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Everybody's Gone to the Rapture: writing a score for the end of the world. Silence is rare in Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture – which is strange because everybody is dead.

Everybody's Gone to the Rapture: writing a score for the end of the world

This elegiac adventure game, set in a rural area of Shropshire, imagines the end of humanity coming, not as a nuclear bang, but as a soft, almost seductive whimper. The player finds themselves in an abandoned village shortly after a devastating event of some kind, and by exploring the buildings, pathways and woodlands, must try to piece together what has happened. With no characters around (except for a few sequences in which their ghosts seem to appear as holographic visions telling portions of the backstory), Rapture relies very heavily on environmental sound and music. Everybody's Gone to the Rapture - The Music of the Apocalypse. Episode 25 - Composer/Studio Head Jessica Curry from The Chinese Room by Bleeps 'n' Bloops. Spotlight on: Jessica Curry – Part. I.

Who is Jessica Curry?

Spotlight on: Jessica Curry – Part. I

Okay, that’s an easy one. Jessica Curry is, of course, the infectiously cheerful, award winning composer currently heading up Brighton-based developer The Chinese Room with her husband, Dan Pinchbeck. Between them the dynamic duo have brought new meaning to the words “indie success”, entering the industry on little more than a whim before going on to create two critically adored titles in the form of Dear Esther and Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs.

If none of this is ringing a bell right now, I’d be willing to bet you my favourite jumper-tie combo that by the end of 2015 you’ll know exactly who I’m talking about. Interview with Composer, Jessica Curry. The Sound Architect had the pleasure of catching up with composer, Jessica Curry.

Interview with Composer, Jessica Curry

Jessica is a BAFTA-nominated composer and Co-Director of The Chinese Room. She spends much of her time writing music that makes people cry. IGM Composer’s Corner – Jessica Curry (The Chinese Room) It’s apparently music month at IGM (it’s almost like somebody planned that…) so we’re continuing on with our Composer’s Corner segment, featuring some of the latest and greatest musical talents in the gaming world.

IGM Composer’s Corner – Jessica Curry (The Chinese Room)

This interview is one I’m especially excited to share with you, just because I’m admittedly such a fan. I think by the time you’ve finished reading – and listening! – you will be too. Quite truthfully, even if you’ve only been half paying attention to the indie scene, tonight’s guest truly needs no introduction. Sound, Space, and Play: an interview with Jessica Curry « Evening of Light. Making Notes: Starting Out As A Composer. Tips for budding composers by Jessica Curry aged 40 and a half - The Chinese Room. By Jessica Curry Tips for budding composers by Jessica Curry aged 40 and a half Hello hello, I get lots of emails from up and coming composers who ask me how to get started in the games industry.

Tips for budding composers by Jessica Curry aged 40 and a half - The Chinese Room

I thought I’d collate the rambling advice that I bombard them with and hopefully these tips will serve as a useful starting point for emerging talent. So… Find people whose work you love and get in touch with them. People don’t owe you a living. Try to be focused – I ended up doing lots of work because I thought I needed it on my CV- they weren’t always commissions that I would have chosen to do. If you’re into experimental stuff then find collaborators and apply to places like The Arts Council but start small- they like to give small grants and then if you prove yourself then they tend to give you a larger grant the next time round.

Keep applications/requests short and to the point. Be passionate. Jessica Curry and 'Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs' on Top Score. September 26, 2013 Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this audio onto your web page.

Jessica Curry and 'Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs' on Top Score

Audio player code: ST. PAUL, Minn. — "I think the Victorian era was so fertile for me as a composer to take as an inspiration," says composer Jessica Curry. "(...)I find the world overwhelming, frustrating, bizarre, hilarious, soul-destroying, joyful, ridiculous, wonderful and painful but never, ever dull!(...)" The beginning of last year marked the release of Dear Esther, an unusual title which attempts to change the way video game plots are told.

"(...)I find the world overwhelming, frustrating, bizarre, hilarious, soul-destroying, joyful, ridiculous, wonderful and painful but never, ever dull!(...)"

The game has garnered a positive response from both critics and gamers, who were given an uniquely presented story coupled with a deeply moving soundtrack. In my personal opinion, Jessica Curry, the author of the game's music, has composed one of the most original soundtracks this decade. I invite you all to read my interview with her, where, in the process of discussing Dear Esther's music, she has shown herself to be a very open, honest and kind person. GameMusic.net: Writing the score for Dear Esther must have been an unique experience for you.

Interview with Jessica Curry (May 2012) Jessica Curry is a composer, sound artist and co-director of British game studio thechineseroom.

Interview with Jessica Curry (May 2012)

With a background in scoring films and multi-media projects, Curry's first game score was written for award-winning independent game Dear Esther. Curry has also worked on thechineseroom's other games including Korsakovia and the upcoming titles A Machine for Pigs and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture. In this detailed interview, Curry gives insight into her musical background and her close collaboration with thechineseroom's lead designer Dan Pinchbeck. She discusses her approach to scoring Dear Esther and Korsakovia, reveals the challenges and rewards of creating music and sound effects for games, and gives an insight into her upcoming soundtracks. Interview Credits. Composer interview: Jessica Curry ('Dear Esther') Jessica Curry’s score for Dear Esther is one of the most affecting and important game soundtracks I’ve heard in a long time (read my full review here).

Composer interview: Jessica Curry ('Dear Esther')

Although she has been inundated with positive attention thanks to the recent successful release of the game, she graciously responded to some questions via email. Curry lives and works in the UK. On your website, you write “There is a pastoral melancholy to my pieces and an emotional current that unashamedly speaks of the human condition, romanticism and an attempt to capture a timeless longing. I aim to create beautiful, powerful and provocative music that has a profound effect on the audience- where the music creates the sense of place and evokes unexpected emotional responses.”

This certainly is an apt description of Dear Esther. Thank you. How much are you personally inspired by or connected to real world places like the Hebrides or other natural settings? How familiar are you with more “mainstream” games and their scores? Subtle Sounds: Jessica Curry’s Compositions For Dear Esther. Photo by Chryssa Panoussiadou With the imminent commercial release of Dear Esther I thought it’s about time we wrote about its composer Jessica Curry and why her game compositions are so effective in comparison to the more conventional competition.

Subtle Sounds: Jessica Curry’s Compositions For Dear Esther

Music in games is normally grandiose, fully orchestrated, and primarily inspired by the likes of James Newton Howard and John Williams. It’s understandable, a lot of the big budget games are emulating the big blockbuster films, so aiming to capture that experience designers take the music as well as the character archetypes and silly plots. Jake’s already written about the grand video game soundtracks in the past, so I’ll try not to cover the same ground. It was whilst playing the original Dear Esther that I first heard Curry’s music; its lonely – often solo – instruments, its measured pace, and simple repeating constructions, made it stand out as something special.

The Weblog Q&A: Jessica Curry's Dear Esther Soundtrack. A running theme of composer Jessica Curry's visual media projects is the experience of a hidden story being uncovered. One such hidden story is the self-contradictory narrative of Dear Esther. Writer Dan Pinchbeck of Thechineseroom and artist Robert Briscoe have described the game's plotline as intentionally mysterious. Jessica Curry and Dear Esther on Top Score. October 3, 2012 Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this audio onto your web page.

Audio player code: St. Jessica Curry: “It’s a really exciting time for videogame composition” Who is Jessica Curry? Jessica Curry is a very shy composer who loves to make music but who doesn’t like coming out from behind the curtain. Making music saves her from madness and she’s very grateful to have found the thing that keeps her sane. Jessica Curry is also a mum and this is the only other important thing that you need to know about her. Wich were the first videogames you played?