse, repeating patterns.
  • The song's video, created by Silentroom, contains a visual code of symbols that represent the notes played in the composition. Fans have analyzed the pattern, linking specific symbols to musical events in the track.
  • An extended version, NULCTRL EX, appears on the G2R2018 compilation album Groundbreaking and on Silentroom's album Rainbow Frontier.
  • Silentroom released NULCTRL REMIXES as a free compilation featuring remixes by various artists, expanding the track's minimalist palette into different electronic styles.
  • Beyond maimai, NULCTRL also appears in the rhythm games Arcaea (lowiro) and MUSYNC (PM Studios), making it one of Silentroom's most cross-licensed compositions.
  • The MASTER chart for NULCTRL contains only a single Slide note across 897 total notes, an extreme outlier for maimai DX MASTER charts, which typically feature dozens or hundreds of Slide notes.
  • The MASTER chart was jointly designed by 譜面-100号 and はっぴー, while the EXPERT chart was designed by Jack.
  • The Basic difficulty was originally level 4 when NULCTRL debuted in でらっくす PLUS, and was reduced to level 3 starting from UNiVERSE PLUS. The Expert chart also saw a late-stage adjustment from level 12 to 12+ effective from BUDDiES PLUS.
  • No lyrics are present in NULCTRL, the track is an instrumental BMS composition with no vocal elements.

FAQ

Who composed NULCTRL?
NULCTRL was composed, arranged, and visually produced by Silentroom, a Japanese electronic musician known for BMS and rhythm-game crossover tracks.
What maimai version added NULCTRL?
NULCTRL was added to maimai でらっくす PLUS (DX PLUS) on February 7, 2020. In the Asian version it arrived on August 28, 2020, and in the Chinese version on July 16, 2021 via 舞萌DX 2021.
What does the title NULCTRL mean?
NULCTRL is a portmanteau of 'null' and 'control,' read in Japanese as ヌルコントロール (Null Control). The name evokes a state where control input is zeroed or neutralized.
Why does the MASTER chart have only one Slide note?
Charters 譜面-100号 and はっぴー designed the MASTER chart to emphasize Touch notes (248) and Taps (564) over slides, mirroring the track's minimalist, pulse-driven MOTION genre. The single Slide note is an intentional design quirk rather than an oversight.
What other rhythm games feature NULCTRL?
NULCTRL also appears in lowiro's Arcaea and PM Studios' MUSYNC, making it one of Silentroom's most ported BMS tracks across multiple rhythm-game platforms.
Where did NULCTRL originally come from?
NULCTRL was originally created for the G2R2018 Climax BMS song contest (GO BACK 2 YOUR ROOTS 2018), where it placed 4th in the individual score division and 3rd in the median division.
Is there an extended version of NULCTRL?
Yes, NULCTRL EX, a longer arrangement, appears on the G2R2018 compilation album Groundbreaking and on Silentroom's album Rainbow Frontier. A free remix compilation titled NULCTRL REMIXES is also available.
What BPM is NULCTRL?
NULCTRL runs at a steady 100 BPM throughout its 2-minute 27-second duration.

External Links