When Jukai Studio officially opened in 2022, there was no question about which project we wanted to work on first. It was an untitled horror concept that was close to their hearts and eventually became a movie. stray souls.
make stray souls, the team remembered their favorite horror game of all time and asked themselves: What makes these games so memorable? ” Various favorites were discussed at length, but it was silent hill A franchise that reigns supreme on everyone’s pick list.
of stray souls The mission was clear. To create a truly immersive player experience inspired by the classics of the genre. To achieve this, the team prioritized excellent audio and turned to none other than Akira Yamaoka for this. silent hill The series is iconic. Working with veteran indie composer Pete Wicher, the team created a soundtrack they’re very proud of. A soundtrack that players will love.
To celebrate this all-star collaboration, we interviewed the Legend himself and asked Akira about his creative process.
Your music is widely admired for its ability to evoke emotion and set the tone for the atmosphere of a game. What is your approach to composing music that has an emotional impact on video games?
I think it’s important to communicate with a lot of people, read a lot of books, watch a lot of movies, and use that as a reference. Making music can be learned because it can be viewed as a skill, but thinking about how it feels is important to evoke emotions and moods.
Humans have different emotions, and each person is different. In order to evoke such various emotions, it is necessary to think while encountering those emotions by communicating with many people, reading many books, and watching many movies. However, just meeting people and reading books is not enough. It is also important to think about things from your own perspective.
As a composer, how do you work with game developers and other members of the creative team to ensure that your music enhances the overall gameplay experience?
Because it’s my job, I need to understand the direction and content of the game more than just making music. Music should never be made to order. I need to understand the game more deeply. Therefore, I think it is important to have a good discussion with the game developer.
Your work is acclaimed for its innovative use of unconventional instruments and sounds. Can you talk about the process of incorporating unconventional elements into your music and how it enhances the game’s storytelling?
Think about how you perceive the essence of sound. When I make music, I use a piano for ballads and a guitar for rock, but I don’t think that what you can easily imagine is the essence of sound. You have to listen to the sound and really think about how the listener will feel when they hear it.
For example, think of the clatter of a construction site or the sound of water flowing in a river. If you create music based on what you feel from that sound, I think you’ll be able to create something that stirs the emotions of the listener.
In addition to composing music, you are also involved in sound design for video games. Could you share some insight into the relationship between music and sound design in creating an immersive audio experience for your player?
Of course, the core of making games is to make entertainment, so I think it’s different from musicians making music. Inevitably, making music isn’t the only thing that matters, because you have to think first about how to make the game more fun and interesting. In other words, you have to create a certain “something” that the human ear can pick up from the game.
If you’re a musician, it’s fine to just make music, but a game composer’s job is to create sounds and music while thinking about how to make the game more fun and interesting. Game sound designers are responsible for the music, SFX, voice, and everything that comes out of your TV or monitor.
What motivated you to create such unique and atmospheric soundscapes for your horror game?
I think it’s a kind of incongruity. In a stable environment, people feel less anxious. A beautiful chord progression and the imagination it gives the listener can’t evoke fear. It shouldn’t be too uncomfortable either. In order to make the listener think, “Something’s wrong” or “Something’s weird,” I think you need just a little bit of discomfort.
Your music has a distinctive and recognizable style. How do you maintain your artistic vision while adjusting your music to the unique requirements and constraints of different video game projects?
That’s a great question (laughs). I think it’s because they don’t imitate. Of course, at first you may try to imitate someone else and try to create that kind of atmosphere, but it is very important to keep creating your own. However, in some cases, your creation may not be accepted, so you need to have your own philosophy. When composing, you have to ask yourself why you make the music the way you do.
Even if you create something completely original, if you don’t put your own philosophy into it, it’s just dust. That’s why I think it’s very important to keep asking yourself, “Why am I making this music?” again and again. really ponder it.
What do you think makes a successful video game music composer? And what advice would you give to aspiring composers who want to break into the industry?
I think it’s a big factor that I don’t rely on myself too much, meet a lot of people, and encounter new works.being involved silent hill It made a big impact on me.encounter silent hill The team has also contributed to my success.
My best advice for anyone wanting to enter this world is to establish your own sound design philosophy.take on many small jobs and seize opportunities
that you are given
You work on a variety of projects, not just video games, but movies and music albums. How do you adapt your creative process when composing for different media, and what challenges and opportunities do you encounter when working in diverse artistic contexts?
I think that sound is not the most important thing in any work. For games, movies, TV and anime, the most important factor is artistic value. Music is not the most important factor.
As a sound director, I have to think about how I can contribute to this work. How can I increase artistic value? I tend to approach all content creation with that in mind. that’s all.
stray souls is coming to Xbox Series S|X and Xbox One this fall. To hear Akira Yamaoka’s original song “Splintered Minds” from the Stray Souls soundtrack, check out the latest trailer.
stray souls
Versus Evil, LLC
Uncover the secrets hidden in the haunted town of Aspen Falls. It features terrifying enemy encounters, epic bosses, insidious puzzles, and a deep story that’s not what everyone looks like. Play as Daniel. A run-of-the-mill life changes forever when she meets a mysterious woman who inherited her estranged grandmother’s house and has intimate knowledge of her family, home, and shocking relationship with her past. I am a teenager. Inspired by classic horror combat with soul-like accuracy, gameplay elements add a fresh twist to the modern action-horror genre. Features: • Explore the town of Aspen Falls and its surrounding areas to uncover a sinister conspiracy that began at Daniel’s birth. • Immerse yourself in Daniel’s story. Choose reactions for key moments through branching dialogue options to shape Daniel’s tone and personality. • Fight hordes of nasty creatures or escape for your life. Simplified combat without extensive equipment focuses on strategic combat tactics and resource management. • Test your wits by solving dozens of ingenious puzzles with out-of-the-box solutions. • A randomized system makes each playthrough unique, with enemy encounters, item locations, changing weather patterns, and strange phenomena all occurring in different locations. Experience pure horror like never before with the raw power of the next generation horror Unreal 5 engine combined with metahuman technology. Advanced facial animation captures a wide range of human emotions, creating a whole new level of photorealism. Dynamic lighting and weather bring Aspen Falls to life with eerie details, from the peeling wallpaper of Grandma’s house to the depths of the misty forest. Welcome to Aspen Falls, a deep and immersive story. It’s a small town plagued by an evil curse that consumes everything in its path. Daniel, who inherited his estranged grandmother’s house on his 18th birthday, thought he had won the lottery, but he soon realized that luck had nothing to do with it. Now that he is at the center of a dark ritual that threatens his very existence, he must embark on a terrifying journey to uncover the secrets of his past. Fight or flee, the choice is yours. Daniel is not a trained soldier. He’ll pick up his weapons and face off, or flee to safety to save his health and ammo for one of the game’s mightiest bosses. Mind-boggling puzzles Test your reasoning and problem-solving skills with his modern and improved classic-style puzzles. Captivating Soundtrack Haunting and sometimes dreamy sounds. Makes other people feel very uncomfortable. Travel through Aspen Falls and immerse yourself in his enchanting original score by veteran indie composer Peter Witcher.
