2XKO is in the pre-release hype stage. There’s a lot of enthusiasm for the game, but unlike past years when information was delivered to rabid fans every year or so, updates are now coming in firmly and quickly. The game is even coming to Evo Japan this weekend! I’m sure the music is in your ears.
Speaking of which, last month I sat down and talked with someone from the 2XKO sound team who you may be familiar with. Casey Edwards, who composed tracks such as “Bury the Light” and “Devil Trigger” from Devil May Cry V, was announced in February to have a role in Riot Games’ upcoming fighting game. But how did he join the team, and what exactly does he do as a member of the team?
But first, some background. Edwards first began making music related to video games through fan films, including Resident Evil vs. Silent Hill, which was released 11 years ago during the golden age of YouTube. “There’s always people who are like, ‘Man, I could do better now,’ right? But when I look back on that, I just think about how grateful I was that people gave me that first chance. I believe Resident Evil vs. Silence Ridge was my first film score on YouTube and probably my second film score, so I think a lot of it was a big learning experience, and actually meeting the director introduced me to Corridor People like Sam and Niko from Digital, and my good friend Clint Jones, who also directed Zombie Island — Freddie Wong — so It’s that little seed that leads to a bigger opportunity”.
Edwards, who began his musical career like many kids through bands and youthful self-expression, is now known for his blend of synthesizer sounds and growling guitars. But his journey there exposed him to a variety of genres and approaches over the past two decades. “I think a lot of my style came out of necessity and love. The typical high school angsty teen playing guitar in a rock band, a punk band. Then eventually I got into progressive metal when I fell in love with bands like Dream Theater, And learned how difficult it is to play these things.”
Edwards continued, “Learning the theory involved in it more quickly led me down a more academic path in music. From that point on, I fell in love with film scoring before college, where I got a very A traditional degree. Very pencil, paper, piano. The only technical course they had at the time was notation – which was still very traditional (laughs) and I was lucky enough to get to work with Mick Gordon after college! “
That’s right – it’s Mick Gordon! He produced the soundtrack for Mr. Destruction (2016) himself. Mick Gordon was developing a small game called Killer Instinct at the time, which gave Edwards the opportunity to officially get into the game with the help of his significant other. “My wife is an incredible singer. She’s famous for the Orchid theme song, and I later worked with her on ‘Devil Trigger’ for Devil May Cry V. But I have to say something like, ‘Hey, Do you” kind of quibble. Do you need this? The guy was busy and he accepted my invitation and it was a huge learning experience working with him and I can say I became more focused on synthesized sounds and sound design. I I haven’t been into it for a long time because I gave up on it and moved on to a more traditional style, so now I’m into punk rock and… I don’t know – whether Mozart had a mohawk or something (laughs). .
From there it’s gravy. Killer Instinct brings a variety of characters to the table, including Edwards’ popular work in Devil May Cry V and now 2XKO. So what is the specific effect? Was Edwards approached for the role? “I am! Audio director Eugene Kang is a big fan of my work on Devil May Cry V. We already follow each other on Twitter and we exchanged pleasantries and I thought when it was time to start looking for people and expand I was… Huge thanks to the team he reached out to.”
Edward’s role is obviously similar to many on the team – developing multiple tracks for the game. The tracks touch on the expected League themes, but share a common thread that’s crucial to any fighting game. “I think [my work] Very different from action games – especially like hack and slash games (like Devil May Cry V), but I mean sure – it’s a fighting game! The same goes for Killer Instinct. I remember talking to Mick and I felt like this probably goes hand in hand with any fighting game, we have characters and stages to represent and we need to hit the mark thematically or sonically. But at the end of the day, this is two people beating each other up. So you have to find a balance to represent what’s on the screen, whether it’s a character or a stage, and always give it energy. “
I asked Edward if his work is divided into characters and stages, and he responded, “I don’t know how much they’ve released, so no comment right now (laughs). Just to be on the safe side.” However, he did point out that, as of this writing, At the time, we hadn’t actually heard any of his work. “So far, the music I’ve written hasn’t been shown. I think it’s Tre Watson, as everyone knows, on character select or main menu – he’s doing a killer job. I’m not sure who’s working on Illaoi right now, But it’s all very good and I think everyone will be excited to hear what everyone is working on.”
As a final question, I wonder what that unifying voice is! The answer is interesting and hints at a unique approach to getting everything right. “It’s a mix between their very specific direction – we have meetings to make sure we stay on track – but we’re trying something very experimental! We have a, uh uh uh uh uh, what can I say What? Now, I would say we’re trying to get someone who’s already on the team to be the unified production voice, and I feel like they want to talk about that in more detail, but it’s something I’ve never done before, and the effect is. very good!”
Seductive whispers foretell things to come.we do know the team Currently filming a short film with audio supervisor Eugen Kang – the same audio head recently stated online “Hades” was the inspiration for 2XKO’s soundtrack – so hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to find out more. For now, we can only sit back and wait to see what interesting information the team comes up with.
