Aram Zero

• Girldad • Artist • Symphonic metal composer • Metalstep producer • Metal-WHATEVER creator • [email protected]

[Aram Zero @Aram_Zero]

It’s really hard to put into words the excitement and disbelief I’ve been feeling since last night, when the news arrived. I co-produced a song for Rift of the NecroDancer (my very first job in an indie videogame) together with
@alex_moukala
and… (it continues in the comments)

[Mick Gordon @Mick_Gordon]

10 years of DOOM (2016).
A quick look at the BFG Division session files.

[Aram Zero @Aram_Zero]

@Mick_Gordon Best metal soundtrack ever crafted for a videogame <3

[Alex Moukala @alex_moukala]

Rift of the Necrodancer was one of the very first games I ever wrote music for... and it won a Best Music award last night at the indie awards!

On top of that, our soundtrack was also nominated for the Steam Awards alongside my absolute favorite OST of the year: Expedition 33.

It's kinda funny seeing them there together, but in a way it also makes total sense too.
Despite being wildly different, Rift and Expedition 33's soundtracks have a very important key factor in common that made them what they are.

It's something I've noticed when I interviewed Lorien Testard and Guillaume Broche from Sandfall earlier this year, which can be summarized into a single word:
Trust.

Lorien is a composer with a lot to say, whose musical intuition comes from a pure place of passion and reverence for the art. Guillaume, the game director, saw this and trusted Lorien's musical choices across the board while working on Expedition 33.
I asked them if they ever had moments of contention or creative mismatches, and they clearly answered: no.
Guillaume always let Lorien cook, encouraging him and trusting his vision every step of the way, allowing him to create a soundtrack that will echo for generations to come.
Interestingly, I think this was the very same dynamic between Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu during the earlier Final Fantasy games.

I've had the pleasure of working on a number of games these past few years and I've noticed that, sometimes, there are directors who really micro-manage you and make you doubt your own creative voice in ways that will inevitably lead to make your music worse.
And then there's people like Guillaume, whose trust, respect and excitement lead you to do your best work.
People who "let you cook".

I was extremely fortunate in this respect many times in my career, working with very capable folks who saw the best in me and got the best out of me.
The very first team who did this in my case is the one I'm celebrating in this post: Rift of the Necrodancer's team!

We had a ragtag crew of composers in this project, from different countries, different walks of life but most especially very different music styles.
( @dannyBstyle , @FamilyJules7x , @visagermusic , @hollett_samuel , @nicknausbaum & my secret weapon: @Aram_Zero )

At every step of the way, the entire Rift team has been nothing but supportive, appreciative, curious and pushed us to truly get crazy, never making us doubt our creative voice.
I want to believe that it's not a coincidence that the game's soundtrack ended up being so beloved that it goes all the way to winning / being nominated for awards.
I can't take much credit for it, as I was just one of several composers who worked on it after all!
But I do take pride on the whole team, for how amazing they have been to work with.

Sending my congrats to them, and a high five to all game directors out there who let their composers cook!

[Aram Zero @Aram_Zero]

@alex_moukala @NecroDancerGame 🥹🙏 thanks buddy.

[Aram Zero @Aram_Zero]

@alex_moukala @NecroDancerGame

[Aram Zero @Aram_Zero]

It’s really hard to put into words the excitement and disbelief I’ve been feeling since last night, when the news arrived. I co-produced a song for Rift of the NecroDancer (my very first job in an indie videogame) together with
@alex_moukala
and… (it continues in the comments)

[Aram Zero @Aram_Zero]

@alex_moukala For never giving up, and for being stubborn enough to keep making heavy-ass music no matter what. Thank you all.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed!

Aram

[Aram Zero @Aram_Zero]

@alex_moukala it has been nominated for Best Soundtrack at the Indie Game Awards.

I’m beyond grateful to everyone involved for their incredible work: starting from @braceyourselfgames , to @alex_moukala, colleague and above all dear friend, and… to myself.

[Aram Zero @Aram_Zero]

@alex_moukala @HatingMirror @NecroDancerGame Absolutely 🔥🔥🔥

[Aram Zero @Aram_Zero]

https://t.co/AuFSAfiTit

Aight.

[Aram Zero @Aram_Zero]

https://t.co/05lKbK7CKh

^ the full version

[Aram Zero @Aram_Zero]

Death Stranding 2 trailer SOLO music; I recomposed it just because it is SUCH a banger man @Ludvig_Forssell

[Aram Zero @Aram_Zero]

@pmcomposer

[Aram Zero @Aram_Zero]

@neverbreeze_s It looks amazing!!

[Aram Zero @Aram_Zero]

I just discovered this game today and I couldn't resist @RipoutGame

[Aram Zero @Aram_Zero]

@Borislav_Slavov @DroppedFrames 100% deserved man, your guitar arpeggio while roaming in the city gave me chills EVERY time.

[Aram Zero @Aram_Zero]

@RipoutGame Oh boy, hold my beer.

[Aram Zero @Aram_Zero]

@slava_dev Ohh I LOVE it! Townscaper on steroids!

[Aram Zero @Aram_Zero]

@naezith It looks BRUTAL man!! is this something you're working on?

[Aram Zero @Aram_Zero]

The Darkest of Days is now AVAILABLE for presave!
https://t.co/Aas00oi8gQ