Whether or not you recognize Simon Viklund because the composer of the Payday franchise’s emblematic dubstep/EDM/techno soundtracks or because the voice of Bain in the identical sequence, his identify is at all times related to heavy-hitter motion video games. He’s identified for his work on Bandits: Phoenix Rising, Bionic Commando, Useless by Daylight, and naturally, Payday: The Heist and Payday 2.
For Polygon FM — our weeklong take a look at the best way music and gaming interweave with one another — Viklund discusses his early inspirations and why wonky rhythms make good online game music.
Polygon: Was there a recreation soundtrack or music that impressed you to pursue creating recreation music? Are you able to set the scene of what that felt like for you, and why the music was so efficient?
Simon Viklund: I used to be considerably obsessive about NES music once I was a child, to the purpose the place I recorded Megaman 1-3 music off the TV to cassette tape in order that I may hearken to it once I wasn’t taking part in. The music on the NES was extraordinarily efficient as a result of the primitive sound chip pressured the composers to rearrange economically and depend on nice harmonies and melodies. My scorching take is that the music within the 16-bit period wasn’t nearly as good as a result of the tech sounded extra like precise devices however not fairly — it was just like the uncanny valley of sampled devices — and composers began to over-rely on the instruments.
Are you able to break down certainly one of your personal songs and its influences? Was it impressed by recreation soundtracks, different music, or one thing else?
I made a monitor referred to as “Inject” that was written particularly for the identify reveal trailer for Den of Wolves, a techno thriller heist co-op recreation we’re engaged on at 10 Chambers. We needed the trailer to depart the viewer with a way of “oh hell yeah, that’s bad-ass,” and I listened to half-tempo bass music for inspiration.
There’s this monitor referred to as “Arbiter” by Draeden, which has what I’d name a trap-inspired beat, and I’m not likely into lure however I liked what Draeden did and drew closely from that individual monitor. “Inject” is principally drums and one synth melody, with a lot of the bass coming from an 808 that goes with the kick drum. In different phrases, there’s not loads [of] layers to it, and so every element actually has to shine. I spent a variety of time making the kick very punchy, the snare snappy, and so on.
One other facet was my thought to make the music sound kind of “wonky” and never pitch excellent or quantized (i.e. not rhythmically excellent). My thought was that it could assist the music turn out to be a bit extra ear-wormy beacuse it could kind of really feel “off.” I spent a variety of time making the groove sloppy timing-wise, and the synths screech and wobble a bit prefer it wasn’t intentional regardless that it was. I had a variety of enjoyable exploring new concepts, pushing out of my consolation zone and studying new methods whereas making “Inject”!
What are the primary devices used to report the soundtrack for the Payday sequence? How did you select these devices?
Payday has a variety of drum loops and distorted synths, however each as soon as in awhile there’s some actual electrical guitar and bass in there. Once we have been creating Payday: The Heist again in 2010-2011, my intestine feeling mentioned the selection for the music was between leaning into the sport’s Hollywood film inspiration with cinematic music, or leaning into the “outlaw energy fantasy” with one thing extra rock ‘n’ roll. I went with the latter.
Is there the rest we should always learn about your method to composing online game music?
It doesn’t come simple for me. It’s exhausting. I don’t use mission templates, though in all probability I ought to. Each time I sit right down to make one other monitor, it’s a clear slate, and I am going “How do you do that once more?” There are such a lot of instructions a soundtrack or a person monitor can go, it’s simple to get alternative paralysis. I would like time, I must try to fail, and I would like different individuals on the mission to assist me via the method — with route and assist via persistence. So the method is tough, however I really like doing it!