FFO: Nine Sols, AWAKEN - Astral Blade, Elypse and Rain World
Favourite Track: Kitsura
Moisés Camargo Cano took the time to answer a few questions we had about their work on the Flat Eye soundtrack. Here is what they had to say!
Q1: Was composing a game OST always a goal for you as a musician?
A1: Absolutely! Composing the OST for the game 'Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus', and on top of that see that game released in a major platform such as Nintendo or PlayStation was one of my dreams. I actually decided to be a composer thanks to video game music.
A1: Absolutely! Composing the OST for the game 'Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus', and on top of that see that game released in a major platform such as Nintendo or PlayStation was one of my dreams. I actually decided to be a composer thanks to video game music.
Q2: How did you achieve the traditional Japanese sound palette? Any sample packs / real instruments?
A2: I believe that the main element that allowed me to achieve a Japanese sound was the timbre from the Japanese traditional instruments. By using traditional instruments such as Koto, Shamisen or Shakuhachi you can very easily set a Japanese ambience. Of course knowing and using traditional pentatonic scales and composing idiomatic music for each instrument matters too! For the music that I composed, I only used VSTs. As a new composer that was just debuting for the first time in the video game scene, I really didn’t have the budget to record live instruments, and since I don’t live in Japan, recording Japanese instruments was close to imposible. But since I worked in the game for 3 years I had more than enough time to improve my skills in music production using VSTs.
Q3: Do you have any tips for composing tracks under 1 minute long?
A3: I would suggest to try to write music in “blocks” (i.e. writing musical phrases in 4 or 8 bars and do not develop too much). I believe video game music used to be like that when the industry was just starting. Doing that allows you to switch between them and see how they sound. Also you can have multiple sections well divided.
Another tip I would suggest is to avoid modulations unless it is to closer regions, that way you can easily go back to the tonic and that way you can easily loop the music.Finally, try to have elements in the music that you really love. It could be a melody, harmony, rhythm, instrument, etc. This is because since 1 minute is a very short time, you are very likely going to listen to it too much on repeat, and if there is not something you find interesting, you are going to start disliking it.
Q4: Are there any game soundtracks you looked to for inspiration?
A4: Yes! I listened a lot to the soundtrack from the game 'Monster Hunter: Rise’. I found a lot of inspiration by listening to that soundtrack since it the music from that game has a very Japanese aesthetic, and because it also blended orchestra and Japanese instruments. I was able to understand how to write idiomatic music for the different Japanese instruments by listening to the performances, and I tried to emulate the sound and articulations in my music through the VSTs.
Another soundtrack that was very very inspirational for me was the music from all 'Xenoblade Chronicles' titles. It is my favorite saga and my favorite OST from all time. My music is very influenced by the different tracks from that saga.
A5: For boss battle music I always go for quick tempos and energetic percussions. I try really hard to write good and catchy melodies, and normally I would try to include motifs that are very meaningful for the lore. I also like to have many counter melodies so I often find the boss battle music that I write saturated with many elements, but I like it.
Q5: What is your approach to boss battle music?
A5: For boss battle music I always go for quick tempos and energetic percussions. I try really hard to write good and catchy melodies, and normally I would try to include motifs that are very meaningful for the lore. I also like to have many counter melodies so I often find the boss battle music that I write saturated with many elements, but I like it.
Q6: What have you been listening to lately?
A6: Lately I have listened a lot to the 'Drakengard 3' OST and ’NieR': Replikant and Automata OSTs. I played the ’NieR’ titles for the first time like a couple of years ago but I’m still obsessed with the OSTs. And I haven’t played 'Drakengard 3’ but I listened to the OST and I loved it. I really like how tragic and beautiful the tracks from those soundtracks are.
A6: Lately I have listened a lot to the 'Drakengard 3' OST and ’NieR': Replikant and Automata OSTs. I played the ’NieR’ titles for the first time like a couple of years ago but I’m still obsessed with the OSTs. And I haven’t played 'Drakengard 3’ but I listened to the OST and I loved it. I really like how tragic and beautiful the tracks from those soundtracks are.