BY CHRISTOPHER LEON FOR LEVEL AND GAIN
Tom Salta is an experienced video game composer with the ability to jump between starkly different game and music genres: he has crafted all-out electronic works, such as the soundtrack to Wolfenstein: Youngblood; and entirely instrumental soundtracks, such as Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands.
The composer (who you might know as Atlas Plug) is also the creator of the PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds title theme, has worked on several titles in the Halo franchise, and made the music for the unique Samurai/Western Red Steel series.
In this interview, Tom reveals his creative process for composing the soundtrack to Wolfenstein: Youngblood, and what it’s like jumping from one video game genre to another.
Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds has been immensely successful – and your main theme has been remixed by artists and fans alike. How have you found the experience of this success, and the way listeners have wanted to build on what you’ve created?
I’m incredibly flattered when fans remix or do cover versions of any of my music. It’s a huge compliment to me, because it means the music has inspired them to want to be a part of it.
You have taken to scoring various genres of games throughout your career, from the Red Steel to Halo series. What has been your experience transitioning between different styles?
I absolutely love jumping into different genres of music. That’s one of the main reasons I wanted to pursue scoring music for video games. The creative freedom is limitless.
For me, music is an adventure – so anytime I can go to new places I’ve never been before musically, it’s incredibly fulfilling.
What is your scoring process and, as a composer who works heavily in the realms of electronic music, how do you approach a new project?
I’m fortunate in that I feel equally comfortable with electronics and orchestral scoring.
Anytime I begin a new project, I always take the time to research and experiment. I also try to immerse myself in the project and whatever musical style is required, becoming intimately familiar with it so I can create an authentic soundtrack from that same space.
How did you become involved in scoring Wolfenstein: Youngblood?
The audio director at Machine Games approached my agent and asked if I would be interested in submitting any music in order to be considered for it. I was excited to hear that they were looking for heavy early ‘80s musical influences, as I’m a huge fan of that era.
Evidently, they liked what they heard and I was invited to the project.
Talk us through the way you defined the ‘sound’ of this game, including these ‘80s musical influences.
The sound we created for Wolfenstein: Youngblood was ultimately driven by the studio’s wish to capture the post-punk guitar approach heard in early Cocteau Twins music, like the Graceland album. It was very moody and hallucinogenic; also, very dark and gloomy, which was perfect for Wolfenstein.
The audio director also wanted to bring in a little John Carpenter vibe, which I thought was a great element to incorporate. From there, I expanded on this direction and also explored how to bring in a little taste of Vangelis’ Blade Runner aesthetic – obviously, all very early ‘80s inspirations, which I love.
I wanted to keep things very authentically 1980, so I only used synthesizers, sounds, and effects that were available at that time: Prophet, CS-80, Synclavier, TR-808, DMX, Lexicon reverbs, Spring Verbs, etc.
Setting those limitations also helped me get very creative within those parameters.
Was it daunting to jump onboard this heavily established series? How did you want to contribute to its legacy?
Definitely not as daunting as jumping into the Halo series!
Since Wolfenstein doesn’t have as much thematic material, and given that we had such a clear musical direction, I knew it would be no problem to jump right in and build on the musical signature of Wolfenstein.
What has been your experience as a composer working with some of the biggest studios in the video game industry?
I really find it so enjoyable and fulfilling to work with people who are at the top of their game. I have the highest respect for video game creators, and enjoy the collaborative team mentality.
Read the full story right here on Level and Gain, a new screen music publication from the creative team behind CutCommon.
Images supplied.
