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gamemusic magazine issue 1/2020

COVER STORY Materia Collective ‒ THE ’S PATRONS

What’s up with the game ? | Books on audio worth your time | Playing video games having visual disabilities | The Human Voice In Music | How To Listen To Horror Music CONTENTS

What’s up with 4-8 the game music?

9-46 REVIEWS 47-110 ARTICLES

111-135 INTERVIEWS

EDITOR IN CHIEF GRAPHIC DESIGN mARIUSZ BORKOWSKI maria daszczuk

AUTHORS proofreading pAWEŁ dembowski Marcin Siudak konrad belina-brzozowski izabela besztocha PUBLISHER daniel wójcik GAMEMUSIC.NET marek domagała jan szafraniec CONTENTS Discover something new

hat sparked your love for game music? In my case, it all began Wthanks to my parents who used to take me and my brother to the Polish sea for holidays, where we would spent every penny for arcade machines.

Of course it only lasted for some time, until the era of home consoles came and with it the possibility of turning a teen cave into a gaming saloon. We already were listening to our favourite then, which I now passionately collect on vinyl - such is nostalgia.

Now, when we always lack time for every- thing, I hope that this magazine will allow you to stop for a second not only to remem- ber the moments of carefree joy, but to di- scover something new that will interest you and absorb you completely.

Stay Awhile and Listen… Deckard Cain ‒ Diablo

Editor In Chief mARIUSZ BORKOWSKI

3 4 NEWS Wh t thing thing unds as “valuable”. You can read the entire H for PS3. to2, later lead junior for creating staff sound F Afterwards, recording wrapped up in weeks. two production of the sounds with collecting and le, and the of security sense that follows. T ment that came with booting up the conso the heart of the it, sound about was excite from amore orchestral sound into ethnic. At thely new tech for the startup sound, going folding and how he wanted to utilize proper with no one than else T Corkmer’s published Jeff there an interview many during the course of history. Gameinfor by surely overlooked which was topic, resting Playstation has Blog recently covered an inte s How F sound designer behind TH ujisawa mentions how the process un was t ar here h t th u LIS s PlayStation e says ofe says his time designing the so tartup sounDS . p sou e TEN ONLINE ujisawa moved on to Playstation e ga ori at’ g nd wasnd m inal P akafumi F

E PS1 sound. E PS1 l a ujisawa, the ySt s a m d a e u t io he he ------n e m

p within outlined history of everything audio of everything history within outlined wor B mething new, and now and then, if you arery for so looking Manualsdesign. such this as are published eve into producing music high-quality and sound Game The Audio insight offers interesting: found und Routledge’s website.H sing (but in several fields) arescattered aro T about audio that might pique your interest. We’ve recently came across afew books Women In Audio reality, V ture of other mentioned fields augmented games areof audio Video development. afrac in different areas succeeded who minent and designers sound female engineers, ©Chawder opics suchopics as and compo o ooks wit th y th R , software and radio, , software u n au look no further our introduces pro to us the most ti s d io m

e i h c ere are we two . all presented all presented ?

------. aider scores: Angel ofRaider D Angel scores: -recording of from the tracks of his some T He Pe project T called Peter inBack 2018, Connelly announced anew viously announced sequel to Wolf fewout afterwards, had for hoped the pre After Jare pique interest. the fans’ game scarce is and the trailer did more than just H ded announcingXbox to asequel the highly regar surprises of T of the biggest One © ©Ninja © ©trdarkangel t ll Coer T ellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. T elltale going broke and being bought b d Em l a d nn n- erso he he II sc e II e D ark Symphony, Angel a re lly’ arkness, Last R Last arkness, t ore John s ‘ T h c o be he infohe the on e Dark Ang GA 2019 was sont re evelation omb o -c - - ur o mp n e be availablebe vinyl on mid-January. C ger packages. You packages. ger can the check entire outhere. shop well, as masters T availableNow digitally and including original score re really breathes life into some the scores. dering the noticeable production value which It’s quite atreat,soundtracks. consi especially Studios and cover a huge chunk of the games’ time were recorded at prestigious Air Lyndhurst 70minutes with an tracks almost 38 running of production), can we finallyhear the results. and 4 years Chronicles. (including After year one pate the game and the . strate Senua’s journey. next We highly antici is a band more suitable than H the trailer, and there is no arguing that there T fromtexts medieval ages. folk band that on Celtic bases and Viking soundtrack with H announced co-operation in its making the T note and call back to old T toeds change, the game will strike asimilar sequel. Even though the T itAnd makes me all the more excited for the necessary. le’s T games. from T known the composer -Johnson, ate Bigby’s adventure next is Jared Emerson that among the who returned people to cre ced (again). Anote from the creators states here it comes announ just 2was –Season to actually come true. from But, the limbo, s o spice things up even more, Ninja T he remake of the track in below used was l Symph f ose or d b LIS HEILUNG W TEN ONLINE ruth told, be that comeback was olfong Am Us y Hei o he he t n ou ny’ D ark Symphony Angel will also eilung, an experimental l u ng elltale’s prime days. elltale formula ne D ow s are of lar part eilung to illu 2 heory heory ellta ------

5 NEWS 6 NEWS S Spring. T (called played music at was Genesis) 2019’sD and its inments acouple of minutes. It even made an rameters, can produce require atrack these that meets that data given processes and, when requiredAiva pa measure up to tens of pieces. of thousands of public which domainbases compositions, classical outtoset make ‘artificial’ basing music on the data appeared. Aquite an algorithm, project, which bold time a start-up ago, Some AIVA called T F ir highly acclaimed game Sekiro: D Shadows T athreewill as released be C game. contains In addition, the booklet an interview full of stunningwith abooklet graphics from the AIVA, a he releasehe will and a digi-pak come in case a special rom Software announced the soundtrack fromrom the Software ©Eidos Montréal ©Eidos ekiro © From Software he possibilities of this system seem countless. seem of this possibilities he system : Sh nd th nd a dows Twi Die e u box on March on D box 27, 2020. pc o m i ng t ng echnologies echnologies ie T c i igital igital e OS wice wice m o es - - - - T o f AI-m re consumption and not just like any other? into an process? Would expression-free cultu it still be rooted indeeply made if we it music and versa, vice in our culture. creatures What would us, about it say it made by, was who butwhat think we position of its and what not the music it’s Although, question does music initially made for conveyor workers belt in 20s. so is Muzak, and only scientificallymeasured effect, purely utilitarian expression with no in mind purposes made musicI’d for time and no, say someone the last measured ofit’s expression involved? withoutany sort ception of what call we ‘art’. still Canwe call it that if our per would how it affect is, Question videogame. in precise music a you cheap can use for very awfully which fromto seems AIVA, downloaded the tracks can net you copyrights Amonthly 40£ a question. remains gaming industry it affects how or If it affects game and 25 dialogue tracks. dialoguegame and tracks. 25 T fromments the voice cast. and designers sound com with the developer’s ilable at now the Amazon Japanese store. he three discs feature threehe discs original soundtrack from the n CD LIS ORIGINAL SOUDTRA SEKIRO: SHADO TEN ONLINE a LIS AIVA d TEN ONLINE e m usi WS DIET c T CK he pre-orders are pre-orders he ava W ICE

- - - - p. 8 A PLAGUE TALE: INNOCENCE p. 14 3

p. 10 APEX p. 17 LEGENDS REDEMPTION 2

LAYERS OF p. 12 FEAR 2 p. 20 CONTROL

REVIEWS Well matched with the dynamics and sequenceS. ‒ A Plague Tale: Innocence, Izabela Besztocha

p. 22 VAMPYR p. 26 MAN OF MEDAN

p. 24 2 p. 28 8 REVIEWS Inquisition killed their parents and is now after and H these circumstances, siblings two – Amicia T dom of England and the plague outbreak. is devastatedtry by the war with the King Kingdom of F Plague T aking music dedicated Studio’s to Asobo A heartbre yet sharp and textural dynamic, 11-11 Memories for soundtrack orchestral melodic, the After gameplay. during rience correspondsperfectly with what I expe cause each of his scores is different and unique independent but also gems, be an lover and he scores really with great interest not only Iam because I follow each project from this composer Olivier w Innocenc A Plague T Asobo Studio, Home Studio, Focus © Asobo he Inquisition takes death its toll as well. In Composer: OlivierDeriviere Album’s release date: May 7, 2019 OlivierDerivierePublisher: ell mat ugo de R D ale: Innocence. eriviere never fails to surprise me. rance, 14th century. T une, have to after the survive Retold, the players received ched w he coun ith tegame’ - - - - - gs, atmospheregs, and story. T sequences. with the gameplay dynamics and game that OST is well so matched I rarely have experienced avideo T will discover soon what asister’s love is. will have to learn how to protect him and she notdoes know her little brother at all she so H Asobo Studio, Focus Home Interactive Home Studio, Focus © Asobo he game immersive is very with settin its ugo since the Amicia has boy aspecial gift. ale: s dynamics he soundtrackhe - Innocence OS really proud of what he did. APlague T are coherent very the so composer may be approaches, and both the visuals and . T plexity with the other elements of the the interactivity of the score and com its Olivier D there. happens what re or I’m Sorry, where… no, Iwill not reveal where Amicia decides not to hide anymo rience rejection Prisoners, and loneliness, the first time, Strangers,where they expe the kids meet the cruelty of the knights for Inquisition accompanying where the scene the examples As sequences. T may serve matched with the gameplay dynamics and rienced game avideo OS I have to admit that Irarely have expe score. Us’ of score is even more touching than T compared to T gether F ces as Strangers, Prisoners, T pie moving beautiful, such soundtrack the other and maturity. H discovering about love, each about story and ruthless Inquisition. Above all, it is a only agame about surviving hordes of rats H manifestation. zers are accompaniment aperfect to their unnerving cello and ear-piercing synthesi has aspecial kind of them T –the rats. Speakingmies. of enemies, APlague T sequences of fighting or evading the ene in-game the fitting really and ne-tingling Inquisition, Orphans, T ( Couturier’s rough, passages dissonant Couturier. Maria Eric known from the score for Vampyr game of variousse cello structures by performed sounds modern and contemporary becau dies played on guitars. H viola da gamba, as well as soothing melo of instruments like nyckelharpa and the are medieval vibes present due to the use adds alot to the overall immersion. T owever, APlague T he music changes while the enemy orever. T eriviere always pays attention to T is abrilliantly paced, well- he Last of Us but forhe Last me its his game is already being ence we experience in ale: Innocence is not he R owever, the score T that well is so he Killing, T ats), are spi he Last he Last here T ale: ale he he he o ------music. and heart melting piece of game video haunting a both and immersive, sounding, Asobo Studio, Focus Home Interactive Home Studio, Focus © Asobo Asobo Studio, Focus Home Interactive Home Studio, Focus © Asobo Interactive Home Studio, Focus © Asobo ela BesztoIzabela cha

9 REVIEWS ©Respawn Entertainment ©Respawn 10

REVIEWS have taken up the gauntlet include Valve, tries of –some theeverybody studios that Yet, anyone. surprise to harder creasingly fight for the playerbase, becomingit’s in moreAs and more similar games enter the new genre of online gaming. battle royale title has given birth to awhole T ers. Every F second, p Ap ©Respawn Entertainment ©Respawn Composer: Stephen Barton Album’s release date: 2019 22, February EAMUSIC Publisher: athos andtensiow he industry-reshaping success of this e ortnite gains new play two x Legends - - ith fun playlists. find shelter in many The score will definitely T flaws. lated is to found be in terms of any gameplay-re aggressive and not too distant either, little within the player’s attention. While not too amountit allows a perfect itself of space shines in placed it’s when the game. T sired traits in modern media scoring and gends’ score brings together de the most ble pathos and tension with fun, Apex Le ofthe many. hearts Combining approacha the notes, the British is sure artist to steal electronic mix and much so energy within executionfect of Zimmer-esque / undtrack is tailored With for success. a per Stephen because Possibly so, Barton’s so that? in aided have million players together. Could the music 50 than more bringing earthquake, Games’ one of the more answers successful to Epic EA’sLegends, new and shiny toy, stands as DICE, T he matter more gets complicated when reyarch and Electronic Apex Arts. here, ------re will definitely find shelter in many play approach and great craftsmanship, the sco „guiltyits pleasure” nature. safe With avery thinking soundtrack without gends’ about It’s hard for me not to speak about Apex Le right? matters, But the thrill remains, and that is iners then, for By the loot. music is gone. the zone pillaging and start nearby conta out of the window once we get to jump into blockbuster-related complaints are thrown caters to the game’s excellently. needs Any track what does it’s to, supposed after all. It evil –and ’necessary sound thoughtook, – this is nothing more than to blame the composer for the direction EA hard It’s rhythms. and ostinatos string clichéd to victim fell that …Potential potential. much so has mix” „original the duced album. It’s ashame, because the group of tracks resembles ahastily-pro distinguish one piece from the other, and rangement that safe, –so in fact, it’s hard to minutes18 long) and asafe approach in ar the runtime release (the Spotify being only a crush.just What not does help either is experience love at sight, first thatwas it more and more apparent that we didn’t soundtrack, but with listen, every it seems as awild card that us to hooks the whole cords. In the beginning, the serves melody theme to keep us from playing other re isn’t really anything the besides dominant When we break down the music, there longevity. its on the album, to wonder one about starts suchgaging, frequent with but presence the main melody, extremely catchy and en virtue and saving grace here to seems be well-worn blockbuster greatest pathos. Its save could it, quickly repel listeners tired of and without the gameplay freshness, ces to achable, soundtrack Legends’ Apex sacrifi score to to Being easy be appro digest. so many compromises made in order for the increasinglybecomes hard not to notice the undtrack to glimmer starts through, and it Eventually, the H the music is stripped of the gameplay. ollywood natureollywood of the so ------und in the album. T proper meal, there charm is some to fo be Although it’slists. more like than food a fast ©Respawn Entertainment ©Respawn ©Respawn Entertainment ©Respawn Entertainment ©Respawn Marek Domagała oo bad it’soo all synthetic. -

11 REVIEWS © 12

REVIEWS Layers of a mysterious film director.Like in the first shipus passenger to in star anew movie by actorwood who finds himself on a luxurio a horrora game. as potential psychological 2has great T created by the Polish studio T Bloober the well received independent Layers of F emotiondsc nal la LAYERS OFEAR2 ©Bloober Team he production of aH the depicts story Composer: Arkadiusz Reikowski, Lubas Brunon Album’s release date: May2019 28, BlooberTeamPublisher: S.A. F ear 2is the installment second of ear game, the soundtrack was eam. olly ap - - es has of where lots chase scenes, we run T ers of F well with the atmosphere of terror, and Lay sic horror movie soundtracks. Such scores fit score is the composer’s reference to the clas OrchestraSession and Choir. T orchestra. T Reikowski decided to write compositions for tronics and minimalism, this time Arkadiusz While the first game OS horror. psychological disturbing and symbolism which make it awell written himself. T actor his loses identity or manages to stay layer. T statement that character every a is amask, mous layers refer not only to fear but to the while developing acharacter. T and what might happen in an actor’s head concentrates on the early days of cinema painter that went , the one second installment the first As told of athe story designer of the game, Brunon Lubas. time with additional music by the sound bycomposed Arkadiusz Reikowski, this he game, unlikely installment, the first ear 2OS he player will out find whether the he game is full of metaphors and he music by performed Sofia was T is agreat example of that. was based on elec based T was he orchestral he epony - - - - emotional landscapes in his scores. H Arkadiusz R burden. psychological game’s the score is agreat accompaniment to all the ers of F and reveal the tragedy of the protagonist. Lay Are Already T ving Light is Calling, melancholic T Mysterious and haunting T of beautiful melodies in the game soundtrack. nal and heartbreaking, hence we discover lots fronting the childhood traumas emotio is very T overall tension. the Light is Calling track add alot to the areas and the floating, detuned version of nant orchestral sounds played in some T with what we experience in the gameplay. T in tranquillity of feeling illusional Lubas), sion hits in D in T well as the whole audio design. Muffled ated authors by its in the reflects score as disturbing.very T potential as ahorror game, and is also Layers of F immersion.whole of thatspots location, which ruins the all the audio quiet becomes in the hiding orchestrated and spine-tingling. T creature-eyed that out spits fire. It is well sequence of fleeing from the giant one orchestral cue is Cyclops appearing in the appearing in this track. Another intense tuba sounds resembling the ship’s horn ce to the location of the game, hence the intense. T is called F T away from acreepy, formless . soundtracks. to the classic horror movie reference the composer’s The orchestral score is he story about findinghe story the identity and con he awesome lo-fi sound design, disso design, sound lo-fi awesome he he Ocean, Calm So Oh correspond well he piece accompanying those scenes ear 2is not horror atypical game and he interesting idea is areferen ormless and is fast pacedormless and and is fast he D ear 2 has great psychological eikowski is great in creating here make the player affected id You Sleep Well (by Brunon irector, metallic percus he twisted imagery crehe twisted oom, mo Room, he Red he Stars oo badoo e ------game. T Bloober did agreat job again, as well as the whole ©Bloober Team ©Bloober Team ela BesztoIzabela cha eam crew when developing this

13 REVIEWS © ©Gearbox 14

REVIEWS comes across as eclectic or artificial. ganic blend of multiple which never styles, guished by their darker tones or and very to do, to say and to play. proves that the series has alot The third entry once more T in modern gaming and reason. for agood series soundtrack distinctive most the of Borderlands’ music universe has one been taking thisout oftheb nds 3 Borderla ©Gearbox Software ©Gearbox he universe’s soundtracks are easily distin Finishing Move Raison Varner Inc., Composer: JesperKyd, McCann, Michael Album’s release date: October 30, 2019 Records Laced Publisher: - - music team changes is Kyd, Jesper who T ding new experiences each time you play. works interactively within the game, provi and layers multiple has soundtrack the that with new elements. It’s noting also worth tion of the universe, refreshing the series to shine and provide their own interpreta Varner and F giving Kyd, Jesper Michael McCann, R derlandsfrom 3benefits this design choice, different arc. In this it’s case, planets. Bor focus on, producing a sub-soundtrack for a composer is given achunk of the game to lar to this of D tracks replaced was by for afeat B3 simi T scores. previous to say and to play, sounding as great as the more proves that the series has alot to do, multiple T composers. derlands by music is always co-composed more impressive given that the fact Bor into these great which games, even seems how well are inspirations those merged the games’flects many inspirations and At this point it’s safe to say the music re he one that person always when stays he coherent of sound of these type style x inishing Move Inc. amoment etroit: Become he third entry once H uman: each aison ------duo of composers who co-worked on pre Pandora given was to F moments are purely Borderlands. typically electronic, alot of melodies and sounds themselves are easily noticeable as pager) and cyberpunk While aesthetics. the craziness with dark electronics ( well balanced, providing the same musical Borderlands before, was Ifind his work very own language. on the wilderness vibes (Lectra City) in his passing still vocalizations, trance-like and guitars playing along the subtle electronics tuary III) prove with otherwise wastelandish derlands franchise, more tracks (like Sanc ugh his input initially out seems of the Bor his memorable D synths resound in the distance, calling to ky, vibes show neon in Arterial Neon as the Michael McCann’s Promethea cyberpun Vault), showing Kyd’s knack for this genre. ( tracks go completely and electronic joyfully Enter F ground chillout (9-minute synth long in backgrounds, guitars echo in the back for.ged H F ding strong vibes ( AC1 with drums and esoteric sen whispers, Roaring electronics are easily blended Estate). Jakob’s at (especially the combat music like Bandits paying homage to thesoundtracks first the exotic tracks the seem most and wild, sented. D from to melody the nature of sounds pre pieces, interesting into styles polarizing more proving that he can merge multiple music ajungle-like for Eden-6, planet, once us Borderlands soundtracks. H majorcomposed of the three parts previo missing for quite some time. of Borderlands that Iwas the form and musical roots It’s agreat return to T loodmoor Basin)loodmoor that Ididn’t know Ilon ranquility Achieved, T ranquility Achieved, loodmoor ),loodmoor while other some escribed by himself as „organic”, armonicas are laid out on synth F or his ouvre and what the eus Ex pieces. Even pieces. eus Ex tho inishing Move Inc., a reasures Jakob’s of T he Creatures of ere, he did T he R am ------D ter expanded in industrial-like pieces ( quickly take us to Pandora. T central spot (Welcome to the D sounds along an electric guitar taking the Atmosphericse. ambience and unsettling soundtracks franchi thejoyed in first the of the score for those, who en the best vious games’ instruments. I’d call this part ©Gearbox Software ©Gearbox ©Gearbox Software ©Gearbox Software ©Gearbox evil’s R azor Figths Back). his notion is la evil’s R azor) T he - - -

15 REVIEWS ©Gearbox Software ©Gearbox Software ©Gearbox 16

REVIEWS ces include awonderful jazzing electronic R as the highlight of their part. Ithinkmost, of their excellent guitarwork nivora and in game pieces) from them the the ambience pieces (Into the of Guts Car unds (like…choirs). Even though I enjoyed tronic with pieces, aplethora of peculiar so reen) includes more paced, purely fast elec world. T pheric, raw sound that’s grounded in the bient, plucking, resulting atmos in avery occasional for tortured parts violin, am ces include many sounds with Longer, in-game, almost „background” pie king them out of the box. freshening things up and ta fully dedicating themselves to Borderlands, of own version concentrated theirmore on Each composer (or duo) seems aison Varner’s (music supervisor) pie heir action music ( T he End of T - y ------and taking them out of the box. still fully dedicated to freshening things up ted on their own version of Borderlands, yet composer (or duo) more seems concentra on the album. F into the music, supposedly lasting 6hours happen soon), we will able be to fully dig ofase the soundtrack (which will hopefully for quite time. some With the official rele of Borderlandsots music that missing I was it’s agreat return to the form and the ro D from this kind of distribution of work (like re of the franchise and the game benefits sh-up. It certainly varied is the sco most All things considered, is quite B3 ama nature of Borderlands. it’s agreat addition that adds to the funky of the score, and Imean it in way — agood Varner’s like seems part the weirdest part and is atrack to inside. awhole, get lost As andsweet subtle hints 90’s and exotic vibes collaboration; T calmingthe most and somber tracks in the ultimatelyand Effect, Mass being one of has me wondering about Blade R a strong sci-fi theme AF Supernova– D piece and one of unique the most tracks track, Icouldn’t ask for more. chise. With of scope this the vast sound ways that complimentary seem to the fran of wasteland anarchy and craziness in new comes to worldbuilding, executing the idea it also put things on another when it of entertainmentses and storytelling, but the musicNot purpo only B3 serve does ways. anarchy and craziness in new Executing the idea of wasteland etroit: H Become Jan Szafraiec he Machine has Crypt some reamsicle. such as Others, or what’s in the game, each uman before it). F orgotten Space, or me, unner ------w Redemp Red Dead ever atmosphere. somber grounded, matching RDR2’s and diverse ambitious, It’s Batkovic, Arca and others). from all over the world (Senyawa, Stetson, Woody Jackson and other gifted ceable in the game’s score, by composed Quite a change for tone, especially noti grounded tone and of the setting. story by marryingso (anti-)western tropes with ming length of this game, and even more quiteIt’s an achievement overwhel the for politics. that’s lived and in history people, by its real and believable, creating alandscape in front us a world that feels concentrated, in RDR Rockstar’s ty T heir is an astounding of sense authentici Colin Stetson, David Ferguson etc. Composer: Woody Jackson, JeffSilverman, Album’s release date: August 9, 2019 LakeshorePublisher: Records ell-designed muic 2. T 2. he game opens up tion II - - - al e though of the most score is grounded in to close up in a sentence even And or two. ourselves asoundtrack that’s really tough featuredray of styles in the score, we have Addingmoments. this to quite ar avast kground music which play out in random the game, including in-game orsongs bac the game, way more music done was for of memorablesome the most pieces from than aLP. Even though the album contains time running more much up takes album, RDR © ©Rockstar 2’s music,2’s despite a70-minute score xp erience ©Rockstar Games ©Rockstar - -

17 REVIEWS ©Rockstar Games ©Rockstar Games ©Rockstar 18

REVIEWS Wheel, F American frontier. Icarus and atmosphere and struggle in the of sadness to atmospherics and creating aforeboding the falls dust down, the music comes back Such pieces play out to our joy, but when working as agang against the unjust). characters its ats as actual outlaws fabled ces at the end of chapters (when RDR prominent (shootout)most story sequen Adler, Widow), but they are for the reserved T F Blood West, whistles in tracks some (Outlaws from the hear Ennio Morricone electric guitars or in RDR game are still there and you can main narrative. T the score similarly for part, the most to the manticized Wild West are non-existent on T turns, especially in the epilogue. andughout the game twists when story the time period and genre, it changes thro he F he spaghetti western bravado and ro ine Art of Conversation,ine Art Sadie Mrs. leeting Joy present reality way euds, Ancienteuds, and Modern, he moments you’d expect F riends, 2 tre T he - - - - Some areSome as they joyful can really get, some out produced songs especially for the game. couldSome also add to by those pointing RDR memory, closing and the setting story up musical moments in videogames of recent Americannd it, Venom is among the best er tenacity. With the narrative context behi blasting the guitars and with she alizing it in the mission last of the game, the epilogue numerous times and fully re game, hinting at RDR easily recognizable tunes from the first T over. and over track same distinct feelvery without repeating the mission It on. gave goes of some them a looping slowly, to later build upon it as the instrumentssolo and/or simple avery tune is notable. throughout each segment of each mission superb as well and the pacing of the tracks With that said, the music implementation is the player. throwingat without ating the mood itself accentu subtly way, remarkable in purpose mming behind other realising sounds, its inly of instruments solo plucking and hu rides through ma the consists wilderness, music, which plays out occasionally during Background moments. other in appearing Gunslingers Was at an End, occasionally T in 1899, By story D sparingly, either to disturb the peace in the game electronics uses and ambient or accordion played with and craft talent, Among guitars, cellos, whistling, trumpets ther submerging us in the frontier reality. cal work (Welcome to the New World), fur creating local, folk-like avery with mood vo of Some melodies. them go astep further, string dramatic and sad hauntingly using hopeless and harrowing demanding, more game’s the ideas. in experience deeply rooted Well-designed musical he finale of scorethe and game features octor’s Opinion or set for the the mood 1 in the best possible way. possible 1 in the best T he music builds tension with he Age of Outlaws and 1 famous theme in ------matching ever its somber atmosphere. noticing RDR andse grounded, living up to all opinions praise. terms RDR matches the of scope the game, which in musically and diverse, so stylistically that it RDR composers and others took in apart making a hundred producers, musicians, soloists, It’s quite astonishing to think that way over artists. nent with the rest being done by other promi ahalfcomposed of the on songs the album RDR to contemplate on the massive journey that pletely the tone shifts in the game, allowing an end-time, sentimental piece that com uring T butsad, Idon’t think Iwill alone be in favo and art RDR2’s story. up to all opinions noticing living grounded, and diverse ambitious, album is score The ©Rockstar Games ©Rockstar 2 music. T Lanois produced2 is. the album and T hat’s the Way It Isby D he score album is ambitious, diver 2 is an achievement worthy of all 2’s art and story it tells, and art story 2’s while hey all created asoundscape aniel Lanois, - - - - deeply rooted in the game’s tone and ideas. sic amature and well-crafted experience mately making the entirety of RDR not devoid of RDR ce of more light-hearted which pieces, are path and allows respite some in the presen T he album song is going along the same Jan Szafraiec 2’s grim2’s undertones, ulti 2’s mu2’s - - -

19 REVIEWS 20

REVIEWS And so it does by it introducing does so And amain theme low squeezing on, out everything of the duo. sive nature of this masterpiece noisy will fol cipalis, it’s clear that and the immer twisted the opening track on the album R Ex ambient designs that agame can get. F a pulsating, energetic with of some the best Considering their could expect we experience, Petri Alanko and Martin Stig Andersen. said about music made by aR ofnoises H the strong sound design and all the unsettling is asurreal experience thatfrom only benefits headquarters to the F brutalist and reality-defying shape-shifting a T down. slows hypnotizinggrasping, experience that never visuals, making their recent most game a when it comes to storytelling, gameplay, nish studio has learned throughout the years game that thoroughly shows what the F Control marks a change for making you feellos Control he story of journeyhe story inside H the Oldest © ©Remedy Composer: Patri Alanko Stig Andersen &Martin Album’s release date: August 27, 2019 Entertainment /Remedy 505Games Publisher: iss creatures,iss what cannot fully be ederal Bureau of Control, emedy veteranemedy Remedy. It’s a atio Prin ouse, ouse, rom in - - - - t inaedlessp mits, gentlymits, crawling under your skin. king in you feel an lost endless place of no li H Oldest a game that takes in part aplace such as the of dread,sense which cannot overrated be for eerie importantly, and noises most space and Inferno are long-lasting soundscapes full of tracks live Nihil Simplex Est or Portam Ad Limbo and Inside. the On ambience level, bearing welcome similarities to his music for ce, which later returns in Vantage or Vapour, Stig Andersen’s touch of hypnotic ambien CounterfeitAs appears, you can clearly hear H slowly submergingof sorts, us in the Oldest tures are quite minimal, concentrating solely solely concentrating minimal, quite are tures mon and Sorror et end of Counterfeit and for a moment in Sum running time on the album, appearing at the T lish depths of the Oldest House. player the hel the in encompass sounds and howling echoes that sting of eerie noises, menacing It’s an entire soundscape consi he action score takes part significantly less ouse andouse all paranatural of its rooms. ouse. T ouse. he score excels here by ma F rater. T hose pieces’hose struc la ce ------tibles and voice over clips. T tims chants filling the corridors,video collec empty areas. It’s outweighed by the H tion and running long through sessions vast, shine in the game’s cut-up, transmedia narra not really getting a lot of moments to properly spaces with ambience and combat elements, nally underused, limited to feeling in empty doesn’tfully benefit from T it. the being songs even better, the game really and demanding, and dark admittedly ugh D studio. the with cooperation It’sfun another as it gets. classic in the band’s sequence way was longer, it as was because 8 minute ballad only made me wish the that great chorus and Marko Saaresto’s voice in an zen hours or so in dark corridors. Catchy riffs, toneeded change for the game after ado weird place. T sequence (similarly to ) in areally can heard be during alate-game combat a great, titled song heavy T ofPoets the F that begins life. asecond It’s an absolute hit. of classic, are-recorded sort some old piece mediately gave me the impression of it being phenomenal voice (with F Alanko’sthe song. composition and Suosalo’s Suosalo,Martti who also provided vocals for a peculiar fellow, played by aF It’s atango associated with Ahti T unofficial main theme of the game,I’d say. Moving Ican’t on, skip Sankarin T lifesome and emotion into story. Jesse’s on the final of act the game that breathes cipium Alterius, aVangelis-esque epic heard a short span. It’sa short only ateaser for F tro, poetic heights and intense action in quite back to , featuring aslow in ghlight of the score. Mentioned track calls Alanko’s synthwork pieces are a dramatic hi welcome. Speaking of Sorrorbeen et F H ghts. bossfi shoot-outs andced edge-of-the-seat fitting nevertheless was towards fast-pathe still track good) over and over again, which game, Ifound myself hearing the same (but on electronic beat and percussion In section. espite the soundtrack being great, altho owever, variety some here would have he provided song amuch ne all returned too, and recorded ake Control, which innish lyrics) im he amazing title he score is crimi innish actor inis Prin Est he Janitor, ango, an iss’s vic rater, ------collectibles and voice over clips. chants filling the corridors, video It’s outweighed by the Hiss’s victims results in quite an interesting album that did great synth pieces and amazing two songs kable ambient electronics and twisted with more lyrical music, too. Balancing the remar a break for few those moments that demand H the Oldest encompass the player in the hellish depths of menacing sounds and howling that echoes entire soundscape consisting of eerie noises, areallyvided score good for Control. It’s an Patri Alanko and Martin Stig Andersen pro game. tional main gripes with what an is otherwise excep unanswered questions are some my two rative didn’t leave much place for it. a major role, but the game’s fast-paced nar sequence gave me for hope the score playing that Control has to offer. to has Control that and Ican’t wait to dive in again to listen to all nonetheless remains on my list 2019’s best take much bigger of this part great game, it H dest narrative pieces and many sounds of the Ol but in quite alimited matter, tailored to short F ghlight all strengths. noisy of its not receive an implementation that would hi ©Remedy Entertainment ©Remedy or what’s in the game, the score works well Jan Szafraiec ouse. D ouse. ouse. Itouse. also where knows to take espite wishing for the score to T hat and ------

21 REVIEWS 22

REVIEWS affectionate on cellos on arpeggios and moreaffectionate T layers. industrial andthe looped reflecting artificial echoes humanization suits of the perfectly society ment of the historical period and the de synths. T synths. unfitting seemingly and modern and cello combination of the sound of the tormented nothing will reflect this as a subtle as good pening around him. Olivier decided that byways: his nature and the changes hap ce. T a while. D a dark and romantic is to play story for only All to you need do to understand that this is ths –the execution is perfect. T the of creativity the with namented recently game every gains alot when it’s or Victorian era vampire. I’d dare to say that the for ultimate soundtrack created the D album,that you have to mus V ©Dontnod Entertainment ©Dontnod he narrative in music balances between he idea is simple –cello and industrial syn eriviere has done it again! T Composer: OlivierDeriviere Album’s release date: May 3,2018 OlivierDerivierePublisher: he main character is alienated in two amp he adwancing technical adwancing develop he ualism pla crafted in aperfect yr his time he F rench. rench. ------in comments below this review. T not. whether you plan on playing Vampyr or , that you have to listen must to, play in the background. It’s one of those bunch of carefully instruments selected while drums, harpsichord, and whole a with cellos and ends with vicious synths, tones, and the main theme which begins bit edgy, intensively builds up with hectic the composition, soundtrack. Aperfect a track. T T a dulcimer and apiano. and cellos is broken with atransverse flute, T instrumentarium. Multiplestuff. are facets also present in the as the London fog as well as nearly sacral thick as compositions soundtrack the on beautifully with various tones. We can find of early factories. T similarsteady hits, to mechanical sounds here are afew real gems on the sound K onrad Belia-Brzozo hat is why to Ihope your see opinions wisted T wisted t lis ango reflects the spirit of he darkness is painted he dominion of synths synths of dominion he ten to wski - The album isnow available! (Original Soundtra Celeste: Farewell ck)

23 REVIEWS © ©Red 24

REVIEWS composer once again. once composer cond installment of the game, inviting the 2017, Barrels Red Studios published the se what made that production special. In April aling soundtrack by Samuel Laflamme are sound design and, more importantly, appe presence of fear and repulsion, outstanding Amazing dynamics of gameplay, strong among both the players and the critics. published in 2013, highly was appreciated T mos Outlas he independenthe horror game Outlast, ©Red Barrels ©Red Composer: SamuelLaflamme Album’s release date: April 20, 2017 RedBarrelsPublisher: t interes ting soudtra t II - - second onesecond –to make the player go insane. meant to make the player while suffer in the cording to him, the music in Outlastwas first tweaked their Ac sounds with various effects. and instruments made by himself, and then Instead percussion guitars, he used basses, horror scores. again he is good at creating Samuel Laflamme proved ensemble distinctive to theOutlast first OS Samuel Laflammethe chamber left music the composer. While making the soundtrack, T this installment more is intense. ning, like we did in the first game, however, we’re dealing again with sneaking and run inhabitants to seem downright be hostile. So reporter’s wife disappears. Even worse, local theirat the helicopter spot, crashes and the of an unindentified woman. While arriving porter’s investigation of amysterious death protagonist and his wife are running are lage somewhere in the Arizona T desert. takes place during one night at asmall vil premiere of T . T hat makes awide variety of possibilities for he soundtrackhe appeared before the shortly ck s s ofla he story of thehe game story t year he T - - - - . . so theyso could place it in the game. T lopers asked the composer to rearrange it intense,so though, that the game’s deve Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. choir performing Ave Verum Corpus by thecomposer recording used of a church ce titled You Never Let MeGo, in which the bum ends with amoving, apocalyptic pie T of the game, greatly building the tension. Please appears intensive in less some parts closer attention. Let’s Step Back Into Class, ced and mixed. of Some the pieces require coherently. T contains fourteen pieces mixed together T ling, wind blowing, bushes rustling. dry racteristic sounds like of the desert sand fal sounddy of the OS mixes with the soundtrack. T of them hitting the trees and rocks perfectly flutterhis bow; of the arrows and soundthe moment when one of the enemies shoots attention.se It’s present for example at the of the latter with the OS sound design. T perfect track amazingly matches the visuals and the and rituals, also the dark T ones. touched faithful for decades, to their tradition wherestile local communities desert, live un ing transported straight into the moonlit, ho imitation (like cows mooing). We feel like be and brittleness of the sound, animal sounds trancelike dryness feeling, non-catchiness, T actually put the player on the of edge sanity. unsettling percussion strikes –all of these dark and murky drones, almost no melody, composer), this of trademark distinctive various rubbed surfaces by aviolin (a bow by made sounds high-pitched grindings, to for an average listener. ment, the soundtrack is not to easy listen music. like Just in theOutlast first install of danger,sense intensifiedfurther by the during gameplay, we stay in apermanent Sincebeats. we run almost all the time sic”, trance-inducing with fast, percussion of itpart contains “chase the mu so-called T here is something primal in this music. A he grinding Show MeYour Soundtrack he Outlast 2Official album he soundtrack job perfectly. its does Most he musicprodu is perfectly T also matches the cha T is what requires clo he unique harmony D he dry andhe san dry istortions and T rue F he sound ace is he al ------tagonist has totagonist traverse. ending of the game and all the way the pro form the word “redemption”. It refers to the in all the album titles are put together, they titles of the When pieces. the capital letters end evil. T ght and pure emerged from all the chaos strongvery emotions, as if something bri in the finale of the game, this piece evokes with the visuals and what we experience makes it sound unearthly, unreal. Matched longseconds reverb of the church, which T velopers cooperating with another composer. with cooperating velopers Outlast comes Icannot out, imagine the de If there is achance the third installment of scores which are and moving. both scary proved again at he is good creating horror soundtracks of year. last Samuel Laflamme Outlast 2OS he recording contains anatural, seven ©Red Barrels ©Red Barrels ©Red ela Be sztoIzabela cha he composer did atrick with the T is one of interesting the most - - -

25 REVIEWS ©Supermassive Games ©Supermassive 26

REVIEWS aleatoric anddissotbut alsorela Man ofMedan The D logy thatlogy according to the developer Su T Medan. in that genre for T has givenposer us another interesting OS imed by the players and critics. T in horror scoring and were highly accla D ting and hair raising soundtracks for the ror and games, it well. he does H confident is very scoring hor he game is the first chapter of an antho ©Supermassive Games ©Supermassive ead Space franchise milestones became Composer: JasonGraves Album’s release date: August 30, 2019 Inc. Entertainment Bandai Publisher: ark Pic he Dark Pictures: Man of tures Anth ology: he com is haun T ------

another scary soundtrack. scary another Jason Graves composed yet backgrounda perfect to what lurks in the combined with gloomy electronicsmake T soundtrack. Jason Graves yet composed another scary these music. the voice acting, sound design, and of cour haunted T part. vessel through is enjoyable, especially during the the boring of part first the game, the play D which is quite exciting for a horror game. -player or in mode multi-player mode, Man of Medan can played be in asingle toseems haunted. be rious from vessel the World War II, which get abducted and transported to amyste group of friends on adiving trip who then on the plot. In Man of Medan we control a choices and decisions have astrong effect previous game, , the player’s and five differentstories. likeJust in their permassive Games, will consist of five parts espite of lots predictable jumpscares and he dissonant orchestral risers risers orchestral dissonant he his is to the credit of x ing - - - ring the sea. the ring to amysterious, exciting journey of explo Stormy Seas and the horrors of the ship. T innocence, also the relief after surviving all ming tracks telling of youth the story and and T of uplifting, epic Redemption melodies. the other of the part soundtrack consisting ship, relationships and adventure, hence Man of Medan is also agame about friend listener.the this OS re’s aStorm Coming, You Cannot H to use it very skillfully.to it very use Bringer of War, T me worn out Graves these days, is still able instra horror productions to seems beco OS experience in D screen, similar to what we had achance to more frightening than what on the we see Medan. Sudden music strikes are even narrow and dark corridors of the Ourang predictable. and obvious not horror is which soundtrack It is hard these days to create a ©Supermassive Games ©Supermassive is very D T is very he T T show this skillfullness in scaring emerity of Youth are heartwar ead Space like. While orche ead Space, and actually this H owling Winds takes you he otherhe hand Of ide from he ------predictable. horror soundtrack which is not obvious and with that. It is hard these days to create a Gravesson is amaster of horror, and Iagree sic laxing and peaceful. At the latest Game Mu Graves. Aleatoric and dissonant but also re one of appealing the most scores by Jason T he D ©Supermassive Games ©Supermassive ela BesztoIzabela cha F estival Garethestival Coker told me that Ja ark Pictures: Man of Medan OS T is - - -

27 REVIEWS ©SCE Bend Studio Bend ©SCE 28

REVIEWS by Studio. Bend Iagree, as many fans have despite being the project first of thisscale T journalist outlets. were brought up of in the most third-party arguments, of some them amusing, that I will by not, any means, agree with many PlayStation Only H games. success streak of critical acclaim towards player „ending” videogames, the recent res among -exclusive, single triple-A D limited app D ©SCE Bend Studio Bend ©SCE he game is great production, and is its so ays Gone received one of the sco lowest Composer: NathanWhitehead Album’s release date: 2019 August 14, SonyPublisher: Classical ay s Gone roa aving finished it, ch to a - - work. In the end, it works and Ithink D game itself, not really seeing how it would atstic all, which is why afraid I was for the the genre). It is not somber, bleak or nihili positiveso (because of the composer and sic that is neither lyrical and orchestral nor previously,advertised expecting Iwas mu otage of D review I’d Iwas…surprised. it, fo some seen the score and found out the Iwas one to War and Bioshock When series. heard Ifirst ge movies and additional music in Gears of Whitehead, previously known for the Pur T ken world (noticeably, America). struggling to find hope in a bro for the game’s central theme of in Days Gone as amajor support The entirety of the score works music to the be either. way it is, nice surprise. Ihad not expecting been the and say that had not expecting been such a beginning this review, I want to honest be a lot of heart put in that project. H game Player’s Choice for April, that there is said by voicing their opinions or making the c he composer for D tion music ays Gone and seeing how it was ays Gone is Nathan owever, ays - - - - - all Ialso you adored need. random instan on things with a bit melancholic music is when havingthe story time some to reflect favourite and it plays in this one moment of Soldier’ssequences. Eyes is my personal riding during spotlight the given are that ver, easily made up for by acouple of songs (or problems). lip-sync ry T rest despite afew shortcomings in the sto D hopeful throughout mood darker of parts the game’s themes well, maintaining the gameplay the sequences, music presents in scenes (What some D rampingwas up the tone abit too much Regardless of moments some when music Beyond T in recent memory, being the since first memorable themes videogame the most such, IthinkAs Lake of Lost music as one of what it can despite be circumstances. awful forhope humanity, what it represents and are the highlights of the score, presenting slowly and with restraint. T things handling orchestration, theme’s is not as grand and overblown as the main chy and positive for melody strings, which sion that play alongside another lyrical, cat subplot, adding guitars some and percus dle later)are one theme of Lake the Lost We’ve All D times. und myself repeating it in my head alot of only. It certainly is a main theme and I fo the theme shines played gently by strings track, especially in the half second where the ‘epic’ feel in the middle it’s anice part, too overdone for my taste, especially on toboom Even it. though Iconsider it abit it repeats the main phrase, adding more cusing on the strings with a cello on front, elevated tones, consideringelevated tones, the genre. F urney motivated by and hope love in quite main theme of the game, hinting at ajo D it. with even though Ihave personal some gripes human spirit and the value of relationship”, Gone is indeed music about „tenacity of the ays Gone and keeping my emotional inte ays Gone opens the soundtrack as the wo that Iactually adore. one T hings (and Light Can One hese two themes two hese hese are,hese howe id You D o?) or o ------ver, this Americana stylization blends itself oking me up to that the story much. H in not moments, really some cheesy ho tracks stylistically, Ifound them abit too te them being in line with the rest of the may have recently heard in F ofsome the like tracks, the ones that you course,Of you will get American vibes in such D as of freedom that comes with being abiker idea the me selling compellingly sunrise, guitar) would kick in driving as Iwas in the ces when music (pieces for percussion and (Sarah’s T All D ber, You’re Safe Now, Sarah’s T appear quite in often tracks like: IRemem ©SCE Bend Studio Bend ©SCE Studio Bend ©SCE one T eacon. heme and I R I and heme hings. Speaking of Sarah’s music emember), despi ar Cry 5. T 5. ar Cry heme, We’ve owe hose - - - -

29 REVIEWS 30

REVIEWS managed to make the H givewe must it to the developers that they strings. T into pure macabre, playing with aggressive it finally lets all this outsuspense and turns ming in for a few from seconds time to time, te the track remaining slow and strings co comes to sound design of this score. D akers’ music and it is, is ahighlight when it and steadily beating rhythm is what F beeping nervous electronics, genre. Spooky teeth and his experience in the horror-thriller F ritage. human It’s very in that regard. tions instead of their political and views he motiva character’s illustrating and melody drums, guitars), putting more emphasis on instrumentallyis abit „reserved” (strings, typically American. No, Whitehead’s score like banjo for the sake of sounding stereo ofinto using instruments empty efforts tional elements of the score, not delving organically with the rest of more conven in that regard. stereotypes. It’s very human heritage,and into delving not instead of their political views motivations ting character’s emphasis on melody and illustra Whitehead putting more is reakshow where is Whitehead some shows ruth told, be Iam but spooked by it, ordes work. espi re ------was executed well. executed was times. Musically and directionally, that idea the courage to in hope some us in see bad taste). D or overdone (with afew exceptions for my withoutnes being too optimistic, cheesy and fleshes out the emotion scesome in sion to „big and emotional” music —works nvention that my despite aver general — music, lack of filler, instrumentation and co score, Ienjoy limited its approach to action Even though Idislike of this afew parts cusing what „can instead be” of „what was”. violence, to trying the positives see and fo tal, not giving in to and the hopelessness the music is calming, lyrical and sentimen ken world (noticeably, America!). Alot of theme of struggling to find hope in a bro as amajor for support the game’s central the entirety of the score works in bit interesting and less becomes as it goes, Eveneyes. though the album down slows a D listen. enough to not bore you after tenth or so a lot of times, they are catchy and simple are horrific, and even though hear we them menacing and oppressive, sounds some T require thinking. that quick how Iprefer action music in videogames centuating the rhythm and beat, which is H ramps it up to horror level with this piece. when it comes to H T here is nothing to not be scared about e does so similarly so e does in T ays Gone soundtrack is asuccess in my Jan Szafraiec ays Gone, contrary to others, has ordes and Whitehead he R ager Bear, ac he tracks are tracks he D ays Gone ------sp m i Th art p. 40 p. 36 p. 32 p. 58 n ake t ake du e ere i ere ‒ PlayiNg video gaMeSHaviNg viSual diSaBilitieS, c s ial n try h s e develo eed f till m till or u or s . VIDEO GAMEUSIC HUMAN VOICE IN THE MUSIC OF MINALISM P. 1 GAME USIC HORROR MUSICP. 1 HO s C W TO LIS OVER , IC u s toch do i p o it i er S TEN TO TORY s a s i LE w

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31 REVIEWS 32 ©Supergiant Games ©Supergiant ARTICLES Mu V The Hum Voi ideo G s c thing – including the fun. the including – thing gn ofwhich had overshadowed literally every lers as mahjong and or chess, the sound desi- of ingenuity could compete with such bestsel munity, heard I’ve about agame which in terms asmall village(just in Poland) gamedev com During one of the recent meetups of Cracow’s conversation. interesting an had recently I’ve ic e In e am a

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33 ARTICLESARTICLES ©Ninja Theory ©Ninja 34

ARTICLESARTICLES cals of as the part gameplay music itself? in games? video H of the human voice in game video music, to Istarted So wonder –what is the value unplayable. rally a dying badger. it And made the game lite of grimace a like interlocutor, my of scription voice and sounded, as Iremember the de connected to this mechanics amale used T les. a way to kill enemies, but also to puzz solve membering it correctly, as not only it served them) by the main character, and if I’m re of throwing boomerangs (infinite number of T video games? voice in , in What is the value of the human he gameplay,he supposedly, consisted mostly he is that the sound effect ow risky is it toow risky vo use - - - - - strumental equivalents. strumental of us moremost emotional than their in the reasons that with songs to seem lyrics ment, the and needs desires. T that condition environpeople our psyche, it is interactions part, the most with other tize We it. are, after all, social beings and for priori subconsciously we speaking, human – and we can a because hear in it fact, is, a signal that information comes our way lusionist. T ice draws our attention better than any il chaos of war or invasion, human vo In normal conditions, not disturbed by the the credit songs? to invest in vocals more than often only for him being Isit avisionary? even „worth it” out for astagnant composer, or perhaps on the vocal chords rather be an way easy entirely soundtrack the founding Would he sound of another human is his is one of - - - - - rive at completely new musical lands. tome, we need give them justice – they ar ther’s soundtrack like seems astretch to Zimmer and fan the for Oscar Black Pan Although I’m from far being called aH gressive way and curious get very results. sible to the use human voice ag in avery which keepposers, showing that it is pos H commanding the army with our voice) T fresh ideas are being implemented (like in mes), and from time to time acompletely odbye to choirs (, Blizzard ga Cloudbank). Yet, is going nobody to say go racter is afamous singer in the game’s city, like Silent H Maal, Creed Assassin’s II and experiments had T cutscenes or at the end of the game. We’ve in the gameplay, not only in main menu, –wherege vocalists they give them space which the composers more eagerly enga It’s also hard to give examples of games in spice, changing the flavor of the dish entirely. T drastically. changes situation the music, a voice. If we looked at human voice in the have voices; 4’s merchant has T is strictly anchored in the presented world. that one meaning narrative, „hard” the with T source. no seemingly ears get constantly attacked by words with wherecertain headphone our psychosis it or we not, have accustomed been to a or during Legends), commentating event an esport (Street F ling the consecutive stadia of the game wing life into characters, the story’s signal of thisaspect kind of entertainment –thro the vocal chords aplace in practically any as one, bigserving arena or rivalry, gives ut people/beings resembling and people world, as amedium conveying stories abo ice is gracefully in T games. video used T om Clancy’s Endwar and mechanics its of here, vocals are treated like an aggressive he protagonist has avoice; space marines arehose words, though, that we connect he fact thathe fact we prioritize the human vo ere the pioneers are the film music com he Witcher, F ighter, Kombat, Mortal League of T witch streams. Whether we like ill 1or T ransistor (the main cha ar Cry 2and Baabaar its Cry heir ans ------gers more.gers the games might to also engage start damentals, to it’s easy forge that atheory has coming been closer to film music’sfun oking at how strongly game video music not with what they are engaged in. But lo the makers only juggle with their attention, is no interacting with the viewer, and thus that can afford there – because Spider-Man’s are soundtrack something in whispers Williams’ Pharell and folklore Both the battle roars resembling African instruments. is perceived as one of perfect the most want to experiment with something that horizons, game video music makers could aesthetic and narrative new of search the ever abandoned be in this scenario. But in course, there is no way the orchestra would teresting switches in the credits Of section. …Which might mean that there will in be want to experiment. deo game music makers could tive and aesthetic horizons, vi But in the search of new narra ©Disney Marek Domagała ------

35 ARTICLESARTICLES 36 ©stmuhistorymedia ARTICLES c After all,After it’s the sound that itself matters, not ne stage). ught (through about them on performing hear daily to asound that on is focused and tho to elevate asound of an „uninteresting” object we of everydayobjects Cage’s use. philosophy was Imaginary and Landscapes playing on mundane artist-composer known for 4’33”, Water Walk or F genres).vious discussed ding from them a certain attitude (similarly to pre and what a listener accustomed was to, deman premises that reach way beyond the music itself however, is that minimalistic music includes many went along the What’s epoch. interesting for us, and it’s idealsnique USA, roots has in its 1960s T and talked about as it’s not as simple as it sounds and looks. lism yet, an interesting branch of music that art can betalked centurysaid 19/20th composers. Ihaven’t mentioned minima comparing game music and functioning its with the ideas of In my previous Imentioned posts Satie, Wagner, Eno, while m did ga Wh p m his genre or (as may some rightfully say) tech irstly, to we need meet John Cage, a minimalist art 1 art in om im u ali s ere ere sm ic e f e - - - - -

e me rom -

37 ARTICLESARTICLES 38

ARTICLESARTICLES — Steve— Reich music. throughout sounding the hear the process happening processes. Iwant to beable to I am interested in perceptible walls around it. minimal way, stripping away „the H showing that music can de done, well, in a brought ideas those to mundane avery level, cule music or music making H processes. tion for . But Cage didn’t ridi say that this of focus gave sort the founda as ajoker, scholars some but nevertheless, performances, John Cage could viewed be what is and what isn’t music. Looking at his formance in order to push the boundary of is celebrated in atheatre as an artistic per idea presents clearly itself —asingle sound properly sounding music and what isn’t. T that lives merely thanks to what we think is present that composing is an old convention the source of said sound. If then so, only to cessarily relation its with other sounds or igh Art” igh Art” he e - - - pattern, focusing on it and nothing else. notize you and make you yourself lose in the tune at the centre of the composition to hyp a simple patterns; to place asimple, minimal it fully was focusing your mind on asound or lated chain of T sounds. replaced and continued, by staidness calcu of new and new elements and melodies was ughly receive asound or aphrase. Succession the listener an opportunity to fully and thoro their music more repetitive in order to give T ickly being replaced by another and another. during aconcertheard was once, as it is qu king ephemeral it avery H art. ma ultimately structure, dramatic a has that of as an ever-evolving, progressing process music had received. been Music thought was is thatut it, it turned upside down the way will talked be about later. What is crucial abo theirbase compositions on repetition, which (Music Glassworks) would in 12 often Parts, T (It’s Gonna R F erry R erry he minimalist, however, decided to make urthermore, minimalist such as Steve Reich iley Streams) (In R ed C, and Philip Glass ain, Clapping Music, D he philosophy behind earing asound rumming), ------heard what the piece has to offer. It becomes hearing the first minute means we’ve already T the „hypnotic” thanks part to this „flatness”. as New York creators of of this music type were dubbed Ittes. will likely all, After have the same effect. in a first minute of a track, or 5 for minulast in asimilar way. You can throw just yourself matter as music has played been on steadily for eithersecond or a afirst time — it doesn’t ing on and on continuously invites you back sure can snap out of but it, the rhythm go notizing as if with a swinging A person clock. pressure of asteady beat, with constant hyp It’s all about keeping the listener under a anything. toward moving xation […]. [It] never seems to be rela and manipulating tension sted in building to climaxes, or in ways flat. They are not intere The form of their pieces is al- theirbes music: musicians. trance, shared by everyone gathered around to people by its evoke used been of asense drew from African because music has always Africa. T I should give credits where it’s due —to and yourselfeverything lose to aloud beat. steadily hypnotizes you until you forget about a similar way to ambient or furniture music. It surroundings, and as such, it is immersive in existing. It takes away the of time sense and Night on and goes the on, world outside stops an ongoing that party to seems have no end. in clubs for dancing, music as looped signifies such we use because music as badass, seem sequences).sea What it evolved to may not AC:be Origins that had adrummer in the ching (recent example of showing this would diers or to set the pace for them when mar battlefield. was It either to empower sol the war drums during battles or marching to a states it example evokes. Good is the of use in variousposes societies that trance-like use Repetitive music many has serving been pur Repetition is akeyword for minimal music. he beginning is the end and vice versa, and his is where minimal music creators T his is how H ypnotic T School. T om Johnson descri hey earned ------C. Cox, C. 2010. USA Origins, Minimalism: Strickland, E. Sources used: Schönberg said about minimal music: although Ican’t disagree with what H alities (rather one). modest Ilike this music thing, although with adistinctive set of qu as acomplement thense it serves to some what we want from illustrative music, becau more subliminal way. T and the music will begin influencing us in a portant and we will ourselves lose in thought, int our brains will consider the pattern unim but it’s not honestly that easy, as at po some both received consciously from to finish start way more difficult to not listen to. canIt be listenedbe to with full intent, minimalism is T experience. ating music —missing out aminute is alost sible with constantly progressing and fluctu tap out or hum. None of this would pos be pattern we can replicate in our thoughts, an understandable pattern in our minds, a to that of thing. sort one’s depending on reaction [It’s] hypnotic or boring – 2004. Reich, WritingsS. USA on Music 1965-2000, 1968. Reich, . as Gradual Process, USA 2004. hat said, when speaking about music to not Jan Szafraiec D . Warner (red.), Audio Culture, USA he latter is closer to arold ------

39 ARTICLESARTICLES 40 © ©Deep ARTICLES t m f AAA franchise. AAA exotic game into afully realized ving went from avery promising, entire ecosystem of games, ha they are completely unique in the cial place in my heart and Ithink by anything. They hold avery spe thing that will never be matched The Metro games for me are some Ho or Mu u u nc he Metro s i c tio w m can s ga ns ic a h n - - - ave? y m of e

t m f or Ho or Mu u u nc he Metro s i c tio w m can s ga ns ic a h n ave? y m of e

41 ARTICLESARTICLES ©Deep Silver ©Deep 42

ARTICLESARTICLES illustration to scripted events; minimal music Starting with it works as atypical the basics, way. modern inand and avery used thought-out it’s noticeablemes, that the music good was Coming of Us. Last back to older Metro ga decade’s post-apocalyptic hits such as T stening to music we would later praise in this when Metro released, was 2033 we’d li been three R games. inrent different used ways throughout styles since the beginning, composing a lot of diffe Alexey Omelchuk has with been the game T experiences. all summed up into clear avery and distilled of theness game being from Eastern Europe -apocalyptic games and that of exotic sense terial, studio’s previous experience with post T hat would never without possible be music. he literary background, love for source ma ight the bat, back in off 2010, he - - - - - side you between and the world passively game of play as asystem and it doesn’t re T stations. re is music all over the specific areas of the will play something if you turn it T on. A random citizen may hum a tune. tunes in totalitarianganda-heavy stations. T T inhabitants. its narios that bring us closer to the world and game’s world, of as all apart these tiny sce ditionally, alot of music is also in the diegesis, — and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Ad into fire fights; there is amazing menu music evolves as the player detected gets and gets bring us closer to the world. All these tiny scenarios that he music doesn’t only speak through the here are gramophones playing propa he guitar will play if you interact with it. R adio he - - - - - ding of music aspect is irreplacable. of within hope the T people. thatriff plays in the game’s world as asign occasionally with stopped acatchy, jazzing ding tunes and and themes, sad all this is on ambient, dark,was heavy full of forebo of the different non-diegetic score styles: ture of the albums thoughshows mixture them in avaried used way. T soundtracks, and it’s even better to have music department. T tion race within the even industry in the sitionally Metro kept up with the produc It’s amazing that and stylistically compo has ended just and we can take abreather. sition can asign be that atough sequence exposition. H chapter, as asubstitute or it can serve for brought into the right mindset before the tion tourism), the music and does you are (combat, slow-paced metro horror, sta up the mechanics and flow of the chapter If the narration doesn’t necessarily itself set took. Artyom actions -showing the levels crucial as the most and worthy-of by music. T with avoice-over intro that’s accompanied rature as well. Each chapter is introduced to overcome it and to pay homage to lite are limited, and Metro found way agood for exposition and descriptionsmoments can you fully adapt into abook agame. T om is asilent protagonist and by no means T to us to notice ourselves there. tion about the for world us and it’s is left up difference, as the discovery of that informa ad of being played passively it makes all the too. Letting us it hear it in the world inste and empathize with aworld that loves it music and it’s easier for us to understand mane of the We aspect apocalypse. love for him to themselves identify with the hu ting with the player and making it easier stinct and conscious way of communica sound pretentious, but music di is avery with them. It’s of this apart world. It may characters and the world, thus bonding you commenting It stuff. through speaks the he narrative heavily relies too. on it, Arty hose tinyhose snippets contextualize earing music within the expo here is vision in these he eclectic na he worldbuil he ------best somber guitarbest tunes from the posta me, the menu guitar is up there among the tospeaks mes you on emotional level. F Above all, though, music from Metro ga achieved that. achieved and Metro games can proudly say they’ve fleshing out humanity in such a distress, uching It’s at the least. the very when sprinkled throughout this article are to pocalyptic genre and other some themes player. the with ting communica way of conscious Music is avery distinct and ©Deep Silver ©Deep ©Deep Silver ©Deep Jan Szafraiec - or - - -

43 ARTICLESARTICLES 44 ©FromSoftware ARTICLES Mu Mu Too Mu p w Ho art 2 art ments. relations with other ele the into diving practical, more slightly music: one and focused other on art, ned, there are two ways to look at the pical Soulsborne formula is concer far asof FromSoft the games. As ty our perceptionfect of the difficulty magnitude and tone of music can af time,Last I was writing about how the s s ic ic Mu Is

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45 ARTICLESARTICLES ©FromSoftware ©FromSoftware 46

ARTICLESARTICLES game with combat its that system requires hit-and-roll. No, Sekiro is aborderline rhythm pressure on the player, who now can’t just and putting dodges the attacks, nerfed more jumps, deflecting and thrust countering to T ways. such,ment. Sekiro As is instant classic in some and greatly expanding on the music depart further though,ined, pushing the difficulty le exploring.le in-between the bossfights whi appeared music and dialogue They spoke understandable exploring. T appearedwhile the in-between bossfights spoke understandable dialogue and music characters were given moving mouths, they chipping at the opponent’s healthbar. T thewas furious rolling, stamina bar and slow latest hit — Sekiro: Shadows T his formula shaken was up by the studio’s he crucial of this part change is adding he punishing core of Souls rema D ie T wice. Gone he he - - - gameplay scenarios, lack of thematic and game) are no musical variety in the same T te the Souls music “circlejerk”. iming racking it nerve was and jarring, despi dit) had actually began turning music cla off, — that in people some the community (red H fitted been waydemandingto a less game. uld’ve ignored been likely as it most would’ve negativeIts influence on the experience wo score over would’ve everyone’s passed ears. In any other game, aloud and uninspired in: too much music is never good. the other games let And out. me say this aga get and ever-present music, truly balancing game. instead And of everlasting silence, you towards the player through halfway the fillerposeless that runs out of any meaning numerous times, the score apur becomes up the tone and place, after dying and trying setting when initially pleasing aesthetically nerally struggle with a unique While . with the same music for the 15th time, or ge booming in your ear, fight another mini-boss detected from stealth and get ataiko-siren It unnerving, gets especially when you get is going on at the same time. layered and soundtrack noisy with alot that andbrass Eastern ornaments, forming very strumentation. It’s layers and layers of strings, into the game, but makes changes to the in transposes the previous idea of grand music boring and predictable, the music in Sekiro land. Not especially outstanding, sometimes le adding more elements closer to her home draws from the composer’s earlier work, whi tainhead Palace is a treat in listen), solo which soundtrack with almost no surprises ( surprises no almost with soundtrack flutes, cello.All things considered,safe it’s a general appeal Japan-like first. taikos,tunes, tation, but let’s talk about aesthetics and its mura, had I’ve my doubts about implemen With more music coming from Yuka Kita but as more well. satisfying simply is more difficult than predecessors, its sified moveswith great reflex strategy. and It you to perform multiple, chained and diver hree deadly sins of this soundtrack (and the ere, in Sekiro, Inoticed —despite my bias F oun ------suited to the tempo and of difficulty the H advising others to do the same. only whenthe turning boss the music off and asurable. players Some claim to have defeated ghts would not only unnoticeable, be but ple into.lost T will catch no theme or asimple rhythm to get thing to onto hook is non-existent here, as you samples. of se orchestration, you with distracts random down, throws at everything you with no sen music fights against you: it meanders up and phases —the fight is excruciating and the multiple lightning, thrusts, gunshots, lays, you are bombarded with quick de attacks, T of music here.effects completelyaspect outbalances the practical the combat teaches system you). T finding apattern to focus on (which whatis giving you no way of getting into lost it and opposite of whatperfect the game needed, chaosnoisy that follows). Sekiro’s music is the inments the used tracks (with the distracting instrumental diversity, and excess of instru aking the final as the primeboss example, ad the music forgettable, been but still ©FromSoftware T he lack of music in of some these fi he practical effect of havinghe practical effect some he “art” ------T handle who it?people ted music’s purpose instead the creativity of ago. But what a place we’d in be if we doub playingstarted videogames around 20 years luding me. that’s And the first time sinceI’ve happens again. happens being narratively justified. Let’s hope it never of uninspired noise that can’t for get apass the music, but Sekiro dwells in the territory suspend my critique and by get affected sonate with the game. Any other game, I’d sically failed to impress the players and re approachable form, an experiment that mu silence? T Why not turn then, it off, and enjoy just the ced game like adead weight. an outdated relic that drags behind anuan game that Sekiro T is. falls behindused the tempo of and the type of the F we wouldn’t hear such words in the context game, without the constant booming music, his F was Jan Szafraiec romSoft game.romSoft But the technique hat’s what a lot of did, people inc romSoft’s experiment into amore hat type ofhat score type here is - - - - -

47 ARTICLESARTICLES 48 ©Feral Interactive ARTICLES vi di m ga video Playi e s sa s ual rence.”. I responded: do not seeany “I diffe all the world turned black and white!”. around, and my friend now said: “Oh, of the gameplay my character turned of Fear with my friend. At some point Some years ago I was playing Layers havi b n ilitie g g n - - g g s

49 ARTICLESARTICLES ©Feral Interactive 50

ARTICLESARTICLES through. T makes Alien: Isolation for each scary play cation is crucial to your survival. cannot kill the it, determination lo of its you as and anywhere, and anytime appear lation. T can helpful be in gemaplay, is Alien: Iso exampleA good of how the sound design next. pen locate enemies or what expect might hap lot to the overall immersion, allows me to the game. audio, Agood adding besides a pay close attention to the audio design of ature is called compensation. much more than other do. T people I have hearing good and rely on this sense I am visuallyAs impaired, it is natural that gameplay. during annoying or ful and what like aperson me might find use how Ideal with that kind of entertainment In games. deo this article Iwill to try explain veral more visual disabilities. I play And vi Yes, Iam totally colour blind, Ialso have se he main enemy in this game can he Xenomorph emits various so T his is why I T his also his fe ------use theuse vent to ducts move. T Space. Like in Alien: Isolation, the enemies Another great of use audio design is D nearby. und of the device may the alert Alien if it is is to your use own pair of the ears. Also, so fortable than staring into a dot on the radar to mention that much more fun and com theuse location device but Ido not have keep (carefully) going. course Of you can jumps into the ventilation duct and you can confrontation. wait Just until the creature player to move forward without the risk of stening to these sounds carefully allows the arefootsteps also distinctive and loud. Li roars itunds, hisses, and screams, and its next. or expect what might happen allows me to locate enemies a lot to the overall immersion, A good audio, besides adding he sounds ead - - - aware of our special needs. portant to make the developers ming industry it so for is im us, There is still much to do in ga in music while the enemy approaches me during the gameplay. T trulya interactive helps and experience, the audio design) that makes this game it is thecase score (mixed skillfully with onfocused the sound design but in this It is the soundtrack for Get Even. I far So somethingI left really special for the end. eliminated. kup it means almost entire squad has been each other orders, and if they call for bac T system. is F Not much, but it Another helps. example racteristic audio cues if danger is nearby. warning T system. old game as has something like a ful in locating the enemies. Even such an thatmes have asound design help Ifind I also would like to mention older ga two theyby and move. how fast determine if there is agroup of them near you is an unforgettable experience. I can almost sitting on your back while chasing the zombie is running at you and hearing it helpful.ly You can hear clearly which side location by the sounds they make is real thatthe fact to it is easy determine their fighting escapingand hordes of zombies, you have to in be constant while is well executedfects in Such implementation agood of sound ef there. and when you up,look the creature is really You suddenly hear crawling right above you you enter a corridor and the lights go down. one of the scenes scariest happens when predict how many of them are But still left. while fighting as well,so that makes me a nearby attack. T the creatures are and that Ihave to expect but allowonly scary me to determine where they make while crawling in there are not .E.A. R . and enemy its communication he soldiers still report and give hey make alot of noise he game emits cha D ying Light. As he changes ------in the game. It is not simply battle music ally helps me with the of direction sense something is going to happen, and it re eding forward are indicators good that and the tension being built while proce ©Supermassive Games ©Supermassive ©Feral Interactive Games ©Supermassive - -

51 ARTICLESARTICLES ©Supermassive Games ©Supermassive 52

ARTICLES for the in devs the . consideredbe more and more important problems of with special will needs Such examples make me believe that the has a menu regarding section accessibility. ve Games production, Man of Medan, also manual disabilities. T of with people needs visual, hearing and Gone to thebody’s R dio adapted their highly acclaimed Every of colour blindness. the graphics for with people various forms option avideo ded which allows to adjust pers of the latest installment of D (both games by T Bloober subtitles in Layers of F exceptions, like the ability to enlarge the H ters. not get involved much in accessibility mat Unfortunatelyspecial needs. the studios do ding an average player, not aplayer with regar developers the by were designed while playing but games, such features What Imentioned above is useful for me productions. day’s and exploration music, like in many to owever, there praiseworthy are some T he Chinese he latest Supermassi ear 2and Blair Witch apture game to the eam). T oom stuRoom he develo oom ad oom ------small map in the corner of the screen, whe worlds (S. actionSome games that have large open M existed. colours bright some into option to change the colour of such icons ally difficult. It helpfulwouldbe very if an for the opponent’s head in dark areas is re A Plague T tally colour blind. In agreat game such as in dark locations it fails for me as Iam to which quite is understandable. H Usually enemies in games are marked red I the gameplay hard for me. gameplay, now Iwill so explain what makes I described what I find helpful during E clearly. strating not being able to the crosshair see important in F usefuland for very me. was Accuracy is very T t of style nability his option available was in older games nemy inimaps tagging T to .A.L.K.E. ale: Innocence aiming precisely h e cross c PS games, so it is reallyPS so games, fru h ange icons R ., D ., h t ying Light) have a air he colour owever and - - - -

also welcome. T gamers with other kinds of disabilities are add, Iwill gladly know their opinions. T if they do not or have something more to ers may agree with and my observations, I can assume many visually impaired play lities. It is written from my but perspective ces as avideo with visual disabi In this article I described my own experien but this is areally painful experience. man. Iknow it the was devs’ artistic vision like being thrown into the dream of amad transitionsfects, etc. that it makes you feel which attack you with many so visual ef story. T ideas good and very ansome interesting game, thebe although Observer having mention the brain. example Agood would forscreen, the stressful not it to eyes, is very When too much is happening on the T read them. I do not have to tell you how difficult it is to backgrounds contrast non on displayed les V screen until you press abutton. an option in which the sequences stay on the aforementioned Man of Medan has there is no way to disable them. sequences that consist mainly of Q come the player’s reflexes. Games like D immediately take on action, it is based so realise what button has to and pressed be with disabilities. T unt of time are really unnerving for gamers kes you press certain buttons in amo short T Quick to change the size of this tiny map. nvenient it would if the be player able was notdoes help with the gameplay. H always open the regular large map but it ful for short-sighted course Of people. Ican Lookingstatuses. at that map is really pain tle icons regarding your mission and other re you the can direction see and of lots lit he choice sequences in which agame ma oo ery many H T small he game delivers long sequences uman or Man of Medan have action ime visual E vents here is still much to do in subtitles he player has to quickly stimulants or etroit: Be H subtit Es, andTEs, owever ow co he ------

should be accessible for everyone. accessible should be also they audiobooks, or audiodescription ment and and as there art, are movies with games Video areneeds. of entertainpart make the developers aware of our special gaming it is important so for industry us, to ©Feral Interactive ©Supermassive Games ©Supermassive ela BesztoIzabela cha -

53 ARTICLES ©Florent Cellai ©Florent 54 54

ARTICLES In An Fan G Sou d Th ri n e m c dtra dan decades. been dividing listeners for many have improvisation and mastery acquired taste issue, performing by jazz for at least a moment – the through, it’s difficult not stopto temporary music has evolved con that path the Contemplating

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ARTICLESARTICLES ness toness what is happening on screen). Go tracks in real time and with full responsive trends, AIwill in the future compose sound tial on current (because, based technology cial intelligence to unleash the full poten audial impasse and it’s awindow for artifi If well thought-through, it helps battle any take at alook the element of improvisation. fitristics soundtracksthe – for example let’s how many perfectly shows of jazz characte testament of Grim T adventure developed. sting ever games on is the score of one of intere the most T well. extremely requirements make Moreover it. soundtrackthe –it fits find out that it’s notpeoplesome as bad as ugh the eye of illustrative music, we could genre. if we looked Because at jazz thro analysis and into look adeeper the subject but rather something of aF fending or attacking one side or the other, T he victim which we’ll our base discussion he point of this article, though, is not de F andango, it’s music, reudian psycho he ------jazz falls much further from the tree. It does wherever tracks put symphonic possible, quo allows us (or perhaps, allowed us?) to chise. Although illustrative music’s status kind of black in My Little Pony fran and we wouldn’tstyle, really put Batushka course, artistic pathOf every has it’s certain in the world of soundtracks. office?),starting it position also has a good dentist’s the at restaurants, supermarkets, role of ambient (what is usually played in asjazz. music And, that takes often on the while not distorting too much our idea of te duets/trios) assures the artistic freedom swinging big-bands to much more intima (from instrumentation flexible further: ing the soundtracks. the fit characteristics jazz of shows how perfectly many music, Fandango, it’s The testament of Grim - - still counterfeit? jazz, or is it aperfect extraordinary. a solution at the same and time effective music in the score. decide to emphasize traditional Mexican (the composer) didn’t along with LucasArts ask aquestion as to why Peter McConnell of them have Spanish names), we could ters like look Mexican figurines and many guage and culture (for example, the charac relies heavily on the Spanish/Mexican lan Considering the how game’s atmosphere cision compliments well. it ing present in the game, such musical de it is curious. With quite alot of humour be the Mexican D – achoice equallywith perfectly safe (fits toworth mention the of usage latino music it’s jazz, than Other genres. soundtracks, experience alien, as awhole,very on two for which not was afraid to found the musical music), but rather alittle bit crazy pioneer, (in opposition to, for example, T Grim F click D we would get Pulp consisted only of unedited jazz standards, the narrative’s consistency, and if the music ut considering the gameplay and needs in terms of gameplay, than Witho artistic. easily distinguish much as more practical, we can hear solutions that any listener can – soundtrack this… of vibe „soundtrack” the course,Of it’s hard not to awaylook from excitingand visions. audio developers easily create new Jazz lets composers and involving New Orlean-based genre ( to have on it’s started own acertain trend it not it? worth Especially it seems because toyear get 1998 ajazz soundtrack… but was surprisedbe that we had to wait until the mightexciting people Some audio visions. andsers developers easily create new and compo let characteristics aforementioned the all that though, fact, the change not ogs. H ogs. ). andango is not asafe just ambler ere comes another question: is it ía doesn’t de it?) Muertos, as T hat would have been F iction or Reservoir he Sims’ click ------, counterfeit? Is it still jazz, or is it aperfect ©Double Fine Productions Fine ©Double ©Double Fine Productions Fine ©Double Marek Domagała

57 ARTICLESARTICLES 58

ARTICLES Mu Horror P L w Ho ART i s 1 te s ic T n

o To o o Mu Horror P L w Ho ART i s 1 te s ic T n

o To o o of the composer (or,of the composer depending the on game.Outlast I from the first indulge now let’s inAnd S in music sounds. classical seek who that this those will song definitelysatisfy arranged elegantly.been very I the string, had harp and parts woodwind and resolving intervals, full of satisfyingly memorable leading is piece theme. The composition, great and a Rapture. I from Harvest E An listen Curry’s Let’s to Jessica tracks as Resident Evil 7or ? you ever met aperson in love with such sound chants. From Merzbow to Wagner. But have anything: rock, soundtracks, gregorian jazz, genre. In response, we could hear practically Let’s ask any music lover about their favorite t seduces us with us masterful t seduces E verybody’s Gone to the verybody’s oldier Attack t’s very kind very t’s t seems arly than to one. the second ner’s comeback to track the rather first an I eds ne nobody And standards. to the beauty that to connected it’s our nature –in part, ajob at NA needs Nobody theone will second scare or exhaust him. will piece move the thelistener, first and That’s ajumpscare. We that can assume the devil’s crazy. tritone, goes everybody Drums go crazy, out keeps stressing brass when namingases the track appropriately. dise heart the possible listener’s about point of view, impolite) very to remember Q above 150 toQ above the liste foresee 150 - S A to conclude - - -

59 ARTICLESARTICLES ©The Chinese Room ©The Chinese Room ©The Chinese 60

ARTICLESARTICLES of scoring for media. We have entered anew level it. T it. scores thatscary from the benefit most the with case this subgenre, but it’s the neurobiological T analogies. H Read on. eye, it’s important to have them in mind. century and neither do they open our third article, below, are not the discoveries of the rorize us? Although the clues listed in this pleasure to scores that are to supposed ter would anybody want to to try listen with me answer this obvious very question: why ways of doing that. But before let we start, more „musical” soundtracks, I’ll to try show eagerness and curiosity as we listen to the cholic main themes only) with as just much listen to horror music (not meaning melan bold) hypothesis saying that it’s to possible T ime to get to the on point. a (very Based orror music, to fulfill uses it’s purposes, hrough analogies, those it directly his isn’t only - - to their excitement. T therethe of history art, would no end be studyingconversation with somebody hand, if we were to mention in Picasso a scratch his head and leave. the On other paintings,casso’s he would likely most just caveman and we showed him one of Pi and their contexts… If there causes, a was emotions structure, Instruments, to. ning tively the piece deconstructs you’re liste –ormes more far –your often mind ac Point analysis. two: I’m sure that someti recognize? ter. Are we not afraid of that what we do not sarily lead to understanding the music bet but mightadphones/speakers, not neces escalate the tension coming out of the he we come back to the which sounds, might mething listening, besides else but in mind, through which we have adesire to do so combination, into uneffective an proaches come here would to be conjoin the ap two the decision itself. T pros and but important cons, the most is it on the go? Both approaches have their all the attention and maybe even analysing to listening be actively –giving the music for us to do something else, or are we going unds to create acertain underlying mood ing to listening be passively, using the so toneed make. T T perfectly. that right now we have the tools to prepare for directly, not only in the horror terms. And to conductstart our bodies even more bably will not take long before composers new level of scoring for media. it pro So is asignalown body that we’ve entered a the connection music between and our new thing, and the idea of introducing D it developed during the few last decades. taken this path throughout the years. But drones… and Many on. so composers have and design sound through ringing ear te hits and dynamic changes, it can simula rate, scares through sudden percussion ugh pulses it brings bass up the heart influences of the the body listener: thro here are acouple of decisions that we rones and pulses are bass arelatively he first heone first is: are we go he least desirable least he out his hyperbole shows ------terms. directly, not only in the horror conduct our bodies even more before composers to start It probably will not take long cause most of thecause most horror OS you either like the score or you don’t (be parent -one according system to which it’s to worth out stress that despite this ap of one them. Nonetheless, each and every iszons, expected to nobody fall in love with can, like no other genre, broaden our hori and . Even though soundtracks soundtracks from and Grim F portant matter –the taste. Mr Aloves the Let’s also not forget about an extremely im that from benefit it. for the subgenre itself, perhaps for those should pay more attention to Even it. if not has much so influence over them that we although distant from other subgenres, Within, it’s not easy, so but horror music, appreciate. With Resident Evil or T that the more the we see, more we can dango, on the Mr other B, hand – ©Tango Gameworks T s sound fairly he Evil D oom an - - - - - What are your favorite soundtracks? scary of the part second article. H world of horror music, more of which in the theynew; would agreat be invitation to the of you, ’s works are nothing the dread I’m escape. sure that for most a layman), and all the while it doesn’t let ideas (while approachable being very for musically-speaking, full of many original the audio effects. the audio effects. not only for the music but tracks, also for Yamaoka responsible time long for a was veteran Akira – composer/sound designer series. T series. ted to mention afundamental game video T system. binary soundtracks that could easily pin down this similar), there are ambassadors of dreadful hat’s why until now Ipurposefully omit Marek Domagała he talk’s about Silent H T he ’s series is, ow about you? ill and its -

61 ARTICLESARTICLES 62 ©Tarsier Studios ARTICLES ga horror de Sou nd function. of games from the genre which Ithink deal well with that tension into the player. In this article Iwill describe acouple the audio has an additional function –to trigger fear and off immersed in the world of the game. In horror productions, along with the graphics needed to make the player feel fully the role of the sound is highly important; it is akey element part of them as the graphic matter. In modern video games, only because of the visuals. The sound working is as equal gamesVideo from the genre are not scary s m ig e s n i n

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ARTICLESARTICLES coming and it is time to hide immediately. which is asign for the player that danger is hiss, spine-tingling a makes it it, disturbs It roarsdors. and shrieks, and if something while floors walks it around the dark corri you can hear steps on the its metalshafts, Youunds. can hear it crawling in the vent makes plenty of diverse and frightening so in an attempt to localize position. it And its stening to the sounds it makes is necessary it cannotBecause killed be from, or fled li and anytime. It can alerted be by noise, too. is not scripted it can so appear anywhere for survival. in which relying on hearing is the strategy important, it is one of few the games very liantly sound designed –and what is more tages of this production. T of thecast Alien movie are the main advan ginal score, and the collaboration with the presented world, implementation of the ori T of the iconic about the Xenomorphs. 2014, well is avery of done the part universe T Al he oriented presentation of the re his science horror, fiction published in ie n: I n: so l T a he main enemy, that is Alien, t io n ( Crea t he game is bril A ive sse m b ly) ------mitting suicide by banging his head against man cutting alive man aman apart, com the player enters, an insane chuckle of awo a horrifying female scream echoing aroom scenes mentioned before are for example nearby make the skin crawl. T thego out, sounds of the creatures crawling At the moments when the lights suddenly spreadingwhispers in the ventilation ducts. and transmissions away, radio far screams we can hear metal falling, objects horrible even the distant one. of the large ship transmits sound every easily, bing scenes and T sounds. T the most. calledbe to onefirst a deserves horror game three installments of this game, however the by alienthat creatures. is possessed T place on the spaceship named USG Ishimura Another science fiction horror,which takes woodore Sh Dea experience. bloodcurdling tension and makes Alien: Isolation areally All of these keeps the player in unbearable d Sp a he game is full and distur of scary c e (V ) is c era T hat means in the game l Ga he metal structure m he disturbing es / EA R / EA here are e d - - - - terrifying hospital. Unsettling tuba sounds, follow the player in his journey through the contains plenty of hair raising moments that cliched. less T ry Samuel Laflammewhich makes scenethe companied with adisturbing soundtrack by In this though case an interesting is ac story but somewhata good worn horror scenery. ments on patients are being is performed, chiatric hospital, where cruel some experi track. Agloomy, Victorian building of apsy Outlast is agame that scares with sound its O ning and tense horror games. this studio. It is also one of frighte the most sound isdesigned the best game made by play intense and heavy. In my opinion SOMA withned terrifying sounds make the game main character’s vision. All of these combi the disrupts that interference tromagnetic creatures. T hein cannot cases some even atlook the has to avoid them moving quietly, very and shrieking in excruciating pain. T dering around the complex, screaming and are mutated and deformed humans wan the sounds of of them the Most monsters. currents –and the close attention deserve rounding the main character’s body, water chines, water dripping in the rooms and sur are well very crafted –the sounds of the ma machines. T of water, full of mutated life sea and hostile kes us feel overwhelmed by the cold mass spitable, sound and design the perfect ma from the BioShock It series. is dark and inho is not abright lighted, peaceful place known us feel uncomfortable. T T a mysterious underwater research complex. ghly acclaimed Amnesia, the player into gets SO Ishimura. of corridors dark the fies this feeling, making the player in feel lost great in part that. of use reverb Wise intensi overwhelmed and the sound design takes a the wall… ated by F bottom of the ocean, for in the game cre We are going from the outer space to the he fact thathe fact we are under the water makes u M tl A ( as Fri t (Re rictional Games, known for the hi D ead Space makes the player feel heir proximity also elec causes ct he sounds of the surroundings io d B he score is unpleasant and nal Gam arre he ocean in SOMA l s ) es ) he player ------g F ductions is only half the battle. T matter, as the graphic design in these pro T is. character that tragic how shows kes the feeling even more terrifying, and also to communicate with the player, which ma can hear her whispering, chuckling and trying D breathtaking. unpleasantly the sonic manifestation of her appearing is game physically she the attacks protagonist, skeleton, and in the installment second of the wer of her mind, leaving nothing but abloody that Alma is able to kill ahuman with the po more uncomfortable. Considering the fact asant noise, which made her presence even ter, the clicking replaced was with an unple In the continuation published four years la or other connected some to ghosts her story. companies the manifestation of Alma’s ghost the broken lights of the but most time it ac the clicking reveals harmless anomalies like of“message an unknown origin”. Sometimes king in the communication T system. ceive an signal, odd we hear adistinctive clic in terms of sound design. Every time we re paranormal activity, which interesting is very T ments makes this game not shooter. atypical a girl named Alma who is avictim of experi threats, along with a heartbreaking of story squad specialized in dealing with paranormal of a mission ofA story a militaryout in 2005. shooter in horror asurvival which mood came F world. insane this in immersed tients mumbling and screaming makes us walls and planks wooden screeching, the pa whole. T sound design makes the sound of the game experience during the gameplay. good Avery all illustration of these is aperfect of what we prepared piano clusters, earsplitting violins – skillfully merged. skillfully fully scare the player, to need be both parts .E.A. he main character is extremely sensitive to he sound in horror games is an interesting .E.A.R. a .E.A.R. i n ( ela Be sztoIzabela cha R Monol . ( he perfect sounds of thehe storm, perfect the F irst Encounterirst Recon) is a nd F nd i th) .E.A.R. 2: Pro 2: .E.A.R. espite that, we we that, espite j o success e ct O ct his is a ri ------

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ARTICLES Hill 1-4? in scare W Sile h The Silent H these soundtracks. these we will not focus on such of parts Silent or the lyrical Promise (Reprise) from from the Silent first H to mention the iconic main theme guitar, piano and –so wrote ear catching cues based on tions. For each of them Yamaoka strongest features of these produc all, music by Akira Yamaoka are the gned by Masahiro Ito, and above desi creatures monster haunting games. Emotionally driven stories, me iconic among the fans of horror fourfirst installments, have beco at at H ill 2. ill 2. ill series, especially the However, in this article s ill installment

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© Konami Entertainment Digital

67 ARTICLESARTICLES 68 © Konami Entertainment Digital ARTICLESARTICLES like the alley, where after crossing the gate like with my heart in my mouth in locations the composer able was es, to make me feel and disturbing. using By simple techniqu and in the first Silent H creeps. T and, many after so years, still gives us the T instruments. nic Yamaoka however decided to electro use up the tense atmosphere using strings. find often mes that usefulfact by building anxiety. Composers for horror films and ga something unknown, and unknown causes were associated either with predators or of the primalis left era, when such sounds of dangersense to the listener. It is what ched, modulated or harsh sounds evoke a that Very process. low- high-pit and very scare Music us. pays an important role in monly known, horror games are made to Silent H frightening universe. sound Akira Yamaoka created the he first he first installmentwas released 1999 in ill is ahorror series and, as it is com he music takes in part that as well, ill it is really harsh - - - - - © Akira YamaokaAkira beat mixed with something that sounds Escalating, metallic hits in All, trance-like stead of hands. atures resembling children with pincers in time, as well as the filledschool with cre the terrifying alternative world for the first with the “Beware the dog” label, we enter - - in Waverer or R as openings or endings of certain like cues, sequences of creepy sounds are here used Silent H the entire series in my opinion. is the OST scariest in H H Black Mind or pulsating in loop Silent bass in grindings noisey Minds, Our in Lurks that and T and Ghost thm in Ashes cues as well. scary T perfect harsh, although andlished, less containing soundtrack more is its melancholic and po focuses on the tragedy of the story, hence T at the times the game appeared. nion, and for sure and unique it scary was the in scariest the entire series in my opi cimens from Ito’s bestiary. Silent H companiment to evade (or fight) the spe cacophony in My unsettling sound in I’ll Kill You or complete thesizers combined with high-pitched, Lyric. Arhythmic pulse and dissonant syn like siren aprocessed in and Over D series. whichloops, are characteristic so for the we can hear of lots unpleasant synthesizer H storted -like, disturbing chant Prayer and dark, di T Moon. in the game), like AStray Child or Innocent the actual existing tracks (yet on their own re are any, they are unsettling openings to tingling cues in soundtrack, its and if the Silent H tension and anxiety. and personal tragedies with the mixture of a variation of the iconic Silent T games are made to scare us. as it is commonly known, horror Silent Hill is ahorror series and, he installment second of the series mainly he Last Mariachihe Last close attention, deserves ill 2 OS eaven are the darkest of the Silent parts ill 4: T ill 3in turn has got not many spine he exceptions are on atribal based T eads No.2. In theeads game No.2. however , which flavour thisstory of guilt oom ishe pretty Room similar. T oom ofoom Angel. H H eaven. T he perfect ac he perfect rance-like rhy he D he H ill theme, ill OS arkness owever, evil’s T is he ------recipe for players scared to death. and intriguing gameplay makes aperfect of disturbing sounds with evocative visuals fear with interesting story. T developers to this day, to who try combine horror that games, inspire various game whichse, accompanies the psychological univer sound frightening the created oka notdoes change that the fact Akira Yama with Elizabeth Mary McGlynn It on vocals. cially considering of the cooperating fact on tracks with structure,song typical espe F design. sound its red not with soundtrack its but rather with though the game makes itself us feel sca ders committed from beyond the grave, to the world of gruesome, mysterious mur this cue in the game menu, it introduces us drone in the background. When hearing played insynthesizerwith flamenco a style is really harsh and disturbing. and harsh really is well, and in the first Silent Hill it The music takes part in that as rom Silent H © ela BesztoIzabela cha Konami Entertainment Digital ill the 3on, scores focus more he combination - - - - -

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ARTICLES P P ‒ Colle Materia C OVER STORY ATRO T O improve their skills). skills). improve their ble workspace (to exchange ideas and help them by covering the logistics and providing an affa definitiontypical of a label, Materia aides them game music world. Completely outgrowing the and publishing young, promising of the artists anniversary, marking another year of producing Materia Collective just celebrated their fourth S HE C ER’s c NS O tive tive

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ARTICLESARTICLES from human and approach to both artists Theirdesirable label? popularity comes S larize game video music. thatfans gathered to collaborate and popu I that remained has throughout the years. a foundation of Materia Collective’s work, That the is not possible. core be idea and an that would opportunity nals, otherwise ideas produced and published by professio hasalbum, achance the to artist have their anWhether indie cover it’s a or soundtrack The label’s discography shows just how open they are. t reaches to their —acommunity roots of o what makes Materia Collective such a - - cannot help but fall in love with that. appreciateswho simply One games. video in all, music for and from, it’s to everybody easily is to accessible library All everyone. the relations with the listeners —the album inclusiveThe nature into of the label seeps and the it’s with same their Facebook place. all how they tastes) open just shows are, discographybel’s (so many to releases suit ofLegend Zelda Automata? or NieR: la The uldn’t love of Final to apart be Fantasy, The my career. what And acareer, too. Who wo dreams, this where is Iwould love to start listeners amusician —as full and of hopes - - passion and gavepassion it all abeautiful welcome. brought together , and simplicity loved many by This so music has of us. A heart-warming tale told by one person, S spirit of the game in ajazzing way. to on theand mixingpass different styles track in anew light, utilizing guitars strings, albumAn that Cuphead’s shows sound S P tri l u c n k g head A lb um : A Cu A phead : o undtrac k

- S emotions. for anybody lookinga no-brainer for pure true to chiptune the score is possible, as As graphics. gaming and pixel-perfect it’s retraces our back to steps days of arcade Like time a machine, Celeste’s soundtrack C evoking and myriads emotions. of moods iconic game video and amasterclass as in I compared to how magnificent sounds. it promisingThe title of this release nothing is otherAn t’s incrediblet’s both acommentary as to the o eleste undtrac (O W rigi orld k) n al S ymphon y

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ARTICLESARTICLES perspective. turing their from anew beauty somber main of U themes from Last The quartet and let reimagine vocals us the With amore piano, sound, classical string T the brilliance of unification. and oftement diversity the beauty about anything. This homage the is ultimate sta saycan safely that more it’s thandiverse musical has it’s palettethe so years, –we the iconic evolved throughout series As F S a he L U n CCESSOR: F tasy of Us R ast VIII R VIII i emi nal emi xed

x ed s, cap s, - - C a unique way. showing his non-horror in side melodies, full themesfable and of playful touching music tells string-led awonderful, Moss’ M derstanding what true like. is art mysterious, bring to one step closer us un engagingpiano and of it, the touching And soundtrack. simplistic and the mesmerizing, story it’s brilliantly cult-classicThe lies jRPG’s in beauty both P ia hro oss no S n C o o ollection Trigger undtrac k s : : - life on the US road in the 1930s about composition Americana guitar-led a country jazz, or blues into blended egrass, choir and orchestra. ny of the Night soundtrack played by live S W S : of magnitude the the Night, this crowdfunded album shows A follow-up album to of the Ressurection the Res W plendid soundtrack for the game has blu here i ne u Night n of n rrectio S o W undtrac ater : A : l u T card aste k

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INTERVEIWS Majora’s MaskRemixed The album isnow available! Time’s EndII : aNd MuSiC iNduStrieS CoMBiNed! FilM tHaN Bigger iS iNduStry gaMeS tHe I p p p . 90 . 84 78 . NTERVIE MARSHALL SAM WHITEHEAD NATHAN EVERIS JON T p p p . 104 . 100 . 94 ‒ SaMMarSHall WS RAINE LENA F NIMA MME FLA LA SAMUEL AKHARA

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INTERVEIWS w E Jo wit tendo kid. I was obsessed withtendo games like kid. obsessed Iwas muchugh very Iwas aSuper because Nin got into deep the lore and world of it all tho I’d never anything seen like it before. Inever place. Iremember being blown away by it. a computer, I would so play at my friends PC first games I ever played –I didn’t have Jon Everist: MechWarrior one 2was of the BattleTech game? What brought you to scoring the recent you oftheAre BattleTech afan franchise? upcoming score for Disintegration. for score upcoming terviewing the and composer asking him about that score and his Recently Ihad the pleasure soundtrack in of theas 2018. of best Everist’sJon soundtrack BattleTech for by chosen was our readers e are f e are h veri a m n azi ar i ar n n t chn te g h e f - - s uture uture ology F H enough lucky been I’ve to have worked on my head abit since at 10 Iwas the time. lot of the tabletop and games PC went over medieval sound. medieval gle with the brush of an almost mily infighting and powerstrug I wanted to paint the feudal fa inal F arebrained Schemes games since the first t antasy 3and T - rigger, but a - -

79 INTERVEIWS ©Harebrained Schemes ©Harebrained 80

INTERVEIWSINTERVEIWS to care for the revival of classic Battle tual happy very Iwas so they trust, asked me Shadowrun. We’ve established alot of mu battle music? battle called so option for the is best score stral you think Do orche thatriors. an epic, large mechanical between war battles BattleTech agame mainly is the about on that as abase for first the music. were telling awar story, Iwanted so to focus we Ultimately, inspired. overwhelmingly the team writing, was it hard was not to be universe and the complex characters that tostarted delve into deeper the lore of the or myvisit first Battleto a ofse awe when I got to play MechWarrior, What Idid have in my toolset that was sen have persisted since the and 80’s 90’s. gia or adherence to norms in the music that overwhelmed with of this sense nostal vast the franchise with fresh eyes that weren’t to do the score. able Iwas to take at alook me well when approached Iwas served was my naivety about how massive Battle gamevideo form. In alot Ithink of ways, T ech center. I As T ech in T ech - - - - - survive. or failures,successes they are to trying just they agree with them or care about their cians corporations mega or not because are people se doing work for corrupt politi is largely an unjust and violent world. T on and struggling to make aliving in what ut amercenary crew who is barely holding think this is a war story, and abo it’s a story insideperson Isaid before, the mech. As I for the thoughts and motivations of the re for Battle I think the way to I hoped approach the sco (which Istill love by the way). tion films that werebeing made 90’sin the andged over reverential of ac to the sorts testosterone-filled or consistently overchar reframe the notion that the music has to be score Itried to my take best astep back and ched in larger than life action –but for this Jon Everist: Battle focusing on the sensational. uld lead with empathy instead of My hope was that the music wo T ech was thatech was with was concern T ech is inherently dren he ------mercenary side with more electronics and medieval sound, and Iwanted to treat the wer struggle with the brush of an almost paint the feudal family infighting po and your mercenary campaign. Iwanted to frontier F score appropriate, was but there’s also a T war epic. It pitched was to me as “Game of I think is apretty sweeping itself the story ad of focusing on the sensational. the music would lead with empathy inste tely result in their death. that was My hope them in terrible situations that can ultima to get killed, but are forced often to put they genuinely care about and do not want they are in charge of agroup of that people ers will do the campaign and really feel like as aruthless leader, but Ithink play most of course these decisions. Of you can play wanted the player to really feel the weight ir own life, which is always on their mind. I the mech is much more valuable than the extremely dangerous, and they know that Goingars. into battle in agiant mech is they are humans with motivations and fe When they come back to their dropship, hrones in Space” Ifelt so that an orchestral ©Harebrained Schemes ©Harebrained ireflyvibe going on there with too ------ugh your music? to convey acomposer as thro emotions you for it easy Is parts. affecting autiful, be of In thislots we find soundtrack can disdain. inconsequential and with afair amount of the political infighting of the ruling asclass everyday lives person their life and views grittiness tosome the how show “normal” inputs like art and writing. and like art inputs player is already feeling by other My job is to enforce what the ©Harebrained Schemes ©Harebrained - -

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INTERVEIWS and they are familiar also very with classi Jon Everist: T What the reason? was and Latvia. from Germany, ensembles sical Hungary To the murecord theyou score, chose other inputs like and art writing. force what the player is already feeling by certain way about things. My job is to en you have to to try force the player to feel a an emotivedoesn’t deserve treatment and disingenuously, where acharacter or scene write itself. It’s much more difficult writeto their and to the backstory music starts just I have to do is read ascene or hear about complex and nuanced characters where all and Andrew McIntosh continuously delivers H writing and the characters are fully realized. Jon Everist: Ithink it’s only when the easy sensibilities. classical more games, but tend to adhere to recently, work alot in film and European , especially arebrained Schemes has amazing has arebrained Schemes writers, hese arehese world class players - - - of the Battle this score that exuded the feudal qualities cal sounding music. Iwanted to approach a broada generalization. that’s although sensibilities, classical more in film and but games, tend to adhere to orchestras, especially recently, work alot get films is recorded in the US. European thatby the fact alot of music in big bud easier to nail a ‘ ply amazing to In see. America, it’s usually lookedjust at and play it beautifully is sim that they can sit down with apiece they’ve the world as true super heroes. T players Isee class. in America and around Jon Everist: All of these musicians are world musicians? ropean working and Eutween with American youDid experience be any difference cing the politics of the era. tions and playing, especially when referen using almost medieval sounding orchestra I wanted to capture that in many cues by have gone backwards in terms of politics. lot of ways we are still in the dark ages and future with amazing technology, but in a T ech universe. We are in far the H ollywood’ sound simplyollywood’ he fact ------a hybrid score that alot uses of synthetic and the music has ajoy been to write. It’s game. interesting It’s avery and fun title Jon Everist: I’m actually still working on the the music? about weshould expect fighting. of title,withWhat lots fiction gration yet is game. It another science You’vescoring Disinte the finished just a lot of fun too! that is hard to capture with It samples. was of place and realness to of some the score textures for the game. It adds just a sense to as atmosphere, use jects percussion, and an instrument with various household ob take atrip to home depot and put together available, Ithought so it would cool to be all about making due with what you had called “ Jon Everist: Ibuilt an instrument Ilovingly own it to in the score? use youDid build any instrument your on synth likea software Zebra. F unds. and take alot of time to dial in so good analog synth, but they can unruly also be ths as well. Ilove the tactile musicality of an thesizer. Ido work alot syn with software modular synth setup and my Prophet syn Jon Everist: Ihave afew. Irely heavily on my many in your analog synthesizers studio? BattleTech Have you soundtrack. got inYou your ofanalog sounds lots used otherwise. uld play that aggressively less unless told whereasit, adouble forte in Europe wo loud if the context of the writing suggests understand that it means to play extremely adouble forte they will usually exampleA good is that if you show an LA linearly. the whole game is composed score is to make it sound like I think the goal of agood game or output nothing and speed, beats T he F rankenstring”. Battle T ech was ------it’s still goal agood to have. and interactivity. Ifail at this constantly, but there’s randomization manynes of levels linearlyposed when behind in fact the sce make it sound like the whole game is com I think the goal game of agood score is to when the music is shifting gears. opinion is when can someone clearly tell break the musical fourth wall, which in my toneeds scored be in away that doesn’t scored like films, but the meat of a game urse there are cinematics in games that are Jon Everist: T and scoringfilm? games for ring video for sco between you do see What difference both, which is super fun. but Ifind that in D ring, takes melody fiddle second to texture, I always enjoy. times in Often modern sco and memorabilitylody’ for this one, which write to. able I was to really focus on ‘me pretty incredible, which is always ajoy to campaign. T matic game with a super cool single player mixing with orchestra. elements that Ireally enjoyed creating and ela BesztoIzabela cha he acting and cinematics are here are many so –but of co isintegration Iget to do T his cine is a very ------

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INTERVEIWS he’d decided to the compose music for. he really dug into Studio’s Bend latest hit to one my letting of me know questions, Days for Gone, composer the Whitehead, what motivates us.” —answered Nathan and morality of sense our re-examine to „The post-apocalyptic setting forces us Wh o f Th Nat or f m e po e c orality a orality e s u s t-a s to re-e po ite ha c n aly d wh x p a ti m c at m videogames. and what he digs about composing for his career soundtrack, how it affected Days of mes Gone, what inspired the on composingughts all for the the In our interview, he shares his tho h i s n n etti e our s e our otivate ead ead

n g g e ns s u e e s - -

85 INTERVEIWS ©SCE Bend Studio Bend ©SCE Studio Bend ©SCE 86

INTERVEIWSINTERVEIWS game better and made the process really energizing and infectious. Ithink it made the about telling this story. H John, it apparent was how passionate he was beginning.the very In my conversations with and that abig was inspiration to me from StudioBend put alot of heart in this game ted the studio. Ithink you said it nicely that andlead) Ialso visi when they were in L.A. and director) and Paul D day basis but Imet with John Garvin (writer didn’t each see other in on aday-to- person milesand in north is Bend 800 Oregon. We teresting I’m in because Los based Angeles Nathan Whitehead: Our relationship in was Studio.Bend at relationship with folks and personal stic – I’d like to know to your what was arti team have in this game ofheart alot put glance noticeablethat it is at first the has, minor flaws some Despite that the game in with mind? music Days ofcourse Gone, likemosphere at the creating studio when I’d like the to at what was For ask starters, is enthusiasm was eakin (the audio - - - - Was that there anything in Deacon’s story I enjoyed it (both the and the music game). azombie believing for itly is game). For that trigued by (not how it is big and poetic real quitewithout the Iwas game’s in context, Truth hearing after told, the be soundtrack have aunique “ the scoreped cohesive become and hopefully think taking all this time to refine really hel analyze what works and what missing. was I we would all have aconversation about it and tive process where Iwould write music and rences in opinion but it this was long, itera game.survival Idon’t recall any major diffe I think this is unique for an open-world action as it spoke to the action and horror elements. to the human emotion in as much the story that was it, stood the score to needed speak turro and Keith Leary. closely with Sony music producers Pete Sca of contact at Studio Bend and Ialso worked Nathan Whitehead: John my was main point you?ached appro they ofthe when music first vision you have What their any was differences? your likewas cooperation with them? Did game, and I’dopen-world like to know what an for especially directing, that good shows experience and distinguishable well-paced awell-directed, Days is Gone Ross? and Jeff were yousely working with Garvin John Continuing how clo the question, previous talent there is truly amazing. and it amazing was to them see at work. T is Bend asmaller games, teamto other AAA welcome when Ivisited their studio. Relative great hang and they gave me such awarm apersonalOn level, the team at were Bend a ve focus and it made the work rewarding. so ally special to afforded that be level of creati place. T music that resonated with this and this story of the game and continually striving to write ply being completely immersed in the world T capture for video me to work to. game capture and even rough performance Studio Bend satisfying. sent me tons of art, he core of our artistic relationship sim was hat might sound obvious but it’s re D ays Gone” sound. T heir vision, as I under he he ------game or in general? What were your major this inspirations for Santaolalla’sby fluenced Gustavo music? in somehow of the was score part mer the more emotional, sentimental and war muchU there, oftLo I’d but like to know if really think Idon’t thatgeneral. there that is sharegames many similarities, although ofU compared to Last The been –Days has Gone A rather question obvious ror elements. little in deeper addition to the action and hor opportunity for the score to, hopefully, dig a and theyGone story presented awonderful are overarching throughout ideas D the whether T means. the the end justifies motivates It forces us. us to really think about to re-examine our of morality sense and what to me. T of D part andse motivation. that explore broad ideas of human purpo to of.ject apart be I’m fascinated by stories D reaction and this of one was of the aspects Nathan Whitehead: Ilove that you had this spoke tojust you from the game’s themes? moved yousomething significantlyor that ays Gone that made it such an amazing pro ©SCE Bend Studio Bend ©SCE he post-apocalyptic setting forces us eacon’s and that story really spoke T hese elementshese are a big s as both both s as hese hese ays ays - - - - - Deacon’s lifestyle and culture amajorDeacon’s in lifestyle ofradio. Was this bikeras really cool type ofthe me minded and road served movies really catching re It sion, the moment. in with guitar and percus the kicks music and your the you, sunset bike, just is then you are there driving Sometimes around. thankfully, when music good plays some Days game which, an open-world is Gone warmer, sentimental side of the score. relationships. human themes of meaning and the value of D contemplative in tone. What Iloved about ments called for music that alittle was more after the F to make of sense the world in it’s current state, D I think this setting backdrop is the perfect for our place in the world. ture can encourage us to reflect and question ting in Pacific I think the U.S. Northwest. na his internal as well process, as the game’s set were the story, specifically D it is on my to list play. My major inspirations playedly the game! It wasn’t an influence but thingsgood about TLOU never but I’ve actual Nathan Whitehead: Ihave heard many so ays Gone is that it explores these universally eacon to dealing be with his and trying past reaker infection. T T hese aspects really aspects hese drove the eacon’s and past o me, these ele ------

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INTERVEIWSINTERVEIWS Soldier’s EyesSoldier’s by Jack Savoretti)? (I with loved were the chosen these part picked by there and is any context to why Who werereally they touching moments. during songs afew some Days uses Gone road. open and it gave me agreat of being sense on that bicycle, it areally was experience powerful gon where the game takes place. Even on a mountain bike ride through of Ore the parts NO the ride referring Iwas on my was bicycle and however, that, have mentioned bike riding–I D percussion asound was that felt believable for pieces in the score. Ifelt like the guitars and were definitely of part the inspiration for these zing view. D bike and I’m suddenly surprised by this ama ments in the game when I’m cruising on my thing we really on! focused Ilove mo those the bike riding music this because is some Nathan Whitehead: I’m glad so you enjoyed bike yourself! spiration you? read for that you I’ve ride a eacon. it’s And afunny about my story own T motorcycle! Iwent mile on along 400 eacon’s and lifestyle biker culture - - - - was writingwas for lap steel guitar. It’s sprinkled project and one fun exploration on D always looking to learn new things on every I’m projecton every despite efforts. my best moments overwhelming are some generally overwhelming. become it does there And ahead then about on list, my everything to-do cus on small chunks at atime. If Ithink too far huge challenge! Ihave to force myself to fo Nathan Whitehead: Scoring D Were you even feeling abit overwhelmed? there anything completely new you? for terial unfamiliar that to seemed you? Was of scoring ma any tolenged type compose Were music. youscripted chal sequences music, cutscene driving around music, sic, and— fighting produce to compose mu challenge you? for ofmusic alot is There Was world open game abig scoring along, special! really is agree, the moment when Soldier’s Eyes plays tly with the score and the story. Itotally And amazing job findingsongs that perfec fit osing the but songs the team at Sony did an Nathan Whitehead: I wasn’t involved in cho ays Gone a was ays Gone ------for you?for liberating and refreshing somewhat was and horror movies movies, ofaction a lot considering that scoring you’ve been ject, I’d like stories. to know if the pro pocalypse nihilisticnot as other and as post-a bleak the Days as game for Gone, is music lyrical You’ve poetic, hopeful, writtenvery some then I’m on the right path. Usually, if I’m feeling something as I’m writing ring ideas until to feel Istart these emotions. evoke those feelings. haveI just to keep explo neering these ideas to find the elements that onslaught.-on F and to also needed work softly as afullvery aring to down. It needed work when played andged feel oppressive when the horde is be music for the hordes to relentless be and jag I feeling as Iwrite? Iknew that Iwanted the cause this is really all about feelings–what am estion! It’s adifficult question to be answer for music,what thatAs is scary is a great qu avoid getting too synthy. with these acoustic instruments helped me have heavily been Ithink processed. starting nic sounds are actually and guitars that orchestral elements Alot abit. of the electro andlody also rebalancing the electronic and sci-fi and solutionthe was introducing a me versionly of “ with the rest of the score. Iremember an ear synthetic then they really didn’t mesh well organic quality. If they sounding started too the electronic elements to still have agritty, Nathan Whitehead: F ofthe evolving? score this part How was zombies”.gry What your idea? was go-to „The an player down by 200 chased will be music? tell the directors Imean, you: scary What’s your take what and on what not is is and elements. orchestral electronics tween thatnoticed there ahealthy is balance be you I when runly your for life from hordes. thrillers in and it shows Days especial Gone, You’ve had experience with horrors and which is the theme for Iron Mike. minently on the track “We’ve All D throughout score the featured but pro most F reakshow” felt alittle just too rom there, it’s reverse or D ays Gone, Iwanted one T hings” ------players possible. as actions music feel as immersive and tailored to the ding ways to make the interactive gameplay experience. In D Musicpossible. is such ahuge of this part and we’re scratching just the of surface what’s aremes areally special way of telling stories as the game progresses. industry I think ga present music and I’m increasingly excited Nathan Whitehead: Ido like the way games create? the on you music you a new perspective thatparticular resonated with you gave or did you notice anything in music, game use When you saw in what avideo ways can you likeDo the music? way present games score.Gone re amuch wider emotional range in the D but refreshing it so ments, was to get to explo horror projects and D changederful of pace. Ido enjoy action and Nathan Whitehead: D tive nature.tive uldn’t have made if it weren’t for the interac spurring all kinds of creative choices that Iwo a more modular fashion and that ended up It forcedways. me to think of composing in zing job implementing the music in creative the Sony music team and they did an ama T his interactivity abig was collaboration with ©SCE Bend Studio Bend ©SCE Jan Szafraiec ays Gone, Ireally enjoyed fin ays Gone has ele those ays Gone awon was ays ays ------

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INTERVEIWS t Mar Sa c t crete Genie soundtrack in an interview with gamemusic. –says aproject” Marshall, Sam for and composer author the of Con thrown away. You have to fail alittle bit to know what’s truly right wrote aton“I music of that not right was the and for project was technology. at you the so of10 age And you like and music for to combine passion yourOn Linkedin profile wroteyou that it. about the hands of gamers and always nice to talk publicity. It’s wonderful to your see work in Sam Marshall: H you like around you? publicity ofpremiere sion ofConcrete Genie. Don’t timeocca on the you theabout for first Iadmit but that years, Iheard 10 almost for that you in have the industry active been oked and it seems, at far your so career amoment? Ihave for honest lo Ibe Can h h omb a e ga n f i n m il aha! I don’t mind a little ed! m a e m s i n n du d m allsh s u try i s - - i c i s b a home writing music for games. late that 20s Irealized that maybe Icould find it into areal career. It wasn’t until in Iwas my naturally to me but Iwasn’t sure how to make major.possible Music always came the most I even went to college with film directinga as Later acartoonist. be Iwanted to an be actor. tainment industry. At one point Iwanted to wanted to do something creative in the enter Sam Marshall: When young Iwas Iknew I career? future your that you would want your to in skills use Mario you Did already Paint. know then them to play your with made own music created to box yourself asmall use boom n du igger igger s trie s

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INTERVEIWSINTERVEIWS Did youDid know from the beginning what you able to work with them. has it’s challenges to lucky but I feel be very draw inspiration from. course project Of every create fantastic is so which makes to easy it so everople I’ve worked with. T talented most sweetest, and passionate pe Sam Marshall: T composer. Was it huge challenge you? for an titles both as for your own compositions and Concretetwined Genie. You’ve created En they far: have so games two released Pixelpous a relatively is young company, that Iwant to of. apart be work out there and athirst for original content music industries combined! T the games is bigger industry than film and work seamlessly inside of agame engine. Also techy. Ilove the challenge of making music many over the years. I’m also alittle nerdy and Sam Marshall: Ilove games! enjoyed I’ve so Why? games. stayed with video sity, any you almost could you get but job, With adiploma from this univer of Music. You College at obtained education Berklee he folks at Pixelopus are the he artwork theyhe artwork here’s plenty of - - - just very playful and playful pure very just in it’s sound. But childhoodsents and creativity. T Sam Marshall: Yes they do! T Genie? in the Concrete same meaning. Is some from the has out ment others that stands thesizer. that Ialways instru each assume flute,syn cellothe and soundtrack: analog on strongly out stand instruments Three of flute, cellosynths. and team did we land on ’s blend collaborativevery review process with the what’s truly right for aproject. Only after a though! You have to fail alittle bit to know and thrown was away. T ton of music that not was right for the project many concepts for the soundtrack. Iwrote a Sam Marshall: Not at all. We went through worked what out the game would like? be it notuntilwas you and your team finally or already have asoundtrack, for aconcept wanted to achieve in Concrete Gen? you Did project. know what’s truly right for a You have to fail alittle bit to his thing agood was he flute repre he flute is - - - many composers Ihave love adeep for John Like had. they limitations instrumental the aheadso time, of its especially considering do. T music from and Koji Kon influencedvery schoolby videoold game gamevideo soundtracks of all time! I’m also Sam Marshall: Yes Journey is one of the great that are inspiringposers you? Journey.tory’s there Maybe com are some stening to “” the Win is theme ofAustin thought thethatcame first to my mind li admit that Imust ofinspiration, Speaking any piece of art). tion to drive inspiration for asoundtrack (or T up quite a bit and had to fight back my tears. I saw the first version of scenethe I choked out in the beginning of Concrete Genie. When Coincidentally, similar a very situation plays threw the pages out of the window of the bus. workingbeen on for assignment aschool and on T the bus. kid abunch of mean kids stole my backpack Sam Marshall: Yes absolutely. When a Iwas soundtrack? your to inspired was childhood create the but wrong, if I’m me Correct admit it. selves Even the Pixelpous them from 80s. movies to references well as in the some as tion, the worldtheme of childhood, ofimagina clear In Concrete avery we see Gen can role and in space the soundtrack. threese instruments have there own unique and themes of the flute and cello. Each of the a nice contrast to the worldly, human sounds direction and analog use synths instead. It’s too much already. Idecided to go the other harp and celeste that’s because done been world! Ididn’t want to do wizardy like stuff theAnd synths represent the magic in the to make adult very some decisions. emotional especially moments, has when Ash the narrative the bigger and supports often maturea very instrument, the cello grounds represents adulthood and struggle. Being delicateit’s also very and emotional. here’s nothing like areal emotional connec heir thematic and melodic writing was hey ripped up ajournal Ihad T he cello ------a real career. sure how to make it into naturally to me but Iwasn’t Music always came the most and creative challenges on the horizon. the on challenges creative and meantime, looking forward to new projects me again if they make another game! In the Sam Marshall: H composer? game What avideo as are plans your further elegant, mysterious and beautiful. have to and edgy be biting, that they can be well. H and cello. D is why traditional Iuse instruments like flute there. My love for classical orchestral music Williams. I’m sure his influence has snuck in ©Pixelopus ©Pixelopus Pa w e taught me that synths don’t always eł Dembo isasterpiece is abig influence as opefully Pixelopus will have wski

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INTERVEIWS V L Sa medium th of the day, Istill compose music! Imean in the nature of this medium. But at the end you to understand theneed interactivity of games Video them. developing and ideas, time of storytelling to let you present your in 2hours. T toyou need create aworld told for astory ce, first scalethe is not same.the F Samuel Laflamme: T the medium the most? on depend games?video Which aspects TV,for film for or composing and posing com between any you see Do difference both installmentsboth the of series. chance to interview Samuel score Laflamme, of the for composer defined the meaningfearof and horror video in games. We had a game franchise,The Outlast developed by Barrels Red re Studios, ideo ga ideo e i e a ntera V shows giveV shows you much more . m f m here differen is some e c s n tivity o tivity la uel eed youeed to u or afilm, - - f th mm Is it the uniqueness of the project, some ofthe it the project, uniqueness Is you wouldthe like project to work on? you for What while choosing important is explore. ry, the right emotion to Ineed reach and toneed think about the characters, the sto think about creating music for something. I threethose kinds of format, Istill to need nature of this medium. derstand the interactivity of the Video games need you to un e n e ature o n der e s - ta f th n d d - i s -

95 INTERVEIWS ©Red Barrels ©Red 96

INTERVEIWSINTERVEIWS experience. T emotion. an with resonates that something toused create an audio imagery that tells or recording an instrument, it has to be emotion. When Ithink of creating a sound (it may asound) be audio to used reveal ut music. Story and music! Music to me is Samuel Laflamme: T bination and music? design ofthe sound influential to of end the the com result more which was 2, and Outlast In Outlast experience. 3 elements, it a really was disappointing Every time Idid not reach at 2of least the paid well enough? Istill to Because need work3. to live, is it artist/composer? better new contacts etc. Isit away to a become tosomething new my career, experience, Will2. this project bring me to anew place, Will1. fun it and be pleasant to do? toneed get at 2of least the 3elements: Samuel Laflamme: I have a law for myself. I brilliant ideaofthe makers? his leads you to Iwant feel the story you to o me it is always abo - - music ensemble to make ensemble music the player sca chamber used you Outlast, For the first able to conceptualise the music Iwill create. the main vision of the project. T per, audio director, producer to understand talk with the artistic director, game develo audio/music. game, avideo On Iwill to try how we will communicate this vision with tor, and then speak with the audio designer to understand what is the vision of the direc involved in line. the story amovie, On Ihave only the audio director, but all the people the whole creative team on aproject. Not communication of believer strong between Samuel Laflamme: A lot of meetings! I am a according to you? like, look designer and a sound composer a between cooperation good How should could try! could bow articulation on whatever we in both Outlast games, it is the If there is atechnique overused hen Iwill be - - - Samuel Laflamme: was It at beginningthe ofthe game it was? part or which scene you remember Do 2. while playing Outlast ofyour youtioned own scared music got In you ofyour one men earlier interviews, in possible astudio! kind of effects crushing, time stretching… Ithink all we used delays, distortions, phasing, pitch shifting, bit on them.sounds Reverb, with alot of effects the new ingredient to was tweak the original we could Iwould say try! that in Outlast 2, it is the articulation bow mes, on whatever is atechnique overused in both Outlast ga Samuel Laflamme: I loveYes doing it! If there creating unique sounds? and unobvious What are your other favourite of forms surfaces. different a violin against bow You mentioned once that you like using textures recorded in the studio. fitwithin all the guitars and electric bass ate extended strings textures that would a homemade instrument designed to cre recorded with contact it microphone. It was strings withwood bass attached to We it. Redneck Bass”. It is agrotesque piece of Samuel Laflamme: We gentlycall it “ 2score? the for Outlast used instrument youWhat the weirdest was self. to Ineeded go away to avoid that. one, and did not want to do a parody of my thought gone Iwas enough far in the first and myself wanted to something try else. I tral from people elements. And R join both but games, they weren’t the cen course there are small of the plot parts that ment in both games the was gameplay. Of other characters, the only real same ele Samuel Laflamme: was It anotherwith story What the that? main for was reason and techniques. composing instruments entirely completely different and used you the changed conceptinstallment, him and let red suffer. For the second director. stand what is the vision of the amovie,On Ihave to under ed Barrelsed - T he ------tely to trying invent something new. Strangely, Samuel Laflamme: T Tiny for Brains?score something funnier and simpler, like your Swarm making or Ambience, undtrack, so in ofmy one ofOutlast favorite parts experimenting matter with sound like acomposer, what moreAs exciting: is one was ofse the moments scariest for us. like on aroller coaster. Ithink one cha Marta into the intensity of it and really been into it minutes10-15 of gaming, we’ve kept been we worked on for 2 years, but maybe after we were really excited by playing the game a pitch black environment. At the beginning my musicians we played and it assistants, in we installed So it. it at the studio, and with whileparts creating the score, Idid not play game, and although Isaw all the different rels sent us an “almost” final version of the of 2017, at the end of the R process. ©Red Barrels ©Red he more exciting? D ed Bared efini - - - -

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INTERVEIWS H and having done T It not was as demandingcoolness. as Outlast, T T sion. T for me having this of artistic expres liberty create all textures. those It such was fresh air me and we still talk about the fun we had to but Outlast franchise areal was laboratory for I’m not ahardcore gamer neither ahorror fan, was areal laboratory for me. a horror fan, but Outlast franchise neither hardcore gamer a not I’m plines ofart? plines inspiration youfor in other look Do disci the power of merging music with images. by D with afilmstory score Batmanwas (scored of Johnin the Williams, style James young, Ihad great time to compose music wereposers my first influences. Whenwas I stantly hear music. all So, film the best com me to express astory. an If image, Isee Iin and the music natural is the most way to a fan of cinema. I come from that form, art Samuel Laflamme: I do I musicbecause am inspire you and why? Which composers keep apsychologic healthy balance. ment ofwaywas a the Outlast, first for me to he main idea to was merge im Burton musical universe with ans Zimmer, D anny Elfman). It atrue was revelation of iny Brains more was like apure fun ride. anny Elfman. Mylove first iny Brains in the same mo D anny Elfman/ H orner, - - - - - became adifferentbecame form. art play, and then the editing came it after so created at the beginning to shoot atheatre form. T at one point that this will create anew art movies and games video will thin so be an experience. Ithink And the line between At the will end, people always want to live logies will merge the different media soon. to create Ifeel that movies. short dio game video use technologies () logy. companies Nowadays, like Stu Oats the in issue game video the was techno Samuel Laflamme: I thinkso. F and scoring? of storytelling in terms movies equal can games video you think Do that modern ming industry? in the ga the progress How you do see notions into musical concepts. me ideas about how to transpose all those depth of field etc. I do photography to give in my like head, spaces, forms, colours, architecture. all Isee Also, the music Ido is an interesting element, in music and in and links forms. T art between we both love speaking about differences kind My godfather of is art. an architect and re and photography are both my favourite Samuel Laflamme: Absolutely! Architectu ela BesztoIzabela cha hink about cinema, it probably was he rhythm or awhile, - - - - - Resurrecti Music from„C The album isnow available! Alucard’s Elegy astlevania: Symphony oftheNigh” on oftheNight:

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INTERVEIWS Fak th A good sc Ni android named Connor. named android the author the of score adetective for Fakhrara, Nima We interviewed score. ters while each them of has their own player takes control over three charac and termsscoring. The storytelling of yearlast an is interesting game in both Human, published Become Detroit: e e e m otio m ore m ore ns a h o f ake th rara rara - e ch e s t and Quantic, and without hesitation, Isaid yes. antic my interest in working on aproject from Qu about inquiring and Lockwood Mary project getting acall from the Music of the Supervisor Nima F Nima Human? Become Detroit: on toHow did work you the get opportunity h e p ara D ream. I have a fan of been akhrara: T akhrara: layer f c he opportunity arrived from from arrived opportunity he ter. eel eel D avid Cage - 101 INTERVEIWS 102 ©Sony Interactive Entertainment Interactive ©Sony

INTERVEIWSINTERVEIWS the opportunity to stay true to the concept ning to each other’s work. It gave the music Nima F Werecomposers? you sharing ideas? some Were with you the other in two contact in the courage of this idea. building. T sic without knowing what the others were listen to each other’s music and created mu keptstory coherent, everything we did not different things that happen to Connor. capture the period, location as well as the throughgoes within the story. Iwanted to towas capture all the feelings that Connor Nima F coherent? soundtrack whole to to work, starting make before tions the - instruc some get other composers two tire the for game? score you Did and the What the central was ofthe concept en things that happen to Connor. location as well as the different I wanted to capture the period, akhrara: Isaid, we were As not liste akhrara: T he praise to goes the music team he concept of the score T he - - - I started creating the score the deviations deviations the score creating the started I to different places from the beginning. Once D the project and receiving instructions from F Nima the gameplay? ofthe playerto decisions various during making your versatilecomes score when of interactivity. How did you deal with complex game in terms avery is Detroit of the filmcaptured.was were created tonality general later the after the interactive and the parts different paths nematic score, something that films like,so D Evil franchise, and Revolution 1979 before music for games video such as the Resident tire life and have had opportunities to write Nima F mediumteractive like game? avideo in youfor to make adifferent, for music You are mainly afilm composer. Is it easy any influencefrom the others. withwe started for each character without avid Cage, Iknew that could the story go etroit. D Also, akhrara: Ihave agamer been my en akhrara: After getting started with with started getting After akhrara: avid Cage wanted ci avery - - - correct environment for the project. Agood score captures the game and creates the abigbeen gamer my entire life. Agood Nima F acomposer? hand, the point ofthe player the on other and, from you can observe what differences so, If you yourself? games playDo video amps. guitar with captured creates sub-frequencies which had to be F on. struments for each of the projects Iwork Nima F well? as ments Were you your using own built instru quartet. string electric unplugged instruments but fully manipulated like an thesizer with the based addition of acoustic within the music. of Lots the score is syn ferent things what would incorporated be dif understanding starts android this as how would an android make music, and I approached the score with the idea of analog, modular and custom synthesizers. Nima F the creative process? during techniques youcomposing used experimental. Could you tell the about us Your interesting and very sounds score a reflection on it. android is up to the user, and the score has is either arebellious android or simply an each player, and that can the shift fact he on journey depends Connor’s develops. line more becomes complex as the story a simple idea of abassline, and that bass F Nima android? an merely Connor is androids? because Or the and rebellious malfunctioningchase to is profession Connor’s it because Is dark and sharp. pretty is score Connor’s in the back of my mind. and ideas of different outcome always was or Connor, Ibuilt guitar a20-foot that akhrara: Connor’s score comes from from comes score Connor’s akhrara: akhrara: Absolutely, as Isaid I have akhrara: Ilike creating custom in akhrara: T he score is created by - - - - - to feel. to the other side to feel similar to what Iwant Iam and afan, work, because just Iwant especiallyposer since Icome from aplayer of a difference a player between and a com the character. to So me, there is not much score makes the player feel the emotions of ©Sony Interactive Entertainment Interactive ©Sony ©Sony Interactive Entertainment Interactive ©Sony Entertainment Interactive ©Sony ela BesztoIzabela cha -

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INTERVEIWS violin, to alarge collection of records my music in the house. F and my mom is adancer, there always was member much. Since my dad is amusician, of my life, since before I can even really re Lena R in with general? music in connection ry memo you your what recall Do was first her love for Japanese productions. Japanese love for her ine memories talks about her first related to composingsongs and millionsCeleste, of which stole hearts year. gamers of last Lena Ra Discover behind the the creation secrets the of music process from th s f I love b R L to b or, eve or, o e i e m aine: Music has always apart been e eo e p ai ns n tru er ei n e el n i n f rom my dad playing or f t g a m n s e a e later. m h nt b ey’re goi ey’re ed b ed le to h s e I ’ - - m y y w re a year I was old, but apparently the first I don’t remember it at all since it befo was of musicsort going on. parents would play, there always was some composing as acareer. I had any real interest in ear ear riti n g g n g g - -

105 INTERVEIWS 106 ©Matt Makes Games

INTERVEIWSINTERVEIWS sounds Iloved from games to write my own F and recreate the music and do covers of it. pre-teen, natural it seemed that I’d want to try I got really into game video soundtracks as a ble to of me, my apart it just was life. when So sing as acareer. Ihad the Because tools availa age, before Ihad any real interest in compo own improvised music from areally young studio in the basement, recording Iwas my Lena sing music? interestedWhen you in compo became sic while staring back at the film projector. I apparently bounced just around to the mu king H small baby) Stop was Making by T Sense movie Iever went to (when avery see Iwas by someone else later. if they’re going to beperformed struments I’m writing for, even I love being able to hear the in rom there, Ikept playing with the kind of R eads. My parentseads. took me along, and aine: my Because dad had a recording - al - - - - - the decision to focus on music instead. and the there professors school that made I position, Igot such vibe from a good the where Ieventually attended for music com but school, whenart Iapplied to Cornish, I had accepted been to apretty low-bar animation. for love coming &animator an artist of my because but Iactually seriously was considering be towards. It’s funny to think back on it now, decision on what career Iwanted to work of graduating Ihad to make a albums in high but school, when on Iwas Lena R good? for life with music yourwhich you professional connected on youWhat the for impulse based was myself in the music. at it over years until Ifinallybegan to hear what had already written, been but Ikept Iwroterything another just was version of music, since Ispent long so feeling like eve where Idoubted my ability to write original original music. T aine: already Iwas writing original here were a lot of moments - - - catchy tunes. T progressions to unsettle while still having horror using settings, noise and ambient by Akira Yamaoka asimilar does job for its int of electronic noise. T unlike orchestral music anymore to the po of the game in ways that sound completely recordings, towards in cases some the end lizing from orchestral phrases weird looped de for the conventions of game scoring, uti ofmes the game. It is extremely avant-gar mirrors the agony represented by the the that difficult is very to listen to, yet perfectly undtrack by T In aweird counterpoint, the D game. the bring emotions to new out playing through and morphs to the gameplay in ways that sition is super solid, but then it also shifts interactivity of the medium. T tly but well-suited composed, also so to the ples of asoundtrack that is not brillian just by Keiichi Okabe is one of the exam Nie in their own respective ways: I’ll point out a few that I think are amazing favorites, it’shard so to talk about afew! just Lena OST? examples ofwell composed agreatWhat as you do games consider to by later. else performed someone be ments I’m writing for, even if they’re going to me. Ilove being able to hear the instru and listen back simultaneously is invaluable tion, that being able to write and record now comes from improvisation and itera Lena R you? for easier make process the composing in order to youWhat do use methods bly catchy. bly taking an aesthetic. an taking Mitsuda example is aperfect of no Cross soundtrack by Yasunori apersonalAs favorite, the Chro R Automata by MONACA &headed up R aine: I have such an extensive of list aine: much So of how Iwrite music akayuki Aihara is asoundtrack hey’re uncomforta very just he Silent H rakengard so he compo ill series ------Lena R started? composer agame music as reer youCan tell in afew us words how your ca emotional. deeply and timate score that can at also be times epic Gaelic inspirations to create a beautifully in and instruments solo primarily with game an intimate island setting, and scoring the example of taking an aesthetic, in this case undtrack by is a perfect apersonal favorite,As the so ©Matt Makes Games ©Matt Makes Games ©Matt Makes Games aine: Ihad the unique opportunity - - -

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INTERVEIWS . Oddly enough, this didn’t actu MMO a AAA tal that my first big title wasin the industry Lena R this work influenced as acomposer? you How tosic Guild Heat ofThorns. Wars 2: You mu to compose had an opportunity kept wanting to work with me! trailer, and then the game itself, and they writingwas eventually found way into its a we talked back and until forth the music I were like oh hey you can write music! And of my compositions, they reached out and my When own. the audio team got wind holiday Idecided to pieces, write of some the game setting didn’t have many original originalsome music to function. Because content for aholiday event that needed which somehow also lead into designing 2 towards of my the start career in games, to work as agame designer on Guild Wars were amazing experiences. stras in Budapest and Germany Working remotely orche with aine: It’s purely honestly coinciden R PG inPG as large afranchise as - - - - blockbuster films. blockbuster tiers of all big action media. cases, In most that they compete must with the highest there are from the funding people them the larger agame the more is, expectations recently changing been here and there, but comes to music. T especially games, when it risks than AAA have the opportunity to take alot more Lena R you think that? for the is reason what do and this if yes, phenomen serve ob you also Do the high games. budget average ofover very OST the sometimes are more popular becoming OST games’ You now can tell that the independent players. fewer to whenles I had used writing been for far of ensembas acomposer for sorts those riences, and really built up my own skills anddapest Germany were amazing expe Workingit. remotely with orchestras in Bu for live orchestra over the years Iworked on ford me the chance to write a lot of music jobs that were to offered me, but it did af ally lead me in any new directions as as far aine: Ithink independent games here’s atrend, which has - - - - - the piece. F with, if it wasn’t already considered of part track original the bolstered and through course of alevel were all things that Iwent expanded over time or changed over the H the finalsounds. piano to I used sketch with, became often in terms T of sounds or style. ge much over the course of development, were for the game. T the pieces to as dynamic become as they went into Celeste simply was building out Lena R of your ideas? ofyourend work to from resign the part to looked like? Celeste you Did had at the sketches of thethe first tracks How does that. reer for years to come. I’m really thankful for thata fact I’ll able be to keep doing this ca really unique opportunities, and I know for after (andseek sought be after) by some undtrack has granted able been me, to I’ve D even make it as an independent composer. Celeste soundtrack, Ihad no idea if Icould myWhen full-time Ileft job to finish the the way for the entire rest of my career. Lena R in anything changed yourDid life? influenced as acomposer? you Celeste ofthe popularity the massive How does ring ways to subvert expectations. peoples’ I think it’s brilliant, and Iwant to keep explo we might from expect agame soundtrack. ones that push at the boundaries of what them, to aesthetics distinct very have that that they’re hiring composers and bands result, indie games stand out in the ways ring what might truly suit the a game. As thing abit different for the sake of explo re’s chances less to take risks and do some the that means Unfortunately, that to. held come the bar that many large games are such ahighlight of these films, that be has bombastic orchestralBecause music is owever, the ways in which the music ue to the and access acclaim that the so aine: H aine: In a lot Celeste of paved ways, or example, the track for Reflec onestly, alot of the work that he music didn’t chan he synths and ------my mind, and more reflective of the kind of what or “chiptune” make “8-bit” it far less in I strayed from all of those limitations are limitations of that era, the ways in which le Celeste absolutely was inspired by the count, limited etc. sounds, possible Whi manyso things to consider: limited voice chiptune or things there’s systems, for 8-bit writing When limitations. hardware any the Celeste sound works is that Ididn’t have Lena R limitations? How with did the you hardware coped nostalgia. era that there’s of8-bit alot In the to music you tell Celeste can figured out vibethe of the game. were few changes very after that once Ihad re the aesthetic of the and game there was, unds of F scending piano, which theso became first the tempo, and in added slowly some de the game. Ipared So slowed it down back, action that was it didn’t quite fit the pace of When I delivered that idea, first the very re a track for the Kirby series might sound. tune, up-beat and very poppy, in the way Steps. It astraight-ahead just was synth any piano in the track writing Iwas for F retro8-bit aesthetic. , Ididn’t have wayleste was more around focused the Lena R youCan tell something it? more us about like did or you it? had another for ideas the to sound music should Celeste does From beginning you the know how very way backits to first thelayers. very and more ambient, which is how it worked ways to pare to it back, make intense it less it over the course of the levels, Ihad to find nal track. When Iknew Iwanted to develop vel, written as a fully rhythmic and emotio tion actually 3rd as its started intensity le composer. make independent an as it I had no idea if Icould even aine: H aine: T irst Steps.irst F he very first first idea I he very had for Ce onestly, the entire reason why rom there, Iknew whe irst ------

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INTERVEIWS writing music for Chapter 9, our upcoming upcoming our 9, Chapter for music writing when approachingdifficult of prospect the had already explored. T and the beyond aesthetic synths piano I with no real ways to expand the musical ried Imight writing be myself into acorner but especially towards the end wor I was with, up came designers the that chanics the amazing variety to the levels and me course of the game. T continuing to keep things fresh over the Lena R the to music composing you Celeste? was you for when part What the hardest was what before. came music you can write now while inspired by stes in the world. and chances are with all the ta exactly what someone wants, You never know when it will be aine: T he hardest Ithink part, was his even was more his helped was by - - - and to find that audience, but it’s out there! fically do. struggleIt’s always a be heard,to out there that want more of what you speci there are hundreds of thousands of people chances are with all the tastes in the world, will exactly be what and wants, someone the public hear You it. never know when it keep standing up for your work and letting Keep things writing, putting keep there, out you want to be. tirely to possible the be kind of composer hired for the jobs that you want, but it’s en to get to aplace that you want to go, or get sound that you want. It might take longer then it’s entirely to possible chase after the latest big sound that’s becoming popular, about. If you don’t want to chase after the Lena R composers? What the would for youryoung be advice whatand see the future has in store. thathope Ican continue friendships those which more was than Icould ever wish for. I and meet several of my inspirations, biggest nity to finallyvisit Japan for the first time, recentlyJust Ihad the wonderful opportu the inclinations to write for one day. some and Ithink so it’s only natural that I’d have also the lifeblood of my musical aesthetics, toposers write aresult, for them. As they’re attracted of talented some the most com and by virtue of their lineage also they’ve to of some be, my favorite games to play, J Lena R series? game any particular genre and you do ofgames think about to the –why an Japan OST RPG thispose We are aware that you would like to com to comebest up with D PG soundtracks. T soundtracks. RPG LC chapter for Celeste. Itried so And my MARIUSZ BORKO aine: Write what you’re passionate aine: Ipretty much grew up with hey were, and continue WSKI - - - - - The album isnow available! Piano Cllectins Holl ow Knight

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