An Explanation: Scandinavia & Video Games
So, hopefully you’ve heard that the Scandinavian music is coming to Streaming services near you on January 8th!
If not, go read the 2021 New Year post!
What is Songs of Scandinavia?
Songs of Scandinavia is a mini-album of eight short orchestral pieces written especially for a Scandinavian-themed mod for the video game Europa Universalis 4. The music is inspired by different aspects of Scandinavia, its culture and its history. Its style is similar to the Themes of the Old World album, and, in fact, one piece even directly relates to the Scandinavian theme (Sovereignty) from that album.
Some pieces in the album are mellow and peaceful and some aggressive and belligerent. This is because the game environment that the music exists in will experience both times of peace and times of war. Unlike Themes of the Old World, the themes are not split explicitly into war and peace variants. Rather, each part of the region has its own theme, be for war or peace. The eight tracks in Songs of Scandinavia are:
A Viking’s Legacy - This is the de-facto main theme and is the music that plays when the mod is loaded and when Scandinavia is united as one country within the game. It is based on Viking culture and raids from over a thousand years ago. It is upbeat and aggressive, aiming to capture the spirit of Viking sailing, trading and pillaging.
Assault on the Sveaborg - The Sveaborg is an impressive ocean fortress built in the Baltic Sea just south of Helsinki, Finland. As such, this music represents the nation of Finland and commemorates its defensive capabilities throughout history, both at sea and on land. The piece aims to capture the tension of an assault on a highly defensible position - particularly one so impressive as in Finland.
Aurora Borealis - This is the peaceful piano theme of the Sapmi peoples in Lappland. At such a high latitude they are well-poised to enjoy the wonders of the northern lights. The piece aims to capture the mystery and awe of both the aurora and the Sapmi people who live beneath it.
A Broken Union - This sombre piece was written for Denmark. At one point in history all of Scandinavia was united as one country under the crown of Denmark. The king of Denmark also doubled as the king of Sweden and Norway. It was known as the Kalmar Union and survived only a short time before Sweden called it quits. The piece aims to reflect this heartbreak with a sad rendition of the Sovereignty Theme (representing Scandinavia) from Themes of the Old World.
The Coronation of Gustavus Adolphus - Gustavus Adolphus brought Sweden to the 1600’s world stage. I don’t know much about his coronation, but owing to his achievements for the Swedish people I can imagine any retrospective festival would be rather grand. This jubilant piece of music aims to capture this spirit with a jolly, lively and heroic celebration. However, once all is said and done the music turns slow and sombre in recognition of his unfortunate and early death.
Eyjan Min Heimili Mitt - How about some Icelandic language lessons? The title of this peaceful string piece loosely translates to “My Island, My Home”. The island has long enjoyed little disruption to its daily life. The music commemorates Iceland, its beauty and its isolation in the Atlantic, as well as its long fight for independence.
The Great Baltic - The Baltic Sea is, in some sense, the heart of Scandinavia. This piece aims to capture the spirit of traders, fishermen and sailors alike as they travelled across the vast expanse of waters. The sea has provided life to the Nordic countries for centuries. The music also intends to commemorate the island of Gotland, who occasionally dreamed of independence.
Ragnarök - The foretelling of the end of times in Norse Mythology, Ragnarök is an intense piece that rips the world apart with thundering drums and lightning brass. This distinctly warlike piece was made especially for Norway, with its mountains, valleys and great halls. Norse Mythology is such a wonder to us now that I simply could not pass up the opportunity to try capture a small aspect of it within this album.
What is “Modding”?
The mod in modding is short for modification, meaning that modding is the act of making modifications. In this case, modding a game means making changes to the game - like adding a new level, changing a character’s hair colour or giving yourself loads of cash to spend. Modding is often supported by the game developers to increase engagement with their product, promote a community and extend the life of the game. For example, there are mods allow you to explore a scale versions of places around the world in Minecraft.
The scope of modding can range from minor tweaks to huge overhauls. My work is generally closer to the latter end of that scale. Brave people take on bold projects to reimagine a video game and dramatically enhance its content. Often, such an undertaking usually revolves around a theme and to add to the immersion custom music is required. This is where I come in.
I work with these modders to add music to their mods. Sometimes it is new title music, like what was done with Ante Bellum and Lux in Tenebris (often with the intent on coming back later to write the full album). Sometimes it is a fully immersive album of custom tracks written specifically for the project, like what was done for the Scandinavian Overhaul Mod (and now being released to all as the Songs of Scandinavia mini-album!). These projects can be massive undertakings and specifically themed, but are hugely enjoyable to work with!
The mod that this music was written or aims to completely overhaul the playing experience of Scandinavia in a game environment that involves the entire world map beginning in 1444AD.
Are you a nerd?
Yes, probably. Once upon a time I played a lot of video games - not so much any more. This foundation is how I understand the market, the modding and the games themselves. Perhaps I would play more games if I had more time.. but these days I am too busy making excellent music for other people to enjoy!
Today Scandinavia, tomorrow where?
Prepare yourself by following Utopia on Spotify!
- Utopia