Austin Wintory lands his biggest game gig yet
Austin Wintory, the Grammy-nominated, AGMA-winning artist behind scores such as Journey, The Banner Saga, and Sunset, has been announced as the composer of Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate. Sought out by the audio director of Ubisoft Quebec for the project, Wintory immediately impressed the team with his interpretation of the world for the Victorian-era game, which he describes as a “twisted approach to 19th century chamber music”. He said the following about his inspiration for the music:
“The score could be attributed to two primary sources of inspiration: the personalities of Jacob and Evie, and the fascinating, contradictory world of Victorian London. With regard to the twins, they have this wonderful confidence, almost arrogance – particularly Jacob. Their mannerisms were a very crucial insight for the music, because it gave us permission to approach the score with a bit of fun and even sarcasm.”
“The setting, London itself, is also important, but I didn’t aspire to create a period score in any real way. It’s more that London then was simultaneously this beacon of progress, of the promise of a truly amazing economic future, and yet also home to horrendous cruelties and disenfranchisement. I tried very diligently for the score to try and capture, and even reconcile, those two elements to make London beautiful and grimy at the same time.”
Wintory’s thematically-driven score features an overriding main theme, “Bloodlines”, that captures the essence of the protagonists. The score was recorded with a small ensemble at Abbey Road Studios under the baton of Wintory and features soloists Tina Guo (cello) and Sandy Cameron (cello). Authentically-styled folk tunes and hymns were also written for the score, which will be performed by in-game street performers throughout London.
Posted on September 12, 2015 by Chris Greening. Last modified on September 12, 2015.
About the Author
Chris Greening I've contributed to websites related to game audio since 2002. In this time, I've reviewed over a thousand albums and interviewed hundreds of musicians across the world. As the founder and webmaster of VGMO -Video Game Music Online-, I hope to create a cutting-edge, journalistic resource for all those soundtrack enthusiasts out there. In the process, I would love to further cultivate my passion for music, writing, and generally building things. Please enjoy the site and don't hesitate to say hello!
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