Black Swan Composer Takes Over Mass Effect 3

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Black Swan Composer Takes Over Mass Effect 3


Composer Clint Mansell, whose credits include Mass Effect 3 [http://www.amazon.com/Black-Swan-Blu-ray-Natalie-Portman/dp/B0041KKYEW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1297361467&sr=8-2].

I've always been a fan of the Mass Effect soundtrack. It's a sweeping blend of the subtle and bombastic, perfectly suited to the epic tale of galactic life and death, with a unique sound that never feels generically orchestral. But it appears that we're going to have a new man on the job for Mass Effect 3: Clint Mansell [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0543739/], an English composer with a long list of movie credits (and one television show) to his name.

"I'm doing a video game this year actually. Mass Effect 3," he said in an interview with Requiem [http://thequietus.com/articles/05670-clint-mansell-interview-black-swan], and kind of re-working old ballet tunes for Black Swan, with something like Mass Effect you're more like a DJ, with all these elements. You've got the holding pattern, then the big explosion where you need the score to kick in. Then you need to take it off on a tangent. You've got all these different elements that change depending on what the player does. You have to figure out an overall symphony, but be able to break it down into component parts. You can bring the pain when required."

Jack Wall, the lead composer on the first two Mass Effect games, confirmed that we won't be taking part in the third. "I have had a great relationship with the folks at BioWare [http://www.bioware.com] having done three games with them. We're all still very good friends, so nothing dramatic," he said. "I think it was just time for a change."

"I'm so proud of the work I've done on the Mass Effect franchise," he continued. "It was just time to move on. I'm working on some very exciting projects and look forward to when I can announce them, but I also very much wish the dev team at BioWare all the best on Mass Effect 3."

It's disappointing that Wall won't be working on the game. I'm sure Mansell is an excellent composer but Wall has an extensive and impressive array of videogames to his credit, including the Myst titles Army of Two [http://www.amazon.com/Myst-3-Exile-Pc/dp/B000056O4Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1297361770&sr=1-2]. He crafted a very distinct tone for the Mass Effect universe and it's hard to imagine the game without it. As the saying goes, Mansell has his work cut out for him.

Mass Effect 3 is scheduled to come out in late 2011 on the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Thanks to Lost in the Void [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/view/Lost+In+The+Void] for the tip.



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lacktheknack

Je suis joined jewels.
Jan 19, 2009
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Note: He also wrote this.

<youtube=e2Ma4BvMUwU>

ME3 is going to have the best music evar.
 

Loonerinoes

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Apr 9, 2009
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Uh oh...hold me tight! :(

I'm sure they wouldn't have hired him if they didn't think he couldn't pull it off. Perhaps there was something specific they sought from Clint's style? Heck...if the Reapers are coming to wreck shit up forever, wouldn't that in itself demand a different style of music for the last game? Ah well...I'm sure it'll turn out to be at least decent. But damn will I miss Jack Wall's work. I hope though that Hulick or the others might stick around though...would be good to have them at least so as to get a few echoes of the first 2 games' music, at least during specific moments.
 

SplashyAxis

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May 1, 2010
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Disappointed Jack Wall isn't doing ME3, the soundtracks to the other 2 games rank among my favourites. However, Clint Mansell is by no means a bad replacement. If there's a composer that can match the subtle and bombastic style of the Mass Effect soundtracks while making it his own, it's Mansell. Colour me excited for this.
 

Velvo

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Jan 25, 2010
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Clint Mansell is one of my most favoritest film composers. I mean, Requiem for a Dream? The Fountain? Moon? MOON!?

Granted, I always thought the music of Mass Effect was superb, but if anyone else can pull it off and conceivably make it better, it's Clint Mansell.
 

Nouw

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Mar 18, 2009
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I disappoint with no Daft Punk >.>

Well this is really good news, Clint Mansell is one of the best composers in the film industry.
 

latenightapplepie

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Nov 9, 2008
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YES!!!!!!

This is so awesome! I love Clint Mansell's work! It's a risky move changing composers this late in a game series, but I think it could really payoff HUGELY.
 

nuqneh1

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Aug 15, 2010
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Clint Mansell wrote the music for Moon, one of the best science fiction films of last decade IMHO. I'm sure he'll do great for Mass Effect 3.
 

BlastedTheWorm

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Jan 26, 2010
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Gah. It just won't be the same without Jack Wall, and that fucking Requiem for a Dream music drives me up the wall.
 

Littaly

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Jun 26, 2008
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Interesting, I've heard a lot of people giving him cred. And the score in Requiem for a Dream was amazing o_O
 
Apr 28, 2008
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If he can make something as soothing as this:


I'll be happy.

ME1 had a nice, soothing, interesting soundtrack. ME2 had more of a generic "action" soundtrack. Hopefully its more like ME1.
 

s_glasgow99

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Jan 8, 2010
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Yes, Jack Wall is amazing, but, and I may be a bit biased here because I'm a HUGE Clint Mansell fan, but I think that giving the score over to someone like him will add a much needed 'theme' to the music. As much as I like Jack Wall, I've found that his music doesn't give much for a melody. If you're not catching my meaning, watch the Extra Credits episode on video game music http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/2019-Videogame-Music
All the great nintendo classics had themes that we could whistle, cause they were forced to play only the melody. Jack's melody's are so hidden I find it hard to remember his scores, not that they aren't amazing, I just can't recall them with the ease I can Clint's. Addictive melody is something that Clint can do to a tee. Check out his scores for Requiem for a Dream, Pi, and The Fountain, (yes, all Aronofsky movies, again, my biases are to blaim) they are all heavily themed and they roll of the ear and push you right into the moment. I'm psyched, that's for sure.
 

Wrds

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Sep 4, 2008
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this isnt my name said:
Oh goody, Mass effect 2 ruined the story and gameplay for me, all I had left to love from ME3 was music and visuals, now the music will be completely different, BW is there anything you wont ruin for me ? Atleast fable ruined everything and kept music and visuals,but here there wont be anything I like soon. I am dissapointed now. A games music is very important to me, it creates an atmosphere and after ME1+2s changing would change the atmosphere, sure I should wait, but I dont like this at all.

lacktheknack said:
Note: He also wrote this.

<youtube=e2Ma4BvMUwU>

ME3 is going to have the best music evar.
Dosent fit in with Mass effect, sure he makes good music, but if the usic do
sent fit then in the game it is bad.
I can't understand how it could have been ruined for you, but whatever. There's no reason to be pessimistic, Clint Mansell is a brilliant composer. He's perfectly capable of doing this. And he seems more than aware of the particular challenges that come with composing for games.
 

Woodsey

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Aug 9, 2009
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What, no mention of Moon's soundtrack?

Escapist, I am disappoint! Love that film's music.
 

Legion

Were it so easy
Oct 2, 2008
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As long as the music is still amazing then all is good.

People are getting themselves all hot and bothered about Mass Effect 3 and it is really quite amusing seeing as we no absolutely nothing about it as of yet.

The other complaint people are making is that Drew Karpyshyn is not working as the lead writer of Mass Effect 3 whereas he was for the first two (he also wrote the three novels).
 

Lordmarkus

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Jun 6, 2009
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lacktheknack said:
Note: He also wrote this.

<youtube=e2Ma4BvMUwU>

ME3 is going to have the best music evar.
Hmm, never seen my hypemeter drop from hundred to zero and up to 120.

Yeah, if he can repeat something like "Requime for a dream" then we're in for one helluva musical ride.