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Interview: Sound of Games – Part II

portrait_sound_of_gamesSound of Games: Two musicians on a mission to compose and perform the best game music ever. With their very individual style and well-known music, Filipp Issa and Michael Stoeckemann are guests of honour at every large gaming convention. Their way of writing for games is unique in different aspects. First of all they research real-life locations that fit the mood of the games they write for to get into the feeling for the ambience such a location creates. On the other hand Sound of Games represents a tailor-made approach to what the game will need – no matter if it is composing for a large orchestra or smaller, more intimate setups.

We sat down with Filipp and Michael to talk about their inspiration and aspirations in the world of game music.


Do you usually start with a segment, a theme or do you develop the overall score as a whole?

When you remember Star Wars, Indiana Jones or Back to the Future, you easily see how important the main theme really is: it is a big part of the game’s success! That’s why we always start with the main theme. It has to reflect everything the game is about, and it has to pull the player right into the story and the feeling.

Do you like working with orchestras and big scale compositions or small band-like environments more?

Sound of Games likes the big thing! We record our soundtracks with Hollywood orchestras and the world’s top solo musicians. There’s nothing better than 60 people playing your game’s music with each and every one of them giving his best. It is our passion to do these live recordings in person in direct exchange with the conductor and the musicians, witnessing the moment when our Premium Game Music comes alive. Our last orchestra session was just a few weeks ago, for a great masterpiece of finest game music.

What’s your personal favorite in the large range of Turtle Beach headphones and why?

Our favorite headphones are the Elite 800 series, because we are constantly on the road and we need that perfect sound on tour as well as in the studio.

Read here for Part I of the interview.