Gaming Follow Friday - Video Game Composers

Follow Friday. This is the bit at the end of a week when we choose a topic and point you, our loving public, in the direction of reputable and relevant Twitter accounts based on that theme. In previous weeks we have concerned ourselves with the best games of 2012 and the brightest Independent Game Designers. This week we turn our eyes to Video Game Sound Designers.

Games are nothing without their sound effects and music. The plinky plonk of a Honky Tonk piano crying out the Maple Leaf Rag in a Wild West saloon. The windy panpipes and tinkling chimes of an Oriental scene. The leafy crunch under foot as you stroll through an autumnal scene. Music and sound are arguably even more important than any fancy HD graphics. Seriously, try playing, say, Uncharted right now with all the sound options turned down. We'll wait. Go on. Honestly, we've got stuff to do.

Take your time.

Back? Was it lacking some oomph? Of course it was! Oh and we weren't that bored while you were gone but thanks for asking!

So it's time to sing the praises for one of gaming's often underappreciated work mules, the sound guys. The audio designers. The composers. Whatever name you want to label them with - the 'boogie masters'? - they're lovely chaps. We even interviewed industry legend Grant Kirkhope recently, you can read part one of that interview over here. Simply put, their work is so invaluable to your gaming experience that we've tracked down a handful of them on Twitter so you can show your support through the thoroughly modern act of the 'Follow'.

Twitter is missing some notable artists, such as Elder Scrolls audio mastermind Jeremy Soul. And some of the industries best noise makers, such as Nintendo's own maestro, Mr. Mario and Zelda himself, Koji Kondo, just don't speak English (and I don't speak Japanese, so it's impossible to ascertain whether or not the account on Twitter is genuine (And no, I don't trust Google translate)).

But those issues are besides the point, the names listed below are some of the best composers working in the video game industry today, so get them followed!

Grant Kirkhope - @grantkirkhope
Location: Baltimore, MD
Bio: "I make noises and tunes for video games"
Notable Works: Banjo Kazooie, Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Viva Pinata, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Jesper Kyd - @JesperKyd
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Bio: "BAFTA award-winning composer for Film, TV and Games. Scores include Assassin's Creed Series, Hitman Series and many more."
Notable Works: Assassin's Creed, Hitman

Danny Baranowsky - @dannyBstyle
Location: mesa, az
Bio:" indie game music composer. wrote music for Super Meat Boy, Canabalt, Cave Story 3D, The Binding of Isaac, Way and more. when I grow up I want to be a dinosaur."
Notable Works: Super Meat Boy, The Binding of Isaac

Jeff Ball - @jeffedwardball
Location: Wall Walla, WA
Bio: "The freelance underdog of video game music and audio. I've contributed to Monkey Island 2: Special Edition, Red Orchestra 2, Gears of War 3, and Mass Effect 3."
Notable Works: Gears of War 3

David Wise - @David_Wise
Location: UK
Bio: "Professional Video Game Composer and Sound Design"
Notable Works: Donkey Kong Country, Battletoads, Diddy Kong Racing

Robin Beanland - @TheRealBeano
Location: N/A
Bio: "BAFTA winner/composer/sound designer/head of music for video games company Rare Ltd."
Notable Works: Conker's Bad Fur Day, Kameo Elements of Power, Kinect Sports

Gaeme Norgate - @Norgans
Location: Nottingham
Bio: "Video Game Musician Audio Director at Crytek UK. Composer, Sound Designer, Remixer, Geek. Cider Drinker. I Like both kinds of music Goth and Industrial"
Notable Works: Jet Force Gemini, Timesplitters series, Second Sight

Alistair Lindsay - @AlistairLindsay
Location: Suffolk, UK
Bio: "Freelance music composer and sound designer. Worked on Defcon, Darwinnia, Roller Coaster Tycoon 3, LostWinds, Thrillville, Jet Force Gemini, The Outsider......"
Notable Works: Defcon, Darwinia, Jet Force Gemini

Cris Velasco - @MonarchAudio
Location: Los Angeles
Bio: "Composer for video games. Credits include Mass Effect 3, God of War series, Warhammer: Space Marine, Clive Barkers Jericho and many more!"
Notable Works: God of War, Space Marine

Akira Yamaoka - @AkiraYamaoka
Location: Tokyo
Bio: "I am the real Akira Yamaoka.I’ve devoted my life to creating fascinating music and games that make people say, “This is so cool!”"
Notable Works: Silent Hill, Shadows of the Damned

Jack Wall - @jackwallmusic
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Bio: "Composer/Producer of music. Wall of Sound, Inc. I'm trying to be better at this than the last time you heard me."
Notable Works: Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, Jade Empire

Michael McCann - @MichaelMcCann_
Location: Montreal, Canada
Bio: "Michael McCann is a composer for tv, games and film with credits including Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Splinter Cell: Double Agent."
Notable Works: Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Marty O'Donnell - @MartyTheElder
Location: Pac NW
Bio: "Composer, wrote the music for the Flintstones Vitamins jingle and Halo."
Notable Works: Halo Series

OverClocked Remix - @ocremix
Location: Northern Virginia / Atlanta
Bio: "OverClocked ReMix is dedicated to the appreciation & promotion of video game music as an art form. Founded in 1999 by@djpretzel. @LarryOji & @DarkeSword tweet."
Notable Works: Street Fighter II HD Remix

Ari Pulkkinen - @aripulkkinen
Location: Finland
Bio: "I'm a composer & sound designer. Over 100 million people have heard my works in games such as Angry Birds, Dead Nation, Trine, Super Stardust HD."
Notable Works: Angry Birds, Trine, Super Stardust HD

Neal Acree - @neal_acree
Location: Los Angeles
Bio: "Film/television/game composer (World of Warcraft, Starcraft 2, Diablo 3, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Sanctuary, The Mechanic, Assassination Games, etc)."
Notable Works: World of Warcraft, Starcraft II

Chris Tilton - @christilton
Location: Burbank
Bio: "Composer for TV, Video Games, and other fun things. Currently working on Fringe and Alcatraz."
Notable Works: Black, Mercenaries

Don't forget:

Made2Game – @Made_2_Game
Location: UK
Bio: "The Home of Video Game Opinion"
Notable Works: Follow Friday, New Game of the Day, The Best of 2012.

Words by James Bowden (Twitter: @Dalagonash)

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