Interview: Composer Cris Velasco Talks DARKSIDERS III
To celebrate the release of Darksiders III, we decided to talk to composer Cris Velasco, to get an understanding of the process behind creating the score for the third entry in the dark fantasy trilogy. Velasco’s previous credits include Prototype, ZombiU, Bloodborne, and The Long Dark, so horror gamers will already be familiar with his work. If you would like to listen to some samples of his epic Darksiders III theme, you can do so here and here, and you can also keep track of his future projects on his official website.
Darksiders III was developed by Gunfire Games and published by THQ Nordic, and it is available now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Read on for our interview.
Dread Central: You composed the music for the original Darksiders, so you’ve been part of the franchise since day one. How did it feel to return to the series, and how did you approach creating a score for a universe you have been invested in for a long time?
Cris Velasco: I wasn’t exactly there from day one. I was one of the composers called in to help rewrite some of the score on the original Darksiders. It was a really fun experience though, and I’d always hoped to come back to the franchise. I did feel like Darksiders III needed a bit of an updated sound from what I’d done before. There’s a pretty consistent mix of orchestra and electronics in this one. Heavier on the orchestra side for sure, but just enough synths and bass lines to complement them well and give it a more modern take. The guys at Gunfire were also so great to work with. Revisiting the franchise and even working with some of the same people from the first game turned out to be some of the most fun I’ve had on a game so far.
DC: Darksiders III will introduce Fury, a brand new protagonist. Did you try to create music to represent her personality and traits?
CV: Kenneth Bassham (audio director) and I discussed Fury’s theme for a long time before I started writing it. We both knew that we didn’t want to try to play up her sexuality in any way; we didn’t want the music to turn her into a cliché. Instead, we wanted to make her a complete badass with the music! There’s definitely feminine qualities to her music, but never in a gentle or sweet way. We absolutely tried to represent her as the embodiment of Fury, and you really don’t want to mess with her!
DC: Despite being full of fantastical elements, the world of Darksiders is pretty grim. How do you go about mixing these two elements to create the perfect Darksiders score?
CV: The fantasy elements are easier to do. Not easier to write by any means, but it’s a sound we are all familiar with. It’s also something I’ve done many times. But when you throw in a combination of low woodwinds (bass clarinet and contra bassoon), a distorted guitarviol, and some dystopic pads, it adds that grim layer. I really enjoyed composing for the moments where there’s no combat. I’d just take inspiration from this burnt out world and try to imagine what the soundscape might be. Words like “ruin” and “decay” would come to mind. It can be hard to assign a sound to something that doesn’t actually have one. But there’s a musical allegory to be found in them when you tinker with it long enough.
DC: I understand you worked with a 72-piece live orchestra and 60-person choir? That must have been quite an experience.
CV: For a composer, there’s nothing in the whole world as cool as hearing your own music performed live! My business partner, Jose Varon, and I traveled to the Czech Republic together to be there for the recording. I absolutely hate doing live sessions over the internet. Especially if it’s multiple days of recording. So we did a bit of traveling, which I always love anyways. Jose was my score supervisor on this one. He was basically a second pair of ears to make sure we’re getting a score that’s as true to my vision as possible. It’s so crucial to me to have this sort of support during a session. It’s nearly impossible for me to listen to the musicality + intonation + rhythm + dynamics, etc. all at the same time. You need a team of well-trained ears to make sure we come home with a beautiful score.
DC: And you were also given the opportunity to work with musicians you’ve long admired?
CV: Yes! I hired Azam Ali and Loga Torkian to be featured soloists on the whole soundtrack. They’re best known for their work in the band, Niyaz. I’ve been such a huge fan of their work for many years, and always hoped I’d be able to work with them someday. Azam, a vocalist, is basically the musical representation of Fury. Loga performs on many different stringed instruments and gives a lot of the score a slightly ethnic vibe. Even better than getting to work with both of them though, is that I’ve become such good friends with them. As much as I look forward to collaborating with them again, I’m even more excited to spend an evening at their house, drinking all their wine into the late night.
DC: Did you have a clear idea from the start of how you wanted the music to sound, or was it a gradual process?
CV: It was a gradual process. I will say though that the very first tracks I did were fairly close in style to the remainder. So we did actually have a decent road map starting out. One surprise for me was just how many themes and melodies we had. There are more character themes in this score than any other I’ve written. Some are well hidden too. Just little hints here and there, almost foreshadowing what’s to come. Nothing so overt that they’d become spoilers though. More like musical Easter eggs you might find during a second playthrough.
DC: Do you think this will be the best Darksiders game yet?
CV: Of course! Besides having a strong female protagonist, the Seven Deadly Sins as the main boss fights is just such a cool idea. I really can’t wait to play this.
DC: You also composed the score for Hellraiser: The Toll, a novella collaboration between Mark Miller and Clive Barker based in the Hellraiser universe. Can you talk about this experience?
CV: I’ve said many times how important Clive Barker has been to me creatively and personally. So any time I get to write for something that falls within his reach, I’m all over it. Hellraiser 1 and 2 were probably the first experiences I had with Clive’s genius too. Mark Miller, VP of Seraphim Films and all around awesome dude, is also an incredible writer. He penned this novella, The Toll, based around Pinhead and the Hellraiser IP. Mark and I were having lunch recently and he told me that The Toll was getting the audio book treatment. When he asked if I’d be interested in writing a new theme for the book, I absolutely jumped at the chance. 15 year old me would never believe that I’d get a small role to play within the Hellraiser universe!
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