Preamble

It is December 12th, 2012. It's a special day and special days also need special events…
Next year, as you now know, “Angel of Darkness” will be 10 years old!
And that you can of course not let pass without heavy celebrations.
So today, you shall find exclusive AOD goodies here! And I am not exaggerating when I say that this one you will not find anywhere else…

The Lost Dominion - Making of

Elio has, for some time now, started a project together with some other experienced TRLE builders.
The name? The Lost Dominion. The goal? To be a worthy sequel to “Angel of Darkness”.
Until now, two "making of's" had been published, and now exclusively for TRForge, you can download the extra large Making of package #3! It is completely filled with concept art, screenshots, wallpapers, WIP screens and even many tracks from the soundtrack!
Have a lot of fun, and do not forget to support the team, if you also want that AOD2 sees daylight!

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Interview - Peter Connelly

When we talk about video games, we'll probably think about amazing graphic, cool features and a great story. But isn't something missing? Of course! The music! What would a game be without a soundtrack? These questions will be answered because today we interview none other than Peter Connelly, the composer of Tomb Raider 4, 5 and 6!

Have fun with the interview!

Elio:

So, hello there Peter! I want to thank you for giving us this opportunity today. It's not a self-understatement to still talk about Tomb Raider after so many years.

Peter:

Hi Elio. I'm intrigued that, after all this time, there is still a buzz surrounding the legacy TR products, particularly the soundtracks.

Elio:

Yeah indeed… As you see the interest of the fans isn't fading. On the contrary, it's getting bigger and bigger, as people get more nostalgic about the games.
Those aside, are there any projects you are working on right now?

Peter:

I have several projects on the go right now… some I can't talk about but, apart from re-inventing myself as a composer (I will soon have some new material to showcase as well as some modern remakes of old classics), I am working as a writer / co-writer / producer for several up and coming artists. I am still heavily involved with games, working as both Composer and Sound Designer on multiple projects.

Elio:

This might be a question you've heard a lot but I will ask anyway; what are your favorite music pieces you've worked on

Peter:

I am particularly proud of the music I did for the TR4 - The Last Revelation intro FMV (desert, camel, etc). I think it sounds quite moody and cinematic, not bad for a Roland synthesizer module produced in the early 90's.
I also like several of the TR5 FMV pieces (FMV03 Part03, FMV04 Part01 & Part02, FMV08 Part01)… most of which went on to be re-orchestrated and used in Angel of Darkness… but, in most cases, I prefer the MIDI versions to the LSO versions. Of course, there are also some I hate!!! TR5 FMV02 music, for example… complete rush job. There are also one or two in-game stings I can't stand listening to.
If it's non TR music, I think the Herdy Gerdy soundtrack is decent… I love it musically. The production is a little weak as it was another rush job. I do plan to make a collage of my work and make it sound as I originally intended it to sound.
Then there are some tracks I particularly like from SpeedZone / WheelSpin… one of which I am remixing right now. They're a little retro sounding but, then again, this was the direction received from the developer.

Elio:

Sounds great! Hopefully you'll be able to do the same with some Tomb Raider pieces soon. *cough* TR5 Main theme *cough*

Peter:

Yeah, not completing that TR5 main theme still bothers me. TR5 Flyby1 is what I started out to be the Main Theme but never finished it. I have a minor idea I will add to this very soon, just to give it some more AR authenticity.

Elio:

The same soon you said back then, when you would release the TR5 Soundtrack ? :P

Peter:

Haha. Now that I'm in my own studio, I have all the time in the world (well, a lot more than I did)

Elio:

That's quite an achievement I must say. Which reminds me of another question: How did you get involved in the beginning with Core Design?

Peter:

It was a simple case of Nathan was leaving and they needed another "Musician" to replace hi. An agency got in touch, arranged an interview and the rest, as they say, is history. I was quite lucky really… I just happened to be available at the right time and have the right show reel to send them.

Elio:

But if I recall correctly you worked for a short time with Nathan Mc Cree. It was TR3, right?

Peter:

Nathan had left just before I started but was still contracted to complete the music for TR3. Martin was to take control of the SFX and, as I joined just 2 months before shipping, I got slightly involved. I did actually write a music track for TR3, it was intended to be used in the final boss level. I was playing this level and thought it was missing some music so took the initiative and wrote something. Unfortunately, it was too late to add it to the build so it never got used. I did, however, make sure it was used in TR4 though

Elio:

Which was used for the bull demigod boss in the Cairo levels, right?

Peter:

This one? http://soundcloud.com/peter-conz-connelly/music-game-boss-01

Elio:

Yep, that was the one I was talking about! Anyway, let's go deeper into a new chapter: The Angel of Darkness. Who initially introduced the idea to collaborate with the LSO?

Peter:

I wrote the Herdy Gerdy score with the intent of using a real orchestra but, unfortunately, this didn't happen so, when writing for AoD, which was huge IP being developed on a new platform, we pushed this notion as we wanted to push the boundaries of audio so we had a list of orchestras / studios, in a priority order, we wished to consider. Fortunately, Jeremy Heath Smith went with our top choices, the LSO at Abbey Road. Result :)

Elio:

They had quite good food too I heard hehe

Peter:

That was my only reason to list Abbey Road…

Elio:

I understand. I mean, a composer needs his proteins. Have you ever worked with an orchestra apart the LSO?

Peter:

No, although I did play in an orchestra when I was younger, mainly Cello. We used to perform in and around the North East of England, playing some great music… not just classical classics, we were playing tremendous new stuff such as Quincy Jones "Ai No Corrida" and timeless classics such as "Streetlife" by The Crusaders… it was a perfect way for me to better my playing skills, being thrown in at the deep end.

Elio:

What is your favorite part/phase when you compose a new piece, from A to Z?

Peter:

I love messing on with and get inspired by new sounds; this is where I get my initial ideas and riffs from. The next step, turning it into a credible composition / arrangement can be quite tricky at times but, once you're over this hurdle, it's usually plain sailing all the way. Hitting creative brick walls can be painful (writing or mixing), this happens quite often. Best thing to do in situations like this is move onto something else until you have that eureka moment to go back and finish it off.

Elio:

Speaking of that… are there any almost finished compositions on your hard drive which haven't seen yet the light of day, but were supposed to?

Peter:

I have hundreds of ideas and unfinished compositions on my HD (and in my head). In all honesty, I'm useless unless I have a deadline or a strong enough reason to finish something. A lot of this will resurface when I start writing for others… watch this space!!!

Elio:

I'm sure many who will read this know how that feels…yes even me. How was it working with Core Design? What experiences have you made?

Peter:

Working with Core Design was amazing…
Yes, we worked some horrendously long hours for months on end, practically living in the offices, which broke people (and relationships) but, looking back, it was an exciting and a once in a lifetime opportunity. There is a lot I would change if I could do it all over again but I suppose learning comes with experience and, more importantly for me, growing up.

Elio:

What do you mean with broken relationships?

Peter:

Working 15+ hours a day, 7 days a week, for months on end isn't good for partners. The only thing that kept most partners going was that dangled carrot of financial gain and an uber long break at the end of the project.

Elio:

Regarding the rumors, was it really true that Core intended to end the series with TR4?

Peter:

I'm not sure what the deal is with ending the series at TR4. I do know there were some fierce discussions between the staff at Core and I Eidos to develop TR5. It took a firm financial offer to get the team motivated and move forward although it was agreed to not add anything new in terms of features and specifically not to add any vehicles. It was an easy ride for the programmers…

Elio:

Hmm. I asked you about your favorite theme of your work, but what would be your favorite SFX set you created for TR?

Peter:

I've never really thought about this… there is a bit in AoD where the Shapeshifter Shifts. I used a subtle SFX for this which I thought was more film inspired than game sounding. I was inspired by a bit of Sound Design in Vanilla Sky. I did like the Skeletons in TR4, I think they sounded great. I do prefer the SFX in TR5, they're more complete. I took what I learned from TR4 and took this experience to TR5.

Elio:

Every TR fan knows that you were the composer behind TR, but after you finished your work, have you had the chance and time to try the final products out, just like the normal consumer?

Peter:

I loved playing 1, 2 and 3 but, from 4 on, I just couldn't bring myself to play them. This is because I generally hate what I do, particularly when working closely with a project for so long. It's only been this past year or so I've started to appreciate the work I did for TR.

Elio:

What was your favorite platform to play them on?

Peter:

PC

Elio:

Ever tried out the Dreamcast?

Peter:

I had one, loved that machine. Jet Set Radio, Silent Scope and Shenmue… awesome!!!

Elio:

Indeed. A pity it was so much underrated Regarding the Soundtracks you released this year on Soundcloud, do you plan to release also the FMV Music from AOD, considering you did the same with TR4 and TR5?

Peter:

All the music on the AoD FMV's are taken from the LSO recordings so they're already available. There might be one or two tracks that aren't; I will look into this at some point.

Elio:

They've probably been remixed, as I couldn't find in most cases the exact FMV music without SFX on there while I was making a fan made AOD Trailer.

Peter:

If there's any particular track you can't find, let me know… I'm sure I can trace it within the recordings (and, yep, many were mixed, cut, pasted, etc)

Elio:

Rumors say that AOD has been restarted from scratch in 2001 when the team of TRC came by too, stating the new engine was unusable. Do you know anything about that?

Peter:

The only thing I recall during the earlier stages of AoD was a handful or programmers R&D'ing the PS2 tech to work with the development of AoD. During 2001 I was involved heavily with Herdy Gerdy so wasn't in the AoD loop until I started working on this early 2002.

Elio:

What are your favorite bands/artists, games and movies?

Peter:

I like all sorts of music… ranging from The Smiths to Muse to Faithless to Brand New Heavies to Bacharach (my main inspiration from childhood) to Trevor Horn to Chemical Brothers to Pet Shop Boys to Jamiroquai to New Order to John Williams… it's endless. I've never been one for liking a particular band / artist. If I like the melody and / or the sound, I'm hooked… even if the artist and band are deemed uncool.
Although I was a huge C64 gamer, my game playing tamed shortly after owning an Amiga (I'm not saying that's the Amiga's fault, lol) but I did still play quite a bit… loving games such as Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Mario 64 and Tony Hawks (PS1). And I simply LOVE the Lucasfilm games, particularly Monkey Island.
I'm not a big movie fan. I do like science fiction so anything in and around this I tend to watch. I've been to the cinema twice in a year; I think that says it all. lol. My favorite films are Carlitos Way and 24 Hour Party People. I do love a comedy too; my 3 TV favorites are "I'm Alan Partridge", "The Office" and "Fawlty Towers". They're genius and timeless, IMO.

Elio:

As you're quite undecided with your favorite artist let me ask you an easier question. What's your favorite food?

Peter:

Abbey Road Cuisine ;)

Elio:

Haha. Why doesn't that surprise me?

Peter:

My favorite food is chicken… anything chicken entices me. I do like trying new foods. My recent favorites are Vietnamese and Japanese. I do love a good BBQ too.

Elio:

So last but not least is there anything you want to say regarding AOD?

Peter:

AoD was a fantastic project to work on and, if I could do it again, I'd make many changes but that's how us creative's roll… we're never happy and we take what we learned to the next project. It is a shame that balancing the books, meeting quotas and satisfying shareholders demands took priority over delivering a polished game, this is something that will, unfortunately, live with AoD forever. Still, it gave me the opportunity to score for a real orchestra and work with the legendary LSO, an experience which took me to the next level as a composer.

Elio:

I sincerely thank you for this highly interesting interview! I hope we will hear soon more from you. You know where to find us. Also good luck with your future projects!

Peter:

You're welcome; it's been a pleasure chatting with you and thank you :)

You can find more about Peter Connelly in the internet:

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Pictures of the recording of the soundtrack

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The Angel of Darkness Soundtrack 5.1

Believe it or not, this year TRFORGE has something special (and even official) for you again! Peter Conelly springs it personally, the Angel of Darkness soundtrack in 5.1 surround! Never been released before, it will always be a collectible.
If you have your own cinema sound with 6 speakers, you'll hear the difference!
And that isn't all! Next to the prizes, the 3 best winners will get the Angel Of Darkness soundtrack in 5.1 surround, signed by Peter Conelly! So - keep busy!

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TR5 Main Theme Extended
by Thomas Kobialka

Oh Tomb Raider 5… good old times.
But the unfinished main theme stayed… unfinished.
But that didn't hinder the talented composer Thomas Kobialka, to recreate it.
You can check out the 3.40min long version by Thomas here!

(8.42 MB)	(11.64 MB)

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Attention! This text and all other content, which is especially true for the music, are copyrighted. They are intended exclusively for private use. All public redistribution is strictly forbidden. For questions and assistance please turn to Elio.

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As every year there is also the TRForge advent calendar contest. Achieve the matching challenge to every calendar door and collect points, to get the chance to win a great prize in the end! You can find more infos here: contest, or you can click on Lara at the calendar page.

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