Podcasts by Top Score
Some 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.
Further podcasts by Emily Reese
Podcast on the topic Videospiele
All episodes
Top Score: SonicPicnic and Awesomenauts from 2015-08-20T10:50
The soundtrack for the game 'Awesomenauts' sounds like an alien radio station. The music was created by a group of composers who call themselves SonicPicnic.
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Composer Ryan Ike got his career started at 'Gunpoint' from 2015-08-13T10:50
Composer 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 m...
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Serious music for a casual game from 2015-08-06T10:50
Millions 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 r...
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A musicologist's look at 'Final Fantasy VI' from 2015-07-30T10:50
Ryan 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 musicolog...
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Tom Salta's bold choice for subtle music from 2015-07-23T10:50
The 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 en...
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Top Score says, 'Thank You, Pierce' from 2015-07-22T11:50
Top 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 a...
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What's old-school is new again for Michael Schiciano from 2015-07-16T11:50
Michael 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 techn...
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Do a Barrel Roll create innovative covers of game music from 2015-07-15T11:20
The 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 al...
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Sam Dillard is a one-man music-making machine from 2015-07-09T10:50
Completely 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 ...
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Chris Huelsbeck's career leaps to next stage from 2015-07-02T10:50
The 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...
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John Robert Matz composes for concert band and video games from 2015-06-25T10:50
Chicago-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 distin...
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Leslie Ann Jones is a Jedi of sound engineers from 2015-06-18T10:50
The 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 vid...
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Triforce Quartet: from one recital to working ensemble from 2015-06-11T10:50
What 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 avi...
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Scoring Helsinki and 'The Legend of Grimrock II' from 2015-06-04T10:50
From 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.
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Top Score: Composer Paul Ruskay from 2015-05-28T10:50
On 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 origina...
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San Francisco Conservatory of Music stretches bounds from 2015-05-21T10:50
On 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) pr...
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Composing music in full color from 2015-05-14T10:50
Composer 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 Emil...
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missingNo's jazzy video-game arrangements from 2015-05-07T10:50
Seven-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.
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Penka Kouneva and a composer's 'authentic voice' from 2015-04-30T10:50
Do 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 question...
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Top Score: Brutal honesty brings success on 'Massive Chalice' from 2015-04-23T10:50
Composing 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 poin...
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A sweet and dramatic score for 'Ori and the Blind Forest' from 2015-04-16T10:56:51
After 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.
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Creating powerful and engaging game soundtracks from 2015-04-09T10:50
Composer, 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.
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Heard melodies are sweet for a Grecian game from 2015-04-02T10:50
Composer 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'...
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Top Score: Cris Velasco goes for Baroque from 2015-03-26T10:50
In 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...
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Jeff Ball: from commercial fisherman to composer from 2015-03-19T10:50
The 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 gues...
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Top Score: Composer Billy Martin from 2015-03-12T10:50
Composer 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 diffe...
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Top Score: Peter McConnell and the music for 'Hearthstone' from 2015-03-05T10:50
Composer 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.
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Top Score: Jason Graves and 'The Order: 1886' from 2015-02-26T10:50
To 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...
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Top Score: Composer Winifred Phillips from 2015-02-19T10:50
A 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-minu...
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Top Score: Jason Graves and the 'Evolve' soundtrack from 2015-02-12T10:50
To 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 ...
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Top Score: Composer Peter McConnell, 'Grim Fandango' from 2015-02-05T10:50
When 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-releas...
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Top Score: Jukio 'Kozilek' Kallio and 'LUFTRAUSERS' from 2015-01-29T10:50
Written by Finnish electronic dance music (EDM) composer Jukio 'Kozilek' Kallio, the thumping score to the new game 'Luftrausers' contains both club and cinematic influences.
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Top Score: Composer Ben Prunty and Faster Than Light from 2015-01-22T10:50
For 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 f...
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Top Score: Jesper Kyd and 'Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel' from 2015-01-15T10:50
For 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 T...
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Top Score: Composer Jason Graves from 2015-01-08T10:50
Composer 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.
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Top Score: Composer Silas Hite from 2015-01-01T10:50
It'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 a...
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Top Score's top five game soundtracks of 2014 from 2014-12-23T10:50
Top 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 int...
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Top Score: White Paper Games and NJ Apostol from 2014-12-18T10:50
Indie 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, d...
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Top Score: Composer Trevor Morris from 2014-12-11T10:50
Trevor 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...
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Top Score: the work of composing duo known as The Flight from 2014-12-04T10:50
Composers 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 R...
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Top Score: Inon Zur and 'Fantasia: Music Evolved' from 2014-11-26T10:50
Inon 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'.
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Top Score: Garry Schyman pushes boundaries from 2014-11-20T10:50
Composer 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 lib...
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Top Score: Composer Neal Acree from 2014-11-13T10:50
To 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 ...
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Top Score: a live music romp with NES (Nerd Enhanced Sound) from 2014-11-06T11:18:19
This 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...
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Top Score: Super Marcato Brothers from 2014-10-30T10:50
Karl 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.
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Top Score: Composer Andrew Aversa from 2014-10-23T10:50
Hard-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 ...
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Top Score: Oleksa Lozowchuk's 'Bright Sadness' from 2014-10-16T13:15
A 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 spea...
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Top Score: A composer known as 'Disasterpeace' from 2014-10-09T11:01
Back 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.
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Top Score: Singer Lisbeth Scott's rising note from 2014-10-02T00:01
Several 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 ...
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Laura Intravia is living the video game music lover's dream from 2014-09-23T10:30
Laura 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 vid...
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Top Score: John Broomhall's music for Transport Tycoon from 2014-09-18T00:01
This week on Top Score, Emily Reese interviews composer John Broomhall about the music he created for the game 'Transport Tycoon'.
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Cellist Tina Guo on Top Score from 2014-09-11T00:01
Cellist Tina Guo is best known for shredding on her electric cello. But the lonely, meditative sonority of a video game soundtrack shows the depth of her playable emotion. Cellist Tina Guo discusse...
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Inon Zur and Disney's Fantasia: Music Evolved on Top Score from 2014-09-04T00:01
Nearly 75 years after the film debuted, Disney is bringing 'Fantasia' back in a new game called 'Fantasia: Music Evolved'. Composer Inon Zur wrote original music for the game, and oversaw the re-re...
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Top Score Heads to PAX Prime in Seattle from 2014-08-28T00:01
This weekend, Emily Reese of Top Score hosts two panels at the PAX Prime video game convention in Seattle.
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Top Score: Darren Korb and the gritty sounds of 'Transistor' from 2014-08-27T12:50
Hear Darren Korb (and his new son, Milo) discuss Darren's new soundtrack to the game 'Transistor' on Classical MPR's Top Score.
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Top Score: Robyn Miller and the story of Myst from 2014-08-25T00:01
In 1991, a group of five programmers gathered around a computer. They wanted to create a new kind of game that would tell a new kind of story, pushing technology to its limits. This week, hear the ...
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PAX Prime 2014 Preview on Top Score (Part One) from 2014-08-21T00:01
Imagine yourself in a stadium filled with 70,000 fans. That's how many video game fans travel to Seattle during Labor Day weekend for the PAX Prime video game convention. I'll be there hosting a pa...
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Top Score: Cris Velasco Scores the Western Front from 2014-08-14T00:01
Composer Cris Velasco recently finished music for 'Company of Heroes 3: Western Front Armies'. It marks the third time he's scored a World War II-themed game. This project focuses on the Western Fr...
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Composing for Video Games Summer Camp from 2014-08-07T00:01
Summer camp. The words bring back memories of warm days, making friends ... and alien invasions? That's the case for students of Minneapolis's Composing For Video Games camp. Find out more about th...
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Top Score: Composer Goomin Nam writes music of solitude from 2014-07-24T00:01
South Korean composer Goomin Nam explores the emotions of longing and tranquility in his new soundtrack for the game "Monarch: Heroes of a New Age"
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Christopher Tin's 'The Drop That Contained the Sea' on Top Score from 2014-07-17T07:01
Christopher Tin just finished his second song cycle, 'The Drop That Contained the Sea'. He stopped by Top Score to discuss it.
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Top Score: Game Music Lullabies from 2014-07-10T00:01
When Jayson Napolitano wrote an article about game music to fall asleep to, he had no idea of the volume of response he'd receive. As a result, he created the album, "Game Music Lullabies".
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Top Score: 'The Orchestra' app from 2014-07-03T00:01
A new iPad app from the Philharmonia Orchestra aims to demystify how an orchestra works.
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Top Score: Cris Velasco and 'Enemy Front' from 2014-06-26T00:01
Composer Cris Velasco wrote an unusually introspective score for the World War II-themed game, 'Enemy Front'. He talks about it with Emily Reese on this week's Top Score.
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Jason Graves and Murdered: Soul Suspect on Top Score from 2014-06-12T00:01
What does it sound like to be a ghost? Composer Jason Graves answers that question in his music for the new game, "Murdered: Soul Suspect".
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Jeff Broadbent and Dawngate on Top Score from 2014-06-05T00:01
Composer Jeff Broadbent chose a colorful palette of instruments to reflect the vibrant world in which 'Dawngate' is set.
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Top Score: Composing Music for Trailers from 2014-05-29T00:01
Composer Yoav Goren writes music for trailers for films, video games and television. Learn about the process on Top Score.
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Olivier Deriviere Scores Assassin's Creed IV: Freedom Cry from 2014-05-22T00:01
Composer Olivier Derivière blended his own original music with traditional Haitian music for the score to Assassin's Creed IV: Freedom Cry.
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Curtis Schweitzer and Starbound on Top Score from 2014-05-08T00:01
Composer Curtis Schweitzer wrote unusually long pieces of music for his soundtrack to the game Starbound. He talks to Emily Reese on this week's episode of Top Score.
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Composer Mike Raznick and 'Spate' on Top Score from 2014-05-01T00:01
Composer Mike Raznick used a mix of live performers for the steampunk game, 'Spate'.
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Top Score: PAX East 2014 Recap from 2014-04-24T00:01
Emily Reese, host of Top Score, recently spent a weekend in Boston with 70,000 video game enthusiasts at the PAX East Conference. In this week's episode of Top Score, Emily Reese shares some of her...
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Joel Corelitz and The Unfinished Swan on Top Score from 2014-04-17T00:01
Composer Joel Corelitz just received a BAFTA nomination for his score to The Unfinished Swan . Baroque-inspired sounds accompany the artful tale. Hear our conversation on Top Score from Classical ...
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Top Score: The Sea Shanties of 'Assassin's Creed' from 2014-04-03T00:01
As you sail around the Caribbean on your ship in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, your crew sings sea shanties to pass the time.
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Comparing Baroque Music to Early Video Game Music from 2014-03-27T00:01
Writer Ricky O'Bannon talks about counterpoint in the context of video game music.
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Luc St. Pierre talks 'Thief' on Top Score from 2014-03-20T00:01
Composer Luc St. Pierre wrote a dark and ambient score for "Thief", focusing on the shady personality of the protagonist, Garrett. Emily Reese talks to Luc St. Pierre on this week's Top Score.
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'Video Games Live: Level 3' on Top Score from 2014-03-13T00:01
Video Games Live just released its third studio album. Co-creator of VGL, Tommy Tallarico, talks about the music.
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Christophe Heral and Billy Martin Talk Rayman Legends on Top Score from 2014-03-06T09:20:56
Christophe Heral and Billy Martin collaborated on their second Rayman game: Rayman Legends.
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Dale North's Dragon Fantasy Book II on Top Score from 2014-02-27T00:01
Composer Dale North was inspired by games from the late '80s and early '90s for his score to Dragon Fantasy Book II.
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Ari Pulkkinen and Angry Birds on Top Score from 2014-02-20T00:01
Finnish composer Ari Pulkkinen was already an established composer in the gaming industry when he wrote the theme for Angry Birds.
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Peter McConnell and Broken Age on Top Score from 2014-02-13T00:01
Peter McConnell teamed up with Tim Schafer and Double Fine Studios for a gem of a score for "Broken Age". McConnell talks to Emily Reese on this week's Top Score.
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Dren McDonald's 'The String Arcade' on Top Score from 2014-02-06T00:01
Video game composer Dren McDonald had a great idea to raise money for an after-school music program in California. McDonald is Emily Reese's guest on this week's episode of Top Score.
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Tearaway on Top Score from 2014-01-30T00:01
Composers Kenny Young and Brian D'Oliveira collaborated on music for the game 'Tearaway'. They are Emily Reese's guests on this week's episode of Top Score.
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Brian Min and 'The Cave' on Top Score from 2014-01-23T00:01
When Brian Min wrote music for 'The Cave,' he never meant for that music to stay in the game. We're glad it did.
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Top Score: More Great Video Game Soundtracks from 2013 from 2014-01-09T00:01
There were so many great soundtracks for games in 2013, our Top 5 list was just the tip of the iceberg.
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Top Score: Best Video Game Soundtracks of 2013, Number 1 from 2014-01-02T00:01
Of all the great music to emerge from video games in 2013, one soundtrack comes out on top.
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Top Score: Best Video Game Soundtracks of 2013, Number 2 from 2013-12-26T00:01
Jessica Curry's score for Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs earns the number 2 spot on Top Score's Countdown to the Best Video Game Soundtracks of 2013.
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Top Score: Best Video Game Soundtracks of 2013, Numbers 5&4 from 2013-12-12T00:01
2013 had several outstanding orchestral scores for video games. Over the next four weeks, you'll hear from five of them, starting with number 5.
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Vincent Diamante and Flower on Top Score from 2013-12-05T00:01
It's a game about love, and flowers, and flying, and nature... and there's great music too. Composer Vincent Diamante talks about "Flower" on Top Score.
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Jeremy Soule and Guild Wars 2 on Top Score from 2013-11-14T00:00
This introduction to the music of Guild Wars 2 , written by Jeremy Soule, also illustrates how you can learn about other composers— Edvard Grieg, for instance— from video games.
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Kan Gao and To the Moon on Top Score from 2013-11-07T00:01
The art in To the Moon is deceptively simple. With blocky graphics, it's a lot like an Impressionist painting up close. But as you sit back, the images come alive. Kan Gao's atmosphere score is m...
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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow on Top Score from 2013-10-31T08:14:53
The Castlevania series of games has great music, including the newest in the series, "Lords of Shadow" by Oscar Araujo.
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Halloween Game Music Bundle on Top Score from 2013-10-23T17:41:24
The newest Game Music Bundle features 14 soundtracks from scary games, the perfect music for your Halloween party!
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The Videri String Quartet on Top Score from 2013-10-17T00:00
The Videri String Quartet is a typical string quartet -- with a twist. Although each member of the ensemble is classically trained, the group chooses to exclusively play video game music.
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Lorne Balfe and Beyond: Two Souls on Top Score from 2013-10-10T00:00
Composer Lorne Balfe wrote music for the game Beyond: Two Souls , which just came out on Tuesday. Balfe's music helps to tell the story of the game, centered on a character named Jodie. And the mu...
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Raison Varner and Borderlands 2: Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep on Top Score from 2013-10-03T00:00
In Borderlands 2: Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep , composer Raison Varner had the opportunity to poke a bit of fun at one of the most beloved genres of all media— the fantasy genre.
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Gustavo Santaolalla and The Last of Us on Top Score from 2013-09-19T00:00
Gustavo Santaolalla won back-to-back Oscars in 2006 and 2007, for Brokeback Mountain and Babel, respectively. And those sparse film scores are indicative of Gustavo's use of space in music— ...
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Jack Wall and Lost Planet 3 on Top Score from 2013-09-12T00:00
Composer Jack Wall wrote two quite different soundtracks for Lost Planet 3— one takes the player through the battles and cinematics of Lost Planet, and one takes the main character back to Pl...
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Rob Garner and the Washington Metropolitan Gamer Symphony Orchestra on Top Score from 2013-09-05T00:00
The Washington Metro Gamer Symphony Orchestra is a brand new all-volunteer ensemble devoted entirely to performing orchestral arrangements of video game music.
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James Hannigan and Dead Space 3 on Top Score from 2013-08-29T00:00
Composer James Hannigan wrote music for Dead Space 3 ; an ominous score for a terrifying game.
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James Hannigan and RuneScape 3 on Top Score from 2013-08-22T00:00
British composer James Hannigan has scored just about every type of game imaginable, from the final four 'Harry Potter' games to terrifying 'Dead Space 3'. We talked about his newest project, a big...
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Tim Larkin and DotA 2 on Top Score from 2013-08-15T00:00
Even though it's been out for a month, the game 'DotA 2' is still a work in progress. Composer Tim Larkin started writing music for the game more than two years ago -- and he's not done yet.
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Star Trek: Boldly going where no video game soundtrack has gone before from 2013-08-08T00:00
There are literally dozens of Star Trek games, spun off from the television series that started in 1966, yet no one's ever released a soundtrack from those games... until now.
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Cris Velasco and Company of Heroes 2 on Top Score from 2013-08-01T11:18:25
If you needed to write music that sounded Russian, where would you start? Composer Cris Velasco talks Company of Heroes 2 on Top Score from Classical MPR.
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Tom Salta and Halo: Spartan Assault on Top Score from 2013-07-18T09:30
Halo is back, with a new platform and a new composer dedicated to preserving the iconic sound of the series, Tom Salta.
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Normand Corbeil's Heavy Rain on Top Score from 2013-07-03T12:00
The difficult decisions players must make in Heavy Rain are underscored by a gorgeous soundtrack, written by French-Canadian film composer Normand Corbeil.
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Grant Kirkhope and Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning from 2013-06-13T08:15:45
Composer Grant Kirkhope lets his British roots shine in his score for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.
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Austin Wintory and Monaco: What's Yours is Mine from 2013-05-31T09:31:04
Inspired by music from the era of silent film, Austin Wintory's score for Monaco: What's Yours is Mine features improvisational ragtime piano.
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Olivier Deriviere and Remember Me on Top Score from 2013-05-24T15:00
Paris may be best well-known as the City of Lights, but French composer Olivier Deriviere turns it into a city of memories in the new game Remember Me .
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Lennie Moore and Red Orchestra 2: Rising Storm on Top Score from 2013-05-10T15:30
With so many World War II games on the market, it can be difficult to come up with a unique sound for the score. Lennie Moore talks about his music for Red Orchestra 2: Rising Storm on Top Score.
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Garry Schyman's BioShock Infinite on Top Score from 2013-04-23T14:00
How do I feel about composer Garry Schyman's score to the new BioShock Infinite? Put it on a stage and let me hear it live, over and over... and over... and over...
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Deconstructing "Tomb Raider" with Composer Jason Graves from 2013-04-19T13:30
Composer Jason Graves explains the musical themes he created for "Tomb Raider" on the new episode of Top Score from Classical MPR.
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Kevin Riepl and Aliens: Colonial Marines on Top Score from 2013-04-12T15:30
What happens when a composer writes a great score for a not-so-great game? Kevin Riepl talks about his music for Aliens: Colonial Marines.
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Jeremy Soule Uses Kickstarter to Fund His First Symphony from 2013-04-01T17:30:07
Kickstarter is a website allowing consumers to fund projects, including movies, games, conferences and everything else in between. "Skyrim" composer Jeremy Soule decided to use it to fund writing, ...
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Jim Dooley and Infamous on Top Score from 2013-03-29T10:00
Composer Jim Dooley talks about working on both games in the Infamous series on Top Score from Classical MPR.
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Peter McConnell and Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time on Top Score from 2013-03-14T11:40:14
Peter McConnell and Emily Reese talk Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time on the new episode of Top Score from Classical MPR. Enter for your chance to win a copy of the PlayStation 3 game below!
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Penka Kouneva and A Warrior's Odyssey on Top Score from 2013-02-26T15:00
Composer Penka Kouneva took two months between projects to write her own music, culminating in a CD called A Warrior's Odyssey . Emily Reese spoke with Penka about her music, and coming to the U.S...
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Daniel Licht's Music for "Dishonored" from 2013-02-07T05:00
Steampunk meets Charles Dickens's London in the game Dishonored, scored by composer Daniel Licht.
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Inon Zur and Rift on Top Score from 2013-01-31T00:00
Composer Inon Zur and the new music for Rift: Storm Legion on the latest episode of Top Score from Classical MPR.
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Top Score: The South American Sounds of Papo&Yo from 2012-12-21T14:00
Papo&Yo turned out to be one of the most emotional experiences I've had as a gamer. While I feel as though I say that more and more, it's a trend I wholeheartedly embrace.
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Jesper Kyd and Darksiders II on Top Score from 2012-12-14T13:30
Jesper Kyd explains how he scored the afterlife, light and darkness for Darksiders II on Top Score from Classical MPR.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops II Gets Musical Makeover from Jack Wall from 2012-12-06T16:00
Significant musical moments in Call of Duty: Black Ops II are explained by the soundtrack's composer, Jack Wall, on the newest episode of Top Score from Classical MPR.
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Matt Uelmen, Diablo and Torchlight on Top Score from 2012-11-30T12:00
Matt Uelmen shares his music for Torchlight II on Top Score from Classical MPR.
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Christopher Lennertz on Top Score from 2012-11-19T14:00
Christopher Lennertz is a busy guy, working on multiple television projects like Supernatural and Revolution, in addition to writing music for games like Starhawk and Mass Effect 3. Hear the conver...
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Video Game Music Fan Site OC ReMix on Top Score from 2012-11-15T11:30
David Lloyd launched OCReMix.org in 1999 to create a site for fans to share their interpretations of game music. David and submissions judge Larry Oji joined Top Score for a conversation about fan ...
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Composer Lorne Balfe Chats Skylanders on Top Score from 2012-10-26T11:25
On the new episode of Top Score, Lorne Balfe talks about his music for the new "Skylanders" game, called "Skylanders: Giants."
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Spy Hunter Gets New Soundtrack by Ryan Shore from 2012-10-19T15:15
Composer Ryan Shore Top Score from Classical MPR to discuss his score for a relaunched "Spy Hunter."
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The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses on Top Score from 2012-10-11T15:30
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses is a musical celebration of twenty-five years of Zelda melodies. The new episode of Top Score features a conversation with the producers of the tourin...
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Top Score Giveaway: Calling All Dawns by Christopher Tin from 2012-10-08T13:00
Christopher Tin kindly sent us five signed copies of "Calling All Dawns". Enter today for your chance to win a copy!
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Jessica Curry and Dear Esther on Top Score from 2012-10-03T16:00
Jessica Curry's chamber music score for indie game Dear Esther is a wonderful compliment to stunning visuals and compelling narrative.
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Christopher Tin on Top Score from 2012-09-25T14:00
Composer Christopher Tin is the featured guest on the new episode of Top Score from Classical Minnesota Public Radio.
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The Music of Skyrim on Top Score from 2012-08-08T16:00
A review of some of the best music from Jeremy Soule's soundtrack for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on Top Score from Classical Minnesota Public Radio.
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Darren Korb Talks Bastion on Top Score from 2012-06-08T15:30
Darren Korb created what he calls "acoustic frontier trip-hop" as the soundscape for the game Bastion. Hear Darren and his music on Top Score from Classical MPR.
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Austin Wintory talks about Journey on Top Score from 2012-05-23T14:00
Austin Wintory teamed up with thatgamecompany and Jenova Chen to create a terrific score for the game "Journey"
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The Music of Mass Effect 3 on Top Score from 2012-05-08T14:30
Three of the composers from Mass Effect 3 join Emily Reese for a conversation about their music on the newest episode of Top Score from Classical MPR.
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Richard Jacques on Top Score from 2012-04-10T15:00
Two of my favorite things coincide on the new episode of Top Score: composer Richard Jacques, and LittleBigPlanet.
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Ron Fish Talks Batman on Top Score from 2012-03-09T15:00
Composer Ron Fish joins Top Score to talk about his music for Batman: Arkham City, Batman: Arkham Asylum, the God of War series and Sega Japan's Rise of Nightmares.
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Mass Effect Preview Show on Top Score from 2012-02-23T12:36:45
Mass Effect 3 comes out on March 6th, and Top Score has a preview of two new tracks, and a review of the music from the Mass Effect universe.
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Jesper Kyd at Minnesota Public Radio Headquarters from 2012-01-31T11:44:43
Composer Jesper Kyd visited MPR headquarters in November for Top Score's first live event. Check out the audio and video from the night!
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8- and 16-Bit Music on Top Score from 2012-01-17T14:44:53
Host of The Legacy Music Hour podcast, Brent Weinbach, joins Top Score to talk about his passion for the 8- and 16-bit era of video game music.
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Inon Zur talks about Lord of the Rings: War in the North on Top Score from 2011-12-19T10:27:55
Inon Zur returns to Top Score from Classical MPR to talk about his new score to Lord of the Rings: War in the North. Enter the drawing for a chance to win the Xbox version of Lord of the Rings -- W...
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Jesper Kyd Talks Assassin's Creed on Top Score from 2011-12-07T14:00
Composer Jesper Kyd has written music for all four games in the Assassin's Creed series. Hear him talk about the experience in the new episode of Top Score from Classical MPR.
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Greg Edmonson and Uncharted 3 on Top Score from 2011-11-17T13:31:39
Greg Edmonson talks about his music for the Uncharted trilogy on Top Score from Classical Minnesota Public Radio.
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Brian Tyler Talks Modern Warfare 3 on Top Score from 2011-11-03T15:30
Brian Tyler talks about his score for one of the most anticipated games of the year: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 on the new episode of Top Score from Classical Minnesota Public Radio.
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Bear McCreary on Top Score from 2011-10-19T11:41:25
Composer Bear McCreary is our guest on Top Score this week from Classical MPR. I first became interested in his music through my adoration of the relaunched "Battlestar Galactica" series on SyFy. L...
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Tom Salta on Top Score from 2011-10-05T00:00
Composer Tom Salta applied a multifaceted musical background to create an immersive and highly interactive soundtrack for Eric Chahi's new game, "From Dust."
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Boris Salchow's Music for Resistance 3 on Top Score from 2011-09-20T00:00
The latest installment of Top Score features an interview with Boris Salchow, who composed the score for the recently released sci-fi shooter "Resistance 3."
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Top Score Launches Season 2 with Halo Composer Martin O'Donnell from 2011-09-06T11:46:29
Veteran video game composer Martin O'Donnell talks about writing scores for ten years of Halo on the first episode of season 2 from Top Score on Classical Minnesota Public Radio.
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Top Score: Season 2 Challenge from 2011-08-19T14:42:52
Top Score, our podcast exploring video game music is announcing its second season. But in true game fashion, there's a challenge for you to figure out.
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Top Score: Laura Karpman from 2011-08-03T14:12:52
What does 20th-century American composer Milton Babbitt (1916-2011) have to do with video game music? A lot, as it turns out.
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Heavy Rain on Top Score from 2011-07-14T00:00
The game Heavy Rain was released in 2010 by Quantic Dream. Composer Normand Corbeil wrote the music and is the guest on Top Score from Classical Minnesota Public Radio.
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Red Dead Redemption on Top Score from 2011-06-23T12:21:46
Rockstar Games turned to Bill Elm and Woody Jackson to create the music for "Red Dead Redemption." On this episode of Top Score from Classical MPR, Elm discusses he and Jackson's background in the ...
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Sean Murray, composer for Call of Duty: Black Ops on Top Score from 2011-06-09T13:00
Composer Sean Murray talks about his music for Call of Duty: Black Ops, game 7 in one of the most successful franchises in gaming history. Hear him on Top Score from Classical Minnesota Public Radio.
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BioShock Composer Garry Schyman on Top Score from 2011-05-24T14:35:20
Composer Garry Schyman talks to Top Score about his music for BioShock, BioShock 2 and Dante's Inferno.
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Dead Space Composer Jason Graves on Top Score from 2011-05-10T00:00
Composer Jason Graves created a gorgeous but terrifying score for Dead Space and Dead Space 2. Hear an interview with Jason on Episode 3 of Top Score from Classical MPR.
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Stacking on Top Score from 2011-04-26T15:09:16
Episode Two of Top Score is all about Stacking, a delightful game with a classical soundtrack. Join Emily Reese for a conversation with Game Designer Lee Petty, Audio Director Brian Min and Compose...
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Top Score: Dragon Age II Composer Inon Zur from 2011-04-12T00:00
Award-winning composer Inon Zur writes music for video games like Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II, and the two most recent games in the Fallout series. He talks about his journey and his job on ...
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