Kevin Penkinanalog meets anime
Melbourne, Australia: From video game soundscapes to award-winning anime scores, composer Kevin Penkin (Made In Abyss, Star Wars: Visions, Florence) has honed his craft and found his niche.
His quest for unique sonic textures has taken him from scoring in Vienna to collaborating with the legendary Nobuo Uematsu, and everywhere in between. It’s this quest that ultimately led him to the deep, powerful, absorbing sounds of PolyBrute Noir - we caught up with him to find out more.
Game on
Penkin’s relationship with video games and contemporary Japanese media may be a professional one, but it comes from a personal place: a video game was where it all began.
I was a Nintendo kid, the GameCube was my first console. I remember playing a game that ended up changing my life called Metroid Prime. I heard this beautiful marriage of ambient synthesizers and classical instruments.
This fusion of traditional and electronic instrumentation would eventually become a constant throughout his work, cemented by opportunities like working with renowned Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu in 2013 and his major 2017 breakthrough scoring the hit anime Made In Abyss. The latter project was when he really took that fusion to another level.
This was the first time for me to really experiment with electro-acoustic music on a really fundamental level - I was really looking for new sounds.
Just one idea
A new project might start with a melody, a vibe, or a template. For Penkin, the inspiration usually comes from a particular instrument, acting as the catalyst that ignites his workflow - something that PolyBrute Noir is primed for.
I’m definitely inspired by instruments. I’m just trying to find one core idea that I can create layers around.
He notes that this approach to finding a musical spark is particularly effective when it comes to scoring anime, due to the role that the music plays. Rather than directly reflecting on-screen elements, it’s more of an accompaniment that works just as well in isolation as it does in context.
In anime music, a lot of the tracks that you compose are not actually scored to picture, so you can really just have a free mindset when it comes to starting tracks. You really want to have one core idea that you can build on.
On PolyBrute Noir
Penkin spent some time talking us through some of his projects using PolyBrute’s sound, highlighting his favorite features, and discussing how it’s become a core element of his creative setup.
I think what makes the PolyBrute really special for me is its diversity. I’ve been able to use it in a plethora of different circumstances - sometimes it blends amazingly, sometimes it takes centerstage. The diversity is phenomenal.
Somehow no matter the size of the orchestra, the type of project, or the style, somehow it always finds a way to add a beautiful texture on top of everything. It’s really helped me think about music in a healthier way.
Sequencing
I love the sequencer… The way you can programme these lovely little randomized glitches, it can almost sound like a granular texture.
PolyBrute Connect
Having that quick save, that quick recall, and being able to create a nice little project file on one of the banks is super convenient.
“If I’m ever stuck, I know that I can turn this machine on and just find a really wicked sound to incorporate into the track and keep the flow going.”
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