The guys from the Stratos Group let us know that they’ve conducted a rather lengthy interview with Jeremy Soule [archive.org backup], the man who composed the music for several RPG titles, including Dungeon Siege, Morrowind, and Neverwinter Nights. An excerpt:
SG: Are you content composing music for games, or do you look at it as a stepping-stone to bigger and better things?
JS: How do you get much bigger than a $20 billion industry? Certainly, I’m looking to diversify my talents in other fields over time. However, GAMES are ultimately going to rule the world of Entertainment. Mark my words! 😉
As the original interview is no longer available, we’ve reproduced it here for posterity’s sake:
I am a musical person. I played violin and viola in orchestras for more than 10 years until after college, and it is very, very rare that I will be found without some form of music close at hand. When I began gaming as a hobby, it was only natural that I paid a lot of attention to the music in games. So often it has been neglected – a quick tune stuck in almost as an afterthought, written in such a way as to be unobtrusive and out of the way. A few games in the past years, though, have really begun to change that, demonstrating to game designers and the public alike just how much a professional musical arrangement can add to a game, how strong emotions can be pulled from a gamer, bringing tears of sadness or rage to their eyes. Something that film producers have known for years. At the forefront of this musical gaming revolution has been Jeremy Soule, a composer and musician whose musical talents have been compared to John Williams’ on more than one occasion.
From his earliest gaming music in 1995’s console hit ‘The Secret of Evermore’, to the most recent titles such as ‘Dungeon Siege’, to tomorrow’s hits, including ‘Neverwinter Nights’ and ‘Unreal Tournament 2003’, Jeremy Soule and Soule Media have forged ahead, blazing the trail and raising the bar for music in interactive entertainment. I believe that Jeremy Soule will be remembered as one of the premiere composers of our time.
Musically trained from the age of four, Soule has not just moved music into a new medium, he has been an important innovator in the field of gaming music, developing the tools and techniques that the musical aspect of the gaming industry lacked. Not only has Jeremy Soule gained critical acclaim for his music in Total Annihilation and Icewind Dale, he was kind enough to take a few minutes to discuss gaming, music, gaming music, and musical gaming with us at Stratos Group!
Stratos Group: How is your day going?Quite well actually. The SUN has returned to Seattle–at last.
Jeremy Soule: Quite well actually. The SUN has returned to Seattle–at last.
SG: Truth or dare: What are you listening to right now?
JS: Well, the music of Neverwinter Nights–in my head actually. Earlier it was Dungeon Siege, and before that… Morrowind: The Elder Scrolls. Last night, it was Socom: The Navy Seals…etc. I’ve been spending the last few days mentally reviewing my work.
SG: I know that you were musically trained from a very young age. Did you ever have any doubt that you would make a career out of music?
JS: Certainly! It’s hard to make a career in music. There’s so much competition. I figured at the very least, I would compose for fun.
SG: What musicians or composers, not necessarily your favorites, has been the most influential on your musical style?
JS: I’ve so many influences! For game music, I’ve been influenced by Nobou Uematsu of Final Fantasy fame as well as Yuzo Koshiro. I love the ancient Japanese approach to music and the sound that it creates. This is a sound that I try to emulate from time to time.
SG: Baroque, Romantic, Classical, Modern. Which classical style is your favorite?
JS: I really love all categories of music. I admire how the human mind and spirit can arrive at so many different conclusions and places. We are all so different yet a common thread brings us all together. Music is the Universal Language. I can compose a sad sounding piece of music and a composer from Hong Kong or France would understand and could write something in the vein of joy to cheer me up.
SG: When you work on a project, how much creative freedom are you normally given by the design team? Do they dictate the style, or do they step back and let the expert handle the expertise?
JS: The teams that heed my advice tend to be the happiest! HA HA! In general, I’ll get broad stylistic directives so that the music works towards the effect the game is trying to establish. However, most designers and producers rely on me heavily to create paths to help them reach their goals.
SG: In the past, music in gaming has seemed almost an afterthought, something to fill in the spaces between fights. It seems that only recently have game designers begun to learn that music can do more to set the mood than all the Skeletal Animation and Volumetric Lighting tricks in the book. How far have we come in this regard, and what are the biggest hurdles that still need to be overcome?
JS: I think good music placement is still a mystery to many. So much of a programming staff’s time is taken up in other areas so there’s never enough time spent on music implementation. Designers still need to make music a priority when they create a game. When the designer is behind the music, magical things can happen.
SG: Chris Taylor of Gas Powered Games has dropped some subtle hints about some of their future projects – a Dungeon Siege expansion, a possible sequel, and a strategy game reminiscent of Total Annihilation. Given your history with Chris Taylor and his games, (and without letting any cats out of their contractual bags) has there been any discussion of using your music for any of these upcoming projects?
JS: Chris and I have been friends for years. If and when he needs music, I’ll always be there.
SG: As was discussed in the article that you paneled on for Stratos Group, sound technology for PC’s has improved greatly in recent years. Are there any technological advances that you wish would come about that would make your job easier or more effective?
JS: YES! This isn’t really considered game technology but Midi needs a replacement. Someone needs to create a new Midi Protocol that works over Firewire or USB 2 that has more than 127 units of resolution. The MMA (Midi Manufacturer’s Association) has been talking about Midi 2 for years but nothing’s been done. Now that synthesizers are mostly becoming software-based, it think it’s clear that retooling an assembly line is no longer necessary to replace a standard that’s been with us around 20 years! Midi is old and decrepit and should have been replaced in the late 80’s.
SG: If you could give a message to game designers in general concerning music in games, what would it be?
JS: As I always say, design music into your games. Music has to be in the master design from the start. You can’t just add it at the very end. It’s one of the great tools a designer has to make a game memorable. As my friend Marty O’Donnell (composer of the smash hit Halo for XBOX) at Microsoft says, “Sound effects make it real, music makes you feel.”
SG: Are you content composing music for games, or do you look at it as a stepping-stone to bigger and better things?
JS: How do you get much bigger than a $20 billion industry? Certainly, I’m looking to diversify my talents in other fields over time. However, GAMES are ultimately going to rule the world of Entertainment. Mark my words! 😉
SG: When there are no major projects that need worked on, no annoying interviews to give, and you put your feet up to relax, what do you listen to?
JS: I NEVER have any annoying interviews! 😉 Well, in my car is TOOL, Mozart, Beethoven and some weird trance CD. Actually, I’ve really been enjoying a CD called “Northern Lights (various artists)”. It includes some nice tracks mostly Finnish composers of which Jukka Linkola stands as a longtime favorite of mine. There’s also a haunting minimalist song called “Piece from the year 1981” that has aged like a fine wine from composer Lepo Sumera.
SG: What classical composer do you think would have made the best game music composer? Mozart? Vivaldi? Wagner? Someone else?
JS: Ha, that’s a scary thought. I probably would have never attempted to become a composer if those guys were still around. I’d have been too busy enjoying what they were doing!
SG: Do you get much time to play games that aren’t part of a job? If so, which?
JS: I’ve been spending some time catching up on games I’ve missed like Myst 3, for example. My friend Jack Wall did some great music for that game.
SG: What is, in your opinion, the best game yet made, and why?
JS: It’s impossible for me to quantify this–it’s like picking between Mozart and Beethoven. I really get excited about games that can address different types of gaming experiences and levels of skill. If a game can reach out and connect with all sorts of people–no matter what their background is — I think it is a truly great game. My secret desire is for the whole world to eventually play games and for games to have the kind of influence that books and movies do. Games are a great place for the planet’s collective subconscious to grow and help us understand each other.
SG: What games that you did not work on personally that you have found to have the best music or use of music?
JS: George Sanger (AKA, the Fatman) has done such a great job on so many games it’s hard to keep track. My oldschool favorite is “The 7th Guest”. I think that the Final Fantasy series has something special about it. Shenmue from Sega was also beautifully done. And, Myst 3 has a mysterious sound that speaks volumes about what music can do to affect an atmosphere
SG: Opinion from an expert ear: What sound card/sound hardware is in the computer that you use for gaming?
JS: I use a 24bit MAudio box called the Delta 1010. It’s expensive and isn’t always compatible but it is a good reference for my games. I have another machine with some sort of soundblaster as well. The real acid test is making music sound good on what everyone else may have, so I spend a lot of time on the soundblaster machine.
SG: What ended happening to the soundtrack of Amen: The Awakening after the game was cancelled by Cavedog? I would hate to think of that much good music going to waste by never being heard.
JS: Let me say that good music never dies. 😉
SG: If there’s anything you’d like to say that I didn’t cover, ask your own question and answer it.
JS: Sure! I’ll ask YOU a question! Why are your strategy guides so cool? They’ve guided me a few times! 😉
SG: Because we are Stratos Group, of course! Seriously, though, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet – we’re just getting started! Anyway, I would like to personally thank you, Jeremy, as well as Joan Citelli (Jeremy’s PR rep) for taking the time to do this interview, and for their friendliness professionalism. This is the second time that Jeremy has given his time to Stratos Group (the first was Zaxxon’s article on the Evolution of Gaming Music), and he has proven to be as friendly as he is talented!
Jeremy Soule’s music credits:
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (2002)
(Bethesda Softworks)
Neverwinter Nights (2002)
(Bioware)
SOCOM (2002)
(Sony)
Dungeon Siege (2002)
(Microsoft)
Sovereign (2002)
(Sony)
Unreal II (2002)
(Infogrames)
Unreal Warfare (2002)
(Epic)
Impossible Creatures (2002)
(Microsoft)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
Nominated for 2001 AIAS (Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences) “Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition” Award
(Electronic Arts)
Final Four (2001)
(Sony)
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance (2001)
(Interplay)
Azurik:Rise of Perathia (2001)
(Microsoft)
Icewind Dale (2000)
IGN Best Music Award 2000
Gamespot Best Music Award 2000
(Interplay)
Giants: Citizen Kabuto (2000)
(Interplay)
Beauty & the Beast (2000)
(Disney)
Total Annihilation: Kingdoms (1999)
(Infogrames)
Total Annihilation: The Core Contingency (1998)
(Infogrames)
Sockworks (1998)
(Humongous Entertainment)
Water Worries (1998)
(Humongous Entertainment)
Maze Madness (1998)
(Humongous Entertainment)
Total Annihilation (1997)
Gamespot Best Music Award 1997
(Infogrames)
Freddi Fish 3: The Case of the Stolen Conch Shell (1997)
(Humongous)
Putt Putt Travels Through Time (1996)
(Humongous)
Pajama Sam: No Need to Hide When It’s Dark Outside (1996) (Humongous)
The Secret of Evermore (1995)
(Squaresoft
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