Music from Tetris, Pokémon, Mario… Meaningful sounds that even those who have never played video games can recognize in a few seconds. Back then, this was only used to indicate actions to the player: time passing, an enemy approaching, quest success.
According to an Accenture study published in 2021, the video game industry now weighs more than music and cinema. And with their growth, the development of everything related to video games is exploding, including its music. So much so that it attracts renowned artists such as the group One Republic, which has sold 40 million albums.
Their new single “Mirage” is the soundtrack to the new Assassin’s Creed. “The song was designed by Interscope (the One Republic group’s record label, editor’s note) as a standalone single from their next album,” says Alkis Argyriadis, music director at Ubisoft, owner of the Assassin’s Creed franchise.
A star composer
Especially since musical expectations were high. The franchise’s latest work, Valhalla, won the first-ever Grammy Award in video game history, the category was created in early 2023. And to achieve this, the team behind the game, set in Baghdad in the year 861, called in a musician… Who has nothing to do with video games.
“It was a first for me,” says Brendan Angelides, a San Francisco-based songwriter. To be honest, I didn’t know Assassin’s Creed’s music before. I listened to a lot of what had been done before to send out my demo. »
The Californian, who is also behind the composition of the four seasons of the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, had to adapt to the specifics of music for a video game: “The game is set in an ancient era, but there is also a futuristic side.” . We had to find the right mix of both, respecting the sounds, the environments the player is in… and having cohesion. »
A year of work
A job that took him a year to complete, accompanied by the New York Arabic Orchestra. “We also had to pay attention to listening fatigue,” adds Brendan Angelides. Because yes: a video game like Assassin’s Creed can be played for dozens, even hundreds of hours.
“Now with streaming platforms it is possible to immerse ourselves in music to relive the experiences we had as gamers,” explains Alkis Argyriadis, who has seen video game music become a genre in its own right. Listen to everything that can be without knowing that it’s a game… Or make you want to jump into a haystack. Watch our video at the top of the article.