Darren Korb Redux
Every Supergiant Games release is an event.
But it’s not just from the gamers and critics who adore the video games’ rich stories, immaculate art style or addictive game play. It’s the music nerds that also wait with bated breath on Darren Korb’s newest score.
As Supergiant’s in-house composer and audio head, Korb has become a fixture unto himself with his compositions, from the Lead Belly meets Massive Attack thunk of Bastion to the Imogen Heap inspired Transistor soundtrack. But for Korb, and Supergiant as a whole, Hades might be the zenith. The game has received lavish praise, and so has Korb’s work, which has found him expanding into new sounds. Hades’ eccentric score is a mixture of Mediterranean folk, progressive-metal and lush chamber pieces. Alongside collaborators Ashley Barrett and Austin Wintory (composer of Journey), Korb has reached the apex of composition: an album that can stand on its own sweeping merits while providing the perfect audio companion to the gameplay. We talked to Korb about his research for the score, his work voicing the main character, Zagreus, and recording in Abbey Road.
Also, we have two versions of this cast, the lightly edited full version and a “singles edit” which cuts the interview in half and hits the choruses quickly. And you can hear our previous interview here.