Saros’ composer details the use of metal and vocal distortion in the game’s soundtrack By Maria
5 min read
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UK musician Sam Slater has opened up behind the scenes about the musical conception of the highly anticipated title Saros. The official album of the project developed by Housemarque, a studio known for dense atmospheres, was released on digital platforms on May 22nd. The work relies on an intense fusion of dark synthesizers, heavy metal aspects and vocal distortions to bring to life the oppressive environment of the planet Carcosa.
With a history of awards in the entertainment industry, the artist faced the challenge as a true sonic enigma. The main goal was to translate into audio the identity of a world constantly haunted by the Eclipse phenomenon. To achieve this goal, the final production mixes real acoustic recordings with electronic beats of extreme technical quality.
First steps focused on the identity of the virtual universe
The project kicked off during meetings with Greg Louden, the developer’s creative leader. The mutual affinity for the heavy musical genre made it easier for the team to come together. This common taste served as the basis for defining exactly what the adventure would be like.
During the preliminary stages, the professionals shared several song selections to establish a guideline. The intention was to create a unique auditory dialect for a setting that only existed on paper. The Brit’s working method always prioritizes understanding the fictional ecosystem before writing any notes on the pentagram.
Conceptual arts served as a compass for the initial production drafts. The developers rigorously evaluated whether the noises matched the visual aesthetics proposed for the work. Over time, this experimentation turned into a complex audio system that needed to respond perfectly to control commands.
The person responsible for the tracks preferred not to separate the orchestrated track from the traditional sound effects. In the producer’s view, all the noises are part of a large living organism within the software. Frequent meetings between the sound departments ensured that moments of silence and explosions occurred at exactly the right times.
Characteristics of the scenarios dictated the rhythm of the compositions
The different explorable areas received an exclusive acoustic look. In the region known as Ancient Depths, the base melody uses ceramic beats to imitate the echo of underground rocks. The reverberation effect gradually decreases, giving the user the feeling of falling into an endless abyss.
The moment the game’s catastrophic event comes into action, metal drums synchronize perfectly with the scene’s noises. The distance between the protagonist and enemy machinery dynamically modifies the way the song mixes with ambient noises.
For the Desecrated Fortress area, avant-garde singer Rully Shabara performed recordings using a steel plate suspended in the studio. This unusual configuration caused unpredictable distortions whenever he raised his voice. The end product of this technique converted human wails into disturbing alien noises.
This unconventional recording style permeates the entire user experience. The only part of the work that maintains traces of purity and human warmth is linked to the memories that the protagonist Arjun keeps of the character Nitya.
Prominent music emerged to represent emotional bonds
The song titled Sun is Forever was initially conceived to convey the presence of Nitya, a crucial figure, but physically absent in most of the plot. The musician avoided seductive clichés in his vocal interpretation. Instead, he sought to imprint a tone of welcome and protection in the sung notes.
The composition transmits a very delicate aura of enigma to the ears. The sudden introduction of electric guitars provides a jolt of adrenaline to the listener. These heavy instruments symbolize precisely the arrival of the disaster that destroys the peace of the moment.
The clash of feelings such as passion, nostalgia, hatred and decadence dictates the tempo of the melody. The artist sees this emotional rollercoaster as the heart of the plot and all studio work. The main character is only able to assume the role of savior because he carries darkness within him.
The cosmic anomaly functions as a metaphor for destruction and excess stimulation. The peaceful aspects of the planet have crystal clarity, but end up being crushed and distorted as the catastrophe advances across the map.
Audio distortion creates the identity of the catastrophic event
The producer applied saturation pedals to illustrate the violence of the spatial phenomenon. This technical feature forces the audio signal to exceed the maximum capacity of the equipment, generating a torn and aggressive sound.
An additional trick used was changing the tuning of the songs by exactly six semitones. The rhythmic structure remains the same, but the notes sound completely outside the original pattern. The player’s mind identifies the song, but immediately realizes that there is a bizarre glitch happening.
This studio manipulation creates psychological distress without the audience realizing the mathematical trick behind it. Those with control in their hands only feel the sadness and anguish of walking through a place that has been devastated.
Boss battles concentrate the essence of each phase
The paths of the most difficult confrontations respect the atmosphere of each territory, whether in the peaceful state or during the anomaly. These tracks function as the culmination of all the sound engineering designed for that part of the map.
Simultaneously, these compositions require an exciting and direct beat to maintain the action. The Brit highlights that finding the perfect rhythm creates a trance-like state, benefiting both whoever writes the music and whoever tries to defeat the monster on screen.
Several fans of the franchise have already confirmed this deep immersion during the epic clashes. The fact of dying and trying again makes the musical message stick in the user’s head until the moment of triumph.
- The track Sun is Forever acts as the sentimental pillar of the narrative.
- The Ancient Depths level plays with echoes to simulate an abyss.
- The Desecrated Fortress area uses metal plates to corrupt human screams.
- The spatial phenomenon triggers drums that interact with the noises in the scene.
- Saturation of equipment and change in tone represent the degradation of the world.
Ultimate goal is to have a psychological impact after the game ends
The artist draws a parallel between finishing the campaign and leaving a dark movie theater after an excellent feature film. The immersion in the digital universe has to be so deep that returning to real life must generate slight disorientation.
The developers at Housemarque, a studio that is part of the PlayStation umbrella, worked hard to synchronize the script, mechanics, score, effects and voice acting. The musician hopes that the gaming community will be able to notice and appreciate this complex optical and audio illusion.
The full album can now be accessed on the main music apps. The launch serves as an invitation for fans to continue exploring the mysteries of the alien planet through headphones, away from the television screen.
