WarCry Interview: Inon Zur, Composer, L2: Chronicle 5

We recently got a chance to interview Inon Zur, the composer for Lineage II: Chronicle V: Oath of Blood. We can pretty much guarantee you've heard his music, considering his distinguished pedigree. You can check out some samples here, including some of the tracks we talk about in the interview.

WarCry: Tell us about yourself and some of your background, especially in composing for video games. What other games have you worked on?

Inon: I arrived here from Israel in 1990. I studied music at the Grove school of music in LA, and later on continued studying film score at UCLA. I started working as a staff composer at the Fox Family channel. Then in 1997, I composed my first score for video games - Star Trek: Klingon Academy. Since then I've written music for over 30 titles including: Prince of Persia, SOCOM II, Shadow Ops: Red Mercury, Men of Valor, Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal, Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest, Lineage II and many others.

WarCry: I think we'd like to know: What is in your CD player right now? What is your favorite all-time album?

Inon: I love classical music and Jazz. I'm listening to Stravinsky, Brahms, Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis. I also admire John Williams and other film score composers but I'm open to any kind of music and ready to learn new styles and to enrich my musical vocabulary.

WarCry: Do you play games at all? What games do you play, if any?

Inon: I love to play first person shooters, fantasy and sci-fi games. I don't have a lot of time to get deeply into games, but I always enjoy playing the games I'm working on to get an in-depth feel for them.

WarCry: What is your background? How did you get into music and start composing? Is this what you've always wanted to do or is it something you just kind of got into?

Inon: Since I was a child, music always infatuated me. I always listened to different kinds of music over and over again, and then later I would try to play everything I heard. I studied piano from the age of 8 and music theory and composition from the age of 9. I started composing almost immediately and arranged songs for piano. In Israel it is not easy to be a professional musician, and I did my best to study as much as I could there. By the age of 18 I had gained a lot of knowledge in music composition and orchestration, and so I was ready to start a musical career.

[B]WarCry: How did you come to be involved with the music for Lineage 2?[/b]

Inon: I was previously working for Sound Supervisor Mr. An Young Jin and NCsoft on a game called EXTEEL (www.exteel.com), and this is how I initially got connected with this company. I was really excited when Mr. An told me that he wanted me to compose music for Lineage 2. I always liked this game genre, and the more I got into it the more I found how much I liked it! The style of composing fits very well with my style, and I was able to bring to the game a bit of my own musical approach.

WarCry: Can you tell us about the process of composing for a game? Do you play the game? Or do you just write based on descriptions, design docs, etc. that they give you? In other words, how do we get from someone approaching you saying, "We'd like you to do the score for our game" to actually hearing it as players?

Inon: It is unpredictable and varies from one game to another. There are some games that are nearly completed when I start working on them, so I am able to play them before I start composing. Other games are in the early stages of development so only some snapshots and preliminary capture of the gameplay may be available. Sometimes I don't even receive these materials - I just get written descriptions and have to work with them.

WarCry: In your opinion, what makes a good soundtrack for a game? What do you strive to do when you're composing the score within a game? Do you try to blend the music into the background and stay kind of atmospheric or do you want it to stand out and be noticeable?

Inon: A good game score is the one that manages to create the right atmosphere, without too much statement and being noticeable. In some places a memorable theme - the tune that you will whistle after hearing one time - is necessary. In other cases just ambient sound (that will immerse you in the game without telling you - music is here -) is the best approach. As a composer, you have to understand the different types of music and the different roles it plays, and then make the right choice for each scenario. That is the biggest challenge, and it makes all the difference between a score that works and a score that gets in the way of the player.

WarCry: What are your major influences as a composer? What (or who) do you turn to when you need inspiration?

Inon: It varies, and very much depends on the specifics of the project I'm working on. When I'm getting into 'composing mode' for a project I will check my research notes and get an idea from the relevant sources pertaining to that section of the game. It can be folk music, classical, pop or ethnic. As long as it will give me the right tools and inspiration it is doing its job.

WarCry: How is composing for something like Lineage 2 different from composing for some of the other things you've worked on, like movies, TV shows, etc.? Does it hold any special challenges for you? What about working with an orchestra versus working with samples and synthesizers?

Inon: Lineage is a very different project from the previous projects I worked on before. In Lineage the focus of the music is on emotions only, and it is not describing events or location, unlike most other games. It is also very different from movies and TV shows because it is not dependent on picture or timing. The biggest challenge is to describe superlatives like LOVE, LUST, RAGE, and other terms in a musical language. When I first immersed myself in this approach, it was so intriguing and so I fully embraced the challenge. The process was so refreshing, that I really enjoyed every moment working on this game.

WarCry: What would you like to say, in closing, to the fans of Lineage 2 who will be hearing your music?

Inon: I really hope that all of you will be able to experience the intensity and excitement that I had during the composing process. I put my very best into it, and I hope that it will immerse you into the magical world of Lineage, and that you will carry it with you even after you played the game.

We'd like to thank Mr. Zur for talking to us. Make sure and check out our Lineage 2 site for all the news and info on the game!