Rob & Paul Interview

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Kalah
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Rob & Paul Interview

Unread postby Kalah » 02 Sep 2014, 18:49

The official portal has launched a big interview with the music guys of <i>Heroes VII</i>: Rob King and Paul Romero. It contains the following questions:



<i>1. 2015 will mark the 20th anniversary of the Heroes series. Can you tell us how you became involved with Might & Magic?

2. Even if it has retained the distinctive “King & Romero” touch that fans know and love, your music has evolved quite a bit during these 20 years. How would you describe this evolution?

3. What gave you the idea to add opera to the music in the first place?

4. As composers, how did you approach the Heroes VII project? What was similar to past Heroes, and what was different?

5. As you mentioned before, Heroes VII marks the return of opera singer Karin Mushegain. How was it to work with Karin again?

6. We often receive fan e-mails asking for transcriptions of the lyrics of the opera parts :) How do you write these lyrics?

7. Could you describe the process of composing a specific track: Hope for Green Falls (used in the game as the Haven faction theme)? From the first melodies to the final, mixed track.

8. Looking back on those 20 years of Heroes, which track are you the most proud of?

9. Paul, I think you’ll soon be in Poland for a music festival, with a special treat for Heroes fans… Can you tell us more?

10. Finally, do you have a message for Heroes fans?</i>



To read the whole giant thing, head over to <a href="/https://mmh7.ubi.com/en/blog/post/view/ ... omero">The Shadow Council</a>.

If you would like to take a look at the original page visit this link:
https://www.celestialheavens.com/1409683755
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Unread postby mr.hackcrag » 02 Sep 2014, 20:58

There's also a track from H7 you can listen to. Sounds great. I hope it will be able to give H2 & H4 soundtrack a run for its money. 5 & 6 was a letdown for me but this one looks like it has a lot of potential. :D

I also hope that European homm concert ends up on youtube somehow. :-D

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Rob & Paul Interview

Unread postby ywhtptgtfo » 03 Sep 2014, 02:34

Where's Rand?

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Rob & Paul Interview

Unread postby hellegennes » 03 Sep 2014, 13:04

I hope they'll release the lyrics this time around. I am really curious to see what they have written.



The fact tha Karin was only 15 when Heroes II was released is amazing. I knew she was quite young, but I thought she was in her early 20's. Her voice sounds spectacular. I am really happy she is back.

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Unread postby GreatEmerald » 03 Sep 2014, 22:00

Lyrics? I'd rather they wouldn't... I always find it nicely mysterious that I don't know the meaning of the sounds. Well, aside from Dies Irae, of course, but that's mysterious in and of itself, anyway.

"Rob King: I love the Grass Theme in Heroes IV"
He means the one that doesn't exist? HoMM4 grass theme was just a concatenation of different other terrain tracks. Or does he mean Wandering, the track that wasn't actually used in the game?

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Rob & Paul Interview

Unread postby hellegennes » 03 Sep 2014, 22:40

Well, on their part they wrote a specific piece for Grass and that can be heard on what ended up being the Grass Theme (it's after 10:00 and it's two minutes long). Now, why the actual Grass Theme contains all other terrain themes is a mystery. Perhaps it was done by mistake?

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Rob & Paul Interview

Unread postby JSE » 04 Sep 2014, 01:40

It's interesting Rob mentions the Heroes 4 Grass theme as one of his favourites because like all other so called "adventure themes" it wasn't even written by Rob or Paul Romero but by one Paul James.

These Irish folk tracks are the only pieces of Heroes music I've never really liked. They were perfectly produced but had a sentimental mood about them that didn't seem to fit the Heroes gameplay.

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hellegennes
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Rob & Paul Interview

Unread postby hellegennes » 04 Sep 2014, 02:25

However King produced and specifically arranged all of the adventure themes. Arrangement can be as important as writing the piece. The interviewer asks them to mention the pieces they are most proud of. James probably wrote these pieces for piano or guitar.

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Rob & Paul Interview

Unread postby Coldy » 05 Sep 2014, 08:17

I'm very happy to hear Paul and Rob will be doing the soundtrack. I love their work :D

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Rob & Paul Interview

Unread postby hellegennes » 05 Sep 2014, 09:57

My question is: did Paul Romero write any of the adventure themes in any of the Heroes games prior to H5? I am asking this because he is specifically mentioned in the credits of all games as the composer of town themes, which makes me suspect that the other pieces were composed by Steve Baca, who is never mentioned despite credited in writing music for Heroes 1-4 and MM6-9. Does anybody know what his exact involvement was and why no one mentions him?

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Rob & Paul Interview

Unread postby Marzhin » 05 Sep 2014, 18:58

The only thing I know is that Rob & Paul own all rights to Heroes and Might & Magic music written before H5.
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Kalah
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Rob & Paul Interview

Unread postby Kalah » 05 Sep 2014, 21:14

I guess there's always a chance "ghost writers" have been used; they can have had assistance making lyrics or other things and then the overall project have been done by them.
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Rob & Paul Interview

Unread postby hellegennes » 05 Sep 2014, 22:20

@Marzhin:



Anyone can have the rights. The fact remains that Steve Baca is credited in all the games as a music writer alongside Romero and King (minus the first Heroes game and MM7 where he is credited in sound design; my bad). He is not even mentioned separately as a sound engineer or anything. He is rather mentioned twice, once in sound design alongside King and once in the writing of the score (MM6 also credits Jennifer Wang and MM9 credits Barry Blum plus the trio). Wasn't Baca also in King's rock band?

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Rob & Paul Interview

Unread postby Vitirr » 09 Sep 2014, 20:19

Yes he was part as Red Delicious as far as I know. I always thought he was more of helping hand in the sound department but I guess only Rob and Paul really know (and perhaps any of the old NWC staff I guess).



A shame that these kind of stuff is never asked in any interview. I have the feeling that the same things are asked all over again in each interview when there are so many things to ask, as which classical themes did they get inspiration from for H2 (H2 wizard is partially inspired from Goldberg variations from Bach, but though it has been also suggested classic inspiration for the rest of the soundtrack I still didn't hear any resemblance so close as with Goldberg variations).

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Unread postby mr.hackcrag » 09 Sep 2014, 21:06

Those are good questions from vitirr and hellegennes. Use your magic powers to ask them Kalah! :)


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