Risen Interview, Sound Samples
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2) You worked on all previous titles from Piranha Bytes, especially the Gothic series. How was the work for Risen different from your previous games?
The audio sector was subject to constant evolution. Since Gothic 1, my approach to creating the music went through various stages. What they all have in common is that I want to set the emotional tone through the soundtrack. I consider the music to be a voice actor, rather than just an acoustic backdrop. My job is to either underline a mood that already comes across very well in the visuals, or add something that hasn't been there before at all.
When it comes to the realization of this goal, I often find myself just playing the keyboard and recording my ideas. I "speak" the piano fluently as my emotional language; I close my eyes and just let serenity, menace, tension, relief, peace or disorder flow out of my hands onto the keyboard, while the PC records the brainstorming for later examination. The next step is to find an appropriate instrumentation and create the arrangement. I use the sequencer software Cubase by Steinberg for this part of the job. Afterwards, the material will either be performed by a virtual orchestra, or by a live orchestra as in Gothic 3. For Risen, I blend virtual soundscapes with real instruments, which helps me to create a huge amount of music which still sounds authentic and suits the overall atmosphere.
