Cosmic Firestorm

I have a very particular method when it comes to scoring: I usually pick projects or games I don’t know, watch the footage without sound, and write completely blind — with zero clues about the original soundtrack. In other words, it wasn’t about choosing a favorite game, but about finding one that fit my urge to experiment musically.

This time, F-Zero GX was the perfect choice. I only knew it by name — a game about speed and sci-fi — and that was all I needed. My goal was to create something fast, where I could finally let loose on guitars and also try out my recently acquired electric bass.

The track was conceived with a NWOBHM flavor mixed with synths, something reminiscent of the short instrumental pieces Iron Maiden experimented with on Killers. I’ve always felt that guitars are a natural fit for racing. Strangely enough, I started with the drums: I built some metal grooves, laid a riff over them, and within minutes the main theme was born.

From there it was all about structuring and recording. I double-tracked the guitars left and right with different tones, added some Moog to bring in the sci-fi character, and finished with strings for an epic closure. The process came together quickly, which gave me extra time to take the not-yet-finished track into Final Cut and sync it with gameplay footage. Once I locked in the video, I went back to Logic Pro and composed an additional section directly to picture.

No matter the outcome, it was a really enjoyable process. Normally I write using synths and orchestral samples, so this was the perfect excuse to dive into something heavier and step outside my usual territory. I ended up doing exactly what I wanted.