|1-Interview with Bjorn A. Lynne


|1- Part II



Continued...


Do have a lot of freedom in what you create?

Usually I am told quite specifically what to write.

Does that ever annoy you?

No.   It  is  a nice challenge.  It is not like I cannot discuss it with
them.  I can always say "Yeah, I agree with that, but how about this, or
that".   They  always listen.  Usually the game designer or producer has
an  idea.   I  start  from  that,  then  maybe  I  will  suggest  slight
adjustments.

Which do you think is more important:  Sound effects or Music?

Sound  effects are probably more important.  They are more a part of the
actual gameplay.  But the music is important as well.

Do you enjoy doing the sound effects for games?

I  enjoy  writing  the music more.  It is not as though I find doing the
sound  effects  really  boring.   Doing  the sound effects for Worms for
example  was  hilarious.  I did all the sound and music for the animated
cut scenes.

Is there any music style you would feel uncomfortable with?

I think I still have a lot to learn in classical music scoring, and full
orchestral  arrangements.  I would not say that was the only area I have
more to learn in, but that is probably the most difficult way of writing
music,  a  proper  classical  music score but I am working on it.  Apart
from that I feel fairly confident in most other things.

So  you  wouldn't  be  worried  if you were asked to write a heavy metal
track tomorrow?

No problem.  I have done that!  I actually played in a heavy metal band!

What is your favourite platform to write for?

There  is  no  such  thing  as a favourite platform, but there is such a
thing  as a favourite music configuration.  Now you can do digital audio
streaming,  which  means  the music is played more or less directly from
the  CD during the game.  In Worms the music is played straight from CD.
If you are only using the CD to load data between the levels, if you are
not going to use the CD-ROM while you are playing, you might as well use
it to play the music.  That can be done with PC-CD and Amiga-CD, as well
as  the next generation consoles like the PlayStation.  With these it is
just  like  recording  music  for  a  normal  CD.  Then I can use all my
equipment, all the memory I want, as many sound channels as I want, just
do anything.

Do you feel computer musicians get the credit they deserve?

Yes.   I  bet  you  were  expecting  me to say no!  In all fairness, for
something  like  Worms,  some  people have been working on that game for
three  years.  I worked on it for three or four months.  I am not asking
to  be  put  on the front page or stuff like that.  The guys who program
and  design  the games usually spend so much more time on the games than
the musician does.  Having said that, for certain specific projects like
this  Witchwood  game, I am doing so much music.  I have been working on
that in between other things for seven months.  It is a huge project for
me  as well.  Then again the programmers have been working on it for two
and  a half years!  Eight hours a day, every day.  So I think we get our
fair share of credit, just as much as the programmers and stuff.

Now  that  games  like  Wipeout  have  set  the  precedent,  do you feel
threatened  by  the  prospect of commercial music groups contributing to
soundtracks?

No.  I have not really thought about it that much.  I do not see it as a
big problem.  If you are a good musician you will have work.  They are a
part  of  the  music  scene, so why should they be kept out just because
they  have  released an album.  I have done that myself!  So no, I don't
see  that  as  a  problem.  You have producers from movies producing and
designing  computer  games.   There  is  going  to be more and more of a
cross-over  between  the  computer games industry and the music and film
industry.   With technology improving now, games can contain full-motion
video  sequences,  full  CD  soundtracks,  so  there  is  going  to be a
cross-over there.

Now  that  CD-Quality  sound has become the norm, do you feel there is a
bigger pressure on you to produce great results?

No.   I  feel  there  is a pressure on me if I am asked to produce great
results  using  a  system  with  limitations.   I  feel that is the main
problem.   I have no problem writing music with all my gear, it's when I
have to go back and write eight-channel FM sounds that I have a problem.
These  days  people  are  expecting  it  to  sound good.  When I present
something  within these limitations I feel that is an awkward situation.
I  just  have  to explain this to people.  They often say "Bjorn, can we
hear this piece you did for this or that scene in a game", and I have to
say  to  them  that it is just General MIDI or FM.  I play the stuff and
they  say  "oh,  it  doesn't  sound  very  good".   That  is  the system
limitations.  I feel much more comfortable actually writing the piece to
CD-Quality.

Is  there  any  game that you would have loved to have written the music
for?

Oh  plenty,  lots.  I am a big fan of most of the MicroProse games, like
UFO,  many  of  their  simulations  and stuff.  I would like to work for
MicroProse!   Apart  from  Team 17, I have always admired MicroProse.  I
think  they  do  really  good  quality  stuff.  Two or three years ago I
thought  that  if  I  was  ever going to work for a software company, it
would be Team 17 or MicroProse.

So you have achieved your dream then?

Yeah!

Now that more and more small development teams are being swallowed up by
the   bigger   publishers,   do  you  think  there  are  less  and  less
opportunities to get into the industry?

No,  not  really.   What  we  see  normally  is  people starting a games
development  from  their  home.   They might not have all the flashy cut
scenes, full soundtrack, or professional actors, but they can design the
basic game.  That is what the big companies are looking for.  If they do
that,  the  big company can take these guys in, at which point they have
access  to  all  the flashy bits and actors., plus all the stuff that is
needed  to  publish  a  game.   That  is  exactly what we did with Worms
actually.   This guy had been writing this game in his bedroom for three
years.   He  designed  the  game  and everything, but there was no fancy
graphics, no sound, no intros or cut scenes, but the game was there, and
that  was the most important thing.  So we took him in here, and we gave
him all these things.

So does he now work for Team 17?

He  will  be  soon.   He is having a long holiday at the moment.  He has
been working day in, day out for three years.

What  are  your  thoughts on 3D sound techniques, such as Dolby Surround
and Qsound?

I  have  not studied them that much to be honest.  There is a guy coming
up here next week to do a demonstration of Qsound.  But the main problem
I  have found with it so far is that it is very heavy on the system.  It
takes  a lot of CPU power and sound channels to get it working properly.
But there is going to be more and more of it in the future.  From now on
we are going to seriously consider it for every game.

What are your main musical influences?

My  first  big  musical  influence  was the Electric Light Orchestra.  I
loved  them.   Lots  of  pop/rock  stuff, like David Bowie, and all that
stuff.  Just like anyone else really.

Did  you  try  to  write  music  in  that style, or did you have a go at
everything straight away?

I just had a go at everything straight away.  I was always interested in
all music.  I try to keep a very open mind.  It is not difficult because
I like a lot of different music.

Would you welcome the opportunity to work in other media's, such as film
and television?

Oh  yeah.  Very much.  I am doing very small corporate videos and stuff,
like  presentation  videos  for  dentists  and  doctors,  and multimedia
presentations  for conferences.  As I said though I think there is going
to  be more and more of a cross-over between the computer games industry
and  the film and television industry.  You will have people coming from
the television and film industry to the games industry.

Who else in the industry do you admire?

No specific names.

Do  you  feel  you  are  really  pushing the boundaries and are ahead of
everyone else, or do think you are about the same?

Oh  no.   I think there are lots of good musicians out there, it is just
that  I  don't  know them personally.  I usually do not notice the names
that  much.   I have a few friends working for companies here and there.
There  is  a  very  good  friend  of  mine from Finland, called Sepo, or
Fleshbrain from the Amiga scene.  I have always really admired his work.
I  think  he  is the best.  But he is not working for a software company
right now.  If I was a software company, I would hire him!  He is, in my
opinion, the best.

You recorded a CD together didn't you?

Yeah.  That was great.  That was in 1992.

Was that enjoyable?

Yeah.  We never actually met you know.

Really?

Yes.   He  way in Finland, and I was in Norway.  I did my tracks, and he
did his tracks, and we sent them back and forth, suggested stuff to each
other,  and  added little bits.  We had a BBS, and were exchanging files
and  stuff  like  that.   We  never  actually  met  although we made and
released this CD together.

Final business then.  What is your favourite game of all time?

That's  a tough one.  I think I'd have to say Worms.  It is so playable,
it  is so enjoyable.  More than any other game I have seen, it is also a
social  thing.   You get together with a few friends and play it.  It is
so  much fun, and you can configure the game any way you wish.  Probably
my all time favourite game.  I love games!

After  the  interview,  Bjorn  played me some of his latest soundtracks.
They  were  AMAZING.  This guy has talent.  Anyway, I hope you found the
interview enjoyable.



Ben Thomas

AKA

-*{ WOoKiE of CArNaGE }*-