When we set out to make this project, we wanted to build this project completely from the ground up; models, game mechanics, engine coding – and of course the music. While I’ve penned a few tuenso n the guitar, and all of us had dabbled with Apples “Garage Band”, none of us were capable of producing the right kind of music for the game. To this end, I approached my old school pal, and musician extraordinaire Chris Birkett.
Chris (who works under the title “Enceladus Productions” http://www.youtube.com/EnceladusProductions) is in his 3rd Year at High Wycombe University, studying soundtrack production. Knowing him as a fierce bassist and guitarist, I asked him if he’d be able to assist on the project, and luckily for us, he was more than happy to help us.
Working with Chris, we knocked up a cue sheet of sound effects needed for the game (which he provided). We also used the following pieces (among others) as inspiration for an original piece of music that was atmospheric, minimalist yet still highly evocative; conjuring notes of fear, melancholy, romance and lost grandeur in equal measures:
The game Thief: Deadly Shadows was a big inspiration for our game inits use of lighting, atmosphere, tension and a focus on stealth rather than combat. It’s music was also highly effective in setting the tone, and enriching the settings you foudn yourself in; Thief DS was a game I personally invested a lot of time into, and I believe the music was a key to that immersion.
“Polymorphia” by Avant-Garde composer Krzysztof Penderecki, was a piece I had heard several years ago. His eerie, minimalist approach yielded music that was genuinely frightening, and highly evocative (indeed, six of his pieces including Polymorphia were included in the soundtrack of famous horror film “The Shining”).
After discussing the sound we wanted, we agreed on a piece that would be menacing, but not overtly frightening, incorporating the melancholy notes of music form the Baroque, Classical and Romantic Musical Eras. A few weeks before deadline, Chris delivered his masterpiece, which he affectionately labeled “A Spooky Waltz” (and it does indeed match a Waltz’s tempo and structure. Believe me, I’ve tried it).
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