Hello everyone!
My name is Aleksander Kmiec, and I have had the tremendous privilege of composing the official soundtrack to Phantom Fury.
I was brought onto the project by my good friend and fellow composer Michael Markie back in early 2021, and it was he who envisioned the distinct identity of the OST. The goal was to aim for a unique blend of synth and symphonic - the bold and bombastic energy of an action film with a healthy dose of saturated electronic tones and pulses.
A lot of you will probably pick up on the influences of Alexander Brandon, Michael McCann, and Sascha Dikiciyan, as their work on the Deus Ex OSTs were a big part of my listening rotation for several months. However, it was Ludwig Göransson and his work on the film Tenet that inspired us most. There is a cold, dour, and bitter tone to his music that really spoke to me - I wanted to try and strike a balance between that bleakness and more triumphant elements.
I think much of what we wanted for Phantom Fury is perfectly encapsulated in the trailer track, “Motherflakker”. The song opens with a thunderous drop punctuating the tried-and-true saturated horn bellow we’ve all come to know from movie trailers. However, as the song progresses, familiar instruments and sounds start to reveal themselves in unexpected ways. Juxtaposing the natural cinematic percussion are distorted synth arpeggios over a blend of chamber strings and airy pads. Finally, to tie it all together, I used a solo viola for the lead, employing some tasteful portamentos and a ton of distortion - in the end, it sounded more like a wailing wounded animal than it did a conventional instrument.
All of these parts combined to create a whole greater than the sum of its parts. It was a violent collision of disparate and contradictory conventions and pieces that resulted in a surprisingly harmonious marriage of old and new. This description holds true for the majority of the soundtrack. I think a lot of people are going to hear it and think, “I know this… but I don’t at the same time.” Like the game itself, I’ve attempted to invoke the familiar while still delivering something fresh and unique.
I’m really excited for you all to hear more of the soundtrack - it’s been a dream of mine to write music for a game, and I cannot overstated how grateful I am for this opportunity. Thank you all for your support, it has meant the world to me. Until we speak again, have fun, be safe, and take care of one another!
- Aleksander Kmiec 黄仲波
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