Let It Die - An Interview With Head Composer/Sound Designer Akira Yamaoka

Wccftech had the awesome chance to interview Akira Yamaoka, Head Composer & Sound Designer at Grasshopper Manufacture, at E3 2022.

Mainly known for his work on the Silent Hill series, he is now working on Let It Die, the PlayStation 4 exclusive online action game due in 2022. Here's the transcript of the conversation we had, with a detail focus on Permit It Die and the type of music that you'll find in the game. Bask!

My name is Kai Powell from Wccftech and I am here interviewing Akira Yamaoka, lead composer for GungHo and Grasshopper Manufacture'south new title Let It Die which is a Playstation 4 exclusive. I am a huge fan of your work, not simply for the Silent Colina serial but I actually have a copy of iFuturelist which is ane of my favorite albums. It's really good for studying and getting motivated.

Cheers.

With such a broad genre of music, you're non just confined to rock or the more popular-y stuff. What would you say is your inspiration for the music styles for Let It Die?

It's non exactly inspiration, but in terms of making music [I] focused on the fact that considering it is an online game, people will be interacting with it. [I] wanted to make something that wasn't too boring, simply at the same time not too hardcore so that people would go annoyed about it.

Perchance a piffling closer to the hardcore side, dominate fights are obviously going to exist spectacles with high energy. Are those going to have a bit more of the hardcore, maybe metal tones?

Yeah, for the boss fights it will exist more spectacular and accent that it will be a boss fight compared to the normal fights.

Suda51 is certainly known for a very 'charming' manner of developing games. He does a lot of stuff out of the box, sometimes comic volume-esque or happier than one might await. You have the Death main character with the glasses and skateboard, kind of a comical attitude. How is that going to exist affecting your work?

If you incorporate more of the comedy or lightheartedness sounds in the music, it wouldn't make the humor side of Suda51's work pop out. For the music varieties of [Let It Die], information technology is more than serious and not likewise comical. [I] promise that it will emphasize Suda51's more comical side of the game as a upshot.

Of course. You want a good rest and don't desire to have one person overshadow the other'south work. In the SIlent Hill soundtracks, some of the more memorable themes featured Mary Elizabeth McGlynn on vocals. Will we perhaps run across another collaboration song in Let It Die?

We are looking into more collaborating with the actual bands, especially the bands that we are incorporating into Let It Die for the soundtrack. Rather than incorporating one or two vocalists. [I] rather come across it every bit a joint endeavor with many bands.

Could you requite some examples of the bands that would be present with [Let It Die]'s soundtrack?

Most of them are Japanese indie bands. I don't know if you are familiar with them.

A little bit.

OUTRAGE, winnie, TOTALFAT, HER NAME IN Blood, and 最終少女ひかさ. If you don't know those, it's fine.

No, by all means. Those are deeper cuts than I thought only I'll have to search them out and come across what they accept online.

What you just said at present, "Oh, I don't know any of these bands but I would like to look them up." That's exactly what [I] wanted to bring up when people are playing Let Information technology Die. [I] wanted a lot of people to play [Let Information technology Die], hear the music, and say "Oh, this is cool!" Especially considering a lot of these songs in Japan aren't produced internationally, [I] felt that putting it into games was the best way to introduce them to the exterior globe. That's exactly how [my] music was discovered by worldwide fans. [I] desire the other artists to experience the aforementioned kind of fandom that only the international fans can give.

So, this would be similar a mixtape to get people interested. As far as a lot of these undiscovered acts, did you lot seek them out personally or did they hear nigh [Allow It Dice] and want to become involved? Would they come to you and say "Yamaoka-san, here is a sample of my music. Would you lot be able to use this for [Let It Dice]?"

There's been some instances where people accept approached [me] and asked if we can use their music. Most of them I take rejected considering [I] wanted to encounter the outside picture. At least for the indie bands that are participating in Let It Dice, all of them [I] had approached personally by myself.

With some of the music that you're curating, does Suda51 have some insight? Say, you have a vocal that you call up is amazing and want to put in [a specific] dominate fight, is he collaborating on some of the design process?

Virtually of the time, Suda gives minimal feedback and suggestions. He's pretty much easily off with the music. [I] get to dictate how hard the music sounds or will be played in Let It Dice.

Will there be a full soundtrack that incorporates both your music as well as the independent music that you're curating together?

Yes, we wanted to make a project that would make a absurd soundtrack for Let Information technology Die.

That is something I would certainly like to purchase once it becomes available. Do you lot have any remarks that you would like to leave the fans or what to exist excited for with the music to Let It Dice?

[I] would like the fans to immerse themselves into the soundtrack of the game while they're playing Let Information technology Dice. They can immerse themselves to the point that they enjoy the game experience and be part of that world.

[During the Let It Die concert at E3], we had a big surprise of personally seeing you on bass. Volition we get to hear any of the music that you will personally performing for the soundtrack?

Oh yeah, at that place's a lot.

Are there any other things that you wanted to cover most the projection?

For the specifics, we can't say also much yet just considering it is an online game and will be updated regularly, [I] would like the fans of Allow Information technology Dice to stay tuned and be excited for the upcoming updates.

Cheers very much for your time, Yamaoka-san.

Give thanks y'all very much.