Composer Mark Morgan’s work includes such influential games as Fallout, Fallout 2, and Planescape: Torment, as well a plethora of movie and television gigs. His moody, wide-ranging scores veer into quiet, acoustic territory in addition to the electronic and industrial landscape for which he probably most well-known.
Morgan recently took time away from working on Wasteland 2 to chat with us. Find out what it’s like creating the sound design for the sequel to the progenitor of all post-apocalyptic RPGs in our interview!
The score for Wasteland 2 combines some pretty dissonant percussive and electronic sounds with Eastern and world music elements. How do you come to land on that specific instrumentation blend?
I drew from everything that I believe fits that world, to get that Dystopian feel and that which is distinctly Wasteland 2. It’s not just one musical element but the sum of all its parts that can make that unique texture and create the sound of the wasteland. In addition to the landscape and environments, Wasteland 2 features various tribal cults and different factions within those main cults. To find that sound musically, I combined elements from the modular synth that can be clinical in nature and blended them with a slide guitar or a wind instrument which in turn can evoke emotion and create some interesting sounds that fit the vibe.
Was there something you saw in the gameplay for Wasteland 2 that inspired the tonal palette for this score, or did you already have some pretty strong ideas in mind?
Before there was any gameplay Brian and I discussed the sound palette. I did a couple of demos using the concept art, so we had a good idea sonically of what was working straight away. Then it was a matter of fitting the music into the different sections of the game.
There are two distinct areas in the game, Arizona and Los Angeles, so both had to be addressed with their own distinct sound but still feel as if they are part of the same world.
Arizona needed to be open-sounding and have a strong feel of cold desolation. Because of the desert landscape and the fact that we were dealing with the Rangers, a little twang was needed, so we went with a very dark and minimal use of slide guitar. On some of the tracks, to get that dark vibe, we used a dobro slide and purposely brought to the forefront certain artifacts by recording the noisiest parts of the neck and body of the guitar. After which we blended that with the close mic natural sound. Hearing all the artifacts made it feel really dry and dusty which in turn gave it a more aggressive sound befitting the post-apocalyptic world of the wasteland…
LA has more of a glitchy electronic sound, but still has an organic quality because of the use of certain textures in the underlying ambience that pervades most of the game. The sound of LA is more apparent in the battle moments because of the overall nervous and glitchy, rhythmic components along with more pronounced ethnic elements.
The idea in the game was to tell the story by use of texture as opposed to playing melodies in the traditional sense. In some cases we concentrated on the sound of certain cults to give them an identity of their own. For instance, for the Mannerites, the underlying ambience is aggressive and relentless, and with an added subtle pulse that hopefully gives you a sense of unease that you can’t seem to escape from. Other cults were approached in a similar fashion.
As someone who seems to enjoy a wide variety of sound textures, how much experimentation are you allowed when composing for a game? Or, similarly, are you given free reign and then offered specific notes?
It depends on the game and the developer, but for the most part I’m given a lot of room to experiment and come up with the sound. Because Brian is very open musically, on Wasteland 2 I was given pretty much free reign. As far as he is concerned, almost anything goes if it works and fits the game.
Video game scoring often has to exist within the aural environment
without taking it over, save for the necessary aural crescendos. What is your approach to the background / foreground aesthetic necessary for video game composition?
Obviously you have to set the mood and tell a story so I approached it as if I’m writing to film. I want the player to feel as if they’re immersed inside the game, while at the same time not being too on the nose by telling them what is happening or what to feel. My goal is to be subtle enough not to intrude but give the player enough information to stay engaged. Having said that, in some games you have to be more literal and overt but I think it’s preferable to avoid that approach if possible.
How much of the game do you need to see before you can get a feel for how to approach the music, or do you begin composition pretty early on after you are hired?
As of late I’ve begun writing before there is any gameplay to speak of so the compositional process starts straightaway. For me it’s really about the concept art which in games for the most part tells the story. I’ve also been watching the beta being played on Twitch and other sites, especially when it comes to the battle music. After watching and seeing the actual gameplay I have adjusted the music accordingly.
Is there a certain genre of game that you find yourself attracted to when seeking new projects, or do you gravitate toward works that suit your specific style?
I would say a little bit of both. I do enjoy games, like with movies, that are narrative-driven, and in which music plays an important role in telling that story. I do like to go there and dig deep emotionally so I tend to gravitate to the darker themed subject matter. I’m not saying you can’t do that with lighter material, I just like using a palette that tends to be darker.
I’m always trying to find that perfect project that can fit and be pushed by a certain style of music that I hear in my head. That to me would be the ultimate and most challenging project.
“War of Borders” reminds me very specifically of one of my favorite songs from the DOOM score, and your credits include some very influential games, like Civilization and several of the Fallout games. How has your approach to scoring video games changed between your earlier works and and, say, Wasteland 2?
Interesting question. I think now I’m more engaged in the actual gameplay and what it’s about as it relates to the story. In earlier games, often because of time constraints or maybe just the way they were done usually, I was only given a vague idea on what the music would or could be. I don’t even remember getting any concept art or anything that really related to the game. I would just write what I felt without having much knowledge of the inner workings or subtleties of the game. Maybe in some instances that can work but I do much prefer knowing all I can about the game before I start.
What composers do you yourself admire, and is there a game score you hold up as the pinnacle of the artform?
As far as composers I admire, they come from all genres not just the scoring world. Some that come to mind are Ryuichi Sakamoto, Peter Gabriel, David Sylvian, Alva Noto, Trent Reznor, Miles Davis.
As for games I know there are some great ones but I haven’t listened to enough of them to feel I could give a valid judgment.
Additionally, Stasis looks to be a really interesting game. It has a certain industrial aesthetic that seems to fit nicely with your style. What brought you to become involved in that project, and what can you say about your involvement up to this point? How far along are you in scoring it?
I saw the game on Kickstarter and was in awe of the artwork Christopher Bischoff had created and I wanted to be part of it. I emailed him and asked if he had a composer, he hadn’t so I was able to talk him into letting me do it.
It’s cool in the sense that there really isn’t any music during gameplay to speak of. The score is built around a lullaby that was played on a music box then reworked to fit the emotional moments in the game: panic, friendship, fear, loss etc. So the game has a musical thread that goes through the entire score.
We’re probably a month away from finishing the music and then we’ll take a look at maybe releasing the soundtrack.
Are you a fan of video games with an isometric point-of-view? If not, what sorts of games most readily pique your interest?
I’m interested in all types of games. For me it has to come from an artistic place and the story is also very important. Then the criteria is if I feel I can contribute musically to the project.
What other projects are upcoming for you?
The next project game-wise is Torment: Tides Of Numenara. I’m also working with a friend of mine on a TV show, Aquarius, based on the Manson murders.
The soundtrack for Wasteland 2 can be found on inXile Entertainment’s Bandcamp, and more of Morgan’s songs are available on his personal site, markmorganmusic.com.
