Sometimes, life can be tough, a struggle, or worse. Some might even say that life is like a hurricane. How we weather the storm depends on the individual, but to get centered I like movies, music and some video games. On that note, running this site allows us to speak to all manner of people who make the things we love, and that includes video game music.
So enter one massively talented and passionate composer, Jake Kaufman. When we say he’s good, we mean it. He’s really good, and to use some ’80s vernacular, he’s gnarly!
Jake has written/produced superb music for multiple genres and two massively successful video game franchises. The very first thing I purchased on Bandcamp was his rich and compelling musical soundtrack to the original Shovel Knight. Across multiple “Knight” titles (including the recent Pocket Dungeon which was released last December) he’s expanded and adapted his work to bring it to new heights.
Jake’s been living and breathing music from a very young age (having a musical family didn’t hurt either). He infuses his music with a sense of fun and seriousness using chip tune beeps and boops to propel truly outrageous or comical protagonists. It’s hard to take something as ridiculous as a shovel-wielding knight or a globe-trotting, treasure-seeking duck (with a Scottish accent no less) seriously, but the music truly helps with that.
His music has been in my head for years, so I was thrilled to speak to him about his craft and his preferences. Jake’s got an astounding wealth of video game knowledge – as a fan and a creative – and his track record is just phenomenal.
Another reason we were happy to chat with him was the exceptional work he took what was some pretty thrilling and full bodied compositions (yes, even on midi and for the NES) and gave them a symphonic overhaul with some extra special Kaufman spice. The result of which are multiple scores that blend the digital DNA with some expanded efforts that are all zingers. He really knocked it out of the park working with the music Hiroshige Tonomura wrote for an iconic NES title when he composed the OST for DuckTales: Remastered.
For more than an hour, Jake told us all about his experiences with the piano, the Magnavox Odyssey 2, working at WayForward and now the slew of indie titles – the Shovel series and the upcoming Mina the Hollower, all from Yacht Club Games.
Now for a guy who plays it cool – like everything just kinda worked out – he does admit to hitting some creative hurdles. Luckily, Jake has the full support of the game directors, producers and technical teams. It’s a group effort and they help each other – that’s how the worst of messes become successes.
So, without further ado, please enjoy this super fun and insightful chat with Jake Kaufman!!
Check out the FULL slate of Kaufman’s work at his Bandcamp page. He’s rad, his stuff is dope, and you’ll like it all. Promise!!
