Dishonored – Vinyl Soundtrack Available for Pre-order

As part of the ongoing Arkane 20 event, we can now pre-order the Dishonored Series Soundtrack Box Set ahead of its expected August 2020 release. On top of that, you may also be interested in this article that covers Arkane’s sound design, and this interview with Benjamin Shielden, the composer behind the upcoming vinyl box set.

Here’s the interview:

Tell us about yourself.
I’m Benjamin Shielden, a French writer, scenarist and music composer. I live for creation in mind, reality and some of the spaces between. I’m used to providing my concepts for movies, television and brand identity, but games are definitely a world where I want to settle on for a while.
What draws you to Dishonored from a musical perspective? What were the specific things in the games that inspired the main thematic elements in your music?
My first step into games was in A Blind Legend, a marvelous game without any visuals. That is probably what led me to Dishonored’s universe (which is sort of the exact opposite), where everything is beauty and visual art. But it was also about Daniel Licht, who I was in touch with at the very beginning of my career. I’m such a big fan of this man and his music and jumped at the opportunity to work with him. It was so rewarding to make create some musical concepts for this world, especially with a master like Daniel.
Definitely the world and its inhabitants were a huge inspiration for my music. The art direction of Dishonored is so incredible and deep. It is, in a way, a perfect transcription of humanity – a blending of beauty and violence. The eternal dance of shadow and light. More than just entertainment, Dishonored struck me as a journey into a world we all want to visit.
What single instrument do you think best fits Dishonored?
When I was working on my arrangements, I was thinking of the color of the next game and honoring Daniel’s legacy while finding a new instrumental association to bring to it. I can say, due to Daniel’s direction, the instrument that best fits Dishonored is the cimbalom. It is the exact musical echo of Dishonored’s world. It is an instrument of metal and virtuosity, just like Dunwall.
Are the different locations and themes in the game reflected differently in your music?
Of course! I think each song is meant to reflect a different place or mood. “Ice Ocean” describes the specific landscape Sebastian [Mitton, Art Director at Arkane Lyon] imagined. “Dunwall” and “Curse” are about the fate of this city and society. “Like a Shadow” was composed to make you feel Corvo’s precise movements – his breathing, his heartbeat as he progresses slowly down a hallway, the exact moment before he decides to act. Along that vein, “Doubt” and “Oath” are key moments where the sky’s color shifts and the world is about to change forever because of a single, terrible choice.
The main theme of my compositions in this vinyl set is my musical transcription of the Attano and Kaldwin legacy and elegance.
How do you go about creating music for an existing property?
This was the first time I had even tried it, but I was such a big fan of Daniel Licht that it wasn’t really difficult. Daniel did so much for the Dishonored world that I felt like I couldn’t go wrong tracing his footsteps. These games are created by such talented people that it was easy to push the ideas, sounds, melodies and moods further and further.
You’ve done a fair amount of work for the movie industry. What’s the difference when you’re making music for games?
It’s very different because of the way games use music. When you’re composing for a cutscene for scripted events it’s fairly similar, but when it’s for moments where you’re actually playing and acting freely it’s a very different process. You have to imagine your music as an unending track made of different layers that can be added and removed to express different emotions and actions. It’s a real challenge, but as I love adventure games it was a pleasant and rewarding process.
Why did you choose to do this tribute? What was the result you were hoping for?
It was originally created as a test for some ideas Arkane Studios was working on at the time. Then we were all struck by the tragedy of Daniel’s passing and I decided to finish it as a tribute to him and his incredible work in this universe. It was an honor to follow him. Of course, when you’re being directly compared to someone you love and respect… well, it’s a challenge and a moment of truth. I think we pulled it off and managed to pay homage to a great man.