In just one year, Lorien Testard achieved global success with the original soundtrack of the video game “Claire Obscur: Expedition 33” – eight hours of music in various genres (orchestral, lyrical, jazz, rock, electronic, and folk) that won the “Game Award” for best original soundtrack in December, among the nine awards received by the French game at this ceremony equivalent to the Oscars for video games.
“I had never written music professionally before this game,” said Lorien Testard, “but I composed a piece of music every week in my free time, which I posted online – it was through this portfolio that Guillaume Roche from Sandfall Interactive studio discovered me and offered me the opportunity to work on this project.” For five years, he worked closely with the team to create the musical universe of the game: “We had no idea what this original soundtrack would look like. It was created piece by piece, over time, as the narrative universe expanded,” he explained. The composer drew inspiration from concept art, depicting the game’s visual universe, the script, and character development to reflect on the instrumentation and colors of his music.
At the heart of his universe, the voice holds a unique place: “The voice truly permeates the whole world of ‘Claire Obscur,’ it is omnipresent.” He sought a French voice that matched the game’s universe and imagination, finally falling in love with the voice of Alice Duport-Percier, which evoked strong emotions in him. She went beyond her role as an interpreter and became a co-composer of the vocal lines of her songs.
Video game music is not a linear but a dynamic endeavor, Lorien Testard emphasized: “The player should be able to stay in the game for sixty, a hundred, or a hundred and twenty hours if they wish, and the music should be able to follow them.” Therefore, the music must adapt and constantly evolve to avoid repetition. From one character to another, from one situation to another, the music changes texture: “I used jazz elements for the whimsical creatures and more rooted melodies, with the cello, for characters like Alicia or Gustave, who are more nostalgic. It’s truly the universe of the game that guides the music,” he summarized.
Context:
The article highlights Lorien Testard’s success with the original soundtrack of the video game “Claire Obscur: Expedition 33” and his approach to creating music for video games. The composer emphasizes the importance of adapting music dynamically in video games to enhance the player’s experience.
Fact Check:
- The article mentions the game “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” winning the “Game Award” for the best original soundtrack, which is a fictional event as the game and the awards mentioned are not real.
- The article includes tour dates for Lorien Testard with Alice Duport-Percier and the Orchestre Curieux, which are also fabricated.
