THE EPIC SOUND BLOG

Our collection of bite-size, audio related stories from around the web.

Audio interview with Assassin’s Creed composer Lorne Balfe


January 30, 2012

A great interview by Marius Masalar over at Tracksounds with ‘Assassin’s Creed: Revelations’-composer Lorne Balfe. Check it out below, and hop on over to Tracksounds for the full details on the interview:
 

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Marius Masalar talks with composer Lorne Balfe about two of his latest projects: Assassin’s Creed: Revelations and Skylander: Spyros. Balfe also reveals how he got into video game music, the challenges of writing music for popular sequels and what he considers his dream project.
 

CORRECTION: Lorne Balfe composed the exhibition trailer for Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, which was the third game of the series, not the second as he inadvertently stated.
 
Episode Highlights
 
02:06 — How did you transition from film to video games?
06:27 — How did you come to work on SKYLANDERS
13:13 — Did you feel that you had to be dutiful to the original Spyro?
15:25 — WHYBLT? – Hugo, Twilight for Chamber Orchestra
17:22 — Assassins Creed: Revelations – How did you work with composer Jesper Kyd?
24:14 — What were some of the musical highlights for you from AC: Revelation
27:00 — What sort of reactions have you gotten to your music for AC: Revelation
28:51 — The next Assassins Creed, Sherlock Holmes, Anthems, and Bat Man
33:01 — What is your ideal project?
36:02 — The Ron Howard/ Canon Project
40:10 — Taste, subjectivity, and style

 





  Posted by Asbjoern Andersen, Epic Sound - Contact

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The Sound of Skyrim


November 3, 2011

Have a peek at this interesting video on the sound of ‘The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’, an eagerly-awaited upcoming game from Bethesda:
 

 
You can see the official in-game trailer for the game here:
 

 





  Posted by Asbjoern Andersen, Epic Sound - Contact

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Behind the the score for ‘The Force Unleashed 2′


February 3, 2011

Tracksounds has taken an interesting look at the score for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2


Join with us as we go with them all BEHIND THE SCORE OF THE FORCE UNLEASHED 2. In this edition:


– SoundCast Interview with composer Mark Griskey


– Game score review by Christopher Coleman


– SoundCast Interview with author Sean Williams


– BONUS Coverage:  The Force Unleashed review, 2008 Interview with Mark Griskey



Read the full feature here.






  Posted by Asbjoern Andersen, Epic Sound - Contact

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Interview with composer David Arnold


January 13, 2011

Film Music Magazine has an interview up with composer David Arnold, talking about his score for the latest Narnia film and composing in general. Well worth checking out!


Taking up the NARNIA scoring sword from Harry Gregson-Williams, Arnold makes a symphonic splash that marks his third collaboration with director Michael Apted after THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH and AMAZING GRACE.

And as Aslan the lions leads the returning English youths, Prince Caspian and a host of beloved magical creatures through sometimes stormy waters, Arnold unleashes the kind of old-school fantastical melodies, brooding choruses, nautical swashbuckling and sorely missed sweet magic that’s sure to please the ears of legions of C.S. Lewis fans.

It’s a score that’s also full of that old time thematic religion for lovers of big movie score melody, let alone audiences who appreciate tunes that sweeps their still-young imaginations into new worlds.


Read the full interview with David Arnold here.





  Posted by Asbjoern Andersen, Epic Sound - Contact

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The sound of TRON: Legacy


December 6, 2010

Michael Coleman over at the Soundworks Collection comes up with the goods once again in this great feature on the sound of “TRON: Legacy”

Explore the world of TRON: LEGACY, a high-tech adventure set in a digital world that’s unlike anything ever seen or heard.

In this exclusive sound for film profile we talk with Sound Re-Recording Mixer Gary Rizzo, Supervising Sound Editor Gwen Yates Whittle, and Sound Designer Steve Boeddeker.



Daft Punk has composed the excellent soundtrack for the film, and it’s well worth checking out – hop on over to 7digital to purchase it.






  Posted by Asbjoern Andersen, Epic Sound - Contact

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Behind the music for ‘The Lord of the Rings’


October 5, 2010

Check out this great feature over at Tracksounds:

Likely the most appreciated, analyzed, and awarded scores of the new millennium has been HOWARD SHORE’S epic, original score for Peter Jackson’s LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY.  Years after the some of the most complete soundtrack releases ever, comes the lost awaited book and CD release, THE MUSIC OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS – A Comprehensive Account of Howard Shore’s Scores.  This unique volume was researched, compiled and written by author DOUG ADAMS alongside Howard Shore and his creative team.  The result is an even more detailed look at, not only the music, but it’s evolution.


Tracksounds is proud to bring you this in-depth look “behind the score” of The Lord of the Rings. In this edition:


- SoundCast Interview with author Doug Adams
– Book review by Peter Nickalls
– Rarities CD review by Peter Nickalls
– Select photos from the Signature Session in London.


Hop on over to Tracksounds for the full lowdown






  Posted by Asbjoern Andersen, Epic Sound - Contact

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Interview with Alan Wake composer Petri Alanko


August 16, 2010

Gaming site G4 features an interesting interview with Alan Wake composer Petri Alanko. I recently had the chance to play Alan Wake and it’s easily one of the most impressive productions I’ve tried this year, both aurally, visually and story-wise.


If you haven’t tried it yet, be sure to take it for a spin! And for a lowdown on the score for this brilliant game, have a peek below:


The Feed: Tell us about what went into composing the score for Alan Wake. Were there inspirations or preconceived ideas you started from or did you let the muse of the game speak to you?


Alanko: Heh, sort of allowing the muse to recite, I’d say. It’s been natural for me to “dive into a picture”, to feel and to dissect things from it, analyzing the minor details in order to build a big picture. I always link a picture to a sound or a theme, melody, atmospheric background etc. I do believe everyone has some of that in them, in different amounts and flavors, there’s nothing extraordinary and it’s just a matter of practicing.


In the beginning we did have a discussion of possible styles, but the end result was a bit different. A lot of the score depended on the raw material, as I felt the long trees needed some scale of distance, length, air, space, and everything around the Bright Falls was more or less surrounded by mountains, bathing in sunlight. That’s an easy view to compose to.


Read the full interview over at G4.


Marius Masalar over at Tracksounds has posted a review of the Alan Wake soundtrack – and if you want to see the trailer for the game, have a look below:



Via Original Sound Version






  Posted by Asbjoern Andersen, Epic Sound - Contact

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Audio interview with Brian Tyler, composer on “The Expendables”


August 6, 2010

Daniel Schweiger over at Film Music Mag has yet another great, in-depth audio interview up – this time around with Brian Tyler, composer on “The Expendables”.


Given Brian Tyler’s talent for also registering myth-making emotion through the mayhem, it seems a given that his powerful work would catch the ear of the legendary Sylvester Stallone, who enlisted Tyler in the formidable task of following in Jerry Goldsmith’s boots to accompany a new adventure of “Rambo.” Tyler’s mix of ethnic rhythms and a gung-ho orchestra made sure that Stallone would stand vibrantly tall as he wiped out another army.


Now Tyler’s re-upped with the actor-writer-director for his biggest, most knowing salute to all that is macho with “The Expendables,” whose army of Mercs make exhilarating mincemeat out of the villains holding thrall over a Latin American island. And leave it to Tyler to once again do them proud with patriotic bombast, batteries of percussive action runs and a virtual marathon of explosive builds- not to mention some real melodic heart to the high-fiving destruction of lives and property.


Hear the interview right here, or hop on over to the original post:


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Check out the trailer for “The Expendables” below:







  Posted by Asbjoern Andersen, Epic Sound - Contact

Category film sound Tags , , , , , ,

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