Behind the Scenes: Music

While I won’t pretend Now & Then isn’t some kind of multi-media experience, during the early development, I did want to have a soundtrack that really nailed the game’s overall mood. As my own favorites for videogame soundtracks included the likes of Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill), Shoji Meguro (Persona/SMT), and Keiichi Okabe (Nier), and I've played my fair share of horror games, I felt I had some idea of what I was looking for.

When looking into potential music choices, I definitely wanted to tap into songs that evoked the same kind of dread as found in other, similar titles. While I would have loved to used licensed music, including some of the bleaker industrial acts (The Body, Neurosis, and Godflesh come to mind), having gone through the effort and cost of licensing song lyrics for another project, I knew that wasn’t feasible or affordable. So, I dug around sites like Freesound.org and the Free Music Archive for tracks that felt similar to games like Silent Hill, I Am Alive, and The Last of Us, among others. Maybe even a little Resident Evil for good measure.

Fun fact: The original 0.01.0 build didn’t even have music up until a few days before it was released. I basically had to rush to get a couple tracks together.

Note: All audio is covered under Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0 or 4.0.

Main themes: These are employed as background for many of the interior shots, especially when I need an unobtrusive song playing as more important things happen on screen.

"Expressions of the mind (Piano loop)" by ShadyDave: Main theme for the apartment. You’ll notice that, except for Jack’s return visit, this track doesn’t get used past Chapter Eight.

"Snowfall final" by ShadyDave: The main menu theme for Now & Then.

"Elementary Wave 7" by Erokia and "Sad heaven piano #3" by PSOVOD: These two serve as the themes for chapters set at the school. 

Horror themes: This lot features tracks used when the story goes outside, even when there isn't any action. A lot of these songs are used purely because they remind me of Yamaoka’s work.

"horror ambience 10" by klankbeeld: Default exterior theme.

"Soulagement" by Demoiselle Döner*: A secondary track with more of a folky guitar feel. Probably as close to the Silent Hill Theme as I was ever going to get.

"Horror Chase Sequence 02" by SamiHil: For when there's action on screen, be it bandit or infected. 

"Creepy dream call" by lavik89: First used when Jack has a nightmare, but it's been used for a few other scenes as well.

THEN themes: When the story shifts to moments of Jack’s and Carol’s past, these songs serve as main motifs.

"Everyone" by Loyalty Freak Music

"Folk Guitar Music Track" by Dvideoguy

Sexy themes: Is the action getting hot on screen? These tracks are used during the more intimate sequences.

"Does That Turn You On?" by Lemon: A saucy number used when I want to have a little tongue-in-cheek sexiness. This always reminded me of White Zombie and Rob Zombie's love of pulpy horror flicks. Not really ever used for more serious moments.

"Silk And Sweat" by Thybbuk

"Vuluke Khall (Instrumental Version)" by DJ Bootsie

"Cherry" by Nctrnm

Others: Most of these are used sparingly and only to break up the monotony of using the main themes repeatedly. 

"Lophophora Williamsii" by Eldad Tsabary: A calm little guitar and flute number that I've used a couple times, usually in place of the main themes, just for some additional variety.

"Gloria" by Pearls of Joy

"Minimal electronic grove _Techno loop track" by frankum: Used almost exclusively for the women's wear store. Mostly as a goof on the kind of music that usually places in those types of establishments.

"Gear infinite 010 - electronic loop mode" by frankum

"Homeroad" and "October" by Kai Engel: Along with "Sunken Streets" (below), these tunes work as themes used at night, when the cast is trying to relax.

"Sunken Streets" by Sro

Holiday or one-offs: Songs put into the game for the Holiday Specials or used for one single moment in the story.

"Hundred Years in Helheim" by Tri-Tachyon: A metal track employed during the Halloween special. I used it specifically to show Jack with a “drive angry” mentality as he hauled ass across town.

"Holiday Gift" by Kai Engel

"Christmas Lights" by TRG Banks

"In the Driving Wheel" by Punk Rock Opera: This track is used at the end of Chapter Eight as our cast is driving away from the apartment complex. It's the only track with vocals and was employed to deliver an emotional punch to the end of the Part One. 

Thanks for your support and interest,

- Kinderfeld