This week’s feature will be a little different from the usual since this time we have a guest writer! Stakula, the composer of the theme music of Legend of Grimrock shares some insight on the creation process of the music. You can either listen to the tune with the embedded player or download it as an mp3. Enjoy!
Summer 2011 I noticed an interesting trailer link in Finnish IGDA pages about a game called Legend of Grimrock by a new Finnish game team Almost Human. I was intrigued because it was very much like old Dungeon Master games which I was big fan of back in the good ol’ gaming days. I contacted the team, congratulated them on great concept and gave them some advise on sound design.
Sometime later, it so happened that Almost Humans were interested in having me compose the main theme for the game! Antti Tiihonen contacted me early September and shortly after I met the guys in Espoo. Game looked fantastic and we agreed that catchy, fully orchestrated song would be what the game needs, a memorable theme with strong emotional impact.
Coming back from the meeting I actually composed the main melody in my head and sung it to iPhone while driving. This is how I usually work when making melodies for games and other projects such as my band Alamaailman Vasarat. There’s a reason for it – catchy melodies tend to work out best when composed outside the instrument. You need to have good relative pitch skills though, but it’s certainly worth it, because then you can compose everywhere and stay true to yourself. If it feels like crap in your head, no point orchestrating it any further!
When I started working on the song I realised I needed a good instrument for the main melody. I can play several instruments myself, like saxophones, clarinets, guitars, keys and so on, but this one was definitely a cello thing, no question about it. Luckily, my band mate Tuukka Helminen, a cello virtuoso extraordinaire, agreed to torture the old wood for me! I mean his cello, of course.
I went on making a demo version using solo cello samples at first. I also played bass clarinet for the middle part and orchestrated the song more towards film score proportions. After a few adjustments the game team was happy about the demo and it was time to record the cello. Tuukka, aided by few beers, tracked multiple cellos in several octaves within one hour and it sounded great! It’s always quite a leap when going from samples to real instrument and it’s always for the better, nothing replaces the human touch!
For the final version I played a rare instrument I bought from Okinawa, Japan, called Sanshin. This snake skin banjo with three strings is quite an ethnic sounding little fellow and I really liked how it emphasized the oriental epic movie feeling of the pentatonic main melody. It’s intentionally not very up front in the arrangement – it’s more like a subliminal color slightly outside the typical Celtic fantasy realm without being too exotic.
In the end, I think the main theme worked quite well and I suppose Almost Humans were happy too, because I got paid! Big thanks to the whole game team for this interesting project & anxiously
waiting for the final release!
Stakula
Composer, sound designer, woodwind player
www.stakula.com
www.alamaailmanvasarat.com
sending...
Just got “music bumps” – goose bumps resulting from awesome music.
Same here. This track is excellent. I cannot wait for the release as it is an ‘instabuy’.
Although the music is nice I don’t really like the sound of it. I feel it should be more ‘enveloping’ (the mp3 is a bit faint) and it misses some higher tone pitch like a flute or something for the main melody.
It might be all well done technically but the music sounds so exchangeable and it just doesn’t touch me. I would have preferred a stronger theme.
Simply gorgeous. Before I read this I thought the music in the trailer reminded me slightly of Japan, now I know why.
Even if I don’t like this game genre (not saying I wouldn’t) or otherwise play this game, I will absolute must get the soundtrack! Epic.
The music is great, can’t wait to hear it and see the title screen before me
Every Friday, when I boot my PC, I pray for a release date for Legend of Grimrock and every Friday I get more information about the game itself that let my desire for this game grow and grow.
Can you give us an idea of a release date please?
It is very sad that there will be only a digital distribution. I dreamed of a Collectors Edition with many many goodies.
The Soundtrack keeps the feeling I had in the old dungeoncrawlers. It’s not to modern and sounds very classic. That’s fantastic. I’m very excited about the music in the game. I hope it’s really very dark with a few horror-elements.
Will the Boddfights have a special music with more action?
And a question for the game itself…
I love the idea of a further adventure in the world of Grimrock.
Do you think that it could be possible to transfer the savegame to a further game?
Perhaps you know the old “Realms of Arkania – Games” with the names “Blade of Destiniy” and “Startrail”. There you could use your party in the second part of the game and let them live a new adventure.
I hope you know what I mean.
Greetings
Thurbold
We’re working hard to release the game as soon as possible. We’ll let everybody know when we know the release date. Patience please
Transferring characters to another game would indeed be very cool. Could it be possible? Depends a lot on game mechanics and how closely that another game resembles LoG.
Take your time, build us the best game possible.
I think you have a run for Indy Game of the year. And that’s a great thing
I can only support that. By all means, take your time. It really doesn’t matter if the game ships a month later. What matters is that you had all the time you needed to re-iterate and fine-tune puzzles, flow and whatever else there is.
I mean, I’m going to purchase it anyway. Just make sure you’re happy with the game before you ship it.
Dear Almost Humans,
I know my question is maybe too sensitive, but I dare to ask you since I feel like a part of LoG family…therefore I would like to ask you, if you have internally set up any sales result limit, which makes you either continue or to quit and join other dev studios. I think it is fair enough to know the numbers.
I wish you have the best market results, because I am looking forward to LoG II or some DLC soon after release date.
Crossing fingers
Beerdy
That’s very impressive and ideal music.
there were many dungeon crawling titles years ago when i was about 20..i was addicted to those like :
dungeon master
eye of the beholder
legend of faerghail
black crypt
legend of kyrandia
perihelion
.
.
.
the very last thing i remebered at that time; i was waiting those great games’ sequel aspiringly like many other DM fans all over the world ..sure there were rumours but they had not been developed over the years..and my hope had faded..it’s been approximately 20 years since then..alas ! and now i will buy it after so many years
a great evolution of dungeon crawling with a fantastic theme (like legend of faerghail or perihelion soundtrack)
how i’ve waited for an announcement of development of such a game so many years.. but can’t wait to buy LOG anymore though i know that it will be released soon…
Thanx to all crew for creating such a sublime game.
You Sirs, have some really impressing music here! Just a little bit more of soundstage and it’s perfect! Can’t wait to hear more!
Thank you for the MP3. Every week this game looks better than the last, I would like to thank the entire development team for creating a game that many players have been waiting (literally) years to play.
I agree with the other take your time for the games to be perfect
all we can wait a month extra for the games can best
Hopefully there will be lots of level and high level,
with many different monster and a great variety of different object
for that game will be like the dungeon master was a game which is to remain in our memory every player has ever
one question.. where HAVE you guys been, i mean this is the kind of game i grew up with
im not saying im old or anything 
but hey my hats off to you. Release it when its ready, i can wait, well not that long 
anyway the musics awsome and thanks for the mp3. Good luck guys and gals if any work with you..
bonjour,
il sort quand ce jeu ?
en francais ?
Wow ! Sounds very good . . . . just to say :
-.* CANT WAIT TO PLAY *-.
Keep on !
It’s amazing! F#$%K YEAH!
Launch the game now, please!!!!
This tune reminds me strongly of Trine / Trine 2 soundtrack by Ari Pulkkinen in places… which is a good thing, I suppose, as I *love* that soundtrack. Thumbs up!
Perfection. Truly. I’ve been listening to this track over and over. Just wonderful. I hope there’s much more to come.
Never heard of this game/lore but the music makes me want to try it out. Where’s ma’ download?
I consider my musical tastes to be somewhat discerning; and this is a very moving, beautiful work. There will always one or two with negative feedback due to diversity of tastes; however in this case you may feel free to ignore them
actually, the great music and the nice pre-order trailer made me buy this game without further thinking
Very atmospheric! Can’t wait to enter the dungeon.
Glorious stuff, as expected. First came into contact with Stakula’s sound in 2004 through his involvement in the N-Gage title Pathway to Glory and been a fan since then.
This music is AMAZING. The game looks interesting, but it’s the music that really hooks you.
Love the pictures, btw. Your beard is epic!
I love it, has a really nice tone to it.
One question though…is there a FLAC copy out there?
this music remind me crystal dragon [amiga game] its was awesome in intro of game and a music in chracter creation
i have to play it again
Thanks for making the Download available! I’ve been looking for it and here it was hiding in plain sight.
Certainly among the best themes in all of gaming, I know it will now always be one of my favorites and instantly recognized with all the greats. This single piece has done more for the quality of the whole game than all rest of it put together.
Grimrock’s music is excellent… a haunting, memorable sound that is unique to Grimrock. Well Done!