Level with Emily Reese

Level 246: Tom Salta (The Outlast Trials)

Composer Tom Salta talks about his extremely frightening music for The Outlast Trials, the third installment of the Outlast series. It's always a joy to have Tom on, and I manage to learn something new every time we talk!

You can support Level with Emily on Patreon. Join us on Discord for free. Find this conversation on YouTube and Twitter. Patrons have access to exclusive merch, Discord events and special guest playlists.

PLAYLIST by Tom Salta for The Outlast Trials unless noted otherwise

00:00 Let the Trials Begin 05:03 (in background: John Carpenter, Halloween Main Title) 06:00 Let the Trials Begin 07:24 Let the Trials Begin 08:16 Let the Trials Begin 08:42 Let the Trials Begin 10:00 Let the Trials Begin 14:37 Little Angels 15:49 The Root Canal 18:40 Motherless Children 23:18 The Weight of Memories 24:45 Come to the Fair 26:54 Brush Your Teeth 28:01 Brush Your Teeth 30:27 (recording of the Thomas Edison doll) 32:53 Can’t Get it Out of Your Head 37:12 Burden of Skeletons 40:26 Killjoys Aren’t Allowed Here 45:50 We’re All Getting Better Together 53:29 Well Done 53:53 Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan

Level 245: Jason Graves (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Warzone)

During our Next Level discussion about this very episode, our friend Sacha counted up how many times we've had Jason Graves on an episode of Level, and Level's friend, Top Score. Six times on Top Score, six times on Level, and this marks the 13th ep dedicated to his music. Best part is, we know there will be many more!

This time, it's all about battle royale and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II DLC called Warzone. The Warzone maps are DLC for Modern Warfare II players, and Jason's released a soundtrack of the music from them.

It's always great having him on the show - I always learn something about his approach and I can't wait our next conversation!

Come chat with us on Discord about game music, and see the video of my conversation with Jason on the Level with Emily YouTube channel.

PLAYLIST by Jason Graves for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Warzone unless noted otherwise

00:00 Welcome to Al Mazrah 5:10 Unearthed 10:54 Unearthed 14:06 Enemy Anthem 15:07 Welcome to Al Mazrah 15:35 Power Broker 21:22 Resurfacing 24:13 Perilous 27:10 Controlled Chaos 38:11 Welcome to Al Mazrah 38:42 Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan

Level 244: Steve Pardo (Cypher 007)

Composer Steve Pardo got to write music for one of the most musically famous franchises of all time in Cypher 007, the newest game from James Bond. And it's great! I love how the soundtrack fits seamlessly into the fabric of the stealthy Apple Arcade game.

Steve and I talk about how neat that is, how great John Barry's original music is and a lot more in this week's chat.

You can support Level with Emily on Patreon. Join us on Discord for free. Find this conversation on YouTube and Twitter. Patrons have access to exclusive merch, Discord events and special guest playlists.

PLAYLIST
by Steve Pardo for Cypher 007 unless noted otherwise

00:00 The James Bond Theme (from Dr. No) by Monty Norman and John Barry, arranged by Steve Pardo
11:25 The James Bond Theme (from Dr. No) by Monty Norman and John Barry
15:34 The James Bond Theme (from Dr. No) by Monty Norman and John Barry, arranged by Steve Pardo
17:06 The John Dunbar Theme (from Dances with Wolves) by John Barry
17:30 (Main Title) I Had a Farm in Africa from Out of Africa by John Barry
21:07 Damp Echo
23:02 Decipher
29:02 Decipher
30:17 Back of the Neck
35:05 GoldenEye Watch Music by Grant Kirkhope
37:29 Bloody Martini
40:29 Broad Daylight
41:25 Escape
43:01 Escape
44:25 The Traitor
51:56 Ghost
53:17 cut chase scene music
55:55 Dark Hallways
59:28 The James Bond Theme (from Dr. No) by Monty Norman and John Barry, arranged by Steve Pardo
1:00:04 Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan

Level 243: Ross Tregenza (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Cyberpunk 2077)

Composer Ross Tregenza is back for a deep dive into the music and sound he created and composed for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

We also talk about his music for Deathloop, which earned him a BAFTA nomination, and his ubiquitous music in Cyberpunk 2077.

I love every minute of all of it. And I loved talking with Ross about these projects, including his industrial band Goteki. Hot tip, all of their music is available as a FREE download on Bandcamp.

You can support Level with Emily on Patreon. Join us on Discord for free. Find this conversation on YouTube and Twitter. Patrons have access to exclusive merch, Discord events and special guest playlists.

PLAYLIST by Ross Tregenza for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre unless noted otherwise

00:00 Who Will Survive (Overture) 10:53 Bizarre Crimes 14:15 Blunt-Headed Hammer 16:26 And What Will Be Left Of Them (Credits) 18:28 And What Will Be Left Of Them (Credits) 20:08 And What Will Be Left Of Them (Credits) 27:04 The Gas Station 33:20 Cyberpunk 2077 Ads 34:10 Cyberpunk 2077 Ads 35:06 Cyberpunk 2077 Ads 39:00 Wrong Side of the Mirror from Deathloop 39:46 Sun Goes Down from Deathloop 41:05 Sun Goes Down from Deathloop 42:03 Heartbreaker from Deathloop 42:45 Heartbreaker from Deathloop 43:44 The Dahlia’s Lounge from Deathloop 45:29 Wolves by Goteki from Songs from the Void 49:35 Wolves by Goteki from Songs from the Void 50:45 Saucermen by Goteki from MMXX 52:38 Boneshaker by Goteki from Boneshaker 1:11:58 The Massacre (Main Theme) 1:12:47 Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan

Level 242: Morla Gorrondona (Destiny 2, League of Legends, God of War: Ragnarok)

Voice actor Morla Gorrondona has created some iconic characters in games, from Eris Morn in Destiny 2 to Naafiri in League of Legends. It's such a pleasure to hear her talk about her process of creating a new person or creature for a game. You'll hear samples of her acting in the show. Yay! 

You can support Level with Emily on Patreon. Join us on Discord for free. Find this conversation on YouTube and Twitter. Patrons have access to exclusive merch, Discord events and special guest playlists.

Level 241: Darren Korb (Hades)

Composer Darren Korb's music for Hades properly beloved. It's a great blend of metal with acoustic Mediterranean instruments to take you through the deep story of the game.

Darren adds his voice acting talents to the game as well, voicing the main character, Zagreus, and the training dummy, Skelly.

Hades is one of my favorite rogue-lite dungeon crawlers, and the music is the best. 

Darren and I had this conversation about his music and acting in November 2021. For a handful of reasons, none of which have anything to do with Darren, we are sharing it now, with sincere apologies for a nearly two-year delay!

Come chat with us on Discord about game music, and subscribe to Level with Emily's YouTube channel.

PLAYLIST
by Darren Korb for Hades unless noted otherwise

00:00 No Escape
06:44 Scourge of the Furies
10:06 Out of Tartarus
10:54 Out of Tartarus
12:29 Through Asphodel
13:54 The King and the Bull
14:56 Mouth of Styx
15:50 God of the Dead
16:56 On the Coast
17:32 In the Blood (feat. Ashley Barrett)
23:14 Final Expense
26:22 In the Blood (feat. Ashley Barrett)
31:02 God of the Dead
33:24 God of the Dead
34:14 The Unseen Ones (feat. Daisuke Kurosawa and Masahiro Aoki)
49:27 In the Blood (feat. Ashley Barrett)
51:56 Good Riddance (feat. Ashley Barrett)
54:54 The Unseen Ones (feat. Daisuke Kurosawa and Masahiro Aoki)
57:48 From Olympus
58:40 Primordial Chaos
59:56 Primordial Chaos
1:01:34 The Bloodless
1:03:50 Field of Souls
1:04:46 Rage of the Myrmidons
1:05:38 The Painful Way
1:06:24 Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan

Level 240: Brian Schmidt and Marty O’Donnell on Xbox and Halo: Combat Evolved

The original Xbox launched on November 15, 2001. The person largely responsible for how audio worked in that original Xbox and what the Xbox would “sound” like was Brian Schmidt. We’ve had Brian on the show in the past, most recently to talk about Game Sound Con, which he runs in LA every October.

In the late 1990s, Brian was working for Microsoft and began working on the Xbox right away as he’ll tell you, and achieved many technological breakthroughs in this work.

One of the launch games for Xbox in that winter of 2001 was Halo: Combat Evolved, with music by Marty O’Donnell. And that was an audio achievement as well, as Marty will tell you.

We are so honored Brian and Marty wanted to share these stories on Level!

You can support Level with Emily on Patreon. Join us on Discord for free. Find this conversation on YouTube and Twitter. Patrons have access to exclusive merch, Discord events and special guest playlists.

PLAYLIST
00:00 Opening Suite from Halo: Combat Evolved by Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori
1:37:12 Rock Anthem for Saving the World from Halo: Combat Evolved by Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori
1:37:54 Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan

Level 239: Maclaine Diemer (Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure)

It's always a fascinating discussion with composer Maclaine Diemer. In this episode, we talk about Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure, the newest expansion in the MMORPG.

The last time he was on Level to talk about Guild Wars 2, we spoke of the End of Dragons expansion. Maclaine's music for End of Dragons was heavily influenced by Korean traditional music (called gugak) with synth undertones.

The music for Secrets of the Obscure is quite different, as you'll hear Maclaine discuss, driven by a tight timeline. It's beautiful orchestral music - a very traditional Western orchestra - with few soloists, just beautiful sweeping melodies and mysterious turns, colored by polytonality and the influence of Debussy. You can support Level with Emily on Patreon. Join us on Discord for free. Find this conversation on YouTube and Twitter. Patrons have access to exclusive merch, Discord events and special guest playlists.

PLAYLIST by Maclaine Diemer for Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure unless noted otherwise

00:00 Secrets of the Obscure 07:46 Whispers of the Misplaced 08:59 A Future Carved in Jade from Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons 10:09 End of Dragons from Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons 19:38 Opening Titles from Jurassic Park by John Williams 20:50 Curious Allies 23:53 A Fractured Horizon 25:12 A Fractured Horizon 29:30 Memories Forgotten 38:04 The Beast Emerges by Maclaine Diemer and Michael Paraskevas 44:59 Amnytas in Peril 49:43 Curious Allies 53:41 The Wizards 1:03:57 Secrets of the Obscure 1:09:14 Malaise by Jaimee Jimin Park 1:10:17 Malaise by Jaimee Jimin Park 1:12:31 The Beast Emerges by Maclaine Diemer and Michael Paraskevas 1:14:36 Otherworldly Threats by Bobby Rose 15:44 Courage and Regret by Bryan Atkinson 18:15 These Ancient Halls 22:56 Memories Forgotten 23:24 Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan

Level 238: David Housden (Disney Illusion Island)

It's been far too long since we had composer David Housden on the show. Last time, we talked about Thomas Was Alone and Volume.

David's music for Disney Illusion Island is quite different from those scores, as you'd expect. Complete with cartoon humor and sweeping melodies, it fits perfectly.

The game is a multiplayer platformer/Metroidvania and it is SO. FUN!! I highly recommend it, as much as I recommend the fantastic music.

You can support Level with Emily on Patreon. Join us on Discord for free. Find this conversation on YouTube and Twitter. Patrons have access to exclusive merch, Discord events and special guest playlists.

PLAYLIST by David Housden for Disney Illusion Island unless noted otherwise

00:00 Illusion Island 01:07 The Sky Below 03:46 The Post Officer 10:25 MOPS 16:50 Crater’s Bay 18:17 Downtown Gizmopolis 19:28 Crescent Hamlet 24:02 Forgotten Farmlands 25:00 Forgotten Farmlands 26:11 Forgotten Farmlands 28:22 Grayzar’s Workshop 34:31 Shallows 42:54 Future Town 48:39 Illusion Island 50:58 The Library 51:51 Illusion Island 53:22 Head of the Highness 54:22 The Library 55:31 Grayzar 56:41 Service Tunnels 1:07:28 Downtown Gizmopolis 1:08:10 Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan

Level 237: scntfc / Andy Rohrmann (Oxenfree, Oxenfree II: Lost Signals) PART TWO

This is Part Two of my chat with scntfc / Andy Rohrmann about his music for Oxenfree and Oxenfree II: Lost Signals.

And it's another episode packed with music and back stories. We can't wait to have Andy on the show to talk about more music in the future!

You can support Level with Emily on Patreon. Join us on Discord for free. Find this conversation on YouTube and Twitter. Patrons have access to exclusive merch, Discord events and special guest playlists.

PLAYLIST / PART TWO
by scntfc for Oxenfree (I) or Oxenfree II: Lost Signals (II) unless noted otherwise
00:00 Epiphany (I)
05:09 Lost (I)
06:36 music from the ARG for the cult Parentage
06:48 Lost (I)
11:14 The Beach, 7AM (Magnetophone) (I)
11:48 The Beach, 7AM (Magnetophone) (I)
13:38 The Beach, 7AM (Magnetophone) (I)
16:12 A Block A Rock A Grave a Cave (II)
17:42 A Block A Rock A Grave a Cave (II)
18:51 A Block A Rock A Grave a Cave (II)
20:15 Cleanslate (I)
23:27 Cleaned Slate (II)
24:48 Kanaloa (I)
33:03 Catbird Station (I)
34:48 Towhee Grove (I)
35:34 Epiphany Fields (I)
37:52 Epiphany Fields (I)
38:36 Baby Carrots (II)
39:30 Epiphany Fields (I)
41:26 Against The Rocks (I)
42:08 Against The Waves (I)
44:37 To The Summit (I)
47:49 Cold Comfort (I)
48:58 Cold Comfort (I)
50:48 Found (II)
53:35 Beacon Beach (I)
54:38 ***Changed Beacon Beach*** courtesy scntfc
58:08 Beyond the Space Gates by Morgan Kuhli from Infinite Psychic Translations
58:55 ***audio of Morgan Kuhli on the radio***
1:00:17 Can You Hear The Quiet Flames by Morgan Kuhli from Infinite Psychic Translations
1:01:19 The Hanford Reach by Burn A Pale Fire (scntfc + Morgan Kuhli) from Undone
1:06:07 Arcadia Station (II)
1:07:07 Catchpole Station (I)
1:10:29 Best Friends from Virtual Virtual Reality + AR + 2
1:15:45 Towhee Grove (I)
1:16:42 Other Sprouts by Sam Keenan