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Exclusive Interview: Jason Graves Talks The Music Of Dead Space 2 Part 1

Published

16 years ago

on

Update: You can check out Part 2 right HERE!

Earlier this year, we ran an exclusive interview with Andrew Boyd, audio director for EA’s upcoming survival sci-fi/horror game Dead Space 2. He told us about all the amazing sounds we would be hearing as well as touched upon the music of Dead Space 2. Now, we have an exclusive interview with Jason Graves, composer of Dead Space 2, where we get all of the music answers we want straight from the source. Check out Part 1 of the interview after the jump and keep an eye out for Part 2 tomorrow in BD’s Dead Pixels section!

Jason-Graves-Skywalker-Sound-Desk

BD: How do you enter the proper mindset for composing music for a game such as Dead Space 2?

Jason Graves: The world of Dead Space is so immersive and complete.  All I have to do is play some of the game and I’m instantly back in that sonic universe.  There’s definitely a “break in” period for something as dark and experimental as Dead Space, but I’m happy to report that most of the score for Dead Space 2 came much faster and easier for me.

In fact, Isaac and I have the exact same journey as we progress through the series together.  We’ve weathered the storm of the original game, which definitely gives us an edge this time around.  We’re more confident going into Dead Space 2.  We’ve got some new tools to play with and we’re willing to take more risks, given our past experience in the Dead Space universe.
BD: What did you take from your experiences composing Dead Space that you brought into Dead Space 2?

Jason Graves: Wow, where do I start?  The original Dead Space literally changed the way I approach music day to day, regardless of the genre or medium.  I learned new techniques for recording and implementing live players and have spent a lot of time recording my own sounds for my personal orchestral library.

The whole experience had an extreme impact of how I work, so the foundation for the Dead Space 2 score was pretty much already built.  The main idea I carried from the original Dead Space is the concept of fear.  What makes us afraid?  Essentially, it boils down to fear of the unknown; the masked killer, a dark alley, the empty space under our bed in the middle of the night.

How can I express fear of the unknown as a musical concept?  Strip away everything that is recognizable as “music.”  The three basic building blocks of any piece of music are melody, harmony and rhythm, so strip those away and the result is the score for Dead Space 2.  Off-kilter rhythms, no traditional sense of harmony and strange instruments effects make for quite the unsettling listening experience!
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BD: It has been said many times that Dead Space 2 feels more “open” than Dead Space. How does your music reflect this?
Jason Graves: I wanted Dead Space 2 to have a more diverse sound palette.  I still restricted the instrumentation to live players and lots of crazy sounds and effects, but I tried to balance the orchestra a little more this time around.  Dead Space 1 had lots of strings and brass, with plenty of big drums and anvils.  LOTS of anvils.  The audio guys on the DS1 team put a permanent ban on anvils in any of their future games.  I think the whole San Francisco trolley bell sound really got under their skin!

Dead Space was all about claustrophobia and paranoia.  Small, confined spaces.  Hence the limited, but effective, heavy use of strings and brass.  Since Dead Space 2 is a lot more open and in bigger spaces, I wanted to “open” the orchestra up to bigger, more epic-sounding textures by using a more balanced orchestral sound.  So there are lots of woodwinds and percussion (not just huge drums) in Dead Space 2.  Plus some great choir and string quartet textures as well.
All photos by Dan Goldwasser
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Movies

‘The Lost Boys’ Musical Extends Broadway Run With North American Tour Set for Spring 2028

Published

1 week ago

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May 28, 2026

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The Lost Boys: A New Musical officially kicked off on Broadway last month, and Deadline now reports that the show’s Broadway run has been extended into next year.

The show was originally set to run through November, but Deadline reports that The Lost Boys: A New Musical “has released a block of tickets through Sunday, March 7, 2027.”

The news comes in the wake of The Lost Boys: A New Musical becoming the most Tony-nominated musical of the season with twelve nominations including Best Musical.

Additionally, “The Lost Boys will launch a North American National Tour in Spring 2028, at Playhouse Square in Cleveland. Additional cities and tour dates will be announced later.”

The Lost Boys: A New Musical is of course an adaptation of the 1987 horror classic from director Joel Schumacher, with the cast including Ali Louis Bourzgui as lead vampire David (originally played by Kiefer Sutherland), Maria Wirries as Star (originally played by Jami Gertz), and LJ Benet as the soon-to-be-turned Michael (originally played by Jason Patric).

The horror musical’s cast also includes Shoshana Bean as Lucy Emerson, Benjamin Pajak as Sam Emerson, Paul Alexander Nolan as Max, Jennifer Duka as Alan Frog, Miguel Gil as Edgar Frog, Brian Flores as Marko, Sean Grandillo as Dwayne, and Dean Maupin as Paul.

The Lost Boys: A New Musical is Directed by Michael Arden, featuring Music and Lyrics by The Rescues, Book by David Hornsby & Chris Hoch, Story by James Jeremias & Janice Fischer, and Produced by James Carpinello, Marcus Chait & Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring) by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures.

When a mother and her two teenage sons move to Santa Carla in desperate need of a fresh start, they soon uncover the darker side of this sunny coastal community. While Lucy tries to piece her family’s life back together, Michael keeps pulling away in search of belonging.

As he finds connection with a local rock band and its charismatic leader, his younger brother Sam comes face-to-face with a terrifying reality: When night falls, Michael’s new friends are even more dangerous than they first appeared.

Joel Schumacher directed the original The Lost Boys vampire movie in 1987, wherein two brothers move to a new town and discover that the area is a haven for vampires.

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