Jeremy Soule Interview

Some new stuff here. Think we got a lot out of him that other interviewers haven't! Check it out, and let me know what you think:

http://www.music4games.net/Features_Display.aspx?id=145

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Haha, wow. Gold, I think you're being a little too harsh. I know what he was getting at when he talked about videogames as interactive movies. Really, think about it. Are these things just games? They're serious, and oftentimes they're quite artistic. Therefore, he doesn't think "video game" really describes what they are. You're really interacting with what you're seeing on screen. Seeing something on screen is what we typically associate with film or movies or television, so interactive movie does make sense. He doesn't reallyl seem satisfied with any of these classifications, though, so that's why he's saying we're stuck with VG for now.

And yeah, I understand what he's getting at with classical music, too. You can't treat VGM as it's own umbrella category, because it contains a little bit of everything. However, I think he was meaning that it's traditionally non-vocal, and it's actually composed. VGM doesn't come out of some jam session that you and your buddies are doing in a garage, like other genres. He's saying musicians sit down and compose in a methodical manner, likening it most to the classical genre. When you talk about genres, you talk about one genre coming out of another, and I don't think classical music stemmed from videogame music! I don't see any problem with what he said.

I know you read the whole thing, but pay attention to what he says about film and games. He noted that he understands in games that you're often spending a ton of time doing things, and he has to focus on making the music soft on the ear. He realizes there are differences. What I was getting at as far as asking about film music and game music was the issue of sound quality. I feel he answered it pretty well.

Oh yeah, and upon reading the interview after I was actually conducting it, he never mentioned DS games, but simply "mobile games," and more specifically, a cellphone title. So nix that DS comment. I said it at the end of the interview thinking I had heard something earlier in the interview that he actually didn't say! Sorry!

Lastly, Julian and Jeremy are both credited on every release on DirectSong.com. Unfortunately I didn't get the response I was looking for. I was hoping they would start labeling the music by who exactly wrote it, rather than crediting both of them. Anyway! Glad you enjoyed!

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I personally find Soule's music to be pretty damn melodic and interesting as far as Western orchestral scores go.

I'm really with you all the way. I love old games and I love chip music, but games really are changing into something beyond games. When I think of a game, I think of board games and card games, which videogames are not. I'm fine calling 'em videogames, because that's what I've grown up with, but I understand that it's really not the best description for them.

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I think there are good things to be said about both. I think I'm getting to the point where I can tell the difference between the synth and live stuff, but really, to somebody who isn't listening closely, it's quite hard to tell. Supreme Commander was written with synth, and it sounds fantastic. I think more than the sound quality from synth or live performance, the quality of the composition is much more important.

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