Written by Anna “Lania” Sladö
Since Lania had so much fun interviewing video game music composer Winifred Phillips last time, she decided to catch up to talk about her newest project, Speed Racer: The Videogame.
Lania: Tell me about the making of the Speed Racer: The Videogame soundtrack. Did it stand out in any way to works you’ve done previously?
Winifred: It really did! As a videogame composer, I’ve been fortunate to work on a lot of highly divergent projects, which have allowed me to stretch creatively and try new things. My first project, GOD OF WAR, was a great opportunity to mix world-music influences with large-scale orchestral and choral instrumentation – I couldn’t think of a more fantastic way to enter the videogame industry than with that project. After that, I was able to do a complete 180 degree turn for the CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY videogame, which required music that was at times wacky and oddball, and at other times tender and emotional. Once that was complete, I was hired for THE DA VINCI CODE videogame, and it was a lot of fun to create some contemporary action scoring, along with a heavy dose of liturgical choral tracks. Certainly a radically different experience from the “Charlie” game! After that, I plunged into the score for the SHREK THE THIRD videogame, and got completely immersed in its lush, fairytale action adventure, which couldn’t have been more opposite to THE DA VINCI CODE game. And now I’ve just completed SPEED RACER: THE VIDEOGAME, which gave me the chance to work with lots of contemporary, retro and futuristic elements to create the high-energy racing music that this game required. I worked with the classic building blocks of modern rock, mixed those with sounds from electronica and funk, added some old-school jazz into the mix, wove symphonic and choral elements throughout, with the intention to create something that had enough vibrant energy to compliment the vivid art style created by the Wachowski brothers for the Speed Racer film.
L: When doing music to a licensed game, does it make you feel more inspired or not?
W: I find that the experience of doing a licensed game is not that different from doing a game based on an original IP. For all my projects, I work with award-winning music producer Winnie Waldron, and we always start our projects with research. This might consist of reading the original book upon which the movie and game are based, or delving into historical resources that might help create a better understanding of the game’s setting and characters. I think research can be very inspirational. It sends lots of ideas, images and associations floating around one’s brain, which is a great way to feel inspired.
L: Which is your favorite track on the album?
W: I can’t imagine picking just one – this project was so much fun to work on! But I suppose I have a few favorites. For instance, the track called “Zoom” is based around a rather sedate walking bass line, but all the other elements are double-timed and frantic. I think the contrast makes the track feel speedier. The track has vaudeville-style ragtime melodies, crazy synth sounds, big-band brass, rock guitar and a hyper swing rhythm, which combine to give the music what I think is a really unique feel. I’m also happy with the “Thunderhead” track – it incorporates the sound of a stadium crowd stomping, clapping and shouting “Go!”, and I like the way it helps to bring the stadium environment to life. Also, the “Fuji Helexicon” track is a sentimental favorite of mine, because it was a tremendous challenge to incorporate tropical island drums with hard rock guitars, symphonic orchestra, and futuristic electronica in such a way that it all felt like it belonged together. I’m very pleased with the final result, and I hope people enjoy listening to it in the game!
L: In retrospect, is there any song you feel could’ve been better?
W: I have to laugh, because if I could have done any of the songs better, my music producer Winnie Waldron would have sent me right back into the studio to keep working on them! It is wonderful to work with someone as talented and passionate about music as Winnie is. There is simply no way that she’d allow me to do anything less than my best.
L: I haven’t played the game myself, but know what it is about. The soundtrack is very fast-paced, hard rockin’ and bursting with energy – and it’s easy to see how it fits to this type of game. Do you think it’s hard to break out of certain molds when composing? And by that I mean the thought that certain genres have a certain sound. Do you try to find a unique sort of sound despite the genre and was that even a possibility when working on this soundtrack? Because this is a licensed game, were certain expectations put on you and did you feel less able to play with different ideas?
W: The first thing I had to keep in mind was the fact that this is a racing game, and the fans of these games have strong ideas about what music they expect to hear. You certainly couldn’t create a racing game without the hard, driving beat that supports the momentum of the action. This being a futuristic racer, the inclusion of high-tech synths and other elements of electronica was also an absolute must or it would have felt like a peculiar omission that might have distracted players from the experience of playing the game. However, even with these mandatory elements, I still had a lot of room to introduce unique and experimental elements into the score, including old-school funk, big-band jazz, frequent uses of strings, brass and timpani, hard rock elements… and also a pervasive sense of humor and adventure that runs throughout the score. Certainly the visual aesthetic of the Wachowski brothers’ film had an influence over those musical elements, but the Wachowskis created such a large-scale, elaborate fantasy setting that it felt liberating to create music inspired by their vision. I was given a broad license to create what I hoped would be a one-of-a-kind racing game score.
L: I’ve always admired composers, envied their ability to make music. Do you ever experience a “bump in the road” and feel like you can’t come up with anything new? If so, what is your trick to fix such a composer’s block?
W: I don’t have a trick. My music producer Winnie Waldron has all the tricks! She’s a miracle worker. She’s always suggesting new strategies to get the creative juices flowing, from adding new musical instrument libraries to my arsenal, to incorporating sound effects into the music, to concentrating my focus on a single musical instrument or technique and then broadening out from there once the kernel of the idea is formed. I think that music composition can be a very lonely profession, and I feel lucky that I’m never really alone. There’s nothing like a fresh perspective – not to mention keen advice from a true musical expert – to rekindle those fires of inspiration.
L: What game soundtracks will we be seeing you working on next? In our last interview you stated that composing for an RPG would be great. Any offers heading your way?
W: I’m about to begin a very exciting project, and while I’m not allowed to share anything about the game itself, I’m very happy to say that it’s in a gaming genre that I’ve wanted to score for a long time. I’m thrilled to be a part of it.
L: Thank you very much for this opportunity to talk to you again Winifred!
W: Thank you, Lania. It was a pleasure.