One of my favourite video games ever is PS2 Deus Ex: The Conspiracy launched in 2002. What I love about this game is both the soundtrack and its early digital aesthetics, as this game was developed 20 years ago its digital animations are quite primitive compared to modern day games. It almost seems comedic and surreal the graphics of the game, but as they where developed so long ago they seem to me extremely original and outstanding. Even the foley and sound effects sound so unreal, the steps sound like a shovel hitting gravel and the SFX such as shootings and grunts sounds childish, but because the sounds seem so different to reality it creates great character and uniqueness to the game. The music is inspired in 90’s electronic dance music, using mainly synths and digital drum machines, creating a futuristic landscape that provokes momentum to the game. The music also supports quite effectively the story line of the game, the game is situated in a digital futuristic apocalyptic landscape, where technology dominates human relations and plages torments society. Music with its low bit nature, support the creation of the digital wastelands and attempts to imagine a world such as the one created in the game. The narrative of the game was also quite pioneering as it is one of the first games that allow the gamer to choose between storyline paths. During the game the gamer has the responsibility of choosing the actions of the character, resulting in a different outcome depending in the decisions made.

As the soundtrack of Deus Ex is probably my favourite video game sound track ever, I wanted to include some similar aspects to the music for The Phone Box. Both games also have somewhat a similar digital aesthetics, as because its their first VR game of the MA students, their graphic design is not as sophisticated, and in my opinion looks a bit similar to the one of Deus Ex. Because of Deus Ex, I decided to compose the music for The Phone Box mainly using synthesisers that have a quite digital aesthetic. For example a couple of the drones I created where using digital FM modulation and wave table manipulation, creating overtones that only digital technology can achieve. At the same time I thought of including a repeating rhythmic synth sequence, similar to an acid bass line, characteristic of early 90’s electronic music. This sequence would give the game some momentum and hint an electronic environment.