Mick Gordon (composer)

Last updated

Mick Gordon
Born (1985-07-07) July 7, 1985 (age 38)
Mackay, Queensland, Australia
Genres
Occupation(s)
Years active2002–present
Website mick-gordon.com

Michael John Gordon (born 7 July 1985) is an Australian composer, record producer, musician, and sound designer, composing music primarily for video games.

Contents

Gordon has composed for several first-person shooters, including Atomic Heart , LawBreakers , Wolfenstein: The New Order , Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, Prey, the soft reboot of Doom and its sequel Doom Eternal , Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus , and seasons one and two of the 2013 fighting game Killer Instinct.

Career

Gordon began his musical career as a jazz/blues guitarist in his teens. [1] He first began to work as a sound designer with Pandemic Studios, where he contributed additional sound design for Destroy All Humans! 2 . In 2013, he scored the first season of the fighting video game, Killer Instinct , a reboot of the original 1994 title. The following year, Gordon scored the second season of Killer Instinct and the action-adventure first-person shooter Wolfenstein: The New Order (developed by MachineGames). He returned to the Wolfenstein series in 2015 to compose the score for Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, a prequel to Wolfenstein: The New Order.

In 2016, Gordon completed the score for the science fiction first-person shooter, Doom , a soft reboot of the franchise, developed by id Software. His score for Doom won a number of awards including a D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition, [2] SXSW Gaming Award for Excellence in Musical Score, [3] The Game Awards for Best Music/Sound Design, and was nominated for a BAFTA Games Award for Best Music. [4]

In 2017, Gordon completed the score for the horror first-person shooter, Prey , developed by Arkane Studios. He also worked alongside Martin Stig Andersen to again return to the Wolfenstein series, scoring Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus , developed by MachineGames.

In 2020, Gordon completed the score of Doom Eternal ; while the music for the game was once again well-received, circumstances around the soundtrack release led to a public falling out between Gordon and id Software and a parting of ways. [5] Both sides posted open letters alleging wrongdoing. [6]

On 23 June 2020 British rock band Bring Me the Horizon announced they would be working with Gordon on their upcoming release. [7] Vocalist Oliver Sykes discusses how he fell in love with the Doom Eternal soundtrack during quarantine. Being heavily inspired by Gordon's work, the band decided to reach out to him and offer a collaboration. The resulting work, titled "Parasite Eve", was released on 25 June alongside an accompanying music video. [8] The collaboration then expanded into the commercial release, Post Human: Survival Horror , released on 30 October 2020.

Gordon produced the song "Paralyze" with industrial metal band 3Teeth in 2021. On 3rd May 2023 3Teeth released "Merchant of the Void", and on 31st May released "Slum Planet" again collaborating with Gordon. [9]

Musical style and inspiration

According to Gordon's official website, he "utilises a broad range of modern musical sound design and traditional composition techniques in order to be unconstrained by any singular genre," and that it is "inspired by the connection between the audience and the experience." [10]

Gordon's work "considers the role of music as a translation of the world in which it exists rather than a simple accompaniment." [10]

Discography

Soundtrack albums

TitleRelease dateLabelFormat
A Day in Pompeii21 August 2012Self-releasedDigital download
Killer Instinct: Season One Soundtrack + Original Arcade Soundtrack14 October 2014Microsoft CorporationCD, digital download
Wolfenstein: The New Order (Original Game Soundtrack) 19 May 2014Bethesda SoftworksCD, digital download
Doom 28 September 2016Bethesda SoftworksCD, digital download
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus 16 March 2018Bethesda SoftworksCD, digital download
Doom27 July 2018Bethesda SoftworksVinyl

Production credits

YearArtistAlbumTitle(s)Notes
2020 Bring Me the Horizon Post Human: Survival Horror "Dear Diary,"Additional production
"Parasite Eve"
"Obey" (with Yungblud)Percussion, synthesizer, additional production
"Itch for the Cure (When Will We Be Free?)"Additional production
"Kingslayer" (featuring Babymetal)
"One Day the Only Butterflies Left Will Be in Your Chest as You March Towards Your Death" (featuring Amy Lee)
2021 3Teeth EndEx "Paralyze" (featuring Ho99o9)Production [11]
2022 Monuments In Stasis —Co-production
Motionless in White Scoring the End of the World "Scoring the End of the World"Guest appearance [12]
20233TeethEndEx"Merchant of the Void"Co-writer, co-production
"Slum Planet"Co-production
"Higher Than Death"Co-production
"What's Left"Co-production
Architects —"Seeing Red"Additional Production [13]
2024GravemindIntrosphere"Failstate"Guest appearance

Works

YearTitleNotesRef.
2006Hot Dog KingMusic and sound design [14]
2006 Destroy All Humans! 2 Additional sound design [14]
2007 Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots — [14]
2008 El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera — [14]
2009 Real Racing ——
Need for Speed: Shift Co-composed with Stephen Baysted and Mark Morgan [14]
Marvel Super Hero Squad — [14]
2010 Real Racing 2 Game sound effects—
The Last Airbender — [14]
Need for Speed: World — [14]
Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet — [14]
2011 Shift 2: Unleashed Composed with:
[14]
Marvel Super Hero Squad: Comic Combat — [14]
Need for Speed: The Run Additional music [15]
2012A Day in PompeiiAudio Director; Museums Victoria exhibit [14]
Battle GroupAlso sound designer—
2013 Real Racing 3 Game sound effects—
ShootMania Storm — [14]
Killer Instinct Season One (2013) and Season Two (2014) [15]
2014 Wolfenstein: The New Order Additional music by Frederik Thordendal [15]
2015 Wolfenstein: The Old Blood Additional music by Michael Tornabene and Casey Edwards [16]
Project CARS Guitars with John J. Harvey—
2016 Doom Additional music by Chris Hite and Ben F. Carney [17]
2017 Prey Additional music composed by Ben Crossbones, Matt Piersall, and Raphaël Colantonio [18]
LawBreakers Composed with Jaroslav Beck, Dieselboy, Mark The Beast, and Malcolm Kirby Jr.
"Faust" and “Toska-9” tracks in the official album		 [19]
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Composed with Martin Stig Andersen; additional music by Frederik Thordendal [20]
2019 Borderlands 3 Additional Music Support
Original game score by:
[21]
2020 Beautiful Desolation — [22]
Doom Eternal [23]
2023 Atomic Heart Composed with Andrey Bugrov and Geoffrey Day [24]
TBARoutineAudio Director [14]

Awards and nominations

YearCeremonyCategoryWorkResult
2006Game Developers' Association of AustraliaBest AudioDestroy All Humans! 2Won
2012Game Audio Network GuildBest Audio, OtherA Day in PompeiiWon
2013Game Audio Network GuildBest Interactive ScoreKiller InstinctNominated
Game Audio Network GuildBest Original Song, Vocal (Pop)Killer Instinct ("Touch Me and I'll Break Your Face")Won
Game Audio Network GuildBest Original Song, Vocal (Pop)Killer Instinct ("I'm Back to Rise")Nominated
2016 The Game Awards Best Music/Sound DesignDoomWon
2017 Game Developers Choice Awards Best AudioNominated
SXSW Gaming Awards Excellence in Musical ScoreWon
D.I.C.E. Awards Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition Won
British Academy Games Awards Best MusicNominated
2018New York Game AwardsBest Music in a GameWolfenstein II: The New Colossus
(shared with Martin Stig Andersen)		Nominated
D.I.C.E. Awards Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition Nominated
2020 The Game Awards Best Score and MusicDoom EternalNominated
Steam Awards Best Soundtrack [25] Won

Related Research Articles

<i>Doom</i> (1993 video game) First-person shooter

Doom is a first-person shooter game developed and published by id Software. Released on December 10, 1993, for DOS, it is the first installment in the Doom franchise. The player assumes the role of a space marine, later unofficially referred to as Doomguy, fighting through hordes of undead humans and invading demons. The game begins on the moons of Mars and finishes in hell, with the player traversing each level to find its exit or defeat its final boss. It is an early example of 3D graphics in video games, and has enemies and objects as 2D images, a technique sometimes referred to as 2.5D graphics.

id Software American video game developer

id Software LLC is an American video game developer based in Richardson, Texas. It was founded on February 1, 1991, by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack.

<i>Wolfenstein 3D</i> 1992 video game

Wolfenstein 3D is a first-person shooter video game developed by id Software and published by Apogee Software and FormGen. Originally released on May 5, 1992, for DOS, it was inspired by the 1981 Muse Software video game Castle Wolfenstein, and is the third installment in the Wolfenstein series. In Wolfenstein 3D, the player assumes the role of Allied spy William "B.J." Blazkowicz during World War II as he escapes from the Nazi German prison Castle Wolfenstein and carries out a series of crucial missions against the Nazis. The player traverses each of the game's levels to find an elevator to the next level or kill a final boss, fighting Nazi soldiers, dogs, and other enemies with a knife and a variety of guns.

Robert Caskin Prince III, known professionally as Bobby Prince, is an American video game composer and sound designer. He has worked as an independent contractor for several gaming companies, most notably id Software and 3D Realms. Some of his most notable works include Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Doom II: Hell on Earth, Duke Nukem II, and Duke Nukem 3D.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramin Djawadi</span> German score composer (born 1974)

Ramin Djawadi is a German film score composer, conductor, and record producer. He is known for his scores for the HBO series Game of Thrones, for which he was nominated for Grammy Awards in 2018 and 2020. He is also the composer for the HBO Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon (2022–present). He has scored films such as Clash of the Titans, Pacific Rim, Warcraft, A Wrinkle in Time, Iron Man and Eternals, television series including Prison Break, Person of Interest, Jack Ryan, and Westworld, and video games such as Medal of Honor, Gears of War 4, and Gears 5. He won two consecutive Emmy Awards for Game of Thrones, in 2018 for the episode "The Dragon and the Wolf" and in 2019 for "The Long Night".

id Tech Series of video game engines

id Tech is a series of separate game engines designed and developed by id Software. Prior to the presentation of the id Tech 5-based game Rage in 2011, the engines lacked official designation and as such were simply referred to as the Doom and Quake engines, from the name of the main game series the engines had been developed for. "id Tech" has been released as free software under the GNU General Public License. id Tech versions 0 to 3 were released under GPL-2.0-or-later. id Tech versions 3.5 to 4.5 were released under GPL-3.0-or-later. id Tech 5 to 7 are proprietary, with id Tech 7 currently being the latest utilized engine.

<i>Doom</i> (2016 video game) First-person shooter

Doom is a 2016 first-person shooter video game developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is the first major installment in the Doom series since 2004's Doom 3 and was a reboot of the franchise. It was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in May 2016. A port for Nintendo Switch was co-developed with Panic Button and released in November 2017, and a version for Google Stadia was released in August 2020. Players take the role of an unnamed space marine, known as the "Doom Slayer", as he battles demonic forces within an energy-mining facility on Mars and in Hell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MachineGames</span> Swedish video game developer

MachineGames Sweden AB is a Swedish video game developer based in Uppsala. The studio was founded in 2009 by seven former employees of Starbreeze Studios, including founder Magnus Högdahl. After unsuccessfully pitching game ideas to several publishers, MachineGames agreed with Bethesda Softworks to develop an entry in the Wolfenstein series in July 2010 and was acquired by Bethesda's parent company, ZeniMax Media, in November. In the Wolfenstein series, MachineGames developed The New Order (2014), The Old Blood (2015), The New Colossus (2017), Youngblood (2019), and Cyberpilot (2019). The studio is developing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (2024) as well as another Wolfenstein game.

<i>Wolfenstein: The New Order</i> 2014 video game

Wolfenstein: The New Order is a 2014 action-adventure first-person shooter video game developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was released on 20 May 2014 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. The game is the seventh main entry in the Wolfenstein series, set in an alternate history 1960s Europe where the Nazis won the Second World War. The story follows war veteran William "B.J." Blazkowicz and his efforts to stop the Nazis from ruling over the world.

<i>Wolfenstein: The New Order</i> (soundtrack) 2014 soundtrack

Wolfenstein: The New Order is the soundtrack to the video game Wolfenstein: The New Order. The soundtrack was released on 19 May 2014, consisting of an original score featured in the game. Composer Mick Gordon took inspiration from multiple sources while producing the soundtrack, ultimately creating over six hours of music. Critical reception to the soundtrack was positive, as reviewers considered that the music had been appropriated effectively for gameplay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3Teeth</span> American industrial metal band

3Teeth is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 2013, the band currently consists of Alexis Mincolla (vocals), Chase Brawner (guitars), Xavier Swafford, Andrew Means, and Nick Rossi (drums). They have currently released four studio albums: their self-titled debut in 2014, <shutdown.exe> in 2017, Metawar on July 5, 2019, and EndEx on September 22, 2023.

<i>Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus</i> 2017 video game

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is a 2017 action-adventure and first-person shooter game developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks. The eighth main entry in the Wolfenstein series and the sequel to 2014's Wolfenstein: The New Order, the game is set in an alternate history that takes place in 1961, following the Nazi victory in the Second World War. The story follows war veteran William "B.J." Blazkowicz and his efforts to fight against the Nazi regime in the United States. Gameplay mechanics are largely similar to those of The New Order, though the team introduced improvements such as allowing players to dual-wield any combination of weapons in the game. A binary choice in the prologue alters the game's entire storyline; some characters and small plot points are replaced throughout the timelines.

<i>Doom Eternal</i> 2020 video game

Doom Eternal is a 2020 first-person shooter game developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks. The sequel to Doom (2016), and the seventh game in the Doom series, it was released for PlayStation 4, Stadia, Windows, and Xbox One on March 20, 2020, with a port for Nintendo Switch released on December 8, 2020, and versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S released on June 29, 2021.

<i>Wolfenstein: Youngblood</i> 2019 video game

Wolfenstein: Youngblood is a 2019 first-person shooter developed by MachineGames and Arkane Lyon and published by Bethesda Softworks. A spin-off of the Wolfenstein series, the game was released for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in July 2019 and Stadia in November 2019 as a launch title. The game received mixed reviews from critics who felt it was a step down from previous installments, although some reviewers praised the combat.

Martin Stig Andersen is a Danish composer and sound designer, best known for his work on the video games Limbo and Inside, as well as contributions to Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panic Button (company)</span> American video game developer

Panic Button, LLC is an American video game developer based in Austin, Texas. Founded in late 2007, the studio is best known for their ports of AAA video games from other platforms to the Nintendo Switch console. Panic Button also does contract work on other platforms, including 4K updates for PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Hulshult</span> American video game composer

Andrew Hulshult is an American video game music composer and sound designer. He is best known for his work with 3D Realms as well as his scores for several first-person shooters, such as Dusk, Quake Champions, and Doom Eternal.

<i>EndEx</i> 2023 studio album by 3Teeth

EndEx is the fourth studio album by the American industrial metal band 3Teeth. It was released on September 22, 2023, through Century Media Records. It received acclaim from critics.

References

  1. ↑ "Mick Gordon Interview - DOOM Eternal Composer". Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021– via YouTube.
  2. ↑ Makuch, Eddie; Imms, Jason (23 February 2017). "Overwatch Wins DICE Game of the Year, Full Nominees List". GameSpot . Archived from the original on 25 February 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  3. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (19 March 2017). "Uncharted 4 Wins Game Of The Year At SXSW Awards". GameSpot . Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  4. ↑ Erica Webber, Jordan (9 March 2017). "Bafta games awards 2017: Inside and Uncharted 4 lead the way". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 9 March 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  5. ↑ "Doom Eternal Composer Distances Himself From The Newly Released Soundtrack". Archived from the original on 26 June 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  6. ↑ Valentine, Rebekah (9 November 2022). "Doom Eternal Composer Alleges Unpaid Wages and Abuse in Lengthy Soundtrack Controversy Response". IGN . Archived from the original on 10 November 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  7. ↑ "10BMTHS2-mick gordon-.mp4". Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2022– via YouTube.
  8. ↑ Trendell, Andrew (25 June 2020). "Bring Me The Horizon tell us about their new 'survival horror song' 'Parasite Eve' and ambitious 'Post Human' project". NME. Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  9. ↑ Carter, Emily (3 May 2023). "3TEETH team up with DOOM composer Mick Gordon for new music". Kerrang . Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  10. 1 2 "About – Mick Gordon". MICK GORDON. Archived from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  11. ↑ Enis, Eli (6 August 2021). "Hear 3teeth Team Up With Ho99o9 On New Industrial Metal Banger "Paralyze"". Revolver Magazine. Archived from the original on 6 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  12. ↑ "Motionless In White unleash Cyberhex from new album Scoring The End Of The World". Kerrang! . 11 March 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  13. ↑ Architects - "Seeing Red" , retrieved 6 December 2023
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Mick Gordon: Credits". mick-gordon.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  15. 1 2 3 Makuch, Eddie (12 May 2014). "Guitarist from Swedish metal band Meshuggah working on Wolfenstein: The New Order". GameSpot . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 31 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  16. ↑ "What's New in Wolfenstein: The Old Blood". GameSpot . CBS Interactive. 16 April 2015. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  17. ↑ "Mick Gordon working on soundtrack for new DOOM". VGM Online. 17 June 2015. Archived from the original on 9 October 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  18. ↑ "Prey - Mick Gordon". Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  19. ↑ "Various Artists: LawBreakers (Original Game Soundtrack)". 8 August 2017. Archived from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  20. ↑ "Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus". Mick Gordon. Archived from the original on 22 August 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  21. ↑ "Borderlands 3 (2019) PlayStation 4 credits - MobyGames". MobyGames. Archived from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  22. ↑ "Announcing Mick Gordon as composer". thebrotherhoodgames.com. Archived from the original on 18 October 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  23. ↑ Leavey, Jason. "DOOM Eternal – Official E3 Teaser". Bethesda.net. Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  24. ↑ Wilson, Mike (13 August 2020). "Dystopian Shooter 'Atomic Heart' Will Have Next-Gen Versions; New Gameplay Video Released Featuring Mick Gordon [Video]". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  25. ↑ "The Steam Awards: Winners". Welcome to Steam. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.