First of all, tell us a little bit about your journey as a musician and how you came about on working with Rogue Factor on Hell is Us?
I started learning music at a fairly young age. I was fortunate to attend a school specialized in classical music, where we learned ensemble music, singing, piano, violin, and more. We were later given the choice to continue with either the violin or the piano. I chose the piano at that time. I continued taking lessons until the end of high school. Meanwhile, I played drums in a few small music groups.
It was only a bit later that I joined the band Unexpect, where I initially played drums, but eventually returned to piano and keyboard, which is my main instrument. The band grew in popularity, allowing us to go on several international tours.
It was during those times that I met Yves Bordeleau (CEO of Rogue Factor), as we performed together with our respective bands. He already had a video game company back then, and since I enjoyed composing that kind of music at home for fun, I eventually ended up working for him. I left Unexpect after a great tour with Dream Theater in 2009, which allowed me to fully focus on composing video game soundtracks.
Hell is Us deals with some dark themes as the country of Hadea is in a middle of a vicious civil war. Also, extreme emotions like rage, grief, terror and ecstasy are intertwined in the game’s lore. What is your process to translate these themes and settings into music?
I did a lot of sound research for Hell is Us. My goal was to find very specific sonic textures to make the player feel tension and oppression during exploration, without necessarily falling into pure horror. All of this was blended with mystery and intrigue to highlight the investigative aspect of the game.
I allowed myself quite a bit of freedom when it came to the emotional side of the music. Even though we define specific emotions with names, to me, emotions are almost always uncontrollable—or at least, we don’t really choose when they arise. That’s the approach I took with the sound design for the music. I wanted to create strange, unconventional sounds with expression and dynamics. That’s the beauty of music when you let it guide you through unpredictability and experimentation.
When looking for inspiration, where do you look for it? Other games, movies, your old records? Is there a specific inspiration for your work in Hell is Us?
For Hell is Us, several references were suggested to me, such as the films Annihilation, Alien, Interstellar, etc. Personally, the TV series Dark also inspired me with its intimate and strange atmosphere. I try as much as possible to keep certain influences on the surface, but I like to forget them once my composition process is fully underway, in order to be as original as possible.
Is there a piece in the game that you are particularly proud of and that players should look forward to?
The Intro Credits track. After seeing the early work done on this cinematic, I felt it needed a TV series-style opening piece—something that broke away from the usual ambient mold, with a more forward and present sound, especially since the music was created before the cinematic itself. I had complete creative freedom to do what I wanted while highlighting the game’s themes.
What is your favorite piece of music of all-time that you’ve heard in a video game?
I don’t really have a favorite track. I’m someone who listens to a wide variety of musical styles, and many pieces impress me. If I had to choose, I’d say the music from the Final Fantasy VII Remake. There are some incredible tracks in there.
How much of a gamer are you and is there a game that you always go back to?
I've always been a gamer. I'm from the generation that started out playing on old retro devices like the Intellivision or the Commodore 64. I'm more into solo adventures, RPGs, and puzzles. I really enjoy games with a strong story and a surrounding mystery. I'm not much of an online gamer, except maybe for Fallout 76 (I'm a big fan of the Fallout series). I also like to finish one game at a time to fully enjoy it. There are only two games I've played twice, but those are exceptions: the Mass Effect series and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.