XBOX 360 Wire interviews Tom Salta
This week Xbox 360 Wire got the chance to ask a bunch of questions to accomplished videogame audio composer Tom Salta.
Tom is responsible for the score on titles such as GRAW 1 and 2, Red Steel and countless Television programs, as well as being an accomplished musician in his own right.
So what are the unique challenges facing modern videogame composition?
360wire: Hello Tom. Could you briefly explain to our readers your background within the videogame//film/music industry and some of the titles that you have worked on?
TS: I’ve been heavily involved in the music industry for about 17 years. Most of that time was spent in various roles on a huge variety of projects. I’ve produced, written, mixed, arranged, programmed and toured with artists such as Peter Gabriel, Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, Cher, and Deep Forest. In 2004, I also released a solo album of electronica under my artist name, Atlas Plug (www.atlasplug.com). Every song from that album has been licensed in movie trailers, TV shows and video games.
Besides licensing music in games, I’ve scored various genres of video games including Need for Speed Underground 2, Still life, Red Steel, Cold Fear, Sprung and of course GRAW 1 & 2.
360wire: How did you come to be involved in the videogame industry? Was it something that you always wanted to do or rather something that found you?
TS: I’ve always been a gamer. Even prior to the Atari 2600, I was playing games on my Apple II e. Likewise, I’ve always been involved in music but it wasn’t until I discovered the capability of the Xbox, and games like Halo and Rainbow Six, that I became inspired to write music for video games and realize that this is what I was meant to do. It was such a strong revelation for me, like a light bulb turning on, that I pursued it as tenaciously as I could.
360wire: Looking at the game titles that you have worked on, you seem to cover all bases from adventure through to shooters and driving games. Do you enjoy the variety or is there a particular favourite type of genre you would prefer to be involved with?
TS: I love variety. That’s part of the reason for my love of game music. I can’t pick a particular style I like best at this point. GRAW is always a lot of fun and it’s pretty consistent in its style. Red Steel, on the other hand, had an insane amount of diversity between the cues. I really enjoy the various challenges I’m faced with when taking on new projects. I always feel that working with different genres and styles of music helps keep my sound fresh and helps keep me on my toes.
360wire: Working on a videogame score must be a hard process due to the ever evolving nature of game development. How far along into the process would you begin to start your work? Have you ever had to completely rehash an idea due to a change of direction from a development team?
TS: In my experience, music is often brought into the process near the end of a project, perhaps sometimes a little too close! With GRAW 2, for example, I had two months to create the score and produce the live recording session with a full orchestra a choir. Red Steel, on the other hand, was a little more spread out. As soon as a map was finished, I was asked to create the music for it. I would usually finish that up in a few days, and then I would typically wait a few more days for the next map to be completed. I’m fortunate in that the developers I usually work with are very well-prepared so there’s not usually any complete rehashing of ideas because of a change in direction.
360wire: I would imagine you take inspiration from a variety of sources when considering the nature of the audio for any given game. Are there any artists or film scores that you have a particular respect or fondness for?
TS: Yes, I have such a wide spectrum of influences that it’s hard for me to focus on any one particular artist that influences me the most. In the contemporary music world, my heroes are mostly comprised of an elite group of producers whose work has always amazed and inspired me: Trevor Horn (Yes, Seal), Jam and Lewis (Janet Jackson), Quincy Jones (Michael Jackson), Mutt Lange (Def Leppard, Shania Twain). In the film world, John Williams is my hero. But there are so many others; Hans Zimmer is certainly a major influence for so many “modern” composers including myself.
360wire: Reaction to the Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter score has been almost universally positive, with the game audio being nominated for several industry awards. How do you feel about the attention this has been receiving? Were you totally happy with your work on the game?
TS: I’m thrilled and honored to be associated with such an amazing franchise like GRAW. Having such a high profile project to score definitely helps motivate and inspire me to do the best job I can. As far as me being happy with my work; I don’t spend much time admiring my music. I always see the potential to improve and I’m constantly trying to learn new ways to make things better the next time.
360wire: You also have a diverse background within film, tv and traditional music. What unique challenge does working on a videogame provide? Do you prefer the process of creating for other mediums?
TS: There are several things that make scoring game music unique and often more challenging than more linear forms of music-to-picture (movies, TV, commercials). First of all, game music usually needs to be composed so that it can be played back in a modular way. Certain cues often switch to other cues or need to start and end at unpredictable moments. This means the composer has to consider all the various options when writing the music.
Another major difference is that I often do not have the opportunity to see much of the final footage from the game when creating the music. This means I’m depending on the music supervisor, documents and my own imagination to capture the right kind of music for the game.
I enjoy various aspects about composing music for other mediums and appreciate the luxury of actually seeing what I’m creating music for in a visual capacity. I also love the creative freedom that’s associated with writing my solo albums for “Atlas Plug.” But for me, scoring games is one of the most enjoyable forms of composing that I’ve ever done.
360wire: As a final question, and I don’t know how big of a videogame fan you are, but if there was one game or movie from all time that you would love to have written the score for, what would it be?
TS: I’m definitely a major video game fan. As I mentioned earlier, the original Halo made a very strong impression on me. I would have loved to be involved, not because I don’t like the music that’s there because I really love Marty and Mike’s score. I would have loved to be involved musically as I really enjoyed the Halo universe; there are so many things about that game which inspire me.
Thanks very much for your time, and best of luck with any future endeavors!
To find out more about Tom and his work, take a look at www.tomsalta.com
Posted by Bleem - March 22nd, 2007 -