The Pulse Monthly - 2.0
Hey everyone,
The new year is officially here, and with it, our second edition of The Pulse! This month we’re
dissecting the details of the immersive audio found throughout the game, showing off some
artwork for the vinyl soundtrack, and diving into our development update.
There’s no denying the importance that sound plays in setting the tone for a visceral horror
experience. When done right, it can slowly work its way under your skin to make the hairs on
the back of your neck stand up. Creating a soundscape that builds tension or leaves you
with feelings of dread and anxiety long after you’ve stepped away from the screen is no easy
feat.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
To create an audio experience that truly captured the essence of Scorn, Ebb Software enlisted the help of two incredibly talented composers. You have already been introduced to Aethek (Adis Kutkut) a Bosnian sound designer, music producer, and DJ, who blurs the lines between sci-fi and reality with his dark and industrial sounds.
We are also very proud to introduce Lustmord (Brian Williams) to the sound team. Lustmord is a Welsh-born industrial musician with decades of experience creating ritualistic primordial sounds you can feel in your core. Credited with being the father of the dark ambient genre, he’s worked on everything from motion picture soundtracks to music collaborations with notable artists like Melvins, and Grammy Award-winners, Tool.
In this month’s edition of Spill Your Guts, we had the opportunity to hear directly from Lustmord about his work surrounding Scorn and the role it plays within the game. We also spoke with Dragoslav Ostojic, Ebb’s Sound Designer, about some of the techniques and challenges around creating sounds for the game.
Lustmord - Composer:
Can you tell us a bit about your role? Are you working alone or with a team?
I work independently outside of Ebb Software, here in my studio based in Los Angeles. Working alone, I regularly interact with Scorn’s director, Ljubomir Peklar, who gives me background on the game’s world and philosophy as needed.
Lustmord's workstation in Los Angeles, California
How did your collaboration with Ebb Software begin?
When I first became aware of the game, I reached out to Ebb as it seemed like something I really should be involved with, and I was pleased to hear that they were familiar with my work. That first contact started a discussion that continues to this day.
Can you speak to the importance of setting the tone through audio or evoking specific emotions using sound?
The visuals tell the story, the sound pulls you further into the experience. For something like Scorn, audio as a whole, as opposed to just the music alone, is essential in creating a sense of place. Elements within the music also serve as an emotional core when required.
What is the central theme surrounding the music and sound layers of Scorn?
The music explores wonder, emptiness and loss, along with a sense of “why?”
Is there anything, in particular, you draw inspiration from?
The answer may seem trite, but I draw inspiration from life in general. I'm known for stepping into the abyss and embracing the darkness. For the world of Scorn, I shine a light into that darkness, and you may not be comfortable with what that light reveals.
Dragoslav - Sound Designer:
Could you walk us through the process of going from concept to in-game audio?
A lot of that process is trial and error. With Scorn, we never wanted to hinder creativity with strict guidelines of what the world sounds like. Instead, we treat it as an ever-evolving, organic process.
There are four primary means of expression through audio: dialogue, music, ambience, and sound effects (all of which are further divided into more specific terms). We had several things to consider while creating sound, but two main categories stand out.
The physical: Things like the size of the location, materials, movable parts and their specific purpose (e.g. is it debris or part of a contraption), usable items and their purpose, character or NPC movement, weight, height, body composition, and lots more.
The emotional: What should be conveyed as the first impression of the room, its general "vibe", how and what the player should feel inside it, and lots of other nuanced bits that are important for setting the mood.
What techniques have you used to create the sounds of Scorn?
The team did a lot of epic recording sessions involving the destruction of all sorts of things. Vegetables, wood, bark, cardboard, chairs, pipes, meat, bones, stones, you name it, they probably obliterated it.
We used condenser microphones for recording in an X-Y setup, which is ideal for close-mic applications. Essentially, we place two cardioid mics at right angles and align the front of the capsules for a clear stereo sound. We also utilise spot microphones and even contact microphones where needed. We recorded nearly everything in the studio, except ambient noises, which mainly were recorded outdoors. We also used Zoom F8 MultiTrack Field Recorder, RME Fireface UC, and Reaper DAW.
After all the captured carnage, recordings were edited and then sorted into various categories, such as organic or mechanical. These were further divided by size, duration, number of variations, sample rate, etc. We built in-game multichannel ambiences from stereo files through editing, layering, and proper export routing.
How do you translate the biomechanical elements of Scorn into audio?
We started by exploring the kind of sounds you’d find with medieval siege weaponry but with a highly sophisticated and organic twist. We imagined complex mechanical contraptions as if powered by hydraulic systems filled with organic fluids, pockets of trapped air, internal lever positions and snapping components, ratchets, hooking systems, tissue strains, muscle contractions, and gravity. All while under immense stress, without anything sounding too precise or smooth.
Was a specific element of Scorn’s sound design more challenging or exciting?
From abstract audio to making sounds for creatures unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before, it all came with its own unique set of challenges and moments of excitement. If I had to choose just one area, I would say sounds for the biomechanical elements were the most fun and challenging.
If you missed out on reserving the vinyl soundtrack during our Kickstarter campaign, I might have some exciting news to share with you soon! In the meantime, check out the incredible cover art below:
Outer Cover
Inner Cover
I also wanted to share with you another update from Ebb Software’s CEO, Ljubomir Peklar:
“December was filled with a lot of planning and organisation before the end of the year. Our team's planning, scheduling, and organisation is crucial, but that’s especially true for this final 25%. Without proper planning, nothing will line up how it should. Part of that planning, and arguably the most challenging part, is ensuring we maintain the overall vision for Scorn, while carefully considering things like balance and other refinements. We’re aiming to finalise everything by the end of June, and then we’ll move into the final phase of production with optimisations, squashing bugs and adding polish.”
And that’s a wrap for our January update! Be sure to let me know below what topics you’d like to see covered in a future edition of The Pulse.
The new year is officially here, and with it, our second edition of The Pulse! This month we’re
dissecting the details of the immersive audio found throughout the game, showing off some
artwork for the vinyl soundtrack, and diving into our development update.
The Surreal Sounds of Scorn
There’s no denying the importance that sound plays in setting the tone for a visceral horror
experience. When done right, it can slowly work its way under your skin to make the hairs on
the back of your neck stand up. Creating a soundscape that builds tension or leaves you
with feelings of dread and anxiety long after you’ve stepped away from the screen is no easy
feat.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
To create an audio experience that truly captured the essence of Scorn, Ebb Software enlisted the help of two incredibly talented composers. You have already been introduced to Aethek (Adis Kutkut) a Bosnian sound designer, music producer, and DJ, who blurs the lines between sci-fi and reality with his dark and industrial sounds.
We are also very proud to introduce Lustmord (Brian Williams) to the sound team. Lustmord is a Welsh-born industrial musician with decades of experience creating ritualistic primordial sounds you can feel in your core. Credited with being the father of the dark ambient genre, he’s worked on everything from motion picture soundtracks to music collaborations with notable artists like Melvins, and Grammy Award-winners, Tool.
Spill Your Guts
In this month’s edition of Spill Your Guts, we had the opportunity to hear directly from Lustmord about his work surrounding Scorn and the role it plays within the game. We also spoke with Dragoslav Ostojic, Ebb’s Sound Designer, about some of the techniques and challenges around creating sounds for the game.
Lustmord - Composer:
Can you tell us a bit about your role? Are you working alone or with a team?
I work independently outside of Ebb Software, here in my studio based in Los Angeles. Working alone, I regularly interact with Scorn’s director, Ljubomir Peklar, who gives me background on the game’s world and philosophy as needed.
Lustmord's workstation in Los Angeles, California
How did your collaboration with Ebb Software begin?
When I first became aware of the game, I reached out to Ebb as it seemed like something I really should be involved with, and I was pleased to hear that they were familiar with my work. That first contact started a discussion that continues to this day.
Can you speak to the importance of setting the tone through audio or evoking specific emotions using sound?
The visuals tell the story, the sound pulls you further into the experience. For something like Scorn, audio as a whole, as opposed to just the music alone, is essential in creating a sense of place. Elements within the music also serve as an emotional core when required.
What is the central theme surrounding the music and sound layers of Scorn?
The music explores wonder, emptiness and loss, along with a sense of “why?”
Is there anything, in particular, you draw inspiration from?
The answer may seem trite, but I draw inspiration from life in general. I'm known for stepping into the abyss and embracing the darkness. For the world of Scorn, I shine a light into that darkness, and you may not be comfortable with what that light reveals.
Dragoslav - Sound Designer:
Could you walk us through the process of going from concept to in-game audio?
A lot of that process is trial and error. With Scorn, we never wanted to hinder creativity with strict guidelines of what the world sounds like. Instead, we treat it as an ever-evolving, organic process.
There are four primary means of expression through audio: dialogue, music, ambience, and sound effects (all of which are further divided into more specific terms). We had several things to consider while creating sound, but two main categories stand out.
The physical: Things like the size of the location, materials, movable parts and their specific purpose (e.g. is it debris or part of a contraption), usable items and their purpose, character or NPC movement, weight, height, body composition, and lots more.
The emotional: What should be conveyed as the first impression of the room, its general "vibe", how and what the player should feel inside it, and lots of other nuanced bits that are important for setting the mood.
What techniques have you used to create the sounds of Scorn?
The team did a lot of epic recording sessions involving the destruction of all sorts of things. Vegetables, wood, bark, cardboard, chairs, pipes, meat, bones, stones, you name it, they probably obliterated it.
We used condenser microphones for recording in an X-Y setup, which is ideal for close-mic applications. Essentially, we place two cardioid mics at right angles and align the front of the capsules for a clear stereo sound. We also utilise spot microphones and even contact microphones where needed. We recorded nearly everything in the studio, except ambient noises, which mainly were recorded outdoors. We also used Zoom F8 MultiTrack Field Recorder, RME Fireface UC, and Reaper DAW.
After all the captured carnage, recordings were edited and then sorted into various categories, such as organic or mechanical. These were further divided by size, duration, number of variations, sample rate, etc. We built in-game multichannel ambiences from stereo files through editing, layering, and proper export routing.
How do you translate the biomechanical elements of Scorn into audio?
We started by exploring the kind of sounds you’d find with medieval siege weaponry but with a highly sophisticated and organic twist. We imagined complex mechanical contraptions as if powered by hydraulic systems filled with organic fluids, pockets of trapped air, internal lever positions and snapping components, ratchets, hooking systems, tissue strains, muscle contractions, and gravity. All while under immense stress, without anything sounding too precise or smooth.
Was a specific element of Scorn’s sound design more challenging or exciting?
From abstract audio to making sounds for creatures unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before, it all came with its own unique set of challenges and moments of excitement. If I had to choose just one area, I would say sounds for the biomechanical elements were the most fun and challenging.
Setting the Record Straight
If you missed out on reserving the vinyl soundtrack during our Kickstarter campaign, I might have some exciting news to share with you soon! In the meantime, check out the incredible cover art below:
Outer Cover
Inner Cover
Development Update
I also wanted to share with you another update from Ebb Software’s CEO, Ljubomir Peklar:
“December was filled with a lot of planning and organisation before the end of the year. Our team's planning, scheduling, and organisation is crucial, but that’s especially true for this final 25%. Without proper planning, nothing will line up how it should. Part of that planning, and arguably the most challenging part, is ensuring we maintain the overall vision for Scorn, while carefully considering things like balance and other refinements. We’re aiming to finalise everything by the end of June, and then we’ll move into the final phase of production with optimisations, squashing bugs and adding polish.”
And that’s a wrap for our January update! Be sure to let me know below what topics you’d like to see covered in a future edition of The Pulse.