Tomb Raider's 2014 GDC audio presentation surfaces online

Following a live orchestra performance conducted by Jason Graves, Crystal Dynamics audio designers Jack Grillo & Alex Wilmer presented at the Game Developers Conference in 2014. GDC has only just published this video today, May 25th, 2018, and it's a long but fascinating watch.

Grillo opens by talking sound effects, and from timestamp 24:18, Wilmer demonstrates the implementation of music in the franchise video game reboot of Tomb Raider (2013). He elaborates in-depth on the Tomb Raider overture as created by composer Jason Graves, and how referencing this influenced the creation of in-game music suites and the dynamic micro-scoring of action scenes.

Wilmer continues by breaking down the traversal of scoring the game - from Lara Croft opening a door, to fighting in combat with triggered layers of music, even when combat is instead avoided altogether. Percussion, sparse notes and stingers accentuate every player experience, with every piece of music in the game serving a purpose. Wilmer also talks about Graves' custom-made "The Instrument".

Developer Crystal Dynamics elaborates on scoring dynamic combat with procedural music in Rise of the Tomb Raider

Following the departure of long-time Crystal Dynamics audio director Alex Wilmer (Tomb Raider, Tomb Raider: Legend, Anniversary, Underworld, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Temple of Osiris), colleague Jack Grillo takes the wheel after the latest franchise instalment Rise of the Tomb Raider goes gold. Grillo elaborates on the procedural music system Rise of the Tomb Raider boasts with the help of Philip Lamperski, audio director, via the official Tomb Raider Blog.

The game utilises a new middleware licensed by Intelligent Music Systems, LLC that analyses MIDI compositions and generates new music - thus dynamically providing a different soundtrack to each play-through within the audio engine. The team have also provided a video demonstrating this system in action, featuring Rise of the Tomb Raider game-play with an isolated music stream (percussion only):

Read the full developer blog after the jump below! Rise of the Tomb Raider launches November 10th, 2015, on Xbox One and Xbox 360. MoTR will publish an interview with composer Bobby Tahouri prior.

Rumour: Temple of Osiris soundtrack release in the works?

In regards to an official soundtrack release for the upcoming Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, Redwood City studio Crystal Dynamics stated in an update today that there was "No news as of this moment". The Egyptian-themed score is being helmed by franchise newcomer and award-winning composer Wilbert Roget, II with additional assistance from Paul Houseman.

Crystal Dynamics Music Director of Tomb Raider and Audio Director on Temple of Osiris, Al Wilmer, recently teased such a release via Twitter (below). Be sure to let him know if you are interested!

Would you all like a Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris Soundtrack? :) @H4RR7H @WilbertRoget @phousemanmusic

— Alex Wilmer (@alwilmer) September 23, 2014

Roget, II and original legacy Tomb Raider composer Nathan McCree also conversed recently on Twitter; revealing the Temple of Osiris composer "had a wonderful time revisiting and studying" McCree's work, albeit required to present a "fresh" musical direction for the Lara Croft series.

Music for 2010's Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light consisted entirely of recycled tracks composed by Troels Folmann & Colin O'Malley (from Tomb Raider: Legend, Anniversary & Underworld). While Guardian of Light's soundtrack was not released, it would be a shame to see the more musically dedicated sequel debut unaccompanied as well. Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is due on December 9th, 2014.

Rumour: Jason Graves & Al Wilmer prep Tomb Raider sequel?

It may not be news that a globe-trotting sequel to 2013's Tomb Raider is in the works, but E3 2014 is just around the corner and developer Crystal Dynamics is set to announce new game(s). Both new-continuity composer Jason Graves and long time in-house sound designer (music supervisor on Tomb Raider) Alex Wilmer have recently hinted on Twitter about working on what is hopefully an upcoming trailer:

Trailer music + mixing = brain + explode

— Jason Graves (@jgmusic) June 5, 2014

Just finished work at 1:30am on an incredible surprise for E3. Hope you love it like we do!

— Alex Wilmer (@alwilmer) June 7, 2014

While his score to Tomb Raider (2013) saw critical acclaim and marked the first commercially available soundtrack publication in the history of the Tomb Raider videogame franchise, Jason Graves is yet to be publicly attached to a sequel. The BAFTA-winner (Dead Space) created a new thematic motif for the pop-culturally iconic Lara Croft; the composer is expected to return for the continuation of the franchise's reboot as the series' fourth musical mainstay.

Update: It appears Graves is actually referring to "Final mixes/cut downs for multiple pieces on a trailer album". Thus the above scenario seems less likely. Regardless, we'll find out soon enough if Wilmer's "surprise" is Tomb Raider 2 related (i.e. the 10th iteration of the TR video game franchise) or regarding an entirely new intellectual property at E3 2014, from June 9th. Interestingly, Square Enix have just registered the currently blank domains "Rise of the Tomb Raider" & "Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris".

The Sound of Survival: Jason Graves announced as composer for Tomb Raider (2013) in episode 3 of the "Final Hours"

@h4rr7h Yes, yes you did. :) What can I say? Ironclad NDA's and ultimate secrecy can be hard to overcome.

— Jason Graves (@jgmusic) December 1, 2012

The rumours were true! Today the Redwood City based studio Crystal Dynamics profiles BAFTA winning Jason Graves as the composer responsible for the music to Tomb Raider (2013), set for worldwide release on March 5th, 2013.

Community & Communications Manager Meagan Marie exclaims that the community figured it out months ago; she details the news at the Tomb Raider blog. Graves, sound designer Jack Grillo and music supervisor Alex Wilmer are all interviewed by Final Hours host Zachary Levi; watch the third instalment of Final Hours below:

The Final Hours of Tomb Raider - Episode 3: The Sound of Survival

"First thing we did was the theme. There have been many composers in the games or the films, but they've always used the original theme. They [Crystal Dynamics] said we want to start with a clean slate; new theme. I did it on piano, very simple... I was really scared just to send it because I was like "I don't know, I think this really works, I think I like it". We ended up taking that exact theme, the first demo I sent, and it was on the first trailer. That exact same arrangement." - Jason Graves

Follow the jump for a full transcript and press release. Expect to hear an exuberant amount of detail about the Tomb Raider soundtrack in the coming months!

Music supervisor Alex Wilmer confirms known piece as Tomb Raider reboot's official new theme

While referred to as such by Meagan Marie before, Sound Designer at Crystal Dynamics, Alex Wilmer, confirmed in writing today that the "Ringtone" available at TombRaider.com is the main theme for the upcoming reboot of the series:

"It is indeed the theme. It was very important for us to reveal it in this way." - Alex Wilmer

Additionally, Wilmer intimates his desire to share more about the music of Tomb Raider (2012) on the official Tomb Raider forums in future. The piece was performed by in-house concert violinist Rob Cheng, directed "emotionally" by the yet-to-be-announced composer.

New Tomb Raider composer teased in Crystal Habit podcast

Crystal Dynamics Community Manager, Meagan Marie, graces us with her presence in the Crystal Habit Podcast for a fourth time, talking to Tomb Raider (2012)'s entire audio department about "sound design, VO, and working with the yet-to-be-announced composer".

The podcast includes discussion with Alex Wilmer, in-house sound designer, audio engineer and series mainstay throughout Crystal's continuation. Also joining the show is Karl Gallagher, senior audio engineer, who has worked on Crystal Dynamics' titles alongside Wilmer since Tomb Raider Legend (2006). The duo contributed new music to Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light in 2010 and Tomb Raider: Underworld's Xbox 360 expansions Beneath the Ashes & Lara's Shadow (2009). Jack Grillo, musical director and lead sound designer, joins the team as well to talk with Wilmer, both offering insight to their collaboration(s) with the unknown composer.

Included as usual are transitional pieces throughout the broadcast, consisting of snippets from the soundtrack to "Turning Point". Global brand director Karl Stewart intends to announce the composer for Tomb Raider later in the year. Listen to the podcast below, and read a transcribed excerpt after the jump:

New "Turning Point" score from Tomb Raider (2012) in the second Crystal Habit Pod-cast

Crystal Dynamics Community Manager, Meagan Marie, dropped the second official Crystal Habit Pod-cast on the Official Tomb Raider Blog today (pertaining to Tomb Raider (2012)).

As well as discussion about various franchise and game-play related tidbits with Global Brand Director Karl Stewart and a representative from Eidos Montreal, the pod-cast also includes samples of the music heard in the Tomb Raider "Turning Point" cinematic trailer.

The 5 samples include the opening theme from the trailer, a few seconds of an entirely new musical stinger, the official Tomb Raider.com "Ringtone", an excerpt of a previously unobtainable piece (that builds up to the climatic leap of faith) and finally a clean rendition of the closing score to the Turning Point trailer:

Today's samples were available at a high fidelity of 320kbps; a similar quality to look forward to for the promised upcoming iTunes serial of the pod-cast.

Also elaborated upon was the music that plays on Lara's headphones in Turning Point; apparently it was an original techno piece "whipped up" by in-house sound designer Alex Wilmer. Ambiguously, Stewart jokes that Crystal may even release the piece as a treat for the fans. The composer for Tomb Raider (2012) is expected to be announced later in the year.

Music supervisor Alex Wilmer talks Tomb Raider music in making of "Turning Point"

Alex Wilmer

Alex Wilmer, sound designer/audio engineer @ Crystal Dynamics and series mainstay for their titles, talks music in the Making of the Tomb Raider (2012) "Turning Point" trailer video released by Eidos this morning:

"So for the scene where Lara is on the beach, our composer wrote a piece that was very intimate and extremely important in terms of story and the arc of the trailer. We really wanted to get the most out of this scene, and it just so happens we have a concert violinist on staff. So we got him to come into the studio and the composer was able to direct him over Skype and get the perfect performance for that scene." - Al Wilmer

The anonymous concert violinist

Word from Crystal Dynamics on who this concert violinist may be has yet to be spoken. Similarly, the in-game composer for Tomb Raider is expected to be announced later this year.

Music supervisor for the upcoming reboot of Tomb Raider, Wilmer has contributed to the Tomb Raider soundtracks and has been credited for sound design of the games since 2006's Tomb Raider: Legend, alongside Karl Gallagher. Prominently so during the production of Tomb Raider: Underworld's expansions Beneath the Ashes & Lara's Shadow released in early 2009, as well as 2010's downloadable title Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light - amid the absence of an in-house composer after the departure of Troels Folmann and Colin O'Malley.

Watch the entire "Making of Turning Point" via Tomb Raider's official Youtube channel, and keep an ear out for the new music from Tomb Raider (2012).

Update: (February 2013) Some time after the announcement of Jason Graves' attachment to the project, the composer has revealed the unnamed violinist to be Rob Cheng.

"Look who I ran into at Crystal - Rob Cheng played the haunting violin solo in the "Alone" trailer. And an Alex Wilmer (TR Music Supervisor) unintentional photobomb to boot!" - Jason Graves