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Waypoint Radio

Bonus Pod: A Conversation with BattleTech Composer Jon Everist

Waypoint Radio

VICE

Leisure, Video Game Development, Television, Rewatch, Replay, Tv & Film, Video Games, Games, Movies, Video Game Culture

4.62.1K Ratings

🗓️ 25 April 2018

⏱️ 51 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

You may have noticed that we've been digging BattleTech around here. Between Rob Zacny's review earlier today and last Friday's livestream, giant robots have very clearly been very much on our minds. You'll be able to hear more of my thoughts on the game on Friday's episode of Waypoint Radio, which features Rob Zacny and I doing a huge deep dive into the game. Suffice to say, I love it.


Which is why I jumped at the chance to chat with the game's composer, Jon Everist, and to exclusively feature the above behind-the-scenes look at his process for composing and recording the game's incredible score. In the past, the games of the BattleTech universe (titles like MechAssault and MechWarrior 2) relied on wailing metal guitars to sell a the fantasy of the mech piloting. But in ​BattleTech​, Everist offers a breadth of musical language to communicate a sense of triumph, hardship, and adventure. The game sounds sparse in some moments, with analog synths and distorted strings providing nearly-ambient backing to your life as a mercenary. And in other moments, when the galactic politicking comes to a hard point, the orchestra swells to support the weight of the moment. 


When you're done listening, go read Rob's review right here, check out our exclusive behind-the-scenes video here, and check out the soundtrack over at Jon Everist's Bandcamp or on Spotify.



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Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:29.4

time supply.

0:59.4

I'm talking with John Everest, who is the composer of the recently released Battle Tech

1:06.2

by Hairbrain Schemes.

1:07.9

And John has been a composer on a number of other games for Hairbrain Schemes,

1:11.7

including Shadowrun Hong Kong, Necropolis, and some other stuff too.

1:17.4

John?

1:18.4

Those are the main ones.

1:20.8

I did some music for Shadowrun Dragonfall as well.

1:23.6

Right, okay, great, which also has some great music and is a great game.

1:26.9

Welcome to the show.

1:28.5

Yeah, thanks for having me, I really appreciate it.

...

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