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[[Category:British film score composers]]
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[[Category: Skydance Media people]]

Revision as of 07:56, 9 July 2024

Gareth Coker
Coker in 2022
Coker in 2022
Background information
Born (1984-05-07) 7 May 1984 (age 40)
United Kingdom
Genres
OccupationComposer
Years active2009–present
Websitegareth-coker.net

Gareth Coker is a British composer. He has composed work for video games, including Ori and the Blind Forest, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, ARK: Survival Evolved, ARK: Survival Ascended and Halo Infinite.

Life and career

Coker learned the piano at a very early age. In school, he joined the orchestra and a jazz band and later studied at the Royal Academy of Music, pursuing a major in musical composition. He traveled and lived abroad in Japan for three years, where he taught English[1] and studied various ethnic instruments.[2] He later moved to Los Angeles, where he juggled between composing for video games and the University of Southern California's film scoring program.[3][4] Coker cites Alan Silvestri's score for Forrest Gump and Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter as inspirations to becoming a composer.[5]

Ori and the Blind Forest

In 2011, Coker composed the accompanying music to the game's prototype after studio director Thomas Mahler had stumbled upon his work. Speaking about the game's musical approach, Coker was given free rein by Moon Studios to experiment with the music and scored the game mainly based on the visuals.[6] He worked with the idea of using instruments that would represent the area. For example, using wood-based percussion instruments for the Ginso Tree area or winds in the Forlorn Ruins. He also worked closely with the game's programmers to balance the pacing and timing of the music. Coker recorded the score at Ocean Way Nashville Recording Studios with the Nashville Studio Orchestra.[7]

The musical score had a positive feedback from critics and fans,[8][9] garnering nominations for several industry awards, including a BAFTA Game Award for Best Music, as well as a win for Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition at the 19th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.[10] Kirk Hamilton of Kotaku appreciated the score's orchestral approach, comparing it to the works of Joe Hisaishi on the Studio Ghibli films.[11] Yahoo's Ben Silverman called it "a wonderful score" and recalled how it was akin to the score of Howl's Moving Castle.[12]

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Gareth Coker continued his collaboration with Moon Studios in the sequel to Ori and the Blind Forest, Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Like with the first game, Coker “worked closely with the entire team over the course of the games’ development, studying the story beats, looking at art assets, and watching how people play the game to make sure everything fit perfectly”.[13] Since the sequel is significantly larger in scale, with more characters and character arcs, Coker was able to further develop the musical identity. "obviously it's more work, but even though it's more work it actually kinda fleshed things out automatically for me because I had more themes to work with, so I actually felt less limited this time around”.[14]

As with the first game's music, Coker's score for Will of the Wisps gained wide praise and recognition from award bodies like the SXSW Award, Ivor Novello Award, the D.I.C.E. Awards, and The Game Awards.

ARK: Survival Evolved

In 2015, Coker was brought on by Studio Wildcard to compose the music for ARK: Survival Evolved. His first track became the main theme for the game. “...it ticked several boxes for Studio Wildcard, who had essentially given me an open brief and also said that they didn't want it to sound like John Williams’ Jurassic Park. It was important for them to have a recognizable main theme and to help evoke a sense of adventure with an element of strife and survival”.[15]

Much of the score was recorded with the Philharmonia Orchestra in Abbey Road Studios. He also attributes the success of the recording sessions to his additional eyes and ears, Zach Lemmon, and his conductor, Alexander Rudd.[16]

Coker utilized many ethnic instruments for his score. “Each biome has its own unique instruments and characteristics, for example, the swamp makes heavy use of the didgeridoo, the mountains make use of various ethnic wind instruments, but the orchestra can help unify things, and also give the ‘epic’ feel that the majority of players are expecting”.[16]

The score for Ark was nominated for a GoldSpirit Award in 2017, and a Jerry Goldsmith Award in 2018

Minecraft Expansions

Gareth Coker contributed to the music of Minecraft through the Minecraft Mythology Expansions, of which include that of Chinese, Greek, Egyptian and Norse. For the Chinese Mythology expansion, Coker had personal experience with learning Chinese culture. “Having lived in Japan, China was never far away for a quick trip, and I’ve always been fascinated by Asian music, so a lot of the research was already done”.[2] To make this feel like a blend of both worlds, Coker focused on using solo instruments from the region, such as erhu, dizi, hulusi and xiao, and then limited himself (mostly) to the more traditional Chinese harmony and scales.[2]

For the Greek Mythology expansion, Coker referred to the limited records of ancient Greek instruments, such as the lyra, psaltery, and pipes. To further immerse the listener into the world of ancient Greece, he used the gods as inspiration for the soundscape. “So for Poseidon, I'd focus on making the track sound like it was ‘underwater’, as Poseidon is the God of the Sea”.[2]

Across the mythologies, Coker had the opportunity to work with renowned musicians; among them is Rachel Nesvig, who specializes in the Norwegian Hardanger Fiddle, Karen Han, who specializes in erhu, and Kristin Naigus, who plays iconic wind instruments from different cultures.[17]

He also wrote the music for the Battle, Tumble, and Glide mini-games as well as the Pirates of the Caribbean expansion.

Immortals Fenyx Rising

Coker's work for Minecraft’s Greek Mythology expansion pack caught the eye of Ubisoft. “...they used my soundtrack for Minecraft: Greek Mythology as temporary music. I think it ended up working, and they were like, ‘Maybe we should contact the composer’”.[18]

The soundtrack as a whole is a mix of the orchestral sound, and the esoteric, non-orchestral elements for the magical/mythological aspect. Additionally, Coker commissioned instruments that were handcrafted and shipped across the Atlantic from Greece.[19]

For the expansion of Immortals Fenyx Rising, Eastern Realms DLC, Coker included Chinese instruments into the soundscape. He received guidance from Ubisoft Chengdu, who provided history lessons on Chinese instruments and Chinese music in general.[19] The resultant soundtrack is a rich blend of Orchestral and Chinese elements, but does not go for an authentic experience. Rather, it is made to feel like a unique experience that can be recognized as Coker's style in writing.[19]

Halo Infinite

Coker worked alongside Joel Corelitz and Curtis Schweitzer on the soundtrack for Halo Infinite. In contrast to previous work, “The challenge was that Halo is the first time I'm stepping into someone else's creation, so it's been about learning the vocabulary and understanding why people like the original Halo music in particular”.[20]

The original Halo score, composed by Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori, is deeply ingrained in the series’ identity. Coker, Corelitz, and Schweitzer's jobs were to balance between honoring this legacy and introducing their own creative vision.

Coker pointed out the importance of silence and space in the soundtrack. “As opposed to a game like Doom Eternal, where the Slayer moves at an intense pace mowing down demons to filthy djent riffs, the reaction NPCs have when they see Master Chief arriving on the battlefield is in and of itself a prompt to let subtler music do heavier lifting”.[21] The score was nominated for a BAFTA in 2022.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope

Coker was brought on to the score for Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, along with composers Yoko Shimomura and Grant Kirkhope. “The three talents were tactically deployed across the score by audio director Romain Brillaud, bringing different orchestral and electronic sensibilities to the game... Coker helped bring new colours and emotions to specific settings in the game as well as some boss fights, touching on styles including French impressionism to enrich the score”.[22]

Wired heralds the resultant work as “...one of the most ambitious video game soundtracks released in recent years, fusing elements of Japanese RPGs and ’90s film scores with the eccentricity you'd expect to hear in a Mario or Rayman game”.[23] Amongst many plaudits, the score won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Game Soundtrack in 2023.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Coker was brought on with Iranian composer Mentrix for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Coker focused on creating character themes and an intense musical style largely focusing on the cinematics and boss fights with his writing. He emphasizes the importance of thematic melodies for characters, particularly protagonists and antagonists. He highlights the unique blend of various musical elements in the game's soundtrack, including a combination of synths, guitars, Persian instruments, and a 70-piece orchestra. “Between Mentrix and myself, we cover a lot of ground both aesthetically and emotionally, and that is definitely reflected in the game's score”.[24]

Awards

Work Year Award Note Ref.
Ori and the Blind Forest 2015 Golden Joystick Award for Best Audio Won [25]
HMMA Award for Best Original Score - Video Game Nominated [26]
2016 D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition Won [10]
BAFTA Game Award for Best Music Nominated [27]
SXSW Gaming Award for Excellence in Score Won [28]
Ori and the Will of the Wisps 2020 The Game Award for Best Score and Music Nominated [29]
2021 Ivor Novello Award for Best Original Video Game Score Won [30]
The IFMCA Award for Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media Nominated [31]
D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition Nominated [32]
SXSW Gaming Award for Excellence in Score Won [33]
BAFTA Game Award for Best Music Nominated
ARK: Survival Evolved 2017 GoldSpirit Award for Best original video game score Nominated [30]
2018 Jerry Goldsmith Award for Best Original Score for a Videogame Nominated [30]
ARK: Genesis - Part 2 2022 IFMCA for Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media Nominated [30]
Halo Infinite 2022 BAFTA for best music w/ Joel Corelitz and Curtis Schhweitzer Nominated [30]
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope 2023 Ivor Novello Award for Best Original Video Game Score w/ Yôko Shimomura and Grant Kirkhope Won [34]
IFMCA for Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media w/ Yôko Shimomura and Grant Kirkhope Nominated [30]
HMMA for Best Original Score - Video Game w/ Grant Kirkhope Nominated [30]
NAVGTR for Song Collection w/ Yôko Shimomura and Grant Kirkhope Nominated [30]
GANG Award for Best Original Soundtrack w/ Yôko Shimomura and Grant Kirkhope Nominated [30]
GANG Award for Music of the Year w/ Yôko Shimomura and Grant Kirkhope Nominated [30]

Works

Video games
Year Title Developer Notes
2011 inMomentum Digital Arrow
2012 Primal Carnage Lukewarm Media
2015 Ori and the Blind Forest Moon Studios
The Mean Greens - Plastic Warfare Code Headquarters
2016 The Unspoken Insomniac Games
Minecraft Mojang Expansion Packs: Chinese Mythology, Egyptian Mythology, Greek Mythology, Norse Mythology, Battle & Tumble, Pirates of the Caribbean
2017 Ark: Survival Evolved Studio Wildcard
2019 Darksiders Genesis Airship Syndicate
2020 Ori and the Will of the Wisps Moon Studios
Dota 2 Valve The International 10 music pack
Immortals Fenyx Rising Ubisoft Quebec
Rushdown Revolt Vortex Games with Alessandro Clemente (a.k.a Aless)
2021 Ruined King: A League of Legends Story Airship Syndicate
Halo Infinite[35] 343 Industries Composed with Curtis Schweitzer and Joel Corelitz
2022 Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Ubisoft Paris
Ubisoft Milan 		Alongside Grant Kirkhope and Yoko Shimomura
Arknights Hypergryph Dorothy's Vision,[36] Fire Within the Sand[37] and Mizuki & Caerula Arbor[38] events
2023 Ark: Survival Ascended Studio Wildcard
The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story Digital Sun
Wayfinder Airship Syndicate
2024 Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Ubisoft Montpellier Composed with Mentrix
Ark II[39] Studio Wildcard
Films and TV
Year Title Notes
2009 Nameless
2010 Unwound
Ellen
You Kill Me
What to Bring to America
The Incident
Laugh and Die
Homeland
George's 40th Birthday
2011 Buried Alive
Dysteria
Upon Release
Cab 57
Waking Up
The Silence Inside Us
I Am Rupert Caldwell
Good Intentions
August's Claim
2012 Call to Arms
All Up to You
Haven's Point
Dog-Eared
2013 Veritasium 1 episode
Rise
Diary of a Teenage Nobody 1 episode
The Plagiarist's Game
Billy in Motion
Verax
United Grand Lodge of Queensland Grand Installation
Dark Power
Where the Sky Is Born
2014 Thrilling Contradictions
Rush
2015 Recoil
The Sweet Taste of Redemption
Let Go
2016 Emma's Chance
Mandroid
2017 The Labyrinth
Resistance is Life
Moving Art 1 episode
2018 Level Up Norge 3 episodes
Buoyancy
The Price
2019 Full Moon
The Teleios Act
2024 Ark: The Animated Series

References

  1. ^ Johnson, Odhrán. "404 - With Gareth Coker: Creating Music that Enhances Player Experience". Media.wmv. Retrieved 1 December 2020. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  2. ^ a b c d Parkes, Cassie (26 July 2017). "Interview: Composer Gareth Coker Talks Minecraft, Ori and more". Cultured Vultures. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  3. ^ "A Conversation with Gareth Coker". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  4. ^ Butler, Mark (17 October 2017). "How video game music is finally getting the appreciation it deserves". iNews. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  5. ^ Brinkley, Vance (21 August 2017). "Gareth Coker Is A Name You Should Know In Video Game Music". Bandcamp. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  6. ^ Dealessandri, Marie (17 July 2019). "The sounds of… Gareth Coker". MCV Develop. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  7. ^ Wingler, Matt (10 April 2020). "The Emotion Of Sound: Chatting With Ori And The Blind Forest Composer Gareth Coker". The Sixth Axis. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  8. ^ Gies, Arthur (9 March 2015). "ORI AND THE BLIND FOREST REVIEW: THE PLACES YOU'LL GO". Polygon. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  9. ^ Reparaz, Mikel (10 March 2015). "Ori and The Blind Forest - Review". IGN. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  10. ^ a b "2016 AWARDS CATEGORY DETAILS". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  11. ^ Hamilton, Kirk (1 January 2016). "The Best Video Game Music Of 2015". Kotaku. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  12. ^ Silverman, Ben (12 March 2015). "Review: Beauty Meets the Beasts in Mesmerizing 'Ori and the Blind Forest'". Yahoo. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  13. ^ Moyer, Phillip (16 March 2020). "Gareth Coker on Creating Ori and the Will of the Wisps' Tear-jerker Soundtrack". The Escapist. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  14. ^ Howard, Gerard. "'Ori and the Will of the Wisps' Composer Gareth Coker Dives Deep on the Philosophy of Sound, Technique, and Snoring Bunnies". Gerard Howard III. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  15. ^ Maniglia, Valentin (20 December 2017). "Dinosaurs, Orchestras and Indian Flutes - An Interview with Video Game Composer Gareth Coker". score it. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  16. ^ a b Savery, Richard (21 September 2017). "Gareth Coker Interview". audiogang. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  17. ^ Remington, Katie (4 October 2018). "Gareth Coker's Music Makes Norse And Egyptian Mythology Come Alive". WSHU. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  18. ^ Corbett, Noelle (3 March 2021). "Immortals Fenyx Rising Composer Gareth Coker Discusses the Game's Epic Score". CBR. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  19. ^ a b c Chesler, Josh (16 June 2021). "In Immortals Fenyx Rising, Gareth Coker Finally Got the Chance to Score an 'Over-The-Top, Epic' Video Game". Spin. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  20. ^ Grimshaw, Jack (9 June 2021). "Gareth Coker opens up on 'Halo Infinite': "Fans will be very interested to see how we use past material and expand upon it."". NME. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  21. ^ Maher, Cian (28 July 2021). "Gareth Coker On Ori, Halo Infinite, And What It Takes To Make "Great Game Music"". The Gamer. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  22. ^ "YOKO SHIMOMURA, GRANT KIRKHOPE AND GARETH COKER Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (Original Soundtrack)". Light in the Attic. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  23. ^ Ombler, Mat (26 December 2022). "3 Music Legends Collaborated on One Nintendo Game. Sparks Flew". WIRED. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  24. ^ McClure, Deven (10 January 2024). "Exploring Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown's Music With An Exclusive New Track". Screen Rant. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  25. ^ Blain, Louise (30 October 2015). "Ori And The Blind Forest wins Best Audio at the Golden Joystick Awards". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  26. ^ Feinberg, Scott (10 October 2015). "Hollywood Music in Media Awards: Sam Smith, Lady Gaga, Brian Wilson Among Nominees". Billboard. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  27. ^ "Games - Music in 2016". British Academy Games Awards. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  28. ^ Dornbush, Jonathan. "SXSW Gaming Awards 2016 winners". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  29. ^ "Best Score and Music I Nominees". The Game Awards. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  30. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Gareth Coker Awards". IMDB. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  31. ^ "IFMCA Award Nominations 2020". IFMCA International: Film Music Critics Association. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  32. ^ "2021 Awards Category Details Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  33. ^ Ankers, Adele (21 March 2021). "SXSW Gaming Awards 2021 Winners". IGN. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  34. ^ Garcia, Thania (18 May 2023). "Ivor Novello Awards 2023 Winners List: Wet Leg Named Songwriters of the Year, Raye's 'Escapism' Takes Center Stage". Variety. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  35. ^ ""I am happy to announce that I'm scoring @Halo Infinite alongside @cschweitzer"". Twitter. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  36. ^ "綠野幻夢 OST on Apple Music".
  37. ^ "沙中之火 (Original Soundtrack) on Apple Music".
  38. ^ "水月與深藍之樹 (Original Soundtrack) on Apple Music".
  39. ^ "Two very different tracks, both of which you heard in the @survivetheark II trailer shown at @thegameawards . Presented here in full". Twitter. 11 December 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
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