Interview: Gareth Coker (Ori and the Blind Forest)

Interview - Gareth Coker (Ori and the Blind Forest) Marius and Gareth sit down for a detailed discussion about Ori and the Blind Forest—the game, the score, and the incredible stories behind its four-year development cycle. Naturally, they stray off topic too, tackling the future of game audio, the role of library music in modern scoring, the power of game music concerts, and the amazing resource that Twitch has become for gamers and developers alike. Episode Highlights 00:00 - Intro & musical background 04:20 - Getting the Ori gig 06:52 - Long development time for the game and its impact on musical development 10:00 - Moon Studio's distributed development structure 14:36 - Constant testing by the entire team and how it contributes to polish 17:07 - Musical flow on album and why the main title cue isn't on the album 20:52 - How the incredible prologue came together, and its many musical challenges 28:25 - Finding the score's musical identity; references, and how visuals inform the music 33:50 - Unifying the flavours of each location's score 35:42 - Working with the Nashville Music Scoring Orchestra 39:30 - Score excerpt from 'Finding Kuro' 40:30 - Video Games Live concerts and inspiring listeners to engage with new genres 42:14 - The landscape of recent game releases, the role of the composer, patience, and the value of immersing yourself in the project 46:58 - Whether or not new game devs recognize the potential value of great music 50:54 - How Gareth discovered Aeralie Brighton and her magnificent voice 56:21 - Library music and whether or not it's a threat to creative opportunities for composers 59:32 - What's next for game audio? What's the "next level?" 65:15 - Future projects and the way it feels to experience such a huge release 66:42 - Finishing games and how polish and process influence the way people engage with a game 69:31 - Word of mouth marketing, release schedules, and having fun "trolling" on Twitch 71:03 - Having fun "trolling" on Twitch; Twich as a platform for feedback and engagement 73:14 - Conclusion Music Selections 00:00 - 01. Ori Lost in the Storm 16:49 - 02. Naru Embracing the Light 22:55 - 04. The Blind Forest 32:16 - 07. Finding Sein 34:47 - 22. Kuro's Tale II: Her Pain 37:33 - 09. The Spirit Tree 49:34 - 31. The Sacrifice 52:52 - xx. Ori and the Blind Forest (Launch Trailer) 61:11 - 16. Climbing the Ginso Tree 73:36 - 32. Light of Nibel Notes: Download Gareth Coker's score excerpt from "Finding Kuro" Special thanks to: Greg O'Connor-Read Support Tracksounds: Buy Ori and the Blind Forest Soundtrack by Gareth Coker at Amazon.com Most of the soundtracks mentioned in this episode can be found at Amazon. Your purchases through these links help us to keep on keepin' on! Thank You! Buy Soundtracks at Amazon.com Download the Episode Subscribe and More Info