Hello Stalkers!
Without further ado, we invite you to read the third and final episode of the series, in which we share with you the backstage of creating the music in Chernobylite. We would like to thank Mikołaj Stroiński for his contribution to our entries so far. At the same time, we would like to welcome Krzysztof Chalusiak, our friend, sound designer and composer, who will talk about the process of creating songs for some famous missions in the game.
Old Documents
A mission in which we make our way through small underground corridors to get important documents from Tarakan's closet. As Krzysztof explains, when writing music for this mission, he wanted to emphasize its claustrophobic nature:
“The first of these songs starts playing as soon as Igor enters the underground complex. The composition is based on interpenetrating, stretched sounds of synthesizers that dynamically change their sound and pitch. The delicate, yet strongly processed percussion accents enrich the texture of the piece. Operating synthesizers on several layers allowed me to build a sense of constant movement and change. This effectively builds a mood of uncertainty and emphasizes the mysterious atmosphere of the underground complex”.
“We get to hear the second track when Igor triggers the Tarakan trap. The pulse of this composition is much more concrete and systematic. The piece is based on bass sounds that set the rhythm for the composition. These are supported by arpeggiator, dynamically changing the harmonic and sonic values that rise and fall, emphasizing the tension accompanying Igor. Additionally, the players can still hear some sounds from the previous composition playing in the background. That was deliberate. It allowed me to successfully keep the coherence of both tracks and to progress from one sound to the next one in a natural way”.
Mikhail In Trouble
What kind of music is best to illustrate the rescue mission of our slightly unhinged companion? Well, one with a hint of psychedelia. After all, during this mission Igor ends up in a building filled with a strange gas, which most likely caused Mikhail to hallucinate.
“In the first composition, which starts playing as soon as Igor descends to the ground floor of the building, I only used a few synthesizers because I wanted to emphasize the dynamism of the second song. The first composition is based on an undulating, blurry synthesizer and its sound evolves over a very long period of time. Together with the synthesizer, there are strongly voiced percussion sounds that emerge from time to time".
“The second composition uses a wider palette of colors and it’s easy to see that a lot more is happening there. There are more synthesizers in this track and although it continues the ideas from the previous composition, I also added some new sounds and textures. I wanted the player to experience the music progression when advancing the mission. The second composition begins in a dramatic moment when Igor damages his gas mask.”
Difficult Truth
As Krzysztof explains, composing this piece was quite an interesting challenge. Without revealing too much of the plot, this piece was about emphasizing the character of… a particular location. What is it and where is it located? You have to discover it for yourself!
“The foundation of the piece are misty synthesizer sounds that intertwine with one another, generating a slow pulse. Their ambivalent color and harmonic composition create an aura of mystery and correspond well with the character of the place. By adding short, rhythmic sounds, I wanted to make the piece more dynamic. By making it digital, I emphasized the technological aspect of the place discovered by Igor”.
Old Hideout
For this particular mission, it was crucial to focus on the stage where Igor was about to unravel the mystery of Tarakan. The accompanying piece at this point has a clear, perceptible pulse that reflects the feeling of tension experienced by the protagonist.
by Fritz Fantom
“The foundation of the composition is based on the rhythm built up by several synthesizer bass sounds and processed recordings of falling clock hands” - Krzysztof explains - “the layers of these sounds interpenetrate one another, maintaining a specific pulse. In addition to shorter bass sounds, the piece is characterized by synthesizers with longer, resonating motifs. Their sound dynamically changes timbre, which effectively harmonizes with the sense of unease built up by short bass splashes”.
That's it. We hope you learned something interesting. We especially hope that this insight will encourage people who would like to create music for games in the future. Let us know in the comments if you would like to read more similar material in the future.
That's it for today!
Take care, Stalkers!
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