Interview with Jason Graves - Dead Space 2 soundtrack composer
Interview with Jason Graves - Dead Space 2 soundtrack composer
Hey Jason, two years have passed since the original Dead Space release, now the second part is on the way to customers. The game takes place on orbital station The Sprawl and, thanks to the Red Marker, Isaac now has a serious mental injury. How did all this affect the music and where did soundtrack evolve?
Having the game take place in a setting so different gave me a chance to have the score reflect the same ideas as the game. We’re now in a much bigger setting, and I wanted the music to reflect that. The original Dead Space was very claustrophobic, and the music had a very chaotic, out-of-control sound to it. I wanted the music for Dead Space 2 to sound bigger and more focused than the original. So the score makes use of more instruments in the orchestra to convey that larger-than-life feeling.
Isaac definitely has a more identifiable character arc in the sequel. I used a string quartet, which is the antithesis of the huge, churning orchestra, to portray Isaac’s vulnerability and character arc as he progresses through the game. I was interested in the juxtaposition of the large orchestra with the small string quartet, and use the quartet to also illustrate his mental weakness throughout the game.
Isaac Clarke has now become real protagonist. He not only screams, groans and cries, but has dialogue cues… many cues. Does he also have a musical leitmotif?
Yes, he does! But I didn’t want to create anything musical, like a tune you could sing, because after all this is Dead Space! So I chose a simple four note statement to musically identify Isaac throughout the score. The notes are D-E-A-D. It seems simple enough, but I had a lot of fun incorporating these four notes into the score. Sometimes they are amazingly dissonant and other times quite peaceful.
I also composed a concerto for string quartet, entitled Lacrimosa, which combines this theme with other themes from the franchise. The themes are constantly in conflict with each other, until the last 2 minutes of the piece. By then they have reached some sort of harmonious agreement, although you never know how things will turn out. This is Dead Space, after all!
«In contrast, I also wanted the dichotomy of a huge orchestra contrasted with just a few musicians. That was how I was able to musically portray Isaac’s struggle through the game. Essentially, he’s the string quartet and the Necromorphs are the huge orchestra.»
How were you interactions with the audio director?
Jason Graves is multi genre talented composer, who is classically trained in music. Also, he has experience in jazz drumming, keyboarding, guitar and percussion playing. This diverse musical background helps him to write music in any genre from rock and electro to symphonic music. Jason received world recognition and great success with release of Dead Space.
What were the differences between working on the first and second Dead Space?
It’s funny, because I see myself and Isaac as following the exact same path in the Dead Space universe. In the original title, both of us were unsure of what we were doing. We were experiencing something we had never seen before. We didn’t know what to expect. We weren’t sure how it would all turn out. A few years have gone by now, and we’ve had a chance to process what happened in the first game. There’s a little bit of a “been there, done that,” attitude about us. Now we’re able to use everything we learned from the first game and apply it to the second one. We’re a little more confident, a little more sure of ourselves. We know from experience what works and what won’t.
Stylistically, Dead Space 2 continues the ideas of its predecessor, but what changed in terms of music? What references were you given?
There really weren’t any references given to me for the sequel. In the original Dead Space, I had extensively researched and studied as many pieces of 20th Century classical music I could find. Those were essentially the “puzzle pieces” that I used to assemble the final score. When I began working on the second Dead Space, I went back and listened to the first score and approached it as if someone else had composed it. “Let’s see what the composer did with the score.” I picked it apart and quite quickly had a list of things I hoped to improve.
I knew I wanted the interactive music to play more smoothly in the game. I also knew I wanted the overall mix of the music to be more in-your-face and aggressive; definitely bigger and sharper sounding. In contrast, I also wanted the dichotomy of a huge orchestra contrasted with just a few musicians. That was how I was able to musically portray Isaac’s struggle through the game. Essentially, he’s the string quartet and the Necromorphs are the huge orchestra.
How much music was written for the game? What amount of time were you given to compose the soundtrack?
Even before I answer that directly, you have to understand how the music for all the Dead Space games is implemented. It’s an interactive system, so there are constantly at least four, sometimes even eight, streams of music playing simultaneously. In order for these streams to work properly, I have to compose the music in such a way as to provide instruments on every stream that reflect the gameplay accurately.
Most of the pieces I wrote were two minutes long, but with the interactivity in mind there was actually 8 minutes of music composed for those two minutes of “stacked” gameplay music. The idea being any one of those streams would be able to stand on its own and enhance the gameplay, but also be able to be mixed in with the other streams and still work. That being said, there were more than two hours of music written. But of course, that’s before you count the “interactive streams,” and the music count goes up significantly higher!
That’s a lot of music, but fortunately for me EA gave me a lot of time. And not only time to compose the score, but time in-between composing the score. I would write five to ten minutes of music, deliver it to them and wait to hear how it worked in the game. That kind of perspective is priceless for any composer! I think you get much better music when it’s written over a long period of time rather than squeezed into just five or six weeks. It’s not always possible, but when it is I definitely relish it.
I was involved with the music for Dead Space 2 over a period of about eighteen months. Most of that was the “on-again, off-again” kind of music schedule. But as with any game, the last four or five months were where the bulk of the music production was done.
Where was the soundtrack recorded? How many musicians were used in orchestral session recordings?
There were three different recording sessions for Dead Space 2. The first two were completely orchestral and the third was choir. All three were recorded at Skywalker Sound with the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra and Choir. The orchestra was about 70 players, with an augmented brass section and woodwind section. I wanted lots of low instruments and added twice as many low woodwinds and brass than are in a normal orchestra.
Were there any moments that you would like to realize in Dead Space 2 but didn’t have the chance?
There are always music cues I wish I could have spent more time on. Even with an eighteen month music production schedule, I could find things to improve! Overall, I felt EA gave me so much latitude with the score for Dead Space 2. So I don’t think it’s a matter of not being able to do what I wanted. It’s more a matter of striving for the best score to support the game.
What tracks you can highlight? Can you give some examples of more interesting compositions of your choice (something like what instruments did you use, what ideas you had in mind while writing compositions, interesting traits or melodic structures, etc.)
The string quartet concerto “Lacrimosa” is definitely a highlight for me. I actually composed that outside of the game. That is, it wasn’t originally something that EA requested I compose - it was more of a passion piece for me personally. After hearing it, EA thought it would work really well during certain key moments of the game so I ended up acting as my own music editor and cutting different parts of the quartet into the game.
I also had a lot of fun playing Isaac’s theme against the Marker theme. Like Isaac’s theme, it consists of four notes stated very simply. But unlike Isaac’s theme, it has no direct tonal center. It simply descends a chromatic scale by half steps without any regard to its musical surroundings, usually wreaking havoc on anything it comes in contact with. Very much like the Necromorphs themselves!
I took these two main themes and put them in constant conflict with each other throughout the score. Many times the marker theme will state all four notes at the exact same time, creating the cluster sound that is now practically a musical signature of Dead Space. Other times it slithers down the scale in stepwise motion, creating an immediate sense of unease and tension.
“Come Rain or Come Convergence” utilizes both of these themes, but in a much less chaotic way. However, there are still hints of the marker and its monstrous Necromorphs if you listen closely. In fact, I would suggest making a direct musical comparison to the musical finale of the first Dead Space and the finale of the second one. I think astute listeners will notice a few extra notes here and there that don’t quite seem to fit. Those extra notes actually augment the melody and meter of the music to state the four note marker theme. Even once all seems resolved, the four note cluster enters one last time before being subdued by Isaac’s theme.
The Church of Unitology plays a much bigger role this time around. EA wanted a specific sound associated with them, which is why we had the choral recording session. Now, of course this is Dead Space! The choir was not singing “music” so to speak. The entire session was all about textures and effects. The more out there and nonmusical they sounded, the happier I was. I took all of these creepy choir recordings and added struck bowls, glass bells and Tibetan chimes. All of these instruments combined are the musical equivalent of the Unitologists. Because these instruments are only used in specific locations and did not exist in the first game, they are instantly recognizable. I promise, as soon as you hear the music in the game you will know exactly what I’m talking about!
By the way, there are also some inside jokes for all the Dead Space fans out there. Three of the track names on the official album release are disguised as anagrams. Anyone who can decode the anagrams will discover a few keywords and phrases paramount to the Dead Space saga.
We would like to buy Dead Space 2 soundtrack CD, but what are the chances we’ll see a separate soundtrack release?
Absolutely! There’s not one, but two soundtracks available to purchase. The official soundtrack will be available on January 25 when the game ships. The official soundtrack is a digital release on iTunes and Amazon that has sixty minutes of music I personally produced from the score. The Collector’s Edition is a physical CD, which is always a treat for collectors. It’s sixty minutes of score as well, but that includes thirty additional minutes of exclusive music not available on the standard digital release.
And, if it’s not secret, what game projects are you working on right now?
Oh, the pitfalls of game projects and their ironclad nondisclosure agreements! Unfortunately, I’m unable to discuss any specific titles I’m working on right now. What I can say is I’m working on five different games, and somehow they are all sequels! There are a few fantasy titles, a popular science fiction title, and a major sequel to a huge franchise that I’m really excited to be involved with. I’m also working on two independent films and an hour-long concert piece.
Thanks, for you time!
Thank you very much for the questions! It’s been a real pleasure.
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