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The secret tricks of video game composers

Jessica Curry chats to Assassin's Creed composer Winifred Phillips about writing for huge franchises, the glory of live games music concerts and what composers are up to in games.

Jessica Curry with the latest and greatest music for video games.

Today she's joined by composer Winifred Phillips who has scored some of the biggest game franchises from Assassin's Creed III: Liberation to God of War to Little Big Planet. She's also written a handy composers guide on how to write game music. Jess and Winifred chat about writing for those huge franchises, the glory of live games music concerts and what composers are getting up to in games.

Plus composer and musician J.J. Ipsen calls up to introduce an exclusive new release - his music for the brand new game Planet Zoo, and Jess's Classic Track is an absolutely seminal score - music from Chrono Trigger by Yasunori Mitsuda.

Get in touch - email soundofgaming@bbc.co.uk

Full playlist:

Yasunori Nishiki - Main Theme (Octopath Traveller)
J.J. Ipsen - Title Theme (Planet Zoo)
Laura Shigihara - Fish Heads and Morizora's Cave (Rakuen)
Winifred Phillips - Main Theme; Aveline's Escape; Society Suite in 4 Movements (Assassin's Creed III: Liberation)
Traditional Russian/Johann Sebastian Bach/Angèle Dubeau - Tetris theme
Yasunori Mitsuda - Main Theme; To Far Away Times (Chrono Trigger)
Michiru Yamane - Unfinished Business (Skull Girls)
Christopher Larkin - City of Tears (Hollow Knight)
Winifred Phillips - The Ziggurat Theme (Little Big Planet 3)
Winifred Phillips - Main Theme (Dark Eye: Book of Heroes)
Gustavo Santaolalla - The Last of Us (The Last of Us)

Available now

34 minutes

Last on

Sat 9 Nov 2019 15:00

Music Played

  • Yasunori Nishiki

    Main Theme (Octopath Traveller)

    • Yasunori Nishiki ‎– Octopath Traveller (Sound Selections).
    • Square Enix Co., Ltd..
    • 1.
  • J.J. Ipsen

    Title Theme (Planet Zoo)

    Performer: J.J. Ipsen. Choir: Young Mbazo Choir.
  • Laura Shigihara

    Fish Heads (Rakuen)

    Performer: Laura Shigihara.
    • Bandcamp download.
  • Laura Shigihara

    Morizora's Cave (Rakuen)

    Performer: Laura Shigihara.
    • Bandcamp download.
  • Winifred Phillips

    Main Theme (Assassin's Creed III: Liberation)

    • Ubisoft Music.
  • Winifred Phillips

    Aveline's Escape (Assassin's Creed III: Liberation)

    • Ubisoft Music.
  • Winifred Phillips

    Society Suite in 4 Movements (Assassin's Creed III: Liberation)

    • Ubisoft Music.
  • Traditional Russian

    Tetris theme

    Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach. Composer: Angèle Dubeau. Performer: Angèle Dubeau. Ensemble: La Pietà.
  • Yasunori Mitsuda

    Chrono Trigger "Main Theme"

    Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Skeet.
    • The Greatest Video Game Music 2.
    • X5 Music Group.
    • 8.
  • Yasunori Mitsuda

    To Far Away Times (Chrono Trigger)

    • Chrono Trigger OST.
  • Michiru Yamane

    Unfinished Business (Skull Girls)

    • Skullgirls: The Complete Soundtrack.
    • Lab Zero Recordings.
    • 6.
  • Christopher Larkin

    City of Tears (Hollow Knight)

    Performer: Timothy Cheel. Performer: Christopher Larkin. Singer: Amelia Jones.
    • Hollow Knight (Original Soundtrack).
    • 9.
  • Winifred Phillips

    The Ziggurat Theme (Little Big Planet 3)

    Performer: Winifred Phillips. Music Arranger: Winnie Waldron. Choir: The Generations Productions Choir.
    • Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.
  • Winifred Phillips

    Main Theme (Dark Eye: Book of Heroes)

  • Gustavo Santaolalla

    The Last of Us (The Last of Us)

    Performer: Gustavo Santaolalla. Orchestra: Nashville Scoring Orchestra.
    • Masterworks.

Broadcast

  • Sat 9 Nov 2019 15:00

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