The Medium, a game developed by Bloober Team
The Medium, takes place in a split perspective. The real world and the spirit world, where Marianne, a medium that the player controls, will try to find the real story behind her past and its relationship with an abandoned hotel.
The soundtrack of The Medium, as well as the story, is divided in two worlds. The 27 tracks of the music were co-composed by Arkadiusz Reikowski and Akira Yamaoka each one, responsible for one layer of the story. Arkadiusz Reikowski, was responsible for the audio direction and music of the material world, While Akira Yamaoka composed the game’s spirit world.
Akira Yamaoka
Is a Japanese video game music composer, sound designer, guitarist, and producer, best known for composing various games in the Silent Hill series by Konami.
Arkadiusz Reikowski
Is a polish music composer, best known for his work in Blair Witch, Layers of fear 2, and Observer
Yamaoka and Keikowski compositions were developed with both of them working very closely together. Having online communication, using software like skype or zoom, was key to solving the problem of the distance between japan and poland.
Together, they worked in a shared language of the whole soundtrack so it could really stand out. In a different and rarely seen way in game development music was composed by two people but was still very closely connected.
The sounds in The Medium carry information for the players, without jumpscares or over stressing them. In contrast, using silence and minimalism in the music and sound design throughout the whole story.
“Yamaoka-san, really quickly grasps the unique atmosphere of the game”, said Arkadiusz Reikowski ‘There’s a kind of darkness in it that draws us in and Yamaoka-san is the perfect composer for such music, because of his immense experience with such game worlds”
“For me, personally, horror is not just about using scary, startling sounds or quiet, unsettling sounds. But also about using sounds that feel completely alien to that world. Music that feels out of place, to create startling and unsettling effects”
Akira YamaokaThe Medium co-composer
The music in The Medium is available now to purchase and stream from platforms including Apple Music, Bandcamp, Deezer, iTunes, Spotify, TIDAL, YouTube, and YouTube Music. Featuring 27 compositions and includes vocal tracks by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Troy Baker, and Liz Katrin.
