Level with Emily Reese

Level 141: Tim Wright/CoLD SToRAGE (Pacer, Wipeout)

Tim Wright -- aka CoLD SToRAGE -- composed music for the game Pacer, which is an anti-gravity racing game with elements of combat. It’s a spiritual successor to the Wipeout series which started in the mid-90s, and Tim wrote the music for 3 of the Wipeout games. It was a pleasure to speak with Tim! He has an extensive catalog available on Bandcamp that includes his Wipeout music, be sure to check it out. You can support Level with Emily on Patreon.

Level 140: Jesse Harlin (Mafia: Definitive Edition)

Hear composer Jesse Harlin talk about his music for Mafia: Definitive Edition. The game is a remake of the first Mafia game, which came out in 2002, but with completely new music written by Jesse. We’ve had Jesse on the show twice before; once was for Yoku’s Island Express in 2018 and in 2016, Jesse was on Level to talk about his work on Mafia 3. That was mostly a blues score, but the score for Mafia: Definitive Edition is entirely orchestral. Support Level with Emily Reese and see a playlist on Patreon.

Level 139: Max LL (Spiritfarer)

I love the Spiritfarer soundtrack. It was a pleasure to talk with Max LL about his music for Spiritfarer. We also talk about Jøtun and Sundered. All three are made by Thunder Lotus Games in Montreal in Quebec in Canada. It's worth repeating: I love this soundtrack. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Please consider supporting Level with Emily on Patreon!

Level 138: Stephen Sharer (Rocket Slide)

I spoke with YouTuber Stephen Sharer about his new app called Rocket Slide. Stephen's channel is full of family-friendly content, positivity and vibrant colors. It was a pleasure to speak with him about all the videos he makes. Support Level with Emily on Patreon!

Level 137: Cris Velasco (Carrion)

Composer Cris Velasco's music for Carrion is fantastic, and definitely check out the story about the album art. Find the playlist and support Level with Emily Reese on Patreon.

Level 136: Charlie Rosen (The 8-Bit Big Band)

Charlie Rosen talks about running The 8-Bit Big Band. See a playlist and support Level with Emily on Patreon.

Level Bit 20: Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Out of the North

Ubisoft released an EP of music by Jesper Kyd, Sarah Schachner and Einar Selvik from the upcoming Assassin's Creed: Valhalla game due out in November. Here's a review of what they released.

 

Level 135: Larry Goldings (Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker)

On occasion, I'm offered the opportunity to interview a composer about a film or tv series rather than a game. I tend to pass on those chances, but I couldn't refuse the opportunity to speak with composer Larry Goldings.

I was familiar with his name as a jazz pianist and Hammond B3 organist, since my day job is as a jazz radio morning show host. He's recorded prolifically, and he's in my radio playlist on a weekly basis. He's a fantastic musician and I was taken with his music for the miniseries Self Made: Inspired by the Life and Madam C.J. Walker.

So we talk about the music he composed for that show (which I thoroughly enjoyed watching), and numerous other aspects of Larry's life as a musician. Be sure to check out his Patreon page! See a playlist on our Patreon page.

Level 134: Nick Marinelli (Video Games In Concert)

Nick Marinelli talks about leaving MAGFest after so many years to run Video Games in Concert, a video game band booking agency. We also talked about how he achieved his most recent platinum trophy, which he got in Horizon Zero Dawn. You can see a playlist and support Level with Emily on Patreon.

Level 133: Eric Buchholz (on orchestration)

Orchestrator and composer Eric Buchholz talks about what it means to be an orchestrator, and how that job fits into the pipeline of getting a soundtrack recorded. See a playlist and support Level with Emily on Patreon.