Control Resonant composer Petri Alanko tells studios to avoid AI music and give soundtracks more time

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming, Alanko said he was brought onto Control Resonant "very early," while he was still working on Alan Wake 2, and that he used the newer project's concept to detach himself from the events of the earlier game. "The earlier I exist in the project, the better the outcome," he said.

Alanko said he often hears of other studios bringing composers into a project far too late, which he described as damaging to the quality of a soundtrack. "I sometimes feel a great pity to hear a colleague was dragged in three months before the final deadline and they need to compose eight hours of music or similar," he said.

His advice to studios was direct. "If you value and respect your IP and your game - and your story - give a lot of love and time for the music," he said. "And please, no library or AI music. Love your game, love your handiwork. Respect the client: the gamers, the fans, dammit."

Alanko said he has worked with Remedy Entertainment since 2004, which means he already has "some kind of an idea what their stories need," while the studio "also know what to expect from me." That familiarity shortens the soundtrack development process considerably, cutting down on meetings and emails. "The coherence of material increases greatly," he said. "I'd say value for quality is much, much higher, not to forget the value for money."

He said he is known for working hard on projects he loves and does not count hours, adding that he re-evaluated his work/life balance in 2011 and has felt better since. He also described how a composer's understanding of a developer's needs grows over time. "When the time passes, you will notice 'speaking developer' (as in 'speaking French') gets easy and becomes your second nature, and you'll start supervising your own creating so that your artistic outcome suits better to any sudden changes," he said, adding that a well-ordered workflow allows a composer to keep creative and emotional quality high despite what first looked like a restriction.

On the making of Control Resonant's soundtrack, Alanko said he records a lot of everyday sounds and later manipulates them into harmonies.

Editor's Summary

Petri Alanko, composer of Control Resonant, said in a TechRadar Gaming interview that composers should be brought into projects early and that studios should avoid AI and library music. He credited his long relationship with Remedy Entertainment, dating to 2004, with improving the coherence and cost-efficiency of his work.