Top Score
157 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 8 years ago - ★★★★★ - 76 ratingsSome of the scores for video games are incredibly intricate and deserve recognition, which is why we've created Top Score: a series of podcasts dedicated to the music that accompanies soldiers through battle, sorcerers through forests and aliens through space.
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Episodes
Top Score: SonicPicnic and Awesomenauts
August 20, 2015 15:50 - 23 minutes - 21.5 MBThe soundtrack for the game 'Awesomenauts' sounds like an alien radio station. The music was created by a group of composers who call themselves SonicPicnic.
Composer Ryan Ike got his career started at 'Gunpoint'
August 13, 2015 15:50 - 21 minutes - 19.9 MBComposer Ryan Ike got his first big break in video-game composition by answering an open call for composers on Twitter for a game called 'Gunpoint'. He got the job -- and a BAFTA nomination. Hear more about Ryan Ike on this week's episode of Top Score.
Serious music for a casual game
August 06, 2015 15:50 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBMillions of people around the world play the 'casual' game Candy Crush Soda Saga, but composer Johan Holmstrom took the music very seriously, even recruiting the London Symphony Orchestra for the recording session. Holmstrom is Emily Reese's guest on this week's Top Score.
A musicologist's look at 'Final Fantasy VI'
July 30, 2015 15:50 - 19 minutes - 18.3 MBRyan Thompson is a PhD candidate in musicology at the University of Minnesota, with a special interest in ludomusicology. What is that, you ask? Ludomusicology is a growing field in which musicologists study the impact of music in video games.
Tom Salta's bold choice for subtle music
July 23, 2015 15:50 - 19 minutes - 18.2 MBThe new game 'Spartan Strike' exists in an audio-dominant world. To make sure he could still capture a player's attention, composer Tom Salta decided to record quieter, more subtle cues. He also enlisted the help of the New York Film Chorale and the Macedonian Radio Symphonic Orchestra. Hear more about it on this week's episode of Top Score.
Top Score says, 'Thank You, Pierce'
July 22, 2015 16:50 - 13 minutes - 11.9 MBTop Score says "thank you" to production assistant Pierce Huxtable for one year of great work. Pierce's position was funded by a (non-renewable) grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, an award for which Top Score is forever grateful.
What's old-school is new again for Michael Schiciano
July 16, 2015 16:50 - 19 minutes - 18 MBMichael Schiciano joins Emily Reese on this week's Top Score to talk about old-school and modern approaches to composing. Thanks to the burgeoning mobile market, many composers use old-school techniques to create music for smartphone games.
Do a Barrel Roll create innovative covers of game music
July 15, 2015 16:20 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBThe orchestral-rock video game cover band Do a Barrel Roll stopped by Classical MPR to record a set and to chat with Emily Reese, host of Top Score. 'They played a set and stole my heart -- I've always wanted to say that,' Emily says. Listen to the full session.
Sam Dillard is a one-man music-making machine
July 09, 2015 15:50 - 20 minutes - 18.9 MBCompletely self taught, Sam Dillard not only composes music, but he also performs and records his work. Recently hired by Kinect for its new Harry Potter trailer, Dillard joins Emily Reese on this week's episode of Top Score.
Chris Huelsbeck's career leaps to next stage
July 02, 2015 15:50 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MBThe enduring success of composer Chris Huelsbeck's early works has created a fan following in his native Germany and across the world. His work inspired a 2008 concert series, and more recently, he's crowd-funded a new album of piano works. Learn more about Chris Huelsbeck on this week's Top Score.
John Robert Matz composes for concert band and video games
June 25, 2015 15:50 - 15 minutes - 13.8 MBChicago-based composer John Robert Matz isn't strictly a video-game music creator. He also writes for concert band. On this week's Top Score, Matz talks about these different works and their distinct styles. He also shares some 'sneak peaks' into tracks from the upcoming 'Fossil Echo.'
Leslie Ann Jones is a Jedi of sound engineers
June 18, 2015 15:50 - 15 minutes - 14.2 MBThe director of music recording and scoring at Skywalker Sound, Leslie Ann Jones oversees all sound production in the facilities massive scoring stage. Jones has worked on films, television and video games, and has three Grammys to boot, which she simply calls 'pretty cool'. Hear more about Jones's amazing career on this week's Top Score.
Triforce Quartet: from one recital to working ensemble
June 11, 2015 15:50 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBWhat started out as a one-gig quartet for Chad Schwartz's senior recital has grown into a touring, viable music group. All four members of Triforce Quartet are classically trained musicians and avid gamers. Schwartz talks to Top Score host Emily Reese about the chamber-music group.
Scoring Helsinki and 'The Legend of Grimrock II'
June 04, 2015 15:50 - 22 minutes - 20.3 MBFrom a small studio in Finland, the men of Scoring Helsinki have created a big sound for the dungeon-crawling game, 'The Legend of Grimrock II'. Hear all about it on this week's episode of Top Score.
Top Score: Composer Paul Ruskay
May 28, 2015 15:50 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBOn this week's Top Score, Emily Reese talks with composer Paul Ruskay, who created the soundtrack for 'Homeworld Remastered'. He explains how he brought the soundtrack back to life from its original version, composed 15 years ago.
San Francisco Conservatory of Music stretches bounds
May 21, 2015 15:50 - 21 minutes - 19.4 MBOn a recent trip to the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, Emily stopped by the San Francisco Conservatory of Music to learn more about the new Technology and Applied Composition (TAC) program. Learn about and hear performances from the SFCM on this week's Top Score.
Composing music in full color
May 14, 2015 15:50 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MBComposer Daniel Sadowski possesses that rare ability to see music in color, so when he was asked to compose music for the vivid game 'Stormthrone', it was a dream come true. Daniel Sadowski is Emily Reese's guest on this week's Top Score.
missingNo's jazzy video-game arrangements
May 07, 2015 15:50 - 19 minutes - 18 MBSeven-piece jazz ensemble missingNo arrange video game music into complex, catchy jazz and funk-infused pieces. They are Emily Reese's guests on this week's Top Score.
Penka Kouneva and a composer's 'authentic voice'
April 30, 2015 15:50 - 17 minutes - 15.7 MBDo men and women compose differently? Is there such thing as 'masculine' or 'feminine' music? Is defining music that way inherently sexist? This week's episode of Top Score asks some tough questions with composer Penka Kouneva.
Top Score: Brutal honesty brings success on 'Massive Chalice'
April 23, 2015 15:50 - 19 minutes - 17.8 MBComposing duo Brian Trifon and Brian Lee White (aka Finishing Move) met with Top Score host Emily Reese to discuss the game Massive Chalice and the challenges it posed to them. They also share pointers for other collaborative composers.
A sweet and dramatic score for 'Ori and the Blind Forest'
April 16, 2015 15:56 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MBAfter four years of soundtrack development, the score for the game 'Ori and the Blind Forest' rested on one composer's ability to unite new musicians and seasoned score professionals.
Creating powerful and engaging game soundtracks
April 09, 2015 15:50 - 19 minutes - 18.2 MBComposer, audio engineer and voice actor Alexander Brandon joins Emily Reese on this week's Top Score to talk about creating soundtracks that support the various atmospheres of video games.
Heard melodies are sweet for a Grecian game
April 02, 2015 15:50 - 21 minutes - 19.4 MBComposer Marios Aristopoulos has scored the video game, 'Apotheon', a game set in ancient Greece that combines Grecian art styles and 2D platform gameplay. Marios spoke to Emily Reese on this week's Top Score.
Top Score: Cris Velasco goes for Baroque
March 26, 2015 15:50 - 21 minutes - 19.6 MBIn creating the soundtrack for 'Assassin's Creed Unity: Dead Kings', composer Cris Velasco used traditional sounds, including arpeggios, counterpoint and harpsichord to create music to fit the game's 18th-century setting.
Jeff Ball: from commercial fisherman to composer
March 19, 2015 15:50 - 23 minutes - 21.4 MBThe California-based composer and violinist has spent significant time living and working in Alaska. He still draws inspiration from the beauty and solitude of the North. Jeff is Emily Reese's guest on this week's Top Score.
Top Score: Composer Billy Martin
March 12, 2015 15:50 - 20 minutes - 18.5 MBComposer Billy Martin is known for writing soundtracks with comedic and with jazz elements. This week on Top Score, Emily Reese talks to Martin about his work, and we hear samples of two very different soundtracks.
Top Score: Peter McConnell and the music for 'Hearthstone'
March 05, 2015 16:50 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MBComposer Peter McConnell felt pressure to write great music for the game 'Hearthstone', which was projected to be a big seller. McConnell is Emily Reese's guest on this week's Top Score.
Top Score: Jason Graves and 'The Order: 1886'
February 26, 2015 16:50 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MBTo compose the music for 'The Order: 1886', Jason Graves removed instruments that don't carry a heavy sound. Violins and high woodwinds were thrown out, and violas and cellos doubled up. Learn more about it on this week's episode of Top Score.
Top Score: Composer Winifred Phillips
February 19, 2015 16:50 - 20 minutes - 18.4 MBA highly versatile composer, Winifred Phillips has created music for the ever-adorable 'LittleBigPlanet 3' and for the brutal 'Assassin's Creed III: Liberation'. She recently pulled off a five-minute fugue for 'The Ziggurat', voicing 12 vocal parts herself. Phillips is Emily Reese's guest on this week's Top Score.
Top Score: Jason Graves and the 'Evolve' soundtrack
February 12, 2015 16:50 - 26 minutes - 24 MBTo create a reactive soundtrack for the five simultaneous players of 'Evolve', composer Jason Graves created hundreds of short pieces of music. And he used some creative instrumentation to get the desired results. Jason Graves is Emily Reese's guest on this week's Top Score.
Top Score: Composer Peter McConnell, 'Grim Fandango'
February 05, 2015 16:50 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBWhen composer Peter McConnell finished scoring the video game 'Grim Fandango' 1998, he asked people living in his neighborhood to be the instrumentalists. For this year's 'Grim Fandango' re-release, McConnell recruited the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Composer Peter McConnell is the guest on this week's Top Score.
Top Score: Jukio 'Kozilek' Kallio and 'LUFTRAUSERS'
January 29, 2015 16:50 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MBWritten by Finnish electronic dance music (EDM) composer Jukio 'Kozilek' Kallio, the thumping score to the new game 'Luftrausers' contains both club and cinematic influences.
Top Score: Composer Ben Prunty and Faster Than Light
January 22, 2015 16:50 - 23 minutes - 21.7 MBFor composer Ben Prunty, the glamour of scoring video games did not come without effort. While working alternately as a janitor, Google diagnostician and volunteer coordinator, he received a call from the developers of the new game, Faster Than Light (FTL). They asked for a score, and Ben's life changed forever. Ben is Emily Reese's guest on this week's Top Score.
Top Score: Jesper Kyd and 'Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel'
January 15, 2015 16:50 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MBFor the latest 'Borderlands' release, the game's developers wanted a new sound. Their instruction to composer Jesper Kyd was simple: Bring back the '80s. Kyd is Emily Reese's guest on this week's Top Score.
Top Score: Composer Jason Graves
January 08, 2015 16:50 - 26 minutes - 24.4 MBComposer Jason Graves talks about his score for 'Tomb Raider' and about writing memorable music for video games. Hear it on this week's episode of Top Score.
Top Score: Composer Silas Hite
January 01, 2015 16:50 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBIt's possible to turn on your TV and find a show scored by Silas. The commercial break could then include his work. If you want a movie, there are more than 14 that include his music. Video games afterward? Silas still has you covered. Composer Silas Hite is the guest on this week's Top Score.
Top Score's top five game soundtracks of 2014
December 23, 2014 16:50 - 13 minutes - 12.4 MBTop Score, which is part of the Infinite Guest podcast network, is counting down the best game soundtracks of 2014. A score's creativity, ingenuity, execution, and implementation were all taken into account.
Top Score: White Paper Games and NJ Apostol
December 18, 2014 16:50 - 30 minutes - 27.8 MBIndie game developers White Paper Games took on a seemingly impossible project for an untested, six-member team. They wanted to create a free-roaming, first-person puzzle game set in the surreal, disjointed mind of a woman with dementia. This project presented White Paper Games's composer, NJ Apostol, with a tremendous challenge -- and his score rose to the occasion.
Top Score: Composer Trevor Morris
December 11, 2014 16:50 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBTrevor Morris received his first commission at 13 years old, when he wrote a song for the Pope. Now, Morris's commissions are for the 'Dragon Age' video games. Morris is Emily Reese's guest on this week's Top Score.
Top Score: the work of composing duo known as The Flight
December 04, 2014 16:50 - 37 minutes - 33.9 MBComposers Joe Henson and Alexis Smith form a composing duo called The Flight. They've been working together on music for more than 20 years, including video games. Henson and Smith speak to Emily Reese on this week's episode of Top Score.
Top Score: Inon Zur and 'Fantasia: Music Evolved'
November 26, 2014 16:50 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MBInon Zur remembers his very first viewing of Disney's Fantasia as a small child. Now he's come full-circle, working on the soundtrack to Disney's new video game, 'Fantasia: Music Evolved'.
Top Score: Garry Schyman pushes boundaries
November 20, 2014 16:50 - 20 minutes - 46.4 MBComposer Garry Schyman always seems to be pushing the bounds of video game music. With help from the Seattle Symphony and the amazing acoustics of the Bastyr chapel, Schyman takes some creative liberties with his 'Shadow of Mordor' game soundtrack.
Top Score: Composer Neal Acree
November 13, 2014 16:50 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MBTo call Neal Acree's fan base "passionate" would be a gross understatement. As a contributing composer for World of Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo III, Video Games Live, and the Stargate series, some of his listeners seem to live and breathe their respective media.
Top Score: a live music romp with NES (Nerd Enhanced Sound)
November 06, 2014 17:18 - 19 minutes - 18.3 MBThis episode features a nerd-filled interview and some truly lovely live-recorded video game music. From Marble Madness to early Metroid to a rocking series of solos in Dr. Mario, we hope you enjoy our time with NES.
Top Score: Super Marcato Brothers
October 30, 2014 15:50 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MBKarl and Will Brueggemann, known as the Super Marcato Brothers, live and breathe retro video games. They compose original and game-inspired music, often playing a number of instruments in the tracks.
Top Score: Composer Andrew Aversa
October 23, 2014 15:50 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MBHard-working composer Andrew Aversa shares his various experiences writing music for video games, and he also invites aspiring composers to get in touch with him for feedback and advice. Listen to the interview with this busy -- and very nice -- composer.
Top Score: Oleksa Lozowchuk's 'Bright Sadness'
October 16, 2014 18:15 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBA fascinating man with a deeply genuine love of music, Oleksa Lozowchuk is best known in the video-game world for scoring the humorous and addicting 'Dead Rising 3'. This week on Top Score, he speaks to Emily Reese about his album 'Bright Sadness' and about his many musical influences and interests.
Top Score: A composer known as 'Disasterpeace'
October 09, 2014 16:01 - 25 minutes - 23 MBBack in 2012, video game media outlets were ablaze with news about FEZ . This press helped launch the career of the game's composer, a then-relatively unknown Rich 'Disasterpeace' Vreeland.
Top Score: Singer Lisbeth Scott's rising note
October 02, 2014 05:01 - 23 minutes - 21.2 MBSeveral years ago, a five-minute conversation took Lisbeth Scott from being a part-time singer and musician in a dance studio to performing in a soundtrack for Hans Zimmer, a titan of the industry ... and she didn't know who he was at the time. She only went up from there.
Laura Intravia is living the video game music lover's dream
September 23, 2014 15:30 - 24 minutes - 22.7 MBLaura Intravia's life is something out of a video game music lover's dream. Carving her path by transcribing scores and performing in costume, Intravia is making an indelible impression on the video game music circuit.