https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1w1f7r53GQ
We’ve been working with talented video-game composer, Jonathan Geer – who has previously worked on titles such as Owl Boy, Neon Chrome, and Undead Horde – to create a unique and enchanting soundtrack for Core Keeper. Our Early Access launch boasted 13 original songs, and this has expanded even more with The Sunken Sea update, giving you 21 individual tracks to enjoy as you explore the underground. You can find a full list of these tracks at the bottom of this post.
An Interview with Jonathan Geer
We spoke to Jonathan to get an idea of his inspirations and processes when creating the Core Keeper soundtrack, and this is what he had to say!
What were your main inspirations when crafting the music for Core Keeper?
Well, when Sven approached me and I met the rest of the team, they were all huge fans of the music I had written for Owlboy; and that was really the reason that they got in touch with me about creating a soundtrack for Core Keeper.
So that was a starting point, but obviously the music for Core Keeper would have to be pretty different. The team really wanted that lush, organic sound of Owlboy though, and that has been a guiding principle for the soundtrack. We didn't want anything overly synthetic or artificial sounding.
Apart from that, I didn't have too many specific inspirations while composing the music. Though I have to say, for the "Living Walls" track, I definitely had this one little riff from Castlevania's "Vampire Killer" going through my head when I wrote the groovy section at the beginning. I'm sure that seeped into the music a bit!
What has your favourite track been to compose so far?
Oh gosh, I don't know…I've had such a blast working on all this music, so it's really hard to say, and I'm always terrible at picking favorites or ranking things, haha! I'd say maybe "Light Traveling" from the Nature Biome just because I feel like it has a bit of a different sound from the rest of the soundtrack.
It's very guitar heavy, and that was fun to do, but to me, it also feels much more open and spacious than the other tracks. I had been really focused on keeping this "underground" vibe for the music, and I just let it open up more with "Light Traveling". It really feels like you could be going above ground and riding your horse through the plains and forests, exploring the natural world. Maybe that's just what nature does to you? It opens you up.
Is there a biome that you particularly enjoyed crafting the music for?
Are you asking me to pick favorites again? Don't make me do it!! I might say the Nature Biome, for a lot of the same reasons I listed in the last question. It felt good to have that more open, adventurous feeling in the music. It's also been really fun to create the new music for the Sunken Sea biome. It's so hard to choose!!
What challenges have you faced when creating the soundtrack for Core Keeper?
Honestly, I think the biggest challenge was just honing in on the sound at the very beginning of our whole process working together. Sven and the rest of the team have been great to work with and helped me find the sound after experimenting with a few different ideas. Sometimes you can hit on a sound that works right away and, other times, it takes a bit of experimenting and back and forth. It did take me some time to find the right vibe, but once I found it, we were off and running, and it's been pretty smooth sailing since then!
Was there anything you specifically wanted to accomplish with the Sunken Sea tracks? Were you trying to craft a specific sound or invoke a certain feeling when designing them?
I definitely wanted this biome to have a different feel than the others. I wanted something a little more ethereal and mysterious, but obviously it still needed to fit within the soundtrack as a whole. I think you can hear that different mood immediately in the beginning of "Glowing Waters" with those elongated swelling chords.
I also introduce a choral element into both of the tracks, so that becomes a defining trait of the music for this biome. At first, I was looking at using a Theremin to play some of the melodies, but a whistling sample ended up working beautifully, and I really like it as a unique sound for the Sunken Sea. It gives you that mysteriousness of the Theremin without going too sci-fi and over the top.
Core Keeper Tracklist:
#1 Echo of the Past: Main Menu
#2 Curiosity: Intro
#3 Mysteries Uncovered: Dirt Biome 1
#4 Ancient Blue: Dirt Biome 2
#5 Light from Above: Dirt Biome 3
#6 Unlit Caves: Dirt Biome 4
#7 Notes from the Underground: Dirt Biome 5
#8 Uncanny: Clay Caves 1
#9 Creeping & Crawling: Clay Caves 2
#10 Living Walls: Clay Caves 3
#11 Exploring Ruins: Forgotten Ruins 1
#12 Cavelings: Forgotten Ruins 2
#13 Simple Lives: Forgotten Ruins 3
#14 Thriving Habitat: Azeos’ Wilderness 1
#15 My Growing Home: Azeos’ Wilderness 2
#16 Light Traveling: Azeos’ Wilderness 3
#17 Infection: Mold Sub-Biome
#18 Glowing Waters: The Sunken Sea 1
#19 Statues by the Sea: The Sunken Sea 2
#20 Forlorn Metropolis: Forlorn Metropolis Sub-Biome
#21 Colossal Predators: Boss 1
We hope you’re enjoying our soundtrack so far, and we’d love to know which tracks are your favourites! You can let us know by commenting on this post, by tagging us in a post on Twitter, or directly in the official Core Keeper Discord server.
