Gareth Coker | |
|---|---|
 Coker in 2022 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 7 May 1984 United Kingdom |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Composer |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Website | gareth-coker |
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 , Halo Infinite and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
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]
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]
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.
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
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.
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]
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.
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.
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]
| 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 | ||
Tan Dun is a Chinese-born American composer and conductor. A leading figure of contemporary classical music, he draws from a variety of Western and Chinese influences, a dichotomy which has shaped much of his life and music. Having collaborated with leading orchestras around the world, Tan is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Grawemeyer Award for his opera Marco Polo (1996) and both an Academy Award and Grammy Award for his film score in Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). His oeuvre as a whole includes operas, orchestral, vocal, chamber, solo and film scores, as well as genres that Tan terms "organic music" and "music ritual."
Halo is a military science fiction video game series and media franchise, originally developed and created by Bungie and currently managed and developed by Halo Studios, part of Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios. The series launched in 2001 with the first-person shooter video game Halo: Combat Evolved and its tie-in novel, The Fall of Reach. The latest main game, Halo Infinite, was released in late 2021.
Martin O'Donnell is an American composer, audio director, and sound designer known for his work on video game developer Bungie's titles, such as the Myth series, Oni, the Halo series, and Destiny. O'Donnell collaborated with his Michael Salvatori for many of the scores; he has also directed voice talent and sound design for the Halo trilogy.
The Halo Original Soundtrack is a soundtrack for the video game Halo: Combat Evolved. Composed and produced by Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori for Bungie, the soundtrack was released on June 11, 2002. Most of the music from Halo: Combat Evolved is present on the CD, although some songs have been remixed by O'Donnell in medley form for "more enjoyable" listening. The first piece O'Donnell wrote, known as "Halo", became the basis for Halo's "signature sound" which has been heard in the other games of the main trilogy.
Inon Zur is an Israeli-American composer of soundtracks for film, television, and video games. He has composed soundtracks for over 80 video games, which include Dragon Age, EverQuest, Fallout, Prince of Persia, Star Trek, the Syberia series, and Starfield. He has received multiple nominations, including three BAFTAs, and has won several awards, including an Emmy. Various music awards for his soundtracks on Men of Valor (2004), Crysis (2008), Dragon Age: Origins (2009), The Elder Scrolls: Blades (2019), Syberia: The World Before (2023) and Starfield (2024).
Halo 3 Original Soundtrack is the official soundtrack to Bungie's first-person shooter video game Halo 3. Most of the original music was composed by Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori, but also includes a bonus track, "LvUrFR3NZ", which was the winning entry in a contest held before the soundtrack's release. The 2-CD set was released on November 20, 2007.
Neil Davidge is an English record producer, songwriter, film score composer and musician. Once an associate of dance producers DNA, he is best known as the long-term co-writer and producer for trip hop collective Massive Attack. In 1997, he also produced the Sunna album One Minute Science. During that time he has established a career as a film score composer including projects such as Push, Bullet Boy, Trouble the Water, and additional music for Clash of the Titans.
The Halo 4 Original Soundtrack is the official soundtrack to the first-person shooter video game Halo 4, developed by 343 Industries and published by Microsoft Studios. British record producer Neil Davidge was Halo 4's main composer and producer. The soundtrack was released on October 19, 2012 in Australia and New Zealand, and October 22 everywhere else. A second volume containing more of the score was released digitally on April 8, 2013.
The music of the 2009 video game Minecraft, developed by Mojang Studios, primarily consists of two soundtrack albums by German musician Daniel Rosenfeld, better known as C418. American composer Lena Raine has also contributed music for four major updates to the game since 2020, alongside Aaron Cherof and Kumi Tanioka who worked on the most recent version in 2024. Music included in downloadable content (DLC) for legacy console versions of the game was handled by British musician Gareth Coker.
Ori and the Blind Forest is a platform-adventure Metroidvania video game developed by Moon Studios and published by Microsoft Studios. The game was released for Windows and Xbox One in March 2015, and for Nintendo Switch in September 2019. Players assume control of Ori, a small white spirit, and Sein, the "light and eyes" of the Forest's Spirit Tree. Players are tasked to move between platforms and solve puzzles. The game features a save system called "Soul Links", which allows players to save their progress at will with limited resources, and an upgrade system that allows players to strengthen Ori's skills and abilities.
Daniel Rosenfeld, known professionally as C418, is a German musician, producer and sound engineer. Known for his minimalistic ambient work, he rose to fame as the former composer and sound designer for the sandbox video game Minecraft (2011).
SkyBox Labs Inc. is a Canadian video game developer located in Burnaby, British Columbia. Founded in 2011 by Derek MacNeil, Shyang Kong and Steven Silvester formerly from EA Vancouver, they are mostly known for their work with Xbox Game Studios on the Halo, Age of Empires and Minecraft franchises.
Moon Studios GmbH is an Austrian video game developer founded in 2010. They are best known for their 2015 title Ori and the Blind Forest, for which the studio was awarded the Best Debut award at the 2016 Game Developers Choice Awards. In 2020, the studio released a sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a platform-adventure Metroidvania video game developed by Moon Studios and published by Xbox Game Studios. Announced during E3 2017, the title is a direct sequel to 2015's Ori and the Blind Forest, and was released in March 2020 for Windows and Xbox One. A Nintendo Switch version was released in September 2020 by Iam8bit, and a version optimized for Xbox Series X/S was released as its launch title in November 2020. The game maintains narrative continuity with Blind Forest, and follows the journey of series' main character Ori in a new region called Niwen.
Gordy Haab is an American film, video game and television composer based in Los Angeles, California. His work has been featured in works associated with franchises including Star Wars Battlefront II, for which he won Video Game Score of the Year from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Haab is also known for his work on Microsoft's Halo Wars 2, for which he was nominated for a 2017 HMMA award. His score for Electronic Arts' Star Wars: Battlefront, won three awards at the 2016 GDC G.A.N.G. Awards: Music of the Year, Best Interactive Score, and Best Instrumental Score. Haab was also nominated for a BAFTA Games Awards for his work on Star Wars: Battlefront.
Christian Henson is a British composer, primarily working on television and film soundtracks. He has also soundtracked video games, and is the co-founder of Spitfire Audio with fellow composer Paul Thomson. Henson has been nominated for a BAFTA and an Ivor Novello Award for his music.
Immortals Fenyx Rising is a 2020 action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft Quebec and published by Ubisoft. The game was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Joel Corelitz is an American composer and sound designer. He is best known for his work on The Unfinished Swan which garnered him a BAFTA nomination for Best Music. His other works include Gorogoa, Death Stranding and Halo Infinite.
The Game Audio Network Guild Awards is an award show that celebrates excellence in video game audio. The awards, which started in 2004, are arranged by the Game Audio Network Guild and held annually during the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. The first four shows were held at the Fairmont San Jose, before moving to the Moscone Center from the fifth; due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 18th, 19th, and 20th ceremonies were held virtually.
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