Gareth Coker
Gareth Coker (born 7 May 1984) is a British composer. He has composed work for video games by Moon Studios, Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and the upcoming Halo Infinite.
Gareth Coker | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 May 1984 United Kingdom |
| Genres |
|
| Occupation(s) | Composer |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | Materia Collective |
| Associated acts | Aeralie Brighton Alexander Rudd Philharmonia Orchestra |
| Website | gareth-coker |
Life and career
Coker learnt the piano at a very early age. In school, he joined the orchestra and a jazz band and later studied at the Royal Academy of Music pursuing a major in musical composition. He travelled and lived abroad in Japan for three years where he taught English[1] and studied various ethnic instruments.[2] He later moved to Los Angeles, where he juggled between composing for video games and the University of Southern California's film scoring program.[3][4] Coker cites Alan Silvestri's score for Forrest Gump and Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter as inspirations to becoming a composer.[5]
Ori and the Blind Forest
In 2011, Coker composed the accompanying music to the game's prototype after studio director Thomas Mahler had stumbled upon his work. Speaking about the game's musical approach, Coker was given free rein by the studio to experiment with the music and scored the game mostly based on the visuals.[6] He worked with the idea of using instruments that would represent the area. For example, using wood-based percussion instruments for the Ginso Tree area. He also worked closely with the game's programmers to balance the pacing and timing of the music. Coker recorded the score at Ocean Way Nashville Recording Studios with the Nashville Studio Orchestra.[7]
The musical score was praised by critics and fans,[8][9] garnering nominations for several industry awards including a BAFTA Game Award for Best Music. Kirk Hamilton of Kotaku appreciated the score's orchestral approach, comparing it to the works of Joe Hisaishi on the Studio Ghibli films.[10] Yahoo's Ben Silverman called it "a wonderful score" and recalled how it was akin to the score of Howl’s Moving Castle.[11]
Discography
| Films and TV | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Notes | |
| 2009 | Nameless | ||
| 2010 | Unwound | ||
| 2010 | Ellen | ||
| 2010 | You Kill Me | ||
| 2010 | What to Bring to America | ||
| 2010 | The Incident | ||
| 2010 | Laugh and Die | ||
| 2010 | Homeland | ||
| 2010 | George's 40th Birthday | ||
| 2011 | Buried Alive | ||
| 2011 | Dysteria | ||
| 2011 | Upon Release | ||
| 2011 | Cab 57 | ||
| 2011 | InMomentum | ||
| 2011 | Waking Up | ||
| 2011 | The Silence Inside Us | ||
| 2011 | I Am Rupert Caldwell | ||
| 2011 | Good Intentions | ||
| 2011 | August's Claim | ||
| 2012 | Call to Arms | ||
| 2012 | All Up to You | ||
| 2012 | Haven's Point | ||
| 2012 | Dog-Eared | ||
| 2013 | Veritasium | 1 episode | |
| 2013 | Rise | ||
| 2013 | Diary of a Teenage Nobody | 1 episode | |
| 2013 | The Plagarist's Game | ||
| 2013 | Billy in Motion | ||
| 2013 | Verax | ||
| 2013 | United Grand Lodge of Queensland Grand Installation | ||
| 2013 | Dark Power | ||
| 2013 | Where the Sky Is Born | ||
| 2014 | Thrilling Contradictions | ||
| 2014 | Rush | ||
| 2015 | Recoil | ||
| 2015 | The Sweet Taste of Redemption | ||
| 2015 | Let Go | ||
| 2016 | Emma's Chance | ||
| 2016 | Mandroid | ||
| 2017 | The Labyrinth | ||
| 2017 | Resistance is Life | ||
| 2017 | Moving Art | 1 episode | |
| 2018 | Level Up Norge | 3 episodes | |
| 2018 | Buoyancy | ||
| 2018 | The Price | ||
| 2019 | Full Moon | ||
| 2019 | The Teleios Act | ||
| 2022 | Ark: Animated Series | ||
| Video games | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Developer | Notes | |
| 2011 | inMomentum | Digital Arrow | ||
| 2012 | Primal Carnage | Lukewarm Media | ||
| 2015 | Ori and the Blind Forest | Moon Studios | ||
| The Mean Greens - Plastic Warfare | Code Headquarters | |||
| 2016 | The Unspoken | Insomniac Games | ||
| Minecraft | Mojang | Expansion Packs: Chinese Mythology, Egyptian Mythology, Greek Mythology, Norse Mythology, Battle & Tumble, Pirates of the Caribbean | ||
| 2017 | Ark: Survival Evolved | Studio Wildcard | ||
| 2019 | Darksiders Genesis | Airship Syndicate | ||
| 2020 | Ori and the Will of the Wisps | Moon Studios | ||
| Dota 2 | Valve | The International 10 Music Pack | ||
| Immortals Fenyx Rising | Ubisoft Quebec | |||
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Nintendo | "Clockwork Crafter", taken directly from Minecraft Battle & Tumble | ||
| 2021 | Halo Infinite[12] | 343 Industries | Composed with Curtis Schweitzer and Joel Corelitz | |
| 2022 | Ark II[13] | Studio Wildcard | ||
Awards
| Year | Work | Award | Note | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Ori and the Blind Forest | D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Music Composition | Won | [14] |
| Golden Joystick Award for Best Audio | Won | [15] | ||
| BAFTA Game Award for Best Music | Nominated | [16] | ||
| HMMA Award for Best Original Score - Video Game | Nominated | [17] | ||
| 2020 | Ori and the Will of the Wisps | The Game Award for Best Score and Music | Nominated | [18] |
| 2021 | Ori and the Will of the Wisps | The IFMCA Award for Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media | Nominated | [19] |
References
- Johnson, Odhrán. "404 - With Gareth Coker: Creating Music that Enhances Player Experience". Media.wmv. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- Parkes, Cassie (26 July 2017). "Interview: Composer Gareth Coker Talks Minecraft, Ori and more". Cultured Vultures. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
- "A Conversation with Gareth Coker". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- Butler, Mark (17 October 2017). "How video game music is finally getting the appreciation it deserves". iNews. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- Brinkley, Vance (21 August 2017). "Gareth Coker Is A Name You Should Know In Video Game Music". Bandcamp. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- Dealessandri, Marie (17 July 2019). "The sounds of… Gareth Coker". MCV Develop. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
- Wingler, Matt (10 April 2020). "The Emotion Of Sound: Chatting With Ori And The Blind Forest Composer Gareth Coker". The Sixth Axis. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
- Gies, Arthur (9 March 2015). "ORI AND THE BLIND FOREST REVIEW: THE PLACES YOU'LL GO". Polygon. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
- Reparaz, Mikel (10 March 2015). "Ori and The Blind Forest - Review". IGN. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
- Hamilton, Kirk (1 January 2016). "The Best Video Game Music Of 2015". Kotaku. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
- Silverman, Ben (12 March 2015). "Review: Beauty Meets the Beasts in Mesmerizing 'Ori and the Blind Forest'". Yahoo. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
- ""I am happy to announce that I'm scoring @Halo Infinite alongside @cschweitzer"". Twitter. July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
- "Two very different tracks, both of which you heard in the @survivetheark II trailer shown at @thegameawards . Presented here in full". Twitter. December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
- "2016 AWARDS CATEGORY DETAILS". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- Blain, Louise (October 30, 2015). "Ori And The Blind Forest wins Best Audio at the Golden Joystick Awards". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- "Games - Music in 2016". British Academy Games Awards. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
- Feinberg, Scott (10 October 2015). "Hollywood Music in Media Awards: Sam Smith, Lady Gaga, Brian Wilson Among Nominees". Billboard. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- "Best Score and Music I Nominees". The Game Awards. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
- "IFMCA Award Nominations 2020". IFMCA International Film Music Critics Association. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
