Gareth Coker

Gareth Coker is a British composer best known for his work on the critically acclaimed video games by Moon Studios, Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps, as well as the upcoming Halo Infinite.

Gareth Coker
Born (1984-05-07) 7 May 1984
United Kingdom
Genres
Occupation(s)Composer
Years active2009–present
Associated actsAeralie Brighton
Alexander Rudd
Philharmonia Orchestra
Websitegareth-coker.net

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, studying various ethnic instruments.[1] He later moved to Los Angeles, where he juggled between composing for video games and the University of Southern California's film scoring program.[2][3] Coker cites Alan Silvestri's score for Forrest Gump and Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter as inspirations to becoming a composer.[4]

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.[5] 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.[6]

The musical score was praised by critics and fans[7][8], 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.[9] Yahoo's Ben Silverman called it "a wonderful score" and recalled how it was akin to the score of Howl’s Moving Castle.[10]

Discography
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
2021 Halo Infinite[15] 343 Industries Composed with Curtis Schweitzer

References
  1. Parkes, Cassie (July 26, 2017). "Interview: Composer Gareth Coker Talks Minecraft, Ori and more". Cultured Vultures. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  2. "A Conversation with Gareth Coker". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  3. Butler, Mark (October 17, 2017). "How video game music is finally getting the appreciation it deserves". iNews. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  4. Brinkley, Vance (August 21, 2017). "Gareth Coker Is A Name You Should Know In Video Game Music". Bandcamp. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  5. Dealessandri, Marie (July 17, 2019). "The sounds of… Gareth Coker". MCV Develop. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  6. Wingler, Matt (April 10, 2020). "The Emotion Of Sound: Chatting With Ori And The Blind Forest Composer Gareth Coker". The Sixth Axis. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  7. Gies, Arthur (March 9, 2015). "ORI AND THE BLIND FOREST REVIEW: THE PLACES YOU'LL GO". Polygon. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  8. Reparaz, Mikel (March 10, 2015). "Ori and The Blind Forest - Review". IGN. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  9. Hamilton, Kirk (January 1, 2016). "The Best Video Game Music Of 2015". Kotaku. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  10. Silverman, Ben (March 12, 2015). "Review: Beauty Meets the Beasts in Mesmerizing 'Ori and the Blind Forest'". Yahoo. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  11. "2016 AWARDS CATEGORY DETAILS". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  12. Blain, Louise (October 30, 2015). "Ori And The Blind Forest wins Best Audio at the Golden Joystick Awards". GamesRadar+. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  13. "Games - Music in 2016". British Academy Games Awards. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  14. Feinberg, Scott (October 10, 2015). "Hollywood Music in Media Awards: Sam Smith, Lady Gaga, Brian Wilson Among Nominees". Billboard. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  15. ""I am happy to announce that I'm scoring @Halo Infinite alongside @cschweitzer"". Twitter. July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
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