https://store.steampowered.com/app/1570090/Cartel_Tycoon_Soundtrack/
Close your eyes for a second and pretend that you’re in the world of Cartel Tycoon. What do you hear? Trucks, of course, your lieutenants riding all around the regions and keeping your empire intact, ambient of cities, rivers, docks… But there’s something else, isn’t there? Something that either makes you dance with joy, or prepare your Capo for the worst.
We’re talking about music, of course! Today we wanted to shine some light on the musicians who made the soundtrack of our game and on their creative process! Aaand our soundtrack is getting released on all of the major music platforms! Each and every one of you could (and should) listen to it everywhere you go! We left links at the end of this post. But let’s get to the musicians!
Click the video before proceeding further to set the mood, and enjoys the interviews!
They are - C.A.M.P.O.S, Vicious Seeds, Candeleros, Orkesta Mendoza, Tribilin Sound, Dengue Dengue Dengue & Prisma, and Chico Unicornio! And introducing DJ FARRAPO, who’s working on his tracks for the 1.0 Release right now! With some of them, we’ve been working long before Cartel Tycoon got released - we’ve had our vision for the vibe of the future soundtrack, and these incredible artists perfected it!
We talked to some of them about their music, our game, and their passion for it! But first, some introductions.
Let’s talk about C.A.M.P.O.S first… officially the group is called Cumbias And More Psychedelic Original Sounds and it started as a side project for Joshua Camp, who’s also has a group called Chicha Libre. He’s been in the industry for well over 20 years now both as a performer, playing a fair amount on Broadway and in touring music groups, and as a songwriter/composer for advertising, TV, films, and now, with Cartel Tycoon, video games!
DJ FARRAPO has started his musical activity as a keyboard player more than 30 years ago. But soon his career as a DJ took over and that of music producer was added in 2005. At the moment he’s also the band leader of two different projects!
Triblin Sound aka Alvaro Ernesto is a Peruvian DJ/producer of electronic and fusion music. He started Tribilin Sound 20 years ago djing with cumbia, salsa, regueros stuff. Then he started producing house/tech music for foreign labels and playing dj sets at radio Miraflores.
THE INTERVIEW
Were there any movies or TV series that inspired you while writing for “Cartel Tycoon”?
C.A.M.P.O.S - The composers Ennio Morricone and Nino Rota are massive influences on me when it comes to instrumental/score writing. They were key elements to Sergio Leone’s westerns and Federico Fellini’s early period of film making, respectively, so I’d have to put them at the top of my list.
DJ FARRAPO - Surely Narcos!
Triblin Sound - TV series like Hawai 5 0, with that special guitar sound from The Ventures. I also get some inspiration in the surf rock sound taken from The Munsters, a tv show from the 60’s and finally the Pulp Fiction theme “Misirlou”, honestly one of the most exciting film intros for sure.
Was it your first foray into the Latin America sound or was is always your passion?
C.A.M.P.O.S - I’ve been listening to music from Latin and Central America since I was a young man, but it wasn’t until I co-founded the band Chicha Libre around 2007-2008 that I really started to dig into specific styles of performing & writing, like Chicha and cumbia.
DJ FARRAPO - South American music has always been a great passion of mine and a source of inspiration and research. Till now I've released a Brazilian album and several remixes and singles of Latin American music, like my last one "El Cabron '', an instrumental electrocumbia in which the lead themes are played by a Colombian gaita.
Triblin Sound - It is always my passion. I really dig latam folklore. I like to travel in order to discover new instruments, and be in touch of new forms of making music. And collab with artist around America.
Have you ever been to Latin America yourself or do you just have the feeling for it?
C.A.M.P.O.S - Yes I’ve toured and also visited several times to Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Chile, and Puerto Rico. I definitely have tried to make the most of those experiences in terms of learning and listening as much I can.
DJ FARRAPO - I've traveled and toured in Brazil several times.
Triblin Sound - Sure, Im from Peru so here you can find diversity in all kinds: art, music, food. All those experiences are great in order to make music with a “Latin American” feeling into it.
If your music had words, who is your dream LatAm singer?
C.A.M.P.O.S - Oh I would definitely go old-school and have ‘El Cantante’ Hector Lavoe on a track!
DJ FARRAPO - Difficult question... anyway in this period I would like to do a collaboration with Eva De Marce. Do you know that Wagner Moura, the actor who plays Pablo Escobar in Narcos is also an excellent singer? I played with him about 10 years ago in São Paulo (BR)!
Triblin Sound - My favorite singer is Hector Lavoe. Music like “Loco”, “Todo tiene su final” and “El cantante” is all I need for a great party. I also love all the Ruben Blades lyrics. And don’t forget Tengo Calderon.
What should players feel when they hear your music in-game?
C.A.M.P.O.S - Hopefully they will feel fully immersed in the experience and the music will help get them ‘in the zone’ so to speak.
DJ FARRAPO - Excitement!
Triblin Sound - They must feel the latino thing, those latin vibes, percussions, that misterious mood that brings my tracks. Players must feel tension and fear of what will happen later in the game
A lot of people asked us if there going to be more music on full release… Are you working on something?
C.A.M.P.O.S - Yes indeed! I’m currently working on a new killer track. It’s got groove and attitude in spades.
DJ FARRAPO - Of course, I'm always working on new music. I have several projects and upcoming releases of different styles: some electro swing and some urban/latin stuff.
Triblin Sound - Sure, I think it is just the beginning in the search of new sounds. Im really excited making some cumbia with that surf rock guitar sound and dub things. I hope Cartel Tycoon gives me the opportunity to send more of my more recently music I’ve made.
Tell us a bit about your creative process. What does it start with?
C.A.M.P.O.S - With this style of music, I always start with finding the perfect groove and feel in terms of the rhythm section and looping. Then I start improvising around those grooves to get the main melodic ideas and then 90 percent of the process in terms of hours spent, is just refining those initial improv ideas until it’s a tight arrangement.
DJ FARRAPO - There is no single way, sometimes I start from a melodic idea, other times from a harmonic progression, or even a sample or a bass line.
Triblin Sound - It starts with the feeling or emotion I want to be part of all the music. I usually like to make interpolations from other tracks. I like to live on the edge with the music deadline (lol)
Have you worked on any other games soundtracks or maybe other media (TV, Films, etc.)?
C.A.M.P.O.S - This is my first video game I’ve worked on, which is very exciting, but I have had many years writing for film, television and advertising: Tv shows like Weeds, Homeland, On My Block, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Advertisements for Mac Cosmetics, Sephora, Ralph Lauren, and tons more like that.
DJ FARRAPO - A long time ago I started a collaboration project with a video game company from my hometown Bologna, but in the end nothing came of it. However I did the soundtrack for several short films, exhibitions, commercials and one of my songs is also included in the soundtrack of the famous TV series Shameless.
Triblin Sound - Sure, I’ve made some stuff for some brands here in Peru (Hapag-Lloyd German tracking company, ISM Group (Loa Water). Actually im learning the process of making a soundtracks for a movie.
Do you play video games? What are the latest games you played?
C.A.M.P.O.S - I run hot and cold with video games but I’ve played them all my life. My last obsession was Alto’s Odyssey: The Lost City. The music and sound design are great.
DJ FARRAPO - I used to play Asphalt, but now I'm totally absorbed by my job.
Triblin Sound - Sure, I like to play Counter Strike. The first videogame I really enjoyed was Half-Life I.
What’s your favorite soundtrack from any other game, film, TV?
C.A.M.P.O.S - Like a lot of people in the industry this past year we’ve all been digging Hans Zimmer’s score to Dune, ridiculously good! The tv show Severance, which I’m currently watching, has a fantastic score by Theodore Shapiro.
DJ FARRAPO - There's so many. A very good Latin America soundtrack is that of the movie City Of God. In general I am very passionate about Morricone's soundtracks, which are a source of continuous inspiration for me.
Triblin Sound - I love all Ennio Morricone music: the Untouchables, Cinema Paradiso. The music selection from Tarantino’s movies. The Unsolved Mysteries Theme, the San Junipero soundtrack from Black Mirror Netflix series.
Of course, music continues to live and evolve after it gets to us - every song finds its place in the game, and our whole team works with the artists to create the perfect soundtrack to Cartel Tycoon together. If you want to feel the vibes of the game outside of playing you can now get the full soundtrack on all the major platforms! As promised, we’re leaving the links below:
