One of the most exciting aspects of the video game industry is not the games themselves, but the work that goes on behind the scenes to bring us the titles we know and love. One huge part of how games are put together is of course, the music. The right music allows us to feel like we are in the game, and can make the experience that much better.
That being said, we have decided to interview a few awesome bands that are active in the video game music world, starting with Hadouken!, a popular group from England. Although they have just begun their foray into the world of gaming, the work they have done so far has been excellent, most notably in the new title, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit”
Check out Hadouken! on iTunes here.
Hi! We are Hadouken, we are a five piece band from London. We have been
going about 4 years and released two albums. We make loud and aggressive
dance music to start circle pits too.
We’ve always been keen gamers and so when we were approached by various
games developers asking to use our music in their games we were really
excited about it. It’s a great opportunity for us to reach out to people who
might not have heard our music before and hopefully our tracks provide a
decent soundtrack for the gamers.
We have a really good relationship with EA who are using our tracks in a few
of their games. They decided to use ‘Bombshock’ on NFS which I think worked
really nicely, it’s one of our fastest and heaviest tracks and suits the
game really well. They sent us a few copies of it last week and we’ve been
playing it non-stop, it’s one of the most fun driving games we’ve played in
ages and we’re really hyped to be involved in the project!
Well we’ve never composed music specifically for video games, only licensed
tracks that were already on our albums for use in games, so we don’t have
experience working in that way. However what we have seen of the industry is
really interesting. It’s an exciting place to be as the technology involved
in gaming is constantly developing and allowing for new possibilities.
Not really, we love all sorts of games, first person shooters, driving and
football games, especially Fifa, so yes, we’d love to be on the Fifa 11
soundtrack!
We’re happy to be involved in it, I think that carefully selected tracks can
make really awesome soundtracks for games and improve the playing experience
for the gamer. For the bands it’s a great opportunity to find new fans and
an alternative to the traditional, and in some cases out dated, routes to
which bands can gain exposure, so it’s good for everyone in my opinion.
We’ll be happy to keep having tracks on games that we think are good!
Well we’re obviously big Street Fighter fans but we just picked it because
we thought it sounded unique and suited our music as it’s kind of energetic
and aggressive.
Just concentrate on making your album and playing live and getting your
music out there and eventually games companies will come to you if they
think your music would suit their games.
At the moment we’re playing Fifa 10, Need for Speed, Battlefield Bad
Company, Black Ops and Dead Rising 2. I’m also loving Cut The Rope and
Aqueduct on the iPad!
Thanks for reading and if you’re interested please check out our most recent
album ‘For The Masses’ on iTunes. You can also follow us online at these
links:
http://www.facebook.com/hadoukentheband
htttp://www.twitter.com/hadoukenuk
http://www.hadoukentheband.tumblr.com
http://www.myspace.com/hadouken
* Could you introduce yourselves briefly for our readers?*Hi! We are Hadouken, we are a five piece band from London. We have beengoing about 4 years and released two albums. We make loud and aggressivedance music to start circle pits too.* What made you want to expand the band’s music into the video game scene?*We've always been keen gamers and so when we were approached by variousgames developers asking to use our music in their games we were reallyexcited about it. It's a great opportunity for us to reach out to people whomight not have heard our music before and hopefully our tracks provide adecent soundtrack for the gamers.*Hadouken!’s music is featured in the new racing game “Need For Speed: HotPursuit”. Could you tell us more about this project?*We have a really good relationship with EA who are using our tracks in a fewof their games. They decided to use 'Bombshock' on NFS which I think workedreally nicely, it's one of our fastest and heaviest tracks and suits thegame really well. They sent us a few copies of it last week and we've beenplaying it non-stop, it's one of the most fun driving games we've played inages and we're really hyped to be involved in the project!*What do you think of working in the video game industry? How does itcompare to developing music in a “traditional” sense?*Well we've never composed music specifically for video games, only licensedtracks that were already on our albums for use in games, so we don't haveexperience working in that way. However what we have seen of the industry isreally interesting. It's an exciting place to be as the technology involvedin gaming is constantly developing and allowing for new possibilities.* Is there any specific video game project you would like to potentiallywork on in the future? Why?*Not really, we love all sorts of games, first person shooters, driving andfootball games, especially Fifa, so yes, we'd love to be on the Fifa 11soundtrack!*Video games for the most part use orchestrated or instrumental music fortheir soundtracks, but in the last few years there has been a push for moremainstream music in games, what role do you see Hadouken! playing in thisnew trend?*We're happy to be involved in it, I think that carefully selected tracks canmake really awesome soundtracks for games and improve the playing experiencefor the gamer. For the bands it's a great opportunity to find new fans andan alternative to the traditional, and in some cases out dated, routes towhich bands can gain exposure, so it's good for everyone in my opinion.We'll be happy to keep having tracks on games that we think are good!*As any true gamer knows, the name “Hadouken!” is a reference to the classicStreet Fighter game, could you elaborate more on why this was chosen to bethe name of your group?*Well we're obviously big Street Fighter fans but we just picked it becausewe thought it sounded unique and suited our music as it's kind of energeticand aggressive.* Is there anything you would like to say to other bands looking to stepinto the video game industry?*Just concentrate on making your album and playing live and getting yourmusic out there and eventually games companies will come to you if theythink your music would suit their games.* I understand you are all active gamers, what titles do you enjoy playingthe most?*At the moment we're playing Fifa 10, Need for Speed, Battlefield BadCompany, Black Ops and Dead Rising 2. I'm also loving Cut The Rope andAqueduct on the iPad!* Well, that’s about it! Is there anything else you would like to add forour readers?*Thanks for reading and if you're interested please check out our most recentalbum 'For The Masses' on iTunes. You can also follow us online at theselinks:http://www.facebook.com/hadoukenthebandhtttp://www.twitter.com/hadoukenukhttp://www.hadoukentheband.tumblr.comhttp://www.myspace.com/hadoukenArticle from Gamersyndrome.com
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