With distinct JRPG and anime influences, Garoad (Michael Kelly) brings us an eclectic playlist of retro-synthesized and emotional compositions. A composer who so clearly and passionately puts his heart and soul into every piece, Garoad is on his way to making a big name for himself in the video game music business. I had the great opportunity to interview the creative genius about his work, where we talked about evoking emotions, compositionally refreshing, and the necessity of challenges and persevering.
Interviews
Interview with Fogheart
Creator of The Music Square, and contributor to Tokyo Digital Crew, Fabian Measures (Fogheart) sets a great example of a prolific composer as well as active and enormously supportive member of the community. I had the opportunity to speak with the composer, from California to the UK, where he shared his thoughts about the key role of emotion in music, inopportune inspiration, and composing with a target.
Interview with Daniel Bejarano
Fun and lively, bursting with creative and imaginative vitality, Daniel Bejarano‘s music captivated my interest. I had the opportunity to speak with the Colombia-based composer, where we had a great conversation, talking about audio-visual inspiration, memory budget, pressure and productivity, and virtual reality! Check out our interview below.
Interview with Joshua Matthews
From sweeping, orchestral cues and pop and rock-influenced tunes, to dramatic, emotional tracks and grooving dance themes, Joshua Matthews has composed all kinds of compelling pieces that drew me in within the first few seconds of listening. Check out my interview with the insightful, witty, and down-to-earth composer, where we discussed transcendence of music, creative freedom in video game music, and musical epiphanies. Continue reading
Interview with Nikhil Koparkar
Nikhil Koparkar’s stylistic range as well as epic and gorgeous orchestrations immediately intrigued me when I first heard his music on soundcloud. The brilliant composer took some time from his busy schedule to speak with me about a variety of fascinating musical topics, including the ever-changing nature of games, creative deadlines, and the beauty of deliberate exposure to unfamiliar music.
Interview with Skittlegirl
As many composers would likely tell you, falling into a set style and way of composing—though sometimes unintentional—is a common obstacle in the creative process. This is most definitely not the case for Silicon Valley-based composer Skittlegirl, whose creative breadth and immense diversity in compositional styles is simply astounding. I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Holly (Skittlegirl) in person, where we had a very exciting and thought-provoking conversation about feeling the power of music for the first time, decoding developer’s desires, and creative option anxiety. Continue reading
Interview with ADreamer
ADreamer’s music instantly caught my attention, with its intriguing JRPG and anime influences. The amount of heart and care is so apparent in his compositions, and the emotional depth and complexity in development is truly moving. Here’s my interview with the Singapore-based composer Alvin (ADreamer), where he shared his thoughts and experiences about writing stories, creative freedom (and restriction), and being able to feel the heart that composers put in their music. Continue reading
Interview with Calbert Warner
Recently I discovered Calbert Warner (Schematist), a New York-based video game music composer, on soundcloud. The encouraging and instructional nature of a lot of his videos, and his overall professionalism really stood out to me. I reached out to the talented composer, and was fortunate to have a great conversation with him! Check out our interview here, where we discussed starting off with just the basics, composing imaginatively, and recognizing the merit of every composition.
Whimsically Theoretical 