AMANDA DYAR: Boris, thank you for taking the time to talk with us. First off, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what led you to your current career?
I’ve had music all around me since I was very young and it has been my biggest passion throughout my life. I grew up playing classical piano and then later I played in rock and punk bands. But then I discovered electronic music and there were a few years when I produced very ambient music, music written to inspire the imagination. It was a great feeling to send people on narrative journeys with my music and eventually this led me to venture into the field of film music.
Before moving to LA I had already spent 8 years writing for TV series and movies and commercials. In the last 6 years here in the US I have also been composing music for video games, which is great fun as well.
AMANDA DYAR: You have composed music for TV shows, movies and of course video games like Resistance 2 & 3, Ratchet & Clank: A Crack In Time and Fuse. Do you have any particular project that stands out to you or anything you enjoy most when it comes to composing music for media projects such as these?
BORIS SALCHOW: I think I have always been fortunate working on a project that seems to be perfect for that moment. Take Sunset Overdrive, for example. Before this title I had a series of orchestral projects, including Resistance 3 and a documentary feature called 'Germany from Above', among others – and suddenly I find myself with a guitar around my neck and a drummer in front of me and we are making some awesome noise - and you know what? I find that very, very refreshing and gratifying!
AMANDA DYAR: Sunset Overdrive released on October 28th for Xbox One. Tell us a little bit about your work on the cinematics soundtrack for Sunset Overdrive and how you got involved with the project.
For this game I had a fine team of musicians ready to go at all times but I never knew what was coming around the corner, and we constantly had to get specialist musicians involved – like hurdy gurdy players, krumhorn players or psychobilly rockers.
AMANDA DYAR: Sunset Overdrive is a game we have enjoyed immensely this year, and it has to be in our top 10 for the best video game releases of the year. The soundtrack for the game was amazing! What were some of your inspirations for the project and what did you hope to achieve in the finalized version?
BORIS SALCHOW: I think it should be in your top 5 actually! Right?
In terms of inspiration for the cinematics, which is where I contributed most of my music – well, there is obviously a lot of 'post-punk' influence, but really, this game is so out there that the music references – at least for the cut-scenes – are as diverse as the storytelling.
AMANDA DYAR: What was your most memorable experience while working on Sunset Overdrive? I would have to say that the music in Sunset Overdrive is what brings everything together and creates the zany humor that we all love from the game. Do you have a favorite character or creature from the game?
BORIS SALCHOW: Thank you. For my part, it was such great fun composing the music for the cinematics on this game. You cannot mention enough how important music is in general!
My most memorable experience? I think it was the overall experience itself - I just loved making noise again with guitars and effects and just having fun with people and not being too serious.
AMANDA DYAR: Lastly, can you tell us about any of your upcoming projects and what fans can look forward to in the future from you? Also is there anything else you would like to mention?
BORIS SALCHOW: I would love to, but right now I cannot say too much – other than that there is some game-related stuff in the making as well. And as of next week there actually should be a Smart car commercial out there with my music in it.
To learn more, visit the official Sunset Overdrive and Boris Salchow websites.