Please Mister Salta can you tell me about you, your training and your background? 

Like many other music professionals, I started studying music when I was very young.  In fact my mother taught me the piano until I was in 8^th grade.  I also studied music at New York University.  But much of my style came from being self-taught and being heavily into synths and pop music through my high school years.  In the early nineties, I toured with Bobby Brown and Mary J Blige as their sound designer and keyboard tech. Following that, I produced, wrote and programmed for many recording artists including Peter Gabriel, Whitney Houston, and Cher.

 

How and why did you come to music/ VG music?

I loved video games since childhood (Pre Atari 2600) so it was always a constant hobby of mine.  Shortly after I started playing Halo and Rainbow Six in 2001, I had an epiphany and realized that video game music was the perfect thing for me to be involved in. In an effort to quickly establish myself in a whole new part of the music business, I created my own solo album under the artist name, Atlas Plug. This became my door into the game industry and will be discussed later in more depth.

 

What kind of music do you enjoy to listen?

I enjoy all kinds of music, no matter what style.  I enjoy a great song or composition, not so much a particular band or artist.  I enjoy classic rock, pop, classical, jazz, world music, soundtracks, new rock, etc.  If I had to generalize, I would say there are certain producers in popular music whose work I typically love.  Trevor Horn, Jam & Lewis, Mutt Lange and Quincy Jones are probably my favorite producers and I usually can pick out everything they do.

 

How would you characterize your own musical style? 

I think it’s hard to look objectively at myself and characterize my style, but I would say my music tends to be highly-detailed, engaging and powerful. Percussion tends to be a strong element in my music as well. Throughout my entire career, even in pop music, drum programming was always a strength of mine and that seems to come through, even in my orchestral music.

 

Do you consider yourself as being part of a “school” of composition?  

I don’t fall into the category of the “conservatory trained” composer.  I come from the world of pop music so my approach to creating music tends to be based more on instinct rather than the proper technique. I don’t mind breaking the “rules” and I’ll do whatever it takes to make it sound good. 

 

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We can read in an interview of you that “You’ve been in the music business for 20 years soon, and you’ve produced and written a lots of things for artists like Whitney Houston and Peter Gabriel, and others”. How do you manage to work for pop artists, video games scores, own compositions…(very different work, and kind of music) 

Indeed, working on records is very different and requires a completely different way of thinking.  When you create for an artist or any other kind of music “not to picture” the focus is on the music or the vocal and how the song/composition flows from beginning to end.  In video games, the focus is on the game and how the music supports the action of playing the game. You have to think non-linearly and how the various cues can interconnect and sound looped over and over.

 

What did all those different experiences offer to you, personally and professionally? 

All the experiences in my life, musical and otherwise, have added to my “musical toolbox”. I had several advantages coming into the game industry that many new composers don’t have.  For example, I know how to mix and engineer a finished product, which comes in very handy, particularly when the budget doesn’t allow for an outside engineer.  Another advantage of being in the music business for almost two decades is that I have developed a large, worldwide network of top tier talent including specialist musicians, vocalists, and other artists that I can call upon. I have been involved in so many different styles of music that it allows me to be very diverse.

 

How did you organize a day of work? 

Ha!  Well, since I’m married with two kids and a dog, I start as early as I can.  I try to get as much of the clerical stuff done first thing after waking up so I can jump into the music.  Most of the creative work happens before dinnertime and even before lunch if possible.  Then I see what else I can do before wrapping up the day and all the other loose ends.  Oh, and I try to spend some quality time with my family too! J

 

How do you choose a project to work on? 

I like to choose projects that I would enjoy playing myself or ones that present me with a unique challenge.  I’m usually attracted to the major AAA titles because they are often the most exciting and inspiring, but I love variety.  That’s what keeps things fresh and interesting.

 

How do you compose? Do you have a method of working? How do you proceed? What technology and what software do you use? 

For me, composing is all about clearing your mind and getting yourself in the right mental state. I always try to ‘go with the flow’ and if I find myself ‘trying’ too hard, I usually step back and take a break.  You can’t force good music, you just have to be there when it happens… and sometimes that requires ‘being there’ for a long time. J

I use Logic on a Mac as my main DAW.  I have lots of various VI’s and sound libraries.  My hardware synths have atrophied over the years due to all the amazing software instruments available today, but I still hold on to a few cherished ones like my MIDI MiniMoog.

 

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon

 

How did you get involved with Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Franchise?

Initially, I was asked by my agent to pitch.  I know there were a lot of other composers being considered as well.  I just did the best music that I could and I was very glad to have been chosen.

 

Why did you accept to work for Tom Clancy’s Video Games?

Tom Clancy games are very major games for Ubisoft.  They put a lot of time, money and resources into creating some of the best, most successful brands in the games business. I love the depth and quality of the stories in the Tom Clancy games.  They’re usually very intense and cinematic. They usually have a very epic ‘edgy’ quality that seems to be in synergy with the kind of music I like to create.

Was there a selection? Some demo competition? What was the process of being hired on that?

Yes, there were many composers in the running for the original GRAW.  I had to communicate my idea for the theme and create a distinct musical style. Several weeks after the pitch, I was told by my manager that I was chosen for the project.

 

May you tell us more about the acoustic identity you create for the saga?

The acoustic identity or “sonic signature” was a team effort between me, the audio director and the creative team at Ubi.  When I first was presented with the challenge of creating music for GRAW, I really latched onto the modern warfare aspect of the game.  GRAW stands for Ghost Recon Advanced Warfare so it was important to represent these cutting edge technologies in the music.  I also introduced a very strong and modern percussive element to the score which gave it a very tough and “edgy” sound.

 

How did you music evolve with time and sequels?

The music evolved similarly to how the games themselves evolved.  For example, GRAW 2 was an evolution of GRAW 1.  All the graphics were certainly improved but the storyline was also on the darker side.  It wasn’t as “gung-ho” and heroic, perhaps a sign of the times after being at war for so many years.  The music, in turn, became a bit darker and more intense.

 

How do you collaborate with scriptwriters and game designers when you’re conceiving your music? You used video capture, video footage and screenshots to compose your score. How did this help you? What kind of other material did you have at the beginning of the project? 

Usually, I am presented with a basic synopsis of the various levels (maps) and the overall storyline.  Sometimes, I am also given some footage or movie clips in addition to a cue list. My first order of business is to quickly establish the overall sound and style of the score for each project.  I will listen to any reference music they provide me, do a lot of research myself and have conversations with the development team about it.

 

H.A.W.X

 

What did you want to express or to convey through your music for this game?  

The main feelings that the development team wanted me to convey in the HAWX score was that of modern epic warfare, high tech military aircrafts and speed.

 

How would you describe this score?   

At least half of the score is about creating an adrenalin rush.  There is a lot of intense aerial dog fighting in the game with a lot of competition from sound effect and dialog. The music had to really cut through and is usually very thick, percussive and intense.

 

How did you approach the aerial aspect of the game? 

The aerial and speed aspects usually went hand in hand.  For speed, I always made sure there was something very fast and busy in the music, whether it is in the strings, percussion or electronics. The aerial aspects, I found, were more about melody and style.  It’s hard to describe in words, but some music simply gives you a sense of flying.  Most every cue in the game has an element of that in it.

 

Did you approach your work for video game music like a score for a film? 

Video game music tends to be a very non-linear experience, so unlike film, I’m thinking more in terms of musical building blocks that can be connected together in different ways, even ways I might not have anticipated. In film, it’s more about how things flow in a linear way from beginning to end. An advantage to working on a film is that you get to immediately see how your music works to picture.  In games, you never know what exactly will happen so I often put a lot more alternative emphasis into the music to make sure it works in a variety of situations.

 

 

 

Who gives you requests and what kind of requests for this opus? 

The audio director is usually my main contact.  This is the point person that takes all the feedback from the team and communicates it to me.  As a freelance composer, I’m often not able to test my music out in the game so I depend on the audio director to give me feedback on how things are working.  It can sometimes feel like I’m composing with “blinders” on but it comes with the territory when composing for games.

 

What orchestra and what size did you choose for the recording session?  

The live budget was pretty limited considering it was for a 60 minute orchestral score, so I had to prioritize what kind of instruments would best enhance the finished score that I had already done “artificially” using orchestral libraries and synths. I decided to book two days and go with a 50-piece string section and three trumpets on day one and half that for day two.  It gave me exactly the kind of realism I needed to enhance the score and make it feel like a huge live orchestra.

 

You use some electronic sounds in your score with live music. Why, what for? 

We felt that this combination gave the score a very modern sound and supported the feeling of high tech, state of the art military aircrafts. It felt very natural in this environment.

 

And how did you mix it? What kind of computer programs did you use for that? 

I know the “old school” way is to compose first and mix last, but I can’t help but mix things as I go in Logic.  Since I usually do my own mixing I find it much quicker and natural to craft the mix as I compose. When I’m done creating the cue, it’s often very close to a final mix.  In the case of H.A.W.X, I mixed it first and also delivered the stems to Ubisoft so they could create their own mixes and variations.

 

Did you choose special instruments for the scores?

 Yes, the ethnic instruments and vocalists were chosen based on the various locations that took place in the game.  There were a few levels in H.A.W.X where they wanted the music to support the feeling of different regions around the world.

Did you choose to compose thematically? Why?  

I always like coming up with strong themes right from the beginning because it gives me thematic material to pull from that can help me tie the whole score together.  This is particularly useful in games because I never know exactly when and where the various cues will be used, so it creates a sense of cohesiveness regardless of what happens and where it is used.

 

Can you tell us and describe us about the themes you created for the video game?

For me, strong themes are crucial.  I always aim for something unique and memorable with each project. Great themes are usually the hardest thing to do because, in effect, you’re looking for a “hit song” and memorable musical idea that stays with people.  Finding an original, simple and catchy theme can be pretty tough.  In H.A.W.X, I actually created three complete themes before I found one that I was completely happy with; sometimes I would come up with a great melody but it didn’t work in the fast-paced, modern production I was aiming for.  Finally, I found a melody and theme that I felt captured the essence of the game.

 

May you explain us why you chose to deal with them in such a way?

My goal with the theme to H.A.W.X was to really “set the stage” for the experience and to “summarize” what the game is all about.  In the case of H.A.W.X, I found myself working on the bulk of the score before I felt that I truly understood the essence of the game.  Again, there wasn’t too much material to go on at first so I had to really “get to know” the project before the theme presented itself to me.

 

Can you tell me about the writing process for a VG (relation to pictures, loops, etc.)

I find scoring to linear media like TV and Film much easier than games.  In Video Games I need to know ahead of time how all the cues will interconnect. In games, I often don’t have the luxury of seeing exactly what I’m scoring to.  And even if I do have footage, it will never look the same every time that music happens, nor will the dialog always be in the same place. Something else unique to games is that a single cue can sometimes be comprised of several layers that will be mixed in real-time by the game engine.  In fact, it’s not unusual for me to get a flow chart explaining how the cues will interconnect.  Film composers never deal with this kind of complexity.

 

Will there be a cd soundtrack release of all the Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Game music?

I certainly hope so but that’s really a question for Ubisoft.  I can tell you that my soundtrack to Ubisoft’s Red Steel is currently available on CD and on iTunes.

 

 

Do you play VG yourself? What games, what platform, and since when?  

I am an avid gamer, but unfortunately I don’t have as much time as I used to.  It’s a luxury if I can sneak in a few late night hours a week.  I’ve been a gamer since the days of the Apple IIe.  My older brother actually owned the world’s first Vector Graphics game called “Space Wars” in the early 80’s. Once the Atari 2600 came out, then I was really hooked. Since then, I’ve always considered myself a console person rather than PC gamer.  Currently I own the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii.

 

Do you have any anecdotes about the process to tell us, funny or interesting things?

Probably one of the most memorable stories is one that happened during my scoring of Red Steel.  I had some major deadlines due on a Monday.  Right before the weekend, a major storm knocked down a tree across our driveway and took out the power lines.  There were trees down all over the neighborhood. I started calling around stores looking for generators but they were all sold out except for one place an hour away.  I had to use a chainsaw to cut the tree blocking our driveway so I could get out.  I bought a generator that would be powerful enough to run our refrigerator and all the computers in my studio.  So that entire weekend, I had a generator running outside our house and composed by candlelight (and computer monitor light! J).  I made the deadline and the client was thrilled, especially after hearing the saga.

 

 Some people say that some video games music is more successful than their adaptation on cinema. What do you think about it?  

Once a game franchise is hugely successful and “goes Hollywood” all the people involved in the film are all “movie people” and usually not associated with the team of people that made the game a success in the first place.  The movie folks often don’t understand the whole gaming world or the essence of what made the game so appealing to the audience.  I think the same goes for the music.  If a game was successful enough to warrant enough interest to make a film out of it, then I think the music in that game should be respected as much as the game itself.  Music in games often plays a very large role in establishing the identity and feel of the game. Often, a movie director will simply “discard” that whole aspect and go with a “movie composer” who had nothing to do with the game.  That’s like tearing the soul out of the project in my opinion.

 

May we hope an adaptation of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon on cinema?

Yes, we may ‘hope’! J

 

Would you be interested in composing for this kind of film?

I would indeed.  A film adaptation would be right up my alley.  And the irony is that it would be easier for me to score than the games were.

 

Are you working on another project? If yes, may you tell us about it? 

I am working on a few major titles that I can’t mention due to NDA’s.  The only one I can mention is Sony Online’s “The Agency” which is a MMO with a “Super Spy” theme.  The music I’m creating for that is completely in the 70’s Lalo Schifrin style.  It’s a lot of fun working on music like that because you seldom hear anything like that in games.  It has also given me a great excuse to collaborate with some old Jazz legend friends of mine.

 

And do you have any other project to come? 

I do, but I am not allowed to mention them yet, sorry.

 

May you tell us about 2 Days or Die? 

Atlas Plug, “2 Days or Die” was my debut solo album, which I created as a way to break into the games industry.  After my 15-year career in the music business, it was a scary thought to have to reinvent myself in a new part of the industry. But as Milton Berle once said, “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.”  In that spirit, I came up with the idea of creating a solo album under the artist name, Atlas Plug. It would be an album of music perfect for licensing into Film, TV and especially Games.  The plan worked out very well.  Before the album was even finished, Microsoft approached my publisher to license 4 songs into a game called Rallisport Challenge 2.  Soon after, many other games, TV shows and Film trailers licensed songs from the album.  Even several years after the album was released, music is still being licensed from it. But what’s even more exciting is that Atlas Plug developed a huge fan base and countless people from around the world have bought the CD and downloaded it on iTunes.  I’m trying to get the next album underway and finished but I’ve been too busy scoring games!

 

For a new project, if you could choose you a genre, a kind of story and a filmmaker, game maker, what would they be?

That’s a tough one.  Actually, one of the un-announced projects that I’m currently working on is a franchise that I’ve always dreamed of doing.  I suppose if I had to choose a genre, it would be science fiction or a fantasy theme.  I generally like games (and even Film/TV) that take me completely out of reality into a purely imaginative world where anything is possible.

 

Do you have specific message to add for our readers?  Any special info, scoop for your fans and our readers? 

I’d like to thank everyone for taking the time to read this.  2009 should be an exciting year with a lot of great titles on the way.  I invite everyone to please visit my website, sign up for my newsletter and join me on Facebook and MySpace. I love to hear from and connect with fans.                                         

Thanks in advance and all my congratulations. 

Thank you.

 

© 2006-2009 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. H.A.W.X, Ghost Recon, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, the Soldier Icon, Red Steel, Ubisoft, Ubi.com, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. "PlayStation", "PLAYSTATION" and "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Wii and the Wii logo are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft.

 

About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified line-up of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has teams in 28 countries and distributes games in more than 55 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. For the 2007-08 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of 928 million euros. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.