DEVBLOG #4 - The Melody Resonates - Interview with Olivier Derivière

Hi Olivier. Can you tell us more about the way you worked on Resonance?

As much as Resonance is part of A Plague Tale universe, it stands out for its unique take on mythology, storytelling and gameplay from the previous games. The creation is always a team working experience. I spent hours with Creative Director David Dedeine and Audio Director Aurelien Piters discussing the approach we would have for this episode. We were driven by the origins of Sophia, her story and of course the Greek mythology that was a big source of inspiration. Out of these fruitful discussions I ended up envisioning something I’ve never done before. I needed to create something mystical yet personal, emotional with a lot of action, and finally something grounded into the real world and the fantasy of the game.

How do you delve into such a universe?

Diving in any Plague Tale game is to surrender to what the game calls, and this time it was a big call. Massive! Imagine looking at visuals of ancient warriors, inspired by Greek mythology and telling a very personal story. It was quite a challenge as the many dimensions cross more than often in the game. I had to decipher what was key from what was not but in the end, it’s always the human condition that drives me, and Sophia was my beacon throughout the whole production.

​Did you set precise goals for the project?

My objectives were to celebrate the new approach without betraying the DNA from A Plague Tale. It was quite challenging to express emotions and storytelling like in the previous games without repeating myself. I wanted to explore new sounds, new instruments, and dare I say, new signature. Resonance had to get its own existence and that was the ultimate goal.

What kind of emotions were you looking to convey?

Music is emotions. And Resonance is definitely full of them. Very different ones. Sophia is a strong warrior yet she is broken inside. She’s lost and wants answers. As determined as she can be, the challenges that she will face can overcome her confidence. The balance between her strength and fragility has been the main focus of the music in the game.

Of course, Eric Maria Couturier’s cello is part of the DNA for A Plague Tale. The sound of the cello is part of the music signature but for Resonance we needed to find something different.

Very early in the production I was searching for a musician that could bring what Eric brought but with a more Ottoman/Greek way. This is when I discovered one of the most respected and established players of Yayli Tambur (cello ancestor) and rebab: Evgenios Voulgaris. Evgenios is actually everywhere in the game, adding this flavor that only he can create. His way of playing based on decades of studying different styles and his own emotions really moved me.

I went to Patras (Greece) and he came to Paris to record beyond the remote sessions. It is a big honor to have him onboard.

About the choir: How did you meet them? What motivated your choice?

After some discussions with David, I realized that I needed to capture the spirit of Sophia. I thought right away of working with a solo singer. So I started looking everywhere to see who could be the best fit and that’s how I found out about Vasiliki Anastasiou and her choir Amalgamation. They are based in Cyprus and I couldn’t be happier to have collaborated with her and her group.

It felt so right to have such voices in the game, they can inspire mysticism, empowerment, all sorts of emotions. I knew they were the ones. And to my great pleasure, David fell in love as well with them.

*A captured moment of Cyprus recording session with the Choir, Vassiliki conducting.*

Tell us more about what it is like to create a song for them.

Writing the songs for the game was a long process. It lasted over a year. First Vasiliki came to Paris and we worked together for a couple of days in creating a workflow. I would write the lyrics in French, she would translate them in Cypriot Greek, then she would read them and record them so I could hear the accents and eventually write the final music.

I must give her credit (and her long time friend Giorgos Kalogirou, who happened to sing as well for the game) for the amazing job she did. I think having the lyrics in her own language made a huge difference for her, the choir and eventually to the game.

How did the recording sessions go?

We went to Cyprus with my engineer and we recorded for 2 straight days. I couldn’t believe the level of passion, involvement and professionalism the choir was at. They sang for about 9 hours per day with full energy, having prepared all the songs to deliver an amazing performance. I must mention the fact that Vasiliki was 7 months pregnant and was so strong and so involved that I couldn’t go without dedicating the whole music to her now baby born Cleo. She has quite a phenomenal mum!

What did you want to express most through these voices?

To have a choir like this is to hear sonorities that have echoed through thousands of years. It is filled with history, vibrations, and colors that can make anyone feel swallowed by their power. This is what was key for Resonance. As the title of the game itself it will resonate with our collective past as humans. In the actual game, the way they appear is always for a good reason and I can’t wait to hear the reactions from the players. I think they won’t forget them, ever…