Music can have a resounding impact on someone’s experience of a game. Whether it’s creating a sense of intrigue, urgency or even transporting you back to times gone by, a soundtrack is by far an integral part of a gameplay experience. So as you can imagine, music has played an important role in Lady Luck Games’ newest title – Valholl Wild Hammers.
In the newest edition of Now that’s what I call slots, Lady Luck Games Game Music Composer and Sound Designer Andrew Vasilyev dives into all things music and the creation of what he believes is a stand-out soundtrack.
Discussing the influences of Scandinavian folk music on the score, Vasilyev set out to blend traditional sounds with more contemporary influences to create the unique sounds that we hear in Valholl Wild Hammers.
“The theme was based on Scandinavian folk music,” he said. “To emulate this, we used several folk music instruments such as the gjallarhorn, lyre, rebec and Viking drums. But as we live in the 21st century, we could not limit ourselves to just using traditional instruments. That’s why there is a mix of folk motifs, cinematic orchestral instruments and even some modern instruments such as electric guitar and synthesisers.
“We also took great influences from Scandinavian metal music, so we cannot forget about that! When we were researching different sounds, there was a lot to understand about the sounds of the Viking age but also what modern people think about Vikings and their sounds.
“To do this, we drew upon a number of different sources such as folk music, history books and articles about Viking music and scales, videos displaying examples of musical instruments and also modern films about Vikings, and Viking-themed games.”
This type of music, Vasilyev highlighted, is a step away from some of the “elevator music” featured in other slot titles on the market – something which he believes helps Valholl Wild Hammers to stand out from the crowd.
“I was thinking about how to make this game stand out from others, because everybody is just making pleasant elevator music. You know the type. This music is very pleasant and peaceful, but it is not what we wanted.
“I hope that our players love metal and rock music – that’s why I tried my best to blend these two genres together. It’s contemporary. Pantera’s Dimebag Darrell was a great guitarist and a great influence on me – so we wanted to recognise that.”
Watch the full interview HERE
